Page 18 of The Backup Bride Proposal

Alexis came in, always a whirlwind of energy. “Okay, is everyone ready?”

“Yeah,” Kane said.

“So ready.” Mae offered up a tentative smile.

“Okay, everyone, let’s get into positions.”

They waited while makeup did a little touch-up and the cameras got repositioned to shoot Mae from the back.

“Do you know your lines?” Kane asked.

Mae nodded. “Yes, but I don’t know why I’m saying them since I won’t be the one on the screen when the movie comes out.”

“That’s true. Everly will dub her voice and then redo the scene from her angle so they can splice. But I need you to be here, to play off of me so I can get into my character.”

“I’ll do my best.”

He felt the sincerity in her voice. “I know you will.”

Alexis came in to give Mae movement directions. Kane already knew his marks, but Mae didn’t know hers, so he figured this would require several takes. But as long as they could put something in the can today, it’d be worth it.

Alexis took her seat, the set went quiet and Kane and Mae stood on their marks.

“You ready for this?” he asked.

She gave a quick nod and blew out a breath.

“And…action,” Alexis said.

“He’ll show up,” Kane said.

Mae tilted her head back and the look she gave him was filled with pain, just like her character would be feeling in this scene. “How do you know?”

“Because I know him. He’s my best friend. I know he’ll be here. He wouldn’t bail on you, Caroline.”

She inhaled a deep breath, held it for a beat, then let it out, shaking her head. “He told me last week that maybe we should rethink this whole big wedding, that maybe we should elope instead. He laughed when he said it, wanted me to think he was joking. But you know what, Blake? I think he was trying to tell me something.”

“He wasn’t trying to tell you anything, Care. He was joking.”

She cocked her head to the side, and Kane realized she’d read the script perfectly. “You’re lying. You know something. Tell me what he said to you, Blake.”

“Annd, cut,” Alexis said, coming off her chair with a bouncy step. “Mae, that was excellent. We’ll do it again, but honestly? It was perfect.”

Mae exhaled. “Thanks.”

After Alexis left to confer with her staff, Kane looked at her. “You rocked that scene. You have a knack for this.”

Her eyes widened. “Acting? Me? Oh, no. I’ve likely sweated through this dress. And who wears dresses to run a vineyard, anyway? That doesn’t even make sense. And this hat I’m wearing is making my head sweat.”

Her eyes were welling with tears, and he could see that she’d held it together to film the scene but now she was about to have a meltdown. She didn’t realize how damn good she’d been during that scene.

He put his hands on her upper arms to get her to focus on him.

“Do you know how hard an actor works to get as good as you just were?”

She looked up at him, confusion written all over her face. “What?”

“You were brilliant, Mae.”

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