Chapter 29
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
DANA
I wrapped my arm around Emily’s waist as we took in the barn’s interior, which had been transformed over the last couple weeks. The sets from The Christmas Tree Farm were still intact, and a showcase of photos and props were set up with their accompanying stories and fun facts.
“This is incredible, Emily,” I said, turning my attention to her. “You’ve done an amazing job.”
“Well, Roz and Olivia helped a lot. And all these pictures are hung very nicely too.” Emily grinned at me.
“Why thank you.” I smiled. I’d done all the drilling. “My personal favorite is ‘The fake snow incident.’” I pointed at the photo of Emily standing on a ladder next to the Christmas tree with white foam covering her.
The last two weeks had been incredible. I loved waking up with Emily, seeing her throughout the day, then cooking dinner together before finally falling into bed. My throat constricted. It would all be over soon.
But we had to face reality at some point. Actresses didn’t move to small-towns like Sapphire Springs. They lived in big cities like LA or New York.
The barn door creaked, and Emily stepped back abruptly before Roz entered.
My arm fell from Emily’s waist and I bit back a sigh.
Having to constantly stop myself from touching her or delivering flirty comments while around anyone else was posing quite the challenge.
But Emily wanted to keep our relationship under wraps, even from my friends.
“We’re getting quite a crowd out there,” Roz said. “Are you ready to start?”
“Yes, we’ll come out now,” Emily said, starting for the door.
We blinked as the bright winter sunshine hit us and Emily stopped, her eyes wide.
“Wow,” she said. “There really is quite a crowd.”
A sea of locals was gathered on the grass in front of the barn.
“I guess having a movie filmed here is the most exciting thing that’s happened to Sapphire Springs for years,” I said as I scanned the crowd, spotting several familiar faces. “Roz must be thrilled.”
Roz attached ribbon across the barn door, looking as cool and collected as usual.
“You’ll be great.” I resisted the urge to squeeze Emily’s hand in support. “I’ll go join the others.”
I found George, Hannah, Blake, Jenny, and Olivia as Emily joined Roz next to the ribbon.
Roz raised a microphone and cleared her throat.
“Thank you everyone for coming to the opening of Red Tractor Farm’s latest attraction—The Christmas Tree Farm Movie Museum.”
The audience broke into applause. Roz waited for it to subside.
“Now, as you know, in November HolLove filmed The Christmas Tree Farm here on Red Tractor Farm, and tonight it will be premiering on the HolLove Channel.” Another cheer went up. George whooped so loudly it sent my ears ringing.
“Sorry,” she murmured, wincing. “I got a little carried away.”
As Roz continued, my thoughts drifted back to Emily.
We were going back to Brooklyn this weekend.
Emily had arranged to meet Charles for coffee, and I was going for moral support.
I took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, trying to loosen the tension in my chest. If Emily was so uncomfortable with Roz catching any sign of affection between us, how would she be in Brooklyn?
Maybe I shouldn’t go with her to New York. Except, I couldn’t leave her to speak with Charles alone, especially after I said I’d be there.
Roz started to wrap up. “Now I’ll hand this over to the star of the movie herself, Emily Rossi, who has been key in bringing the museum together and generously shared many entertaining stories with us. Thank you, Emily, for all your hard work. Emily Rossi, everyone!”
The crowd cheered as Roz handed the microphone over to Emily, and I pushed my worries to the side.
“Thanks, Roz, and thank you everyone for coming out today to celebrate the opening of the museum,” Emily said.
“I’ve really enjoyed my time here, filming scenes on this gorgeous farm and in Sapphire Springs, from Novel Gossip, with their delicious coffee and food” —I glanced at George, who was grinning widely—“to Main Street, the General Store and the ice-skating rink. And most importantly, I met so many wonderful locals who welcomed me into their lives, their homes, and their hearts. So much so, that when Roz gave me the opportunity to help with the museum, I jumped at the chance. Thank you everyone for being so welcoming. For being extras, letting us use your farms and cafés and putting up with any disruption we caused. I hope you all love the museum and the film. With that, I formally announce The Christmas Tree Farm Movie Museum open!”
She lifted a giant pair of scissors and cut the red ribbon tied across the front door. The crowd erupted into a roar of cheers and clapping.
“Thanks again for coming, everyone,” Roz said once the cheers had died down. “For those who want to see the museum, please form a line. If you’d prefer to go enjoy the café or buy a Christmas tree and then come back later when it’s less busy, you’re very welcome to do that. Enjoy.”
