Meghan

Meghan had been going through her days as if everything was fine, but at the back of her mind, the Christmas special—and the fact that the producers wanted to oust her own family—had her worried.

“Maybe we should just cancel it,” she told Nick the morning of the rehearsal.

“Don’t be crazy. The worst thing that could happen is that your real family doesn’t get to be a part of it, and you know they’ll understand. It’s not like it was your decision.”

It was true, and that’s why it bothered her. For years, her career had been mishandled by a self-serving manager. It was time for Meghan to be in control of her own future, but that meant standing up to pushy television executives.

And she didn’t want a reputation of being a diva.

A housekeeper had been in the day before, but Meghan still had the duster out when the doorbell rang. She stashed the filthy rag in a drawer and wondered out loud why she hadn’t just told her family there was a chance they wouldn’t be in the special after all, but the only reply was dead air.

Meghan opened the door to find Liz and her entourage shivering on the front porch.

“This is the most frigid, coldest place,” Liz said. “How can you stand to live here when you could be anywhere else?” She came into the entryway and peeled off a too-thin jacket to reveal a wisp of a blouse. No wonder she was freezing.

“I made coffee for you guys. It’ll warm you right up.” Meghan watched as the group of them pushed inside, chattering about camera angles and lighting challenges.

“We could’ve filmed a Hawaiian Christmas special, you know,” Liz said. “You are a famous musician.”

Meghan smiled. “I like it here.”

Liz shook her head. “That’s something I don’t think I could ever understand.” She walked into the living room and watched the others moving furniture and setting up shots. Before long, Meghan’s quaint cottage looked more like a television set.

“I thought this was just a rehearsal,” Meghan said as they removed a large family photo from over the fireplace and replaced it with a wreath.

“It is, but we need to map everything out. Once we do, we’ll need to keep the set just as we leave it until after the show. And we’ll most likely be filming some filler today just in case the timing is off somehow. It’s always better to have more to work with than to be scrambling around.” Liz turned her attention to her iPad.

“Liz, I wonder if I could talk with you before we get started?”

The woman glanced up and met Meghan’s eyes. “Of course.”

“I want you to reconsider using my real family and my Sweethaven friends. I don’t feel right about using actors—it seems like a lie.”

Liz hugged the iPad to her chest. “Why don’t we see how it goes today and then we can revisit this afterward? If, after you meet everyone, you still feel the same, we’ll discuss it, but with the time crunch we may not be able to do much to change anything.”

“They’re all coming today. Just meet them. My mom and brother, my friends.” Meghan hated how desperate she sounded, begging this preschooler for her own way. She was Meghan Rhodes, for crying out loud. Shouldn’t they be asking her what to do?

But the sad fact was, she needed this Christmas special more than they needed her.

Liz held her gaze for a long, condescending moment and then pursed her lips. “Fine. We’ll consider it. Do any of them sing?”

Meghan nodded. “My mom and brother can both sing. In fact, they filmed Luke singing with me at the christmas concert.”

“Fine. Bring them to me when they get here.”

The front door swung open and Luke walked in, followed by Campbell. Liz raised a brow. “Who’s that?”

“That’s Luke, my little brother.”

“All right, Meghan. He’s in. I can’t promise anything about the rest of them.” She tossed another glance in Luke’s direction, as if she were sizing up her prey. “But he is definitely in.”

Meghan tossed up her arms and walked away.

*   *   *   *   *

Campbell

Campbell’s realization that she had let herself fall in love with Luke didn’t come at the best time. Now, she found herself anticipating his proposal every time she saw him. Earlier, as she put on her makeup, she imagined what it would be like for him to get down on one knee during the filming. Sure, the special was about Meghan’s small-town Christmas, but a proposal would make for good television, wouldn’t it?

She’d patted gloss over her lips as she studied her closet, trying to decide what she’d want to wear on the day her boyfriend asked her to marry him.

On the way over, Campbell glanced down at her bare left hand and envisioned the ring on her fourth finger. Although the ring was a bit much for someone unassuming like her, she’d decided not to complain. How could she even consider such a thing when Luke had obviously spent way more money than she would ever expect picking out the perfect ring to symbolize his love?

Now, standing in Meghan’s dining room, Campbell found herself fidgeting and nervous.

Was the ring in his coat pocket? Or perhaps he’d taken it to Meghan’s earlier? She reminded herself to slow down. Luke might have other plans for proposing. Like a candlelit dinner for the two of them. If it didn’t happen today, she knew it would happen soon.

But the anticipation was driving her crazy.

“You okay?” Luke glanced down at her.

“Sure. Just a little nervous. I’ve never been on TV before.”

And I’ve never been proposed to before.

“You’ll be fine. Just sit there and look beautiful.” He kissed the top of her head.

She smiled. “I’m only going to be in the background.”

“Singing Christmas carols,” Luke said. “You can handle that, right?”

“I don’t sing,” Campbell said.

“Just mouth along with the words.”

“Lip-synching. Nice.” Campbell laughed. “By the way, I didn’t know you sing.”

“I don’t anymore.”

“You should. You were really good at the concert.” She faced him and smiled.

