“But most kids outgrow those dreams, right?”
He nodded slowly. “Right.”
“Well, I didn’t. The older I got the more I realized it was the only thing I wanted out of life. I joined drama club freshman year and put my entire self into it. I was getting lead roles my sophomore year and was the president of the club my junior and senior year.”
Fox tipped his head. “Impressive.”
“Thanks,” Sienna mumbled and looked down briefly before continuing. The path was leveling out, but her hand was still firmly clasped in his. “My mother was so proud of me until I told her my plan to pursue acting as a career. She thought it was something I was doing for fun in high school, but when she realized that I wanted a life on the stage and in front of the camera, well, let’s just say she wasn’t too happy about it.”
“But it sounds like you’ve followed through. Eli said you live near the city and have been on TV and Broadway.”
“Yeah…”
Sienna had been cast for a few roles here and there, but none of them were the big break she so desperately needed. And ageism was alive and well in the entertainment business. She was only a few years away from becoming an old maid in the eyes of casting directors, and with every passing day, she felt time running out to make it big.
“So, what does it matter if your mom doesn’t approve? She’s got to love you regardless. It’s part of the mom gig. Mine still did, no matter what dumb stuff I did as a kid.”
Sienna frowned and looked down. Of course her mother still loved her. But she wasn’t proud of Sienna, not the way she was of Harper for starting her own business, or of Audrey for the teaching awards she won. Her mother’s love couldn’t buy Sienna groceries, or pay her rent, or even write a strongly worded letter to her landlord insisting he didn't kick Sienna and her roommate out for being late on said rent.
Not that she could say any of that to Fox.
“Have you ever considered that maybe your mom misses you?” Fox asked.
Sienna looked up.
“It’s possible she wants you closer to her.” He shrugged. “Being far from family and friends is hard sometimes, even if it’s to do something we love.”
Luckily, Sienna wouldn’t have to explore that line of thought too deeply. They were back at the Emerald Inn. Those long twenty minutes had felt like five.
“There you are,” Bruce called out as he walked across the grassy lawn. “Austin showed me some of the footage they got of you two on the hike. Really great stuff, guys.”
Sienna’s heart skipped a beat. Bruce liked what he saw? That was great news.
“We’d really like to get some more of you two together. I think we can really play up this relationship that’s growing between the head of both teams, what do you think?”
Sienna felt her face heat. The wordrelationshipmade it sound like something much more romantic—which it wasn’t. This was just a case of Sienna trying to be friends with Fox for her sister’s sake. But maybe it could show some of Sienna’s range.
“I think it’s a great idea,” she answered before she turned to face Fox, who had pulled his hand away from Sienna’s the moment Bruce had shown up.
Fox’s lips were pressed together in a hard line, his posture stiff. Sienna’s heart sank.
“Come on, this will be great for the show. It’ll be good for Eli and Audrey,” Sienna said. She widened her eyes into her patented puppy-dog stare that had gotten her older sisters to do almost anything for her as a kid.
“Sure.” Fox sighed. “Anything for Audrey and Eli.”
Then he turned on his heel and walked away toward the inn. Sienna couldn't understand why he was so upset. She knew he wasn’t an actor, but his time in the music industry must have taught him something about putting on a show. Sure, it was reality TV, not Broadway, but they still needed to be entertaining.
As she watched his dark head disappear into the inn, she fought the urge to run after him and make sure he was okay. She wanted to explain that their conversation on the hike was real, and that she really enjoyed it. Her foot took an involuntary step toward the inn, when she felt Bruce’s hand on her shoulder.
“Seriously, Sienna. You really shine on screen. I see a lot of potential for you and have some friends who’d be looking for someone just like you for their next project.”
Her heart nearly stopped and smiled eagerly at Bruce. “Really?”
The producer gave her a wide grin. “Absolutely. We just need to try to get Fox to be more willing to let us film him. He keeps trying to evade us, and it’s not great if we can’t get the best man on camera. Surely, you can see how that could have unintended consequences for the show. He might not get it, but I know you have experience in the movie business.”
Unintended consequences?Her chest tightened, and she tried to think of which of the thousand clauses she’d be in danger of breaking if she said no. Would they pull the plug before Audrey and Eli got their wedding?
Bruce gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. “Can I count on you to help me out with that?”
