by Cindy Kirk
A shuddering breath escaped Lindsay’s lips. “Things with Dan and I—”
Eliza waited, giving her friend time.
“I had a long talk with my mom.” Lindsay expelled another shaky breath. Tears returned to cloud her eyes. “I told her I made a mistake accepting Dan’s proposal. I want a husband and a family, but I don’t want to be a minister’s wife. I don’t want Dan.”
“You’ve had concerns about him taking calls when he’s with you.” Though she sounded perfectly calm, Eliza’s heart rate galloped.
“That’s not it. Or not all of it.” Lindsay twisted the cap on her bottle on and off, her expression bleak. “I understand why he has this need to always respond. He shared that with me.”
“I don’t care whether he has a good explanation or not. You matter. He should be putting you first.” When Lindsay remained silent, Eliza worried she’d overstepped. Then she decided, since she’d gone this far, she might as well go all the way. “Dan may be a good man, but he’s not your man. He’s not putting you first.”
Eliza thought of Kyle and the dozens of little things he did to make her feel loved and cherished. She wanted that for Lindsay. Her sweet and kind friend deserved better.
If Anita was pushing Lindsay to stay in the competition, she wouldn’t get support from Eliza.
Tears slipped down Lindsay’s cheeks. “I don’t think I can go through with it tomorrow.”
The words were soft and barely above a whisper, but strong enough to shatter Eliza’s dream of a win in the competition.
Doesn’t matter, Eliza told herself. Lindsay’s happiness was more important.
She reached over and took the bottle from Lindsay’s hand, setting it aside. Then she wrapped her fingers around Lindsay’s ice-cold hands and looked her in the eye. “Have you told Dan how you feel?”
A couple more tears fell before Lindsay gave a nod.
“Good.”
Lindsay’s head jerked up, disbelief filling her watery baby blues. “You think I did the right thing?”
“Like I said, I want you with someone who makes you happy, someone who puts you first.” Eliza tightened her hold on Lindsay’s hand. “You deserve that, Lin.”
“I hurt Dan.” Sorrow swept across Lindsay’s face.
“It’s for the best.” Eliza’s voice took on an urgency. “Trust me. I’m speaking from experience. Jeremy choosing Fin was the best thing that could have happened to him and me. Eventually, Dan will feel the same. Especially once he finds the one he’s really meant to be with forever.”
Lindsay’s lips lifted in a trembling smile. “When did you become so wise?”
Since Kyle.
Releasing Lindsay’s hands, Eliza sat back. “I’ve always been wise. I can’t believe it took you this long to notice.”
“The mayor is here,” Sean, Kyle’s foreman, called out from the lower level of the theater.
Though the project was essentially complete, Kyle and Sean were doing one last walk-through. Other than some minor touching up with paint in one hall, everything seemed in order.
Kyle descended the stairs and saw his brother speaking with Sean. He kept his voice casual as he approached the men. “Interested in a tour, Mr. Mayor?”
Jeremy flashed a smile. “I wouldn’t mind one.”
Kyle turned to Sean and handed him the clipboard. “I didn’t find much upstairs.”
“There isn’t much on this level, either.” Sean glanced at the paper and then up at Kyle. “We can do the touch-ups first of next week, well in time for the red-carpet event.”
“I’ll lock up.” Kyle slapped Sean on the back. “Have a good weekend.”
Sean nodded, shifted his focus to Jeremy. “Good to meet you.”
Once his foreman had left, Kyle turned to Jeremy. “Sure you want a tour?”
“Sure. Why not?” Jeremy’s eyes were serious as they started their walk through the building. “How are you holding up?”
“Fine. Why wouldn’t I be?” The lies Kyle had been telling himself since Jeremy had stopped by the job site with the news fell easily from his lips.
“Well, that makes one of us, then.” Jeremy gave a humorless chuckle. “I feel as if I’ve been slammed in the back with a two-by-four.”
Kyle stopped walking. They were at the back of the theater. A plastered wall a little higher than waist-high separated the walkway from the seats on the main level. “Did you think I was lying?”
