Jason shook his head. “Tough crowd. But just so we know, why did you score Fox’s performance lower than the group’s?”
A young man from the hotel staff was the first to speak. “Well, he didn't really dress up. He only put on a pair of ugly sunglasses. And then, like, the song doesn’t have anything to do with dessert or anything.”
“Good points.” Jason nodded. “And what do you think about that, Fox?”
Fox shrugged. “I don’t.”
“What do you mean?”
Fox focused on Sienna, whose eyes were glued to his. “I only care about whatshethinks.”
Everyone in the room turned to Sienna. Her expression didn’t change much, but the tips of her ears turned a tiny bit red. Fox’s heart sputtered. This was a mistake. She didn’t want this.
“Why don’t you come up here?” Jason asked with a dramatic wave of his hand.
Sienna slowly stood up and walked to the stage. But she didn’t hurry to Fox, instead she stood on the other side of Jason. This was looking worse and worse for Fox. He inched closer to the edge of the stage, just in case he had to make a run for it to keep from experiencing the total humiliation of rejection on camera.
“Did you know Fox was going to sing this song for you tonight?” Jason asked. Fox held his breath.
Sienna shook her head. “No.”
“And what would you give him as a score for his performance?”
Her eyes panned from Jason to Fox to the cameras. A slow smile spread across her face. Did that mean she wasn’t going to reject him after all? Fox wasn’t sure, but he’d had enough. He’d just done one of the hardest things he’d done in ten years, and he needed to finish this conversation with Sienna privately.
He reached out and grabbed her hand. When she looked up at him, he jerked his head ever so slightly to the exit doors. Her smile grew as understanding dawned, and she gave him a small nod.
Fox didn’t hesitate. He ran down the small stage, his hand still gripping Sienna’s. The two rushed past the judges and wedding party, ignoring the protests that came from Jason and Bruce.
Fox pulled Sienna down the hall, loving the way her laughter filled his ears as they headed in the direction of the safe room. Once inside, Fox slammed the door behind them and looked back at Sienna. Her smile was wide and her face bright.
She was beautiful.
“You’re full of all kinds of surprises tonight,” she said as she caught her breath from their escape.
“I just couldn’t do it in there, in front of all the cameras.”
Her smile fell. “Do what?”
He reached out and grabbed her hands again. “I know we don’t always see eye to eye, and we’ve made mistakes. But in the short time I’ve known you, Sienna, you’ve shown me so much beauty.”
She cocked a brow.
“And no, I’m not just talking about your outward beauty, which is great by the way.” His face flushed with heat. Getting tongue-tied was not an option right now. “But the way you work so hard toward your goals, and the way you love your sisters, and the way you’ve opened up to me these past few days. Just being with you makes me feel alive for the first time in what feels like forever. I know we’re supposed to go our separate ways in a few days, and I don’t know what our future will look like, but I want to find out.”
A corner of Sienna’s mouth lifted into a small smile. “I never thought I’d want to date a grumpy old man, and yet, all I want to say is yes.”
Fox laughed. “Yeah?”
Sienna nodded.
“So, does that mean I can—”
Sienna cut him off by pressing her lips to his. She wrapped her hands around the back of his neck as he pulled her closer. She smelled like the fresh, green mountain air he loved so much as she molded perfectly into his embrace.
Fox knew they’d have to pay for leaving the set yet again, and he hoped that Eli would understand. But for now, he was happy to have Sienna in his arms and was looking forward to what the future held for them.
Twenty-Three
