Her TV Bachelor Fake Fiancé: Christmas Romance Series Page 2

  And it was. The only stupid thing about it was Cambria believing what Canyon had said leading up to that kiss. She should have known that they didn’t really have such a personal thing in common. But still, the moment had toyed with her emotions enough to make her hopes rise sky-high. Forget the fact that he later sent those hopes on a spiral nosedive to their demise.

  Mae hushed the group as the blonde and beautiful host, Lisa Throw, began to speak with that unmistakable British accent, promising the most dramatic conclusion America had yet to see on Find My Fiancé. “Normally this would be the end,” Lisa said. She moved from an exaggerated head-tilt to a head-on, narrow-eyed glare at the camera. “But if things end the way our bachelor hopes, it will only be the beginning to a new chapter of fresh starts and mending hearts. Watch as this year’s bachelor does something never done before.”

  “We’ve heard that before,” Victor muttered.

  “Right,” Mae agreed.

  But Cambria couldn’t quite control the strange surge of excitement that stirred within her at Lisa Throw’s promise. Stop, Cambria. Victor was right. They always promised some sort of twist. Didn’t mean it was anything major.

  “Hold onto your couch cushions, friends,” Lisa said, “because you’re about to witness something truly unique to this long-lasting series.”

  Canyon took up the screen in a video diary shot. A pot of planted flowers stood on the table behind him—the same artificial bouquet they’d placed behind Cambria during her interview after that kiss. She’d gushed about how amazing it was. About how amazing he was.

  Angry heat burned the back of her neck. She really hated Canyon Byer.

  He ran a hand through his dark blond, slightly wavy hair. Always a perfect balance between polished and unkempt. He wore a sweater that most men wouldn’t pull off in their wildest dreams. Light blue with snowflakes. She hated that he looked so good in it. Of course, she shouldn’t be surprised. He’d dropped his job as a pharmaceutical sales rep to model full time. Like that was a real profession.

  Cambria clenched her eyes shut and scolded herself. Stop it. Bitter doesn’t look good on anyone, Cambria. And she knew the truth of it. Both her mom and her aunt had raised her better.

  “Normally,” Canyon continued, “I’d be proposing to one of the two women here at the resort with me.” He looked off into the distance and shook his head. Someone must’ve cued the music because a sad sounding melody eased into the scene.

  Cambria rested her plate on her lap and leaned forward, sensing a but.

  “Oh my gosh!” Leah gasped.” He’s not picking either of them.”

  “Shh!” came Mae.

  Adrenaline swirled at Cambria’s insides during the dramatic pause.

  Canyon straightened up and stared into the camera with those grayish blue eyes. “The thing is, I can’t do that. I can’t, in all honesty, pick either Sophie or Tasha. Because I’ve been thinking about another woman ever since I sent her home. I made a mistake, and I can only pray this woman gives me the chance to set things right.” He dropped his head as his broad shoulders drooped. The screen went black. And then Lisa popped back into view.

  “Stay tuned to find out just who this mystery woman could be. If she agrees to give our down-trodden bachelor a second chance, the two will spend two weeks together in a winter paradise, and you, my friends, will get to join them.”

  A pair of short, chubby legs replaced Lisa’s face and quickly panned up to a droopy diaper. Leah grabbed the remote and hit mute.

  “Oh my gosh,” she breathed. “Who’s it going to be?”

  Silence took over the room. Wide eyes turned to Cambria one set at a time. Leah’s brown eyes were first. Mae’s green-eyed gaze came next. And then Vickie’s. Victor chomped into a buffalo wing.

  “What?” Cambria said. “It’s obviously not me. I would have known by now. Whoever he picked is probably on a private jet with him as we speak.” Or already cuddling up to his frosty blue sweater in front of a fire.

  Uncle Victor was nodding as he ate. “Yeah. He’s already picked for sure. They wouldn’t chance having someone say no on live TV.”

  “That’s true,” Mae said. She took a big bite of her brownie and shrugged.

  Leah still had that light in her eyes. She turned to look at Vickie. The two were a pair of romantic dreamers, is what they were.

