“Where’s your cowboy hat?”
“Out at the ranch. Attracts a little too much attention on Sunset.”
“That’s a shame. I like you in that hat. You should keep a spare here. Warm up this place a bit.”
“I think we need to get you a proper hat. Shade those beautiful eyes from the blaring sun.”
“I’ll need a different hat for every day,” she said, biting her lip.
“A different hat for every day of the week. With boots to match,” Sam replied with a smile and she knew this was it for her. It was too early to say the words out loud, but she’d found her man and she wasn’t going to let him go.
Epilogue
Amanda let out several quick breaths and fought the urge to fiddle with her gown. She’d survived the hard part. She’d survived the short walk from the hotel to the luxury SUV that would take them the short drive to the Met. And the hardest part, the red carpet.
It had taken a lot of doing, but between Sam, Miss Leona, and Helene calling in a biblical amount of favors Amanda had been outfitted with a once-in-a-lifetime ensemble. A flowing gown made of royal blue, bright red, and sunny yellow, complete with a gem-encrusted cape with a train that felt three blocks long. She’d ditched that heavy-ass garment as soon as possible, but from the moment she’d taken Sam’s hand and stepped down from the high luxury car, she knew they’d both pulled it off. A handsome prince with his own waist-length red cape, and Amanda, his Snow White.
Her glam squad had finished the look with a full Fenty face, complete with blood red lipstick and false eyelashes that practically brushed her forehead. Her phone was tucked in an apple-shaped clutch covered in bright red Swarovski crystals. Daryl, Miss Leona’s wig technician, had crafted a bob lace front of beautiful white ringlets instead of Snow White’s signature soft black curls and installed the unit with such precision that when Amanda finally looked in the mirror, she had to remind herself shocking bright white hair wasn’t naturally growing from her head. The red bow in her hair was lined with wire to keep its arches and knot in perfect place.
“True Love” was the theme and Sam had always planned on going as a Disney prince in search of his princess. When Evie pointed out that Sam’s look was actually for Prince Florian and not Prince Charming, their decision was made for them. Besides, sending Amanda as a plus-size Cinderella felt a little too on the nose.
She’d listened to every single one of Helene’s tips, not smiling as she turned this way and that to be photographed as Sam and their handlers helped her and her mile-long cape up the red carpet and up the Met stairs. She snuck a look at her phone just as they sat down to dinner and finally felt her natural smile spread across her face as no fewer than four celebrity sites had already named her and Sam the best dressed of the evening.
The last few months had been an absolute whirlwind. She and Sam had holed up in his condo for two days before they both had to get back to work. The studio was interested in Sam’s interest in Black Death, and Amanda?
She had to get back to her writing. She’d talked things out with Helene and instead of putting her on a fake payroll, the two of them had started working on a new pilot together. Female bounty hunters falling in love and fighting their way through space. Ignacio had loved Amanda’s initial pitch and he’d decided to option the idea, giving her the funds she needed to stay afloat and keep her place for the time being. Anytime she was having any hesitations about accepting their support neither of them would let a second pass without reminding her they hadn’t gotten to where they were without help. It was best to just embrace it and chase her dreams with all her heart.
When Helene was due back to set for her next shoot, Miss Leona had stepped up and gotten Amanda an invite to the Rory’s War writers’ room. For the last two weeks she’d been shadowing the showrunner’s assistant. It was a medical drama, not science fiction, but it was a prime-time show on a major network, with an A-list cast and a massive budget. She knew enough about set life from working with Dru, but things were so different on this side of the process. She’d already learned so much and every night she found herself aching to get back to her own writing, just imagining what it would be like to see her own characters playing out her stories on the screen.
And then there was Sam. And a special horse named Majesty. They’d spent every weekend they could at the ranch, and eventually Amanda started to ride the beautiful black horse. She wouldn’t say she was an expert, but each time she felt more and more comfortable in the saddle. She loved taking morning rides with Sam, following him down the easy trails as he led them on Bam Bam. She didn’t realize how quiet and peaceful Charming could be. How much of a relief it was to have that time together to just unplug and take in the scenery. They talked endlessly about work, new shows and books they wanted to share with each other. Sam was teaching her all kinds of stuff about the ranch, his former life in the rodeo, and, of course, horses. He’d read all her scripts, giving her amazing feedback, encouraging her to keep going and keep producing her best work.
After they’d officially stepped out for a double lunch date with Helene and Ignacio, holding hands as they entered the fancy lunch spot in Santa Monica, there had been another wave of Internet attention, but this time Amanda was prepared for it. Mostly she knew to
