She had to get back to her writing. She’d talked things out with Helene and instead of putting her on a fake payroll, the two of them had started working on a new pilot together. Female bounty hunters falling in love and fighting their way through space. Ignacio had loved Amanda’s initial pitch and he’d decided to option the idea, giving her the funds she needed to stay afloat and keep her place for the time being. Anytime she was having any hesitations about accepting their support neither of them would let a second pass without reminding her they hadn’t gotten to where they were without help. It was best to just embrace it and chase her dreams with all her heart.

When Helene was due back to set for her next shoot, Miss Leona had stepped up and gotten Amanda an invite to the Rory’s War writers’ room. For the last two weeks she’d been shadowing the showrunner’s assistant. It was a medical drama, not science fiction, but it was a prime-time show on a major network, with an A-list cast and a massive budget. She knew enough about set life from working with Dru, but things were so different on this side of the process. She’d already learned so much and every night she found herself aching to get back to her own writing, just imagining what it would be like to see her own characters playing out her stories on the screen.

And then there was Sam. And a special horse named Majesty. They’d spent every weekend they could at the ranch, and eventually Amanda started to ride the beautiful black horse. She wouldn’t say she was an expert, but each time she felt more and more comfortable in the saddle. She loved taking morning rides with Sam, following him down the easy trails as he led them on Bam Bam. She didn’t realize how quiet and peaceful Charming could be. How much of a relief it was to have that time together to just unplug and take in the scenery. They talked endlessly about work, new shows and books they wanted to share with each other. Sam was teaching her all kinds of stuff about the ranch, his former life in the rodeo, and, of course, horses. He’d read all her scripts, giving her amazing feedback, encouraging her to keep going and keep producing her best work.