Meg (Beach Brides Book 1)

by Julie Jarnagin

  She stood on her tiptoes to hug him. “I would never be embarrassed of you.” She pulled back and looked up at him. “And I don’t care what people think. You were a great dad. You are a great dad.”

  The corner of his mouth twitched up. “You’re a pretty good daughter too.”

  She laughed.

  Her dad didn’t join in. “So tell me, do you really like any of these clowns?”

  She patted his arm. “They’re not clowns. They’re okay guys…but no. I’m not interested in them.”

  “What about that man who you came here with the first time?”

  She clenched her teeth together. “I liked Elliot a lot, maybe I more than liked him, but he’s responsible for the entire show. He had to know the date would be here tonight. After this, how can I trust him?” He’d gotten close to her, he’d used her to turn the show into a spectacle using her dad as some kind of pathetic figure, and then he’d disappeared.

  He nodded. “And there’s not much more important than being able to trust someone.”

  She fought back the tears.

  He put an arm around her. “Now, what are we going to do? We can’t leave Charlie out there with them all night.”

  She shrugged. “We could fake it.”

  “Or we could tell them to get out of our house.”

  She smiled. “I like the way you think.”

  “Meg,” a voice said from the other side of the door. “Are you in here?”

  She gasped. “Elliot?” What was he doing here?

  Her dad raised a gray eyebrow. “Want me to get rid of him?”

  She rubbed her hands over her eyes. She could talk to Elliot, but how could she believe anything he said?

  ****

  Elliot closed his eyes and knocked again. “Meg, can you let me in?”

  Her father opened the door and scowled at him. “She doesn’t want to talk to you. I think filming is over for tonight.”

  What had Carla done? “Mr. Mullen, I didn’t even know we were filming here tonight until the cameramen called and said you two had locked yourselves in the bathroom. But I can fix this.”

  “I don’t think so.” He pointed his cane behind Elliot. “Get those guys out of my house.”

  Elliot glanced over his shoulder at the cameramen. “Guys, cut it.”

  They kept the cameras on their shoulders. “But Carla said—”

  “Guys,” Elliot said, louder this time. “Please give us a few minutes.”

  They carried their cameras out of the room, but her brother didn’t move. He just stood there, arms crossed, staring at him. These men looked out for Meg. Elliot should have done the same. He’d known Carla was up to something, and he hadn’t stopped her. He had to take responsibility for that.

  Elliot turned back to the door. “Can I talk to Meg for a few minutes?” If he could explain that Carla had planned all this, maybe she would forgive him for putting her into this situation.

  Her father let out a grunt as he shifted his weight. “I think she’s dealt with enough tonight.”

  “Dad.” Meg put a hand on her father’s arm, and he stepped aside. “It’s okay. Why don’t you sit down for awhile?”

  But the tightness in the line of her jaw told him that she wasn’t okay. “Meg, I’m so sorry—”

  “Stop.” She sighed. “I don’t need to hear anymore.”

  He held his breath.

  “Actually,” she said, her gaze glancing from her dad to her brother. “I think Elliot and I will go outside and talk.”

  Relief exploded in his chest. If he could just explain everything to her, maybe she would understand. She would know that he would never hurt her intentionally.

  He followed her down the dark hall, past the table where the cameramen and A.J. ate a bucket of fried chicken, and out the front door.

  Outside the trailer, she spun and faced him. “I knew I should keep my guard up with you, but I never imagined you would stoop so low.”

  “Meg—”

  “To take advantage of my dad’s injuries like that…” Her face crumpled, and she looked down at the gravel under her feet.

  He stepped closer to her, his heart breaking. “I would never do that.”

  “Carla told me how things work. How good you are at building trust with the female contestants.”

  Heat climbed up his neck toward his ears. Is that what she thought of him? That he was nothing but a sleazy producer influencing every situation.

  “Carla told me I need to focus on Peter and A.J., and I think she’s right. Let’s just get through the show.”