Jeremy shrugged. “I didn’t know what to believe.”
“Some shared DNA doesn’t change anything between us.”
“Doesn’t it?” Those shrewd blue eyes met his. “You’re my brother.”
“Half,” Kyle corrected automatically.
“Still counts.” Jeremy shoved his hands into his pockets. “Blood is blood.”
The comment hit a little too close to home. A knot formed in the pit of Kyle’s stomach. That was something his father might have said. Or rather, the man Kyle had always thought of as his dad.
“I never had a brother. Or a sister.” Jeremy met his gaze. “Always wanted one. I’d like it if we could get to know each other.”
“Now that this job is done, I’ll be heading back to Kentucky.”
Surprise flickered across Jeremy’s face. “You bought a house here.”
Now it was Kyle’s turn to be surprised. “Did Eliza tell you that?”
“Eliza doesn’t tell me anything. Not anymore.” Jeremy strolled down the long aisle to the orchestra pit, one hand touching the tops of the deeply upholstered seats as he passed. “I work in the courthouse. People talk.”
Anger surged as Kyle thought how Eliza would feel if she knew everyone was gossiping about her. “People need to keep their mouths shut.”
“True. But if you’re going to live in a small town, that’s the first thing you need to learn. Secrets rarely stay hidden.”
“I told you I’m not staying.” They’d reached the end of the aisle. Kyle stared down into the darkness of the orchestra pit. The emptiness he saw there matched the emptiness inside him.
“Why buy a house? Why get involved with Eliza?”
“Temporary insanity.” Kyle paused, caught himself. “The house, not Eliza.”
A slow smile lifted Jeremy’s lips. “You’ve fallen for her.”
Kyle started to deny it, then decided, what was the point? “I’m in love with her.”
Jeremy clapped him on the back. “Good for you.”
“Not good at all.” Kyle whirled, flung out his hands. “I’m leaving. She’s staying.”
That, he knew, was what gnawed at him. Yesterday, when he’d gotten the news about his parentage and felt torn in two, there’d been only one person he’d wanted—needed—to see.
“Life is full of choices.” Jeremy studied him. “You’re a man who can make the difficult ones. You chose to come here, to browbeat me into taking the DNA test.”
“Browbeat.” Kyle gave a halfhearted chuckle. “You took that test because you were as curious as me.”
“Maybe.” His brother’s smile faded. “My dad—our dad—will be in town later tonight. He plans to stay through the weekend. You need to make time to speak with him.”
When Kyle opened his mouth, Jeremy held up a hand. “That was the deal.”
“I’ll make the time.”
“Good. Now show me the rest of this place.” Jeremy glanced around. “What I’ve seen looks amazing.”
Chapter 25
“Meeting in the garden could become a habit.”
Eliza’s gloved hand stilled on the weed she’d been pulling. She glanced up and shaded her eyes with her hand. Despite all that had happened today, the sight of Kyle had a smile lifting her lips. “I needed to think. I thought I might as well tackle a few weeds at the same time.”
Kyle crouched down beside her, all rugged male in his faded jeans and T-shirt. He grabbed a spiked leafy weed and added it to her pile. “Everything okay?”
“It depends on your perspective.�
�� Eliza stared unseeingly across the garden, then rose and pulled off her gloves. “Take a walk with me.”
Kyle pushed to his feet and held out his hand. “With pleasure.”
Eliza hadn’t expected to walk down the sidewalk with him holding hands. Heck, she hadn’t expected to be walking down the sidewalk at all, not dressed in clothes earmarked for digging in the dirt.
“You look good in jeans.” Kyle leaned back, and his gaze lingered on her backside. “Sexy.”
A warm rush of pleasure filled her. She rolled her eyes, just for form.
“Tell me what’s troubling you.” The concern in his deep voice matched what she saw in his eyes. “Surely there’s something I can do to help.”
