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“Is that one of the reasons you came to Mack?” he asked. “The film?”
“Oh, um...”
“You said you’re a screenwriter. Are you going to write a film for Mackinac?” he asked.
“Oh. Maybe.” Elise felt the words like bright sunlight. In actuality, now that she’d escaped her real life, she could do whatever she wanted. “I still have to explore the place. Dig into it a little bit. But it certainly has potential.”
Connell puffed out his chest with excitement. “I hope one day I can say I knew you before you wrote the movie that changed your life forever,” he said. “I can see it in you. You’re meant to be famous.”
Elise wanted to tell him how wrong he was.I’m too old to be famous. Don’t be silly. My time has already come and gone.
But in reality, it was so good to hear someone’s belief in her. She decided to let it happen.
“Is there anywhere I can learn more about that time? When Somewhere in Time was filmed, that is,” Elise asked.
“There’s a little exhibition at the public library,” Connell said. “Gosh, I haven’t seen it in years, but I’m sure it’s still there. It should have information about the cast, props— things like that. You should check it out. Oh, but not tonight. I’m sure it’s closed for the night.”
“Of course. Which brings me to my next question,” Elise said. “I don’t suppose you could recommend anywhere to eat around here?”
Connell recommended a little hole-in-the-wall pizza place. Elise’s first reaction was one of, no! not more unhealthy food! But her stomach whined with such aggression; she had to do something. After Connell disappeared, she glanced at herself in the mirror and swept a finger through her long, tangled curls.
Actually, she didn’t look half as bad as she’d imagined.
Maybe lake life suited this California girl.
It was Elise’s second night in a different kind of place. She sauntered through the gorgeous streets, people watching as families and couples grabbed ice creams for the night or headed into bars. One bickering couple several feet ahead of her gave her flashbacks to a nearly-forgotten vacation with Sean, when Elise had threatened to fly home early if Sean hadn’t stopped checking his email.
Now, Elise was pretty sure he had only been checking in on Regina, his once-and-future love.
But Elise was free, now. Free to wave her hand to this busboy at the pizza place and say, “Yes, just one person tonight, thanks.” And free to sit and order a glass of wine and gaze out across the waters. She ordered a greasy pizza pie, one with loads of black olives and artichokes and extra feta cheese, and she sipped her wine contemplatively and considered her life.
It was really true what they said.
Perspective came from the outside.
Elise ate what she could of the pizza and boxed up the rest. On her way back to the BnB, she purchased a bottle of wine, which she cracked open on the balcony. Her body twitched suddenly with apprehension. She thought about calling her daughter, her son, maybe one of her best friends. But what would she tell them?Yes, I’m on a wild goose chase to find my father. Yes, I’m hoping to find myself along the way. Yes, I know it’s crazy. Just let me have this crazy time.
She didn’t have the energy to stand up for herself in this way. She didn’t want to hear that subtle adjustment in Mia’s voice when she felt that someone was doing something outlandish. She didn’t want Haley to suggest that she meditate on it. She didn’t want Penny to be like,Okay, well, come on, Mom. Even if you do find your father, what will you say? You and Grandma always said that you were all each other needed.
This was true. But now, Allison Darby was gone. And Elise Darby so needed to look into the eyes of the man Allison Darby had loved and understand just why he’d allowed her to go.
For the first time since Elise booked the plane ticket, she opened her mother’s diary.
Christopher Reeve won’t stop teasing me about Dean. I guess it’s safe to say everyone in the cast and crew knows what’s going on between us. I can’t stop staring at him, especially now that we’re so frequently used as extras. The coordinator always puts us together; she says we have “good chemistry.”
I can attest to that.
I’ve never made love like this.
Elise blinked up again toward the waters of the Straits of Mackinac.
This was a topic she and her mother had never spoken about.
But with this statement her mother had written, Elise had to ask herself the same thing.
Had she ever felt that way about someone, physically?
Sean?
