Foster took the small guitar from his wife and she hugged me, her arms around my neck. “There sure is, and I’m thrilled you aren’t afraid to try new things. Keep up this kind of work and you’ll be famous in no time.”
I laughed and stood. “I don’t know about famous, but I’d be happy with well known.” I winked and pointed toward the door. “I better go. I still have to design a new ramp for Cat’s house tonight. Tomorrow I’ll pick up some wood to fix the one she has to get her through until I can build the new one.”
Cinn eyed me cautiously. “You’re fixing Cat’s ramp?”
I worked hard not to sigh and reminded myself she loves me and isn’t the most emotionally stable right now. “I do a lot of repair work for the disabled, Cinn. I’ve never made it a secret. Do I enjoy Cat’s company, yes, I do, but regardless of my feelings she needs a better ramp. This one rattles like an old roller coaster when you use it. I offered to shore it up for now until she can afford a new one. She has a show tomorrow at the gallery, so it will be a good time to get it fixed.”
She held her hands up. “Hey, I was just asking. I know you like to help where you can, and I think it’s great. As a sister, I’m worried you’ll jump into the pool feet first with Cat without knowing what she’s been through since high school.”
Xavier’s face loomed in my mind, but I shook it away. She told me what happened between the two of them, but I couldn’t shake the feeling he had an unhealthy view of their relationship, or lack thereof.
I hugged her gently one last time and then strode to the door. “I promise not to jump in until I know her story, but as a carpenter I can’t leave the rickety old ramp there. She could get hurt on it. I’ll bill it into the county for the hours I spend on it and see if they will count it toward my school loans.” I won’t and they wouldn’t, but she doesn’t have to know. A little white lie now and again won’t sink the ship.
She nodded once. “I like that idea the most. Be safe, Lorenzo, and thank you for the beautiful gifts.”
I waved as I left and headed for my truck, until I heard Foster call my name.
I paused by the gate and waited for him to catch up, Poopsie tucked under his arm. “I wanted to say thanks for lifting her spirits. What you did in there went above and beyond.”
I shrugged, embarrassed by the praise. “She’s my sister, and I don’t like seeing her in pain. If I can offer her a few distractions, you bet I will.”
He patted my shoulder. “Well, all the same, thank you. About what she said regarding Catalina …” he said and I sighed. He held up his hand. “All I’m going to say is follow your heart. Don’t let what anyone else thinks weigh you down or make you second guess yourself. If I hadn’t jumped in with both feet imagine the love I’d be missing out on.”
Relieved, I let out the breath I was holding and nodded. “Thanks, Foster. I appreciate your honesty and that you have my back. Take care of my sister.”
He grinned. “You know I will. Be safe.”
He waved and headed back to the door while I stopped by the truck door to check my phone for messages. My heart sank slightly when there weren’t any from Cat, but a smile remained on my face. I angled into the seat and started the truck. “It’s too late, guys. Forget about jumping in with both feet, I’m already up to my hips in this woman.”
Chapter Ten
I straightened my suit coat and smoothed the pockets as I stood in the parking lot of Cat’s gallery. The design of the building was simple with straight rooflines and enough glass to make it feel open and airy, without losing too much wall space for art. The lights shining through the windows broke up the duskiness of the parking lot as the sun started to set. I had planned to get here much earlier, but the work at her house took longer than I expected and there was no way I could leave without completing it.
A couple exited the gallery, a canvas visible in the man’s hands, but the door is what grabbed my attention. The colors tricked your eyes into thinking there was water on the bottom and somewhere in the middle it mixed with the sky. The top of the door used the light from inside the gallery to give the image of a setting sun through clouds.
I took a moment to glance around as I approached the door and noticed a large mural to the left of the door. In the dark, I couldn’t make out all of it clearly, but it appeared to be a painting of Little Ivywood. If Cat painted it, well, then she’s as talented as my sister says she is. I would have to drive by and check it out in the daylight. I’ve driven by this building hundreds of times, but never noticed it. I guess what they say is true; sometimes you’ve got to stop and look around a bit or you’ll miss something awesome.
