Page 80 of One Kind Hand

“Thanks.” At least his colleague hadn’t noticed his unraveling during today’s work. “You too.”

“I reviewed some of the playback from the chopper scenes with Charlie,” she said. “Very professional.”

Yeah, because Charlie wasn’t afraid of anything. She was a badass to her core. And of course she wouldn’t have put him in any danger. He knew that. Besides, she had proven her flying skills to him, to the people she chartered, to everyone she’d ever rescued. Exposing his cowardice when it came to water was a major blow to his ego. How was he supposed to look her in the eye, knowing she was braver than he was?

“Hey.” Cassandra nudged his arm. “Where are you right now?”

He sucked in a breath then rubbed the scruff on his jaw. “Decades in my past,” he said.

“And something tells me you don’t like it there.” Cassandra squinted an eye at him. “You want to talk about it?”

“Not really.”

“Fair enough.” She gave him a warm smile then held up her hand. “I could slap you across the face again if that would help.”

“Uh, no thanks.” He backed up a few steps to be out of Cassandra’s reach.

Cody had gotten to the bottom of Chad Zimmers spreading rumors that had made Cassandra slap Austin at Wicked Gates the night he’d taken Charlie there. Apparently Chad had wanted the role of Dalton Rush in Hunting Justice, and he’d been in the running . . . until Cody had scored the role for Austin instead. Childish of Chad to try to get back at him by insulting Cassandra, but that was Chad for you.

“I hope you’ll let Charlie console you then.” Cassandra squeezed Austin’s arm then walked toward wardrobe.

Charlie might console him. Once she was done being thoroughly disgusted by his weakness.

Austin grumbled to himself as he returned his weapons then changed out of his character’s clothes. He ran his hands through his hair a few times while looking in a mirror, not enjoying the lines of fatigue around his eyes. A full-blown panic attack first thing in the morning plus a day-long filming could exhaust a body.

But his day wasn’t over yet.

He pulled his phone from his pocket, intending to text Charlie so they could meet, but someone calling his name made him raise his head.

All three of his sisters stood in the doorway of his dressing room.

“Oh, man, am I glad to see you beautiful idiots.” He opened his arms and his sisters came in for a group hug. He took a big inhale of them, happy to have family nearby.

“My God, Austin,” Morgan said, pulling away to see his face. “What has got your entire body so freaking tense?”

“Yeah,” Claire said, patting his shoulders. “These are up in your ears.”

“Did another accident happen on this set?” Brooke asked, looking ready to find someone to scream at. She was like Cody in that regard.

“No, no.” He gave them all another hug. “It’s just been a day.”

“Well, now it’s a night, and we did happen to pass a little bar on our way here,” Claire said.

“I always love the way you girls think,” Cody said as he strode over to them. “And you brown-haired beauties are looking stunning as always.” He poured it on real thick for Austin’s sisters, as usual. They absolutely adored him, but then again, Cody had saved them from being penniless. They owed their elevated way of life to him as much as they did to Austin. “I’ll have the limo meet us out front.” Cody held his elbows out and Brooke and Claire hooked their arms around his, but Morgan hung back with Austin.

“You sure you’re okay?” she asked.

“Yeah, I need to find Charlie though.”

“The helicopter pilot you’re mooning over?” Morgan arched a teasing eyebrow.

“I’m not mooning over her,” he said. “Nobody moons anymore. You’ve been watching too many black-and-white movies, Morgan.”

“Well, you can’t expect me to watch only Austin Rayhill movies.” She grinned up at him. “How am I supposed to know how fabulous of an actor you are if I don’t have other actors to compare you to?”

“Good point.”

“And if I only watched action-adventure movies, I’d be forced to compare you to that bastard Chad Zimmers.” She scowled. “We all know it’s not good for Chad Zimmers if I do that. He falls short, big brother. Real short.”