by Chelsea Hale
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Camera Wars
A Sundaes for Breakfast Romance Book Two
Chelsea Hale
Copyright © 2017 by Chelsea Hale
Published by Crescendo Ink
All rights reserved.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Cover Design by Crescendo Ink
Interior Design by Crescendo Ink
Edited by CookieLynn Publishing
Kaysville, Utah
For My Family—
To my parents who instilled in me the courage from a young age to follow my dreams.
To my husband who encourages me to still follow my dreams.
To my children—Reach for the stars, you can do anything!
Contents
Free Book
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Like the Book?
Sneak Peek
The Companion
Mr. Write
Join Chelsea’s VIP Reader’s Club
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Free Book
Join Chelsea’s VIP Reader’s Club and receive a free book.
Chapter One
Coco Beaumont looked up from where she curled up on her favorite couch, laptop perched on top of the blankets surrounding her. The only light in the room glowed from the Christmas tree lights and her screen. Christmas music played softly as she worked on creating a wedding video of yesterday’s filming.
“I’ll be home for Christmas” played, and Coco paused. Her boyfriend Jeffrey had traveled over Christmas, and the thought that she still hadn’t seen him since the semester ended stung. “You can count on me,” the music continued and she stared at the two presents under the tree, waiting for Jeffrey to open them. She swallowed, realizing when she turned the song around, she hadn’t gone home either for the holiday.
Christmas was a popular time to get married, between semesters and with the backdrop of the snow-covered Rockies in Colorado. Booking seven weddings as a wedding videographer in two and a half weeks didn’t give her enough travel time to make it home to South Dakota this year, but she’d video chatted with her parents and brother on Christmas. It was almost the same.
She tuned out the song and its reference to mistletoe and kissing and everything she missed this year, and went back to editing. She needed to stay focused on completing these videos quickly so she didn’t fall behind.
Yesterday’s video footage was magical, with snow falling lightly around them as the bride and groom kissed. She couldn’t have planned the moment better. The dusted snow on trees and their hair felt like stepping into a winter fairytale. She increased the contrast on the video, letting the snow stand out even more on the groom’s dark tuxedo. He held his bride in his arms, spinning her around, letting the snow from her dress spray away from the beaded fabric. Coco sighed. It was beautiful.
Coco’s roommate, Liz, burst through the front door. But the dim light couldn’t disguise the change Coco immediately recognized in Liz. She saved the clip she worked on and pushed her laptop to the table.
Liz tried to act natural as she dropped her purse on the small table by the door, but Coco could see the energy wanting to explode from her. It was a subtle glow—the kind that graced all the weddings she filmed.
“You’re getting married!” she squealed as soon as Liz turned around. “I know it, I just know it!”
“Way to ruin the surprise, Coco,” Liz said, a slight pout on her mouth. She tossed her red curls over her shoulder.
Coco smiled at the nickname on Liz’s lips. She preferred being called Coco. It fit her much better than the formal French roots of Colette.
“Don’t worry. I’m the only one here. I won’t say a word … but I want to see the ring.” Coco held out her hand and pulled Liz closer to her. “Wow! If that isn’t the biggest Alcatraz I have seen all year—and trust me, I check them all out.”
“Alcatraz? A prison reference for wedded bliss?” Liz scrunched up her nose.
Coco giggled. “Not the prison part. It means ‘a big rock,’ and that, my dear,” she said, holding up Liz’s hand to let the light capture the sparkle, “is one big rock. Actually, several big rocks. Sheesh, girl. You’re going to sink the next time you go swimming.” She couldn’t stop staring.
“Thanks for the tip. I’ll take it off before I swim.” Liz pulled her hand back. “Okay, okay. No need to drool over it. No giving it away when Mandy and Jenny get home. I want to be the one to tell them.” Liz wagged a finger in Coco’s face.
“My lips are sealed.”
“Speaking of, you’re home kind of early, aren’t you? Weren’t you out with Jeffrey?” Liz probed.
Coco shook her head. “His plans were delayed with the huge snowstorm. He thought it’d be best to avoid coming home to Denver, in case he couldn’t make it out again in two days. And evening is the best time for me to be creative with my videos.” She clicked her fingers across her laptop keyboard for emphasis. Her boyfriend traveled up to a month at a time arranging construction projects for Better Builders—a non-profit organization. She wanted to be a supportive girlfriend, but she wished he could have been around for the winter break.
