being forced to watch My Best Friend’s Wedding with my little sister a hundred times, when we’d both come down with chicken pox and it was the only thing that kept her mind off itching, had taught me anything, it was that you have to say something when you feel it, otherwise the moment just passes you by.
Not able to control myself, I lifted my arm and brushed a long strand of hair off her forehead.
Behind me, my phone buzzed, and I grabbed it off of the nightstand. I saw that it was Ken Lyons, the executive producer from my next job. I’d worked with Ken on several projects and, as much as I wanted to ignore both his call and the rest of the world, Ken Lyons was not someone you sent to voicemail. I slipped out of bed, pulled up my sweats and as quietly as I could, I walked out onto the patio.
“Hey, Ken.”
“Where are you?”
Oh, I’m fine, thanks. How are you?
Niceties weren’t really his style, but that didn’t mean his greeting wasn’t a little jarring. “Hope Falls.”
“Production’s been moved up. Lancaster’s schedule changed. We need you in LA today.”
“Today?”
“Actually yesterday, but today will have to do. You have preproduction meetings at eleven and three and you’re on a red eye to New York tonight. You’ll connect with your international flight there.”
A heaviness settled low in my belly. “I thought I had another week.”
“I have a plane landing in Tahoe to pick you up in forty-five minutes.”
With that, Ken disconnected the call. I stood out on the patio staring at the pine and aspen trees, still trying to process what I’d just been told.
I wasn’t shocked that he’d managed to arrange a private plane to retrieve me within sixty seconds of me telling him where I was. I wasn’t offended by his lack of phone or basic etiquette. He probably had fifteen crew members he needed to wrangle. He didn’t have time to listen to all of them bitch and complain about the new schedule.
What surprised me was my reaction to the call. I’d wanted to tell him no. I’m not going. But I hadn’t done that. Which meant I had a short time to collect my things.
Forty-five minutes. That’s how long before the plane would be waiting for me in Lake Tahoe.
Shit. That meant I needed to get my ass out of here. Tahoe was a thirty-minute drive, at least.
I debated whether I should pack first and then wake Josie up, or wake Josie up and then pack. Wait, I couldn’t do that. I had to go back to my room to pack. I didn’t have a choice, I had to wake her up first.
But when I did, what was I going to say to her? What I wanted to say to her was so different than what I needed to say to her. I needed to tell her that I was leaving. I needed to tell her that I would arrange for a car to take her to the airport for her four o’clock flight. What I wanted to tell her was…
I don’t want to leave you.
It feels wrong walking away from this, whatever this is between us.
Just say the word and I’ll back out of the project.
None of those things sounded like what I should be saying. But they were what I wanted to say. I ran my fingers through my hair in frustration.
I stepped inside and once again was struck by just how beautiful she was. I lowered down and sat beside her on the bed.
“Josie,” I said her name softly.
She didn’t move.
“Josie,” I said her name a little louder and ran my fingers through her hair.
Her eyes fluttered open and when she saw me, a smile pulled on her lips. It made my heart ache knowing that I wouldn’t be seeing that smile tomorrow or the next day.
“Morning,” she said sleepily. “What time is it?”
“A little past seven. I would’ve let you sleep but I got a call and I have to leave.”
“Oh,” her eyes were drifting close again. “Okay.”
“Josie, I’m leaving. I have to fly to LA.”
“Okay.” She nodded as her lids closed completely.
“I’m going to send a car to take you to the airport later, okay?” When she didn’t respond, I gently shook her arm. “Josie did you hear me?”
“Yep. You LA now. Me car later.” She lifted her hand and gave me a thumbs up, even though her eyes remained closed. “Got it.”
It felt so wrong to just leave,