Page 50 of The Publicity Stunt

"Laura," Kace warns.

"No, it's okay." Bri wraps an arm around Laura and smiles for the picture.

Kace whistles to get everyone's attention again. "Just so we're all clear, if anyone takes pictures today, you must get approval before posting them online. If I catch anything that shouldn't be uploaded, there will be hell to pay. And no one talks to the press about having her here, okay?"

Her hand takes his. "It's okay, Kace."

"No, it's not. The last thing I want is you feeling exploited by my family."

If she hadn't already fallen in love with the mammoth of a man glaring at his own family, she'd have fallen in love right then. She never wants this feeling to stop.

Everyone buzzed around her, asking questions, taking pictures, and having her sign things, but it settled down eventually. They pulled her into the living room where many shared stories, mostly embarrassing ones about Kace when he was younger, and she quickly felt at ease.

As soon as the football game started, Kace's cousin, Brad, kicked everyone out who wasn't there to watch the game, and she found herself alone with the man and his kids. He seemed uninterested in her compared to the television, and Bri found it oddly normal and relaxing.

After half an hour, Kace walks in and sits next to her as his three-year-old cousin sits in her lap reading a book. "Do you need anything?"

"No, I'm good," she says. "We're just hanging out watching football."

"You know," Brad says from the recliner, "you're a lot more chill than I expected."

She laughs. "Really? What'd you expect?"

"Yeah, Brad, what did you expect?" Kace asks and rests his arm on the back of the couch.

His fingers play with the ends of her hair while they both look at Brad. She looks forward to Kace joining her in her hotel room later that night and spending all day in bed together tomorrow.

"You know what I'm saying," Brad says, and his wife, Mary, walks into the room.

"No, I don't think we do," Kace says.

Mary looks at them and sighs in exasperation. "What stupid thing did you say now?"

"I didn't!"

"He expected Bri not to be chill, but no one knows what he expected instead," Cory, his oldest, says while his eyes never leave the television.

Mary’s arms cross. "That was rude, Brad."

"I wasn't trying to be rude! I was just saying she's chill!"

"No, you implied you expected her to be something other than chill," Kace says. "What was it you expected?"

"Okay, fine! I expected her to be a little more demanding. Scrunching her nose at the house because it's not as fancy as hers or something. I don't know."

"You thought she'd be a bitch," Cory says, his eyes still on the screen.

Mary's jaw drops. "Cory Travis Lyons, what did you just say?"

"Cory in trouble," the three-year-old says, his r’s pronounced as w’s, and looks up at her. "Normal."

"Yeah, it kind of is," Cory says and sighs, finally looking away from the television to his mother. "Do I have to go and get the dish soap?"

"His father kind of set that up," Kace says. "I don't think you can blame it all on him."

Brad shakes his head. "Don't even think about it, Mary. I am not putting dish soap in my mouth. Not gonna happen."

"Your family is fun," Bri says, laughing.

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