Game Changer (30 page)

“I wanted to inspire other veterans, those who'd lost hope. I wanted them to see how I'd picked myself back up after losing my leg and created a new, wonderful life full of adventure and possibilities. A better than normal life.” Which was bullshit now because the show was the very thing keeping him from living the life he wanted.

“Does Harper understand why you're doing all this?”

“She does, and she'd been nothing but supportive. It was me who changed the rules of our relationship. First, when I left town to do this show, and then when I fell in love with her. Everything that's happening now is my fault.”

She strummed her fingers on her knee. “Sounds like it. And today's her birthday. I know she said not to contact her again, but you have to call her, Brandon.”

Yes. Yes, he did. “I have no earthly idea what I'd say.”

“Well, you have until the plane touches down in Atlanta to figure it out.”

“I'm sorry it's not going to work out between you and me,” he said. “I like you a lot.”

She patted his hand. “You're a good man. And it could work out for us, temporarily. We have an understanding. I signed a fidelity contract for the show, too, but I wouldn't have any expectations of you—physically or romantically—during the duration of our contracts. You'd be free to be with Harper, discretely.”

I am not a consolation prize.

And yet he'd disrespected her by treating her like one. How could he ever forgive himself, much less expect her to forgive him?

The way he saw his choices laid out, he could walk off the show and hire a lawyer, then start the dual business of fighting for Harper's love and fighting not to get his ass handed to him in court by the
Meet the Groom
producers. Or he could see out his obligations to the show with Danielle, then go to Harper a free man and do whatever it took, for as long as it took, to convince her to give him a second—no third, or was it fourth?—chance.

Or, he could respect Harper's wish to move on and try to do the same. He could propose to Danielle, milk his celebrity for all the exposure for veterans and amputee issues that he could, and then continue his trial-and-error quest to find his life's true purpose. There had to be more to life than the heartbreak and cynicism he'd found in Miami. There had to be.

There is, man. And she's in Destiny Falls . . .

***

“Harper, it's me. You're probably out having fun on your fishing trip right now. Look, uh, I know it's cowardly for me to leave this on your voice mail, but I think it's better this way, somehow. There aren't any words to express how sorry I am for everything. For the way last weekend turned out, for doing you wrong at every turn throughout our relationship. You deserve better than that”—he huffed—“and you deserve better than an apology over voice mail. I know that.

“I need you to know that I loved having you as my best friend. I loved every minute of it. And I love you. I always will. You are . . .” His voice cracked and he cleared his throat. “Happy birthday, baby.”

Three days after Harper's birthday, the night of her birthday party, she sat on the edge of her bed and listened again to the voice mail Brandon had left her on her birthday. Three days, and it hadn't gotten any easier to hear.

Tonight, he was getting engaged. Even though she knew that he wasn't in love with any of the finalists and didn't plan to remain engaged past December, the facts still stood—and they made her want to vomit. Then, in September, his season of
Meet the Groom
would start airing on television. She wasn't going to torture herself by watching it. Time was too precious for that kind of toxic bullshit.

She took out her album filled with cocktail napkins, the blank space that had previously held the contract napkin, her pledge to live every day to the fullest and to face her fears head-on. She slipped her mother's photograph into the space and folded the clear plastic cover over it. She brushed her finger over her mother's smile. Her mother had spent her life pining over an unobtainable man who never loved her enough to put her first. Even though her father couldn't be bothered to visit her in her final days, she'd used her dying breaths asking Harper to tell her father that she loved him.

Harper would never be able to look at this album, filled with list items made in Brandon's neat, compact printing, without thinking about him or the critical role he'd played in her journey.

So many people had moved in and out of her life in a never-ending dance of purpose and lessons. Her mother, her aunt, her father, friends, lovers, employees, neighbors. From every person who'd touched her life, on her heart she'd retained pieces of each of them and the lessons they'd offered her. Brandon had taught her about the meaning of life; he'd taught her about joy. He'd taught her how to fly and watched her take off, cheering her on the whole way as she soared into her own bright future.

And now he's teaching me how to say good-bye.
But she was already an expert at that painful lesson. She'd learned it from her father with every deployment, and then with his death. She'd learned it from her mother, her grandmother, her aunt. She'd learned it when she'd said good-bye to her dream of having children of her own. She'd said good-bye to her breasts. And now Brandon.

She'd said so many good-byes in her life, too many, but she was still standing tall and proud. She'd still carved out a great life for herself, surrounded by a chosen family of friends, with a world of possibility at her doorstep and the time and means to indulge in every grand adventure she wanted to.