“I don’t think so.” Eliza inhaled a breath and let it out slowly. The air was always so clean and fresh here. The lawns green and well-tended. Blooming flowers dotted the landscapes of nearly every home they passed.
Good Hope deserved to win the competition. The business owners deserved the publicity. But without a bride and groom, they would be forced to drop out of the competition.
His hand tightened around hers. “Tell me.”
“Lindsay called off her engagement with Dan.” The words hung in the air for several seconds.
“Because of Owen?”
Eliza slowly shook her head. “I don’t think so. Lindsay likes and respects Owen, but I believe they are, at this point anyway, just friends.”
“It’s difficult to be blindsided.”
At first, Eliza thought Kyle was referring to Lindsay hitting her with this news so close to the showcase. Then she realized he was talking about Dan.
“I think he truly believed Lindsay loved him.” Kyle’s tone was heavy with sympathy.
Of course, Kyle would identify with Dan. He’d had a fiancée, a woman he loved, dump him unexpectedly.
The thought of Kyle loving another woman brought a sharp pang to Eliza’s heart. She attempted to tug her hand away, but his fingers tightened around hers.
“I learned a valuable lesson from my experience with Jessica. Lasting love is a two-way street.” Kyle brought their joined fingers to his mouth and kissed the top of her hand. “I’m glad it didn’t work out with her. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be here now. With you.”
Eliza’s stomach somersaulted, but when she spoke, her voice was even. “Lindsay feels horrible about breaking up with Dan so close to the showcase. I told her to let me worry about the competition.”
“It’s a great compliment, her coming to you.”
“What do you mean?”
“She felt she could be straight with you. She knew you’d understand and be on her side.” The approval that ran through his words warmed her. “You’re a good friend, E. She’s lucky to have you.”
Some of the weight that had settled on her shoulders slid off and fell at her feet. “I only wish she’d decided this a couple of weeks ago.”
For a second, Kyle appeared confused. Then a knowing look filled his eyes. “The competition. Once again, you don’t have a bride and groom.”
“That’s right.” Though she felt more like crying, Eliza gave a little laugh. “And it’s too late to find an acceptable replacement.”
Kyle stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, put his hands on her arms and turned her to face him. His gaze searched her face. “What are you going to do?”
Eliza shrugged. “Good Hope will have to withdraw.”
“Are you positive you can’t find another couple?”
“I’ve been racking my brain for anyone who might work, but I’ve come up empty.” She sighed. “Even if I could find someone who’s willing, the odds she’d fit into the dress and be prepared to handle the interviews are practically nil.”
When Kyle began to walk, Eliza fell into step beside him. Missing the feel of his hand against hers, she took his arm. Somehow, she always felt better—stronger—when he was close.
“I may have a solution.” He tossed the words out there, then waited.
She squeezed his arm, tight enough to make him yelp.
“Hey, what was that for?”
She smiled sweetly. “You tormenting me.”
Confusion furrowed his brow. “How?”
“You say you have a solution but then clam up.”
He laughed. “You just have to promise me that when you hear it, you won’t punch me.”
How was it that this man could make her forget her troubles with a simple flash of a smile?
“I’m not promising anything.”
Eliza wasn’t sure what to think when the laughter faded from his eyes and his expression turned serious. She held her breath when he turned toward her and took both her hands in his. “I think you and I should be the couple.”
I’ve lost my mind.
That was the only explanation Eliza could come up with. She’d let Kyle convince her that not only would pretending to be engaged allow Good Hope to continue in the competition, but it would take the heat off Lindsay for backing out at the last minute.
“You’re doing fantastic.” Ami gave Eliza an encouraging smile as she positioned herself for more pictures.
The film crew had kept a close eye on her all morning. Everywhere she went, they followed.
They were there when Eliza stepped out of Swoon’s dressing room in the black satin gown. Thanks to a few adjustments by Piper, it fit perfectly. Margo, the producer, appeared to enjoy the boutique owner’s story of how Lindsay had made Eliza model the dress so she could see how it looked from another vantage point.
