“They were until someone caused a distraction to pull them away,” Harper said with a quirk of a smile as she remembered the way the cameraman raced out of her bakery like she’d set something on fire. That fire, of course, had been Fox and the rest of the guys running through town like a bunch of frat boys during initiation. “If you and Wade escaping the inn was enough to pull all the cameras away to look for you, then I’m sure whatever you and Sienna pull off will keep them occupied.”
Sienna frowned. “Are you sure?”
Harper pursed her lips to keep from letting out a frustrated sigh. “Trust me. I’ll figure this out.”
She had to. There was no other option.
Four
5 Days Until Dream Wedding
Austin debated who he should tell first about Audrey’s “illness.”
The answer should have been obvious, but it was the one that made his stomach twist more than it did while with Harper in the safe room. He had to tell Bruce and hope that the producer didn’t lash out at the messenger.
A runaway bride isn’t your fault, he told himself. So why did it feel like this was strike two of the universe versus Austin? He’d gotten his feelings for Harper under control. Mostly. But now he had to explain to his boss that the entire schedule for the day had to be scrapped.
This was going to be rough.
Austin found Bruce near the equipment tent. He was surrounded by a lot of tired faces staring into space. This show was just one unexpected twist after another.
“Let’s get in there, fifteen minutes everyone,” Bruce called out, and everyone scurried into action.
“Um, Mr. Bigg?” Austin wondered, not for the first time, if that was really Bruce’s last name.
The producer whirled to look at Austin, his eyes taking him in.
Austin swallowed hard but didn’t lower his gaze under Bruce’s scrutiny. “I think the bride may be out of commission today.”
There was a pause, and Austin worried his thumping heart would give the game away.
“What on earth does that mean?” Bruce crossed his arms over his wide chest and raised one thick eyebrow.
Austin took a deep breath of the fresh mountain air. The earthy, wet smell of freshly cut grass calmed his racing heart to a reasonable pace. “She’s sick. Really sick. I ran into one of the sisters this morning and apparently she’s been puking up her guts all night. I don’t think anyone will be trying on dresses today.”
Bruce smiled slowly, a slick and cold movement of his lips that gave Austin a chill. He was the Grinch plotting to take Christmas away from all the Whos in Whoville. “Don’t worry about it. I have a plan.”
Of course he did. Bruce was a professional and would make sure the show ran smoothly.
It was why he was one of the best reality show producers in the business, and Austin had so much to learn from him. Of course, he was also demanding and a perfectionist and didn’t really care about how much work he piled on others. But what producer wasn’t like that? Austin had been doing this for a few years and had just accepted that’s how it was. Just like he’d accepted that he’d be getting coffee for at least another few years before he’d be able to move up in the food chain.
But this was his chance. Getting this gig had been totally last minute and was a step above what he’d been doing before. And Bruce had so many connections that this job would be his launching pad into something even better.
Austin perked up as Bruce launched into the crew’s new plan.
“We have five days until the wedding. And we’ve got a lot to squeeze into those days. So don’t think we’re going to have an off day just because the bride is hungover.” Bruce flashed a smug smile at everyone, earning a few soft chuckles.
Austin opened his mouth to argue that alcohol wasn’t the problem. But he didn’t actually know Audrey beyond what he’d seen so far this week. And he most certainly wasn’t supposed to know Harper, or any of the contestants for that matter. So he clamped his lips together and let everyone continue to think it was a case of Audrey struggling to hold her liquor.
“We got group interviews our first day of filming, but now that we have the competitions under our belts, we can get some individual shots with everyone. Ask them what was going through their head for each one.”
Austin felt his shoulders relax. That was doable.
“Not to mention, Fox and Sienna still owe me a joint interview after they practically shut down production with their little stunts.”
That could work to his advantage too. They were the only other people who really knew what was going on, and if Austin could get assigned to them, it might give him an opportunity to stay one step ahead of this mess.
But first, he needed to get his head back in the game. He’d been making mistakes all week, totally off his A-game, thanks to his constant awareness of where Harper was. A gust of wind brought the scent of cinnamon over from the inn, and the steely gray of Harper’s eyes popped into Austin’s mind.
He had to get this under control, and stat, if he had any hope of getting through the next five days with his job—and his heart—intact.
The bustle of the tent was a good distraction, and he threw himself into work. Changing the plan for the day meant different supplies, calling to cancel the dress appointment, and a hundred other tasks. Noting them all down and crossing them off gave back Austin the sense of control he so desperately needed.
Just as he got off the phone with a vendor to arrange for them to arrive the following day instead, Jennifer, the other production assistant, walked in and made a beeline for him. Her crush on him was frustrating enough on a normal day, but he absolutely couldn't handle her hanging on his every word right now. Her usual cheery smile and playful attitude were missing, however, when she stormed over. Austin’s pulse raced at the sight of her serious face.
She knows something’s up.
No, Austin was just being paranoid like a child who snuck a cookie before dinner and was afraid of getting caught. Not that he should be thinking about cookies right now.
