by Fiona Rivers
“Hello?” Annie’s voice filtered through the gallery.
Adalyn stepped out from behind the wall and greeted her.
“Hey, Annie. What brings you by?”
“I figured you’d be here. My oh my, look at this place. The color on the walls is gorgeous. Such a subtle gray. I love the darker gray accent wall. Addy, you did an amazing job,” she squealed.
“Thank you. I’m happy you like it.”
“Anyway, I brought over the dessert menu for the opening.” She handed Adalyn a white piece of paper with writing on it. “Let me know what you think.”
Adalyn studied the list. Macarons, cookies, bite size cheesecakes, lemon tartlets, chocolate tartlets, brownies and miniature cream puffs topped the list.
“You’re going to make all this?” Adalyn asked with surprise.
“Of course. You’re going to have the best grand opening ever!” She smiled. “Besides, it’ll keep me busy and my mind off—well, you know.”
Adalyn gave her a small smile as she handed the paper back to her.
“I know and thank you so much. Where did you learn to bake like this?”
“My mom was a huge cook and baker. She had me helping in the kitchen when I was four years old.”
The thing about Annie was, she had a lot of time on her hands. She didn’t work because she didn’t have to. Jerry made more than enough money to support their lifestyle. He was the V.P. of the finance department at the local bank. He started out as an intern while he was in college and after he graduated, they offered him a full-time position and he’d been climbing the ranks ever since. He was thirty-eight years old and could retire if he wanted to. At least that’s what Annie said. She liked to brag about her husband’s achievements. They had been married for ten years. Neither one of them wanted children at first, but now, they did, and Annie was worried because she wasn’t getting any younger. She had confided in Adalyn one day that she believed she couldn’t get pregnant because they never wanted children. She said God was punishing her for not wanting one of his greatest gifts before now. Adalyn didn’t believe that and knew Annie would make a great mom. She found it hard to believe she didn’t want children before. Her presence always gave off a motherly vibe.
A while after Annie left and just as the sun began to set, Adalyn locked the door to the gallery and began setting up her first display. There was so much to do, and she honestly didn’t know how she would get it all done before the grand opening in a couple of weeks. As she stood on a step stool, she hung the first piece of artwork in one of her collections. Standing back and examining it, she heard a light tap on the door. Turning her head to see who it was, she saw Colin standing there holding a large brown bag with a smile on his face. She walked over, unlocked the door and held it open while Colin stepped inside.
“Hi.” She smiled.
“Hi.” A grin crossed his lips.
“What are you doing here?”
“I saw Annie at the bar, and she said you were going to be here a while setting up some displays, so I brought dinner and thought I’d give you a hand. You haven’t eaten yet, have you?”
“No. I was going to grab something on the way home.”
“I hope you don’t mind me dropping by like this.”
“Not at all.” A warm smile graced her face. “Thank you for bringing dinner by, but I am not letting you help with the display.”
“Why not? It’s what I do.” He smirked.
“Is that so?” Adalyn cocked her head.
“Sure is. I’m a master at hanging artwork.” He gave her a playful wink.
She let out a light laugh. “Unfortunately, we’re going to either have to sit on the floor and eat or over here at the counter. I don’t have any furniture in here yet. It’s coming next week.”
“This place looks great. A lot better than when it was the secondhand store. I have a blanket in my truck I can grab, and we can sit on it.”
“Great. By all means, go get your blanket.” Adalyn flashed a bright smile.
Colin ran out to the truck that was pulled along the curb, grabbed the blanket and spread it out on the floor in front of the one painting Adalyn hung.
Sitting on the floor, she opened the bag and pulled out two chicken sandwiches, a side of macaroni salad, fresh cut fruit, two bottles of water, a couple paper plates, napkins and plastic silverware.
“I hope you like chicken sandwiches. We have the best around.”
Judging by what I’ve eaten from your bar so far, I wouldn’t be surprised. Oh my gosh, this is so good,” Adalyn spoke as she took a bite.
“I told you. One thing you can always count on me for is that I would never lie to you.”
The fierce fluttering inside Adalyn’s belly intensified as she and Colin both reached for the same plastic fork. Their fingers lightly brushed each other’s, and it was just enough to send shivers down her spine.
“Here you go.” Colin smiled as he handed her a fork.
“Thank you.”
As she sat there and ate her scrumptious chicken sandwich and macaroni salad, she realized she didn’t really know all that much about Colin. She knew he inherited the bar and grille from his parents who passed away. She knew Rosie and Carl were his aunt and uncle. She knew he had a sister named Katherine, and she knew his ex-girlfriend broke off their engagement a week before the wedding. But that was it, really. So, she decided to ask him.
“So, have you always lived here?”
“Yeah. Born and raised.” He smiled. “After my parents passed away, I moved back into my childhood home and did some updates and renovations. It was going to be where Olivia and I would live after we were married. But, since things didn’t work out, I sold it and bought a boat instead of another house.
“You live on a boat?”
