Page 95 of At the Heart of It
“That’s not even remotely practical,” she said. “Even if money were no object, it’s a silly thing to spend it on.”
He started to tell her money was no object. Thanks to the show, that was almost the case. But should he really count chickens that hadn’t hatched? The show hadn’t formally been picked up yet. Anything could happen.
Jossy shook her head and handed him another nail tip. “I wasn’t telling you about the dream to complain. I just thought it was interesting.”
Jonah nodded, not ready to let the subject go just yet. He thought about Kate’s words the other night.
“That really fucking sucks.”
It did suck on so many levels. He’d spent eighteen years trying to make it up to Jossy. Trying give back some of what he’d stolen from her. Trying to live up to his father’s last request.
But shirtless dog walks and cat manicures could only go so far.
“What if a computer-controlled prosthetic just landed in your lap?” he asked.
Jossy snorted. “Ouch.”
“I don’t mean literally. Like what if insurance suddenly paid for it or something.”
He kept his gaze on the cat, not wanting her to read too much into the “or something.”
“I don’t know,” she said slowly. “There’s no point in even talking like that. It’s never going to happen, Jonah.”
He took another nail tip from her and slid it onto Lucifer’s claw. For the first time, he saw a faint shimmer of hope. Things would never be the same for Jossy, but if he could just make this happen for her?—
“We’re almost done,” Jossy said. “Hang in there, sweetie pie.”
“That’s right, buddy.” Jonah glanced at his sister and smiled. “The end is in sight.”
Chapter 15
“That’s a wrap!” Kate called with a glance at her watch.
It was only four, which was a bit early to stop shooting, but they were starting to lose their light. Besides, the temperature had been dropping all afternoon, reminding Kate of the challenges involved with outdoor shoots.
“Think we got what we need?” Amy trotted up beside her, blowing on her gloved hands.
“I’m pretty confident,” Kate said. “That last sequence with Elena running into Sam’s arms on the sidewalk looked perfect.”
“She totally nailed that.” Amy grinned and glanced back toward the waterfront walkway where the happy couple were still twined in each other’s arms. “I love the way he picked her up and spun her around. He did that without prompting.”
“Quintessential wrap shot,” Kate agreed, already picturing it in her mind. They could dub in some voiceovers with the couple talking about their life together after the show. The camera would zoom in on the autumn leaves swirling around their ankles and Elena’s blue-and-gold scarf fluttering in the breeze.
“I talked to the guys in post-production about the musical score,” Amy added. “That will add a lot.”
“Thanks for handling that.” Kate shoved her hands into her coat pockets and wished she’d thought to bring along some hand warmers or maybe a thicker jacket.
“Fuck me raw with a blue potato.” Amy blew on her hands again. “When did it get so cold?”
“At least it’s not raining,” Kate replied. “I expected it to do that all the time if we filmed in Seattle.”
“Wait until next week. It’s supposed to rain every day but Wednesday. Don’t worry, I adjusted the schedule and emailed the updates to everyone. We can knock out most of the indoor footage with those next two couples.”
“You’re the best.” Kate looked back at Sam and Elena. They were still holding hands, and Elena beamed up at her husband like he’d invented dark chocolate and multiple orgasms. The cameras had stopped rolling, which made it that much sweeter. This was the real deal.
“Great choice on her outfit,” Kate said. “She looks adorable.”
Amy looked back at the couple and nodded. “Yeah, Ginger found that white sweater coat at a boutique downtown. And those jeans—would you believe she found those at a thrift store?”