  He had been the one feeding Peter lines the night he kissed her. Maybe he was the manipulative puppet master she believed he was. The thought made his stomach turn. “Meg, I promise I didn’t know about the date here tonight, but there is something you should know.”

  She blinked at him. “What is it?”

  He swallowed the lump in his throat. “That night on the beach with Peter, he was wearing a speaker in his ear. I was telling him what to say.”

  She frowned. “I don’t understand.”

  “Not everything was from me, but toward the end, when you were on the beach…”

  Recognition flashed on her face. “Everything he said about seeing life differently because of me…”

  He nodded. “That was me, and, Meg, I meant every word of what I said.” If he could make her see that it was all true, maybe she would understand why he’d done it. “All those things he said—that I said—I meant every word.”

  She looked down at her feet for a few excruciating seconds. Then, she looked up and shook her head. “It doesn’t matter anymore because we both know it’s all about the show.”

  His heart squeezed. “That’s not true, not anymore. It’s about you and me, and—”

  “No, Elliot. You’ll still air your precious show and get your precious rating because that’s what matters to you.”

  Of course, it mattered. There were other people’s careers that depended on him. It was his father’s legacy. But his career was meaningless if Meg walked out of his life. “This show is going to save your theater, Meg. I’m not the only one getting something out of this.”

  “Let’s get through the end of the show.” Her gaze lifted to his. “We fly back to Enchanted Island tomorrow. Then, I’ll play the part I’m supposed to play, and we can all go back to our old lives.”

  He reached out for her, but she pulled away. “Don’t. I’ll see you on the island.”

  With that, she turned and walked back into her father’s house, and he was left to wonder what his life would look like when he saved his show but lost Meg.

  Chapter Twelve

  Elliot watched as Carla paced on the beach.

  The cameras were all set up for the final scene, where Meg would select her one true love. But no one could find her. She’d returned to the resort to finish filming, but she’d refused to see Elliot or talk to him, so he didn’t know if she was having second thoughts or planning to go through with the production. She hadn’t spoken to him since they’d left Oklahoma, and she wouldn’t respond to his calls or texts.

  He swallowed the lump in his throat. “I talked to the ladies in hair and makeup, and they think she’s still planning to choose her one true love.” He could barely say the words without scoffing. This entire thing had turned into a debacle. His father would be horrified. Worse than that, he’d be disappointed. And if the studio found out? This had been the season he needed to prove himself, and he’d failed in spectacular ways. As important as making the show a success had seemed at one point, he realized now that he didn’t care about the season, and he didn’t care about his career. All he could focus on was the fact that he’d hurt Meg. What if he’d lost her forever?

  The old Elliot would have been scheming ways to salvage the season, but not now. Meg deserved better than that. Even A.J. and Peter deserved better. Like Meg had said, they were real people with real lives to go back to when this was over. His father had star
ted the show with an old-fashioned hope that he could help people find their happily-ever-after. Somewhere along the way, Elliot had gotten the show off course. He hadn’t even realized it until he’d met Meg. Before her, he hadn’t known what true love really was.

  Carla stopped in the sand. “I told you not to do this. I told you not to get involved with her. How are we going to put together a show without the final scene?”

  He scrubbed his hands across his face. Would Meg ever be able to trust him again? Would she ever give him the chance? “I don’t know, but you have to take some responsibility for this too. You should never have gone to her father’s house. I told you it was a sensitive subject for her.”

  She gave a rough laugh. “Don’t blame this on me. I was just trying to save the show after you fell in love with our female lead. You got us into this mess, Romeo. You need to get us out of it.”

  Carla was right. He was in love with Meg, and he had no idea how he was going to repair everything he’d done wrong. “How am I supposed to do that?”

  Carla pointed a finger at him. “You’ve got to find her and get her to shoot this scene.”

