Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 57350 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 287(@200wpm)___ 229(@250wpm)___ 191(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57350 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 287(@200wpm)___ 229(@250wpm)___ 191(@300wpm)
Ewan glanced around. “Looks like a bunch of plants and flowers to me.”
Bianca spread her arms wide, taking in the entire shop. “This is wonderful.”
Boyd grinned. “Do you want to wander around, or would you like me to show you the inventory?”
She glanced out the windows again, already planning layouts in her mind. “I’m going to walk around first,” she added. “Could I grab a notepad?”
“Of course.” Boyd picked one up from the counter and handed it to her. He wore a blue checked flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled to his forearms and a pair of faded jeans. His dark hair had been brushed back from his face, and the late sunlight catching the windows gave him a relaxed, easy look. “Hey,” he said casually. “I heard there might be extras in the film.”
Bianca took a pen from her purse and clicked it open.
“If I give you a discount on flowers,” Boyd added, “do you think you could get me into the movie?”
She laughed. “I can definitely sign you up as an extra, but I can’t promise anyone makes the final cut.” She scribbled a quick note at the top of the page. “The director and editors decide what stays, but I can put you into a few scenes.”
“Perfect,” he said. “Ten percent off.”
Bianca bounced once on her toes.
The front door opened again.
Maggie Willoughby stepped inside holding a small notebook. Her blond hair had been pulled into a loose braid, and dust clung to the hem of her jeans. “Hey, Boyd, I decided on those two lilac bushes over by the right side of the lot.” She stopped when she noticed Bianca. “Oh. Hi, Bianca.”
“Hi,” Bianca said brightly. “This is perfect timing. I was just about to pick the ornamental shrubs and flowers for the scenes around your house.” She lifted the notepad. “You can help me decide.” This couldn’t have worked out better.
“And I have a contract for you to sign,” Clancy added cheerfully.
The color drained from Maggie’s face. “Oh… yeah. About that.”
A knot dropped into Bianca’s stomach. “I can’t raise the offer any higher. We already pushed the budget to the limit.”
“No.” Maggie’s shoulders sagged. “We’ve decided not to accept the offer.” The words came out uneven and apologetic. “I’m really sorry.”
Bianca stared at her. The timeline flashed through her head like a countdown clock. The crew would arrive in forty-eight hours. They needed that ranch. “Maggie,” Bianca said slowly, “what happened?”
Maggie glanced toward Boyd and then back again. “Well… Boyd, Pike, and Adam heard we needed money.” She shifted her notebook from one hand to the other. “They didn’t want us taking money from the film company, so they loaned it to us.”
The words felt like thrown stones at Bianca.
Maggie winced. “We have to pay it back, of course. But it’s only four percent interest, and Daniel felt a lot better about that.” She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “We’re right in the middle of calving season,” she continued. “The ranch is busy enough as it is.”
“Did you say Adam?” Bianca asked, the name coming out sharper than she intended.
Maggie swallowed. “Yeah.”
“When was this decided?”
“Last night,” Maggie said quietly. “But we signed the papers this morning.”
For a moment Bianca couldn’t speak. Adam. He had known how important this contract was, and he’d still slept with her. Hadn’t mentioned a thing this morning, either. She was going to kill him.
Boyd cleared his throat, shifting his weight behind the counter. “Yeah, I’m really sorry about this, Bianca,” he said. “But the timing really is rough. We have to protect the ranch and the farmland around there. There’s quite a bit of it surrounding the house.” He hesitated before adding, “Do you still want to buy flowers?”
Bianca let out a strained laugh and threw both hands into the air. “I don’t have a place to put them.” Her pulse pounded in her ears. Randi was counting on her. The entire production team was counting on her, and she had just lost the primary location. What was she supposed to do now?
Maggie stepped closer, her expression full of regret. “I really am sorry about this,” she said. “But you could still film out by the mountain. There’s a huge section of land out there. Acres and acres. It’s far from the house.”
Boyd shook his head immediately. “No. If they’re not filming at the ranch, they should stay off the property altogether. They’d still have to cross ranch land to reach that area.”
“They don’t,” Maggie said quickly. “There’s an outside road that cuts around the back.” She looked at Bianca, almost hopeful. “For ten thousand dollars, we’ll let you film out there.”
Bianca felt the edge of panic closing in. The Willoughby contract had just collapsed. The crew would arrive in less than two days. Equipment trucks were already on the road. “Okay,” she said. “Let me get everything else figured out, and then maybe we can look at that property.”