“I do.” He grinned. “It’s right outside the bar at the marina. After the house sold, I tried to give Katherine half of the money and she wouldn’t take it. She knew I’d always wanted a bigger boat than what we had growing up, so she told me to take the money and buy one.”
“Wow. I didn’t know that. Why didn’t you just keep the house?”
“Too many memories, I guess. Good memories of course with my parents, but not so good ones with Olivia. Everything I’d done to the house was what she wanted and after she left, I wanted nothing to do with it.”
“I’m sorry.”
Colin appreciated the sympathetic look on Adalyn’s face.
“Don’t be sorry. I like living on the boat. Plus, all I have to do is take a few steps and I’m at work. Next time you’re at the bar, I’ll show it to you.”
“I’d like that.” A shy smile crossed Adalyn’s lips.
They finished their dinner and Colin helped her set up her first display.
“What do you think?” Adalyn asked Colin as she stood in front of the display with her arms crossed.
“I think it looks great, and so will everyone else who walks in here.” He glanced her way and gave her a smile. “How did you come up with the name Everlasting Art?”
“The name is exactly what it means. Art is the one thing that is everlasting. Even when the artist is no longer around, their creation and imagination always will be.”
16
A week had passed, and the gallery was coming along right on schedule. Adalyn had hired a local crew to come in and set up the heavier pieces of art. The opening was next week, and Adalyn made sure to advertise in advance by posting online and leaving flyers on the counters at the local stores in the area, with the owner’s permission of course. She had met the nicest people in Harbor Falls, and everyone was willing to help out where they could.
It was a Saturday morning and a beautiful one at that. Adalyn was out on the deck, sipping her coffee and talking to her mother on the phone when a text message from Colin appeared.
“Good morning. I know this is last minute, but it’s such a beautiful day and I was going to take the boat out for a while. I’d love for you to join me if
you’re not busy today.”
The thought excited her. It had been a busy week and she needed a day off from everything gallery related to regroup. After ending the call with her mother, she sent him a message back.
“Good morning. That sounds great. When were you planning on leaving?”
“Whenever you can get here.”
“I can be there within the hour.”
“Sounds great. I’ll see you then. By the way, the boat is called Betty Lou.”
“Great. I’ll see you soon.”
“Looking forward to it.”
Adalyn went upstairs, changed into a sundress and grabbed her straw hat. She then packed a small bag with sunscreen and some other essentials she thought she might need.
“Hello, hello.” She heard Annie’s voice from the foyer.
“I’m up here,” Adalyn shouted from her bedroom.
Within seconds, Annie was standing in the doorway.
“I just dropped by because I’m headed to the store to pick up everything I need to start baking and I wanted to see if you needed anything.”
“Not that I can think of, but thanks for asking.” Adalyn smiled.
“It looks like you’re heading out for the day,” Annie spoke.
“I am. Colin invited me on his boat.”
“You two sure seem very friendly.” She winked as she sat down on the edge of bed.
“We’re friends, Annie.”
“Well, he’s a good man and it was awful what that wretched woman did to him right before their wedding. She was cheating on him with some guy from Seattle she met online.”
Adalyn stopped what she was doing and turned to Annie.
“Does Colin know that?”
“He sure does. It took him a long time to get over it. In fact, you’re the first woman he’s paid any attention to since.” She smirked.
Adalyn wondered why Colin left out that part of the story, even after she bared her soul about Darren to him.
“He’s a good friend, Annie. Nothing more. After what Darren did to me, I’m not sure I can fully trust anyone for a long time.”
“And I’m sure Colin feels the same way after what Olivia did to him. So maybe the two of you could help each other out with that.” A perky smirk crossed her lips.
“As much as I appreciate your advice, I really need to get going,” Adalyn spoke as she walked out of the bedroom and down the stairs.
“Alright. I’m off to the grocery store. If you think of anything you might need, just shoot me a text message.”
“Thanks. I will.”
Adalyn drove to the marina and found the boat called “Betty Lou.” As she approached it, she saw Colin standing on the deck in his khaki shorts, a navy-blue t-shirt and dark sunglasses that made him look very dapper.
“Hey there.” He grinned. “Welcome to the Betty Lou.”
He reached his hand down and helped Adalyn onto the boat.
“This is great.”
“Thanks. I’ll show you the cabin and then we can get sailing.”
Colin was proud of Betty Lou. She was a 34-foot cruiser that was just enough for him. A well-arranged kitchen, a master bedroom, one bathroom and plenty of storage and a comfortable sitting area made up the cabin space. Adalyn knew he was a simple man and seeing his bachelor pad confirmed just that.
“This is really nice,” she spoke. “So why Betty Lou?” Her lips formed a small smile.
“I named it after my parents. Betty was my mother and Lou was my father. So I just combined their names and called this baby Betty Lou. We had a smaller cruiser a few years back. Nothing fancy, just something to take out every now and again for the day. Between the money from the sale of the house and the other boat, I was able to buy this one.”
“I like it,” Adalyn spoke.
“I was hoping you would. You’re actually the first girl I ever took out on this boat.” He glanced over at her as they sailed across the water.