  He did need to find Meg. He had a responsibility as the producer of the show to protect the careers of the crew and to not waste the countless hours spent by the contestants who’d put their lives on hold for shooting. He also needed to tell her how he felt about her.

  A few minutes later, he knocked on the door of Meg’s villa. No answer. “Meg, are you in there?” When she didn’t answer, he walked down the path toward the hotel. Where could she be? Through the hotel lobby, he walked up to the ballroom where they’d filmed the first day. There she was, out on the veranda. His breath caught in his chest.

  Meg stood at the railing with the wind blowing her hair in her face. She looked beautiful and peaceful, staring out at the horizon. If he’d just left her in Alna, she would never have had to go through this whole ordeal. Then again, if that had happened, he may have never fallen for her, and there was no way he could regret that.

  “I finally found you,” he said.

  Meg didn’t look up.

  He stood beside her. “What’s going on? Are you going to finish the show or are you done? No more filming?”

  At that she looked up, her eyes full of questions. “What am I supposed to do, Elliot? Lie to A.J. or Peter and tell one of them I have feelings that aren’t really there? Or am I supposed to turn them both down and ruin your chances to have a successful season?”

  Only Meg would be thinking about Elliot, A.J., and Peter instead of herself. “You’re worried about me?”

  She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Despite my best judgment, yes. I don’t want to ruin your show.”

  Hope bloomed in his chest. “Does that mean you believed me when I said that I didn’t have anything to do with the cameras at your dad’s? That you can trust me?”

  Her gaze met his. “I believe you, but Elliot, there are so many reasons we can’t be together. The show, where we live—”

  His heart swelled. She didn’t hate him. She was scared. He was scared too, but what they had was worth whatever risks they’d have to take. He took her hands. “Meg, I’m in love with you. I’m pretty sure I’ve loved you from the first day I met you.”

  Tears shone in her eyes, but she shook her head and looked out at the endless sea.

  “I know it sounds crazy. But think about the message you wrote in the bottle that day. It said life has a funny way of surprising you. We didn’t plan this, but that doesn’t mean it’s not right. I don’t want to lose you, Meg.”

  “There you are,” Carla said.

  He gritted his teeth. Carla’s timing couldn’t have been worse.

  Meg blinked at him, her mouth parted.

  “I’m glad you found her, Elliot. Let’s get a move on.” Carla swept her arms toward the door. “Meg, we need you to choose your one true love.”

  Meg let go of his hands.

  “If you don’t want to,” he said. “You don’t—”

  “Elliot.” Carla’s eyes widened. “What are you talking about? Of course, she has to do this. First of all, she’s contractually obligated to finish filming. Also, we don’t have a show if we don’t get this last shot. Come on.”

  Meg looked at Elliot, then at Carla. She gave a slight nod. “Okay. I’m ready to make my decision.”

  ****

  Meg stood on the beach as Robby recounted every moment she’d spent with A.J. and Peter, but all she could think about was Elliot and the words he’d said. He loved her. He’d lied to her and he’d hurt her, but the truth was, she loved him too.

  The thought sent electricity through her, but it also terrified her. It wasn’t just his job or the fact that he lived over a thousand miles away from Oklahoma. She’d never loved someone like she loved Elliot—with her whole heart—and if she did that, she was putting it all on the line.

  “Meg,” Robby’s voice turned even deeper and more dramatic. “Who is your one true love?”

  Her pulse thudded. She looked at A.J. and Peter. She didn’t want to ruin Elliot’s show, especially after everything he did for the theater. Elliot should get everything he needed to save the show that was so important to him.

  Peter and A.J. glanced at each other as they waited for her answer. She’d gone through so much with these two men.

  She walked over to Peter, and he stood straighter. “Peter, I love your intelligence and your passion for your career in accounting. I know that being on this show is probably way outside your comfort zone.”

  A slight smile crossed his lips, and he nodded.

  “But you did it anyway, and I admire that so much.” She reached up and hugged him.

