Sienna pushed the sinking feeling of unease aside as she plastered on the brightest smile she could muster. When she turned to the other three girls, frustration bubbled up at their lack of enthusiasm. Audrey and Reagan both wore matching demure grins on their faces, while Harper was staring intently at the production crew in the corner and barely registered the room’s new additions.
Oh well, she thought to herself. I guess I’ll just have to be captivating enough for everyone.
Sienna shifted in her seat as Bruce sat down across from them and put the clipboard he was carrying in his lap. She mentally went over every part of her posture. Chin up, back straight, shoulders relaxed, legs crossed at the ankle, hands resting casually in her lap. She had practiced this pose in front of her mirror so many times, it felt almost natural to her now.
Not that it mattered how it felt. All Sienna cared about was how it made her look for the camera—the one being manned by a baby face who she could only hope knew how to capture her best angle. This was her chance to be seen, and she couldn’t afford to have anyone mess it up for her.
“Good afternoon, ladies,” Bruce said.
“Good afternoon,” Sienna said brightly.
Audrey just smiled in response, and Harper’s muffled “hi” came a half second too late.
Sienna bit the side of her tongue but kept her smile plastered on.
“From time to time, I like to sit down with the different contestants to see how everyone is feeling. They make great cut-away footage and voice-over clips, but please don’t feel anxious about it. I want this to be comfortable—easy—just like a conversation with an old friend.”
Sienna struggled to keep her smile natural while he said this. Bruce was not their friend; he was in the business of making good TV. But that didn’t mean this couldn’t be a mutually beneficial exchange.
“Let’s start with something easy, shall we?” Bruce paused and smiled. “What do you guys think about the property?”
Sienna’s shoulders relaxed a fraction of an inch. That was an easy one.
“It’s beautiful,” Sienna answered enthusiastically, realizing too late that Bruce was looking at Audrey. Lackluster or not, this whole thing was about the bride-to-be.
Sienna felt a slight warmth to her cheeks as she turned to face her sister. The kind, but gently reproving look Audrey gave her only made it worse.
“My sister is right,” Audrey answered. “It is beautiful. The Emerald Inn will be the perfect place to marry Eli.”
“And speaking of Eli, why don’t you tell us a little about how the two of you met,” Bruce said.
Audrey started into the story that Sienna had heard a million times. She knew it by heart now.
It was love at first sight.
They’d met in college but not at some random party. On the very first day of classes, they’d both been in the registrar’s office, begging to switch out of an 8 a.m. math class. When they realized the hottie at the next counter would be in that class, they both decided to keep it. They’d been inseparable ever since.
While Audrey talked about how she and Eli had decided to pursue teaching degrees together, Sienna wondered what it would be like to know you wanted to spend the rest of your life with someone after meeting them only once.
An endless string of less-than-stellar dates with guys in the city had pretty much quashed any lingering hopes of the kind of romance her big sister’s story had inspired in her teenage self.
It was like no one got her. When she tried dating fellow actors it always felt like a competition—who went on more auditions, who got the callback, who was the prettiest. It was tough when the guy you were dating spent more time in the bathroom getting ready than you did and then expected you to shower him with compliments.
But when Sienna tried to spend time with the more serious finance and lawyer guys from the city, they always talked down to her. They never took her acting seriously. One time, her date actually patted her on the head like she was a small child. It was humiliating and only made her more determined to get her big break.
“And it must be nice to have your sisters here for your big day,” Bruce said, pulling Sienna from her thoughts.
“There are no other people I’d rather share this day with than these girls,” Audrey said. She first turned to Sienna with a serene smile on her face.
Sienna gave her a playful wink.
Then Audrey turned to Harper—presumably with the same smile—but Harper was staring at her hands. Sienna watched as Audrey reached out and grabbed it, giving it a squeeze.
Harper’s eyes snapped up, and she gave Audrey a quick grin. “We wouldn't miss it for the world.”