Adalyn grew nervous for the fact that she remembered what Annie had told her and how she was the first woman Colin had paid attention to since Olivia.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Of course. You can ask me anything.” Colin gave her a smile.
“Annie dropped by this morning on her way to the grocery store and when she found out I was coming on the boat today, she started to tell me about Olivia.”
“Let me guess. She told you she cheated on me with some guy she met online from Seattle.”
“Yeah.” Adalyn chewed on her bottom lip. “I was just curious as to why you didn’t tell me that before when we talked about her.”
“Honestly, it’s a little hard to tell people that the woman you loved found someone better than you.”
“I can totally understand that, but it wasn’t easy for me to tell you that my husband had a secret vasectomy and never told me.”
Colin looked at Adalyn with sincerity for he knew how hard it was for her. He felt bad he didn’t extend the same courtesy in telling her about what Olivia did to him.
“I’m sorry, Adalyn. I should have told you. It was dumb on my part. I went on to say how you shouldn’t be ashamed about being divorced and here I was ashamed to tell you that Olivia cheated on me. The night she left, she told me she loved me, and it had nothing to do with me. That it was all her. She said she couldn’t see herself settling down yet and she wanted to explore things outside of Harbor Falls. It wasn’t until a couple days after that a friend of hers called and told me the truth. She had met a man online and they had been exchanging emails at first. Then it led to text messages and secret phone calls. When she told me she needed to get out of Harbor Falls for a while, she said she was going to visit her friend in Seattle, which she did have a friend there, so I didn’t think anything of it. Little did I know that it was the guy she was actually going to visit. When she came back, I guess she realized she loved the guy and she moved there to be with him.”
“Did you ever confront her about it?”
“Nah.” Colin lightly shook his head. “It wasn’t worth it. I just wanted to put it to rest and move on.”
“I admire you for that. I’m not so sure I would have kept quiet if it had happened to me.” She reached over and placed her hand on his.
He looked down at her hand and then up at her. Their eyes stared into each other’s as a moment of silence fell upon them, until Adalyn’s phone rang.
“I have to take this. It’s one of the artists I contacted from New York.”
“Go right ahead.”
Later that day, after they had brought the boat back to the dock, Colin asked Adalyn to come into the bar and grab some dinner.
“As much as I’d love to, I really need to get home,” she said.
“Come on. We ate lunch like hours ago. I’m starving and I know you must be too. Just a quick bite. Please,” Colin begged.
“Fine. Just a quick bite and then I’m leaving.”
She didn’t understand why he was being so adamant about her coming into the bar for a bite to eat. He had never done that before and always just accepted her decision. It was bothering her until she stepped inside the bar and grille.
“SURPRISE!” Luis and his husband, Alfred, grinned as they ran over to where she stood in shock and hugged her.
“Luis! Alfred! What are you doing here?” She beamed with excitement.
“We came for a visit, darling.” Luis kissed her cheek.
“Did you know about this?” Adalyn gave Colin a smile.
“I did. Luis and Alfred came into the bar last night and asked if there was any way I could get you out of the vicinity for a while.”
“Why?” She looked at Luis and Alfred.
“Because we have something to tell you, darling.” Alfred took hold of Adalyn’s hand and led her to their table.
The three of them took a seat while Colin went to grab their drinks.
“I can’t believe you’re both here. What is going on? What do you have to tell me? And you’ve been h
ere since last night and couldn’t call me?”
“Well, you’ll understand why in a minute. I couldn’t stop bragging about this phenomenal town and the gorgeous views ever since I got back to New York. Alfred was so sick of hearing me talk about it, he decided he needed to see it for himself. Plus, I kept telling him there’s no way you can run the gallery by yourself. So, we flew in yesterday and instantly, Alfred fell in love.”
“I did. It’s such a charming place and I feel no stress when I’m here.” Alfred smiled.
“Okay, and?”
“We decided we’re moving here! So, I need a job. Know of any art galleries that are hiring?”
Adalyn was so overwhelmed with excitement, she could barely contain herself.
“You’re moving here? You’re serious?”
“Dead serious, darling,” Alfred spoke.
“What about your job?” she asked him.
“I can work from anywhere, but I will have to go back to New York for a day or two once a month.”
“Oh my gosh. I can’t believe this! And yes, Luis, I need you to come work with me.” She jumped up from her seat and gave him a hug.
“I know you do. That’s why I’m here.” He smiled.
17
A week had passed since Luis and Alfred announced the exiting news that they were moving to Harbor Falls. While Colin was keeping Adalyn busy on the boat that one Saturday, they were looking at a house down the beach from where Adalyn was. They fell in love with it and immediately put in an offer before anyone else could, but it would be at least another month before they officially moved to Harbor Falls. Between getting everything packed up and Alfred securing things with his job, it wouldn’t be possible. But they both said they’d be there for the grand opening of the gallery which was in a few days.
Adalyn stood in her kitchen looking over the final list of things to do for the gallery when Annie stopped by. Instead of letting herself in like she usually did, she knocked. Adalyn walked over to the door and when she opened it, Annie stood there with swollen red eyes.
