Page 56 of The Backup Bride Proposal

This wasn’t the first time he’d had to do reshoots, and they could take either days or not much time at all. Since he’d worked with this team before, he knew they were quick and professional. He went into hair and makeup, got into costume and met with the cast he was shooting with. He hit all his marks and then they broke for lunch.

Since he didn’t have a lot of time before he was due on set again, he decided to hit the studio’s commissary. As he walked out of the production stage, he ran smack into—

“Everly.” His eyes widened as he saw his leading lady for the current movie. More than his leading lady, Everly was one of his best friends.

“Kane!” She threw her arms around him and hugged him. “What are you doing here?”

“Reshoots.”

“How long are you here for?”

“I’m just in for the day. We just broke for lunch.”

“Same. Have lunch with me?”

“Sure. I was just heading for the commissary.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Please. Walk across the street with me. I’m dying for a soup and salad.”

Nowthathe had time for. “Sure.”

They walked arm in arm across the street and were seated immediately at a table near the window. Their server came by and they ordered drinks and their meals. The one great thing about this place—besides the food—was the fast service, which was critical for an actor who had to be back on set.

“I’m really happy to see you,” Everly said. “And I’m so sorry about delaying our shoot. I had no idea this was going to take so long.”

“It’s okay. We’ve shot around you on a few scenes with a stand-in. She actually lives on the property and has the same build and coloring as you.”

“Outstanding. Still, I hope to be done here soon. Geoffrey is never happy with a scene and takes forever to call a shot right. You know how he is.” She rolled her eyes.

“I do. But he’s also an incredible director, so it’s worth it.”

“Thanks for your patience.” She laid her hand on his arm. “I know it’s tedious and irritating waiting on a co-star.”

He laid his hand over hers. “You’re worth waiting for.”

She smiled. “You always say the right things.”

Their server brought their drinks and food. Kane dug into his salad.

“How’s Ethan?”

She looked around and leaned in. “Shh. No one knowsabout us yet. Except you. And my parents. And my sister. And my best friend.”

He snorted out a laugh. “Right. But no one else knows.”

“Hey. You’re in my trust circle. That says a lot. And he’s a hot commodity. Plus, if it gets out about the two of us, the paparazzi will be staked out at my house.”

“Photographers follow you around anyway. You being so gorgeous and perfect and all.”

She took a stab at some lettuce and waved her fork at him. “And you have always been like my annoying big brother, ever since we starred in that juvenile TV show together.”

“Love you, too, sis.”

She laughed and they spent the rest of their lunch reminiscing about old times. The good times. The naïve times.

The one thing he loved about this business was that occasionally you made connections and friendships with people that would serve you for the rest of your life. Everly was one of those people. They’d started out in the biz together, had clung to each other when neither of them knew one end of a camera from the other. They’d gotten through some rough times together. They were family and always would be.

He valued his friendship with her. She’d been through a tough divorce, some awful relationships, and this new one she was in? Yeah, it was good for her. He knew Ethan, had worked with him on a couple of projects. He was a damn fine actor, and an even better person. Kane couldn’t think of a nicer guy for Everly, and he understood why she wanted to keep this relationship a secret for as long as she could. Nothing could destroy a new relationship quicker than the media.

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