“Okay, how aboutCrosswinds. It’s a spy movie. I think British.” She looked at him. He’d put the food on the small table next to the window and was setting everything up. “It’s got Pierce Brosnan, Jackie Chan, Tilda Swinton, and Simon Pegg. They’re all secret agents who think they’ve been sent to assassinate the other three, only to discover it’s a plot to get rid of them all. They join forces and hilarity ensues.”
He looked skeptical. “Hilarity?”
“Just reading the blurb.”
He shrugged. “Haven’t seen it. Might be good with that cast.”
“All right, I’m buying it.”
“Are we eating at the table?”
She looked over her shoulder. “The bed looks more comfortable and since there are two of them, if we get food on that one, I’ll sleep on the other.” It was a queen double room, just like Mitch’s next door.
He laughed. “As long as you’ve got a plan.”
They settled in on the bed with slices of pizza and garlic knots precariously balanced on the thin paper plates the restaurant had provided.
Harper pressed Play. As the opening started, she took a bite of pizza, the cheese stringing out behind, and glanced at Mitch. Mostly just admiring him and wishing she could find another way to thank him without saying thanks again.
He’d been exactly what she needed.
He looked at her, his cheese stretched out, too. He broke it with his fingers, wiping them on a napkin. He chewed the bite he’d just taken. “What? Do I have sauce on my face?”
“No.” His face was perfect, as usual. “This is nice, huh?”
He smiled. “It is. We should do date nights or something when we get home. Make it a regular thing.”
“I’d like that.”
The movie was better than she expected, or maybe she was just looking for an excuse to laugh. Either way, it was funny and exactly what her soul needed. Laughter, pizza, and Mitch were a very soothing combination.
The chocolate cake, which was delicious, didn’t hurt. She paused the movie, then pointed at the small piece of cake that remained on her plate. “This is really good.”
“It is,” he said. “But you haven’t had Joyce’s chocolate cake. It’ll ruin you for all other chocolate cakes. Although I’m sure Beryl does a good one, too.”
“I love both of them so much. They’re just perfect, aren’t they?”
“They are.” He nodded, forking up another bite of cake. “I owe Joyce a lot. And having Beryl here to help with Ruthie is pretty much an answer to a prayer.”
She looked at him, surprised. “Do you pray?”
“I didn’t for a long time. I was mad and confused and didn’t see any point in it. I’m starting to feel differently now.”
“Funny how things work, isn’t it?”
“It is.”
She glanced at her plate. “Maybe I shouldn’t be saying this, could be all the sugar I’ve just had, but I feel like being with you is exactly how things should be.” She looked up at him again. “Like we fit in a way that I didn’t know was possible.”
Before he could say anything, she shook her head and continued. “I know my emotions are a bit of a mess right now. I shouldn’t be having this conversation, probably, but I can’t help it. I am so filled with gratitude for the help you’ve given me. I don’t really know how to express it, either. Thank you doesn’t come close to how I feel.”
He leaned in so that his shoulder touched hers. “You don’t have to say anything. I know you appreciate it. But I also enjoy doing it. I’m not great at emotional stuff. Working on it, but not there yet. So making flight arrangements and hotel reservations, that’s something I can do. You need help with logistics? I’m your guy.”
“I’m glad you’re my guy.”
He smiled. “I am, too.”
“I’ll tell you something else. You’re a lot better at the emotional stuff than you think you are. Maybe you weren’t before, but since you’ve been through so much, you’ve gotten very good at it.”