“And Reagan?” Bruce asked.
Audrey lifted a shoulder. “She’s my best friend, the sister I never knew I needed. I’m thankful she’s here and honored to have her as my maid of honor.”
“Ah, you do care,” Reagan teased, and Audrey stuck her tongue out at her.
The playful interaction came at the perfect moment. Audrey’s eyes were starting to look glassy, and things were feeling overly heartwarming—even for a reality show about weddings.
“And what about Milo?”
All the air whooshed out of Sienna’s lungs. The smile she’d had been holding for ten minutes dropped.
Come on, Sienna. You’re better than this.
She tried to lift the corner of her mouth, but it was no use. She’d just given Bruce the authentic reaction he’d wanted, and there was no recovery.
Sienna quickly glanced at the other three girls and found that they were in similar states of shock. Not only shock, but sadness. The kind of grief that comes from not talking to your brother for ten years.
Sienna’s surprise was quickly replaced with anger when she turned toward Bruce. Unlike them, his expression was one of pure glee. Bruce had done his research on the entire Hudson clan. He’d pulled up as much dirt as he could on every single member of the family.
Did he know something about where Milo was?
Sienna couldn’t think about him right now. She needed to fix this. Audrey was the bride-to-be, and she shouldn’t have to worry about Milo. Harper was looking down at her stupid hands again. And Reagan, well, she was prettier than most actresses Sienna knew, but right now she looked more like a fish with her mouth flapping helplessly open and closed.
No, it was up to Sienna to do something.
She took a steadying breath, trying not to focus on the angle she was being filmed, and gave Bruce her fiercest look.
His grin only grew.
Sienna fought to keep her expression consistent and gently clenched her hands at her sides. They would not be discussing Milo with Bruce. Milo's sudden departure was too painful, and not any of Bruce's business. It had nothing to do with this wedding or the next several days. “Next question.”
“Sure thing.” Bruce paused and cocked his head. “Audrey just told us all about Eli and how they met, but I’m curious to hear what everyone thinks about the rest of the groomsmen.”
The other girls relaxed but Sienna stayed tense.
“For example, Fox Lynch.” Bruce looked down at the clipboard for the first time during their interviews, though Sienna suspected he didn’t need it. “He’s Eli’s best friend and best man.”
Audrey beamed. “That’s right.”
“Why don’t you tell us a little bit about him?”
It took all of Sienna’s training to keep the surprise off her face as Audrey started to detail all the ways Fox was amazing. Loyal and trustworthy?
More like grumpy and withdrawn. When he wasn’t mocking and rude, that is.
The entire time they'd been filming in the meeting room he’d been frowning, standing with his arms crossed over his stupid, wide, muscular chest. The best man looking like he wanted nothing to do with the wedding was exactly the kind of drama that would have people buzzing around the water cooler.
At least Audrey’s glowing review of Fox wouldn’t play into that storylin
e too much.
“He’s been through so much, Eli’s been like a brother to him. Eli, Fox, Wade, and M—” She paused and cleared her throat. “The three of them were all super close in college.”
Bruce’s lips lifted slightly at the almost mention of Milo. Sienna sighed, knowing he’d end up splicing this together into something horrible.
“Harry has fit right in with them.” Reagan jumped in, trying to cover for Audrey. “Who knows, maybe I’ll have all the same four guys at my wedding in a few months.”
They all laughed, and Bruce made a signal that made the cameraman drop his camera.
“Thank you, ladies, that was great. Time for me to go find those guys and see if they have such nice things to say about you.” He winked, and Sienna suppressed a shudder.
“That wasn’t so bad,” said Audrey once Bruce and the cameraman were gone. “I think this will go great, don’t you?”
Sienna only wished the smile she gave her sister could be a real one.
Four
10 Days Until Dream Wedding
Fox closed his eyes and took a deep breath, concentrating on the pool stick in his hand and the shot he was about to take. He opened his eyes, pulled his arm back and—
“Those sisters are quite something, aren’t they?”
