The Bridesmaid & The Jerk (Wedding Games Book 1)

by Daphne James Huff

  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.

  Of course, that left the rest of the girls with very little to do.

  Even if the music was in good hands, Sienna felt the sting of losing the last competition, and now faced with the inability to do much to help win the current one, she made her way over to the boys’ side.

  There had been no instructions against talking to each other during the competition, just no touching each other’s ingredients or fires. Talking to Fox would not only give her something to do, but it might make for some good television too. Harper’s assembly line was mesmerizing, there was only so much screen time it could fill.

  Bruce’s eyes tracked Sienna as she wandered over to where Fox was sitting. It was clear he was judging if it would be worth it to pull a camera off of the cooks to capture whatever would happen between the two of them.

  Put your camera on us, she thought as she got closer to Eli and the groomsmen. Sienna hated that she needed to play into Bruce’s expectations to get the air time and attention she needed, but what other choice did she have? And the best way to do that was to create more tension with Fox.

  Sienna approached Fox from behind, so he wouldn’t notice her. He was on his own at the smallest of the three fires, holding a marshmallow close to the middle of the flame while looking out into the trees. He was humming softly to himself and looked so peaceful, she almost hated to interrupt.

  “I don’t know why you guys are even trying,” she said, snickering when he jumped a bit at the sound of her voice. “You do know Harper is the best baker in three counties, right?”

  Fox opened his mouth, but then snapped it shut when the cameraman started to set up across from them.

  Why did he always clam up like this? She’d seen him smile with the guys. She’d enjoyed their banter about music this afternoon before Bruce had shown up. If only Fox would actually talk to her when the cameras were rolling, it was sure to get Bruce’s attention in the editing room.

  She took a seat next to Fox on the log and watched as he held his marshmallow above the flames. He lowered the stick into the flames and held it there. If he wasn’t careful, it was going to catch on fire.

  “You’re burning your marshmallow,” Sienna said, reaching for his stick.

  He jerked it away. “You’re not supposed to touch our stuff.”

  Sienna felt her cheeks warm, and not from her proximity to the fire. She wasn’t thinking about the rules, only that his marshmallow was about to turn black. “I just didn’t think you’d want to ruin it.”

  “Audrey isn’t the only one who likes them burned.”

  "Wait.” Sienna blinked. “How do you know that Audrey likes her marshmallows that way?”

  Fox shrugged. “I’ve known Eli and Audrey for over a decade. Ever since you were in diapers probably.”

  “Ha ha, very funny. I was in middle school ten years ago, thank you very much.”

  “And I was in college.” He leaned in and whispered. “You were still a kid.”

  “Well, I’m not a kid anymore.” She pushed back her shoulders. “Besides, I’ve always been mature for my age.”

  “You, mature?” He laughed. “I’d like to see that.”

  Sienna crossed her arms and stuck out her tongue.

  Fox laughed. “Did you seriously just stick your tongue out at me? On camera?”

  She gasped, her head turning to where the blinking red light reminded her everything she was doing was caught on film. Somehow in the midst of their back and forth, she’d managed to forget that. And she never forgot about the cameras.

  What was this guy doing to her?

  “Well, you’re a jerk,” she managed to say as she attempted to school her features.

  “Good one.”

  Silence descended between them. She looked over at him and was struck by the quiet beauty of the scene before her: his sharp jawline lit by the firelight, the trees swaying in the background, and the blue sky streaked with violet as the sun began to set. If Bruce had any sense, he’d make this the opening shot to every episode, and the viewers would be glued to their screens.

  The crackling of the fire was barely audible over the sounds of Wade and Eli fighting about chocolate placement and Harper’s never-ending lecture on the ingredients she used for the homemade graham crackers that were available at her bakery.

  Sienna cleared her throat. “Are you a musician?”

  Fox gave her a sharp look. “Why would you ask that?”

  “Just trying to make conversation.”

  He continued to stare.

  “Earlier, when Bruce asked if you were an expert on music, you said yes without hesitation. Plus, you were so happy to win the music challenge.” Sienna shrugged. “Then, when I walked up, you were humming, so I just thought maybe you were a musician or something.”

  Fox glanced at the camera before jerking his head ever so slightly.

  Sienna leaned in and the cool night breeze at her back—not the sudden proximity to Fox—made her shiver a little.

  “I used to be, but I don’t like to talk about it. It was a long time ago.”

  She smirked. “Back when I was in diapers?”

  The corner of his mouth ticked up. “Before that even.”

  Sienna’s heart skipped a beat, and she knew it had to be from a lack of food. Lunch had been hours ago. She dropped her hand into the bag of marshmallows at Fox’s feet and popped one into her mouth. A growling stomach on camera was not appropriate. “So, what’s the great music you’re going to play at the wedding?”

  Fox leaned back a bit, and Sienna breathed a sigh that was a weird mix of relief and disappointment before she reached for another marshmallow.

  “Stop touching our stuff,” Fox said with a scowl and snatched the bag up.

  Sienna relaxed. The cantankerous Fox she knew was back, and she could handle him much better than the Fox who had just smiled at her. “Harper won’t let me touch anything. I’m kind of a disaster in the kitchen.”

