Chapter 24

24

" I 'm so nervous," Finley proclaimed as her mother fastened the necklace. "Why am I nervous?"

"Every bride gets a few jitters," Dianne Farrow assured her daughter. "It's a big commitment you're making to one another. It's forever."

"Were you nervous on your wedding day?" she asked.

Her mom laughed. "I fainted at the altar."

"What?" exclaimed all the women present.

Dianne laughed. "It seems silly now. I hadn't eaten. I had this fear of having something stuck in my teeth, and Sam would turn to say his vows and change his mind. I loved him so much. I just was hedging my bets. But I didn't eat or drink anything. I'd been going non-stop for days. And boom, I went down for the count."

Sally asked, "Is that shadow on your forehead in your wedding pictures a bruise?"

"I always told everyone it was bad lighting. But yes, it was a bruise. I'm just grateful I didn't face plant and break my nose." Her mom smoothed Finley's hair. "Your dad said he would have married me anyway, broken nose and all. Honey, Holden adores you. You're doing the right thing in marrying him."

"I know," she said. "I'm just excited and nervous and eager, all rolled into one."

"I wasn't nervous about marrying Braden," Harper said. "I was more worried about pulling off the surprise wedding. Making certain everything ran smoothly and everyone had a great time. Braden did tell me he was a bundle of nerves before the party got started. I could never have told looking at him, though."

Harper hugged Finley. "Going out to check on things a final time. Don't worry. Everything will go off without a hitch."

Emerson said, "Everything looks lovely, Finley. The cakes came out perfectly."

"Because you made them," she teased.

Her friend blushed. "Catering is ready to go. Harper has things decorated so well."

Danny Shelton spoke up. "Can I get a few pictures of the bride and her mother?"

Finley posed with her mom, knowing Danny was doing a good job. He was the high school photography and digital graphics teacher who was the event center's videographer. She had seen his work previously and knew he was getting some great shots as she and her bridesmaids got ready. Danny would also be on-call in the future as Harper's back-up photographer in case Finley was unavailable. She would be leaving with Holden next week to go on set for the initial days of shooting for Hill Country Homicide , taking stills and working on ideas for the movie's poster and ad campaign. The thought of leaving teaching excited her. While she would miss her students and the daily routines, the thought of running her own business and the opportunities it presented was too good to pass up.

Harper rejoined them, giving Finley a thumbs up. She had everyone gather around and poured champagne for them all, Danny snapping away.

"Here's to my lovely friend," Harper said, holding up her champagne glass. "For your future with Holden and all the good times to come."

The women clinked glasses together, and Finley sipped the bubbly liquid, which tickled her nose. Danny excused himself, going to take some photos of the men.

Ana stopped by with Eva and Bear. Eva was serving as the flower girl, while Bear would be their ring bearer. Wolf was Holden's best man.

"The kids look adorable," she told her new friend, watching Eva twirl in her pastel dress.

"Wolf and I are so happy for you and Holden, Finley," Ana said. "And we cannot wait for filming to begin next week."

They had landed Jack Calder, the only big name in their cast. Finley had met Jack a few nights ago, and he was outgoing and friendly. The actor was working for scale because he had always wanted the opportunity to work with Wolf on a picture. He'd already rented a house in Bandera and was bringing his wife and two kids with him for the duration of the shoot. Wolf and Ana had agonized over the shooting schedule, but they thought they could get the entire film completed in ten weeks.

"It's time," Ivy announced. "You look beautiful, Finley."

Ivy was stepping in and acting as the wedding's coordinator during the ceremony since Harper was serving as the maid of honor. Ivy had them leave the bridal dressing area and escorted them outside, having them line up with the children first, followed by Harper.

Her dad joined them. "Ready to start the next chapter in your life?"

"Mom told me she fainted on your wedding day."

He chuckled. "She did. Don't worry. I'll keep a good hold on you, so history doesn't repeat itself." He paused. "We're really happy for you, Finley. Holden is a terrific guy. You know I wouldn't trust just any man with my favorite gal."

Finley had to blink back tears. "He thinks the world of you and Mom. You've both accepted him with open arms."

"I'm not losing a daughter. I'm gaining a son," Dad declared, and she knew he meant it.

The music began, a piano and cello duet recorded by The Piano Guys of Christina Perri's A Thousand Years . Dax had suggested all the music to use, and as Finley watched Eva scatter rose petals and Bear follow her with the wedding rings tied to a small, satin pillow, she was glad about the choice.

Harper went next, looking beautiful and at ease. Her friend's confidence inspired Finley, and she smiled up at her dad.

"I'm ready," she told him as the music changed to Daniel Jang's sweet rendition of the John Legend love ballad All of Me . She had liked Dax's idea to use this song instead of the traditional wedding march as she went down the aisle toward her groom.

