I nodded, even though she wasn’t looking at me.

“Got it?” she barked.

“Got it,” I squeaked.

“Don’t forget your voice. This is a TV show.”

“I won’t,” I insisted.

Following her direction, I took tentative steps toward the space where the hallway opened up into a room. Beyond the arch were high, vaulted ceilings. Cameras were likely embedded in every wooden beam. Brady had told me to pretend they didn’t exist.

The hallway shrank before me. Five more steps and I’d be there. No turning back now.

Four.

Three.

Two.

One.

The room was a grand, open space, with several couches and chairs arranged around a massive stone fireplace. Walls of large windows on both sides of the room let in the afternoon sunlight. Before I could take in anything more, someone let out a loud squeal. A short blonde I hadn’t noticed at first came ambling toward me.

“Hi, I’m Trace. It’s so nice to meet you.”

She opened her arms and heat pricked the back of my neck. I was decidedly not a hugger. But I had already anticipated this would happen today, so I braced myself and returned the quick hug.

“I’m Calla. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Where are you from?” she asked, still hovering close to me.

“Chicago. What about you?”

“Nashville.”

My shoulders sagged with relief as I took in the genuine warmth in her expression. At least not everyone on this show would be cutthroat.

Trace looked like sunshine would, if it were a person. She wore a short pink dress, cowboy boots, and a hat. She was adorable, but also not what I was expecting from an author. Then I felt like a jerk for making any type of assumption simply based on what she was wearing.

“Cute dress,” I said. “That color is great on you.”

“Thank you. I spent hours picking it out.” She beamed at me. “I love your sweater. It’s so cozy.”

“Thanks.” I blushed and played with the hole in my right sleeve. Maybe I should have dressed up more for this after all.

“This is a little nerve-wracking, right?” she said in her subtle Southern drawl.

“I’m so glad you said that.” I was only five feet six inches, but I had at least four inches on Trace.

“I was a bundle of nerves last night. Could hardly sleep.”

“Me either,” I admitted. “Every time I rolled over to check the time, only fifteen minutes had passed.”

“It was the absolute worst, and they took my phone so I couldn’t even distract myself,” she said, before asking me more about Chicago and my flight in.

I answered her questions, grateful to find such a friendly ally so early on. Maybe Piper was right and this experience would be good for me.

“And this lodge is stunning,” Trace continued. “I can’t believe we get to stay here.”

“The views are breathtaking,” I said, staring out the enormous floor-to-ceiling windows. Rolling plains stretched out away from us until they dissolved into mountains in the distance. I had never been this far west before, and I doubted I’d ever get sick of staring at that view.