  His eyes went wide. “You’re actually admitting you’re bad at something?”

  Sienna waved a hand. “Lots of people aren’t good cooks. Especially in New York where you can’t go three feet without hitting a Michelin-Starred restaurant.”

  “And those are the kinds of places you’re used to eating at?”

  Sienna shifted on the log. There was no way she was going to admit she’d been living on Ramen and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the last month. She wasn’t going to admit to anyone—on camera or off—all the dirty details of her life as a struggling actor. Especially not to Fox.

  “What’s with the twenty questions?”

  “Just trying to make conversation,” he said. And she couldn’t be sure if the fire was playing tricks on her, but she swore there was a twinkle in his eye when he said it.

  “Then why don’t you tell me about this awesome music you have planned for the reception.”

  “You’ll have to wait and see.” Fox grinned. “Patience is something grownups are good at. Practice will do you good.”

  Sienna was tempted to stick her tongue out again but remembered just in time about the camera.

  “I look forward to it,” she said instead, a wide smile of her own plastered on her face. “It looks like Harper is nearly done with her masterpiece. I hope you enjoy the menu the girls pick out.”

  “As long as it’s not fish, I’ll be happy.”

  Sienna frowned at that but got up before she was tempted to say anything else.

  She hoped whatever they’d gotten on camera had been enough to make Bruce happy. It had not gone the way she’d intended. Her emotions had been all over the place, she’d reacted out of instinct instead of a calm center, and the words had flown out of her mouth without even thinking.

  Basically, it had b
een the opposite of acting. She’d been herself with him. And she wasn’t sure what to think about that.

  Later that night, when the competition was over, and the cameras were off for the night, Sienna snuck over to the room Audrey and Reagan shared. She pressed her ear to the door and was surprised to hear laughter ringing out from the other side.

  Good, she wasn't the only one still awake, or celebrating the bridesmaids’ second win. Harper’s butterscotch and apple s’mores had been incredible.

  Sienna knocked softly on the door.

  “Who is it?” said a singsong voice.

  “Who do you think?” Sienna whispered.

  The door swung open, and she was greeted by Harper’s smiling face.

  Reagan’s head was visible next to Audrey on the bed. Was everyone hanging out together without her?

  Sienna didn’t have time to dwell on it, because Harper quickly looked up and down the hall before she pulled Sienna inside and shut the door behind them.

  “What’s going on?” she asked as she looked around the room.

  “We were just having some girl time after today’s events,” Audrey answered. “And because the cameramen think we’re asleep, we get to do it without their watchful eye.”

  “Without me?”

  Harper wrapped her arm around Sienna’s shoulders. “We didn’t think you’d want to come. You looked pretty upset after the s’more competition, even though we won thanks to yours truly.”

  “Honestly, Sienna. You were so grumpy all day. We figured you’d want to sit this one out. Get some beauty sleep for the cameras tomorrow.” Audrey stretched out on the bed and put her hands behind her head.

  Is that really what they thought about her? That she only cared about how she looked?

  Sure, she’d been caught up in the show, and wanting to make an effort to look good for filming, but she cared about her family more than Wedding Games and what it could do for her career.

  Her sister was getting married, after all. That was a big deal. Bigger than any contract she might get from the exposure.

  “Why were you so grumpy anyway?” Harper asked.

  “I bet it was Fox.” Reagan crossed her arms with a knowing smile.

  Sienna’s cheeks warmed. “Fox is the grumpy one, not me.”

  “Look.” Harper clapped her hands with unashamed glee. “She’s blushing. You know what that means.”

  “Do you like Fox?” Audrey asked. She sat up and bounced slightly on the bed with a sly smile on her lips.

  Sienna snorted. “Uh, absolutely not.”

  “Oh, my goodness.” Harper’s eyes went wide. “You do.”

  Sienna struggled to keep her cool but forced a smile. She sat down on the fancy upholstered chair facing the bed. “No,” she said slowly. “He said some things about me being immature, and it hurt my feelings. I do not like him.”

  She could appreciate a nice set of muscles and a gorgeous head of hair, but they couldn't go two minutes without teasing each other. Still, he had his moments…

  She expected her sisters and Reagan to keep teasing her but was met with laughter. “What?”

  “Nothing,” Audrey said. “I just don’t think I’ve seen anyone get under Fox’s skin like you have. Or vice versa.”

  “And that’s funny because…?”

  “Because he’s usually so chill about everything,” Audrey said with a shrug. “He doesn’t let himself get riled up.”

  Reagan nodded from beside her. “Or at least he hasn’t since he stopped playing.”

  Sienna leaned forward in the chair. Between the burned marshmallows and the room party and now Fox’s music, it felt like she was the last to know everything. She took a deep breath. “What happened? Why did he stop playing?”

  Audrey bit her lip and looked at Reagan. “I don’t know…”

  “Oh, come on,” Sienna said and threw up her hands. “He started to tell me about it tonight. Said it was a long time ago but didn’t say any more because of the cameras.”

