elusive signal.
“Reception!” he crowed triumphantly.
They pulled over so she could call, but as she was dialing the camera crew zoomed by, heading in the direction of the video-shoot location. Either they’d been lost and now were found or they’d stopped for breakfast somewhere. Silently cursing them for making her look like an idiot, Tess pulled another U-turn and followed the crew back to mile marker twenty-three.
The coffee Tess served everyone from a thermos on her tailgate steamed furiously in the frigid morning air. Coffee she’d had to brew herself at four o’clock this morning and then pour into the giant thermos that Samantha’s friend Betty had borrowed from her church. There was no catering company to be found in Benson.
But thank goodness there was Betty, a woman who had been instrumental, apparently, in helping bring Samantha and Jack together. In addition to her matchmaking talents, Betty was an incredible baker, and Tess had paid her to make a few dozen of her locally famous blueberry muffins. They were a big hit with the crew. At least one thing had gone right this morning, even if it was Betty’s triumph, not her own.
Sugar and coffee distributed, Tess breathed in relief. Miraculously, the CEO was chatting happily with Ben while one of the crew members applied makeup to his aggressively preserved face. The camera crew was starting on the scenery footage, filming the road disappearing into the sky shining pink with the last smears of sunrise.
Tess sipped her own coffee, grateful for a couple seconds of calm. There’d been a few mishaps this morning, but maybe this day was getting a bit better. Her conscience pricked. As better as it could get, considering she was about to film a promotional spot for a wind farm on the land Slaid’s family had worked and loved for so long. What a mess.
“What were you thinking we should use for the backdrop of his little speech?” asked Will, the youngest and funniest member of the camera crew, as he poured himself more coffee.
“Those wild-looking cliffs,” Tess answered. “It doesn’t get more rugged than that, and the cows are all the way on the other side of the pasture.”
“Perfect,” Will said, giving her a glance that was full of admiration. “You look great in that color, by the way.”
A couple of weeks ago, she might have flirted back. Maybe even have met up with him tonight. But she was surprised to find that she didn’t have the heart for it. “Thanks,” she said shortly, and crossed the street to where the CEO and the rest of the camera crew were climbing the gate into the cow pasture. She pointed to where she thought they should set up, relieved to find that the head cameraman agreed with her.
She leaned on the rough wood and watched. The cameras were set up and Allen pulled off his parka, revealing a down vest and plaid shirt—a folksy outfit that Tess knew had been carefully chosen to help promote his pioneering image. Unfortunately, Allen hadn’t factored in the autumn cold. Rather than looking outdoorsy and confident, the CEO looked like someone who was freezing and trying not to show it.
Ben helped Allen position himself in front of the hills. “Action!” the lead cameraman called, and the CEO launched into his speech about the importance of the windmills. A speech Tess had written just for him.
He got about three sentences in before the first cow showed up. The big beige animal strolled calmly over to the camera and gave it a sniff. The cameraman yelped in surprise and tried to push the enormous beast away, but evidently Slaid’s cattle were curious creatures. A few more lumbered over to snuffle at the camera and introduce themselves to the video crew.
Tess heard a shrill “Shoo!” and looked over to see that one cow was nuzzling Allen, who was flapping at it with frantic arms. It all looked extremely surreal and if Tess wasn’t so horrified, she’d be laughing. She had no idea what to do—she knew nothing
“Reception!” he crowed triumphantly.
They pulled over so she could call, but as she was dialing the camera crew zoomed by, heading in the direction of the video-shoot location. Either they’d been lost and now were found or they’d stopped for breakfast somewhere. Silently cursing them for making her look like an idiot, Tess pulled another U-turn and followed the crew back to mile marker twenty-three.
The coffee Tess served everyone from a thermos on her tailgate steamed furiously in the frigid morning air. Coffee she’d had to brew herself at four o’clock this morning and then pour into the giant thermos that Samantha’s friend Betty had borrowed from her church. There was no catering company to be found in Benson.
But thank goodness there was Betty, a woman who had been instrumental, apparently, in helping bring Samantha and Jack together. In addition to her matchmaking talents, Betty was an incredible baker, and Tess had paid her to make a few dozen of her locally famous blueberry muffins. They were a big hit with the crew. At least one thing had gone right this morning, even if it was Betty’s triumph, not her own.
Sugar and coffee distributed, Tess breathed in relief. Miraculously, the CEO was chatting happily with Ben while one of the crew members applied makeup to his aggressively preserved face. The camera crew was starting on the scenery footage, filming the road disappearing into the sky shining pink with the last smears of sunrise.
Tess sipped her own coffee, grateful for a couple seconds of calm. There’d been a few mishaps this morning, but maybe this day was getting a bit better. Her conscience pricked. As better as it could get, considering she was about to film a promotional spot for a wind farm on the land Slaid’s family had worked and loved for so long. What a mess.
“What were you thinking we should use for the backdrop of his little speech?” asked Will, the youngest and funniest member of the camera crew, as he poured himself more coffee.
“Those wild-looking cliffs,” Tess answered. “It doesn’t get more rugged than that, and the cows are all the way on the other side of the pasture.”
“Perfect,” Will said, giving her a glance that was full of admiration. “You look great in that color, by the way.”
A couple of weeks ago, she might have flirted back. Maybe even have met up with him tonight. But she was surprised to find that she didn’t have the heart for it. “Thanks,” she said shortly, and crossed the street to where the CEO and the rest of the camera crew were climbing the gate into the cow pasture. She pointed to where she thought they should set up, relieved to find that the head cameraman agreed with her.
She leaned on the rough wood and watched. The cameras were set up and Allen pulled off his parka, revealing a down vest and plaid shirt—a folksy outfit that Tess knew had been carefully chosen to help promote his pioneering image. Unfortunately, Allen hadn’t factored in the autumn cold. Rather than looking outdoorsy and confident, the CEO looked like someone who was freezing and trying not to show it.
Ben helped Allen position himself in front of the hills. “Action!” the lead cameraman called, and the CEO launched into his speech about the importance of the windmills. A speech Tess had written just for him.
He got about three sentences in before the first cow showed up. The big beige animal strolled calmly over to the camera and gave it a sniff. The cameraman yelped in surprise and tried to push the enormous beast away, but evidently Slaid’s cattle were curious creatures. A few more lumbered over to snuffle at the camera and introduce themselves to the video crew.
Tess heard a shrill “Shoo!” and looked over to see that one cow was nuzzling Allen, who was flapping at it with frantic arms. It all looked extremely surreal and if Tess wasn’t so horrified, she’d be laughing. She had no idea what to do—she knew nothing
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