Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 88057 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88057 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
“You have blue-collar cred. Which means the groom’s family will love you. They’re farmers.” Cressida was clearly warming to this idea, but Ambrose groaned.
“Harley’s straight. You can’t go asking someone—”
“Pan. I’m pan,” I corrected. Unlike telling Cash and Duncan, my pulse didn’t even speed up much. “I don’t have an issue going undercover as your date. Just thought you might want a bit more polish.”
“I don’t require polish. Or a bodyguard. Or a fake date.” Ambrose sure could be stubborn when he wanted to be. Luckily, I had all kinds of experience with dudes who let their pride get in the way of common sense.
“Boss, I don’t wanna tell you what to do, but if an irate fan found out about the wedding and crashed it, is that really better than bringing an undercover bodyguard?”
Ambrose slumped back down in his chair. “I’d feel awful if controversy over the show ruined Hester’s wedding. And skipping isn’t an option.”
“He’s giving her away and doing the first dance,” Cressida explained, tone gentler now.
“She’s counting on me.” Ambrose’s voice was pained, and I finally understood the real source of his resistance. This was his girl, and he wanted to do right by her and was terrified of letting her down.
“I get it.” I touched his shoulder. Cressida was standing close with way-too-observant eyes, and she could think what she wanted of me touching Ambrose, but he was hurting right then. “I have family too. Let me do this.”
“You truly don’t mind?” He looked up at me, eyes big and hopeful.
“I’d do it pro bono if that made you feel better. Friendly favor.” Duncan would have a field day with me giving away business, but I wanted Ambrose comfortable more than I wanted a paycheck.
“We’ll pay. But Ambrose does need more friends,” Cressida said smoothly.
“Fine. I’ll do this for Hester. I have to protect her big day. Harley can go as my date. We’ll work up a suitable cover story on the trip. If you don’t mind driving, that is. I could switch—”
“I like driving,” I assured him. “I’ve been in enough planes and jumped out of more than my share. I’m good with a road trip.”
“Well, that’s settled.” Cressida grinned while Ambrose looked like he’d just been sentenced to ninety days in the county pound. As for me, I’d do whatever it took to keep him safe.
Chapter Eight
Harley
I supposed things were settled with Ambrose because I was now locked into attending his niece’s wedding—as Ambrose’s undercover date, no less. But in terms of my mental state, I’d seldom been so mixed up. Even a full week later, I still wasn’t sure why I’d so readily agreed. And I sure as hell wasn’t good at explaining myself.
Which sucked because I was working the beach location shoot for the season finale. It was an all-hands-on-deck operation with Duncan on-site and more than ready to give me hell.
“So if I date a client, you don’t talk to me for a couple of weeks.” He leaned against an old lifeguard stand. “But if you date a client—”
“We’re not dating.” I gave him a hard stare. I’d waited to put my trip on the schedule for precisely this reason. “It’s more an undercover operation.”
“But you said the other day you think you’re pan. It’s natural to want to explore, and Ambrose isn’t a terrible choice.”
“You get a side hustle as a sex columnist?” I shook my head at his ridiculousness. “We’re not dating. I’m not wired for romance. I’m going to keep the guy safe, not get laid.”
“Mm-hmm.” Duncan sounded decidedly skeptical. Fine. Let him not believe me.
“You and Cash have both become old gossips now that you’re all coupled up. Not everyone needs a relationship.” I scanned the beach. We’d set up a perimeter around the area, and the production personnel bustled around, readying for the next part of the shoot. I hadn’t seen Ambrose yet, but I knew he was around. A sort of low thrum of awareness had been with me since early morning when I’d woken to the knowledge I’d likely see him today.
“That’s what I find so funny. You’re going to play the part of his boyfriend, but do you even know how?” Duncan laughed like he was auditioning for a Saturday-night gig at a comedy club.
“I’ll figure it out.” I kept my voice level, but all the teasing grated more than usual. We had the sort of easy friendship where we could give each other hell, and it was all good, but something about Duncan’s friendly barbs kept getting under my skin. “After I’m back from the job, I think I’m gonna take a couple of days to go up to my cabin. Reset and recharge. Alone. Got some projects that need doing.”
“That sounds like a great idea.” Duncan was always on me to take more time off, head up to my cabin in the Sierras. In the last year, I’d been so busy that Cash and Danny had spent more time there than I had. But now they were looking at getting their own mountain retreat, and I really did need to go check on my place. But I also needed some thinking time. My back prickled. Yup. A weekend of pretending to be crazy about Ambrose, and I was absolutely gonna need the time to get my head back right.