Chapter 6
HE’S LIKE A LAbrADOR IN WORK BOOTS.
Scottie
After three hours of tossing and turning last night, I ended up in the little kitchenette with my notepad and paper, drawing rough sketches of the house and the way I envision it when we’re all done.
It wasn’t the best idea to skip sleep, but knowing I’m staying on his property and that he agreed to date me for the show, there was no way I was drifting off anytime soon.
It’s absurd, really.
People run into exes and one-night stands all the time.
But Tucker isn’t just anyone.
And most people aren’t in a position to pretend to date their one-night stands.
That night felt like it meant something, even though I knew better. He kissed me like he meant it. He memorized every inch of my body like he didn’t want to forget, then disappeared the next morning.
Now, the two times I’ve seen him, my stomach turned over so hard I could barely breathe.
He looks the same as he did the day I met him.
He’s got this charm I can’t fucking escape, no matter how hard I try.
My body and my brain seem to be in a constant battle when he’s around.
One is begging to touch him again—let him in.
While the other hates him for making me feel used that night.
No wonder the producers see chemistry.
There’s no way I’m going to be able to make this look real for the cameras, feeling this way about him.
I laugh out loud in the empty room. “Get it together, Scottie. It was a one-night stand.” I roll my eyes. “What the hell did you expect from a stranger?”
Now I’m talking to myself. Great.
Exhaling, I reach for my phone on the table to send Andrea a text about our decision to go ahead with her idea, only to pause when I see a flood of notifications waiting from my recent post revealing the news about the season and start of filming.
This is amazing news! I’m so proud of you!
Can’t wait for this next season now!
You are goals! I can’t wait to watch you Nail It!
The comments don’t stop. Hundreds of affirmations from strangers who think they know me, but truly only know the perfectly curated, bright-and-bold version I let the world see. The version that makes me feel like I’m enough despite what my mom always reminds me of.
It’s only then that my smile falls. If only everyone could see me now—hair sticking out in three different directions, mascara smudged, and an old baggy tee with the neck stretched so taut that it looks like a U-neck.
Oh, and shaky hands at the thought of pretending to date someone.
I shake off the negative thoughts and send the text to Andrea before I can go back on my decision, because I have to start getting ready to head out to be at the house on time.
It’s day one of filming, and we’re doing all the before shots of the inside and outside of the home, plus a few short interviews needed for the first episode.
Once I’m showered and hair done in loose waves around my face, I rummage through the clothes I brought with me. I hold up a solid light green V-neck blouse and shake my head. My eyes widen when I look down, and I smile when I see I remembered to pack one of my favorite shirts.
It’s a vibrant button-down blouse that bursts with painterly shapes in hues of coral, violet, teal, and tangerine.
Its colors come alive in the outdoor sun but remain bold indoors.
Since we’re going to be walking around the broken down home, I settle on wearing a pair of light wash, high-waisted denim jeans that are loose enough to move freely.
Finishing the look with a pair of all-white sneakers, I step back to assess myself in the mirror.
It’s nothing my mom would approve of, which means it’s perfect.
Squaring my shoulders, I give myself one last look. “Let’s do this.”
I need caffeine and sugar. So, with time to spare, I decide to detour to Batter Up, the bakery and Cozy Cup, the coffee shop next door to the bakery, which Nan had told me was a must.
My nerves are staging a full-scale mutiny over filming today.
When I step through the front doors of Batter Up, the scent hits me first—butter, sugar, and something that resembles caramel.
While the woman with long copper-red hair, tied back in a ponytail, helps another customer with a friendly smile, I take that moment to browse the display case.
Rows of muffins, croissants, and cupcakes gleam under the glass.
“Hi, what can I get for you?”
“Everything,” I say before I can stop myself. “Everything looks too pretty to eat and I could use a hefty dose sugar and zero judgment.”
She laughs, and it’s soft and welcoming. “Lucky for you, we specialize in both,” she answers proudly before the kitchen door swings open, slamming against the counter behind it. The woman behind the counter and I both snap our heads in that direction.
“Oops, sorry. Swung the door a little too—” The woman stops, taking me in, her eyes widening. “No way! Are you Scottie? As in my favorite DIY influencer, Scottie?”
I blink, caught off guard. I’m used to being one of many names on someone’s feed or an account you scroll past, but not the one you single out. Not someone’s favorite.
“Your favorite?” I say with a small, disbelieving laugh slipping out. “I’m glad you like my stuff. I just…wow. That’s really nice to hear.”
“Are you kidding? Some of those accounts out there make everything look…unrealistic to attempt. Yours feels doable. Like real people could pull it off.”
Her words are opposite of what I normally hear. Where my mom says things aren’t polished enough or impressive enough, this stranger just told me that’s what she loves most about it. And that’s what I’ve always tried to show. If I can do it, anyone can.
“I appreciate that.”
