“Mmm,” I said noncommittally, wanting to break a camera dolly over his stupid head. But I behaved.
After he left, I turned to go find some coffee before I actually had to work and encountered Gretchen standing right behind me.
“Hey,” she said, giving me a small smile. “Can I have a minute?”
“Of course.” We stepped out of the tent and into the middleof Main Street, which had been closed down for the Christmas fair. The smells of sausages and apples and gingerbread filled the air. Flurries danced down, small and glinting, like we were living inside a static-ridden television set, and I could hear Eartha Kitt crooning to Santa about all the things she wanted.
I loved it. I loved the smells and the sounds and the snow, and I suddenly wished I was at home with Mom and Maddie right now, stringing popcorn and cranberries into garlands and complaining about all the dishes left over from cooking the latest batch of cookies. I wished that I could bring Bee home with me too, wished that I could have her cuddled in my lap while the Christmas tree lights winked from the corner of the room. Wished that I could see her snuggled in fuzzy Christmas jammies, not bothering with mistletoe to steal whatever kisses we wanted.
“I want to apologize,” Gretchen said.
Huh?“Apologize?”
She touched my arm. “I didn’t know until I saw it on the internet. That your mom’s had something going on and you’ve been helping. The phone calls—that’s what those were for, right?”
“Yes, but—”
“Nobuts,” she said with a small smile. “You are a better version of Nolan Shaw than I gave you credit for, and I’m sorry for that. What’s more, I was looking over the schedule, and if we cram an extra scene in today and two extra scenes in tomorrow, we can have you wrapped before Christmas. You could go home, Nolan.”
It was like someone had just poured liquid sunshine downmy throat. I could be home for Christmas. I could see Mom and Maddie as soon as tomorrow night. “Really?” I asked excitedly. “You think so?”
“I do. And I think you’ve earned it.”
I lunged at her and picked her up to swing her in a circle. She batted at my shoulders, laughing. “Put me down! I’m not a music video girl!”
“You’re the music video girl of my heart, Gretchen Young! Thank you so much.” I set her down, beaming at her as she batted my shoulder once more for good measure and went off to find Cammy to change the schedule.
I might float right off the ground. I’d stopped Dominic from doing something Dominic-like, I was heading home for Christmas, and after this movie was over, I’d have Bee back in my arms and bed, where she belonged. It was like Christmas Notch had summoned up a little Christmas magic just for me.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Bee
“Close your eyes for me,” Sunny said patiently.
Sighing, I obeyed and cradled the phone in my lap as it played the video of Nolan’s interview.
“It’s okay to turn it off,” she said. “You already watched most of it live anyway.”
With a pout, I looked up at her from where I sat in her makeup chair. Today was my runaway-bride wedding scene. It was the moment when Felicity would leave her present-day fiancé at the altar, and it was also one of the rare scenes I didn’t film with Nolan.
If I was being honest, I was a little more nervous without him. We’d just stumbled into a routine. He always brought me coffee from craft services and moved our chairs so thatI was sitting closest to the portable heaters. I brought gum for us to share in between scenes, and he always gave me one of his AirPods so I could listen to whatever playlist or podcast he was tuning in to. And the moments we did share on-screen . . . well, they were beginning to seem more and more real. Leaning against his chest or holding his hand felt like applying aloe to sunburnt skin. It was exhilarating, too, to do the things with him on camera that I dreamed of us doing during daylight hours as if we were a normal couple.
In so many ways, this whole experience was reminiscent of summer camp, and I leaned into the idea that while we were here in Christmas Notch, we could be anyone and do anything. And that meant being Nolan’s person and getting to live out all of the acting dreams my younger self was too scared to hope for.
“Close,” Sunny commanded.
I hit the button on the side of my phone to turn off Dominic Diamond’s grand inquisition and turned it facedown on the makeup counter before leaning back in my chair and closing my eyes.
An incredible actress for a newcomer...
All about Nolan Shaw...
Nolan’s words felt like they’d been branded into my chest. There was no pause or moment to collect himself. He simply answered Dominic’s question about me in such a genuine way that I began to believe his answer myself.
In the logical corner of my brain, I knew that Nolan was doing exactly what he needed to do—for both our sakes.
But...
