“Of course I read the contract,” Harry said in a deep voice that was almost a growl. “It’s my job to read contracts and look for loopholes.”
“But—”
“Which means I already know my way out of this one.”
Everything went silent, and if it wasn’t for the fact that Sienna knew Reagan and Harry were standing just a few feet from where she hid, she’d think she was alone.
“But it’ll look really bad,” Reagan said, her voice taking on that wavering quality Sienna knew meant tears weren’t far behind.
Harry let out a very un-Harry-like snort. “Worse than continuing to be a part of this ridiculous spectacle? Somehow, I doubt that. Come with me. I can get you out of the contract too.”
“But it’s my best friend’s wedding. I can’t just leave.” She paused for a second. “And what about Eli? I know you don’t know him that well, but he’ll be disappointed that you’re leaving. They’ll be down a groomsman for the competitions. They’ll…” Her voice shook and the unmistakable sound of crying rang out through the air.
“Don’t cry,” Harry said with a sigh. “You’ll mess up your makeup.”
Reagan sniffled in response.
“Besides, I’m doing this for us,” Harry said. “You know my father wants to make me partner. If I take this new case, I’ll be one step closer to that goal. And then we can start planning our future, okay?”
“Okay,” Reagan said quietly.
“Good girl. Now don’t say anything to anyone until I talk to Bruce.”
“I’ll miss you. Love you.”
“Me too. I’ll see you back home when this is all over, okay?”
“Yeah, okay.”
Sienna let out a long sigh at the sound of footsteps retreating off into the distance.
Thank goodness that was over. She moved from her spot against the tree and came face to face with a very startled Reagan. The older girl’s eyes were red-rimmed, and her face pale beneath her makeup.
“H-hey, Sienna.” Reagan’s eyes darted back and forth. “How long have you been out here?”
Sienna bit her bottom lip and shrugged.
Reagan pushed her lips together. “You heard that then?”
“Yeah.” The leaves crunched beneath Sienna’s feet as she shifted her weight from side to side. “Want to talk about it?”
Her friend quickly shook her head. “We should get back to the obstacle course. I’m sure they’ve finished tallying up the times by now.”
Sienna kept her mouth closed and walked with Reagan in silence.
But she couldn’t help but think that she wouldn’t be the only one putting on a brave face during the filming.
Nine
8 Days Until Dream Wedding
Jason Castle called everyone back to the beginning of the course, his perma-smile flashing in the morning sun. Fox wondered if his cheeks ever hurt from the effort of constantly showing every single one of his teeth.
“Alright, alright. The bride’s team looks ready to go, but just so you ladies are aware, the groom’s team got an excellent time after an impressive show.”
“Beat that, ladies,” Wade said with a grin and something that looked like a football player’s touchdown dance.
“We plan to,” said Sienna, her blue eyes fierce.
Something in her look made Fox swallow hard. This girl was serious.
And a serious athlete. She whipped through everything at hyper-speed, jumping from the tire run to wall like she was born to do this. Nothing seemed to scare her. She dove headfirst under the rope course and didn’t even pause when a nail caught her on the leg. Fox was pretty sure no matter who won, Bruce would be using as much of the footage of Sienna as he could. She looked incredible.
Despite his better judgement, Fox found himself being drawn toward her. His eyes lingered on her as she laughed with her sisters at the finish bell. Somehow, without even realizing what his body was doing, Fox found himself standing at her side.
“That was impressive,” he said. When she turned her head and glared at him, he held up his hands. “Really.”
A slow smile spread across her face, lighting her up from the inside and making her eyes sparkle.
Whoa. The effect her smile had on him was even more unexpected than her performance had been.
“It’s all my plastic doll training,” she said, her eyes flashing.
And there was the petty brat again.
“Most people with manners would say thank you to a compliment,” Fox said, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Thanks for the lesson, Grandpa.”
“Grandpa.” Fox cleared his throat.
