She gripped the back of his shirt. “I’m sorry. I don’t talk about this a whole lot. It still makes me angry. Not for me, but for my mom. She loved him, gave up everything for him, and he left her.”
“His loss.” Stone smoothed his hand down her hair, twining his fingers in the cool strands. “For what it’s worth, he should be proud of you, even if he doesn’t deserve the credit.”
She leaned back, laughing and dabbing at the corner of her eye. “For what? You’re always grumbling about how you hate Hollywood. You don’t value this stuff.”
Stone shook his head. “That’s not why.” Releasing her, he gestured at the food before them. “When we met, I scared the shit out of you. But you’ve stuck by me through every step of this process, including that disastrous jive, and then cooked this meal to make me feel better. Gina, this is above and beyond your duty as my dance partner. I never would have expected something like this.”
Her lips curved a little as she passed him a plate. “You didn’t have to ask.”
“Exactly. You did it all on your own, because you’re a good, kind person. That’s reason enough for any parent to take pride in their kid.” He took a bite. Delicious salty goodness exploded over his tongue, and his eyes rolled back in his head. The pork was perfectly seasoned, perfectly cooked. “Oh god. This is fucking amazing.”
“I know.” She took a small bite. “I make it the same way my mom does, and my abuela.”
Stone scooped up a forkful of rice. It was yellow, with tiny greenish beans and chopped green olives. It had a mild salty flavor, a perfect complement to the meat. “What kind of rice is this?”
“Arroz con gandules,” she said. “A staple of the Puerto Rican diet.”
Stone wolfed down the food on his plate, not surprised that Gina had served him three times the amount she’d given herself. Every few bites, he paused to tell her how delicious it was, both because it was true and because he liked the pleased little grin she gave in response. When he was done, he leaned back, rubbing a hand over his stomach.
“Gina, you are a goddess.”
She bit her lip and tried to hide her smile.
“I mean it.” Stone rested his hand at the base of her neck, kneading the muscles there. “This whole evening… it’s exactly what I needed.”
“I’m glad.” When she leaned into his touch, he spread his fingersalong her skin, seeking the curve of her neck and gently working out the tension. Her hair was a warm weight on the back of his hand. She let out a small sigh, her eyelids fluttering shut.
Stone made a decision and cleared his throat. “I have to tell you something.”
“Hmm?” She opened her eyes. “What’s that?”
“It’s a confession. One I can’t tell you on camera.”
Her lips curved. “A secret?”
“Kind of.” He stilled his mini massage, but kept his hand on her shoulder, rubbing small circles with his thumb. “There was no bear.”
Her eyebrows shot up.“What?”
“No bear. It was all a set-up by my producers. I had to get you over to the woodpile, pretend to see a bear, and shoot a blank.”
Stone’s pulse pounded in his ears as he waited for her reply. Gina stared at him, mouth agape, blinking rapidly. Then she echoed his words, “There wasno bear?” and burst into giggles.
Years of experience with his sisters had taught him that laughter wasn’t necessarily a good thing. He had to tread with caution. “You’re not mad?”
“Mad?” She laughed harder. “God, no. I’m relieved.”
“You are?”
“Hell yeah. I can handle being set up by manipulative television producers. In fact, I should have known. But bears are a whole different ball game.”
“I felt terrible for scaring you,” he admitted.
She patted his knee, and said in a quiet tone, “I know you did. I don’t blame you for it.”
Since she wasn’t mad, Stone resumed kneading the knots at the base of her neck. “You’re tight,” he said, changing the subject.
Her eyelids drifted shut. “Mm, that feels good.”
