My mouth falls open in shock. “Oh, you’re missing out. Come on.”
We order a funnel cake loaded with powdered sugar and strawberries and find a picnic table to share it. After he takes a bite, I ask, “So?”
“It’s delicious. I can’t believe I’ve been missing out on this my whole life.”
I laugh. River tears off a piece, and I open my mouth on impulse. He pops it into my mouth, and I swoon because it’s just like something that would happen in one of the novels I read.
Of course, just as I start to think this relationship might work, River’s set to leave tomorrow. I wonder how a long-distance relationship might work. I push those thoughts out of my head because that’s depressing.
“So, tell me,” I say after finishing a bite of the sweet, crispy dough, “how did you get into filmmaking? Like, when did you first pick up a camera?”
River leans back, thinking. “I was maybe eleven, and I was bored on set one day.Kid Logichad this really long shooting schedule, and there was a lot of downtime between takes. One of the camera operators let me mess around with his equipment during lunch break.” His face lights up. “I was fascinated by how you could capture a moment and make it tell a story. It felt more real than acting somehow.”
“What kind of stuff do you like to film?”
“In the past, I’ve filmed nature, mostly. Wildlife behavior, landscapes. There’s something peaceful about it. You have tobe patient, wait for the right moment.” He grins. “Complete opposite of Hollywood, where everything is rushed and fake.”
I dust powdered sugar off my fingers. “Is that what you were doing at the beach that day? Filming that crab?”
“Yeah. I also got some amazing footage of dolphins and those aggressive seagulls.” He laughs. “But I was actually thinking about making a short documentary about small coastal communities. You know, take on something a little more challenging. There’s something special about places like Willow Shade.”
My excitement mounts. Maybe he will be back to Willow Shade soon, then. “Really? What do you mean?”
River takes another bite of funnel cake, considering his words. “People actually know each other there. They care about each other. In LA, I can live in the same apartment building for two years and never know my neighbors’ names.”
“I can see what you mean. I think doing a documentary would be a great idea.”
“Thanks.” He licks some powdered sugar from his finger, and I think that makes him look sexy—once again, exactly like in the books I read.
“What else do you like to do?” I ask, getting more curious about him.
“I love hiking. Does Willow Shade have any trails?”
I nod. “Yes. In the Seagrass Wildlife Preserve there are some trails that take you through the marshlands and along the coastline.”
“That sounds perfect.” He smiles. “Do you want to show me around the wildlife preserve?”
“When will you be coming back?”
He pauses. “Actually, there’s something I should probably confess to you.”
“Confess?”
“I really like Willow Shade. I’ve thought about getting a house there. I’ve actually looked at a couple of houses for sale.”
My eyebrows shoot up. “Really? You’d move to Willow Shade?”
River grows serious. “Does that bother you? I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable.”
“No.” I smile at him. “I was wondering what the future might look like between us. I’m happy you’re looking at moving.” I look down at the picnic table. “But I have a question.”
“Ask anything.”
“How can you afford that if you’re out of work?”
River looks a little embarrassed. “Kid Logicis doing well on streaming services right now. The residuals are actually pretty good.”
“That’s amazing. So you could really do it? Move to Willow Shade?”
