“Do they know I’m here?”
For a nonanswer answer she popped a couple of grapes into her mouth and scooped up a handful of sand, letting it sift through her fingers. “Your mom knows right?”
“Yep.”
“Great. So, my mom knows, which is probably why she’s been calling every other day. I bet she’s already reserved the church and ordered the flowers. If it wasn’t for my sister’s pregnancy, I’d turn my phone off, but Chel said Elysia hasn’t been feeling well.” She dug her heels into the gritty ground. “What did your mom say?”
He laughed. “It wasn’t so much what she said as the dreamy look on her face. If your mom took care of the church and flowers, my mom probably ordered the cake and paid the JP—in advance.”
“Really? I’d kind of figured she hated me for leaving you. Dave and Jason do, not that I blame them.”
He tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear before guiding her to look at him. What she saw in his gaze made parts of her body jump up and down with joy.
“She loves you, but what our parents want doesn’t matter. We’ve got several weeks to figure this out, whatever this is that’s going on between us now. That is, if you decide to keep me around.”
Don’t get ahead of schedule, she scolded herself when her mind skipped ahead to the final ceremony, with her and Brody standing face-to-face. He said his mom loved her, not him. Not to mention she’d eventually have to tell him the full reason she’d ended their engagement. Who knew what he’d feel after he heard her out?
“Think you can handle being away from work for that long?” she asked in a teasing manner, but it was a question that had been on her mind. Brody had never been one to sit around and do nothing, even as a teenage boy.
“I’m getting used to this whole kept man lifestyle.” He smiled, holding her gaze.
“I do kind of feel like a princess with my own personal harem. No, not a harem. Hmm, need to think of a better name.” She sat back and clapped her hands. “I know. How about my private stud muffin stable? Although the farm could stand a little cleaning out.”
He hung his head, shaking with laughter. “I want to be there when you explain that comment to your father.”
Her mouth dropped open and her cheeks flamed. “Oops. Sorry, Dad.”
Brody took one of the plastic cups out of the picnic basket and scooped up sand. He patted it down and then turned the cup over and tapped the bottom. She dug around until she found a spoon and joined in, digging a moat around the blanket. No Barbie-size castle for them. They lapsed into companionable silence, each doing their part to create their dream home. A few minutes and three turrets later, Brody sat back on his heels.
“Dee, when this is all over, I’d like to—”
The wail of sirens in the distance cut off whatever he was about to say. Denise stood up to look over the sand dune next to them and saw Josh headed their way. Crud. She’d completely forgotten about the other two guys. Some stable master she’d make.
“Zach sliced open his palm. It looks pretty deep. The ambulance will be here in a minute, but y’all might want to come help.”
“Brody, grab the basket for me.” Denise took off running down the beach. Thankfully, they hadn’t gone far, just out of sight and out of her mind.
The ambulance was still making its way to them, and without a second thought, Denise went into doctor mode. She grabbed the water bottle from the basket and slowly poured it over Zach’s palm. The sand washed away, but the blood kept coming.
“When was the last time you had a tetanus shot?”
He winced at her poking around. “I don’t remember.”
“You’re going to need stitches and a shot. This isn’t from a clamshell right?”
Josh stepped away, looking a little pale. Hope to God he doesn’t pass out and hit his head, she silently prayed. She could see it now. Leave with three and come back with one because the other two are in the ER. She had to be the worst date in the history of the show, maybe even history, period.
“No, a broken beer bottle.” Zach’s voice was tight with pain and anger.
She got it. The man made his living with his hands, and cooking with his palm stitched up and wrapped wouldn’t be fun.
Digging through the first-aid kit, she pulled out the gauze pads, tore two of them open, and pressed them against Zach’s hand. She used another to dry off his hand and then had him hold his arm above his heart. There wasn’t a whole lot she could do without a suture kit.
“Zach, I’m so sorry—”
“Not your fault, babe. It was the idiots who left their trash and buried it in the sand. At least it was me and not some kid. How long is this going to take to heal?”
Without knowing exactly how deep the cut went, it was hard to say for sure. And then, it also depended on the individual, if he took care of it, overdid it, or if infection set in.
“Best guess at this stage, I’d say a month to fully heal.”
“Good thing I’m on vacation.” His forced grin made her wonder if the glass had hit a tendon or muscle. If that were the case, his recovery time would be a lot longer than they had left for filming.
The paramedics arrived and Denise reluctantly turned Zach over to their care. She wasn’t licensed to practice in California and the show had a duty to make sure he was okay. The three of them waved him off, with Josh promising he’d cook breakfast for the next week, to the groans of both Brody and Zach.
Note to self: Josh can’t cook.
“Anyone still up for a clam bake?” she asked, looking from Josh’s pale face to Brody’s serious scowl.
“I don’t think I could stomach food. Y’all go on without me. I’m going to hitch a ride back to the house.” Josh put a hand to his stomach and headed over to the SUV.
Brody wrapped her in a hug and kissed her temple. Instantly, the guilt she’d felt melted away and she was reluctant to move, even though she should, considering Josh wasn’t even in the vehicle yet. She told herself he was probably too sick to notice.
