Please don’t let it be…
“I hope you all like karaoke!”
Fox let out a groan that was thankfully covered up by the excited squeals from the girls. They were really going all in, not that Fox expected any less from Sienna. Even though she’d been upset the last time he saw her, he knew she’d put on a brave face and do her best for Audrey.
And Fox wasn’t about to back down from his plan to tell Sienna how he felt about her. And even though he hated karaoke, and there were cameras everywhere, Fox could use this challenge to his advantage. At least singing was something he was good at. And there were dozens of songs that worked great to let a girl know how you really feel. The hardest part would be picking the perfect song, with the perfect lyrics.
“Since this competition will decide who gets to pick the cake, all the songs should be about desserts.”
How much cheesier could this possibly get?
“You’ll be doing a group performance, so let’s see those great coordinated dance moves.”
A lot cheesier, apparently.
“The Wellspring high school drama department has provided some great costumes, so get creative.”
Fox was ready to bolt out the door. This had to be a joke.
“You’ll have one hour to pick three songs from the list and rehearse your choreography.”
With a clap of Jason’s hands, they were dismissed—and Fox’s resolve wavered slightly.
He grabbed Eli’s arm on their way out the door and to their assigned practice areas. “Singing and dancing in costume? Really?” he whispered furiously.
“Come on, it’ll be fun,” said Wade, coming to slap him on the back. “Just like when you performed in college, right?”
Fox raised an incredulous eyebrow. “Not quite.”
He remembered his first open mic night, and the weight of his guitar strap on his shoulder as he looked into the dimly lit smoky bar. Pretty much the exact opposite of singing karaoke on reality television.
While dancing.
In costume.
The memory of that first performance also featured Becky, front and center at a table in front of the stage. Her eyes had shone with tears as he sang the song he’d written for her after their first date. Remembering how that moment of elation had led to so much heartache, Fox suddenly found it hard to breathe.
Maybe he wouldn’t be able to do this after all—not even for Sienna.
“I can’t do this,” Fox said. The guys were walking toward the barn where a clothing rack was waiting for them. The sequins and beads on the various items glistened in the sun.
“After this it’s all wedding prep stuff, and you won’t have to be there,” Eli said, his voice low. They didn’t have mic packs yet and the cameras were still getting set up. “Please, Audrey is stressed out enough. Harry is refusing to help if anything goes south, and our offer on the house just got accepted. I just need this last effort from you.”
“Can I just get a few minutes to clear my head?” Fox ran his hands through his hair.
Eli waved his hand in the direction of the trail behind the barn. “Be back in ten or I’m picking the songs without you.”
Needing no other motivation than that to get back on time, Fox practically bolted for the safety of the woods. His shoulders instantly relaxed as soon as he stepped into the trees, and the sounds of everyone’s voices faded away.
He didn’t have to do the whole Sienna thing now, he told himself. He could wait until it was all over and see how things went the rest of the week. There was sure to be another opportunity to show her how he felt. Besides, she’d made it pretty clear how she felt about him when she’d called him a knight in shining armor. A big fancy declaration in front of everyone could end up falling flat. Taking that risk privately, where no cameras could capture his humiliation, seemed like the right choice.
Fox took a deep breath and let it out. He still didn’t know what he was going to do, but at least he knew that it wouldn’t be today. He had time to figure this out.
Deciding to at least take in the view Eli had shown him earlier this week before heading back, Fox turned the final corner in the path toward the ridge.
And ran right into Sienna.
* * *
