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Scout made three circles, obviously delighted, and then stopped in front of Annie. She knelt to give Scout pets and hugs. Scout licked her face, wagging her tail to beat all the entire time.
“She missed me?” Annie said, standing and brushing her hands together.
“She’s not left the guest room doorway,” I said. “Nothing I did could get her to budge. Not even food or treats.”
Annie dropped back down to her knees to give Scout another round of love. “I’m sorry, girl.”
“The vet says she has broken heart syndrome.”
“I heard.” Annie pushed back Scout’s ears and got right downin her face. “Listen, girl. Atticus loves you. He’s all you need. I’m no one.”
Scout licked her hand and tilted her head with a beseeching quality shining in her brown eyes.
“I think she disagrees,” I said.
“You’re a silly old dog.” Annie scooped her in for another hug.
“Do you want to come all the way in or are we talking here?” I said.
“We can talk by the fire. I’m chilled. If you don’t mind?”
“Not at all.” I gestured for her to proceed. Scout followed closely at her heels.
Annie visibly shook as she took off her jacket and tossed it onto the back of the couch. The television was still on, so I clicked it off, more certain of the happy ending for the characters in the movie than myself.
“Can I get you something warm to drink?” I asked, standing near the fire. “I can make tea or coffee.”
Annie took off her coat and gestured toward the bucket of beer. “Day drinking?”
“I might have had one or two.” I stuck my hands in my pockets, embarrassed for her to see me in such a humiliating state.
“I wouldn’t turn one down.”
I pulled one out of the ice and twisted the cap off for her. She took a long pull before sitting on the couch. “I’ve come back for a reason.”
I took the chair next to her. “I figured.”Please let it be me.
“I’ve come back for you. Obviously.” She glanced down at her beer bottle positioned between her legs. “I want to be chosen. Every day. For the rest of my life. Not just today and tomorrow but for however long we have together on this earth. Can you do that? Because if you were to choose someone else orsomethingelse over me, I think I might die of a broken heart.”Her eyes filled with tears. She sucked in her bottom lip and looked up at me from under her damp lashes.
“Annie, it’s only you I want. I can’t imagine that changing.”
“What about the job?” Annie took another swig of beer. “How would we ever make this work with two big careers like ours?”
“Simple. I’m not taking it. I already told them no.”
She stared at me. I’d shocked her enough that her eyes had dried. “But how could you?”
“Easy. I want to spend my life with the people I love, not working eighty hours a week.”
“What about the money?”
“I have enough.” I scooted to the end of the chair cushion and placed my hand over hers. “When I was a boy, all I could think of was how I wanted to become rich and take care of Mama and my brothers. But it turns out none of them needed me after all. Not for money, anyway. They just want me home. And that’s where I want to be.”
Her eyes dimmed. “But how can you be in Montana and with me at the same time?”
“I already told you. I’ll go with you wherever you need to go, and when the shoot’s done or the publicity tour or whatever it is you have to do, we’ll come home. We can rent temporary places to live if we have to, so Scout can always be with us.”
“Just as simple as all that?” Annie asked.
