The early evening was perfect, without a hint of the humidity that haunts the South during the summer months.
The three of us met in the hotel lobby, then drove to the restaurant. After parking a couple of blocks away, we meandered along the sidewalk, telling stories as we walked.
“Look!” I exclaimed, pointing toward goats standing on the thatched roof of a small building.
Tink shook his head in astonishment while actor Treat Williams laughed.
We stopped to admire a sight that only nature can deliver.
“Isn’t that something?” he asked. “I never get tired of seeing it.”
Treat and Tink were on Vancouver Island, just off the coast of British Columbia, shooting a show for Hallmark that Tink had developed. Tink is exceptional with the actors on his productions, especially the stars.
As soon as he is hired by a network or production company, he calls the lead actors to discuss their roles and ask what they would like to see happen with their characters.
Television differs from movies in that executive producers and writers are often the same people. On the small screen, the executive producer is frequently the head writer. In British television — such as “Downton Abbey” — the creator usually writes all the episodes. In America, the head writer oversees the entire season, writes a few episodes, and assigns others to staff writers, as required by guild agreements. Tink expertly guides that process, ensuring storylines run smoothly.
I remember the first time Treat called to return Tink’s introductory phone call. I was dusting, half-listening while the two got acquainted. Treat was refreshingly honest.
“I need this show. I need the money,” he said, explaining how he had gotten himself into a financial bind when the real estate and stock markets turned upside down. “I’ve spent several years digging myself out of the hole.”
You have to admire a man who can be that candid within minutes of meeting someone. As we got to know Treat better, we grew to love him. He was always honorable, kind, and thoughtful.
“In your personal life, what do you enjoy as a hobby?” Tink asked.
Treat didn’t hesitate.
“Flying. I’m crazy about it.”
He then talked about the planes he had owned and a few he hoped to buy.
Tink eventually wrote Treat’s character as a part-time pilot and even had him fly on the show. After Treat described a frightening near-mishap he once experienced, that incident became the centerpiece of an episode.
When I was growing up, television miniseries were all the rage, and more often than not, the handsome leading man was either Robert Urich or Treat Williams.
I was in a taxi headed to the airport in New York City in 2002 when a radio bulletin announced that Urich had died of cancer. Treat Williams later went through a dry spell until he aged into the kind of patriarchal role that Tink wrote so well.
“When I was growing up, I loved watching you,” I told him over a plate of pasta.
He smiled warmly.
“Dear, you have made my day.”
The next day, as a chill filled the August air, I watched him work, observing the courtesy he extended to cast and crew alike—a true prince.
Even after the show ended, Treat called often.
Whenever a potential project was presented to him, he would say, “Only if Tinker writes and produces.”
One night, unable to sleep, I sat in the kitchen working. My phone pinged with a news alert.
I felt sick as I read it.
Treat Williams, out for an afternoon motorcycle ride, had been killed when a car turned in front of him.
Even now, I am heartsick to write those words.
Treat Williams.
His name suited him perfectly.
Ronda Rich is the bestselling author of the Stella Bankwell series. Visit www.rondarich.com to sign up for her free weekly newsletter.