  “Stop it, you two,” Cambria scolded. “You’re going to be really disappointed when they show Shawna or Jill in this next scene.”

  “America didn’t like them as much as they liked you,” Leah said.

  “That’s right,” Vickie agreed, abandoning her plate to stand up and pace. “If the show and the bachelor were seeking true redemption, they’d pick the one woman America liked best, and that’s you.” She stopped walking and folded her arms.

  “If it’s the bachelor’s choice, he should choose who he likes,” Mae said, “Not who America likes.”

  A sharp-pitched meow drifted from somewhere in the corner a moment before Cambria’s cat, Gremlin, weaved his way to Vickie. He waved his tail in the air as he rubbed his furry body against Vickie’s leg, his thick, orange fur clinging to her black stretch pants. Cambria didn’t appreciate that her cat liked Vickie better than her. In fact, Gremlin seemed to favor Vickie over everyone. The animal must sense her aunt’s harmonious energy or something.

  “It’s back on.” Leah tapped the volume on the remote, bringing it to an all-time high. She must really be excited. Cambria wished she could say the same. But suddenly, for a reason she couldn’t decipher, she’d lost her appetite. One wing and two nacho cheese-covered chips into it, no less.

  “We’re back,” Lisa announced with a flourish, “and ready to charter new territory here on Find My Fiancé. What you’re about to witness is live, raw, and completely uncensored. If you think you’re going to be surprised to find out who our lady of the evening is, consider how surprised she, herself might be. That’s right, ladies and gentleman, not even our bachelorette knows that our very own Canyon Byer is about to knock on her door this very moment.”

  Was it just Cambria, or was there a ruckus of some sort happening on her porch. Her heart thundered as enlightenment sparked Vickie’s face. Then Leah’s. Victor jerked a glance over his shoulder toward the door.

  “Let’s join our live camera crew as they approach the scene…”

  The camera switched to an image of Canyon from behind. A black suit coat and matching dress pants. A bouquet of flowers peeked over one arm and parts of white, paneled door could be seen, but still, it could be anyone’s house.

  Were those pink lilies? The show knew they were her favorites. Her heart sank clear down to her fluffy socks. This could not be happening. There was no way this was—

  Ding-dong!

  Cambria’s eyes doubled in size as the ring of that doorbell echoed back at them from the TV a half-second later.

  Leah and Vickie burst into muffled squeals. Victor shot to a stand and shook his head in irritation. “Want me to get it?”

  “No, no, no,” Vicky spat, waving him to go back and sit down. Her arms flapped wildly once more, only this time in encouragement. “Hurry and answer, Cambria.”

  What in the crazy-town world was happening? Cambria’s fingers felt numb.

  “Get up,” Mae hissed, snatching the plate off her lap. “Hurry and get the door.”Cambria stood to her feet and stared at the vision of Canyon Byer at her very own front door, the numbers blurred out in a block. She cleared her throat to see if she could form any words as the small group parted.

  “Oh, no!” Vicky hissed, the look of horror on her face. “You’ve got buffalo sauce on your shirt.”

  Cambria looked down to see that she was right. There, right on her light gray sweatshirt, were two crescent moons of bright, reddish orange sauce. “Crap!” she blurted in the same whispery shout her aunt had used. “What am I going to do?” This could not be how she looked on her final appearance on the show. Could. Not.

  “Just a s
econd,” Leah hollered. She yanked her purse off the floor and pulled out a lip-gloss. “Take off your sweat shirt. You’ve got a tank top underneath, right?”

  Cambria nodded.

  “Here, I’ll help.” Her aunt grabbed onto the bottom of the shirt and tugged it over her head like she was a small child. She pinched her cheeks and stepped back in time for Leah to smear gloss over her lips. She swooped a hand over her hair and frowned.

  “It’s static.” Vickie licked her fingers and smeared them over her head. “There,” she said giving her a pat on the butt. “Hurry and answer it.”

  Cambria shuffled one foot forward after the next, reached for the brass doorknob, and gave it a twist. Not that it mattered. This was all some bizarre dream anyway. Pretty soon she’d wake up and tell Leah and Mae all about it.

