Page 66 of Unscripted with Mila

“I wasn’t going to let her talk to you or me that way.” I sat back. “Why do you let her be so disrespectful?”

“MJ is always spouting off. I don’t listen to most of what she says when she’s in a mood. I didn’t want to push her and make you her focus.” He shook his head sadly. “Now she has you in her sights too.”

I shrugged, surprisingly not caring. “She is nothing to me, Nick. If she causes me any trouble, I’ll get Andi to sort her out.” I smiled. “Or my lawyer.”

He stared at me in wonder. “You’re pretty brave under that shy exterior.”

“I’m not good with big groups or meeting new people, but I cannot abide bullies. And she is one.”

He didn’t say anything, his expression anxious. I slipped my hand into his, and he looked down at our entwined fingers. “How is it, Shortcake, that your touch calms me in a way nothing else does?”

“Magic,” I whispered.

He smiled. “You are that.”

I looked up to see Andi and Amber strolling toward us. “Oh no, what now?” I wondered out loud.

Amber heard me because she was laughing when they stopped in front of us. I saw Andi take in our clasped hands, but she didn’t comment.

“The production schedule has changed.”

“Oh?” Nick asked.

“We’re canceling BC and heading right to Ontario. Between Toronto and Port Albany, we have everything we need for exterior and interior filming. We’ll finish up these scenes and move the production there. It helps on the budget and streamlines the filming. Win-win situation.” She flashed me a smile. “You get to go home sooner than you thought. But Andi assured me you’d hang around the set some, if needed.”

Nick squeezed my hand. “Of course,” I replied.

“The winery and that building in your complex—the Hub? Your uncles agreed to let us film there. The town has exactly the look we need. And your uncles own a bunch of buildings they’ll let us use for exterior shots, plus the corporate office Roxie works at. They’ve been amazing.”

“Did Uncle Aiden get his walk-on?”

She laughed. “All of them did. They’ll be extras in the wedding scene we’ll shoot at the winery. I can’t believe how beautiful all that is. How perfect it is for the film.” Then she paused. “I guess since you wrote it, it must have inspired you.”

“It’s a lovely town,” I agreed. “When do you plan on being there?”

“Three weeks or so. All the permits will be in place, and we’ll have it all organized. We’ll wrap here as soon as possible, then head that way. We’ll be ready to go when the actors show up.”

“Great.”

I met Andi’s eyes. “We’ll talk, kiddo,” she assured me. “In fact, I have some new offers to discuss with you.”

“Sure. I’ll be ready to leave in a few minutes. I don’t think I’m needed any more today.”

“Okay.”

She and Amber moved away, and Nick looked at me. “You’re wrong.”

“Oh?”

“I need you, Shortcake.”

I laughed. “I think you can do without me for a few hours. Surely the coffee is not that bad when someone else makes it. Or, you know,” I teased, “you’ve seen me make it several times. You could get off your butt and make it yourself, movie star.”

He chuckled. “How do you feel about having the filming done so close to home?”

“I like it. I can be in my own place where I’m most comfortable.”

“I guess you’ll be leaving soon, then,” he said softly.