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“I totally forgot they were filming in there.” He kept his voice as low as possible.
Landon knew they probably couldn’t overhear, even if he talked in a normal voice. It was yelling down to her on the ground that was the problem. Still, he liked the closeness that came from speaking in hushed tones.
“So, they’re doing the scene with the Christmas cards?” she asked.
Landon nodded. “Your cards.” That was what he’d been saying before they were interrupted.
“What do the Christmas cards have to do with this particular story?” she asked.
That was a question he hadn’t expected. He shook his head.
“I really don’t know. I’m just here to consult on the ranching part of it.”
While the first part was no lie, that second part was stretching it a bit. The first part was something he should be ashamed of, though. As a partner in this project, he probably should have read the script from start to finish, as well as the scripts for the other movies they’d be shooting in the coming weeks. If he did stick around—and it was looking likely he would, if only as an excuse to be around Audrie—he’d need to know what was going on, right?
“Does anybody even send Christmas cards anymore?”
That question from her surprised him, too. “I have no idea.” He looked down at his coffee. “I suppose people who are married with kids probably want to.”
Laughing, Audrie shifted in her seat. “I get a few cards from relatives who have young kids. They do that thing where they take an annual family picture and send it to everyone as a card.”
“I get a few of those. What are you supposed to do with them?”
“Those are the ones I feel bad throwing away even after the holiday ends.”
He looked over at her then. “That’s what Christmas is all about, though, isn’t it?”
Tilting her head slightly, she returned his look. “What do you mean?”
“Kids, family. It seems like, without children around, Christmas doesn’t really mean as much.”
Audrie nodded. “I love all the parties, and it’s my busiest time of the year. Everybody wants to get their hair cut before going out of town or having family in town. But yeah, it’s been a long time since there have been kids around to open presents.”
“I’m sure you’ll get some nieces or nephews eventually,” he said.
She shrugged. “I only have one sibling, and she’s younger. She’s had some serious relationships, but nothing that could lead to marriage. She had a serious boyfriend in high school—Christian’s brother, actually. I don’t think she’s found another guy who’s lived up to whatever that was. It’ll be a while before she’s even thinking about marriage and kids, I think.”
“Well, you saw my brother’s stance on marriage,” he said. “I’m my mom’s only hope for grandchildren.”
“So, your brother’s right? You want five kids and a ranch?”
The fact that she was asking him about his plans for a family made him happier than he’d admit. “I don’t know about five.” He started rocking, staring out across the water. “That’s a lot.”
“That’s what I thought when he said it.” Audrie paused a minute before continuing. “I never really thought about how many kids I’d have. I guess, in my mind, it was always one or two.”
“Once they start to outnumber you, it gets tough,” he said.
“One kid per parent.” She looked over at him with a serious expression.
Their eyes met then, and they held the stare longer than they ever had before. He couldn’t seem to bring himself to look away. And suddenly, he was thinking about kissing her. All he’d have to do was lean over, and then maybe she’d meet him halfway.
He could almost feel her lips against his, the fantasy was so vivid. He’d lightly trace the line of her jaw with his thumb as he lowered his lips to hers. They could kiss for a while before anyone would interrupt them.
As if his thoughts summoned it, the door behind him snapped open again. The sound sliced through the silence, putting Landon’s nerves on edge. He had to take a deep breath to avoid turning around and snapping, “What?” at whoever was back there.
“Is the hair girl out here?” That came from one of the production assistants. The fact that she’d called Audrie “the hair girl” lessened his guilt over wanting to snap at her just seconds ago.
“On my way.” Audrie hopped to her feet.