I stepped in the door and there were a number of people in the gallery sipping bubbly and eating finger sandwiches. I had a lot to catch up on, so I got to it, starting on the left wall with the watercolor canvases. The colors were muted, but bold in the magnitude of design. There was a field of red poppies filling one canvas and a field of violets filling another. As I strolled, the watercolors turned into oil paintings, and I found her boldest work yet. There were dogs I recognized from the dog park, birds gathered on a telephone line, and a lone fox on the edge of a forest. She managed not only to capture the animal’s physical form, but also its emotions.
The oil paintings became charcoal drawings and her talent came to life. I could tell she loved the charcoal medium and all it allowed her to do. These simple black and white drawings were intricate in emotion unlike the oil paintings or the watercolors. A smile spread across my face when the first two images registered. Brutus sat proudly with Poopsie under one paw, and Anabelle under the other. The second drawing was Poopsie spread out asleep on Brutus’s side as they napped together in the sun. How she made the sun stand out in a drawing done with charcoal I didn’t know, but it was fantastic. I couldn’t wait for my family to see them. Maybe Cinn already had.
The next grouping of small prints had dogs and cats from the shelter, some of them forlorn, some of them sitting primly, but all of them gorgeous in their black and white selves. There was a small sign under the grouping which said, “Images available for silent auction to benefit Little Ivywood Humane Society. Bidding begins on June 29th at the Little Ivywood Humane Society Carnival.”
“Do you think anyone will bid on them?” asked a voice and I spun on my heel, my heart jumping from the interruption.
I glanced down and Cat sat next to me in her chair, wearing the most gorgeous dress I had ever seen. I was tongue-tied almost instantly as I drank her in. I could only describe the dress as the colors of the sun. It was long and covered her legs all the way to the ankle, but I focused on the spaghetti straps and the way her breasts mounded perfectly over the top of it. She wore a crown of flowers in her chestnut hair and I couldn’t quell the need to touch one of the small yellow daffodils. My eyes searched out other people in the gallery, and when there were none, I knelt, kissing her cheek.
“I think there’s going to be a bidding war, beautiful.”
She blushed, which was easy to see with her olive skin, and I brushed my knuckle down her face. “I have to admit I’m a little bit speechless right now. I can’t begin to describe how stunningly beautiful, and how crazy talented, you are.”
She waved her hand at me, but beamed from her chair. “You’re too much, Ren. I’m glad you made it. I was starting to think you weren’t coming.”
“I got caught up with fixing the ramp and it took me longer than I expected, but the good news is, it’s sturdy as a rock now. You won’t have any problems with it until the new one is built.”
She leaned forward and put her arms around my neck, resting her chin on my shoulder. “I think you’re amazing, handsome, and crazy talented. Not to mention my savior in a tweed suit coat.” I rubbed her back a few times while we hugged. “Thank you, Ren, you have no idea the relief washing through me right now.”
I leaned back and smiled, holding her hand. “If it’s anything like the relief I feel knowing you’ll be safe on it then I mi
ght have an idea.” I winked and she blushed again as another couple strode around the corner, stopping near Cat’s chair. I reluctantly let go of her hand and stood, allowing them to give her their congratulations and ask about purchasing one of the watercolors.
She peeked up at me. “I’m going to help them get the painting and then I’ll be back. Don’t go anywhere.”
I promised her I wouldn’t and she rolled with the couple to get the canvas from the wall. Considering the paintings had no prices on them, I assumed it was because she didn’t expect people to buy them. If they were interested, she gave them the information upon request. I liked how something so simple made the gallery appear artsy-craftsy while displaying the high-end quality work expected in much bigger venues. While she displayed her own work prominently on the walls, she displayed other artists’ work throughout the gallery as well. There was pottery, wire sculptures, and clay sculptures displayed on freestanding exhibits throughout the space. I found a bench near one of the oil paintings and sat, waiting until she finished with her guests.
