Page 49 of And I Love Her

Chapter 11

After the Vitaphone, the boardwalk had been Jake’s second-favorite place to hang out when he was a teenager. As he and Callie walked toward the ticket booth, their arms bumped. He took her hand, liking how her palm nestled right up against his as if they’d held hands a thousand times before.

The sun rose high in the cloudless sky, sending a shower of heat down on to the sunbathers and boardwalk crowd. A salty breeze drifted in from the ocean, mingling with the aroma of fried food and cotton candy. Shrieks of excitement filled the air from the roller coaster and other thrill rides. Everyone was so busy and having so much fun that no one even glanced in Jake and Callie’s direction.

For the next couple of hours, he couldn’t remember a time when he’d had morefun. He loved being on a movie set, and during his time off, he went surfing or snorkeling, but there was always a guardedness to everything he did. It was a basic fact of being a movie star that people usually wanted something from him. If he could, he gave them what they wanted, but aside from his family and a close circle of friends, he had to be cautious around people.

Except Callie. He’d never felt more unguarded than he did when he was with her. Like he was just a regular guy out with his girl, and there was no looming Hollywood that he had to return to soon. No contracts, scheming agents, negotiations, expectations, or celebrity images. No paparazzi or tabloids. Just a woman he liked and a chance to breathe deep.

For the next couple of hours, they rode the roller coaster, the Ferris wheel, and the carousel. He took videos of her playing Ring Toss, Balloon and Dart, and Skee Ball, and she confiscated his camera to get a picture of him in a clown photo stand. They ate cotton candy and tried out the Love Tester Machine—Callie tested asHot Stuff, and Jake ended upClammy, much to her hilarity.

“I remember getting a bunch of those done here.” Jake nodded toward a caricature artist sketching a cartoon illustration of a little girl.

“Me too.” Callie extended the box of popcorn they were sharing. “My mom still has one framed on her wall from when my sisters and I were kids.”

He tossed a few pieces of popcorn into his mouth. “So are you an artist? I saw the sketchbooks and pencils on your coffee table.”

“No.” With a little laugh, she shook her head. “I mess around with pencil drawings, but I’m not an artist at all.”

“What kind of stuff do you draw?”

“Just still-lifes, mostly. Fruit, a stack of books, an old shoe. That kind of thing.”

“Were you always interested in drawing?”

“No.” A shadow passed over her face, and she tossed the empty popcorn box in the trash. “I took drawing classes in high school and liked them, but I didn’t pursue it until after my father died. It was such a mess dealing with everything and trying to take care of my mom and sisters…when I’d get home at night, I didn’t want to talk to anyone or have the TV on. I couldn’t even read because I hated the idea that people…even fictional characters…were still out there living while my father was dead. I know that sounds crazy.”

“No.” Jake brushed his fingers over her arm. “It doesn’t.”

“Anyway, that’s when I started drawing. Just sitting alone in my living room, everything quiet, not having to think…it helped me get through the darkest time in my life. It was the same when my mom had go through surgery and her diagnosis.”

“You still do it.”

“Habit now, I guess.” She shrugged. “It’s nice to come home after a day of dealing with students and other professors and just draw for an hour or so. Hey, it’s almost twelve-thirty. Do you want to get lunch?”

Letting her change the subject, Jake nodded. “I have the perfect luncheon menu.”

He took her hand and dragged her toward the deep-fried pizza booth.

“Not that I’m judging…” Callie dubiously eyed the breaded, greasy pizza slice he held out to her. “But…really?”

“Come on.” He guided her toward a picnic table and placed the pizza baskets between them. “I’ll eat your healthy breakfast, if you give this a try. I used to have this at least once a week in high school.”

Callie lifted the slice and bit into it, drawing Jake’s attention to her mouth. Her eyes widened. “Omigod.”

“Good, huh?” With a grin, he picked up his slice and took a bite, relishing the crispy, greasy taste of cheese and pepperoni.

“This is unbelievable.” Callie grabbed a napkin to wipe her mouth before taking another bite. “How have I not experienced this before?”

“You just needed the right guy to introduce it to you.”

She shot him a smile. “I’m glad theright guyis you.”

A mixture of unease and intense pleasure rose in his chest. “So am I.”

He nudged a cup of soda across the table to her and tossed a crust scrap on the ground near a hovering bird. They ate messily, licking their fingers, catching drops of pizza sauce, getting grease and crumbs all over their mouths.

As Jake was finishing his second slice, his phone ringtone sounded in his pocket. Ignoring it, he reached for his soda. The ringtone chimed again.

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