“How about I reserve my musical talents for you? I only did that because Meghan begged me.”

Campbell looked around Meghan’s cottage. She wondered what it had looked like before Nick renovated it as a gift to Meghan. She knew Luke had helped transform the old place, but she had no way to measure his talent.

Judging by the way the house looked, though, she could see he was a talented architect. But he’d traded all that for the simple life and how only consulted with his old firm.

In the front room, cameras were being set up, the cords and equipment cluttering the perimeter of the entire space.

The crew worked together to transform the room, talking through the details of the filming, but most of it didn’t make much sense to Campbell.

Lila and Tom arrived next, followed by Jane and then Adele, dressed in a Christmas sweater with actual ornaments on it.

“Ma, you came in costume,” Luke said.

“Getting into the Christmas spirit.” Adele winked at him. “Do you think it’s too much?”

Luke started to respond and then closed his mouth. Thankfully, before Adele could chide him, Meghan appeared in the doorway.

“So, there are a few things we’re still working out,” Meghan said. “This is Liz and she’s going to help us muddle through this rehearsal.”

Liz stepped forward, iPad in hand, and cast a look across the room. “Where’s your brother, Meghan? Oh, there you are.” Her eyes twinkled as they settled on Luke. “We want you front and center, right over there on the couch next to Tasha.” She pulled Luke by the arm into the living room, where he was greeted by a petite brunette with almond-shaped eyes and perfect skin.

“Scoot in real close, like you’re a couple,” Liz said. “We really want that cozy feeling.”

“Then why don’t you let him be cozy with his real-life girlfriend?” Adele asked with a glance in Campbell’s direction.

“Mama, please.”

“I’m just confused is all, darlin’. Why would you need anyone to pretend to be cozy with Luke when Campbell is right here?”

Meghan sighed. “I’m sorry, you guys. I didn’t know it, but they have to use actors to play my friends and family.”

“Luke’s not an actor,” Adele said.

“Except for Luke. You can all be in the background, but the foreground will be trained singers and actors.”

Luke shot Campbell a look from the other room, and she didn’t know whether to laugh at how uncomfortable he seemed or cry at how much she hated seeing another woman by his side.

What about the proposal?

“So who’s playing your mother?” Adele asked, her arms crossed over her chest.

“No one. They’ve decided to keep the crowd . . . younger,” Meghan said.

Adele tossed her an annoyed look.

“I know, Mama. Believe me, I’m not happy about this at all. But with the music, they need singers.”

Adele’s chin notched upwards. “I am a singer, darlin’.”

“It’s okay, Meghan,” Lila said. “I’m so bloated today they probably couldn’t fit all of me in one frame anyway.”

“Can we stay and watch though?” Jane asked. “I’ve never been around a real TV crew.”

Meghan’s smile was weak. “Of course. And I’ll treat you all to dinner as soon as this charade is over.”

“Do you at least get your real husband?” Adele quipped.

Meghan sighed, then looked at Campbell. “I’m sorry, hon,” she said. “I know it’s weird to see Luke with a pretend girlfriend.”

“It’s okay,” Campbell said, waving her hand, even as a lump of disappointment formed in her stomach. To think she’d actually concocted another whole proposal.

“Thanks for understanding, you guys.”

“Meghan!” Liz called her from the other room. “We’re about ready.”

Meghan turned back and looked at the rest of them. “Duty calls.”

She walked into the living room, leaving the rest of them staring, unsure of what to do next.

“I feel weird,” Lila said. “Maybe we should go.”

“I’m not goin’ anywhere,” Adele said. “I’m sure if those fuddy-dud producers would look up from their phones for one second they’d see they are making a terrible mistake. Who is that girl with her arm around Luke?”

“I guess this is how the girlfriends of movie stars feel, huh?” Jane said.

“Yeah, and now you know why the divorce rate in Hollywood is so high.” Lila shook her head, then glanced at Campbell. “Not that you have anything to worry about, of course.”

“At this point,” Liz said, her attention on Luke, “we’re going to have you sing a little bit with Meghan, but when everyone joins in the chorus, I want you and Tasha to have a moment.”

“A moment?” Luke looked confused.

“Like a little something special just between the two of you. A glance, a smile. Make us think you’re in love.”

Campbell could feel Jane and Lila’s eyes on her.

She pressed her lips together and pretended she was fine, but Campbell didn’t like this one bit—feeling like an outsider with her own boyfriend.

“If she tells that girl to kiss him, I’m going to come unglued,” Adele said. “Campbell, honey, why don’t we go into the kitchen?”

“No,” Campbell said. “It’s fine. Luke’s obviously even more uncomfortable than I am.”

No sooner had she said the words than the pretend girlfriend whispered something that made Luke laugh. Really laugh—not a fake one, for the camera.

They all stared for another long moment. The producer walked over to Luke and the brunette. “You two make a great-looking couple. Luke, when you and Meghan sing the duet, would you mind singing right to Tasha here? We want to convey the feeling of a romantic Christmas.”

“On second thought, maybe you’re right,” Campbell said. “Would one of you take me home?”

Without hesitation, and perfectly on cue, all three of the other women said in unison, “I will.”