Coco squinted as blinding light reflected off Liz’s ring. Liz didn’t seem to mind as she wiggled her finger back and forth.
“As I remember,” Coco said, tapping the side of her dark chocolate pixie cut, “you said when there were wedding bells in your future, you’d let me do your wedding video.”
“Yes. You are the most amazing woman with a camera I have ever known. I really, really want one of those sappy, magical videos. But I want it about me … and Tyler … and about us together in our journey of love.” Liz laughed.
“They can be kind of sappy.” But when you’re the one in love, it’s not s
appy, it’s perfect. Liz and Tyler were perfect for each other, but her thoughts wandered to Jeffrey. They’d been together years longer than Liz and Tyler had. A winter proposal was romantic—snow falling around them, sprinkling their coats like fairy dust.
She sighed, remembering her last conversation with Liz on the subject. “I wish you would let me gift the whole thing to you.”
Liz waved her hand in the air. “The roommate discount is generous enough. Besides it’s going to be a lot of filming.”
Liz’s wedding was three full days of events, parties, and meals in addition to the actual ceremony. Tyler was a New York Times bestselling author, and Liz’s dad had been a legendary NFL superstar, so their wedding was bound to be elaborate.
Coco beamed. “I’m up to the challenge. Have you guys settled on a date yet?”
Liz shook her head. “Not yet, but it will probably be early summer. I did have a different idea about the wedding video I wanted to run by you. We were thinking of having a wedding video with us in different seasons and different backgrounds, you know, to capture some of the engagement. What do you think?”
“I haven’t done something like that before, but we can experiment if that works for you. We can learn together and get an idea of what you both want.”
Liz gave Coco a hug. “You have such an eye for style; I can’t wait to see what you come up with. I think we will have our photographer come along, too. Are you okay with that?”
Coco smiled. “That’s totally fine. It actually works out nicely to have photos taken at the same time. It keeps out the nerves of being filmed and makes for great video when you hold poses and then relax into action shots.”
“We’re thinking of trying for some shots with snow around. Maybe right after New Year’s we can go up to Aspen for a few days? The hotel we’re getting married at wants to give us a tour and talk through the wedding plans.”
Coco nodded. Jeffrey was out of town until mid-January. “I’ll make it work. Let’s just find a time when it’s not too cold, but when the snow is perfect. There will be a few more of those days coming soon, I’m sure of it.”
“I’m so excited for everything. I’m marrying my best friend, and I’m going to have the most amazing video, thanks to your generosity and talent. I can’t wait.”
Coco colored under Liz’s praise. “Thanks. Your confidence means a lot. It’s shaping up to be my favorite video so far.”
Liz turned to her. “Why’s that?”
“I love the people in the video, and they love each other, and I’ve seen your love come together. It’s a magical thing.” She said it with a winsome voice.
“Is that how you feel about Jeffrey?” Liz asked.
Coco’s stomach flipped at just the mention of his name. She had dated him for two years in high school. He was a year older, and as soon as she had graduated moved to Colorado without a second thought so she could be close to him, and they’d started dating again.
“I hope so.” She wanted it to be magical, but it was a little hard to tell when he’d been traveling so much since he’d graduated with his Bachelors almost two years ago. It seemed like he was gone more than he was there. But she loved him. He was her safety and security. “No one holds a candle to him.” And that was the way she preferred it.
Coco closed her car trunk, shouldered her bag of camera gear, and carried her tripod. She walked quickly toward Liz and Tyler, every step increasing her excitement. Breckenridge was one of her favorite places to shoot engagement videos.
“Hey guys!” She wrapped her scarf tighter around her neck. “I love this area. So happy you decided to stop here before we hit Aspen.”
“This grove looks incredible,” Liz said, bouncing on her toes.
Tyler glanced around. “The photographer should be here soon, but we can start without him.”
Coco unzipped her bag and pulled out her camera. “Give me a few minutes to set up and we’ll be ready.”
She planted the reflectors in the snow, positioned Tyler and Liz in a casual cuddle on a rock, and then switched to a 50mm fixed lens.
“I’m ready,” Coco announced. “Two things to remember: one, don’t break the fourth wall. So, unless I tell you to, avoid looking directly into my camera lens. And two, music will be dubbed over everything, so feel free to talk and carry on a conversation. I’ll be moving around you and giving directions. Any questions before we start?”