Her gaze connected with Holden's, his green eyes shining with love as she floated toward him, the soft breeze causing her veil to move slightly. Holden wore a dark suit and crisp, white dress shirt, his tie matching the color of his eyes. When they reached him and her dad handed her off to her groom, Finley calmed. She now held hands with the man she loved, the man she respected. Adored. And loved so deeply.

They listened together as Judge Grady talked of what a marriage should consist of. How love wasn't enough. That they needed respect. Honesty. Passion and compassion. Hearing his words, her heart swelled with even more love. She glanced up at Holden and saw love reflected in his eyes.

"How did we get so lucky?" he whispered as he faced her, ready to recite his vows to her.

Holden repeated the words after Judge Grady and then accepted the ring Wolf held out to him, slipping it on her finger. Finley repeated those same vows, taking the ring Harper offered and placing it on her husband's ring finger. They looked at one another, and both of them smiled.

Judge Grady said a few more words, and then announced, "I now pronounce you man and wife. Holden, you better kiss your bride."

Her new husband's arms went about her. Finley had never known such happiness as when he kissed her. Really kissed her. The kiss was long and deep and told her while there might be storms ahead in their future, they would always have each other and work together to face whatever came their way.

Those in attendance applauded when Holden broke the kiss, and they faced outward.

"I give you Mr. and Mrs. Holden Scott," the judge proclaimed.

They walked down the aisle to Bridesmaids Quartet's upbeat version of Taylor Swift's The Best Day . Finley didn't think her smile could be any larger or her happiness run any deeper.

Holden guided her all the way to the inside of the event center, catching her in his arms and giving her a searing kiss. She couldn't wait for their wedding night to begin, but first, they needed to spend some time with their guests.

"This is the best day of my life," her husband told her. "And every day after that will just get better and better."

"Well, we won't get wedding cake and barbeque every day," she teased, "but we'll always have each other."

He cupped her face in his hands. "Every day with my Mrs. Scott sounds like a perfect day to me."

Finley moved quietly on the set. They were seven weeks into shooting, and it was amazing, seeing how Holden's work was coming alive. She had read both the novel and screenplay several times now, trying to get a feel for the characters and how she wanted to shoot them. She'd asked Wolf and Ana if she could do individual photographic sessions with the main cast, as well as take photos while the cameras filmed scenes. She also had taken numerous candid shots.

Wolf had invited her and Holden to watch the rushes several nights, which consisted of the footage filmed from that particular day. Wolf was known for his spare approach, and so there were only a few takes of each scene to view. Instead, after the read-through with the cast, the director had done two weeks of intense rehearsals, giving suggestions to each actor and allowing them to play scenes in the way they envisioned for their characters. By the end of the rehearsal phase, both Wolf and his actors were pleased and knew exactly what they wanted to capture on film.

She watched now as Wolf filmed a scene between the characters played by Jack Colton and Laura Sidney. Jack was strictly a film actor and already popular with the movie-going public. Laura, on the other hand, had only a handful of minor roles film projects to her credit. She was better known in the theater world, doing productions in Austin and Houston. Still, she had taken to Wolf's direction well and also used tips provided to her by Jack. Finley believed that after the release of Hill Country Homicide , Laura would be able to write her own ticket in movies and step into leading lady roles.

The scene being shot now was one of cat and mouse, though at times it was hard to decipher which actor played which role. Jack, as a homicide detective, was supposed to be the hunter. He took naturally to that role, his commanding presence making him a leader and believable in the part. Laura was slowly becoming his prime suspect. She was a timid librarian, but she gradually turned the scene around until she was the one who appeared to be verbally stalking Jack's detective. It was a killer performance, no pun intended, and Finley knew she was watching the making of a star.

After the scene ended, Wolf called, "Cut! That's it for the day."

Finley smiled at Jack as she passed him and approached Laura, saying, "I have an idea. Can I steal the next fifteen minutes from you while you're still in makeup and costume?"

"Of course," Laura said, always friendly and willing to go the extra mile for anyone on set.

Finley asked for the set to remain lit for a few extra minutes, and she photographed Laura from different angles, explaining as she worked how she wanted to meld the images together with others in the cast.

"Whatever you need, Finley," Laura said breezily. "You've already done a fantastic job of photographing the entire cast. I can't wait to see how this turns out."

Because of Wolf's name and the interest in his new production company— and this film in particular —the press was in a feeding frenzy. Wolf had granted a handful of interviews, one for television and two for print. For the print articles, he had insisted Finley be the photographer. Thanks to that limited exposure, offers were starting to come in for her to photograph other articles.

When she finished with Laura, she thanked her, seeing that Holden stood nearby, watching her work. Love poured through her anytime she caught sight of her handsome husband. She went to him now, giving him a kiss.