“You know, when you take charge you’re very sexy.”
“Does that mean I’m not at other times?”
“No, just extra sexy. Think one of our dates could include a lab coat and a stethoscope?”
“Looking to get a free prostate exam, are you?” She tilted back her head and regarded him with her best doctor stare.
He eyed her warily. “On second thought, we can skip that fantasy. Actually, we probably should call it a day. You look tired.”
Exactly what every woman wanted to hear. She snuggled a little closer, flattered and touched at his concern.
“Been a busy week, physically and emotionally.”
He walked her over to her vehicle and opened the door. “And tomorrow isn’t going to be any easier.” His lips brushed over hers and she blinked in surprise as the door closed before she even registered the kiss.
Chapter Twelve
Another restless night, another key ceremony . . . this was the pattern her life was rapidly taking on, and quite frankly, she didn’t care for it. As a doctor she’d had more than her fair share of sleep-deprived nights, which she hadn’t minded if she was saving a life or helping a person in pain. Giving up her precious time with the sandman over stress and imaginary sounds wasn’t her idea of fun. Neither was breaking hearts.
The producers wanted her to send home two guys this week. After spending time with each during the last seven days and then again at the party today, she was ready to say good-bye to a lot more than two.
If only they’d let her, she could save them a ton on lodging, food, airfare, and headaches.
They had three weeks left of filming, and thankfully her full vacation time had finally been approved, so she had a job to go home to, if she still wanted it. Dividing her time between three men who showed a real interest in her, and she actually felt a connection with, would be nice. But the powers that be, namely the network, would never have gone for that. Not enough drama.
&nbs
p; She stood before her stable of men, waiting for the director’s cue. The guys looked great decked out in slacks and short-sleeved buttoned-down shirts or tees. And relaxed. Considering at least two of them were on the chopping block, you’d think tensions would be up or someone would be nervous. Nope, not these guys.
Weird.
The director called for action and Chris joined Denise to give his usual welcome spiel. He stepped away and she picked up the first key.
“Caden.” She waited for him to join her before continuing on with the scripted question. “Caden, will you accept this key and the possibilities it brings with it, the chance to unlock my heart and be mine forever?”
He took her free hand and brought it to his lips to press a kiss to her fingers. “You’re an amazing woman. Fun, intelligent, compassionate, beautiful—everything a man could ask for.” He dropped their joined hands and met her gaze. “I’m going to have to decline. I wish you the best, and for what it’s worth, I think the guy for you is here in this group.” With a quick kiss to her cheek, he walked off the set.
What the heck? Okay, yeah, the guys were allowed to say no to her. No one was forcing them to stay, unlike Denise, who couldn’t have bought her way out, but still . . . She was pretty sure she’d just claimed a first in the show’s history.
Schooling her face into a neutral look, she called out to the next guy.
“Blake, will you accept this key and the possibilities it brings with it, the chance to unlock my heart and be mine forever?”
He stood for what seemed like a million years without saying a word. With a look over his shoulder and a shake of his head, her heart dropped. “I can’t. As much as I wanted this to work, I think you’re destined to be with someone else.” He too kissed her cheek and walked off the set.
Was she being punked? One she could understand. Two in a row, though? As long as the others were in, she wouldn’t have to resort to the two who were here for the free vacation or sweet, lovable Max, who had been tipsy since before noon.
Still holding the first key, she scanned the men’s faces, looking for clues. Who wanted to stay? Who looked like they couldn’t wait to get out of there? Her gaze shot to Steve the producer for guidance or reassurance—anything that said she wasn’t a fool—but he was locked in a quiet yet heated discussion with Chris. She was on her own.
“Brody.”
She held her breath as he squeezed past Zach and Kyle and tried not to knock over Max before stopping in front of her.
“So, I have this key nobody seems to want . . .” she said in a teasing voice, trying to smile and joke off the earlier rejections.
The remaining guys chuckled, and she hoped that meant they were laughing with her rather than at her. Brody brushed her fingertips with his and gave her a quick wink. She plunged ahead, not really knowing his answer and a bit afraid of his response.
“I was thinking if you’re not doing anything for the next week you’d consider accepting it and being open to exploring the possibilities with me to see if it’s the one to unlock my heart?”
He clasped both of her hands into his bigger ones. Warmth spread through her as she met his gaze, saw his smile spread across his face, causing butterflies to do the happy dance in her stomach.
“I—”
“Cut,” yelled the director.
“What? Now?”
Brody gave her fingers a quick squeeze before he was herded off with the other guys to a secluded area.
Standing in the middle of the set—aka the patio at the guys’ house—she waited for someone to say something. Granted, filming never went straight through, but they didn’t usually break in the middle of a response.
“Steve?” Denise tapped the big bear of a man on the shoulder. “What’s going on?”
He turned around and put his arm over her shoulder. “Can’t explain yet. This might take a while. I’d go grab something from the service table if I were you.”
