Chapter 33
thirty-three
. . .
Brinkley
We’d arrived in Los Angeles just in time to get changed and make it over to the theatre where they were premiering Big Sky Ranch.
This show had been publicized like crazy, and everyone was talking about Finn Reynolds.
The internet.
Social media.
He’d be going on tour to promote the show real soon, and tonight was just the start.
Cage
Mom’s already crying. You know I can’t handle this kind of emotion. Even Dad is teary-eyed. Where is everyone?
Hugh
Lila and I are here. Come to the lobby where Finn said to meet him.
Lincoln and I just pulled around back. We’ll be right there.
Georgia
Maddox, Wyle, and I are almost to the lobby. Finny, this is your day. I can’t stop crying either.
I dabbed at my eyes for the hundredth time in the last hour. My brother was a movie star. I’d already known it, but the rest of the world was about to find out.
“You okay?” Lincoln asked as the man Finn had told us would be waiting for us out back, opened the door and led us inside.
“Yes. I’m just really happy for him.”
“Did you call Tia and Romeo? Are they here?” I asked as we headed toward the lobby.
Yes, we’d invited them to the premiere because Tia had nearly fainted when she realized that Finn Reynolds was my brother, and I was scoring serious points as the coolest girlfriend by inviting her.
Romeo acted unfazed but agreed to come to hang out with me and Lincoln.
But I’d seen the way his eyes had widened when I’d told them I could score them two tickets.
They didn’t live too far from LA, so they’d used their mom’s car and made the trip here.
Lincoln had gotten them a room next door to ours tonight, and we’d all spend the day together tomorrow before we headed back to New York and they went home.
“Yep. Apparently, they just found Georgia,” he said, as he glanced down at his phone.
Georgia
I’m with Romeo and Tia. We are already practically best friends.
Cage
Where the fuck are you people? Mom just stopped to pee for the ninth time since we left the hotel. Apparently, she’s nervous and has the bladder of a Labrador puppy. And Dad is talking to every stranger we see like they’re old friends. They all know that Finn is his son.
Let them take this in. It’s a big deal. How about you check your grumpy attitude at the door?
Cage
I’m sorry that my attitude is hindering you, Brinks. You’ve got your man, you’ve got a new house, a new job, and now you aren’t sulking like a big baby anymore, so now you’re the attitude police?
Bite me, Cage. I’ve always been the attitude police. Don’t be a hater.
Finn
Hey, no fighting today. Let Mom pee as much as her bladder requires. I’m heading to the lobby now to meet you.
When we got to the lobby, it was like a Reynolds family reunion. Everyone was there, aside from Gracie, who’d stayed back at home and was having a sleepover at her best friend Piper’s house.
Jenny and Grant Murphy were here. They were my parents’ closest friends, and their daughter, Reese and Finn had been best friends since they took their first steps.
I knew Finn had been pretty miserable with Reese living in London, as they’d always been inseparable.
He’d been bummed that she’d be missing his big premiere, but she was swamped with work, and it was a long way to travel for one night.
We all hugged, and I made introductions as I took Tia and Romeo around to meet everyone.
“I can’t believe I’m going to my first premiere ever,” Tia said as she gushed to my superstar brother.
“Well, I’m honored that you came,” Finn said to her before wrapping an arm around me and hugging me tight before doing the same to Lincoln.
He then pulled out some kind of bracelet and tied it around Lincoln’s wrist. I glanced around to see Cage, Hugh, Maddox, and Wyle wearing them, as well, which made me laugh.
“Is that Finnegan Charles Reynolds, a.k.a. the movie star?” a voice called out, and we all gasped to see Reese standing there.
“Holy shit. I can’t believe you’re here!” Finn yelled before scooping her up and spinning her around, her feet leaving the floor.
They had always just been Finn and Reese.
They were Cottonwood Cove’s favorite besties because they got into endless antics together and were always laughing and having a good time.
I knew there had been tension with Reese’s ex-fiancé because he and Finn had never really gotten along, and it had been a bone of contention for years.
“Who’s that?” Tia asked, her eyes wide as she watched them gushing over one another.
“Damn, Tia, it’s none of your business.” Romeo shook his head and shot a look at Lincoln that basically said, welcome to my life.
