The backup bride proposa.., p.11
The Backup Bride Proposal, page 11
Finn raised his glass. “I’ll drink to that. Where would we be without our favorite movies?”
“Hail to Gladiator,” Jason said.
“Nuh-uh,” Clay said. “Tombstone.”
“Oh, please,” Owen said. “We all know it’s Batman.”
“Which one?” they all asked, almost in unison.
And then they began to argue the various nuances and merits of which Batman was the best, which took them through the rest of the meal and continued as they made their way downstairs to the gaming area.
Kane liked these guys. They were genuine, no bullshit, and they treated him like one of them, which he appreciated more than he could say. It was hard for him to make friends in his business. Some people wanted to be his friend for the potential connections or the perks, but honest friendship because they liked him? Just Kane August the person? Yeah, that didn’t come around all that often. Even some of his friends back home treated him differently these days, and that hurt.
Acting was his job, not who he was. Which was why getting to hang out with an awesome group of men like this charged him up.
They set up shop at the craps tables, one of Kane’s favorite things to do. He got on a winning streak but then bowed out once a crowd started to gather. The last thing he wanted was to call attention to himself, and the ball cap only went so far, so he let Clay take over while he enjoyed himself on the sidelines. They drank, won some, lost some, and Kane had an awesome time.
They all took a break and sat at the bar to chill.
“So,” Jason said. “One more week and it’s your turn, Finn.”
“Yeah. I can’t wait to marry Brenna. Plus, you know it’s gonna be a party.”
“And you know how much we love a party,” Clay said.
“Hell yeah we do.” Jason’s phone lit up so he grabbed it, looked at it and laughed. “Looks like our ladies are having a good time. Check out this pic Erin sent.”
He passed the phone around, everyone grinning. When Clay handed it over to Kane, he smiled.
Brenna was in the middle in a short white dress with her Bride sash and a tiara, surrounded by the other women all dressed in black. And there was Mae, looking sexy as hell in a short black dress and silver stiletto heels, showing off her incredible legs. He let out a sigh and handed the phone back to Clay.
“You like her, huh?” Clay asked.
“Yeah.”
“That’s good, right? Having fun with someone while you’re here filming?”
“Sure. I mean, we’re both on the same wavelength. Neither of us wants a relationship, so it’s all good, right?”
Clay cracked a smile as he lifted his glass to his lips. “Right. That’s how it always goes.”
“What do you mean?”
“Nothing, man. Other than sometimes the longer it goes on, the harder it gets to make it just about the fun. Then feelings get involved and then you’re in too deep to just walk away.”
“Oh, I don’t think so. Mae seems pretty adamant about keeping things between us free from any emotion. She told me about her ex-fiancé.”
“Yeah, that was rough on her. We all rallied around her after that. But she’s tough and she recovered and now she’s living life on her terms. Which doesn’t mean we don’t still protect her.”
“Understood. I don’t intend to hurt her.”
Clay nodded, and then they resumed drinking. But Kane took out his phone and sent a quick text to Mae.
Saw the pic. Hope you’re having fun.
A half hour later she replied: We drinkin and dancin. You with the guyses huh?
He typed back: Yeah. They’re good guys. Be careful and have a good time.
She sent back all emojis of kissy face, laughing, champagne and lips.
He grinned and slid his phone back in his pocket. Looked like they were both having fun tonight.
But he was still looking forward to seeing her again.
Chapter
fifteen
This week had been a flurry of work and prep for Brenna’s wedding. Along with that, Mae had some stand-in duties to perform with Kane, which was about all she had time for as far as seeing him.
They’d filmed two scenes together, one where they were in conversation in the garden, and the other where all she had to do was stand in a field a ways away while he filmed with another actor. Of course they filmed her from behind while he and the other actor spoke their dialogue, but whatever. She positioned herself wherever they told her and she no idea how they put the film together.
They did manage to eat lunch together one day in his trailer, catching up on each other’s activities, but it was brief because he had a scene to film and she had a to-do list ten miles long, so there hadn’t been enough time to do much other than chat, shove food in their mouths and say a quick goodbye.
And then he’d had to leave for a couple of days to do some location shoots outside the vineyard. Mae wouldn’t be needed for those, thankfully. The other good news was, the entire crew had disappeared as well.
“It’s so blissfully quiet here with the film crew away,” Brenna said as they sat at the table during their morning meeting.
“Isn’t it?” Erin held JJ on her lap, and he happily played with a toy while simultaneously sucking his fingers.
“Now that they’re gone for a couple of days I’ve rearranged several appointments for tours for prospective clients,” Honor said. “I hope we can get quite a few through before filming restarts.”
“They weren’t exactly in the way of that, though, were they?” Mae asked, tapping her pen on her notebook.
“Well, not exactly. But they were here, and then there’s the curiosity factor and having to explain the whole thing to prospective brides and grooms.”
“That’s true. If there’s anything I can do to facilitate tours, let me know.”
“I think I have it covered, Mae, but someone needs to handle Brenna.”
