The Bridesmaid's Proposal. Rebecca Winters

of honor at her mother’s wedding. Thus Carly had been chosen.

      Off the set, Elaine Hirsh, who played the part of Miranda, was a wonderful friend and support to Reese. When her aunt had died, Elaine and her husband, along with Alex, had been right there to comfort her and make sure she wasn’t alone.

      The whole cast had honored Lilian’s memory both on and off the set, but it was Elaine who’d taken Reese under her wing for real. Since the funeral they’d grown very close and had shared many private confidences despite their age difference.

      Elaine knew the real reason Reese was leaving the show. Because she could remember how painful it was to be in love and not be able to do anything about it, she was the one person who hadn’t tried to dissuade Reese from her plans. In front of the others she’d applauded her decision to go back to the university and get her degree.

      “Hey, Reese!”

      She looked over her shoulder and saw twenty-eight-year-old Leah headed toward her in one of those slinky dresses that made the most of her voluptuous figure.

      “That’s quite an outfit Wardrobe has put you in.”

      “I wouldn’t be caught dead in it otherwise.” They smiled at each other. “It’s the pits you’re leaving the show. You have no idea how much I’m going to miss trying to kill you off.”

      Reese chuckled in spite of her pain. “You’ll be getting your last chance today.”

      “True, but as usual I won’t succeed, and you will get to fly off into the sunset with the breathtaking Fabio.”

      “Don’t envy me. On our honeymoon, I get lost in the jungle, never to be seen again. You’ll have Mr Irresistible all to yourself.”

      Her married friend grinned. “Don’t I wish. So what’s the real deal on Alex?” she asked, lowering her voice. “Is he taken? Like in for keeps?”

      “Who wants to know?” Reese questioned noncommittally.

      “Sally. She’s had a crush on him forever.”

      Sally and a dozen other actresses.

      A shiver ran down Reese’s back. She rearranged the flowers in the basket she was carrying, making sure the certificate lay on top for easy access.

      “I don’t honestly know, Leah. Rumor has it there’s another woman, but he doesn’t share anything about his personal life with me.”

      “Well, if you don’t know, nobody else does, that’s for sure. Since your aunt’s funeral, he has seemed a lot more attentive around you. I thought maybe he confided in you.”

      “Afraid not. My aunt gave him some acting tips when he first came on the show. He liked her a lot, and knows I’ve missed her, so he’s been a good listening ear. That’s all.”

      “That’s not all. Take a look at him in that tux.”

      “I’m looking.” Reese had already sensed him coming before she’d actually caught sight of his tall, fit, male physique.

      “So is every woman on both sets. Sally needs to cool it. You can tell he hates fawning women.”

      That was exactly why Reese was leaving the show, before she made a fool of herself over him as Sally was doing. With his dark attractive features and olive skin, her heart couldn’t take much more.

      “He’s headed our way. Lucky you,” Leah quipped. “If I were you, I’d make the most of that final clinch he gives you in the vestibule. After today’s taping, there’s not going to be any more of that to look forward to.”

       Thank you for reminding me.

      “All the emotion he puts out is strictly for the camera.”

      “Come on,” Leah baited her. “Admit there were times when the temperature heated up between you two.”

      “I admit he made our love scenes look passionate, but that’s because he’s a good actor.”

      “Whatever you say.” Leah emphatically didn’t believe her. At Alex’s approach, the skin prickled on the back of Reese’s neck.

      “Good morning, ladies. Brushing up on your lines?” he asked in his deep, cultured voice. He spoke with a slight Greek accent but saved his deep Italian accent for the camera.

      Somehow Reese found the courage to lift her guarded blue gaze to his. “It can’t hurt. I’d like my final performance to go without a flaw.”

      His black eyes gleamed. “You always do perfect work. It has made my part easy.”

      “Thank you.”

      “It’s true. You’re Lilian Jaynes’s flesh and blood. She was a master actress. So are you. When your fans find out you’ve left the cast of Laguna Nights, there’ll be mass mourning.”

      But you won’t mourn over my absence. Reese would only have been a blip on the screen of his life.

      “They’ll get over it as soon as the writers find you a new love interest.”

      “Word has it they’re going to let me grieve for a few weeks, then I’ll take up my original vocation as an Italian monk. Without Carly Shaw, I no longer want to live in the world.”

      “You made that up.”

      On occasion Alex could be a tease. Maybe this was one of those times. If Patsy had been able to tell Reese was uptight, surely it hadn’t escaped Alex she was more nervous than usual this morning. No doubt he was trying to get her to lighten up.

      But to her surprise he lifted his hands in defense. “I swear I’m telling the truth. Ask Stan. Melissa’s going to pretend to be a priest and smuggle herself inside the monastery to make my life hell.”

      If that was true, then lucky, lucky Melissa. An ache passed through Reese’s body more intense than before.

      His eyes narrowed on her face. “You were supposed to laugh. Are you having seconds thoughts about leaving the show?”

      Her head reared. “None!”

      “You don’t have to pretend around me. You wouldn’t be human if you didn’t have some misgivings about walking away from all your friends here.”

      “Of course I’ll miss everyone, but acting’s not for me. When Aunt Lilian died so suddenly, I’m afraid any thespian tendencies inside me died with her. If my aunt had done something else for a living, the idea of being an actress would never have occurred to me.

      “Let’s face it. My chance to play Carly Shaw on a soap opera was an absolute fluke. To be honest, I’m eager to get back to the university. In retrospect, two years away from the books makes me want to jump right into my studies again.”

      “Still planning a graduate degree in Archaeology afterwards?” he inquired.

      “I don’t know. My parents were hoping I’d follow them into their field, but I’m also thinking Anthropology. Maybe I liked this stab at acting as much as I did because I’ve always found people and their behavior fascinating.” Especially yours, Alex Kieris.

      “Carly, Fabio, Melissa—church scene coming up next!” the stage manager announced.

      Alex’s gaze swept over her. “Let’s go do it, shall we?”

      They walked the short distance to the vestibule of the church where Carly and Fabio would link arms for the walk down the aisle ahead of the bride. Melissa took her position behind the back door where she could eavesdrop on their conversation.

      When they were in place, Alex whispered, “Smile, Reese. It’s our wedding day. All the grief and misunderstandings between us are about to come to an end. In a few minutes we’re going to give the viewing audience a twist they’re not expecting.”

      “It’s a twist