Now she needed to learn how to let go of all she'd lost. That, perhaps, was the most challenging lesson of all. There was nothing to be done about it except continue to try. To keep pressing forward and smiling and reminding herself of the bounty of riches her life was blessed with. Without the losses, without all her life experiences, she would've never found her way to this sweet spot at the intersection of reflection, gratitude, resilience, and wonder.

A knock sounded on her bedroom door. Harper rose, but before she could say “Come in,” Presley was pushing the door open. She was dressed in her signature retro bombshell style, from her sleek black hair with thick bangs to her red lipstick and Marilyn Monroe–esque pink-and-black halter dress.

“Hello, birthday girl. Just wanted to let you know that the caterers are here. What do you want me to tell—” She stopped short, gaping at Harper. “Oh, wow. You look beautiful.”

Harper agreed. She did look good. She'd opted to go flat tonight. No prosthetics or bra under her sleeveless, cerulean-blue slip dress that she'd had tailored to fit her like a second skin. She was going to wear her new shape and her scars like the badge of pride that they were. She was a survivor and survivors were beautiful.

“Thank you. So do you. We clean up pretty good, don't we?”

“Are you sure you want to come help with setup?” Presley said. “You're the birthday girl. You shouldn't be lifting a finger for this event.”

“Like I've already told you, I'm the host of the party, not the guest of honor. Everyone I invited are the guests of honor. You're the ones who shouldn't be here working on setup.” That was why she'd hired caterers and guest bartenders. She wanted her friends and employees alike to attend her party in their honor. She wanted to be surrounded by all the important people in her life, to thank them in the only way she knew how for their support and love. Her friends were the real VIPs of the event.

Presley shook her head in a mild protest. “You already know how I feel about that, but whatever. Just don't ruin that awesome dress before the rest of the guests arrive.”

“I promise.”

Presley checked her lipstick in the mirror near the door. “We probably shouldn't leave the caterers hanging much longer. Ready to go downstairs?”

Harper pressed the album cover closed.
Good-bye, Brandon. I'm letting you go now.
“Absolutely. I'm ready.”

Brandon perched on the stool, taking care not to wrinkle his suit. He blanked his expression, then looked into Mac's camera.

“Tell us how you're feeling about the final candle ceremony,” Lucinda said.

“Today's the final candle ceremony and I feel like I'm going to puke. It's the moment I've been dreading for weeks.”

Lucinda threw up her hands. “Really, Brandon? This isn't the time to joke around. We're on a strict filming schedule today because the surprise musical guest who's coming to play at your engagement party tonight after the proposal is double-booked. We've got him for a very narrow window. I told you all that yesterday. There's no time for fun and games.”

Ah, priorities. As Harper would say, so romantic.

Contrary to the final edits that viewers would see, the majority of filming for
Meet the Groom
had taken place in a soundstage, where he and the prospective brides filmed innumerable private confessional-style interviews that Brandon was beyond sick and tired of filming. The finale preparations had been particularly bad. This was his second straight day of filming confessionals, the first one being to recap his romantic getaways.

“Don't you ever get sick of this, Mac?”

“No. I'm having the time of my life. Can't you tell?” Mac said in his drollest-of-droll voices.

The answer made Brandon grin, even though his heart was pounding out of his chest. He'd been waiting for the right moment to get some answers he needed from Mac, but the production staff had been working nonstop in preparation for the finale and he hadn't been able to get Mac alone. Down to the wire today, it was now or never for Brandon.

He rolled his shoulders, trying to stay loose and feign casualness. “Hey, question. Did you film any footage of me and my friend Harper last weekend, the morning she left?”

Mac looked taken aback, so Brandon smiled, inviting confidence. “I'm not upset. Just curious.”

Mac nodded. “I did. I know that probably pissed you off at the time, but yeah. It's part of my job.”

Yes, it had pissed him off at the time. “No, that's totally cool. You haven't deleted it, right?”

“I don't delete anything until the show's done airing. A rule of mine.”

Good. Better than good. Brandon's heart sank with relief. “And at the club last week when the three finalists surprised me?”

“Yes . . .”

“And when Danielle and I were in the limo that night, then again in the plane. You still have all that footage, correct?”

“Yeah, man. Like I said, I keep it all. Are you worried that I showed Dresdic and that's why he's been keeping his thumb on you? Because I didn't.”

“No, it's all good. Really. I just wanted to know. Curious and all that. Even if you had told the producers, you gotta do your job, man. I totally get it.”

“Where are you going with all these questions?” Lucinda said.

