Page 103 of Words of Love
Sam had watched the progress of the casting negotiations from the distant sidelines—as always—but he hadn’t told Jake that Lincoln was his brother. There had been no reason to. The movie had barely gotten to the casting stage before it was shelved. Jake had returned to Bliss Cove to both deal with the disastrous fallout and to focus on his own projects.
Sam had been disappointed on Jake’s behalf, but the other man had taken the whole thing in stride. Movies were shelved all the time, and Jake been more invested in ensuring the formerTruthdirector face justice for his predatory ways.
As far as Sam knew, Lincoln had had nothing to do with the film adaptation ofTruth. Authors who optioned their books to producers usually gave up all rights, and Jake had never mentioned having contact with Lincoln. That might have changed if the movie had gone forward into the pre-production stage, but the whole thing had been shut down.
So what was Jake talking about now?
“The option expired a few weeks ago.” Jake began sorting through the books. “A couple of directors were sniffing around, but they moved on to other projects when they found outTruthno longer has studio backing.”
“So what does that mean?” Sam picked up several empty boxes and began breaking them down.
“It means the movie rights for the book are up for grabs again.” Jake checked a few books off the inventory sheet. “I don’t know if there are any offers on the table yet. I’m thinking of looking into it.”
Sam’s spine stiffened. “You want to buy the rights toTruth?”
For a moment, Jake didn’t answer. He checked off another book.
“I spent a lot of years playing Blaze Ripley,” he finally said. “I got to know the character really well.” His mouth twisted. “Excuse the actor crap, but I helped create him. Put a lot of myself into him. Even became him, in some ways.
“But theFatal Glorymovies were original screenplays, so the screenwriters, directors, and I all had a lot of freedom to develop Blaze’s character. I’ve never played a role that was adapted from a book, where one author was responsible for creating the character first. I’ve never even had the opportunity to do a book-to-film role…and then I readTruth.”
“It’s a great book.” Sam kept his voice carefully neutral.
He meant it. For all his trouble with Lincoln, his brother was an incredible writer. The protagonist ofTruth, Tom Dillon, was a troubled Vietnam vet who embarked on a road trip of eventual self-discovery and healing.
Dillon had earned a place in literary history as a complex, multi-faceted character who was all the more fascinating for having been created by a twenty-four-year-old man. Sam could understand why any serious actor would be intrigued at the thought of portraying the character onscreen.
“Yeah.” Jake tapped his pen on the paper and pulled his eyebrows together. “A lot of people thought I was an idiot for turning down anotherFatal Gloryrole, but I could see myself playing Tom Dillon, you know? I felt like I knew him inside out. I saw myself in him. I saw my father…”
He shrugged, looking faintly embarrassed.
Sam folded another box. “Your father.”
“He was a deadbeat, always out of work.” Jake punched a few keys on the keyboard. His expression clouded. “A drunk who used his fists. He left us when I was thirteen. And that day…man, I was scared to death, but something clicked inside me. No fucking way was I going to be like him. I’d take care of my family and treat people right. I’d show up, and I wouldn’t leave. I wouldn’t fail.”
Tension coiled around Sam’s spine. Jake had succeeded beyond what he’d probably imagined.
“You did it,” he said.
“Yeah.” Jake let out his breath, his gaze on the computer. “I never saw my father again, but when I readTruth, I had this image of him on a similar journey. And when Dillon finally makes peace with himself and his past…I thought, man, that’sme. I’d finally come to the same realization. And I knew I could bring Tom Dillon to life onscreen. It was one of those things. You just know.”
“So what are you going to do?” Sam stacked the boxes in a pile.
“I’m thinking of contacting Lincoln Atwood’s agent.” Jake turned back to the inventory sheet. “I’ve never developed a project on my own from the ground up. That’s why I started my production company. Now that the company structure and finances are in place, I’m ready to start looking. Can’t help thinking there’s a reasonTruthis available again.”
Sam picked up the broken-down boxes. “I’m going to take these out back.”
He went outside and tossed them in the recycling bin.
I’d show up, and I wouldn’t leave.
I wouldn’t fail.
You just know.
When he returned to the front of the store, Jake was helping Mr. Hammersmith at the Reference section. Sam picked up his crossword and tried to focus.
Even though he hadn’t spoken to Lincoln in five years, he’d known when his brother had sold the movie rights forTruthand when his next book was slated for publication. He knew about Lincoln’s book tours and interviews because that kind of thing always appeared on book-related websites, press releases, and publisher newsletters.