Small Town Girls Don't Marry Their Back-Ups - Carol Moncado Page 0,44
his head. “I think that makes him somewhere between seven and ten down the line.”
“Exactly. It’s highly unlikely he’ll be king, and he’s still in school. Plus, my sister has no desire to give up teaching, ever. I don’t know what their long-term plans are, but it’s not quite the same.”
“Eli Whitaker will be there, too,” he pointed out, struggling to control his smirk.
She bumped her shoulder into his. “He starred in the movie. So did Claire Cruz Cartwright. Of course, they’ll be there.”
“I’m looking forward to seeing it.”
“Me, too, but even though I was there when they filmed most of it, it still worries me that it won’t look like it did in my head and that will bother me. I know it’s going to be different,” she hurried on. “I just hope it’s not so different it doesn’t feel like the same story.”
“You read the script, didn’t you?” He let his arm straighten so her hand slid down to his then grasped it.
“Of course.”
“And?”
She sighed. “It sounded like basically the same story, but who knows what might have changed in edits. The music or whatever can change the whole tone or feel of something. I love HEA TV movies. I watch them all the time. I trust them - and Eli and Claire - not to make a stinker, but what if this is the one time they screw up?”
Wyatt dropped her hand and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “It’s gonna be fine, Mads. You wouldn’t have signed the contract for them to do the movie if you didn’t have complete faith in them. It won’t be the same as the book, but movies never are. That doesn’t mean it won’t be excellent, if a bit different.”
They stopped as the gravel drive turned to dirt and sloped downward toward the trees along the shore of the lake. Madi leaned her head on his shoulder again.
“Thank you. Fair warning, it won’t be the last time I need you to reassure me about something.” Her arm slid around his back.
“Then I’m glad I’ll be here to reassure you.” He leaned his cheek on the top of her head as they watched a lone boat streak across Serenity Lake.
Maybe he should see about buying this house or one nearby.
Because this was as close to perfect as life could get.
The walk had been nice, but it wasn’t enough.
Madi didn’t know what to make of the fact that she itched to get out of the house.
Maybe it was the forced isolation. She could choose to stay home for as long as she wanted and didn’t feel like she needed to claw her skin off just to have something to do.
But being forced to stay home while the rest of the world went out outside the gate at the other end of the drive, that was a whole different matter.
As she walked into their shared bedroom later that night, Wyatt walked out of the bathroom in a pair of Crimson Knights’ pajama pants and no shirt, though he held a tank top in his hand. After the second or third day together, he’d started wearing one when they went to bed, but put it on at the last minute.
She flopped onto her back on the bed.
“What’s up?” He sat next to her but didn’t lie down.
“How long until we leave for Ravenzario?” she groaned.
“Not soon enough.”
“Any chance we can talk them into letting us leave earlier?” She squinted and stared at the ceiling and wondered if there was a pattern in the swirls there.
“I doubt it.” He looked up. “What are you looking at?”
“I’m trying to decide if I can see Harry Truman in the pattern.” If she squeezed her eyes shut just enough, it could be him.
Wyatt laid down next to her and squinted. “Where exactly?”
Madi pointed. “There.”
He tilted his head to the side. “I don’t see it. I think I might see a unicorn, though.”
She found herself very aware of the warmth radiating off his torso, but tried to stay focused on the ceiling. “You’re looking too far to the left.” Trying to point better without moving closer to her half-clothed husband proved difficult.
Instead, he moved closer to her, scooting across the comforter until the entire length of their bodies were touching. “Where?”
Madi kept pointing. “I don’t know how to describe it better. It’s right there.”
He shook his head. “I still don’t see it, but the unicorn is playing soccer with a polar bear.”