Sienna rolled her eyes. “You’re like the grumpy old man on a sitcom, always scowling and grumbling at everyone.”
Fox frowned, then caught himself and rearranged his face into something more neutral. “Maybe I just don’t feel like smiling like a crazy person anytime a camera is within a two-mile radius of me.”
Something passed across her face, too quick for Fox to be sure, but it looked an awful lot like hurt. “At least I’m putting in an actual effort.”
“Not this again,” Fox grumbled. “That took major effort to get that score.”
“You mean the score we’re about to beat?”
Fox knew it would be close, and he wasn’t willing to admit defeat just yet, so he changed the subject.
“You should probably get that leg looked at before it gangrenes,” he said. “Wouldn’t want to have to cancel your next JC Penny catalog shoot.”
Okay, that was kind of mean, he thought as he walked off to rejoin Wade and Eli, but Sienna didn’t seem to have even heard him—or she didn't care. She’d already turned her back to him and started talking to her sisters again.
How had Fox gone from wanting to compliment her to insulting her? Sienna was strong and beautiful. And annoyingly perceptive. He was kind of like a grumpy grandpa, but he hadn’t given up on the world. It was just better for the world if he wasn’t such an active participant.
He hadn’t always been like this. Once he’d loved being with people, meeting new people, and traveling. But ever since…
Nope, he was not going to think about Becky.
He went to stand with Eli and Wade and turned his attention to where the judges were tallying up everyone’s times. The girls had been surprisingly fast and agile as they went through the course. The guys exchanged more than a few worried glances that the cameras were sure to have captured.
Finally, Jason Castle reappeared and held a very official-looking paper in his hands. “I have the final results here.”
Fox grumbled under his breath. Of all the annoying things about this experience, having the host narrate everything he did was probably the worst.
“The bride’s team put in an impressive performance, with a final average time of ten minutes and forty-three seconds.”
Squealing and jumping erupted from the four girls.
“And the groom’s team came in at a final average time of…” He paused, looked at his paper, then back up at the camera. “Ten minutes and twelve seconds!”
Sienna and the other girls groaned in unison.
Fox let out a sigh of relief as Wade whooped in joy and started his touchdown dance again. They’d done it. Eli clapped Fox on the back.
“No Avril Lavigne or Black Eyed Peas, I promise,” Fox said.
Eli grinned. “Maybe just one. I do have a soft spot for early 2000s pop music, after all.”
Fox shook his head and laughed. People did dumb stuff for love, and not just listen to awful music.
“Alright, alright, you’ve all earned a little break.”
Everyone turned to look at Jason Castle.
“Go get cleaned up, and we’ll be back here for an afternoon barbecue by the barn.”
Fox knew that break wouldn’t include a break from the cameras, but at least the hard work was done for the day, and he could focus on hanging out with his friends. And avoiding Sienna.
<
br /> Eli and Fox were talking to one of the owners of the inn while everyone milled around with plates piled high with ribs and brisket.
“So, Alex, why did you come all the way from Virginia to open up this place?” Eli asked.
Alex started to answer, but Fox’s attention was drawn to the other side of the yard, where two little girls were running around. Sienna was stomping around after the girls, her face twisted in what Fox assumed was a monster’s grimace.
Fox couldn’t help but smile a little at her silliness. There were two cameras roving around, but they were focused on the BBQ pit and Audrey, who was currently talking with her mom.
Was Sienna actually having fun with these girls because she wanted to? Fox doubted it. His guess was that she was hoping her little show would catch the attention of the camera crew, and she’d be able to showcase her “human” side.
The two girls ran to their dad, with Sienna close behind. She was still making the monster face, and now Fox could hear the sound effects that went along with it.
He chuckled a little, and the sound drew Sienna’s attention.
She stopped next to Fox, hands on her hips. “Are you laughing at my terrifying toothless tarantula monster?”