Margo nodded in approval when Piper finished. “That’s a sweet story. Our viewers will love it.”
Marigold’s shop was next on the grand tour. Because of her experience in Chicago with couture fashion shows, the youngest Bloom sister was at ease in front of the camera. Marigold demonstrated her skill for sound bites while arranging Eliza’s hair in the striking vintage style they’d both admired at Rakes Farm.
Makeup was applied when they reached the farm. Once again, a Bloom sister shone in front of the camera. By the time Fin finished applying Eliza’s makeup, even Eliza was impressed.
A section of the barn had been set up as it would be at the reception, complete with antique furniture pieces and wedding photos of Lindsay’s and Dan’s parents arranged on a black, natural-wood credenza.
The black and white Chanel-inspired cake with its pearls and broach had been artfully arranged on a marble-topped table. Ami had brought plates and a cake knife with her when Eliza mentioned they might film her and Kyle cutting the cake.
Kyle had arrived thirty minutes earlier. From several comments she overheard, Eliza gathered Kyle had had a busy morning with his own entourage.
“We need the groom over here.” Margo motioned to Kyle.
Eliza and Kyle strode to the table and were expertly positioned next to the cake. She knew they made a striking picture.
As they waited for the cameraman, Ami stepped to her and whispered in her ear, “I’m so happy for both of you.”
It was an odd comment, considering Ami and the rest of the Bloom sisters knew this “engagement” was simply so Good Hope could continue in the competition. If they won the showcase, plans were to find another couple willing to step in for the actual wedding.
Beck had gone over the rules, and there was nothing in them preventing a community from substituting one engaged couple for another.
“You make a beautiful bride.” Kyle leaned close. His warm breath against her ear had her insides jittering.
“You don’t look half bad yourself,” she whispered back.
She was as surprised as everyone when he threw back his head and laughed, then tugged her close for a kiss.
The crowd that had gathered around applauded as Fin hurried over to retouch Eliza’s lipstick.
“You two need to behave yourselves.” Fin spoke with mock sternness even as her green eyes glittered.
Kyle’s hand tightened around Eliza’s and gave it a squeeze, letting her
know he was there for her.
Out of everyone there, he knew how hard it was for her to play this part. But he’d been right. Stepping in had immediately taken the heat off Lindsay and Dan.
Margo wagged a finger. “No more kissing.”
“Cut them some slack,” someone called out. “They’re in love.”
“Yes, you are in love.” Ami leaned in close to adjust the neckline of Eliza’s dress. “Even if you’re too stubborn to admit it.”
Words of protest rose from the onlookers when Anita pushed her way through the crowd to stand in the front row. Lindsay’s mother had received an invitation to attend both the preliminary shoot today and the one in the church on Tuesday. The invitation had been extended when she’d been the mother of the bride.
Eliza knew Anita had been furious at her daughter for breaking the engagement. That’s why it surprised her that Anita had shown up today. Of course, the woman always liked being in the middle of any action.
Eliza had to admit Anita made a fetching sight. Her ivory summer dress showed off a trim figure, and her dark hair, styled in an elegant chignon, suited her angular face.
Anita shifted her gaze, and Eliza felt the cold punch of it. She must have shivered, because Kyle reached up to stroke her arm. In reaction, she leaned her dark head against his.
The photographer went crazy, while most of those in attendance exhaled a collective sigh.
Their reaction and Margo’s clap of pleasure propelled Anita forward.
“This is ridiculous.” Anita lifted a hand high in the air. “I demand an end to the charade immediately.”
If they’d been in a theater, Anita’s voice could have easily reached the back row.
Like sharks smelling blood in the water, the film crew began to circle. Though Eliza had tried to tell herself otherwise, there was no denying this competition was barely a step up from reality television.
“You’ll edit this part out.” Eliza spoke in her best no-nonsense tone.
Ignoring her, the cameraman zoomed in as Anita took several steps closer and jabbed a finger at Eliza. “You encouraged my daughter to break her engagement to a wonderful man just so you could take her place.”