I checked out my hands, shaking my head a little bit when I noticed even after a good ten minutes of scrubbing, and a shower, I still had paint on them. I hate painting because of the mess, though my buddy Alfonso tells me if you know what you’re doing, you can work all day and not get paint on your hands. I guess it was his way of telling me to stay in the carpentry field and leave the painting to him.
As she rolled back toward me my heart contracted at the sight of her. The feeling was what told me I had jumped in with both feet without taking a breath, and it was a good thing Cinn wasn’t here to see this. I wanted nothing more than to lift her from the chair, lay her down on the floor and make her mine. Those were strong urges and I had better keep them in check.
She stopped in front of me and leaned forward, giving me a bird’s eye view down her dress. Right then I wanted to take her in my arms and kiss her, but I didn’t know who else lurked in the area.
“Sorry about the interruption,” she said and I shook my head.
“Don’t apologize, Cat. This is your night and when someone is interested in purchasing your work, they come first.”
She smiled and winked at me. “They were the last ones of the night. I’ve already locked up, so no one else will be stopping in. I’m pleased to say tonight has been fruitful for me. If I factor in what I sold of my own work, and commission on a few others, I have enough to cover a new ramp, and to hopefully fix my van.”
I gave her a fist bump. “Awesome, sweetheart! The ramp can wait a bit now if the van needs work. Is there something wrong with it?”
“No, but I need to have some bodywork done on it if I want it to keep running without falling apart. Some of the rust spots need repair before winter.”
“Whew, I was worried it had broken down on you. Hey, did Cinn come by? I saw the drawings of our dogs and I wondered if she did, too.”
She grinned, her hands near her mouth. “She did, and she cried. I didn’t mean to make her cry, but she was thrilled to have a drawing of Poopsie and Brutus together. She gave me strict orders I have to bring it over tomorrow,” she said, laughing. “I’m going to give the one of all three dogs to your mom and dad. I also have a drawing of Anabelle alone, but I don’t have it done yet.”
I kissed her cheek and sat again. “They’ll love having all their granddogs on the wall. Thank you for taking the time to draw them for my family.”
She gazed off in the distance past my shoulder and I had to wave in front of her face to get her attention. Her eyes tracked back to me and she shook her head as if to clear it. “Sorry, zoned out for a second.”
She hadn’t zoned out. Something was bothering her tonight, and she didn’t want to tell me. I could feel the anxiety rolling off her even as she tried to act cool. “What’s wrong? And don’t tell me nothing.”
She groaned a little and then sighed. “Xavier stopped by tonight. He said he had been meaning to see the place, and noticed the lights on. He didn’t like it when I told him to leave.”
I pounded my fist into my palm. “I’ve always said he was trouble.”
She put her hand on my arm and shook her head a little. “He’s not trouble. I’ve made it clear the two of us won’t have a future together. He’s not happy about it, but he’ll just have to put his big boy boxers on and get over it. I’m not the woman for him. I may not be a woman for any man, but I know for damn sure I’m not the woman for him.”
She wheeled toward the back room, but I grabbed her chair and held it there. I leaned over the back and lowered my lips to her ear. “You have more to offer the right man than you can begin to imagine, but you’re right, Xavier isn’t the right man. I wouldn’t mind applying for the job, though.”
I let my lips drift toward her neck and I kissed her there, the scent of her filling my head. Her wildflowers brushed against my face as though we were in a field of them and she had her hand to my cheek. When she sighed, I kissed my way down to her collarbone, and then back toward her lips, taking enough time to draw out the passion and need spinning inside her. When I couldn’t take it any longer, I lowered my lips to hers and kissed her, upside down. What should have felt awkward, didn’t. It was an overwhelming feeling of being natural, as if we had done this for years, when I had only been kissing her for days. The feeling swept me up onto a plane of sheer joy as she breathed life into my soul again.
I held her face in my hands, let the kiss end, and my lips fall away from hers. “We should go,” I whispered, my gaze holding hers even though we were still upside down. “It’s getting late.”
