Page 21 of Fall Surprises
Stormi, fresh makeup doing little to hide the puffiness around her eyes, just nodded.
I tried to bow out. "I should stay here and coordinate tomorrow's setup—"
"No way!" Raven grabbed my arm, her nails digging in slightly. "You have to come! What if something goes wrong? What if I need you?"
Before I could protest further, Gus appeared at my elbow.
"I'll drive you," he said quietly. "For moral support."
I looked up at him, saw the knowing look in his expression, and felt some of the tension ease from my shoulders. He didn't want me alone with these people. He was choosing to come, for me.
"Okay," I said. "Let me just grab my coat."
THE WINTERVALE CORNmaze had been transformed for Halloween. Strings of lights outlined the entrance, and the air smelled of wood smoke and dried corn. A crackling fire in a metal drum provided warmth, and someone had set up a table with thermoses of hot cider and paper cups.
Diana orchestrated everything with military precision. Tony positioned himself for the best angles. The production assistants rigged portable lights that cast long shadows across the entrance. Raven and Blaze had to walk through the entrance three times before she was satisfied with the footage—"More energy! You're in love! Show me in love!"
"Okay," the producer announced to the group once she'd gotten her establishing shots. "Here's how this works. You'll go through in pairs. Raven and Blaze, obviously you're together. Stormi and Jett, you're next. Sam and..." She looked around, spotted Gus standing beside me. "You two. Tony will follow the first group, second cameraman for group two, and we'll pick up the third group's emergence."
"Wait, I'm not—" I started to protest.
But Diana was already shooing Raven and Blaze toward the entrance. "Go, go! Give me excited couple energy! You're about to get married!"
I watched Raven grab Blaze's hand with exaggerated enthusiasm while Tony backed ahead of them, camera rolling.They disappeared into the tall corn stalks, Raven's laughter echoing back.
"Come on, sis!" Raven's voice carried. "You and Jett are next!"
Stormi looked like she'd rather be anywhere else, but Jett offered his arm with surprising gentleness. "Shall we, beautiful?"
A hint of color touched her cheeks. "Why not?"
They vanished into the maze, leaving Gus and me standing by the entrance with the third cameraman who was checking his equipment.
"You don't have to do this," Gus said quietly. "I can tell Diana you're needed back at the inn."
"No, it's—" I sighed. "It's fine. It's on the schedule. And honestly, the idea of walking through a corn maze in the dark sounds peaceful compared to managing Raven's demands."
We waited for our cue from the producer—she wanted spacing between the groups—and then stepped into the maze. The cameraman followed at a discreet distance, his portable light rig casting long shadows through the corn stalks.
My breath fogged in clouds. I shoved my hands deeper into my pockets, wishing I'd brought gloves. Above us, stars were beginning to appear, more visible here than I'd ever seen them in Denver.
"Left or right?" Gus asked at the first intersection.
"Left?"
We turned left, following the narrow path between walls of dry corn. The stalks rustled in the breeze, creating an almost musical sound. Somewhere in the distance, I could hear Raven's laughter and Blaze's deeper voice, but they were getting fainter.
The cameraman had fallen behind, apparently having some issue with his equipment. For the moment, we were alone in the maze, just the two of us and the rustling corn.
A shriek echoed through the maze. Not playful—something that sounded genuinely distressed.
"That was Stormi," I said, my body already moving. "We need to—"
We ran through the maze, following the sounds of distress. Left, right, straight, another left—the paths all looked the same in the darkness.
Finally, we burst into a small clearing to find Stormi alone, pressed against the corn stalk wall, mascara streaking down her face.
"What happened?" I demanded, immediately going to her side. "Where's Jett?"