  Audrey let out a long sigh. “Fox used to play a lot.”

  “Like, you’re hanging out and he’s the guy playing something on his guitar in the background, a lot,” Reagan said.

  “Yeah.” Audrey nodded. “And sometimes it was really annoying. But he was good, Sienna. Really good. He even got a contract with a label.”

  Sienna sat up straight. Fox had a contract with a record label?

  “But then B—” Audrey stopped and pressed her lips together for a brief moment before she continued. “Let’s just say a lot of stuff happened, and Fox walked away from it all. He stopped playing guitar and stopped singing. He moved to another state and started working on boats. He's avoided people and crowds since then.”

  “Honestly, it’s a miracle Eli convinced him to come on Wedding Games,” Reagan said to Audrey, who nodded again.

  The room fell silent.

  Sienna tried to reconcile the image of Fox rocking out on the guitar with his withdrawn and surly demeanor. “So, what was the ‘stuff’ that made him give up music?”

  “Nope.” Audrey shook her head. “That is not my story to tell. If you really want to know, you’re going to have to ask him.”

  “Oh, I plan to,” Sienna said.

  He clearly still loved music. She couldn’t imagine having a shot at success and then just walking away just because “a lot of stuff happened”. But she didn’t like the worried look on Audrey’s face. What if the same kind of stuff could happen to her?

  Eleven

  7 Days Until Dream Wedding

  Finally, Fox was alone.

  Yesterday had been intense. The obstacle course in the morning, then the barbecue, then the s’mores contest. People around him all the time, asking questions, telling him where to stand and where to sit. The cameras had been everywhere.

  Sienna had been everywhere.

  He needed a break, and the production schedule had thankfully given him just that. They were filming something with just Audrey, Eli, and both sets of parents. No need for Fox to be anywhere specific before 1 p.m.

  He’d set his alarm for as early as he could manage and headed out immediately onto one of the trails that began at the edge of the property. He inhaled deeply as he stepped into the comforting shade of the trees, and it felt like the first breath he’d taken all week.

  Eli had brought up the idea again last night of Wade and Fox finding jobs closer to Wellspring. Breathing in the mountain air, Fox was seriously tempted. The only problem was that he’d been working on boat motors for the past ten years, and he was pretty sure there wasn’t much need for that up in the mountains of the western part of the state.

  Still, he’d reinvented himself once when he’d needed to, and Eli had been a big help with that. Doing it again wouldn’t be that difficult. But what would he do? What did he even like to do? When he wasn’t working, he was either sleeping or finding excuses not to play. He hadn’t picked up his guitar in months.

  But being here in Wellspring changed everything. Seeing green everywhere he looked, and inhaling the familiar scent of wet earth, made him feel alive for the first time in years. The slight nagging desire to sing—the one he always felt humming just below the surface—intensified the further he walked into the woods until it became unbearable. He needed to sing, and just the thought of doing that in the mountains made him feel a little too much like Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music.

  But as long as Fox could keep himself from twirling around in a circle with his arms outstretched, it might be okay.

  It started low, as he hummed the melody of a song he’d written in college—before everything was ruined. And soon that hum became quiet singing. When he finished the first song, he moved onto another. When he got to the chorus, he let his voice get a little louder.

  And then louder still, until his voice drowned out every other sound.

  He belted out the last verse, feeling even more ridiculous than when he’d started. But man, it felt good to sing.

&n
bsp; At least until he turned around the bend and saw Sienna standing there.

  Of course she would appear when he wanted nothing more than to be alone.

  She wasn’t walking, instead leaning against a tree like she was in the middle of a photo shoot.

  Panic shot through Fox’s veins, and he looked around. No, there were no cameras. That’s just the way she stood, apparently, like the whole world was looking at her.

  He certainly was right now.

  “You know, most people move when they’re hiking,” he said, stopping a few feet away from her. His heart was pounding. Maybe she hadn’t heard his singing.

  “You know, most people who sing like that don’t just give it up for no reason.”

  Or maybe she’d heard it all.

  “I don’t sing that well. And I didn’t give up for no reason. I had a great reason.” He walked past her. “Maybe I don’t like talking about it with strangers in the woods.”

  Though “stranger” wasn’t exactly a fitting description of Sienna. In just a few days, she’d learned more about him than he’d ever shared with his colleagues he’d known for years. And soon, she’d be his best friend’s sister-in-law.

  Regardless, he didn't want to talk about it with anyone.

  “Audrey told me you were amazing on the guitar,” she said, following him down the trail. “That you had a record deal.”

  “Audrey shouldn’t have told you that. That’s all in the past.”

  She walked in front of him and stopped, hands on her hips. He pulled up short to avoid plowing into her.

  “There’s only two reasons someone with that much talent gives up.” She held up a finger. “Either you partied too hard, and they dropped you for your antics, or you choked during a major performance, and they dropped you.”

  Fox snorted. If only one of the options she provided was the reason. He pushed past her, refusing to give her an answer.

  Unfortunately, she followed, not picking up on the obvious I-don’t-want-to-talk-about-it vibe he was throwing out with his silent retreat.