“I saw it.”
Refusing to move from his perch until the last of the colorful array disappeared from the sky, Cody asked, “Did you know your grandpa loved sunsets?”
“I know.”
“Did you ever watch them with him?”
“I used to. When I was little.” She let out a sigh, but relented and joined him at the fence. She leaned against it and peered west. The colors were fading now that the last sliver of the sun slipped below the horizon. “He used to tell me the colors were painted across the sky with a giant, invisible paintbrush.”
If Cody wasn’t mistaken, a hint of a smile appeared across Jenna’s lips. With her standing nearby, he could scoot a couple inches closer, lean down—he shook away the irrational thought before it had time to take root. Cody didn’t get involved with women locally. He dated occasionally on his travels, but he accepted long ago that he’d never settle down. Someone local would expect that of him. And Jenna . . . it wouldn’t be fair to lead her on. Eddie would surely haunt him for that.
“You know, it’s actually the reason I started painting with watercolors. Somewhere there’s a box with hundreds of watercolor sunset pictures. I was only four when that craze began, so naturally it’s my best work.”
“Naturally.” Cody was so shocked by the rare unguarded moment she shared with him, he didn’t want to spoil it by so much as breathing.
“Okay, I see why this made the list,” Jenna added, swiping at the corner of her eye with a knuckle.
He yearned to ask her so many questions. Questions whose answers would be so much easier to draw out of anyone else. But prying, no matter how gentle or suavely, would only cause her to close up. That much he now understood about Jenna Kingsley.
As the final hints of red and orange faded, giving way to a dusky blue that blended with the water, Cody pushed up from his perch on the fence. He took a quick scan of the area known for occasional black bear visitors. “I remember something on that list about ice cream,” he said once he confirmed they were alone.
“Yeah. Something about a moose something ice cream sandwich.”
“Ah, that’ll be a moose tracks ice cream sandwich from Glacier Ice Creamery.” He glanced at his watch, uncertain whether the local ice cream parlor had switched yet from summer tourist hours to their off-season hours. Most places in town were switching next week, but some had already made the change. “We better head that way. If they’re still open, they’ll be closing up shop soon.”
Graham hopped to his feet, his wagging tail suggesting he was ready for another adventure. But his sleepy eyes begged for bedtime.
They rode downtown in silence, only the back driver’s window rolled halfway down. The days were still unseasonably warm, but the chilly evenings made up for it. Jenna flipped on the heater for the short trek.
She left Graham in the truck with a promise to bring him back apup cupif they had one.
All the lights were still illuminated, allowing Cody to feel the slightest relief. He remembered several food items on the list and didn’t feel up to eating themallin one day. “After you,” he said to Jenna, holding the door open.
Not only were they the last two customers of the day, they snagged the last two moose track ice cream sandwiches. Jenna asked the teenage girl behind the counter to take their picture before they found a booth. Ice cream was not his typical dinner, but tonight it’d have to do. He felt exhausted and ready to call it a night, but they needed a game plan for tomorrow if they had a prayer of knocking out the remaining eleven things before he left for Anchorage.
“These are great!” Jenna flashed Cody one of her rare, dazzling smiles. It was the kind of smile that could stop traffic at rush hour and make men forget their own names. “They’reshapedlike moose heads.” She nibbled at an antler, moaning in delight at the flavor. Her eyes fell closed as she savored the dessert.
“They make their own ice cream,” Cody explained, relieved he didn’t have to convince her to slow down and enjoy this particular moment. Maybe she wouldn’t make every sightseeing task so difficult after all. “Including these moose-shaped cookies.”
“Fun fact about me,” she said between bites, “Iloveice cream. It’s like my kryptonite. Grandpa knew it, too.” Her smile fell slightly. “I wonder what he was buttering me up to tell me. He always used ice cream to catch me off guard.”
Cody had a couple of theories, but he suspected Jenna was already considering them. No need to dampen the mood with such morbid thoughts. Instead, he shifted gears. “Where’s the list? We should probably make a plan. I still haven’t packed, and there’s a few people I need to say goodbye to.”
Unfolding the list, Jenna placed it on the table between them. “First one—breakfast at Moosecakes.” She looked up at him. “What’s amoosecake?”
“You’ll find out tomorrow morning. We can start our day there.”
“We did number two: watch the sunset at Lookout Point.” She slipped out of the booth, borrowing a pen from beside the register. She ran a purple ink line through the second item, then skipped down to the thirteenth one they were completing now and did the same. “Number three: attend a local festival and spend all day there.” She looked up at Cody. “I don’t suppose there’re any surprise festivals tomorrow?”
“No.” Cody scrubbed a hand over his face. The next festival was this coming weekend. The same weekend he was supposed to spend getting settled into his new place in Maui. Filming began the Monday after. “Let’s circle back to that one.”
“Moving on. Number four: dance under the northern lights.” She looked at him, then out the window. “Don’t suppose—”
“They might come out later, if the clouds clear.” Which, based on tomorrow’s overcast, rainy forecast, was unlikely. Surely there was some sort of clause for circumstances outside of their control? He’d have to have a chat with Mr. Jenkins and find out what loopholes—if any—he knew about.
“Number five: meet local moose legend, Ed.” Jenna looked up at Cody, her expression a mixture of amusement and disbelief. “You’re kidding me. He’sreal?”
“Yes, he’s real.”