She put her hand on mine and then nodded once. I kissed her forehead and let her go, so she could turn her chair around. “Let me grab my purse and keys. Are you going to meet me at my house?”
“Probably wisest unless you want me to be stranded at your place for the night.” I realized what I said after I said it, but I couldn’t take it back.
She straightened her backbone and held my eyes. “I wouldn’t mind having you there at all, but you should probably have your own car.”
She spun her chair toward the back room and rolled away, leaving me to wonder if she actually meant what she said or if she was simply spooked after seeing Xavier. It sounded genuine to me, but I didn’t want to blow the small chance I might have with her by getting too serious too soon. There is no way to rewind time and start over. Even as I reminded myself why it was smart to wait, I tugged my wallet out of my back pocket and opened it, checking for a condom. Then I remembered, I don’t carry condoms because I’m not into casual sex. I closed it and stuffed it back in my pocket, embarrassed I had checked to begin with. I’d better slow the libido down before I do something I’ll regret.
She rolled toward me and had her purse and keys on her lap. “Ready?” she asked, lowering the lights on the switches near the wall by the door. When she took her hand away only the emergency lights glowed while she unlocked the door. I held the door open with my back while she rolled through, then relocked it. I handed her the keys and she pointed at the van. “I’ll meet you at my house for some wine—” She stopped abruptly and my eyes followed hers. Her van listed to the right. “Damn, I think I have a flat.”
I held my hand out to halt her and approached the van, the flashlight on my phone focused on the back wheel. Sure enough, the tire resembled a pancake, flat. She would need a full replacement, which would require daylight. I jogged back to where she sat dejected. “Do you have a spare in the back? I’ll change it out for you.”
She shook her head. “No, because I can’t change a tire anyway. If I get a flat tire, I’m calling for help. I’ll have to deal with it tomorrow.”
Her demeanor changed immediately from happy and excited to scared and upset, which broke my heart. I took her face in my hand. “Hey, it’s just a flat tire, babe. It’s an easy fix. I’ll take you home tonight, and tomorrow I’ll pick you up and we’ll get it taken care of. No harm, no foul.”
She gazed up at me
. “Maybe it’s no big deal to you, but what if you hadn’t been here? I’d be stranded. Besides, you have better things to do than shuttle me around.”
I shook my head, the expression on my face serious. “No, honey, I don’t. There’s nothing more important than making sure you’re safe. Maybe once we get it fixed we could go to lunch or visit the dog park.”
My suggestion made her smile and she nodded once. “I guess I don’t have a choice about the van, but thanks for being willing to help my handicapped butt out with getting it fixed,” she said, rolling toward my truck.
I grabbed the back of her chair and slowed her down over the rough gravel of the parking lot. If she hit a rock on her front caster, it could tip her right out of the chair. I noticed her van had a special spot which allowed her to roll directly onto the smooth sidewalk. It would be the only way for her to get in and out of her vehicle by herself in a lot covered in gravel. As I helped her, I planned how to address her statement about her handicapped butt once I had her in the truck. I stopped the chair next to the passenger side and unlocked the door.
She stared up at me from the chair. “I can’t get in the truck, Ren. It’s too high.”
I leaned down and scooped her out of the chair. “I know, but it’s a good reason to have you in my arms,” I said, kissing her gently before sitting her on the seat. She grimaced slightly and readjusted herself. “Are you okay?” I asked and she nodded noncommittally as she snapped on her seatbelt. I handed her the purse and seat cushion from the chair. “Is it okay if I tie the chair down in the back without taking it apart?”
She shrugged. “Sure, if you can, otherwise take the wheels off and lay the frame of the chair down. It won’t go anywhere if its lying down.”
I smiled and shut the door, rolling the chair to the back of the truck and lowering the tailgate. I lifted the lightweight chair into the bed of the truck and rolled it up the side to the built-in tie downs I have for equipment. In a matter of seconds, I had the chair secured and I jumped in the driver’s side, turning the engine over.
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