  A cold breeze pushed over her skin. A bright light made her squint, but that didn’t prevent her from taking in the gorgeous sight of the irritating man before her. That dark blond hair was slicked back today, and his five o’clock shadow was gone. All polish and poise. Not her favorite look on him, but he still looked good. Of course. He’d probably done this on purpose. Anyone following Cambria on social media would know she hosted a party every Wednesday night to watch the show. A very casual party where sweatshirts and slippers accompanied cheese platters and little smokies.

  Cambria lifted her chin proudly, reminding herself that she was the one America had taken a liking to.

  “Hi Cambria,” Canyon said in that deep, raspy voice of his. She held his gaze for a blink, sensing there were about a million other things he’d rather be doing than showing up at her door. The one woman who’d slapped his face for all to see.

  “Canyon,” she managed with a nod. “This is a surprise.”

  Chapter 3

  Canyon hadn’t expected to see Cambria in such a state. A lacy tank top, hair pulled into a messy bun, barely a trace of makeup on her face. Throughout the season, she’d always appeared polished in evening gowns or designer clothes. Plainly, the last thing she’d expected was a visit from him and the crew from the reality TV show she’d left behind.

  The odd thing was, the chilling-at-home vibe didn’t look half bad on her.

  He waited for Marsha to call cut. While smoothing both hands over her slick, black hair, the woman had given him very strong orders to say no more than hello. As they turned the show back over to Lisa, Canyon held Cambria’s gaze for a moment, sort of enjoying the shock in those deep brown eyes. If the expression could be read, it’d say something like, You have got a whole lot of nerve.

  The idea was like the pull of a puppet string to one side of his lip. The scenario was ridiculous at best. And yet somehow, he’d agreed to it.

  “Cut,” the director hollered from someplace behind him. “We’ve got the door shot.”

  From inside Cambria’s house, Canyon heard their brief conversation repeated. Hi Cambria. He sounded like a moron.

  Canyon, she came next. This is a surprise.

  “That’s a wrap,” he heard Marsha say, her sleek bob blending with the shadows as she stepped into the light. The determined producer reached out to shake Cambria’s hand. “How are you, Cambria? Sorry to catch you by surprise.” Sure she was. “Mind if I come inside so we can talk about this?”

  The sly producer spun around to level a pointed look at Canyon. One that reminded him that she knew how to get what she wanted. She’d proved that point with Canyon by getting his Achilles’ heel (aka his little sister) involved. “You can go,” the woman said under her breath. “I’ll take it from here.”

  * * *

  “Mind if I speak with Ms. Wilson alone?” Marsha Langston asked Cambria’s crew.

  An entire chorus of answers came back like something you’d hear from a disgruntled group of spectators at a ballgame.

  “Of course we mind.”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “Are you kidding me?”

  And lastly, “Not on your life.” That one came from the mouth of none other than Victor, who’d been told on more than one occasion that his name was a popular villain’s name on several daytime dramas. At least no cameras were rolling here. In fact, of the caravanning crew including lights, cameras, and technicians, only Ms. Langston remained.

  “I don’t blame you guys for being skeptical,” the producer said carefully. Cambria had had several interactions with Ms. Langston during the interviewing process and her short run on the show. She wasn’t in one of her power suits today. Instead, the woman wore a pair of gray slacks and a turtleneck sweater. The light pink color made her appear softer, despite the shrewd gleam in her green eyes. “In fact, I’ve always been very impressed by Cambria’s story. Orphaned in her mid-teens, something viewers don’t even know because she left the show too soon. But you guys… you’re the reason Cambria is the woman she is today. Perhaps it would be best if you were able to hear just what we’re proposing.” She waved her arm over the empty seats in the front room. “Go ahead and have a seat.”

  Wow, the woman sure did know how to sweeten up a crowd.

  Leah’s eyes nearly sparkled as she hurried back to her spot on the couch. While the others filtered to their spots, Cambria glanced up at the TV to see the show’s analytical specialists sat in a high-back chairs beside a fireplace. It had been muted at some point, but the words what are Cambria and Canyon’s chance at making this work? were pasted across the bottom left corner of the screen. It looked as if they were polling the live audience for opinions.

