Passenger Princess: A Grumpy Sunshine Bodyguard Pageant Queen Romance (Evergreen Park Book 1)

We drive in silence to the event space where the final part of my tour will be taking place. My mind is stirring with thoughts of the article and worries about what the other Miss Americana contestants will say and what will happen once this event is done. But that silence is broken as soon as we arrive.

When Jaime steps out of the SUV to hand the keys to a valet, shouts start.

I’ve never felt like I needed an actual bodyguard outside of meet and greets or events where I interacted with people. This is the first time I’ve felt the actual fear of not being able to go out without someone hounding me.

Jaime opens the door, using his body to cover me to the best of his ability, but there are four different cameras all pointed at me and three reporters with phones pointed at me.

‘Ava! Ava!’ the paparazzi shouts, getting too close for comfort.

‘Back up!’ Jaime shouts.

‘Is this your boyfriend?’ someone shouts, and I feel my stomach drop to the floor.

‘Is he worth losing the crown for?‘

‘No comment,’ I say, feeling silly saying it, like I’m more famous than I actually am, but that seems to make things worse, urging them on as Jaime walks at my side, attempting to create a shield on one side, but the cameras feel like they’re everywhere as they follow us to the door.

‘Anne told us when she walked in that you should have your crown revoked immediately, and the pageant plans to sue you for breaking the contract.’

‘I have no comment,’ I say, this time more confidently. Any of Anne’s bullshit, I want nothing to do with.

As we get closer to the building, ten feet away now, the press backs off as a few additional security guards keep them from proceeding any further. I take a deep breath, focusing on the feel of Jaime’s hand on my lower back, a grounding point as we walk into peace and quiet, stopping at the security checkpoint. Jaime has my makeup and garment bags slung over his arm, but I start to dig in my purse for my ID.

‘Name?’ the guard says, not even looking up at us.

‘Ava Bordeaux,’ I say, handing him my license with a pleasant, if not a bit shaken, smile.This belongs to NôvelDrama.Org.

‘Not you, sweetness,’ he says, and I fight a cringe at the endearment. ‘Him.’ His chin tips to Jaime, and my brow furrows. Never has Jaime had to give information to get into an event with me.

‘Oh, that’s Jaime, he’s my bodyguard.’ The guard pauses, looks at his clipboard, and then nods with understanding before moving his hand to the walkie-talkie on his shoulder.

‘We might have a situation,’ he says.

‘A situation? What kind of situation?’ My stomach churns, and I know—I just know—this is Regina and Anne taking my crown. I’m blacklisted from the event, I’m no longer invited, I…

‘You’ve been reassigned security for this event. Jaime Wilde is no longer contracted with the Miss Americana organization, and we’ve been advised to reassign Miss Bordeaux’s security personnel.‘

And suddenly, the room starts to swirl as my world turns into utter chaos.

‘I can’t fucking believe this,’ Jaime says under his breath as he walks back into the room they bought us to after the security guard dropped the bomb.

After the initial shock, Jaime made sure the office I was in was secure before he stepped out to figure out what was happening, and my mind started to swirl, trying to put the pieces together.

Jaime was only supposed to take me to and from this last event and then get me home. There wasn’t much else for him to do, so why would Five Star bother reassigning someone to me? And when did they get the information? Sending a new guard out and having to pay for what I assume were flights, a hotel stay, and whatever other extras needed for just a day seems counterproductive.

Unless the pageant threw a fit and insisted he be replaced?

But suppose it was the Miss Americana pageant who threw a fit—why would they keep the same security company when all along they’ve been dangling the opportunity of referrals over their head to keep Jaime in line?

A fuck up this big, you’d think they’d hire a new security company or just have the event security take me to and from the room, then throw me on a plane to go home.

And most of all, if Jaime is off the case because I broke the code of conduct, why hasn’t anyone said anything to me? Why haven’t I been dethroned already?

But these are all things I have to worry about later.

Much later.