His concentration totally shattered by Bruce’s question, Fox’s shot went wide, and he cursed under his breath. What was the point of filming them while shooting pool if he was going to interrupt them with questions every two seconds?
“They’re great,” said Eli. “It’s such an honor to become part of such an amazing family of strong women.”
He was the picture of a relaxed, handsome groom-to-be, with his short cropped blond hair and bright smile, leaning casually against his stick that he’d propped against the floor.
Fox ran a hand through his slightly-too-long shaggy hair. He usually kept it short, but work had been crazy in the weeks leading up to this trip. The last time it had been this long was college, and unlike most people, he did not want to relive his college days.
“The Hudson women have had to be strong through many losses, right?” Bruce’s eyes gleamed.
Eli’s face fell, and Fox scowled. Fox had read the contract enough times to know there hadn’t been a clause about divulging all your darkest secrets on television. They could cut and paste however they wanted but if you didn't reveal too much, they couldn't do too much damage. Fox's survival plan was to say as little as possible. And if Eli was smart, he’d keep his mouth shut too.
“Fox, your turn.” Wade smacked his arm with his pool stick, and Fox poked him back. Wade’s eyes lit with mischief, and Fox scooted away from him around the pool table. The friendly scuffle that ensued was distraction enough from the question, and Bruce turned to Harry.
Fox caught Eli’s grateful look and shrugged. As much as Fox didn’t want to be on camera, he wasn’t about to let Eli get eaten alive by this bloodsucker producer.
“Reagan seems like a nice addition to their little trio.” Bruce’s smile was all teeth and no heart. “A little red firecracker I bet, huh?”
“Oh, I know how to keep her in her place.” Harry exchanged a smug wink with Bruce.
Fox had to ball his hands into fists to stop from doing something stupid.
Who talked about such a sweet girl like that? Fox had known Reagan since college. Not as well as Audrey, but she’d been there throughout everything that had happened, and Fox was loyal to those who were loyal to him.
And it was only because of that loyalty that he did not give Harry the black eye he deserved right now. Messing around with Wade was one thing, but Eli and Audrey did not need a fight to break out. Even though Bruce would be sure to love it, Fox wasn’t here to make the sleazy producer happy. He was here to make sure his friends got the best wedding ever.
Bruce turned back to Eli and the questions calmed down a bit, focusing on how he’d met Audrey and their early days of dating. It was pretty classic, cheesy, love story stuff. Fox turned his attention back to the game, ignoring the cameraman hovering just a little too close.
Fox gave one-word answers to his dumb questions like “Any guesses what’s in store for the first challenge tomorrow?” and “How’s it feel to see your best friend get married?” He’d hoped it would give Bruce the hint he wasn’t going to play his games, but the gleam in the producer’s eye left Fox feeling unsettled.
Finally, after what seemed like hours, Bruce and the cameramen left.
Fox took a deep breath as the door closed behind them. Nine more days to go after today.
“Finally,” Eli said, coming to stand between Fox and Wade and slapping them both on the shoulder. “Now let’s play some real pool.”
Harry was looking down at his phone. “Sorry guys, I have work to do.”
“This is supposed to be like a vacation for you guys,” said Eli. “Enjoy the mountains a little in between filming.”
“This can’t wait, sorry.” Harry strolled out of the room without even looking up from his phone.
“Who does that guy think he is?” asked Fox. Reagan’s fiancé had been a last-minute addition when Eli’s coworker had pulled out for a family emergency. So far, Fox had been less than impressed with the guy. “We’re all missing work this week.”
“Not me.” Eli grinned. “Should have been a teacher like me. Summer vacation for the win.”
“Low pay, no respect, and snotty teenagers all day?” Wade laughed. “No thanks.”
“And weren’t you just complaining last week that half your summer is taken up by classes so you can stay certified?” added Fox, crossing his arms and shaking his head.
