Page 53 of He's The Reason Why

Piper felt a fit of giggles rise up her throat again and tried to stifle them. “He’s with me. This is Jesse, from the Kingdom of Carenth. We have a plan.”

“It won’t do you any good,” Marshall said as Elaine.

When he finished Elaine’s lines, he whisked the napkin off his head. “A portal opens, and Malignon steps through.”

He took a long step sideways, puffed out his cheeks, raised hiseyebrows, and chortled with apparent evil glee. “Well done, Elaine.”

They worked the rest of the scene with Marshall filling in for all the other missing parts.

Piper forgot herself as she was swept away by Blake and Marshall into a world filled with danger, adventure, and love.

They got to the end of the scene, and for the first time in weeks, Piper felt confident that she could actually do this thing. She could be Princess Jewel.

“Come on, let’s get out of here,” Piper said.

She dragged Marshall and Blake over to the chair that stood in for the dragon.

Marshall raced around to the back and growled in his dragon voice. “I am not a carriage.”

Blake whistled for his horse. “Allow me.”

“The princesses climbed onto his horse, who took off flying, leaving Jesse standing there like an idiot,” Marshall said.

Piper laughed. “They do not. The dragon gives him a ride.”

Marshall tossed the script onto the couch. “Well they should.”

“So how was that? Better? Worse? Should I give up now?” She tried to analyze every twitch of expression on Blake’s face, expecting to see the familiar cringe. Instead, she found approval.

“Much more like it.” Marshall’s voice rang with satisfaction.

Blake put a warm hand on her shoulder and squeezed. “That was great. Do it like that in the studio and they’ll be thrilled, especially with the way you do those songs.”

Relief relaxed her shoulders. She tried to give him a grateful smile but ruined it with a giant yawn. “I need to get Rachel back in the studio while this is fresh in my mind.”

“Rachel will love being ordered around like that,” Marshall said. “Can I tell her?”

She pictured the look she’d find on Rachel’s face when she insisted on doing a new take. The woman took pride in her ownwork, but she’d been reluctant to share the microphone, especially with Piper.

“No. It’ll require Southern finesse, not overcharged charm.”

“You think I’m charming?” Marshall’s eyes widened in pretend surprise.

“I think you’re a tool,” Blake muttered.

She wasn’t sure if she was supposed to hear that, but Blake’s reaction made her grin. “I don’t know how you do it, Marshall. You played every single part, including the orchestra. If something happens to Gina, I know who they can get to replace her.”

“Thanks.” Marshall looked pleased and proud. “One of my first gigs was in drag.”

“He wasn’t in drag. He played an angel in a choir,” Blake scoffed. “They wore robes.”

Marshall snapped. “I wore a skirt inHighland Fling.”

“It was a kilt,” Blake told Piper.

Blake opened the box of chocolates and plucked one out. He handed it to her with a flourish. “As promised, for making it to the end of the ABCs.”

She popped it into her mouth and nearly melted as the rich, creamy chocolate dissolved on her tongue to reveal a tangy raspberry center. “Sweet baby Jesus, these are so good.”

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