Page 38 of Even After This
“About my life. Who I am. With this ridiculous media thing going on around me, I don’t know what to expect from people I just met.”
With a half cringe, half smile, I answer, “Next to nothing. I know your acting career is extensive, but I think I’ve only seen one of your movies. I only knew about the YouTube video because of my niece. But I haven’t seen the actual footage. I’m, um, not so good with videos or stories about accidents.”
His eyes flash, but he stays silent.
Something else occurs to me, and I hold up a finger. “Oh, and I have no idea why they call you the real-life Hercules after the save you made, but I can make a guess.”
“I like that.” His hand drops from his neck, and he repeats, “I like that. A lot. Maybe you can get to know the true me instead of the tabloid version of me.”
Get to know him. Now? In the future? He cannot possibly think that after my trip we would ever see each other in real life. And yet, I can’t help myself from asking the next question. “So, what’s not in theE! True Hollywood Storyversion of you, Harlan?”
As we stroll, he describes growing up on a ranch not far from here, the life of an all-state quarterback, and his childhood starring role as Joseph in a church play. “I thought it would be funny to stand up and yell ‘Let my people go,’ Charlton Heston style. My brother took great pleasure in crushing me with the humiliating information that Heston played Moses, not Joseph. Right there on stage for everyone to hear.”
Chuckling, I dig in my pocket for a ponytail holder and start to pull my hair back. “Sounds like typical brothers. Does he live in Colorado Springs?”
“Yeah. He runs the family ranch. Has a wife and two boys.”
I wind the rubber band around my hair a few times and pull it tight. “Doesn’t seem like messing up your lines ruined your acting career, though.”
“Let’s stop here for some water.” Harlan slips the backpack off his shoulders, fumbles with the zippers, and digs through the contents. “I just kind of fell into my career. Some agent found me on stage in college and threw me into a shampoo commercial with Spencer. Before I could blink, we were cast as brothers in an obscure Western, and life began to snowball.” Handing me a water, he shakes his head. “It wasn’t supposed to be like this.”
My stupid dry hands chafe against the ridged bottle cap as Itwist it off, causing me to wince. After a gulp of water, I study his face. “What was it supposed to be like?”
His sigh is heavy as he stares off into the rocks. “I’m the firstborn. I was supposed to take over the Holcombe business and live out the legacy. But when I went to college, I figured out I like working with people more than I like working with cows. I thought I’d enjoy being a drama minor but get a job in finance in the long term. My family couldn’t understand why I’d turn my back on the legacy. The land has been with us for generations, and the men in our family worked it like they couldn’t breathe without it. I had found something different for myself in college. But...”
He continues to look off in the distance, and I get the feeling he’s seeing some combination of his past, present, and maybe even future in the complicated colors of the rocks.
“But?”
“But then I got that commercial. And my newfound career spun so quickly, I didn’t think about it. I didn’t think about how much I liked studying finance or what my life would look like with fame added into the mix.” He pauses so long, I don’t think he’s going to continue. Then he shakes his head with an expression that seems almost like disbelief. “A thousand guys would give their right arm to do what I do. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance. Some actors love the craft like they can’t breathe without it.”
Gently I ask, “How’s your breathing, Harlan?”
A breeze passes between us and almost carries away his soft words. “I need more oxygen.” His piercing eyes find mine. “But when my dad died and everything happened with Olivia, I moved us back here as quickly as I could. I live every day regretting the time I didn’t work side by side with him on his land.”
“Even if it’s not what you wanted to do with your life?”
“It would have given me time with him.”
I take another swig of water, draining the bottle and thinking about the pain I hear in his words. “I get that. I do, Harlan. But you might have been miserable living a dream that wasn’t yours.”
He opens his bottle and guzzles the water down in less than twenty seconds. “So here I am, living in my hometown, helping my brother with the ranch when I can, full custody of my daughter, and dealing with an unpredictable ex-wife on occasion.”
“And now you’re back to acting?”
“Not really. I mean, yes, I’m on set now for a minor role I was already contracted for. But I’m trying to stay off the radar as much as possible. Olivia is clickbait waiting to happen. I want to give Alex a normal life here in the Springs and figure out what else I can do with my life. I was toying with the idea of mentoring and consulting with actors. Keeps me low-key and allows me to help them get their feet on the ground for the long term.” He places our empty bottles in his pack and turns his dark look to me. “But then a stupid video rattles across America claiming I’m a hero, when my real life has imploded and the only time I’m a hero is when I’m pretending on the big screen.”
“Maybe heroic acts aren’t for heroic people. Maybe they’re just for ordinary people who are in the right place at the right time. Just living their lives.”
He doesn’t look like he’s buying it, so I try for a different angle. Maybe the most important angle, at least to me.
“You’re a hero to that teenage girl you saved,” I whisper, my voice thick. “To her family.”
Anguish crosses his face. “Meredith, I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking about your loss.”
I clutch his forearm and shake my head. “This isn’t about me. Now, I know you played Hercules on the big screen. Tell me why they call you the real-life Hercules.”
He takes a deep breath. “When the girl was safe on the ground, gasping for breath, getting rid of the river water, I realized her shirt was torn pretty badly. No way could she get up and walk to her friends without exposing herself. So I peeled my shirt off to give to her, we got her covered up, and I carried her up the bank to her friends.” He rolls his eyes. “I had no idea anyone was filming, butif you watch the video, someone in the background yelled that I was her personal Hercules. It sort of took on a life of its own.”