“I just went to check on the bride, as commanded,” Jennifer said, and leaned both hands on the table where Austin was sitting.
“How’s she doing?” He tried to keep his face completely blank, but had the feeling it looked more like he was about to hurl.
Jennifer raised an eyebrow. “I only heard through the crack in the door when Sienna poked her head out, but she sounded terrible.”
“Yeah that’s what I heard too.”
“You saw Sienna this morning?”
“Uh no, the other sister, Harper.”
“Oh, when did you see Harper? I haven’t seen her yet today.”
Crap, he should have just said it was Sienna. Austin could feel the sweat start to pool under his arms. “Just before breakfast. I ran into her in the hall.”
“And you haven’t seen her since?”
“Uh, no. Look, Jennifer, I still have a lot of calls to make. You know how Bruce is when things don’t go how he wants them to, so I’d better get to it.”
She looked him up and down, then smiled wide and fluttered her lashes a little. “Right, I totally get it. Bruce seems to really trust you with all the important stuff.”
Austin’s stomach twisted, but he managed a smile and a nod. He stood up and turned to head out the door.
“Just one more thing.” She moved in front of him and bit her lip. “I didn’t mention it before, when I was doing my research, because I didn’t want to make something out of nothing, but I noticed Harper went to the same college you did. Graduated the same year.”
“Okay.” He struggled to keep his voice even.
“And with everything else, I have to ask.” She leaned in close and whispered, “You didn’t know her, did you?”
Austin sucked in a breath, unsure how to answer. Jennifer might see through a lie, and she may already know the answer considering her “research.” If she suspected Austin was being dishonest, it would put tension between the
m, and he needed Jennifer on his side for whatever was going to happen today.
Austin had planned for a lot, but had never expected this.
“I knew her, sort of, but I haven’t seen her or talked to her since graduation.” He didn’t add that it was because he’d broken her heart. Jennifer didn’t need to know he’d been too embarrassed to crawl back to Harper and beg for forgiveness about three seconds later when he’d realized what a horrible mistake he’d made.
“You need to disclose if you’ve had a previous relationship with anyone in the cast,” Jennifer said, looking a little panicked. “You know Bruce’s rules. No external contact with the cast. You’ll get fired.”
She managed to look much more upset about that prospect than Austin did. He waved away her concerns. “It was not a relationship.”
Jennifer put her hand on his shoulder and squeezed it. “You can tell me, I won’t tell anyone, I promise. I just need to know in case anyone else spots what I did.”
“We just had some mutual friends during college. It’s no big deal. Really.” Austin moved away from her hand and headed toward the door again, hoping she couldn’t see the lie written across his face. “And I also really need to make these calls.”
“Okay,” Jennifer called out after him. “But let me know if I can help with anything. You can trust me.”
What was it about everyone and their trust? First, it was Harper reassuring Austin that he could trust Fox and Sienna. Now, Jennifer was telling him to trust her. Who could really keep his secrets when it mattered?
Out in the morning sun, he inhaled deeply, willing his mind to calm. Control slowly fell back into place. His gut told him he couldn’t trust Jennifer, the girl he’d worked with on countless sets. But he knew in his heart he’d follow Harper to the ends of the earth. And if Harper vouched for Fox and Sienna, then that meant he would put his trust in them too.
He let out a breath, relieved to have at least one thing settled. But his mind continued to race about his conversation with Jennifer. Why on earth was she bringing this up now, five days into filming? Had she noticed Austin talking to Harper in the hall earlier?
He knew Jennifer liked him, but he hadn’t thought it reached stalker proportions already. Usually girls got the hint after politely saying “no” two or three times to their invitations to happy hour. Jennifer was particularly persistent, but also a great colleague to have on set with him. Almost as organized as he was.
Austin made his way into the open space beside the parking lot, but wished he could escape to the trees. He had his walkie-talkie, so he was reachable if Bruce needed him, but Austin liked to stay in sight of Bruce whenever possible. Just in case there was some random task to be done, he’d be the first person Bruce would see. For the first time in his career, Austin wanted to disappear. Would anyone besides Jennifer even notice?
Disappearing was what he did best, wasn’t it?
He hadn’t been lying when he told Jennifer that he needed to make some calls for Bruce. He wandered a few yards into the wooded area, letting himself pretend he could disappear while he did so. He could feel the weight of the walkie-talkie on his hip, and the pressure of making sure all of the vendors he was responsible for knew what to do.
When Austin finished up the last of his phone calls, he stepped back out into the clearing and turned to head back to the inn. Since the new plan was to get individual interviews with everyone in the family, it would mean lots of standing around and waiting. Austin normally liked the mindless calm of days like that, but today he was antsy and needed to move around.
He checked his watch. It was digital and displayed the time down to a tenth of a second. He’d had it for years, and could remember Harper making fun of it the first time he’d worn it. “No one wears a watch like that except super nerds. Girls won’t go out with you if you wear that.”
If only she’d been right, then maybe things would have turned out differently.