“Nowhere. Let's try filming that confessional question again. You're still filming, right, Mac?”

“Yup. Just start talking when you're ready.”

Looking into the camera, Brandon flashed his signature smile. “I've been looking forward to tonight for a long time. This is the moment of truth and I couldn't be more excited about the future. Sometimes, I feel like I was born lucky, luckier than most. I survived a bomb explosion during my deployment to Afghanistan and I was given this second chance at life that few people are granted.

“I've always known that my life was spared for a reason, and because of that, I've done my best to live every day to its fullest. I've dedicated my life to being an inspiration to soldiers and amputees and anyone who's letting something hold them back from realizing their true potential. And now, tonight, I'm hoping to inspire even more people with this next step in my life's journey. What I want people to know is that you might be missing a leg or an arm or have an imperfect body or a disability, but we're all deserving of love, if only we can be brave enough to take that leap.

“Every week this show asks if love is the answer. And now I know. Is love the answer? Yes, it really is. But that has to start with loving yourself first. Living—truly living—is about loving yourself enough to believe you deserve love in return and it's about trusting your journey, even when it takes unexpected twists that you never saw coming.”

“Good. That's better,” Lucinda said. “How do you feel about marriage now?” It wasn't a real question, but a prompt for the confessional taping.

It helped to remember that the producers and the director and everyone else involved with the show didn't actually care about his answers beyond their capacity to slice and dice them in the editing room down to easily digestible sound bites. His true feelings and opinions were immaterial. Damn, that was jaded of him to think, but it was a lesson he'd learned well in the last two months.

“Marriage is a new dream of mine, one that I never thought was right for myself. It's a huge commitment that I wasn't mature enough to consider seriously until recently.”

“What advice do you have for your prospective brides?”

What kind of question prompt was
that
? “If I were to give the finalists any advice, or any woman, for that matter, I'd tell them what I once said to a dear friend of mine. A woman shouldn't marry a man unless she's the center of his world. Every woman deserves a man who'll beg them to shackle them with that proverbial ball and chain, a man who loves her so much that he can't bear to go on living without her for one second longer.”

“Good answer. Is that what's going to happen tonight? Are you going to propose to one of the finalists? Remember to rephrase the question.”

“Am I going to propose tonight?” In response to his own question, he let a sly grin spread on his lips and held it for a count of five, plenty of time for the editors to turn it into television magic. Then he leaned in to the camera, letting his features turn contemplative. “All I can say is that Danielle, Jennifer, and Winnie are incredible women. It's been a pleasure and an honor getting to know them and meeting their families. They've opened their hearts to me, and I don't take that lightly. I respect all of them very much.”

Lucinda frowned at that answer, which was surprising. Brandon thought he'd nailed that one.

“Moving on. Let's assume that you are going to propose, which would be the ideal scenario. Tell us about the woman you're proposing to, without giving away any identifying details.”

Tricky. He took a long moment to collect his thoughts before responding. “The woman I'll be proposing to tonight isn't the same person I thought it would be after meeting the prospective brides for the first time. But the more I got to know this person, the more I liked her. She's the genuine article. A true one of a kind with a huge heart and a zest for life that everyone who meets her can't help but admire. It isn't every day that a man finds himself with the opportunity to get engaged to a beautiful, strong, sexy, smart woman but, as with everything else in my life, I'm a lucky man. The real question is, will she say yes?”

Lucinda flashed him a thumbs-up. “Fantastic answer. Do you think there's a chance that she won't?”

“There's a huge chance.”

“Try that again and start by rephrasing the question.”

Right. Thank goodness his days of filming confessional interviews were almost over. It couldn't happen soon enough. “There's always a chance she won't say yes, and to be honest, that's got me feeling pretty jittery, like any man would. I really hope she says yes.”

Lucinda consulted her notes. “If she says yes, then how will that make you feel?”

God, couldn't this part be over already? “If she says yes, then she'll make me the happiest groom on
Meet the Groom
in the history of the show.” He let his smile widen, showing teeth. As an added touch, he clutched his heart. “She'd make me the happiest man in the world.”

“Excellent. That's a wrap for now with Brandon. Let's get the first prospect in here to film her confessional.”

Two hours later, Carol the wardrobe lady ran a lint roller over his tuxedo jacket in one of the guest rooms of the beachfront mansion that had been rented for the finale.

Through the mirror, he watched Lucinda hustle into the makeup room. “It's time. Is he ready?”

“Yep. Just about finished here,” Carol said.