Brenna’s brows rose. “Excuse me? What about me needs to be handled?”
“You are getting married this weekend,” Erin said. “There are still a million things that need to be done.”
“That’s true,” Honor said. “Plus, we’re all in the wedding, so there are a lot of details to be handled related to the event while the rest of us try and do our other jobs.”
“I have the list,” Mae said, grabbing the book for Brenna and Finn’s wedding. “I think we’re on track so far, though you all have mani-pedi appointments tomorrow at ten, so you need to make sure you’re all available for that, along with your mom.”
“I’ll remind her right now,” Erin said, sending a text with one hand while juggling JJ.
Mae perused the list. “Jason said he’d pick up the tuxes tomorrow after work. Brenna, your mother is picking up all the dresses and shoes tomorrow afternoon.”
Brenna nodded, marking things off of her master list.
“I’ve spoken with the caterer, the florist and the deejay,” Honor said. “Everything is in order there.”
“And tomorrow I take over everything from all of you,” Mae said. “Starting then, you’re bridesmaids and I’m the wedding planner. No arguments.”
Honor looked over at Erin. “She’s so pushy.”
“Kind of perfect for a wedding planner, actually,” Honor said. “Especially since she has to corral all of us. Plus Mom and Dad. And all the guys.”
Erin nodded. “True. And don’t forget dealing with Brenna.”
“Hey!” Brenna glared at them. “I am the most relaxed bride ever. I’ve totally got this.”
Erin snorted. “Right. That’s what I said. Until the day of. Trust me, the panic will set in.”
Brenna shook her head. “Nope. I’ve got the man. Everything else is cake.”
Mae made her own mental note to keep a close eye on Brenna over the next couple of days. Sometimes the most calm, confident brides were the ones who totally lost it on wedding day.
Her list was getting longer. She was going to be incredibly busy.
But she still couldn’t wait for Brenna and Finn to get married.
Chapter
sixteen
Kane looked in the mirror, adjusting his tie and making sure his hair looked good.
He sat and put on his dress boots, then checked the mirror again.
Suit looked great, and he had to admit he could dress up well. He’d been to enough premieres to know how to do it. But this was a wedding, and he wasn’t the star tonight. Thankfully.
Still, he had a date, even if said date had already told him she was going to be busy working.
Finn had already invited him to his and Brenna’s wedding, which Kane appreciated. But the text from Mae asking if she’d be his date for the wedding had been even better. They’d hardly had any time together other than filming a few scenes, and he missed talking to her, touching her, and oh, man, did he miss kissing her. He knew he wouldn’t get a lot of time with her tonight, but even a little was better than none.
He put on his cowboy hat and headed up to the wedding area to see that guests had already started to arrive. It was a nice fall day, the sun shining and the weather warm enough to have an outdoor wedding. Each row of chairs was decorated by flowers. Dropping his hat low over his eyes, he took a seat in the back, hoping to be as invisible as possible.
He sat back, crossed his arms and watched as the chairs were filled with happy, smiling people.
Finn and Brenna were really popular. It made him wonder if, when he got married someday, there’d be anybody to show up for him. His parents. His grandpa for sure. Definitely his aunts, uncles and cousins. Alexis. Everly. They were as close as family to him. Some of the Hollywood types would show up for the photo op. But who else could he count on?
He watched as the groomsmen all walked up to the arbor. Finn, Jason, Owen, Clay.
He’d made friends with genuine, honest guys while he was here. But were those lifelong friendships or just temporary ones? He didn’t know the answer to that yet. All he knew was that he was happy for Finn.
The arbor was decorated with flowers, and Kane imagined that—if he were the marrying type—this whole day would make him pretty happy.
The bridesmaids started walking down the aisle. Erin, Honor, Alice, then everyone stood while Brenna was escorted by Johnny. All eyes were on her as she made her way to where Finn stood waiting for her. Kane caught sight of Mae, dressed in a beautiful burgundy dress, standing off to the side as she watched the wedding ceremony take place.
Mae might be the wedding planner at this shindig, but to Kane she was the most beautiful woman in the room.
Finn and Brenna spoke vows to each other about love and commitment, and Kane could feel the emotion in their words. And when they kissed to seal the deal, he was happy for them.
Afterward, everyone filed out of the vineyard and headed toward the barn, where drinks and appetizers awaited them.
The wedding party stayed behind for photos, so he’d get to talk to them later. Kane decided to search out the bar, found it easily and got a beer, then made his way inside.
Of course, he didn’t know anyone, since everyone he knew was outside getting photos taken. But he wandered, keeping his head low in case anyone recognized him.
“Excuse me. You’re Kane August, right?”
He pivoted to find a very attractive, very pregnant woman smiling up at him. “I might be.”
She laughed. “Don’t worry. I won’t blow your cover. My name is Rebecca Simmons. I’m a friend of Mae’s. And the Bellinis. Mae asked me to drag you over to our table so you wouldn’t skulk around looking gorgeous and obvious.”
Gorgeous and obvious? “I don’t even know what that means, but thanks.”
