“Nice pj’s,” he said. “If you can’t sleep, you can count sheep.”

“So you go the sweatpants and old T-shirt route,” she said.

“No, I don’t sleep in anything, but I chose this fine ensemble just for you.”

She laughed. “Good move. Let’s go get our stuff.”

Once they reached the kitchen, Melissa put a bag of popcorn in the microwave, while Sully took the cold drinks from the refrigerator.

“I don’t know what movies are on,” Melissa said.

“It won’t matter to me what we watch, as long as we’re watching it together,” Sully said.

“You know what, Sully Raines? You’re still fun to be with. That was always the best part of being your girl.”

He grinned. “The best part of being your boyfriend was the kisses, but that’s just me.”

Melissa laughed out loud just as the timer on the microwave dinged.

“It’s done,” she said, then opened the bag and dumped the hot, buttery popcorn in a bowl.

Sully grabbed the two bottles of pop and a handful of napkins from the table, and followed her out of the kitchen.

Melissa had already propped multiple pillows against the headboard for them to lean against, and as soon as they were in her bedroom, she crawled into the middle of the king-size sleigh bed and put the popcorn between them.

Sully handed her a Coke and put his on the bedside table; then she handed him the remote.

“You pick the movie. I’ll watch anything,” she said as she put some popcorn in her mouth and started chewing.

She didn’t comment on his choice, but after the steady sound of bar fights and gunfire for the first twenty minutes of the movie, Melissa finally glanced at Sully. He looked like he was in a trance. She could hardly believe they were sitting together in bed watching a really old, really loud movie.

“I can’t believe we’re watching this,” Melissa said.

Sully looked surprised. “You don’t like John Wayne?”

“This movie was made before we were born,” she said.

“So we’re watching a classic,” he said, and threw a piece of popcorn at her. “I thought you said you’d watch anything.”

She picked up the popcorn and put it in her mouth, then eyed him suspiciously.

“So, what is this? A test of my veracity?” she asked.

“Come on, Missy. It’s John Wayne.”

“You’re cute when you whine,” Melissa said.

Sully calmly removed the bowl of popcorn, and when he turned around, he grabbed her.

She was laughing as he pulled her down on top of him.

“I don’t whine. Take that back,” he said.

Still giggling, she shook her head.

“You’re going to be sorry,” Sully said as he slipped his hands beneath her pajama top, then ran the tips of his fingers against the soft skin at her waist. “I seem to remember you were ticklish. Am I right?”

Melissa gasped and started trying to get away from him. “Don’t tickle, don’t tickle. I give! You didn’t whine. You never whine. You are a beast of a man and man-beasts never whine.”