Page 70 of The Backup Bride Proposal

“I’m sure he’ll forgive you,” Honor said. “You just have to talk to him.”

“I’ll do that.”

“Okay, then,” Maureen said. “How about we start the meeting?”

Grateful for a reprieve, Mae presented her agenda items and they discussed the massive influx of appointments and tours and how those would be handled. She was due for filming two days this week, which meant she was going to have to see Kane whether she wanted to or not.

The thing was, she wanted to. She wanted to clear the air between them, to tell him she was sorry.

After the meeting she went back to her office, stared at her phone, picked it up a few times, even started a text message to Kane, then deleted it. Once. Twice. Three times. Then, disgusted with herself, she shoved her phone in the drawer and focused on work.

She successfully avoided her phone for a few hours until it pinged multiple times, reminding her of its existence. She pulled it out of the drawer and read the messages, all from Kane.

Hey. I hope you’re not still angry. I’m sorry for what I said. Can I see you? Can we talk? I’d really like to see you.

Her heart tumbled at Kane’s messages. She clutched her phone to her chest, feeling relieved. Guilty. Happy. Guilty.

She should have texted him right away. She should have been the one to apologize, not him.

She quickly typed a reply:I’d love to see you.She shook her head. No, too mushy. She tried again with:Yes, let’s meet. When and where?

That was much better. She sent that one.

He responded right away:I’ll pick you up. About seven?

She replied in the affirmative, then sat back in her chair, exhaling a breath of relief.

Okay. Now she could fix things.

••••••

Kane felt atightening in his gut as he drove his new rental car to the house. A not-all-that-fancy truck this time, because everyone in this state seemed to drive one and he figured maybe he could blend in more.

He planned to lead with that when they spoke. It was important that he let Mae know that he intended to protect her as much as he was able to. The press could be invasive as hell. They thought because you made movies or music or TV shows or were in the public eye in some way, that gave the public the right to know every damn thing about your private life.

They were wrong.

When he was alone, or at a premiere or other event, he played the game, smiled for the press and allowed his picture to be taken. No problem. But out here trying to lead a normal life? They had no business in that life. Which was why he tried to hide out as much as possible.

Now that they’d discovered him on this location shoot? Now that they’d gotten photos of him with Mae? It irked him and made him regret choosing this life.

Sometimes the money just wasn’t worth it.

He’d already talked to his agent and his publicist, butthere was only so much spin they could put on a photo of him pressing Mae against the car and kissing the hell out of her.

It was a hot picture, for sure. Video, too. He couldn’t craft a scene as smoking as that one by the car. Too bad the press had no business prying into what should have been a private moment.

He could only hope that Mae would forgive him.

She was out the door before he got out of the truck. He hurried around to open the door for her.

“Hi,” she said, giving him a smile wide enough that he was encouraged by it.

“Hi yourself. You look amazing.”

“Just leggings and a shirt, Kane.”

“Yeah, but they’re on you.”

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