Page 59 of The Location Shoot
“Don’t be silly,” Ella insisted, plopping onto the grass. She picked a small dandelion from the ground and handedit to Lars. When she blew on it and the fuzzy white poofs dispersed into the air, he laughed hysterically and fell into her arms. “Again!” he squealed. She picked another dandelion and handed it to him.
Astrid sat beside Ella and said, “You look like a princess.”
“Well, so do you,” Ella replied.
Astrid giggled.
Ella looked up at Maja. “See? We’re already friends.”
Finn smiled widely, taking in the joyful scene.
“Well, maybe you could just watch them for a bit while I keep calling people,” Maja said.
“There’s no need. I love children. We’ll have a splendid day together,” Ella assured her. She laughed at Lars, who was spitting on his dandelion, trying to make the poofs fly into the air. When he finally gave up, she said, “Finn, can we hang out in your trailer?”
“Of course.”
“My babysitter dropped them off with a bag—toys, books, a change of clothes, their lunch, and some snacks,” Maja said.
“Why don’t I grab their things while you get them settled in my trailer?” Finn suggested.
“I don’t know what to say. Thank you both so much,” Maja gushed.
“It’s my pleasure,” Ella replied as she handed both children new dandelions to blow. “We can hang out in Finn’s trailer, play out in the field, maybe pick some berries. We’ll have a great day.”
A few minutes later, Ella, the kids, and their bag were settled in Finn’s trailer. Lars immediately pulled a book out of the bag and pushed it toward Ella. She sat down on the couch, a child on either side of her, and began to read. Finn leaned down to kiss her forehead, and then he and Maja headed off to the set. Before closing the door, he turnedaround to take one last look at Ella and the kids, adoration and an irrepressible smile on his face.
At two o’clock, Finn returned to the trailer with lunch. When he walked in, Ella was sitting on the couch, her legs outstretched. Astrid was lying beside her, and Lars was curled up on top of her sucking his thumb, both sound asleep.
“Shh . . .” she whispered, holding her finger to her mouth.
He kissed her forehead again and knelt on the floor beside them. “This is the sweetest sight,” he whispered.
“We played outside for ages, and they passed out after I gave them lunch.”
“Maja will be here in a few minutes. She got in touch with her sister, and she’s coming to get them.”
“All right. Let’s let them rest until they have to go,” she said, stroking Lars’s hair.
Soon Maja arrived to collect the children, who were reluctant to leave and smothered Ella with hugs. “Thank you again. You really saved me,” Maja said on her way out.
Finn cozied up beside Ella on the couch. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her softly. “Those kids are crazy about you.”
“They’re adorable. We had fun together,” she said, yawning. “They did wear me out, though. I could use a nap myself. I might head back to the inn after lunch.”
“What do you say we skip the group dinner tonight and do something just the two of us? I can make our excuses with Jean.”
“Okay,” she said, barely able to contain another yawn. “What do you have in mind?”
“A candlelit dinner in your room, maybe a bubble bath in that big clawfoot tub.”
“That sounds romantic.”
“I’ll take care of everything.”
LATER THAT NIGHT, ELLA WASrelaxing in her room when there was a knock on the door. She opened it to find a waiter with a tray. “Mr. Forrester asked me to deliver this. He hired a local chef to prepare a special meal for you two.”
“Oh, wow,” Ella said. “Please come in. You can put it right over there on the table.”