Emily made her way toward us, stopping to greet locals as she went, shaking hands and exchanging hugs. She stopped for a selfie with three ladies with graying hair.
I squinted. “Hey George, is that your mom?” I nodded in the direction of the trio.
George followed my gaze and then chuckled. “Yes. She’s very excited about the movie. She’s told all her friends back in Florida to watch tonight and keep an eye out for Novel Gossip and me. I’ve been trying to temper her expectations—for all we know, they might have cut the scene altogether."
“I can’t wait to see the movie and the museum,” Jenny said, pulling her sunglasses up so they sat on her head. “Although that line is already very long. Perhaps we should grab coffee at the café and come back when it’s less busy?”
A woman with long brown hair, a black pea coat over black jeans and boots, walked up to Emily. She said something, and Emily’s face fell.
I stiffened. What was going on?
“I might catch up with you guys later,” I said.
Who was the woman, and what did she say to Emily? Could she be sent by the director, Phillip, to threaten Emily?
My fists clenched at the thought. I picked up my stride.
As I reached Emily and the woman, I caught a few words.
“…I just wanted to introduce myself in person, to see if you had any questions.”
Emily looked stunned, as if she was still processing whatever the woman had said to her.
“Hey, you did a great job, Emily,” I said, resisting the urge to wrap a protective arm around her. “Sorry for interrupting. I’m Dana.”
I reached out my hand, and the woman held it with a firm grip, which I made sure I matched.
“I’m Rebecca Maguire,” she said.
Emily turned to me. “She’s the reporter writing the article about Phillip.”
I clenched my jaw. Today should be about celebrating Emily’s film, not reliving past trauma. She’d probably tracked Emily down from the article in the local paper about the museum opening.
Did Emily need me to step in?
“Look, I appreciate you coming all the way out here,” Emily said to the reporter, “but I’m still not ready. I haven’t decided what to do yet. I need some more time.”
“I understand. I just wanted to meet you in person, let you know that I’m here if you have any questions,” Rebecca said gently.
“And that you’re not alone. It’s not going to be just your word against his.
We have one other woman willing to go on the record as well as a few that are willing to speak anonymously.
Because of the seriousness of the allegations, the paper is saying we need another named source before we can publish and the woman going on the record doesn’t want to be the only one, either. ”
Emily’s face softened slightly. “I’m sorry you’ve come all this way for nothing, but I will think about it. I promise I’ll let you know by next week at the latest. Is that okay?”
“Of course. You’ve got my details. I’ll be spending the next few hours in Sapphire Springs if you change your mind, and I’m always only a call or email away.”
Despite my hackles being up, Rebecca wasn’t like the snarky, hard?nosed reporter I’d imagined. It didn’t seem like she was only out for a story. It was hard to tell, of course, but it did seem like she really cared about Emily—or at least wanted to make sure she was making an informed decision.
“Thanks Rebecca.” Emily managed a weak smile.
Rebecca nodded. “No problem. Thanks for hearing me out. Lovely to meet you in person Emily. And lovely to meet you too, Dana. Well, I might go grab a spot in line so I can see the museum.”
“If you’re looking for a story,” I said, “I’m sure the owner Roz would appreciate it if you wrote an article about it for your paper.”
Rebecca chuckled. “I can’t make any promises, I’m afraid. But perhaps if I can find the right angle…”
I bet if we told her about Austin, she’d quickly find the right angle. But I doubted Emily would want that, and it was probably best to give Charles and HolLove an opportunity to deal with him first.
Rebecca turned and walked toward the end of the very long line.
“Are you okay?” I asked Emily.
“Yeah,” she said, pressing her lips together into a weak smile. “It was a bit of a shock, her showing up like that. But she seems pretty nice.”
I rubbed my thumb on my chin. “What are you going to do?”
“I will think about it—maybe tomorrow, after the premiere. Talk through it with you, if you’re still happy to listen, of course. And then hopefully come to a decision. But I’m not going to worry about it for the rest of the day.”
“Well, we’ve got a few hours until we have to be at Roz’s for the movie night,” I said, my voice dropping. “We can meet the others at the café. Or I could distract you from your opening night nerves with another form of entertainment.” I raised my eyebrows.
Emily leaned slightly closely, her mouth curving up. “I like the sound of the second option.”