The giant, green, blinking numbers told him he had exactly thirteen minutes until he had to be somewhere. Just enough time to a loop around the perimeter. And maybe he’d spot a sign of the runaway bride while he was getting his recommended dose of vitamin D for the day.
Three seconds into his walk, however, a movement in the parking lot caught his eye. Hope swelled in his chest.
But it wasn’t Audrey, back with a tale of wedding nerves or engine trouble. It was Harper, sneaking through the cars, casting covert looks over her shoulder every few feet to be sure she wasn’t being followed.
When she caught Austin’s eye, the color drained out of her face.
Harper was up to something, and Austin needed to know what it was.
Five
5 Days Until Dream Wedding
Harper crouched between two cars while she waited for the inevitable. As sneaky as she’d tried to be, Austin had caught her trying to make her escape. It wasn’t fair after she’d worked so hard to get Sienna and Fox to do what she needed in order to go downtown.
But it wasn’t like she could make a run for it now.
The seconds dragged on as Harper stayed hidden. Her thighs started to burn from holding her position for so long. She was about to say screw it and stand up when Austin finally ducked behind the car.
“What are you doing?” he whispered harshly.
“What do you think I’m doing? I’m trying to find Audrey.”
He lifted a brow. “And you think she’s hiding under one of these cars?”
“Yep. Totally. If only I would have looked under this Jeep before freaking out and jumping to conclusions.” She shook her head. “No, of course not. I’m sneaking downtown to see if I can find her there. Or at least, I was until you saw me.”
“Do you think she’s there?”
Her muscles continued to burn, and Harper really wished she would have bolted when she had the chance. That, or find someplace she could stand or lean more comfortably. The pain made her irritable on top of everything else that was going on. Her arms could carry two giant hot metal trays at once without even a quiver. But her buns were more like actual buns than anything even close to resembling steel.
“I don’t know,” she snapped, forgetting to keep her voice low. She held her breath for a few seconds to see if anyone heard her. When things seemed safe, she tried again, her voice softer. “I thought I could check out her apartment, and then mine.”
Austin scrunched his eyebrows together. “Why would she be in your apartment?”
“Who knows? Maybe she needed a de-stressing snuggle with Mister Mittens.”
Austin blinked a few times, and Harper’s cheeks heated. “That would be my cat.” Who she really wished had a much less dorky name right about now.
He cleared his throat. “Right. And I assume Bruce did not approve this little excursion?”
Ugh, four years later and Austin was still such a stickler for the rules. Harper avoided meeting his eyes. “That would not be an incorrect assumption.”
He sighed. “What did you plan to do if you get caught?”
“I wasn’t planning on it.”
He leaned in close, and Harper could smell his cologne. It was the same scent he’d always worn in college—the one she’d gotten him for Christmas one year as a joke—and with every inhale came a flood of butterflies and memories. “I hate to break it to you, but you’ve already been caught.”
She scoffed. “By you? That doesn’t count.”
Austin grabbed her arm and looked her in the eye. “I’m being serious. What would you say to Bruce, or anyone else, if they saw you playing James Bond through the parking lot?”
Harper felt her temper flare with Austin’s never ending questions. She shrugged off his hand. “I’d tell them I was going to Flour Girl. One of the perks of being a business owner.”
Austin’s face softened. “I think it’s really great that you’ve started it, by the way. I ate some of the pastries you left for the crew the other day. I don’t think I’ve ever had an éclair that was
so delicious.”
A delicious rush of pride ran through Harper’s veins. “Thanks. I—”
The sound of footsteps made Harper stop short. Her eyes went wide, and she could hear Austin’s sharp inhale from where he was still crouched beside her. The car next to the one they were hiding behind started up and they let out a collective whoosh of relief. It hadn’t given their position away, but they couldn’t stay here indefinitely.
Harper was going to be sore tomorrow from staying in this position for so long. She nearly wept in gratitude when he started wagging his finger between the two of them and pointed to a large hedge a few yards away—a hedge that she could actually stand behind.
She nodded, and Austin snuck a look in the direction of The Emerald Inn. “Okay, the coast is clear. One...two…”
Harper didn’t wait for three. With a quick look of her own toward the inn, she hopped up and started jogging over to the hedge. She was so relieved to be finally standing, she practically moaned.
Seconds later, Austin was standing beside her, his amber eyes stormy. “You were supposed to wait for me to say three.”
“Nobody was looking.”
He put his hands on his hips. “What if they were?”
“Then saying the word three wasn’t going to change anything.”
Austin let out a deep sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. It was a look Harper knew well, and her heart did a little somersault at the familiarity of it. He opened one eye and glared at her. “You’re not going to make this easy, are you?”
“None of this is easy. But Audrey made up her mind to get married this way, so what choice do I have?”
“You’re really close to her now.” It wasn’t a question. Austin had his eyes open now, and was looking at Harper with his eyebrows scrunched up. “You weren’t before.”
Harper ran her hands along the leaves of the bush. “Yeah, well, things change.”
The Bridesmaid & The Ex (Wedding Games Book 2) Page 3