  Then, she stepped back and moved over to A.J. where he stood with his hands clasped in front of him. “A.J., I’ll never forget the moment when we first met—or maybe I should say when I first met your abs.”

  He laughed.

  “But your heart turned out to be even bigger than your biceps, and when I’m with you, I always have fun.” She squeezed his hand and moved back to the spot where Carla had told her to stand.

  “Meg, we need your answer,” Robby said.

  Meg put a hand over her pounding heart. “My one true love is…Elliot.” She was meant to be with Elliot, and she couldn’t force a lie past her lips.

  A.J. and Peter groaned.

  “Are you kidding me?” Peter said. “Is this a joke?”

  “What?” Robby looked around. “What’s she talking about?”

  Elliot appeared from behind the cameras. He stopped, and his smile grew wide. Then, he rushed up and grabbed her around the waist, lifting her feet off the ground. “Really? You’re sure about this.”

  She laughed, her feet dangling. Her heart pounded against his chest. “I love you, Elliot. This is crazy, but I do.”

  He put her back on the ground and slid a hand on her jaw and kissed her right there in front of the cameras and everyone.

  When they parted, Robby yelled, “Can someone please tell me what’s going on here?”

  The director yelled cut, and Carla stormed over to them. “Okay, everybody. I think we can take a quick break.”

  Meg drew in a sharp breath. “Carla, I didn’t mean to ruin the scene. It’s just that—”

  Carla shook her head. “You fell in love with Elliot. I know.”

  With one arm still around Meg, he turned to Carla. “I’m sorry. I’m the one who ruined the season.”

  Carla rolled her eyes. “I appreciate the apologies, but you didn’t ruin the show.”

  “Of course I did,” Elliot said. “No one will have any idea who I am. I’m just some random guy who walked out of the shadows. They’re going to hate it.”

  She pulled out a piece of paper. “I need you to sign this.”

  “What is it?”

  She shrugged. “A basic release letting us use that footage, and also all the footage I secretly took of you and Meg.”

  Elliot straight
ened. “You’ve been secretly filming us?” His eyes wide, he glanced at Meg. “I didn’t know about this. I promise.”

  Meg’s mind flashed back to all her moments with Elliot. Could they really have caught them on camera? “Our kiss?”

  Carla shrugged her shoulders sheepishly. “Through the window.”

  “Carla!” Elliot said. “You didn’t.”

  She held her hands in front of her. “Come on. It’s not like you left me a lot of options.”

  Elliot blew out a frustrated breath. “Despite the obvious invasion of privacy, you can’t make a whole show of blurry footage?”

  “We also have a lot of audio,” Carla said. “Meg constantly forgot she was wearing a microphone. When I figured out how you felt about her, I even hid some microphones here and there. After we conduct extensive on-camera interviews with you two, we’ll have enough for a show.” Carla’s shoulders pulled back. “Actually, I think we can make a great show out of what we have.”

  Elliot stared down at the papers. “So, you can’t use any of the footage until I sign this?”

  Carla nodded. “That’s all I need.”

  He turned to Meg. “I won’t sign it if you don’t want me to. I understand if you don’t want to do it.”

  “Are you crazy?” she said. “Of course I want people to see how I fell in love with you. No one would believe it otherwise.” Their whole story would be documented for the world to see, and Elliot would still get his show. It was perfect.

  “Really?” he said.

  She nodded, smiling.

  He put a hand on Carla’s shoulder. “Thank you. You single-handedly saved the show.”

  “I learned from the best.”

  When Carla had walked away to deal with A.J. and Peter, Elliot wrapped an arm around Meg’s waist. “What do you think people are going to think when they see this?”

  She hoped they’d see how happy she was and learned that it was worth it to take a chance on love when they found it. “Who knows, but I bet there will be a lot more people throwing messages in a bottle out to sea.”

  With that he leaned in and kissed her again, but Meg knew their love story wasn’t ending. It had just begun.