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“Baird Textiles. My great-grandmother’s company originally. Baird was her maiden name. She handed down the company to my dad and his brother, who is the CEO.”
“Ah yes, Chief Elephant Operator.”
She couldn’t help chuckling. “Close. Baird provides luxury fabrics for some of the top industries in the world. Hotels, theaters, awards shows.”
“Thered carpet?”
“Rumor has it.” She hadn’t been fascinated with her father’s business when she was younger, not until she’d started planning weddings and had recognized Baird fabrics seemingly everywhere she went. The more upscale venues were outfitted with Baird drapes, carpeting and even artwork. She hadn’t been able to keep from feeling a surge of pride. “I’ll introduce you as the videographer when we arrive to avoid any impolite questions.”
She could practically hear her mother now.“Who is this man you’ve brought home to us, Rye? How did you meet him? What is his family like? Do they have ties to Royal?”
Her mother, and father for that matter, had always had their sights set on a wealthy beau for Rylee. Until she and Louis had split, she hadn’t seen their meddling for what it was. Not quite an arranged marriage, but possibly its cousin.
“I’m not a videographer.” She glanced over to find Trick’s mouth screwed into a curve of displeasure. “No offense to the people who are videographers.”
“If I say filmmaker, they’ll ask you what you’re famous for,” she warned.
“So tell them the truth. Or are you embarrassed to be seen with a lowly social media content creator?”
“The truthis that you were famous for wedding crashing and I’ve been thwarting your advances and preparing for your invasion for months.”
“Invasion?” He laughed as he took hold of her free hand. “You didn’t thwart me for long. I woke up in your bed this morning, and I’m planning on being in it tonight.”
“None of which I care to share with my parents.”
“That’s fair.” He kissed her hand and dropped their linked fingers onto his leg. “Videographer it is.”
“Social media superstar,” she corrected herself. “Can I leave out the wedding crashing part?”
Fourteen
Trick had shot some footage out the window of the car, but let Rylee know he’d shut off the camera before revealing her parents’ house number. She turned into a ritzy neighborhood, each house larger than the last. She navigated a few more streets before they arrived in a cul-de-sac, with a single house on a hill sitting behind a row of trees. He realized when she turned into the driveway that the mansion was their destination.
“Holy shit. You grew up here?”
“I did.” She parked in the cobblestone driveway in front of a garage with four extra-wide doors. He had grown up in a nice house in a well-to-do neighborhood, but Rylee’s family home was next-level.
They stepped out of the car at the same time two men holding golf clubs strolled into the grass. One was older. One younger. Trick started for the house but soon realized Rylee wasn’t next to him.
“What’s up, Peaches?”
“That’s my dad. And Louis.”
“Louis. As in your ex, Louis?”
“Yes. I have no idea why he’s here.” The older of the two men raised a hand to wave, while her ex-fiancé grimaced as he tugged on a leather glove.
Trick felt the instant pull to protect her, but Rylee had already stepped around him.
“Louis. This is a surprise.” She smiled genially, which Trick saw as unnecessary. Then she kissed her father on the cheek. “Hi, Daddy.”
Trick sized up her ex in spite of himself. Louis was tall and lanky, with hard eyes and a short, neat haircut. He wore a collared polo shirt tucked into his trousers. Everything about him screamedboring.
“Your mother mentioned you’d be stopping by,” her dad said. “I thought you were the one at the door, but I found Louis on the porch instead.”
“New golf grips,” Louis said in explanation, raising the club in his hands and giving Trick an assessing look. Rylee, born and bred into this kind of bullshit disguised as politeness, didn’t miss the awkward pause and was quick to fill the silence.
“This is Trick MacArthur. He’s shooting video for the wedding I’m planning. He tagged along to film some footage.”
