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“For your information, funny man, they happen to be my number one favorite movies.”
She can’t decipher the emotions that sprint across his face because he returns his attention to the photograph. There, in tiny black type, is the caption. Cast names left to right, and there, squeezed between the leads, Nathan Landry and Heather Frederick, is Maeve Hollins. Bouncy blond hair and a big toothy smile. Unlike the other women shrieking sex appeal in mini dresses and towering pumps, Maeve’s wearing wide-leg aquamarine corduroy pants, a white dress shirt, and a mustard sweater vest. From the gossip Elisha’s heard her whole life, Doc Hollins was flattered by the use of his house in a real Hollywood movie, but he didn’t want his daughter getting any ideas about running away to L.A.
Maeve’s not wearing any real adornments either—unlike Heather’s iconic pearl necklace with the ruby-heart pendant, dazzling even in such miniature—unless you count the daisy tucked behind Maeve’s ear and Nathan’s arm around her waist. She looks like a woman in love and, just like every other time Elisha’s seen this picture, something sharp and pointy pierces her heart.
“Maeve had one just like this in her jewelry box,” says Elisha, pointing at Heather’s necklace. She smiles at the memory, faded at the edges, but still strong. “She let me play dress-up with it when I was little. The box was gorgeous, too. Antique. And there was an engraving on the bottom. ‘To M, From D.’ ”
“D for Dad, maybe.” He glances between the photo and Elisha. “It would still look great on you, now.”
She bites her lip. “You never happened to find the key, did you? I hate that it could be lost forever.”
“I’m not giving up the search,” he promises, brushing his hand over hers. It’s warm and familiar, and a little scary how much she’s already grown to crave his touch. Her breath hitches. She’d almost forgotten how an honest-to-goodness crush should feel. Just like this: exciting and nervous and sparkly, like she’s glowing from the inside out.
“I can’t believe this is how Maeve looked in the seventies,” says Ves. “She’s... so young. And her dad just let her rot in that house all those years, taking care of him? Not letting her have her own life? What the fuck.”
She knows what he means in those three little words. It’s disconcerting, seeing Maeve at age thirty, just a couple of years older than Elisha now. Her whole life ahead of her. What the fuck, indeed.
Sometimes she imagines the picture coming to life, Maeve blowing a cheeky kiss and a wink before slipping behind the wheel of the roadster. Maybe one of the cute gophers or sound technicians gets in front with her, maybe even the leading man himself. And Maeve puts the car in gear and goes anywhere. Goes everywhere.
“Doc Hollins was scared to be alone, so he guilted her into staying,” says Elisha. “But she didn’t hold a grudge. She was very much the sort of person to let things go and look ahead, you know?”
He makes a disgruntled sound. “What did she have to look forward to in Piney Peaks?”
“One, rude. Although I know what you mean, so I’m going to let that one slide.” She hip-checks him. “But two, you see all this stuff in this room? It’s stuff she collected from the set or chased down on eBay over the years. In another life, I’m convinced she would have been a historian. It was always her passion and I think a lot of things would have been different if she had the chance.”
She chances a peek at Ves. He still wears outrage and dismay on his face. “In the last year since I’ve been back, I was helping her. I even got in touch with Nathan Landry to ask if he still had the stocking with his character’s name on it. Here, look.”
She leads him to the faux fireplace at the opposite end of the room. “Grandpa Dave carved this from some old reclaimed barnwood.” She’s proud when Ves runs his fingertips over the mitered edges and the immaculate crown molding of the mantel surround, clearly admiring the craftsmanship.
“We have everyone’s,” says Elisha, pointing to each of the cast’s red stockings in turn. “It all came together this summer. Mr. Landry wanted to deliver it in person, but his health wasn’t up to it.”
Personally, she always thought that something had gone on between him and Maeve, a feeling that was confirmed when her elderly friend had seemed particularly bummed out when he had to cancel the trip to Piney Peaks.
“This is why you wanted the filming permission so badly. Why the sequel is so important,” Ves realizes out loud. “It wasn’t just about your job. It was always about Maeve.” He looks at her with an awed sort of fascination. “Do all small-town girls have big hearts like yours?” His words are teasing, but there’s also something genuine there.
“Speaking for the Small-Town Girl Society of which I am, of course, both president and founding member, yes. We are a deeply underappreciated demographic, especially by big-city boys.”
He scoffs. “The last word I’d use to describe you is underappreciated, Elisha. You’re... probably the most loved person I know. Universally so. Would I go so far as to say you’re the beating heart of Piney Peaks?” He waits until she’s looking at him, heart thump-thump-thumping in her chest like it’s about to pop out like a cartoon character’s. “Yes,” he says softly. “Yes, I would.”
“Ves...”
“For what it’s worth, nothing about tonight has been a disappointment,” he says. “Our first meeting notwithstanding, nothing about us has been, either. I don’t think you could do anything to turn me off you even if you tried.”
She doesn’t know what to say. What to do with that. He’s kinda just trusted her to hold his heart for as long as he’s here. It’s weird and it’s nice and it’s the last thing she ever expected and suddenly the only thing she wants.
“Oh my god, I’m going to have to upgrade you,” she says faintly. “I can’t believe you were an elf and three grimy old socks.”
“What?”
She throws her hands around helplessly. “The emojis I used instead of your name in my phone. That first day I decided that you have to work your way up to ‘Ves Hollins.’ ”
“I just told you that I like you and you—” He pinches the bridge of his nose. “Only in Piney Peaks.”
“You were just very cute so I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear the tone of that sentence.”
“I’m happy to repeat it louder.”
“That’s it. You’re now the baby angel emoji.” She taps her chin. “Maybe even three of them.”
