by Mary Manners
“Thanks.” Korrie added the flowers. They were so pretty it made her heart hurt. She placed the vase in the center of the kitchen table. “I’ve been working on something special. It’s just about finished. Want to come take a look?”
“You know I do.”
Together, they wound their way down the short hall to the cozy, converted studio. Korrie had tied the drapes back from the windows and morning sunlight drenched the oversized canvas propped on an easel in a wash of liquid gold. One quick look had Julie emitting a delighted little gasp.
“Oh my, you’re designing a watercolor for the nursery. Wow, it’s beautiful. Perfect.”
“You like it?”
“I love it, and so will baby Lily.”
“She’s a girl?” Korrie’s eyes filled with tears at the news. She’d been waiting to hear news of yesterday afternoon’s ultrasound. “Really?”
“Oh, yes…a perfect baby girl.”
~*~
“Do you think Korrie will come tonight, Uncle Bray?” Scottie asked as he climbed into his booster seat and engaged the seatbelt. “You think she got my invitation?”
“I delivered it myself with her Saturday coffee.”
“Then she’ll be here, right?”
“I don’t know, champ.” He hadn’t heard yay or nay. They’d shared little more than a passing smile over the hedgerow. Yet in that smile, Brayden noted something more…a gentle sort of longing.
“I hope Korrie will come. I really hope so.”
Brayden did, too. Whatever reservations Korrie harbored concerning him, Brayden hoped they didn’t spill over to Scottie. He hated to see Scottie get his heart crushed and his hopes dashed.
Like Brayden’s heart felt now…sort of like it had been cranked through a meat grinder. He struggled to make heads or tails of what had gone wrong and failed at every turn. Korrie refused to open the door for him in the mornings when he brought her coffee, though he knew she worked in the studio. He’d seen her through the window,
Whoever had hurt her had done a heck of a job. Brayden would like to get his hands on the guy.
But there’d been a breakthrough of sorts today. He’d come home to find the emptied and washed go-cup where Korrie always left it—just inside the door of the screened-in porch. Except today propped against the cup was also a watercolor the size of an eight by ten photograph.
Korrie’s brushstrokes had created a likeness of the hedgerow that separated their properties. A splash of sunlight along the greenery gave the bushes a magical, ethereal look that seemed to make them fade away. Wishful thinking? He wasn’t sure.
There was no note, no message. Brayden really didn’t know what to make of it.
But he sensed a glimmer of hope.
Whether she showed up tonight or not, tomorrow he’d refuse to walk away from the door until she opened it and hashed things out with him.
9
Korrie set the brush on the palette and stretched kinks from her neck. The light had shifted, casting long shadows over the room. She’d been at it since early that morning, with barely a break for lunch. The last of the half-dozen watercolors she’d promised to Carol was almost finished. She’d bring them by the studio in the morning and hope for the best.
Since the day Julie’d handed her the tote filled with their dad’s supplies, a waterfall of inspiration had unleashed. The ideas flowed, and her hands created as if they had a mind of their own. The joy she felt while standing at the easel was the closest thing to perfect she’d experienced in a long time.
Almost as perfect as she felt when she was with Brayden.
The thought poked at her, drawing emotional blood. She’d left him the watercolor with the go-cup she’d cleaned and returned that afternoon, but had heard nothing in reply. Served her right. She’d blocked his efforts to communicate all week long. He was probably over her already. Not that there had been much to get over in the first place. A dinner and one date.
And coffee. Two weeks of coffee. And the commissions for Carol’s art studio, as well as a series of workshops as the newest artist in residence. Brayden had helped to open that door for her, and all she’d done in return was slam a door in his face.
Maybe her sister was wrong about her. She sure didn’t feel like a giver. She feared she was the most selfish sort of taker after all.
Brayden had proven himself a giver, through and through.
She glanced out the window toward his property and noticed the house was dark. She vaguely remembered the sound of his car crunching over gravel a little while ago as it wound its way down the drive toward the street.
Korrie headed into the kitchen to find a drink for her parched throat and a bite of food to staunch the growling in her belly. If she kept chipping away at the watercolor, she might be able to drown out thoughts of Brayden. She could get the painting done—kill two birds with one stone.
Except one of those birds wasn’t going down without a fight.
Korrie tugged open the refrigerator door. Light cast a glow over the tile floor, and she noticed something stuck in the grate. Folded paper. A note.
She snatched it and slumped into a chair at the kitchen table. The scent of wildflowers from the bouquet Brayden had left days ago filled her senses as she unfolded the paper and smiled. It was a picture, clearly the work of Scottie.
He’d left it days ago, as well…the same day Brayden had delivered his own note with the flowers. She must have dropped it and forgotten all about it.
The drawing was delightful, and she understood at once that Scottie had colored himself into the yard doing one of his favorite things—romping through the grass with Thor. In the background Brayden stood on the porch, watching.
Korrie gasped.
She stood beside Brayden, a huge grin plastered on her face as he held her hand.
