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He was done with that. No more. Like Jessica, now he was doing what he wanted. Unlike Jessica, though, he wasn’t going to simply grab what he thought should be his. Instead, he would humble himself. He would let Audrie know how he felt, and in the end, if she didn’t feel the same, he’d walk away.
Rourke came walking through the door. There was a woman with him—someone Landon hadn’t seen before. She wore a headband with a big bow on top like something straight out of an eighties music video. It somehow complemented her attire, which was a pair of sneakers with a skirt and a T-shirt. Where’d she come from and what was she doing here?
“Okay, everyone, places!” Michael called out.
Jessica and Peter moved to the spots that had been designated for them. That meant Peter had to go to the door of the barn and Jessica stood in the center. Her direction was to look around at the cards, which they’d already shot before the stars arrived. Everyone else had to scrunch over to the side near the camera to avoid being in the shot.
Rourke was grumbling about too many people on the set, but all Landon could focus on was Audrie, who was drawing closer to him. They were separated by about five people, but last night aside, it was the closest he’d been to her in days.
“I’m Audrie.” Audrie held out her hand to the woman with the bow, who was smiling broadly.
“Luann,” she said. “I’ll be doing hair next week. I’m just here to observe.”
Landon had returned his attention to the scene in front of him to avoid staring at Audrie, but those words pulled his gaze straight over to the women.
I’ll be doing hair next week.
She must be the new hairstylist his brother had mentioned. What was she doing here so early?
Audrie had a smile frozen on her face. “Really?” She looked over at Rourke, and then she shifted her gaze to Landon.
“You didn’t tell her?” Landon asked his brother.
Rourke had been staring at the scene in front of him, apparently not even listening to the conversation. Not a surprise, considering he was in charge of the production happening over there.
“What?” Rourke looked around as though he’d just woken from a nap.
“You just brought the hairstylist on set?” Landon asked. “You didn’t even tell Audrie she was being replaced?”
“I’m being replaced?” Audrie asked.
Great. Landon had just broken the news to her, and that was the last thing he wanted to do. He looked at his brother for answers.
Rourke shrugged. “I figured you’d tell her.”
“Why would I tell her?” Landon asked.
“You can do some things around here, you know,” Rourke said. “I don’t always have to be the bad guy. We’re both partners in this.”
At that moment, Landon expected shocked expressions all around. Rourke had just exposed that Landon was here as more than a business consultant. They’d agreed not to do that.
But Rourke apparently thought it was no big deal, and he was right, judging by the complete lack of interest from everyone gathered behind the camera. It was no big deal. Why would he think anybody would have cared? He just didn’t want to coast on nepotism, but that was his hang-up, not anybody else’s.
There was one person who seemed to have grabbed onto the news. Audrie was staring straight at Landon.
“You’re a partner in this?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“So, it was your decision to replace me?”
“No,” Landon said. “I didn’t even know about it until yesterday.”
Her mouth fell open, and she stared at him quietly for a long moment. Finally, she said, “You knew about this yesterday and didn’t mention it?”
“It wasn’t my place to mention it,” he said. “Rourke had you signing contracts to finalize everything.”
“You didn’t tell me the contract was to finalize everything.” She crossed her arms over her chest and angled her body until she was facing him. “I specifically asked why we were signing the contract. You lied to me.”