Yasmin the makeup artist swiped a brush across his jawline, one last touch of powder. “Remember to smile. This is a happy day. Danielle, Jennifer, and Winnie are great. You made the right choices. I'm not going to tell you who I think you should end up with, but I definitely have a top pick for you.”

Despite his nerves, he allowed himself a smile. The production staff had shown him limitless kindness. He was glad he hadn't compromised their jobs by walking off set early. “Then you'll have to let me know afterward if I chose the right one.”

Lucinda handed him the ring box, which he opened out of habit. Inside, he saw exactly the ring he expected to see. Satisfied, he slid the box into his tuxedo jacket pocket, next to three plane tickets.

The final candle ceremony would take place on the patio of the beachfront mansion, as the rest of them had. The only difference this time was the lavish décor befitting a wedding reception that had been added to the patio. Paper lanterns had been strung up above them, odd arrangements of birch branches in vases as tall as Brandon's waist sat artistically in corners, and white rose petals littered the stone patio floor.

Dresdic was on set along with his production partners. He stood next to the show's host near the ceremony's candle table, now with three unlit cream candles sitting on it. Each of the brass plates on the holder had the names of the three finalists. They wouldn't be lit until closer to show time.

When Brandon approached, Dresdic extended his hand in greeting. “You know what to do tonight, son. Make us all proud.”

Right. “I know exactly what I'm going to do. Thanks. And thank you for this opportunity. It's been eye opening. I think it's going to open the country's eyes, too, to what disabled veterans are capable of. You should sleep well tonight knowing you had a hand in that. No matter what happens now.”

“Appreciate you saying that,” Dresdic said, slapping Brandon's back.

Several minutes later, filming commenced in front of the mansion. Three shiny black limousines lined the circular driveway, each delivering a finalist. As Lucinda had directed him, Brandon stood like a valet and helped each woman from the car, then kissed their cheeks in a choreography sequence that the women had obviously been prepped for, too.

Danielle was the last to arrive. When he kissed her cheek, she touched his neck, holding him close. Her eyes turned fretful. “I've been giving this a lot of thought. You and me. Don't do this. Don't propose to me. We both know your heart's in New York.”

His heart, his future, his past, his everything.

He managed a terse nod and stepped back into place next to the announcer, facing the finalists. He plunged his hands in his pockets, his fingers closing around the ring box.

After the finalists' arrivals, everyone took their places on the back patio and makeup artists touched up their faces. In the typical fits and starts rhythm of filming, Brandon, the announcer, and the three finalists were directed to stand perfectly still in their designated positions while the cameramen filmed some panning shots of them all, from multiple angles, as they did every show. The finalists' dresses were filmed, front and back, as well as Brandon's outfit and the candle table, then panoramic shots were filmed from a cameraman positioned on the second-floor balcony.

When the director yelled “Cut,” the mood on the patio relaxed again.

It wasn't until a microphone was handed to the announcer and Mac got his camera up close and personal with both Brandon and the announcer, that shit got real fast. Brandon's heart started pounding and his palms grew clammy. He could feel his jaw stiffening, as it always did when he was overwhelmed with emotion.

He rotated it, trying to stay loose, until the director cued the announcer and filming began again.

“I'm standing next to Brandon Theroux, a decorated war veteran and advocate for people living with disabilities. He's accomplished everything he's set out to do in life except find the woman of his dreams. He came to
Meet the Groom
with an open heart in search of the missing piece in his life—true love. Twenty prospective brides, more than thirty dates, and three romantic getaways later, it all comes down to one night, one choice.

“After a season filled with sun-soaked Miami adventures and romance, three candles are left burning, each representing a prospective bride. Danielle, Jennifer, and Winnie. They've captured our hearts this season, and it's time to find out which one of them has captured Brandon's as well. Is love the answer? Find out tonight in a special one-hour season finale of
Meet the Groom
.”

It was gratifying, knowing this was the last time Brandon had to hear that grating voice and even more grating lines. Good riddance.

When the camera stopped rolling again, Brandon rotated his jaw, though he had no expectation of the painful stiffness abating. Now or never. Time to set a new course for the show tonight. The biggest game changer of both Brandon's life and the life of the show.

“Hey, Mac. I've got another question.”

Mac mugged a smirk for him from behind the camera. “Does that boutonniere make you look pretty? Sure, champ. Pretty as always.”

“No, for real. Let me ask you something.”

“Okay . . .” Mac shifted the camera on his shoulder and looked at Brandon. Lucinda, Dresdic, and the announcer were watching him as well. This was it.

Brandon gripped the ring box in his pocket and held Mac's gaze. “Have you ever been to Destiny Falls, New York, before?”