Page 33 of And I Love Her

“I have to get up early tomorrow, so just decaf coffee for me,” Callie said.

“And you?” Tina shifted her attention back to Jake.

“Bacon cheeseburger, fries, and a double chocolate shake.”

“Got it.” Tina scribbled on her pad. “I’ll bring your drinks right over.”

After scooping up their menus, she hurried back to the kitchen.

Callie leaned closer to Jake, concern in her brown eyes. “You’re sure you’re comfortable being here without a disguise?”

“I’m sure.”

He meant it, too. Unless his or his family’s safety was threatened, he’d never been rude to anyone asking for an autograph or photo. He knew how fortunate he was to have so many fans, and they were the people who’d helped him get to where he was. By and large, his encounters with them had been warm, gracious, and mutually respectful.

Now, he couldn’t even acknowledge recognition—unless he wanted to risk both exposure or getting roped into another “deal”—and it appeared that in some circumstances, at least, he might not even have to worry about it.

Which also meant he could enjoy his time with Callie even more.

“So.” She took a sip of water, and he couldn’t help watching her lips close around the rim of the glass. “IfSudden Impactwasn’t a good way to break my movie drought, what movie should I have seen?”

“Any one of the greats.Citizen Kane. Lawrence of Arabia.The Godfather. I could name dozens more.”

“You’ve seen them all?”

“Sure. I used to go to the Vitaphone all the time, especially on weekends. They had a classic movie double-feature every Saturday night.”

“They still have the double-feature.” Callie rested her chin on her hand and studied him. “Two classic movies every Wednesday night. Gus used to show them on Saturdays, but he had to start showing a current blockbuster on the weekends. Still, he didn’t want to give up the tradition so he just changed the day.”

“That’s great. I had no idea.” Affection nudged at him. “I saw a ton of classics on the Vitaphone’s big screen. Plus all the iconic ones from our teenage years. I wanted to live at the movie theater.”

“Why?”

Jake shrugged and twisted a straw wrapper around his finger. People knew his father had left them, but no one knew that Arnold Ryan had been a deadbeat and a drunk, prone to throwing punches when he got mad. Or that Jake had battled between being glad his father was gone and wanting him back.

“The Vitaphone was where I first discovered the magic of movies.” He unrolled the wrapper and twisted it up again. “I’d sit there in the dark and just get lost in the story. Everything bad in my life would disappear for two hours.”

The movie theater had been the one place where his father couldn’t touch him, where he could put aside his worry and his bone-deep fear. All he needed to care about was the movie hero’s quest to capture the bad guy or save the universe. He’d known the instant he sank into one of the upholstered, red seats that no matter what obstacle or insurmountable problem came up…the hero would get through it.

Jake had known one thing during those moments. If the hero could survive…maybe he could too.

He lifted his gaze. Callie watched him with warm brown eyes, her chin still resting on her hand. “What was it you loved so much about the movies?”

“That…” He swallowed past a sudden tightness in his throat, not sure he could even articulate it. “The hero always solved the mystery, finished the bad guy, got the girl he loved. Everything worked out. I guess I liked knowing I could count on a happy ending.”

“Now you help create the happy endings.” She sat back, reaching up to fiddle with her necklace again. “From what I hear, at least. My mom said your character Blaze Ripley finally got married at the end of the last movie.”

“Yeah, to his longtime love interest. It was a great ending…one that the previous four movies had been building up to.”

Tina returned with his milkshake and Callie’s coffee. Jake moved his napkin aside so she could set them on the table.

“Be right back with your food.” She bustled toward the kitchen.

“Do you still feel that way about movies?” Callie lifted the coffee cup to her lips. “Do you still get lost in the story and hope for a happy ending?”

Did he? He’d gotten so caught up in the industry and box office returns that he wasn’t even sure how he really felt while watching a movie anymore.

He was saved from having to answer by the arrival of the food. After Tina deposited his plate with a cheery “Enjoy,” he picked up the ketchup bottle and loaded his fries.

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