“It’s okay to be curious about people. Is that his girlfriend? She’s gorgeous.” She glared at her brother.
“Well, thank you. That beautiful girl is my daughter,” Jenny said, as she and my mom walked up behind us. They both pulled out their phones and stood there, taking photos of them hugging. “And boy, do we wish they were dating.”
My mom chuckled. “We always thought it would happen, but they never crossed the line. But they sure are cute together. They’ve always been one another’s biggest cheerleaders.”
“It’s stupid. They should get a room and do the deed.” Cage raised a brow and crossed his arms over his chest.
“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that,” Grant said as he and Dad snuck up on us, and we all laughed at the warning look that he shot Cage.
“You all knew she was coming, didn’t you?” I asked.
My mom and Jenny nodded and spoke at the same time. “We did.”
“Are you kidding? These two always know what’s going on. I wasn’t told until ten minutes ago,” my father said. “Apparently, they thought I would slip and tell everyone.”
“You’re a little loose-lipped.” Hugh chuckled. “If I want to know anything, you’re the one I go to.”
“What? I’m a vault.” My father held his hands up in defense.
“Dad, you’re a vault with a broken lock. But I’m grateful. I never know who the fuck is pissed at me and what I did. I can always get you to tell me.”
“Well, there’s a strategy there. I’m a peacekeeper.” My father winked at my mother.
“A very handsome peacekeeper.” Mom waggled her brows, and Cage rolled his eyes.
We were all chuckling and having a good time.
“Who the fuck is this?” someone hissed, and I whipped around to see Jessica Carson in a black-sequined gown that hugged her curves all the way down to the ground.
I imagined the woman couldn’t eat so much as a single pistachio wearing that dress.
Her breasts looked painfully lifted, and her strides were short due to the mermaid-style fitted gown, but it was clear she was on a mission.
Her makeup gave her an airbrushed look, and even though she had the features of a gorgeous woman, she looked a bit scary at the moment.
Angry.
Enraged.
A little off-kilter.
“Oh my God. It’s Jessica Carson,” Tia whispered with her eyes wide as saucers. “She was the lead in my favorite Disney show a few years ago.”
“She doesn’t look like a Disney character right now. She looks kind of terrifying.” Lincoln leaned in and kept his voice low.
“Like boil-a-bunny-in-the-pot type of unhinged, right?” Cage said. “This is why you don’t dunk your pen in the company ink.”
My parents and the Murphys weren’t listening to us; they were too busy watching the scene unfold in front of us.
In the middle of the lobby of the most popular theatre in Los Angeles.
We were early, and Finn would have to step back outside and walk the red carpet soon. He’d just met us here before everything got started.
“He slept with her?” Lincoln asked, keeping his voice low.
Hugh leaned in. “He technically didn’t sleep with her. They hooked up one time. He got some red flags and backed way off.”
“Well, there’s a little bit of a gray area there,” Cage reminded him, and we all grew quiet when she stopped in front of them, and Finn set Reese’s feet on the ground.
“This is my best friend, Reese Murphy. And you need to pull yourself together. This is a big day for both of us. Let’s tone down the outbursts, yeah?” Finn said, which, for my brother, was about as harsh as he got.
He usually let things roll off his shoulders. But he’d always been different when it came to Reese.
“Hey, Jessica. Congrats on the show. I know it’s going to be a huge hit. I can’t wait to see it.” Reese extended her arm.
Jessica looked down and glared at her hand before Reese pulled it back to her side. “Listen, bestie. He and I are walking the red carpet together. Because we’re together. So, there will be no public hugging and carrying on amongst you two. You got it?” she seethed.
“I wish I had some popcorn right now,” Cage whispered, and Lila swatted him in the chest.
“She definitely gets right to the point,” Maddox said, and his brother barked out a laugh.
“That’s one way of saying it.” Wyle smirked. “She’s fucking unhinged.”
“What the hell are you doing, Jessica? You don’t get to speak to her that way.
You are completely out of control. I’ll meet you in the back to walk out together, and we can continue the conversation there.
Not here, in front of my family and friends.
” Finn’s voice was colder than I’d ever heard it, and Jessica’s head snapped up and moved in our direction.