“And,” she continues, “I saw your post announcement for the upcoming season of Nailed It or Failed It and saw it was going to be filmed here, and I squealed!”
“I’m excited about it,” I say, smiling wide and matching her energy. “I’m just trying not to throw up on my first day of filming.”
The first woman hands me a box filled with six assorted muffins. “Then you need the breakfast of champions.”
Looking down through the little window hole of the box, my mouth waters thinking about how good these will be. “Thank you. How much?”
She waves me off. “On the house.” She extends her hand across the counter. “I’m Lily, by the way. I own the bakery.”
“Wow, thank you. This place is so cute,” I say, looking around. “I feel like I can get lost in the smell alone. You need to bottle it up and put it in a candle.”
She puts both hands on her hips. “You know what, we should!”
“And I’m Blair,” the other woman says, extending her hand across the counter. “I promise I’m not really a crazy person. My sister and I both follow you and love your work. I’m just so excited you’re here.”
“Me too. But definitely nervous,” I admit.
“Oh, that’s right, you’re working on that old abandoned house on Redwood Ave., right?”
I nod. “It’s actually my grandmother’s old place. The house is in rough shape.”
“You’re not kidding,” Lily says. “But word around town is you have a good crew!”
Blair faces Lily. “If Tucker is part of that crew, she’s going to need a steady sugar drip to keep up with him.”
“Facts,” Lily says with a finger pointed in Blair’s direction.
My stomach twists at the sound of his name.
I hate how quickly my brain thinks of his easy grin, full confidence, and the feeling I felt every time his eyes met mine last night.
The easy way out of this and pretending his name doesn’t do something to me, would be to change the subject or bring up muffins or something. But the words tumble out of me anyway.
“You…you two know Tucker?”
“He’s my cousin,” Lily says, facing me. “He’s a pain in the ass, but the good kind. And he’s really good at his job.”
Blair nods in agreement. “You’re either going to want to laugh at him or throw something at him. Oftentimes it’s both.”
A short, surprising laugh slips out before I can stop it, and I press my lips together like I can shove the sound back down. Apparently, I’m not the only one who’s noticed his talent for getting under someone’s skin.
“Don’t worry,” Lily says, noticing my expression. “If he gives you any trouble, remind him that I’m the only reason he gets free cinnamon buns.”
“And if he gets grumpy,” Blair adds, “just feed him. He’s like a Labrador in work boots. Carbs will calm him down.”
I smile. “I’ll have to keep that in my back pocket.”
“Good. And in case you need the reminder, you’ll do great today.”
“You think?”
The smile that spreads across Lily’s face is proud—too proud maybe, for someone who only knows me through a screen. It makes me feel off balance and caught somewhere between unease and comfort.
“You have that look people get before they do something that scares the hell out of them,” Lily says. “Scary means it’s something that matters.”
My throat tightens, and I don’t know what to say back because she’s right.
This isn’t just nerves about a strict schedule or a camera crew following me around.
It’s the aching hope deep inside of me that this might finally be the thing that changes my life around.
That changes how people see me—how my mom sees me.
This isn’t just a successful renovation if I pull this off; it’s proof that I didn’t make the wrong choice when I didn’t go down the corporate path and chose to follow my heart.
It’s proof that I can build something solid enough to be able to stand on my own.
That’s actually what’s at stake.
Not the house.
Me.
“And if you need a place to hide from the cameras, we’ve got you,” Blair chimes in.
I blink, gaze bouncing between the two of them. “But you barely know me.”
“Town rule.” Lily shrugs. “If you stay here, even for a short period, you’re one of us. Which means we have your back.”
Some of the tension in my shoulders ease and warmth surges through my chest at the idea of a friendship blossoming with these two.
I don’t really have true, good friends back home.
I have the type of friends who reach out when they need something from me.
When they need help with refinishing a dresser, or questions about how I got a particular brand deal online.
Other than that, I never hear from them.
And it hurts. It really fucking hurts to feel like you don’t have anyone.
A smile crests my lips. “Thank you.”
Lily reaches into her back pocket, pulling out her cell phone. “Here, put your number in and I’ll text you so you have mine.”
“Send it to me, too, Lil,” Blair says, leaning over her shoulder before looking at me. “I was once the out-of-towner here too. We have to stick together.” She smiles brightly.
Normally, I’d hesitate. I’d tell myself it’s too soon to trust people who feel this kind so quickly. But coming here already meant saying yes to something out of the ordinary for me. So I push past the instinct to keep my life small and type my number in her phone before handing it back to her.
“Have the best first day filming, girl,” Lily says with a wave. “You’re going to do amazing.”
“Agreed,” Blair says with a curt nod.
“Thank you,” I say, smiling as I turn and leave the bakery.
When I step onto the sidewalk again, I breathe in the mountain air.
I still don’t know for sure if I’m about to change my life.
But I do know I’m ready to try.