Bree and Jess shared looks. These two were her people, and River wasn’t going to railroad either of them into staying on the project if they weren’t interested.

Jessie cleared his throat. “So are we packing this up?”

“I guess that’s up to you two.” River hated admitting to these professionals that her first film was already skidding off the tracks, but they were her friends too. Which only made it slightly less embarrassing. “This is paying you next to nothing, and without the board’s backing, I’ll have to cover all of postproduction myself. I’m not sure this is worth your time.”

“We still are getting paid, right?” he asked. “Only on the back end, not up front?”

“Right,” River said. “But if they don’t end up buying the documentary, I’m not sure I can pay you as well as they would have.”

“Well, there’s no way I’m turning down a paid vacation in Alaska.” Bree lifted her face to the sky as a pleasant breeze brought the scent of saltwater to their nostrils, inhaling deeply.

“You’re not the only one who doesn’t want the shame of getting kicked off a small-town documentary.” Jessie grimaced at the very thought. “We’ll make short work of this, get you the production cred you need, and we’ll all go see some whales or something. Whatever it is people do around here.”

“It is a working vacation,” she reminded her friends. “And since I don’t have the extra money, you’ll have to whale watch on your own dime.”

“We’ll make it work,” Bree promised.

River hugged her friends, even though Jessie allowed the hug grudgingly. “Oh. Apparently we’re not welcome back at the hotel. Don’t you love how the resort is the only place in town that rents a room? Not even one bed-and-breakfast.”

Too bad the condominiums being built next to the resort weren’t finished yet. They seemed to be halted midconstruction.

Nothing ever seemed to throw Bree, who simply shrugged. “We can sleep in the car.”

Glancing at the already-stuffed vehicle, full of snacks and gear and one really big fluffy moose-themed blanket, River cringed. “I’m terrible. This whole thing is terrible. I’m standing here, seriously considering making the best crew in the industry share the back seat of our car.”

“Some of my best memories are in the back seat of a Subaru,” Jessie murmured.

Barking out a laugh, Bree said, “I doubt it. Your best memories are eating your grandmother’s pot roast while playing video games.”

“Why do you always have to bring Nana into it? You know it’s a mutually beneficial arrangement—”

The two began to argue good-naturedly, as if River hadn’t already proven herself to be the worst boss ever. And as good of friends as they were, neither Bree nor Jessie would put their professional reputations at risk for her. The industry was too cutthroat.

Their faith in her filled River’s heart with warmth.

“It’ll make a fun story, sleeping in our SUV.” Now Bree seemed excited. Between their matching enthusiasm, River couldn’t help but join in.

“Okay, fine. We’re still making a documentary, folks. Let’s go find a safe place for you two to get some more B-roll. I’ll get to the bottom of this permit thing.”

They piled into the car, then pulled back onto the road. They were halfway to their next filming site when suddenly River gasped. Bree braked, looking for whatever made River so horrified. “What is it?”

“Oh crap. We forgot Easton.”

• • •

He’d just been trying to be nice. In the future, Easton was going to stick with aloof, unapproachable, and downright surly.

Nice was a pain in the ass. Nice earned him a redhead with a permanent marker and a mischievous look on her face.

Don’t stop, River had written on her makeshift sign. Filming movie.

Which was how Easton Lockett, one of the most respected men in Moose Springs, found himself standing on the side of the road with a pizza box sign, telling everyone not to stop for the woman walking down the road.

If only he’d made the same choice for himself.

The absolute last person Easton wanted to see coming down the road at this moment turned around the bend, the heavy off-road tires of her sleek black Jeep slapping the pavement. There was nowhere to hide. And knowing his sister, there was nowhere he could hide to keep her from finding him in a pride-compromising position.

With a groan of dismay, Easton waggled the sign at her as she slowed down, then pulled off the side of the road behind his truck.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“I’ve been thinking the same thing for the last hour,” Easton replied, bemused.

Ashtyn Lockett had been a thorn in Easton’s side since the day she was born fifteen seconds before him. At some point since he’d seen her yesterday, she’d decided to dye her pixie cut a vibrant aquamarine with pink tips. Next week, it would be something different but equally bold.

She must’ve been taking the day off by the water, because only half of the piercings she normally sported jewelry in were filled. Her nose piercing and eyebrow were adorned, but the multiple holes in her ears were piercing free. Unlike River, his twin was dressed for the weather. A ribbed tank top showing the extensive and expensive tattoos on her arms. Shorts and sandals with bright nail polish from her morning pedicure. Even brighter colors on her fingernails.

Easton had spent a lot of his life glaring over his sister’s head at the guys who were interested in her, but there really was no need. Ash had never needed anyone to protect her. She was perfectly capable of handling her business all on her own.

“What the hell are you doing?” Brown eyes the exact same color as Easton’s eyes widened.

Sighing, Easton lifted his pizza box up in the air, turning it toward the oncoming traffic.

“I’m being a Good Samaritan.”

“Are you? Because it kind of looks like you’re making an idiot out of yourself for some tourists.”

“They’re not tourists.” Deep denial was as good a coping mechanism as any. “They’re filming some sort of movie around the bend. And before you grill me, I don’t know anything about it. I saw a woman walking down the road, and I stopped to see if she needed help. She nearly skinned me alive for interrupting her shot.”

Ash rolled her eyes. “Why would they pick here to film? Don’t they know everyone’s going to slow down and see what’s wrong?”

“That’s what I said, but she’s…well…determined.”