Chapter 39
The lights were so bright. So hot. McKenna swiped a bead of sweat from her forehead. Stole a glance at Nate. Why wasn’t he sweating?
“I’ll take Poetry Ponderers for a thousand,” Nate said to Alex Trebek.
McKenna clutched the buzzer in her sweaty palm. Why was every single category about poetry?
“Daily double,” said Alex.
Again? How many daily doubles were there? And how did Nate keep finding them?
“This poet once lamented about having too many elbows to scrub,” Alex said.
Too many elbows to scrub? McKenna pressed her buzzer. “I know this one,” she yelled, pressing her buzzer harder. Why wasn’t her buzzer working?
“Shush,” said Alex, his finger suddenly pressing against her lips.
“But I know the answer,” she murmured against his finger.
“Who is Shel Silverstein?” said Nate.
“Correct,” said Alex Trebek as he stepped back to his usual spot.
“Something’s wrong with my buzzer,” McKenna said to Alex. “I knew that one.”
“Let me see your buzzer,” Nate said. But when she handed it to him, they suddenly weren’t on the show anymore. They were standing on the broken bridge in Nebraska.
And Nate was now wearing a towel, holding the ring instead of the buzzer. “I need that back,” McKenna told him.
When Nate started to reach for her, McKenna thought he was going to shush her again. It wasn’t until his nose brushed against her nose that she realized he was aiming to kiss her.
What? McKenna’s eyes popped open.
She focused on the patch of vine-decorated wallpaper glowing in the pale moonlight sneaking in through the open curtains of her window. The shadowed bulk of the dresser. The whirring motion of the ceiling fan. The sound of the ice maker churning in the kitchen next to her room.
Why was her heart pounding?
Because she’d just been dreaming about Jeopardy! Anybody’s heart would be pounding if they’d just been a contestant on Jeopardy!, right?
Had nothing to do with the part about Nate nearly kissing her. Or seeing him in a towel again in her dreams. Nope. It was definitely the Jeopardy! part that had her flustered.
Still caught up in the dream, it took a moment to realize her phone was vibrating on the nightstand. McKenna leaned up on one elbow. Who on earth would be calling her in the middle of the night? She fumbled for her phone on the nightstand and tapped the screen when she read the caller ID.
“Bobbi? What’s wrong? Are you okay?” They’d talked just a few days ago. Why would she be calling now?
“I’m fine, but why do you sound funny again?”
“I don’t sound funny.”
“You sound out of breath.”
McKenna unplugged her phone from the charger, turned on the lamp, then scooted up so she could lean against the headrest of the bed. “It’s three a.m. Everybody sounds funny and out of breath at three a.m.”
“How is it three a.m.? I thought I was seven hours ahead of you.”
“You are seven hours ahead of me.”
“Then how is it—oh, wait. I did it wrong, didn’t I? I’m seven hours ahead, which means it’s . . . what, about three a.m. your time?”
“I just said that.”
“I’m making sure you did the math right.”
“I’m literally looking at a clock right now.”
“They say even a broken clock is right twice a day.”
“Was there a reason you called or should we quiz each other on what time it is in Sydney, Australia, right now?” McKenna waited for Bobbi to laugh or make some sort of sarcastic comment in return. “Bobbi?” she said when only silence filled the line. “You still there?”
“Yeah,” she said in a subdued tone. “I’m here. And maybe that’s the problem.”
“Aren’t you having a good time in Italy?”
“I’m having a great time. The vineyard where we’re staying is beautiful. The food is amazing. All the activities leading up to the wedding have been a blast. It’s all been perfect, really.”
“And that’s a problem because . . .”
“I don’t know. I guess I just miss Oliver and . . . well, I wish you were here.”
“Ha, me too.”
“So why don’t you come? You can bunk in with me. Staci says you’re more than welcome. In fact, she’d be thrilled for you to attend her wedding.”
“I don’t even know Staci.”
“She doesn’t care. Once I told her what a talented photographer you were, she loved the idea of having you here so she could get even more great photos from the wedding. Plus, then we could spend the next two weeks together here.”
“I can’t just hop on a plane to Italy, Bobbi.”
“You hopped on a plane to Tennessee.”
“That’s different.”
“How?”
“I don’t need to do any math to figure out what time it is for one thing.”
“I’m serious.”
“About what? I’m not following anything you’re saying.” The Jeopardy! dream was starting to make more sense than this conversation.
“I don’t like being here without you.”
“You’ll only be gone three weeks. You can’t miss me that much.”
“But that’s the thing. I do. I love Staci and all her friends are great, but .
. . well, you’re my sister. My best friend.
And, I don’t know, I guess I just keep thinking how much more fun I’d be having if you were here, too.
And maybe I keep thinking about what it would be like living this far apart from you all the time. I’d hate it.”
“Well, then I’d say it’s a good thing neither of us has any plans of moving to Italy.”
“You wouldn’t ever think about leaving Nebraska, would you?”
Only all the time. “Why are you asking that?”
“Because I don’t know what I’d do without you, McKenna.”
“Be madly in love with Oliver, that’s what you’d do.”
“What if he doesn’t want to be madly in love with me?”
“Of course he does.” He better. Dream job or no, last thing McKenna would ever do is leave a brokenhearted Bobbi alone in Nebraska.
“You sure? Lately I’ve been getting this feeling that our relationship isn’t going to make it.
Something’s been off for a while now. Oliver hasn’t been himself.
Which means I haven’t been myself. Every time we’re together now I just get this sick feeling in my gut that he’s working up the courage to end things.
I’m almost positive it was on the tip of his tongue that night we went out for ice cream the other week.
Pretty sure the only reason he didn’t was because that guy at the table next to us started having a heart attack. ”
McKenna grabbed her forehead. “You’ve got this all wrong, Bobbi. Trust me, Oliver does not want to break up with you.”
“Then why is he still even mentioning Germany?”
“Because he’s not thinking straight.” Neither of them were. But McKenna couldn’t exactly say that, could she? “Try not to stress about Oliver, okay?”
“I can’t lose both him and you, McKenna.”
“You’re not losing either one of us. We’re sisters for life.” Whether they lived in the same state or not. “And Oliver loves you. I know he does. Everything’s going to work out fine. I promise.”
“Can I come see you in Tennessee?”
“What? No. Why—”
“I could switch my flight on the way back from Italy and stop off in Tennessee to see you and get to know your secret lover better.”
“Stop calling him that. And no, you are not coming here. I won’t be here. I’ll be back in Nebraska by then.” Probably. Maybe.
“So you are coming back to Nebraska?”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
“Because Nate’s going to convince you to elope and start making babies with him in Tennessee.”
“He doesn’t even live in Tennessee. He lives in New York.”
“So you admit you’ve thought about this?”
“I admit nothing of the sort. Now stop calling Nate my secret lover. Stop calling at three in the morning. And stop worrying about Oliver. Have fun in Italy. I love you. I’m going back to sleep.”
“Just tell me one thing. Have you already eloped and started making babies?”
“Good night.”