Eli waved away their comments with his hand. “Yeah, yeah...but I love what I do. Can either of you say the same?”
Fox felt the familiar pang of longing that hadn’t gone away, even after ten years. He had loved his job a long time ago. Not anymore.
“Well, I for one am happy to be enjoying the mountains this week,” said Wade. “A nice break from sitting behind my desk. Care to give us a tour?”
Eli led them out of the game room and out the front door to the cool summer evening.
Fox inhaled the earthy mountain air and felt his body relax a little. This was a big reason he’d said yes to this crazy plan. Hanging out with his best friends in a place he loved. Every time he came to visit Eli in this tiny town on the other side of the state, he felt the rest of the world, and his worries, melt away.
The three friends joked and laughed as they made their way across the wide lawn to the barn at the very back of the property. Wellspring was so different from the beach town where he lived these days. The biggest difference being that he didn’t hate it here.
Instead of salt on the air and relentless blue skies, everything here was green. The grass was green, and the mountains that shot up on every horizon were covered in green trees. He was lucky to catch a sliver of blue through their branches on some parts of the property. It made him feel cozy and secure, like a warm, green blanket.
The only thing he liked better was getting lost in the hustle and bustle of a big city, but he had no good reason to go there, so he found as many excuses as he could to make the seven-hour drive from the coast to the mountains.
“So, these competitions,” Eli said, and Fox’s attention snapped back to the reason they were here—the wedding. “Honestly, I don’t care about much except the cake and the music. Let the girls win the rest, but Audrey has terrible taste in music.”
Fox chuckled. This was an undeniable truth. The girl was smart and funny and beautiful but had seriously zero appreciation for good music. He had done his best over the years to help her, but she was a lost cause.
“Also, I want a simple chocolate cake, and I know Harper will convince her to do something crazy like almond truffle lavender poppy seed.”
They laughed. The stories of Harper’s flavor combinations were notorious. And even though Fox had only been down to visit the Flour Girl Bakery a co
uple of times since coming to Wellspring, he noticed she had some unusual items in addition to the more normal offerings of pastries and bread.
“Either of you want to claim dibs on the garter toss?” Eli said. “That’s the only competition I really want to see who wins.”
“Are you having one?” Wade asked.
Eli shrugged. “Who knows, but it could be fun to see you both try to catch it.”
“Seriously?” Fox asked. A pine-scented breeze ruffled his hair and he ran a hand through it. “Harper and Sienna are the only available girls.”
And they were both definitely off limits.
“And what’s wrong with them?” Wade kicked at a branch that had fallen across their path. “I kind of assumed you’d be looking to hook up with one of them.”
“No way,” Fox said and stopped in his tracks.
They’d made it all the way around the back of the barn and had started down a path through the trees. Eli had promised a great viewpoint up ahead, but night was coming soon, and Fox worried about being able to navigate back to the inn in the dark.
Of course, given the choice between spending the night in the woods or more time in front of the cameras—and around Sienna—Fox knew which one he’d pick.
“Why not? Sienna is adorable,” said Wade.
“Then why don’t you go for her?” Fox countered.
“Nah, you know she’s not my type,” Wade said. “Plus, she’s in the entertainment business, so I thought you guys may have a lot in common.”
“I thought I had a lot in common with Becky too.”
Eli and Wade looked appropriately disgusted at the mention of Fox’s college girlfriend. The one who’d betrayed him and broken his heart in every possible way.
The one who looked and acted exactly like Sienna.
“She is nothing like Becky,” said Eli. “Sure, she’s a little overly dramatic when she’s with her family and knows she can get away with it. But she’s been in the city for a few years now and still has her head on straight. She’s a good kid.”
Fox laughed. “‘Kid’ being the operative word here. She’s going to wake up one day and realize the world doesn’t revolve around her, and it’ll be the end of her.”
The Bridesmaid & The Jerk (Wedding Games Book 1) Page 3
