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“When do you have to go?”
“In the spring. The shoot’s in Canada.”
The light in his eyes dimmed for a split second. But not for long. He quickly hid it to kiss me.
“I’m so proud and happy for you,” Atticus said.
I knew he meant it, yet I knew at the same time it was probably hitting him that our time together would eventually run out, and we’d have to go back to our real lives.
“I know it’s hard to think about the future,” I said.
“Let’s not think about it now,” he said. “Let’s just enjoy our holiday. I’m grateful for the days I have with you. That’s all we should worry about right now.”
But how could I not think about the time when I would have to leave him and Scout? The role of a lifetime had just dropped in my lap. A reminder that I no longer belonged here. Not with Atticus. Not in Montana.
14
ATTICUS
Ablissful week passed with Annie by my side. We stayed close to home and fell into an easy routine of spending the nights wrapped in each other’s arms. In the mornings, we took Scout out for a walk. The days were spent catching up on the last two decades, watching movies, reading, and enjoying time with Scout. She’d fallen madly in love with Annie, following her all over the house. If we hadn’t been sharing my bed, I felt fairly certain Scout would have chosen Annie over me. Fortunately, I didn’t have to find out the answer to that question.
Every day or so I’d asked her if she wanted to visit the cemetery, but she’d declined. “I just want to be with you for a while without any background noise. Does that make sense?”
“Perfectly,” I’d replied.
Now, as we finished our breakfast of homemade granola and yogurt—her choice and recipe—she leaned against the sink, nursing a cup of coffee. She’d put the stop to pancakes after two mornings in a row, saying something about measurements for wardrobe. We’d spent an entire afternoon making granola. Ikept it to myself that the stuff tasted no better than wood chips with a few dried bananas.
“Should we talk about January?” Annie asked.
My heart sank. Here it came. “Do we have to?”
“I have to go back the day after New Year’s.”
“I wish you didn’t.”
“What should we do about it?” Annie asked.
I took my time answering, wanting to make sure I said it right. “I don’t know your thoughts, but mine are simple. Falling in love with you again is the easiest thing that’s ever happened.”
“You’re not in love with me,” she said flatly. “This is the infatuation stage.”
Her words stung. “That might be true for other couples, but we’re different. We’ve known each other a long time.”
“With a twenty-plus-year gap,” Annie said.
“I know what I feel.”
A smile slowly spread across her pretty mouth. “Yeah?”
“I’m not Potter. The infatuation stage won’t end.”
She tilted her head. “You don’t know that.”
“I do.” I pulled her close to plant a kiss on her forehead. “What about you, my fair queen? How do you feel about me? Am I alone in this?”
She drew away to look deeply into my eyes. “I have a whole life away from here. I’m not sure how you fit into it.”
“There are direct flights from Bozeman to LA,” I said. “I could come out to see you anytime.”
