“I’m just saying it looks like there’s something going on between you two. I may not be competing in all these silly games, but I’ve been around. I see the way he looks at you. And more importantly, the way you look at him.”
Sienna shook her head. “Not anymore.”
“What do you mean?”
“He’s pretty mad.” She leaned back in her seat and sighed.
“And does he have a right to be?”
“Yes. No. I don’t know.” Sienna buried her face in her hands. “He thinks I did something bad, but it was an accident.”
Her mother clasped her hands in front of her. “That’s even better. You can just go to him and explain what happened.”
Sienna let out a short laugh. “I don’t think it’s that easy.” She’d escaped utter humiliation and shame this time, but wouldn’t be so lucky with Fox.
“Of course it is.”
Oh, how Sienna wished it was as simple as her mother thought. But it wasn’t. If there was only a way to make her understand…
She sat up straight. “What about Dad?”
Her mother narrowed her eyes. “What about him?”
“After he betrayed you and left, what would you have done if he came back and explained that it was a misunderstanding? Would you have forgiven him? Would you have listened?”
Her mother bit her bottom lip. “I don’t know. But I doubt whatever you did was as bad as him leaving me and four kids without warning.”
“It’s not. But it's still a big deal to Fox. And I doubt he’ll even want to listen to me now.”
Sienna closed her eyes and willed the tears that were forming in her eyes to stop, until she felt a comforting hand on her shoulder. She opened her eyes and took in her mother’s sad smile.
“He might not listen, but do you think it’s worth a shot?”
Sienna honestly didn’t know, but she doubted it. It was probably better to reach down deep in her acting arsenal and wear a bright smile for the next six days. Then Audrey and Eli could get married, Sienna could find a new place in New York, and Fox could go back to his life, far away from her.
She looked up at her mother with a sad smile of her own. “I don’t think so.”
Twenty-One
6 Days Until Dream Wedding
Takinga risk had sounded easy enough when Fox was on the trail with Wade, surrounded by the dark green canopy that made his heart rate slow and his mind clear. Now, under the glare of lights and critical eye of three cameramen, Fox felt the familiar itch to run up to his room and hide. He took a deep breath and tried to concentrate on what Jason Castle was saying.
“Welcome to the final challenge.” Jason smiled at them all.
They were in the same meeting room as the first day, set up to look like a church again. Fox tried unsuccessfully to ignore the urge to peek over at Sienna standing with her sisters on the other side of the room. But even without turning his head, he knew Audrey was happily sitting with the bridesmaids, and Eli was back with the groomsmen.
For better or worse, they had decided to continue on with the show.
“To recap, we have the bride’s team in the lead. They won the s’mores contest and will get to select the menu. They also won the scavenger hunt, so they’ll be choosing the flowers. And—thank goodness—they won the table decorating contest so ladies, you’ll be picking your own dresses.”
The girls laughed, and Fox allowed himself to sneak a glance in their direction as they all ran their hands over their foreheads in an exaggerated show of relief. Apparently, having people walk out in the middle of the table decorating competition hadn't affected the end result. Or maybe they’d just edit the footage so that it wasn’t even apparent anyone was missing.
A shiver went up Fox’s spine when he thought of Wade’s words. Even if everything stopped today, Bruce could still do whatever he wanted with the footage they’d already taken. Would Fox come out as a nice guy or as a total jerk after disappearing? The one way to be sure was to keep playing along and doing what was expected of him.
“The groom’s team won the obstacle course and the right to play whatever music they want on the big day.” Jason turned his megawatt smile on the guys. “And maybe today’s competition will give you some ideas.”
How could today’s competition give them ideas unless it was musical? Fox’s stomach clenched.