  “Thank you. For those who don’t know me, I’m Marsha Langston. Feel free to call me Marsha. I’m going to explain the offer we’re making Cambria. I’d appreciate it if you would hear me out and allow Cambria to do the same before offering any input. I happen to think this will benefit her tremendously, and I believe you’ll agree once you hear me out."

  “I doubt that,” Uncle Victor said as he pulled his plate back onto his lap. Aunt Vickie’s hazel eyes were glowing with excitement. Leah’s too. Mae, Victor’s personality twin, sank into her seat with her arms folded and a scowl etched into her face.

  Marsha lowered herself on the mantel close to Cambria and leveled a look at her. “I’m going to explain the offer we have for you. One that will benefit you tremendously in two ways. Of course, it will benefit Canyon in one very important way, but I believe that will impact your life above all the other things you stand to gain.”

  Cambria’s curiosity was piqued if nothing else. “I’m listening,” she said. And she was, even if she was also replaying the horror of having her heart toyed with on live TV.

  Marsha held up one finger. “First, we give you twenty-five thousand dollars, cash.”

  Both Victor and Mae leaned forward in unison.

  “When I first interviewed you for the show, you mentioned some pretty significant school loans. Ones that kept you from paying your employees the wages you felt they deserved.”

  Cambria nodded as hope stirred within her. Sweet Stop was doing well. Very well. But with those dumb loans soaking up half the profits, it was hard to do what she wanted with employee benefits. Especially since a set portion of the funds were dedicated to a promotion strategy. Which was already starting to pay off. So, tempting, but no. Not enough to say yes.

  Cambria used her flat expression to say as much.

  Marsha looked unfazed. “Next,” she said, unfolding a second finger, “we give twenty-five thousand dollars to that charity you’re so passionate about.”

  Vickie gasped from her spot on the couch. Victor cleared his throat at her.

  Cambria dropped her gaze to a spot on the red brick of her fireplace mantle. Talk about unfair. No wonder Marsha allowed her family to listen in. That was probably the woman’s hope all along. She just had to make it look like it was their idea.

  What did Leah and Mae’s faces look like right now? Cambria didn’t dare look. Heck, she couldn’t even look at her aunt’s profile in such a moment. The charity Marsha spoke of was one Aunt Vickie s
tarted, after a tumultuous battle with an addiction to prescription drugs. Breaking Free was the name of it. And yes, Cambria was passionate about the cause. It saved lives. It was the very facility that saved her aunt’s life.

  How could she turn an offer like that down? She considered her business plan. The trajectory based on her latest internet sales. What if she promised to put that amount into the charity over the next four years? She could do that, if all went according to plan. Yes. Aunt Vickie wouldn’t want Cambria to suffer another embarrassment for all of America to see. Not for the sake of money. She couldn’t be bought. She wouldn’t be bought.

  Cambria folded her arms as her determination sank in. There. She’d already jumped the first two hurdles. Which was perfect, because the third one wasn’t even going to be a temptation. After all, Marsha had said it would directly benefit Canyon the most. Any benefit Cambria got from it would be more of an indirect, trickle effect. How hard could that be to turn down after snubbing the faces of fifty-thousand one-dollar bills?

  “The final bonus I ask you to consider, is something that can’t be bought. It’s a gift, actually, that all of humanity desperately seeks, but rarely fully enjoys.”

  Oh brother. Cambria fought back an eye-roll. Victor, on the other hand, gave into one while letting out a puff of air and leaning back into the chair.

  “Redemption.” The word resonated like the woman had whispered it into a megaphone.

  A small tug of compassion pulled at her heart as she considered the guy’s reputation. Memes of The Shallow Bachelor had been commonplace on social media for weeks. Cartoon images of the handsome devil, with horns and all, strutting down the runway, his abandon pharmaceutical bag growing dust in the distance. And then there were the ones that had him standing proudly in a super hero leotard and boots, cape flapping in the breeze, the words Captain Deep has a warning for all bachelorettes who wish to keep safe from eviction: “Stay at the shallow end of the pool!”