"I heard what you were telling Laura," he said. "I'm with her. I can't wait to see the finished product."

She thanked the lighting director for keeping the set lit, and he shut down the powerful lights.

Holden slipped an arm about her waist. "Ana asked if we could come for dinner. I told her I'd run it by you."

"That's fine with me. I love her cooking and even if she doesn't cook, I love her and Wolf's company."

They drove the short distance to Meadow Creek Ranch, where Eva showed them her new doll and Bear had Holden toss a baseball back and forth until Ana called them in for dinner.

Finley liked that the kids ate with them. Yes, there was some business talk, which Ana said was good for the children to hear so they knew more of what their parents did. The rest of the conversation centered around everything from sports to politics to what the children were doing this summer. Both were on local swim teams, while Eva was taking ballet and hip-hop lessons and Bear was involved with drum lessons.

After dinner, Ana told Eva and Bear to brush their teeth and wash their faces and get into their pajamas. They could then watch thirty minutes of TV together before bed. The adults spent that time watching the rushes, and Ana slipped out to read a bedtime story and put the kids to bed while the other three finished watching the rushes.

Once Ana rejoined them, they talked about the scenes which had been filmed that day.

"We're already ahead of schedule," Ana said, smiling.

"She's a real taskmaster," her husband agreed, smiling wickedly at this wife. "But we are a good team. Ana does everything with purpose. She keeps me focused."

"Because we will wrap early, we will need to see if Harper can accommodate the party we've scheduled with her. I know it will involve rescheduling the catering and music," Ana said.

"Harper is even more organized than Ana," Holden said. "She could be head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and still have time leftover to be President Clark and run the country."

"I'll give her a heads up," Finley said, and she and Ana looked at the calendar, agreeing on the date filming could finish and the wrap party could commence.

"In the meantime, Ana and I have agreed to do two joint interviews once production ends," the director said. "One is for Sight and Sound . That will take place in September."

"I'm not familiar with that," Finley said.

"It is one of the oldest film magazines," Wolf told her. "Started almost one hundred years ago. The British Film Institute created it, and it celebrates both film and television around the world. I like that it includes essays and film analysis, as well as in-depth reviews and interviews. It is a great honor to be selected for its cover, and it will feature both Ana and me." He paused. "We agreed to the interview only if you could contribute the pictures, Finley. That would mean coming to London."

"I'd love to," she said, excitement filling her. "I've never been abroad though Holden convinced me to file for a passport right after we were married."

Holden slipped his hand around hers. "Wolf had already shared this with me. I was hoping we could both go and see some of England while we're there." He grinned. "I even took the liberty of giving the dates to Harper. She can get Danny to cover for you if you want to extend the trip beyond the interview."

"You and England? I'm all in, Mr. Scott." She looked to Wolf. "Thank you for recommending me."

"Ana and I love what you have done with our family portraits and our film. I would want no one else."

"A second interview is in the works," Ana added. "Again, we said we would do it if we could provide our own photographer. It's for People . Not the cover. Wolf isn't that big. Yet. But it's a guaranteed four-page article with slots for pictures, along with a single intro page to the article. A full photograph with some short copy."

"That is a huge deal," Finley exclaimed. "I am honored to shoot the two of you."

"We already submitted a few photos for them to choose from. Some you took of us and the kids at the ranch. But we'll need other ones, too."

"I can work my schedule around whenever you want to do it," she promised.

"The writer of the article will be on set next week, watching us both work," Wolf told her. "He also sounded interested in you and Holden. Who knows? Maybe the two of you will also get some publicity out of this opportunity."

They talked a few more minutes and then said their goodnights. Finley had learned that movie people went to bed early because of their early morning calls. She and Holden drove home, turning onto their cul-de-sac. The house they'd purchased was partially furnished, thanks to suggestions from Harper, Emerson, and Ivy. They would add on to the other rooms in the future.

As they entered the house, Holden swept her into his arms. Finley looped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

"How is Mr. Hamilton coming along?" she asked as he carried her through the house and to their bedroom.

"Today was a good day. I got twenty pages done."

Holden was writing a fictionalized account of his relationship with Mr. Hamilton, and Wolf had already said he was interested in Holden writing the screen version of the story. That was on hold for now until Holden finished the novel. In the meantime, he was splitting his time on the set, watching the filming, and working from home the other days.

He set her on her feet, slipping his arms about her waist.

"A year ago, I never would have envisioned I'd be leading such a great life with the woman I love," he told her. "You mean everything to me, Finley. You changed everything about my world for the better. I love you so much."

She smiled at the man who would always make her heart quicken when he stepped into a room. "You've given me the confidence to soar to new heights, both professionally and personally. I can't imagine living my life with anyone but you, Holden."

Their lips met— and the magic began.