The Perfect Place To Fall In Love: All The Wrong Reasons Episode Two: All The Wrong Reasons, #3

By KK Hendin

Will a change of scenery help set the mood for falling in love?

Probably not. But it can't hurt to try, can it?

It can?

Oh.

***

Fated. 

An award winning reality dating show, or, as the network likes to call it, The Real Last Chance For A Fairy Tale Ending. 

You know how this works.

One Prince Charming is picked. He's inevitably handsome, shredded, has a vague enough sounding job to be legitimate, and the ability to lie really well to the cameras. He's looking for his One True Love, and obviously, the best way of finding that person (who always happens to be a white woman, between five foot three and five foot ten, wearing approximately a size zero to four, and preferably blonde) is to have a team of producers round up seventeen women who are all more or less interchangeable, move them into a castle, ply them with alcohol, turn cameras on, and broadcast it all on national television. 

Add in a plethora of the most ridiculous dates the producers can possibly think of, too many feelings, real and fake, and an emotional proposal at the end, and you have the highest rated reality show in history.

Everyone is willing to play the game. Some walk in more willing than others, but in the end, they all believe in it. The show, the fairy tale, the happily ever after. Regardless of what's happened to previous 'winners' of the show.

It's not like anyone's ever been there for the right reasons. But never have the wrong reasons been so wrong. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: KK Hendin
• Release date: Apr 3, 2019
• ISBN: 9781386573890

Book preview

Chapter One

Facebook Groups

Eilean

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A group for people who live in Eilean, Scotland. Please do not post anything about any pyramid scheme-based sales, you'll only make people mad.

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Posts: Sort By: Most Recent

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Catriona Darrow: Is anyone available last minute to drive a van from the dock to the castle? There’s a lot more luggage coming than we thought.

5 Likes, 19 Comments

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Maggie MacLean: Reminder—Bread in the Oven’s store hours will be limited while Fated will be filming here. For any bread emergencies, call me to arrange pickup from the castle.

25 Likes, 43 Comments

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Randy White: Someone left their shopping bags on the boat—looks like there are some perishables in here, so let me know.

3 Likes, 6 Comments

Are you still going to talk with all of us when you’re rich and famous?

James Darrow laughed so hard he had to lean against a tree to keep himself upright. The combination of stress, sleeplessness, and ever-present panic was enough to have one silly question from a guileless fifteen-year-old make him crack. Brandon, I don’t foresee any riches or fame coming my way. Mostly just a lot of Californian headaches and a bunch of sheep crap.

But the TV people are coming here to film, Brandon MacLean pointed out. "In your home. With you in it. And Hollywood people like tall Scottish men. They made that show about those books with the time-traveling Scottish people and everything."

It’s always lovely to have a neighborhood prophet. James gave in to temptation and ruffled Brandon’s mop of curls. If you can let me know how the animals are going to fare the next few months, that would be lovely too.

Brandon rolled his eyes. They’re going to put you in their show, and then you’re going to become famous. You and Cat.

They’re going to put Castle Blackwood in their show, and hopefully we’ll be getting some more visitors here, James corrected. It’s a dating show. They’re here to have a romantic backdrop for a group of American women to all fall in love with the same man and have a lot of feelings about it.

Brandon laughed. You’re just quoting Cat.

Well, I haven’t watched nearly as much of the show as she has. He turned to look at the dots of fluff scattered through the field. I only started watching when they contacted us the first time. Cat’s been watching since she was in high school.

But you have watched it.

Do you really think we would okay something this enormous without doing as much research as legally possible before signing a single scrap of paper? Not only did he and Cat have to sign a frankly terrifying pile of paperwork, so did every resident of Eilean.

No, of course you wouldn’t. Brandon grinned. But it’s a shame you didn’t invite me to watch with you.

And why would I have done that?

For my entertainment? Brandon offered.

James rolled his eyes. And you think I would actively find ways to give you blackmail on me.

"Is you watching Fated something I could blackmail you with?" Brandon’s eyes lit up.

First of all, I’m not answering that question. Second of all, you seemed far too thrilled at the prospect of blackmailing me.

