Chapter 36: Chapter 36

Twelve With Nigel out of the country, Lulu was set on getting Fee to agree to the spin-off—or at least the wedding episode for Secret Lives.

“If that’s really what you want to do, I’ll stand behind you,” Lulu told Fee.

The cameras moved around but Lulu ignored them. She’d gotten more than used to having her entire life filmed. Today she was having lunch with Seraphina as they chatted about Fee’s upcoming move to Texas. While she hated losing her best friend, she understood how much Fee loved Royal and the people there—not just Clint, though the love Fee had for her fiancé was certainly something special.

When the cast and crew had been there for Christmas at Miranda’s estate, they’d all fallen a little in love with the charming town. And after those devastating fires, Lulu more than understood Fee’s need to be with the man she loved in his hometown.

After all, hadn’t they all wanted to land a cowboy?

Unfortunately, the only one who’d caught her eye, and gotten on her last nerve the entire time she was there, was Kace the snarky lawyer... The snarky lawyer who’d shown up at her penthouse just to talk a few days earlier. Sure, like they’d ever just talked. At this point, they couldn’t be alone for two minutes without clothes falling off. Mercy, the things that man could do with his hands.

“Everything okay?” Fee asked, reaching for her water glass.

“What? Oh, yes. Sorry.” Lulu smiled and pushed thoughts of Kace aside. “Just thinking.”

“About anyone I know?”

Fee’s eyes twinkled, her smile all-knowing. Lulu didn’t keep secrets from her best friend, but she wasn’t about to voice anything about Kace on camera. Sure, her admission to her attraction to the sexy Southern attorney would get ratings going, but she wasn’t ready to share her feelings with the world or Kace. There had been enough footage of the two of them bickering during the cleanup from the fires last month. By the time this show aired that they were filming today, who knows where she’d stand with him. Would she tell him her feelings? Would he admit to his?

“Let’s concentrate on you and your new love,” Lulu stated, giving her friend a wink. “I say we throw a big going away party. I’ll host and we’ll do it on my rooftop terrace.”

Fee lifted her glass in a mock toast. “You know I’m always up for a party.”

“Perfect. I’ll get everything together.”

And playing the dutiful hostess would give her the distraction she needed from one Kace LeBlanc.

Lulu waited until the cameras left to pull out her begging for the wedding episode and questioning her friend about the spin-off. She loved Fee and didn’t want to put her on the spot for all viewers to see.

Fingers crossed Fee would be in agreement for both. Nigel was counting on Lulu to make all of this work out and she didn’t want to let him down.

* * *

“That was weird how my sister insisted she’d seen you before,” Nigel stated, gesturing for Sophie to enter their second-floor suite.

Sophie’s heart still hadn’t gone back to a regular rhythm after that close call. The scrutiny with which Ellen kept staring had had Sophie ready to hop back on Nigel’s jet and head back to New York.

“Weird,” she agreed, for lack of anything else to say.

As she eased past him and into the room, Sophie gasped at the view. A wall of patio doors leading out onto a private balcony drew her across the room, ready to take in the beauty of the land from above.

Heavy gold drapes outlined each side of the doors and she was positive no royal palace was arranged more beautifully. Her decorator eye would take in all the details of the room later, but she wanted to step onto the balcony and look over the snow-covered grounds.

“It’s freezing out there,” Nigel said when she unlatched one of the locks.

“I just have to see it for a moment. I’m imagining the beauty in the summer.”

She shoved open one door and took in the crisp fresh air. Sophie blinked against the bright white covering of snow that stretched over the grounds for as far as her eye could see. The evergreens were accented with winter and she hated that she’d missed seeing this place all decked out for the holidays.

She imagined perfectly decorated Christmas trees with gold-and-white stockings hung from each of the fireplaces, dinner parties with glamorous dresses, and champagne fountains.

She turned from the view and came back in, latching the lock behind her.

“You grew up here?” she asked.

“I lived here my entire life, except for my schooling, until I moved to New York.” Nigel shoved his hands in his pockets and glanced around. “This is actually my room, not a guest suite.”