She looked over at him from where she stood watching Samara, and his lips turned up. Jane’s cheeks flushed as she turned away.
Whenever you’re ready, I’m waiting for you, Jane Mays.
As if she read his mind, she sauntered over to where he stood by his truck, like a déjà vu from yesterday, before Old Faithful started erupting.
She stood in front of him, hands on her hips, and pushed her sunglasses on top of her head. Squinting up at him, she took a deep breath and let it go slowly.
“Hi.”
“Heya,” he answered.
“Sara says you’re going to Jackson Hole with her.”
“I’m not.”
He watched a slow smile tilt her lips up, and she even let out a tiny chuckle as her mossy eyes searched his. He could tell she was pleased, and it made his heart hammer with pleasure of his own.
Suddenly her face clouded over.
“You kissed her.”
“That’s not what happened.”
“What did happen?”
“What happened with you and Paul?”
“What are you talking about? Nothing!”
“Jane, I saw you last night at the Prairie Dawn. I was walking to the Best Western to talk to you, and I saw you two through the glass. You weren’t playing euchre, that’s for sure.”
“Maggie and Nils—”
“I don’t want to hear about Maggie and Nils. I’m talking about you and Paul. I saw a whole lot of handholding. And then, I saw him lean forward and—”
“On the cheek, Lars! He kissed me on the cheek, like a brother or a friend. He was comforting me.”
“Huh,” he scoffed. “Didn’t seem brotherly to me.”
“This from the one who ripped my cousin’s clothes off.”
He flinched, then shook his head in disgust. “You actually believe that?”
“Someone saw her standing in her underwear with your lips on hers. You tell me.”
“My lips were nowhere near hers and besides—”
“JANE! WATER!”
She looked over at her cousin, then quickly slid her eyes back to him.
“Are you with Paul or not?” he demanded.
“Are you with Sara or not?” she shot back.
“JANE! WATER, NOW!”
Ready for a costume change, Samara stood a few yards away with her hands on her hips, staring at Lars and Jane with daggers in her eyes.
“I have to go,” Jane muttered.
“We’re not done,” said Lars, watching as she turned around to go help her bratty cousin.
***
The whole crew clapped enthusiastically as Sara finished the last set of photos, and she made a pretty curtsy, blowing kisses at the photographer before heading back to her trailer to change for her weekend of relaxation.
Jane had asked Lars to transfer her bags to the smaller van that Mr. Lindstrom would drive to Jackson Hole, while Lars would drive Jane and the rest of the team back to Gardiner. Tomorrow morning, Ray, Shanelle and Margot would be driven to the airport for their flights home, and Jane would leave on Monday with Sara, Franco and Sebastian when they returned from Jackson Hole.
Leave on Monday.
Her heart clenched at the thought of leaving Lars.
Shanelle braided Sara’s hair in a requested French braid, and Margot finished hanging the last of the shoot clothes.
One of Trend’s people would drive the trailer back to the rental place in Bozeman and ship the designer clothes back to New York.
Sara took her time changing, and finally, it was just Jane and her cousin left in the quiet of the trailer as Sara finished dressing in jeans and a designer sweatshirt for her ride to Jackson Hole.
“Jane…” Sara started, gently, and Jane’s head whipped up at the unfamiliarity of the tone. “I’m worried about you.”
Jane rolled her eyes at Sara, but didn’t move from where she stood, across from her cousin.
“You’re staying behind, and Lars is here, and I know you like him…but, I don’t think he is who you think he is, or who you want him to be.”
“You’re mistaking me for someone who gives a shit about your opinion.”
“Fine, Jane. Have it your way.”
Jane put her hands on her hips. “Okay. What? What are you trying to say?”
Sara cleared her throat, leaning into the conversation. “Okay…so you know he was kissing me yesterday, right?”
Jane stared at her cousin, pursing her lips. No, she didn’t know that. She didn’t feel like she had the whole story.
Sara raised her eyebrows. “Oh. Okay. You’re not sure about that, huh? Even though Margot—”
“Margot didn’t see you kissing him, Sara. You said that. She didn’t, and besides…it’s just not adding up.”
“What isn’t?” asked Sara, narrowing her eyes.
“He hasn’t stayed at your place once. He isn’t going away with you. I don’t know…I feel like…maybe he doesn’t like you. Maybe he actually likes…me.”
Sara’s mouth dropped open, staring at Jane with a wide, mocking smile. “YOU? Are you crazy?”
“God, you’re such a bit—you know what, Sara? I don’t want to talk to you anymore. Your bags are packed. Mr. Lindstrom’s waiting. Have a nice—”
Jane turned to leave, but Sara jumped in front of the door. “There’s something you need to hear.”
“Sara, get out of my—” Jane tried to reach the doorknob behind her, but Sara quickly pressed the voice memo app on her phone, choosing a voice recording dated yesterday.
“Listen.”
Jane rolled her eyes, but stopped to listen.
“Samara, I could always come track you down in New York. Come stay with you for a weekend.”
“You’d do that for me? Come all the way to New York? Give me a night to remember?”
“Absolutely. I promise a night you’ll never forget.”
“I like the way you’re touching me right now, Lars.”
Jane jerked her eyes to Sara’s and to her shock, and Sara nodded. “Keep listening.”
“What will you do to me, Lars?”
“Whatever you want.”
Jane’s stomach rolled over, and she threw up a little bit into her mouth then swallowed it back down.
“Deal, Lars.”
“Deal, Samara.”
Sara hit the stop button and shoved the phone in her back pocket.
“I recorded that yesterday.”
Jane stared at the floor of the trailer as her heart raced and her fingers grew cold. Her whole body trembled, and she regretted that she didn’t insist on leaving before hearing that conversation, which would be very difficult to erase from her memory. It was his voice. They were his words. Sara had used his name in every sentence, which meant she had recorded this conversation on purpose. Jane doubted that Lars even knew she had a recording. It didn’t matter.
The familiarity with which he spoke to Sara, the fact that he was obviously touching her as the recording was made, the image of them—
Jane clamped her eyes shut against the images assaulting her and, feeling faint, reached forward to steady herself by placing her hand on the door by Sara’s shoulder. After a moment, she felt Sara’s arms encircle her as they had so long ago, and Jane was pulled into her cousin’s embrace. Suddenly she was ten again and, seduced by the comfort Sara was offering, Jane rested her cheek on her cousin’s bony shoulder, wetting her fleecy sweatshirt with the tears from her silent sobs as Sara ran her hands soothingly up and down Jane’s back. It felt so good to be held, to be held lovingly by someone who was her blood, her family.