He bit his lip, but a smile still tugged at his lips. “I wouldn’t dare.”
“I’ll have you know it’s terrifying.”
She looked so serious that Fox let out another involuntary chuckle.
“She is scary,” said the littlest girl. She turned to Oliver. “Daddy tell the scary monster to go away.”
Oliver looked up from his conversation with Alex, confused, then caught Sienna’s eye and smiled. “Don’t worry sweetie, it’s almost time for us to go. I was just telling Uncle Alex that it’s time to start setting up for tonight’s competition. You can come help, if you want.”
The little girl jumped up and down with excitement. “Yay! I love getting to do grownup work with you.”
Oliver laughed. “I doubt what we’re about to do counts as ‘grownup work,’ but I’d love to have you tag along.” He led his daughters away, and Alex followed.
Since Eli had wandered off at some point to stand by Audrey, that left Fox and Sienna alone.
Seeing everything Oliver and Alex had built gave Fox a strange unsettled feeling. They were the same age as he was, yet he’d barely done anything worthwhile so far in his life. And here Eli was, with a job he loved, about to start his family. It stirred something unfamiliar and a little scary in Fox.
“You must be relieved,” Fox said to Sienna, in an effort to get his mind off of whatever random emotions the higher altitude must be giving him.
Sienna raised an eyebrow. “Relieved?”
“You don’t have to put on that show for the girls and the cameras anymore.”
“Of course it was a show, I’m an actor.” A crease formed between her brows. “But believe it or not, I was doing that to make them laugh, not for the cameras.”
Now Fox raised an eyebrow. “Well, I guess that’s probably true. You did look pretty ridiculous. It was a nice change from that perfect mask you wear all the time.”
“It’s not a mask, and I’m not trying to be perfect. I just want to be my best.”
“Not your best is okay sometimes, you know.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “No, it’s not.”
“I’m far from perfect most of the time,” he said. “But I like to think I’m okay.”
She bit her lip and looked up at him through lowered lids. A shoulder lifted in a shrug. “You’re not terrible.”
He cleared his throat, ignoring the strange pull in his chest. “If you’re buttering me up just to get me to play some of Audrey’s music at the wedding, it’s not happening.”
Sienna uncrossed her arms and put them back on her hips. “You just had to rub it in, didn’t you? You beat us by thirty seconds. I demand a recount.”
Fox grinned. The thrill of winning against Sienna overpowered whatever weird feelings he’d just had. It must have been the spicy BBQ sauce getting to his stomach. Definitely not her. “Look, I’m not even scowling, I’m so happy.”
“Happy because you get to play stuff like Bryan Adams and Savage Garden instead of that new-fangled noise the youth of today call music?”
Fox choked. Those bands were popular when he was younger, but he couldn’t remember the last time he’d listened to something by either of them. “How old do you think I am?”
She tapped a finger on her chin and considered him carefully. “Hmm...somewhere between roaming the earth with the dinosaurs and knowing Julius Caesar personally.” Her eyes were narrowed, but the curve of her mouth was playful.
Not that Fox noticed her mouth—or the way it curved. “I’m the same age as Audrey and Eli, you know.”
“And yet, you seem decades older.”
Fox didn't get a chance to counter before he felt a hand on his shoulder. His smile fell when he saw it was Bruce.
“How are my team leads doing?” Bruce asked, a cameraman positioned right behind him. “You’re tied heading into tonight’s competition.”
“This afternoon was a fluke,” said Sienna, her playfulness gone in the blink of an eye. Her eyebrows drew together, and her eyes had turned icy. It was like the grownup version of the terrifying monster she’d used on the girls, and Fox knew she was back to playing her role for the cameras. “We’re winning everything else.”
Bruce laughed, loud and right in Fox’s ear, making Fox grimace. Which, he realized, was probably exactly what Bruce wanted to get on camera.