Too wound up to sit, Denise took up watch next to the goody table. From there she could see into the living room, where the guys paced and joked around with each other. Plus, it put her within arm’s reach of the chocolate-covered doughnuts. The patio was abuzz with quiet inactivity. Several groups of crew stood huddled in small circles, whispering frantically. A nervous energy filled the air. Chris, Steve, and the other producers disappeared. To where, she had no clue.
No way did two guys turning her down cause this type of upheaval. If anything, the rejections would have created more drama and sent their ratings through the roof.
What the heck was going on?
Two assistants walked by, their heads tilted together in hushed conversation, which got even quieter as they passed by. All except for one word—Aaron.
Maybe those imaginary noises she’d heard last night hadn’t been so imaginary after all. If he’d come back and caused trouble, that wouldn’t be the first time in the show’s history and couldn’t be construed as her fault. At least that was what she told herself, knowing full well that if anyone got hurt, nothing would ease her guilt. She should have taken more care with the guy.
She tried to flag down one of the camera guys as he hurried by to find out what the deal was only to be ignored. Okay, then she’d go grab another doughnut and see if she could eavesdrop on the various huddles around the pool.
Two laps later and she gave up. Taking the director’s seat allowed her to keep watch and gave her feet a rest in the heels she’d insisted on wearing today. Across the patio she had a perfect view into the living room. The men continued to joke around with each other, clear by their animation, laughter, and smiles. Two sat off away from the others, and one of them had his eyes on her.
Brody.
Now that she wasn’t focused on the holdup, her mind wandered back to his response. Was he going to say yes? Or was he too going to turn her down? Maybe he’d convinced all of the men to say no, and then they’d have to cancel the show and she could go home. Did she even want to at this point?
Granted, she’d been ready to send over half of them home tonight. She still didn’t know what Brody thought of them as a couple. And then there was Jordan, the smart, funny, sweet gentleman who totally got her geeky, science brain. She wouldn’t mind getting to know him better, or Roan, who was insightful, confident, and easygoing with a killer aim.
But the truth was, there was only one guy she could picture by her side five, ten, or fifty years from now.
“Hey, kiddo. How are you holding up?” Steve slid into a chair next to her and handed her a bottle of water.
“I’d be better if I knew what was going on.” She thanked him for the water and downed half the contents.
“It doesn’t sound good and nothing is official yet. Chris has been on the phone with the network for the last hour, but it sounds like we’re getting the ax.”
“This isn’t because Caden and Blake turned me down. This is bigger.” She had to believe she wasn’t the cause of a couple dozen people being out of work.
“No. If anything, that would have helped. They could have milked those moments for weeks. The show was on shaky ground coming into this season, with the bigwigs talking about canceling for a variety of reasons. A drop in the ratings being number one, and a former participant who filed a lawsuit for slander didn’t help. Funny story about that: she got ticked because we showed footage of her during an interview where she bad-mouthed another participant. She got booted and the other person was handed the final key. Somehow that’s our fault.”
“But why did we start filming, then?” Hollywood was a strange and mysterious place.
“Chris got them to give us one more chance. Unfortunately, they got wind of Aaron’s arrest, and you know we’re already taking applications for the next season right? Well, long story short . . . the number of applicants is down and the number of crazies is up.”
“So now you’re out of a job. What are you going to do?” She looked up to see Brody still watching her and wondered how he’d take the ne
ws. He’d be able to get back to his practice and working eighteen-hour days. Would he miss her?
“Actually, the sister show, Love in Shangri-La’s applications are up and the polls show viewers prefer it over Finding Mr. Right. Ah, here comes the man. I better go see what the final word is. Hang tight, girlfriend, and I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
Chris gathered the crew and they disappeared into his tent. It looked like a general rallying the troops. Never a good sign.
It didn’t take long, maybe about five minutes, before people started exiting one by one. No one looked particularly upset, so maybe they’d been offered positions on the other show.
The guys were brought back out and all eyes were on the show’s host.
“Gentlemen, Denise, I’m sorry to say the show’s been canceled. I know you all came here hoping to find a connection with Denise, and some of you have already developed strong feelings. I hope you don’t let this stop you from pursuing those feelings and finding out if there’s really something there.”
An assistant whispered in his ear and then walked toward the house.
“Dillon, Kyle, you both have flights that leave in three hours. If you’ll grab your suitcases, there’s a car out front to take you to the airport.”
Wow, talk about moving fast. Although in all honesty, she’d told Steve and Chris that morning that she wouldn’t be asking William, Dillon, Kyle, Max, or Zach to stay.
“As for the rest of you, we’ll get your return flights scheduled as soon as possible. Until then, the house is yours. All of your electronics are inside. You’re free to come and go as you like, just let us know so we can keep you informed of your flight times. Thank you and again, I’m sorry we couldn’t see this through until the end. Denise, can I steal you away for a few minutes?”
She nodded and followed him back to his tent. Once inside, she sank into a director’s chair and kicked off her heels. “I’m sorry about the show.”
He sat down in the chair opposite her. “That’s Hollywood. One minute you’re on top and the next you’re slinking out the door. I’ve still got the other show and a few projects lined up.” He tented his fingers under his chin and regarded her.
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