She looped her arm in his and started walking. “It means you kind of stand out in a crowd. Come meet my husband. Kane, this is George.”
He shook hands with George and they sat at the table. George owned a car repair business and obviously couldn’t care less about movie stars, while Rebecca worked as a preschool teacher. They’d been married for three years and were expecting their first baby in a couple of months.
“Excited about becoming parents?” he asked.
“Very,” Rebecca said. “We’ve waited a while for this little miracle, so we can’t wait until he makes his appearance.”
George had his arm around Rebecca’s shoulders. “He’ll be the best Christmas present I’ve ever had, that’s for sure.”
They asked him a few perfunctory questions about the movie business, but obviously they weren’t starstruck, which he appreciated. They mostly asked about where he was from, and they were way more interested in the ranch, which he was always happy to talk about. More people joined the table and he finally relaxed when he discovered that people here were just people, happy to get to know someone new, and if they did recognize him they didn’t make a big deal out of it. The ones who knew his movies well told him how much they enjoyed them, and then the conversation moved on. No one bugged him for selfies or squealed when they met him. This was probably the most enjoyable large gathering he’d ever attended. Maybe he could finally let his guard down.
And when the bridal party was announced and everyone cheered, he did, too, grinning when Finn and Brenna had their first dance, followed by the bridesmaids and groomsmen. They all looked good out there.
Arms went around him and he nearly jumped, but then Mae slid around to his side. He instantly relaxed.
“What do you think?” she asked.
“I think you should direct movies. It went off without a single problem.”
She laid her head against his arm. “Thanks. Though I have to give a lot of credit to Brenna and Finn. They really held it together, nobody panicked and everything went so smoothly. And all the vendors showed up on time and nothing was screwed up. It made my job look easy.”
“I’m sure it’s not as easy as you’d like me to think. Do you get a break now?”
She nodded. “For a bit. Dinner is next, and I just need to make sure the photographer and videographer stay on track, but they’re pros and know what shots to get.”
“Then come sit with us,” Rebecca said. “You probably need a glass of wine.”
“That does sound good.”
“I’ll get you one,” Kane said. “I need a refill myself.”
He started to walk away, but Mae stopped him. “You didn’t ask what I wanted.”
He grinned, bent and brushed his lips across hers, whispering, “I know what you want.”
She sighed and swept her hand across his jaw. “Yeah, you do.”
He grinned as he walked toward the bar.
* * *
••••••
“Girl, you didn’t tell me things between the two of you were so hot.”
Mae pulled her gaze from a disappearing Kane and back to Rebecca. “Didn’t I?”
“You did not. Wow. Tell me everything.”
Mae looked over at George, who was busy in conversation with someone else at the table, so she shrugged and said, “Not much to tell. We’re just having fun. Hot fun.”
“That’s good. I mean, I understand you not wanting to get involved. His time here is temporary, and you’re very much a free spirit these days. No entanglements, right?”
“Right. Exactly.” She looked over at Kane, who was at the bar deep in conversation with someone he absolutely did not know at all. He wasn’t obsessively clinging to her, nor was he pissed off that she hadn’t stuck to his side when he didn’t know anyone here. Instead, he’d made friends and seemed utterly at ease. Which in turn made her feel at ease.
This man constantly surprised her.
She got up and walked over to him, leaning in to speak to him in a low voice so as not to interrupt his conversation. “I have to go do some work things.”
He reached for her hand, giving it a squeeze. “Go do your thing. I’ll be around.”
Yeah, just like that, she thought as she made sure dinner went off without a hitch, and that all the appropriate photos were taken and Brenna and Finn had everything they needed. After everything ran smoothly, she could finally exhale.
“Hey,” Brenna said to her after the cake-cutting photos were done. “It’s time for you to take the rest of the night off and have some fun.”
“I am having fun. Are you kidding? This is the best wedding I’ve ever been involved with. I’m so honored you let me take the reins on it.”
“Okay, honey. I appreciate that, and yes, it is an awesome wedding. Everything is handled now, so you’re officially off duty. As the bride I demand it.”
Mae sighed. “You are a beautiful bride, too.” Her silk organza gown with tiny, beaded sequins made Brenna look like a stunning, red-haired fairy princess.
“Aren’t I, though?” Brenna winked and looped her arm in Mae’s as they strolled across the barn. “Now. As your last official duty of the evening, you can help me find my husband.”
“How does it feel saying that?”
Brenna gave her a curious look. “Saying what?”
“Husband.”
“Oh. It feels…I don’t know, Mae. It feels kind of awesome.”
“Aww.” Mae laid her hand on Brenna’s arm. She’d been fighting back tears all day and wasn’t about to start the waterworks now.
“Though, to be honest, the minute I moved in with Finn at the cabin we both said we felt like that was our forever. So, this? Just a formality to make it official.”
Mae squeezed her arm. “And that’s how it’s done when you meet your soul mate.”
“It sure is.”
They found Finn sharing his own brand of distilled whiskey with the groomsmen. Kane had joined them.
“I still can’t believe you make this,” Kane said.
“I do.”