She walked toward us, and I squeezed Lincoln’s hand, unsure of what she was going to do.
“Hey, y’all. You must be Finn’s family. I’m his better half, Jessica.”
She’d completely transformed her tone and was acting sugary sweet. None of us said a word as she’d basically just been a complete asshole to Reese.
And Reese was part of the family. She was also one of the nicest people I’d ever known.
“Well, we will definitely have to catch up later. It was so great to meet y’all. I’ll see you in a bit.” She had a wide smile on her face and waved before turning on her heels and marching away.
Reese walked toward us, eyes wide as she winced. “Well, that didn’t go so well.”
I opened my arms and hugged her before introducing her to Lincoln and his siblings. She made her way around the group.
“Do you see what I’m dealing with?” Finn said, rubbing his temples. My parents and the Murphys were taking turns hugging and fussing over Reese.
“I warned you, brother.” Cage raised a brow.
“I didn’t sleep with her,” Finn said through gritted teeth, glancing at my parents to make sure they weren’t listening.
“I think there’s some confusion there,” Hugh said over his laughter.
“How is one confused about whether or not they slept with a woman?” Lincoln asked, his brows cinched together.
“Well, it’s sort of a tip thing.” Georgia burst out in laughter as the words left her mouth.
“Oh my gosh, are we back to the tip debate?” Reese said as she stepped into our little huddle. “I told you not to go there, Finny.”
My brothers, Georgia, and Reese were all laughing hysterically, and everyone else looked completely confused.
“He dipped the tip of the, er, company pen into the wanton ink. Just the tip, though.” Cage smirked. Everyone fell back in laughter.
Yes. Finn had shared his little escapade that had gone awry with us, and apparently, he’d told Reese what happened, as well.
“It’s not funny,” Finn hissed. “She was all over me. I’m human. Things got heated, and she was on top of me.” He glanced around nervously.
“And?” Maddox asked, looking between us.
“Well, we sort of started, I mean, just the slightest bit.” He shrugged.
“He’s trying to say that the tip made contact…” Hugh covered his mouth with his hand to hide his smile.
“And then she fucking bit me. Hard. I still have a scar.” He shivered dramatically as he rubbed his shoulder.
“I called it off. There were some major red flags. Like the fact that she gouged me with her nails and drew blood right before she sank her teeth into me like a fucking vampire. I got the hell out of there, but she wouldn’t accept the fact that I didn’t want to take things further.
And we work together, so I’ve just sort of ignored it.
Now, she’s acting like we’re together. Nothing has happened since. ”
“Since you bumped her with the tip of your dick?” Cage said dryly.
“Well, yes. That is exactly what happened. And look at how she just acted. Thank God she didn’t get the whole package.” He waggled his brows. “Let’s just say that my agent is not pleased about the situation.”
“It’ll be fine. You’ll have some space between filming now, so it will all blow over.” Reese bumped him with her shoulder, and I watched as all the tension left his face. “This is your big night. And I’m here, so…”
“I’m so fucking happy you’re here.” He kissed the top of her head.
“Finn, they’re calling you,” my mother said, hurrying over to straighten his bow tie. “Get out there. We’ll see you inside.”
“Okay. Find Angelique. She’ll take you to your seats. Dylan just texted that they were all pulling up now. Angelique has a row reserved for them, too.” Angelique was Finn’s agent.
He hurried off just as Angelique came walking our way. I’d met her a few times when I’d visited Finn on set. She ushered us inside the theatre and whispered in my ear.
“It’s a real shitshow with this Jessica Carson situation. I warned him to be careful. It’s no secret that the woman is always in the midst of a lot of drama. And I’ve heard she’s got it bad for Finn.”
“Oh, I think you are spot on. I just witnessed a bit of a meltdown.” I chuckled.
She shook her head. “Never a dull moment. You guys enjoy. This row is yours. Your cousins have the row behind you.”
We all shuffled around and found our seats just as Uncle Jack waved at us, and they all made their way over to their assigned seats.
Lincoln was beside me, and he leaned close, whispering in my ear. “All that sex talk has me ready to haul your ass back to the hotel.”
My teeth sank into my bottom lip as I turned to look at him. “You’re insatiable.”
“Only with you, sweetheart.”
I wouldn’t have it any other way.