Below the drawing Scottie had scrawled a message.
Dear Korrie,
Can you please come to my art show at school this Thursday night at 6:30?
Love,
Scottie
Thursday? Today was Thursday. Korrie checked the clock on the wall above the sink. Six-eighteen.
Without a second thought concerning her paint-splattered clothing or the tangled mess of her hair, she found her shoes and snatched her purse from the countertop. A quick sprint down the cobblestone path had her to her car in less than thirty seconds.
~*~
She showed up.
That was all Brayden could think when he glanced up from the crowd to see Korrie striding toward him. Her hair was a tangle of waves, her cheeks smudged with paint.
He thought he’d never seen anything so beautiful.
“You came!” Scottie’s delighted squeal could have stopped a train. He grabbed her hand. “Oh, Korrie…you came!”
“Of course I did. This is important, right?”
“Uh huh.” Scottie held tight to her. “Come on, I’ll show you my painting. I got a blue ribbon. That’s really, really good.”
“It’s fantastic, the best.” Korrie went happily, allowing Scottie to tug her all the way down to the far end of the hallway until they came to his classroom. It took an entire wall to display the students’ art work. Scottie pointed to his drawing and Korrie listened intently as he related the meaning behind the picture.
Brayden knew exactly what was being said. He’d heard Scottie’s spiel. Twice.
Brayden watched the pair, giving Scottie this time to shine because he knew the child needed it, needed to know he was important.
Korrie had proven that by taking time out of her schedule to share in his special night. Brayden was thankful and suddenly overcome with a wave of happiness and sheer belonging. The trio fit so nicely together, as if they were made for each other.
Maybe they were. Only God knew for sure.
But Brayden felt a sense of coming home deep in his soul. Now, if Korrie only felt the same.
Korrie smiled at him as she headed back his way. The light in her eyes told him she’d m
ade peace with whatever had been troubling her.
“Can we go for ice cream, Uncle Bray?” Scottie asked as he skipped alongside Korrie. His picture, along with the blue ribbon attached to it, flapped in his hand. “Korrie likes Double Fudge Brownie Delight the best, just like you.”
“Sure, champ. Ice cream it is for the blue-ribbon artist.” He took Korrie’s hand in his. “Both of them.”
10
Korrie heard rustling at the cottage’s back door. Brayden had brought her coffee, and this time she planned to greet him at the door.
Last night had been so much fun. Neither he nor Brayden had cared that she was covered in smudges of paint, wearing her scraggliest jeans and an ancient T-shirt. Brayden’s smile and the way he’d sheltered her hand in his as they made their way down the hall told her how much he’d missed her. It felt good to be missed.
Her heart danced at the thought, and she rushed to let him in.
Only, the man waiting on the landing wasn’t Brayden.
“Hey, Kor.” Joe was crouched on the oversized square of cement, hunting beneath the doormat. Korrie cringed when she realized he was searching for the door key. Thank goodness she’d taken Brayden’s advice and hid it more carefully. “I’ve been trying to call you. Didn’t you get my messages?”
“I did.” His escalating demands for her return call had given her chills. “You’re not welcome here, Joe.”
“Oh, come on, sweetheart. You don’t really mean that.”
It had been his tactic, confusing her with his twist of words. She refused to fall for it this time—or any time ever again.
“Don’t you sweetheart me.” Korrie’s pulse thrummed through her temples and she felt the first seeds of a headache taking root. A thread of fear knotted her stomach. “I do mean it. I have nothing to say to you.”
“But I have something to say to you.” He pushed his way past her and made himself at home by crossing the kitchen and tugging open the refrigerator door. “You have anything cold to drink? It took forever to get here. Who knew this place was such a long drive from the real estate office. Are you taking up farming?”
“I happen to like it here.” With a heightened sense of dread, she watched him root through her groceries. “I’m planning to stay.”
“You can’t possibly be serious.” He snatched the orange juice, uncapped it, and guzzled straight from the carton. “That’s crazy.”
She crossed her arms over her chest and steeled him a look that held more courage than she felt. “What do you want, Joe?”
“I want you back, Kor. I made a mistake letting you go. A big mistake. There, I said it. Are you happy?” His thin smile did little to mask the insincerity of his tone. “Now you can come back to the city. Forget about your old job at that crummy firm of yours. You can work with me. We’ll make a great team. The best.”
“Are you down on your luck, Joe? Short for cash? Because I’ll never trust you with information of any kind, ever again.”
She’d made the mistake once of sharing confidential details with him concerning a string of deals she was about to close. He’d taken that information and used it against her, stealing each and every one of those deals right out from under her.
“Really?” The plastic carton cried out as he clenched it in his fist. “Well, that’s a crummy thing to say.”
“I don’t care how crummy it sounds to you, it’s true.”
“Enough!” He slammed the carton on the counter. Juice sloshed over to drip down the cabinet fronts and onto the floor. “It’s time to stop this nonsense and come back to the city. I’ve negotiated for an agreement to raise your commission by a full percent over what you were raking in at the other place.”