Just trying to help your film career take off when all the girls who show up fall in love with you and not the Prince. Brandon darted out of James’s way, and only barely missed getting hit with a rogue batch of hay, laughing hysterically. It’ll be great. You, wearing a suit and all spiffed up and making sure they’re comfortable in the castle. He waggled his eyebrows. Very comfortable.

Brandon, you little shit.

Brandon shrugged. Isn’t that going to be your job? Maybe not getting the girls to fall for you, but to make sure they’re happy at the castle and everything? Isn’t that the whole point?

My job is to deal with the livestock and the fields and make sure the gardens aren’t trampled by cameras. Cat’s job is to make sure they all love everything so much they want to come back again.

It was Cat’s job because James did not have as much patience for humanity as Cat did. Cat was a master bullshitter if she had to be, was able to nod and smile through a lot more. It was what made her such a great hostess, and what made him not the host for anything but livestock.

Even before they both moved back to the island, Cat had been working in hospitality. James…had not.

There was no part of him that was excited for a stampede of Americans with cameras and boom mics and lights and endless demands to come and take over the little quiet island. But Castle Blackwood, the castle that he and Cat had inherited, was falling apart. It had been for years, and was only getting worse. Generations of neglect because of financial troubles meant the Darrow siblings spent more time trying to fix old mistakes than they spent expanding the businesses that gave them the money to do so.

This land is our responsibility, their dad had told them over and over again when they were little. It’s been in the family for years and years, and it deserves to be treated with respect and with honor.

Which was all well and good, all respectable intentions, and while James knew how absolutely ridiculous it was that he and his sister inherited a castle, they did not inherit the money to keep the castle standing.

And now, here they were. Waiting for the boat to bring the cast and crew of the next season of Fated onto the little island of Eilean, population less than one thousand.

I’m sure they’re going to love it, even if you’re not going to be the one hostessing, Brandon said, breaking James out of his thoughts. It’s a proper castle, with a moat and everything. And Mum told me that she’s going to be doing the baking for them, so they’ll be up to their eyes in bread and butter.

Which they may or may not even eat, James pointed out. They don’t seem like the type of girls who will eat much.

Why don’t you think they’ll eat much? Brandon asked. I mean, I understand wanting to look your best, being on telly and all. But it’s Mum’s bread. It’ll break them.

James grinned. Maggie MacLean’s bread would probably break them, and if it didn’t, and Cat decided to start baking, they wouldn’t be able to resist. All those carbs could take down anyone, regardless of how much willpower they thought they had.

The Prince Charming guy has it made, Brandon said, staring out at the sheep too. I mean, a group of really pretty ladies, who are all there to only date him? Seems like a good deal to me.

You’d want to be pursued by fifteen women, Brandon?

Hell, no, but fifteen guys… Brandon shrugged. That would be great. Different kind of show. Higher stakes, because they could all start dating each other instead of me.

Definitely more drama, James agreed, and whistled for Sadie. "That’s one thing I know about these Fated people. They do love their drama."

Maybe they’ll bring you in as an alternative Prince Charming, Brandon suggested. "You know, to increase that drama they love so much. I still think all the girls should try to fall in love with you, though. That would definitely be more dramatic."

There is no amount of money they could pay me to do that, James said.

"No amount of money? Brandon raised an eyebrow. Everyone has their price, James Darrow."

Well, mine is out of their price range. James sighed. If you’re going to be helping out today, MacLean, we should give you something to do.

But needling you is so much more fun.

I love you too, you obnoxious mop.

Brandon grinned. I know. And you love Cat also. Which is why you’re going to end up on the show somehow. Because they’re going to ask, you’re going to say no, and Cat will find out and ask you. And you can’t ever say no to Cat.

Pfft. But James knew Brandon was right. After everything that happened to the two of them, there was very little that James wouldn’t do for his younger sister. I think there are some stalls full of horse shit calling for you to go and visit them, Bran.

Chapter Two

Castle Blackwood was not ready for an influx of American television people, Catriona Darrow thought as she stared down at the nearly endless list of things that still