“But the music, that was important to Audrey, wasn’t it?” Bruce said. “Must be tough, putting something that big into the hands of the groomsmen.”
Fox bristled at this. As much as he didn’t want to rise to Bruce’s bait, he had to defend himself. “I think we’ll do a much better job than the bridesmaids with the music.”
“And you’re the expert?” Sienna cocked an eyebrow and perfectly tilted her head to catch the afternoon light.
“Yes,” Fox answered, then kept his mouth closed, not wanting to give Bruce anymore details—or ammunition—than that. He and the other groomsmen would put together an amazing soundtrack for the reception, and no one needed to know the reasons he truly was the expert here.
“Oh ho!” Bruce patted Fox’s back. “Sounds like the tension’s really heating up. That should make tonight even more interesting. What’s your strategy for dealing with the unexpected?”
Sienna jumped in, saying something about getting into their opponent’s head and keeping their eyes on the prize. A bunch of generic soundbites that would make for good television.
Meanwhile, Fox was eagerly waiting for Bruce—and the cameras—to leave.
Just eight more days, he told himself as Bruce continued chatting with Sienna, her face bright from the attention. If he could hang in just another week, there’d be no more fake reactions, no more cameras, and no more Sienna.
Fox was only partially sure that the tightness in his chest was from the brisket, and not from the thought of life without the terrifying toothless tarantula monster.
Ten
8 Days Until Dream Wedding
Sienna put on a tough face for the camera, but she was serious. The girls were winning everything else.
Losing control of the music hadn’t been that disastrous. Even Sienna had to admit her older sister had some, ah, questionable favorites. But that didn’t stop Audrey from shaking her booty on the dancefloor at every possible opportunity, which was always entertaining. And not because Audrey was a good dancer.
Unfortunately, all the performer genes had gone to Sienna, which before today, she’d been happy about. Now it would serve them all better if Audrey and Harper were at least a tiny bit coordinated, and better at playing things up for the camera.
Maybe then she could turn off her onscreen persona for more than a couple of minutes at a time. Maybe Fox would get off her back about it.
Thankfully,
that evening’s contest was making s’mores. This was Harper’s arena, and it would mean Sienna would get her much-desired reprieve.
“Can we do anything else to help you?” Reagan asked, her hands full of sticks. Audrey was taking them one by one and squishing marshmallows to the ends before lining them up along the rocks surrounding the campfire.
The girls were at the edge of the property, with the trees and mountains in the background. It would look amazing on camera, and Sienna had to wonder if the local tourism board knew how much free publicity Wellspring would be getting once this aired.
If this airs, thought Sienna.
Would Bruce pull the plug if Harry did end up leaving early? He was still here, for now, poking at one of the guys’ fires with one hand, the other typing furiously on his phone.
Harper shook her head. “Just keep those marshmallows coming. Remember, do not burn them.”
Audrey stuck out her lower lip. “But they taste so much better that way.”
“Not everyone likes their dessert to taste like charcoal,” Harper argued.
“And not everyone likes things sickeningly sweet.”
The two sisters started bickering around the familiar topic that had started causing problems since their Girl Scout days.
Sienna giggled. It felt like a typical summer night from when they were all kids. She went over to Audrey and wrapped her arms around her shoulders. “I missed this. I’ve missed you guys.”
Audrey smiled. “Well, we’ve been here. You’re the one with the big fancy acting career in New York.”
Sienna laughed her brightest laugh, but her stomach dropped.
If only they knew how very close she was to having to come back home for good, tail between her legs, a failure in every possible way. Her phone lay heavy in her pocket, dozens of unread messages she didn't have to read to know what they said. Her landlord couldn't really fulfill his threats in just two days, could he?
Sienna watched as Harper assembled all the ingredients into the most perfect s’mores. You wouldn’t think something like this campfire staple could be so complex, and yet, Harper made it look almost gourmet with her unique spin and presentation.
The Bridesmaid & the Jerk Page 7