“How generous.
So you mean I’ll do all the work, and then you’ll swoop in and steal the hard-won deals right out from under me? No thanks.”
“That was once, Kor, and it was a misunderstanding.”
“Once is enough, and I understand perfectly now just how you operate. You tried to make me believe I’m the loser but it’s you, Joe. You’re pathetic. I’m not coming back.” Korrie crossed her arms and edged toward the doorway. “Not to the firm or to you. Not now, not ever. So do both of us a favor and just leave. Get out of my house.”
“You were always difficult, Korrie.” He took a menacing step toward her. “Yet I hoped this would be a little easier.” He reached a hand out.
“Don’t touch me.” She took a step back and stumbled over the threshold.
Right into Brayden’s arms.
“She told you to leave.” His tone rang dangerously firm as he maneuvered Korrie behind him, sheltering her from Joe with the wall of his strong body. “I suggest you do just that, and double time it.”
“Last chance, Korrie.” Joe growled, though he was already high-tailing it toward his car.
“I declined the first chance you gave me and every chance since then.” Korrie’s voice was muffled by Brayden’s shirt. “My answer is the same now as it will be through eternity. Goodbye, Joe…forever.”
Korrie drew in a breath, safe in Brayden’s arms.
“It’s OK now, sweetheart.” He stroked her hair, his tone soothing. “He’s gone. It’s over. I’ve got you.”
“Thanks.” She burrowed deeper, holding tight. “I’m sorry for the way I’ve been acting. I was…scared.”
“Scared?” He used a finger to tilt her chin. His gaze captured hers. “Of me?”
“Of us.” Korrie sniffled. “It’s just so good. Too good to be true. You make me feel things.”
“What sort of things?”
“Here.” She splayed a hand to her chest. “My heart…it hurts in a really good way. But a sort of scary way, too. What if—”
“There are no what if’s.” He pressed his lips to her forehead. “I’m here for good, Korrie, if that’s what you want. I’m not going anywhere—at least not without you.”
“You promise?”
“Yes, I promise.”
He wrapped her in his arms once again and held tight.
Epilogue
Brayden flipped burgers on the grill and then turned to find Korrie carrying two glasses of iced sweet tea. If he lived to be a hundred, he’d never grow weary of her sunshine smile.
He took a glass and leaned in to thank her with a kiss along the tender spot at the base of her jawline. She melted into him, welcoming another.
Across the yard, Scottie used his new baseball bat and a bag full of softballs to play fetch with Thor. Summer had launched into full swing, and ample practice time had made the plastic T-ball set obsolete. By next fall Scottie would be ready for a pee-wee league.
Brayden would have to figure out how to fit practices and games into their busy schedule, along with Korrie’s art classes that Scottie had registered for at the studio.
“What time do you have to be at the studio tomorrow for the unveiling of your new exhibit?” Brayden asked as Korrie sipped her tea. The show would be her third; watercolors from the first two had sold out in record time.
“Six-thirty.”
“Good. We’ll have time for dinner beforehand. Julie and Michael are going to babysit Scottie for me. Michael said he needs the practice.”
“It won’t be long before Lily makes her grand entrance into the world. I can’t wait to hold her.”
If Brayden had his way, Korrie’d be holding one of their own precious babies soon enough.
“Julie told me about the dress you bought when you went shopping together. I can’t wait to see you in it.”
“I think you’ll like it.”
“I know I’ll like it.” He set aside his tea. “And I have something I think will prove the perfect accessory for it.”
He whistled and Scottie came running with Thor on his heels. Thor sat patiently while Brayden knelt to retrieve a small box from his collar.
Box in hand, Brayden remained kneeling and lifted his gaze to Korrie.
“Oh, Brayden…” She realized his in
tention when he flipped open the box to reveal a princes cut diamond that shimmered brilliantly beneath the sunlight. She pressed a palm to her lips. “Oh, oh, oh!”
Brayden worked to clear the lump from his throat.
“I never believed in love at first sight, but it hit me when I saw you, Korrie. I love your smile and your laugh…the little smudges that cover your cheeks when you’ve been painting and the way your hair tumbles like summer sunshine over your shoulders. I love the way you care about Scottie and Thor…and me. You’re everything I’ve always dreamed of and more…so much more.” He’d promised himself he wouldn’t get choked up, and yet the lump refused to be swallowed. He continued before emotion stole what remained of his voice. “I love you with every fiber of my being, and promise to be true to you for all of our days. Will you share your life with me, Korrie…coffee every morning and dinner in the evenings?”
“I love you so much, Brayden. Yes, I’ll marry you. Yes.”
She dropped to her knees to join him as Thor and Scottie gathered ’round, cheering and barking wildly. In her gaze, Brayden saw a mirror of all that filled his heart. They’d found their forever.
He slipped the ring on her finger, drew her close, and sealed his promise with a kiss.
Thank you
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