Liz laughed. “You sound like an official director, Coco.”
“Director Coco. That does have a nice ring to it!”
She held the camera with the steady-cam rig, double checked her quality and ISO settings, and hit the record button. “For this first shot, I want you to relax. Look at each other and you can laugh or tell a joke.”
A glow from the reflectors made the scene buttery and soft. Focusing on both of them, she blurred the image on the manual lens, then slowly brought it back into focus just as Tyler smiled and Liz laughed at whatever he’d said into her ear.
Perfect.
She kept them in focus as she slowly moved to her left to capture the continuation of the shot. Both Tyler and Liz had participated in a video for Coco’s Capturing Emotions class, so she knew they would be good on the camera, but they made being in love look easy. Just a few more steps until she was on the other side of the rock—a brilliant way to end the scene.
“Now look right here and smile.” A bass voice said.
Her perfect moment disappeared when someone moved into her shot, where she had just been standing. Her entire beginning scene was ruined. She rolled her neck. No big deal. It’s never exactly right on the first try. We’re bound to do this a few more times. She hit the pause button.
“This is such a great backdrop. Let’s get a few kissing shots. The lighting is great here.” The deep voice said again.
She wasn’t in the habit of noticing guys or how attractive they could be, but his tall frame towered over her five-foot-eight as she approached him. Dark black hair peeked out from his hat, but it was his light blue eyes that caught her off guard. They were almost iridescent. She shook her head at the thought of his bright baby blues. She wasn’t attracted to them. She just wanted to see what they would look like through the lens of her camera. Maybe with a high-contrast filter.
“Hey. I’m Coco Beaumont.” She stuck out her gloved hand.
He shook it. Her hands must be cold from the weather or his were extra warm from just arriving.
“Peter Jorgensen. Tyler and Liz’s photographer. You must be Liz’s roommate.” His smile was warm, although the morning was still chilly.
“Here I’m the videographer. I need a few shots of them laughing before they kiss.”
“I’m sure we’ll have time for both. Did you see the way the sun is peeking through the branches? It’s a great effect on a kiss.” He took a few more shots.
Coco glowered at his back. Yeah. She saw it. She had set up the shot and added the extra reflectors to create the effect, thank you very much. But she needed the shot of them laughing first—the shot that Peter just ruined.
Coco’s fingers slipped on the dials as she readjusted her settings. “Let’s try that same shot again, and I’m going to go the other way.” She expertly navigated the snowy ground as she brought the blurry scene into sharp focus on the love between Tyler and Liz. She walked around, got to the other side of the rock, and cringed as Peter stepped into her shot for the second time.
“Turn toward that small tree and smile.” The rapid clicks on Peter’s camera sounded like a woodpecker who was insistent on driving everyone insane.
Coco started back from where she was again. “Peter. I’m actually looking to get a specific shot, and you’re in it. Could you maybe just step over here so when I do my three-sixty around them I can get the whole shot?” She pointed to the opposite direction.
Peter looked confused. “I can’t get a good shot on their photos from over there.”
Coco took a calming breath. “I just need this shot
and then we can move on and do the rest of the pictures and videos.”
He shrugged. “Sure.”
It only took three more times for Coco to get what she wanted in the opening shot. She walked slowly back toward her original position. She was fading back into blurring the video to match the beginning sequence when Peter stepped in front of her and bent low.
“Liz. That is the perfect expression. Don’t change a thing; I’m just going to change me.” Peter moved closer.
The incessant clicking of his camera sounded like nails on a chalkboard. She blew out a breath. He had ruined her shot again. She pressed the playback button to watch the clip in its entirety while Peter’s camera click continued to irritate her.
The whole shot had been great up until the last ten seconds. She hoped she could salvage it. Right now, it was time to work on a different scene. She had a few other places in the Breckenridge Mountains to hit before going to Aspen for the rest of the week.
“You’re starting to look a little stale on your faces,” Peter said. “Try stretching your mouth a little, and don’t hold your pose between pictures.”
Coco reset her camera and carried her tripod and reflectors to a spot not too far away. “For this next shot, I want you to walk toward me. Hold hands and don’t break your hand hold until you’re forced to as I go between both of you. Then, as soon as you pass me, join hands again, and I will still be filming.”
She walked farther ahead of them and drew a line in the snow with the toe of her boot. “When you get to here, turn around and smile at me. We can try it a few times, and it will feel more natural every time.”