Page 78 of Unforgettable

“You’re like a celebrity around here,” I tell her.

She laughs. “No, I’m not. Everyone knows everyone…I just happen to be a Landmark, but you’ve had your share of people calling out your name too. Give it another month and you won’t be able to go into the grocery store without spending an extra half hour chatting. Sometimes it does sound nice to be anonymous somewhere…”

We reach the gondola station and I’m surprised no one else is waiting to get on with us. “Where is everyone?”

“Well, we are a little bit early,” she says, looking at the huge clock on Heritage Lane that we can see all the way from here.

“I was excited to see you,” I say, shrugging.

I see the smile she tries to hide and kiss her hand again. Her skin is cold against my lips and I take both of her hands in mine, trying to warm them up.

“Let’s go ahead,” I say, and we walk to the entrance, where the operator is waiting.

“Hey, Benny,” Scarlett says.

“Hey there,” he says. “I thought everyone was either at the Chili Cookoff or the concert at Bethany Christian. You’re the first people I’ve seen in ten minutes. That’s gotta be a record during the busy months.”

“Well, expect to see some Landmarks and Ledgers before too long,” Scarlett says. “Have you met Jamison yet?”

“No, not yet, but I’ve heard good things about you and your brother.” Benny holds out his hand and we shake.

“Nice to meet you, Benny.”

“You ready to go up?” he asks.

“Yes, please,” Scarlett says, rubbing her arms.

We step inside the spacious gondola and I follow her to the last seat.

“Have a nice ride,” Benny says before the doors shut.

We’re moving within a couple of minutes, slowly lifting over the lights of the town.

“I wish it was a clearer night,” Scarlett says. “Have you been on here before?”

“No.”

I can’t keep my eyes off of her. Zac’s right—I’ve never been like this about anyone. It should scare me more than it does, given our shaky history and the unknown ahead, but I’ve never been an overthinker. Don’t want to start being one now, and just enjoy this.

She looks behind us. “Landmark is such a gorgeous town,” she says.

It’s her melancholy tone that has me on alert.

“You say that like you’re sad about it.”

She faces me and shakes her head. “I’m not sad, just…trying to figure out what’s ahead.”

Unease shifts through me. I was hoping her uncertainty about staying would be resolved by now. The end of her three-month commitment will be over before we know it and I can’t even think about what it will be like when I go back to Boston three months after that. But at least I know I’ll be coming back to Landmark often.

It sounds like she still doesn’t even know where she’ll be. Like maybe she’s already saying goodbye.

I can’t imagine Landmark without her here.

SheisLandmark to me.

The rest of our ride is quiet. The visibility gets worse as we go up and I can feel her anxiety building. Neither of us have mentioned getting stuck on the ski lift, but I’m certain it’s on her mind as much as it is on mine. She’s got a firm grip on my hand and I squeeze back just as tight.

I put my free hand on her cheek and press my forehead against hers. She sighs when my finger dips over her bottom lip, her breath hitching when I bite it. Her lips tilt up at the edges and she tugs my head closer, kissing me long and deep. I moan into her mouth and pull her onto my lap.

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