“You might not get any say.”
“If I honestly thought she was happy I’d butt out.”
I definitely would. Maybe I would.
“But Dan is the same as he always was. And I don’t even think she wants to marry him. I just need to show her she can have a different kind of life.”
“That’s a tall order for one weekend,” he says eventually.
I give him a weak smile.
His arm does come around me now, and he pulls me into a reassuring squeeze.
“Well,” he says decisively. “I guess we’ve got work todo.”
I look up at him. “We?”
“What, you think I’m going to leave you to make this itinerary on your own? Your best idea was Times Square.”
“That wasn’t my best idea. That wasoneidea. I have many more.”
“Really.” I can tell he thinks I’m full of shit. He’s doing hisAnnie you are full of shitface as he rises from the bench.
“Ido,” I insist. “I have a list.”
“Let’s see it, then.”
I should have foreseen this would be his response. “It’s more of a…bucket list, from when I first moved here. Of all the things I wanted to do in the city.”
We’re up and walking again, meandering down the path past dog walkers and people out on their afternoon stroll.
“Now Ireallyneed to see it,” he says, swerving to let a toddler zip past on her tiny pink scooter.
“Absolutely not. It’s private.”
“OK, how about this, I’ll guess what’s on it and if I’m right, you have to tellme.”
“Fine.”
“Perfect. Now, what would be on Annie’s bucket list?” he muses.
He stops walking and turns toward me, looking me over carefully while he pretends to think. My tote bag full of cookies hangs from his shoulder.
Not for the first time this morning I wish I’d taken the time to look more presentable, especially since Connor looks, and I am reluctant to admit this even to myself, irresistible. But how could I have imagined this is how my Sunday would panout?
“Is it written down?”
“Yes. On my phone.”
“Get it out. How many items are on the list?”
I roll my eyes but comply, pulling up my Notes app and scrolling until I find it. “There’s ten.”
“Ten. Wow, OK. Ten.” Again he makes a big show of thinking about it, then starts firing off guesses. “Cycle across the Brooklyn Bridge.”
“Incorrect.”
“Smart. It’s steeper than it seems, you know.”