Right now, I have to calm Jaime down and get to the green room and smile through this final event like nothing has happened because I’ll be damned if I let Regina and Anne win.

‘What’s the update?’ I ask because after they brought us here, he stepped out of the room to ask the new guard what was going on and called his boss.

‘I’m off the case. It seems Five Star sent out a new guard to take over,’ Jaime says, and my stomach drops at the confirmation that Jaime is done. ‘He’s not one of my favorite guys, but fine enough. I talked to him briefly—he got a call late last night to pack for a few days and get on a plane immediately. He landed three hours ago.’

Well, at least this wasn’t planned well in advance.

‘Apparently, the pageant called Greg and complained. Wanted a new man sent out instantly.’ That still makes no sense to me at all, but I don’t mention that right now. It won’t fix anything or change anything at this moment. ‘I helped onboard him, and he worked for Hank for a few years before he sold the business. He’s been solid for a few hours, and he’s going to let me walk you up to the room with him, so I can see where you are.’

A small consolation for him, I’m sure. He’s been at my side no matter what since Georgia, so I know not being there is going to mess with him.

I step to him, putting a hand to his jaw, and give him a small smile. ‘You wouldn’t have been able to hover over me while we got ready anyway, Big Guy. All the girls are getting ready in the same giant room, and even if somehow the pageant okayed you being in there, I wouldn’t have. That wouldn’t be cool, having a random guy in the room while fifty girls are doing their makeup and getting dressed.’

‘But I could have stood out in the hallway,’ he grumbles.

‘Yeah, you could have, but unfortunately, that’s not an option. Right now, we’re working with this version of reality.’

‘I don’t like it,’ he says, and I slide my hand down, resting on his chest.

‘I don’t either, but with everything they’re doing, everything they’re trying to do, I refuse to let them win. So you’re going to agree to walk me up, and when you confirm I’m safe, you’ll call Miles, see if he has anything new to tell you. Unfortunately, you’ll probably have to call Five Star, then call Hank. I’ll take Peach since we don’t know exactly where you’ll be, okay? Oh, and find whatever you need to take down that fuckwad Preston Smith,’ I finally add.

His lips tip up with my words.

‘Out for blood?’

‘Oh, absolutely. But he’s just first on my list.’ I move to my tiptoes, holding his face with both hands and pressing my lips to his. ‘They’ll all pay for fucking with you.’

‘For fucking with us, Ava. They’re fucking with you, too. They have this entire time, and we’re a team.’ That makes me smile wide.

‘We’re a pretty great team, aren’t we?’ I ask in a whisper, and somehow, despite everything, he smiles wide, something I couldn’t have expected thirty minutes ago when everything broke.

‘The best team,’ I whisper against his lips before he kisses me, making all right in the world for just a moment.

All three of us walk in silence up to the green room, where I’ll be getting dressed. As I do, I force my mind to empty of everything that just happened in the last hour.

Hell, the last twelve hours since we were at Hank’s house and Preston ambushed us.

‘This is it,’ the new Five Star guard, Landon, says. “Sorry you can’t stay with her, but I’ll be up here while she gets ready, then escort her to dinner.’

Jaime’s face is hard, and it’s strange to see that look again, the one he had in the early days and weeks of this tour, only to move to something much softer for me.

‘Ava, you do not leave that room for anything but the event. After, you’re being brought to me, and we’re headed home. Nothing matters but getting through this in one piece, yeah?’

I roll my eyes. ‘I’m going to be fine. No need for⁠—’

‘I’m serious, Ava. I need you to promise.’

I see it then—the nerves, the panic. I step closer and nod.

‘Okay, big guy. I’ll be on my best behavior.’ One of his big hands moves to the back of my neck, sinking into my hair and tipping my head back to look at him.

‘I love you, Ava.’

‘And I love you, Jaime.’

He stares at me for long moments before he nods, presses his lips to mine, sweet and gentle, then steps back.

Without another word, I turn to the door where giggling and girlish squeals are coming and open it, stepping into utter insanity.