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Now, for the first time, I can finally imagine making that leap.
Because of her. Jolene. As we approach the cottage, I see her sitting on the deck out front, drinking wine with Hugo in a fluffy robe, looking surprisingly relaxed for a woman about to lose her job.
“Having fun?” I ask, greeting her with a kiss.
“Tons,” she beams back at me, with a smear of is that… “Clay,” she laughs, as I swipe it off her cheek. “I did a face mask, and bubble bath, and I’ve got a deep conditioning treatment in, too,” she adds, patting her towel-wrapped head.
“I travel well-equipped,” Hugo says with a grin. He gets up, and takes the foraging bag from Max. “You got a great crop! You should do that sauce for them,” he says, trailing Max into the house. “And your bread! I’ve been telling JJ all about those dinner rolls…”
The door swings shut behind them, and I sink into Hugo’s empty chair. “Nice spot for a sunset,” I say, kicking off my muddy wellies and looking out over the bay.
Jolene nods and raises her glass of wine. “If we’re going to admit defeat, at least we’ll have one hell of a view.”
“Hugo’s not coming back to set?” I ask.
She shakes her head, still smiling. “Nope. Lost cause. Ain’t love grand.”
“You seem… Chipper,” I remark, confused.
“I tried,” she gives a shrug. “We came, we saw, we tried to talk him ‘round…”
“You definitely came,” I can’t help adding with a smirk, and she laughs.
“I did. More than once, thank you very much.”
Jolene gets up, and moves to my lap, curling against me as she finds my mouth for a kiss. I relax, wrapping my arms around her. “It sucks for the production, and there’ll be hell to pay back on set,” she adds, “but… Who are we to stand in the way of true love?”
And sitting there, as the sun sinks over the mainland, I can’t help but agree.
Until Hugo comes storming out of the cottage, looking furious—and devastated. “You said, you could have a private plane ready to take me back to set,” he barks at us, a duffel bag slung over his shoulder. “Does that still stand?”
Jolene leaps up, shocked. “What happened?”
Hugo shakes his head. “Can you get me off this fucking island tonight, or not?”
“I… I don’t know,” Jolene turns helplessly to me. “Fraser?”
“I can make a call,” I nod, confused.What the hell just happened?“But Hugo, are you sure? Maybe we should just take a beat and—”
We’re interrupted as Max bursts outside, looking just as emotional. “Hugo, you have to understand, this is for the best! I can’t be the reason you give up your passion for acting.”
Hugo whirls around to face him. “Can’t—or don’twantto be?” he demands angrily. “Because I’m willing to give up everything to be with you, but if you don’t even care enough to try—”
“Not this again,” Max growls in frustration. “I’m doing this for you, because I care so bloody much! I won’t have you regret leaving your career behind. It’s like Fraser said, you’ll just wind up resenting me!”
“Well congratulations,” Hugo says scathingly. “You saved us both the time, because right now, I can’t even look at you. JJ, I’ll be in the car,” he tells her. “Let’s go.”
Hugo strides away, and Max lets out a huff of frustration before storming back into the house. The door slams behind him with a crash.
“Christ,” I mutter, thrown by the sudden meltdown. “What do you think, should we go after them? Leave them be so they can cool down?”
I look to Jolene, but she’s staring back at me with a new suspicion in her eyes.
“Like Fraser said…” she echoes slowly. “What did Max mean by that?”
Shit.
This is what I get for thinking out loud. I rake a hand through my hair, wondering if I should go and talk Hugo down, or see about Max, or call for that jet. Or none of the above—
