I nodded. “Yes, just waiting for the car to heat up a bit.”
He peered inside, his dark brown eyes sweeping over my legs. “You know one of these days, this baby isn’t going to start. You should bring it by my shop sometime and let me take a look at it.”
I rubbed my lips together. “I appreciate the offer, Mikey, but you and I both know that all you’ll find under the hood is more problems. I can’t afford more problems.”
Mikey scratched his whiskery cheek. “I wouldn’t charge you a dime, doll face. Just a friend helping out another friend.”
I smiled. “I appreciate that. Maybe I will bring it by sometime.”
Mikey patted the window frame. “All right. You best get going before she dies right here and now.”
“All right, goodnight,” I said.
“Goodnight.” He winked, and I noticed how long his dark eyelashes were. He stepped away from my car as I rolled up the window, and he hopped up on the sidewalk. I watched his back as he walked away down the snowy walkway.
Why couldn’t I just fall for a man like Mikey? He was local and friendly and reliable. Our parents had grown up together in Valdez. He made a comfortable living at his mechanic shop—the only shop in Valdez—and he had proven time and time again that if I ever needed anything, he would be there.
But there just wasn’t anything about him that I was drawn to. He was just… Mikey.
Maybe I should give him a chance. Gracie was always telling me how he was into me and I was never willing to listen. Maybe I would pick her brain about it when we had lunch on Tuesday.
I put my car in drive and tried my best to think about Mikey on the drive home instead of Brayden.
I failed.
Chapter 9
Brayden
I woke up on my mother’s couch with an aching back and a pounding headache. I checked my watch to find that it was seven o’clock in the morning—a full hour later than when I usually got up. I sat up and rubbed my eyes, regretting it as it only made my head hurt more. I reached for my phone on the coffee table to see six missed calls from Drew, all in the last forty minutes.
“Great,” I mumbled, bracing myself for the worst as I returned his call.
“Brayden.” Drew breathed with relief as he answered on the first ring. “I’m sorry to call, man. I know you have your hands full. But we need to talk about the Morgan deal.”
“What about it?” I asked, running my hand over my face. I really needed to shave.
Drew stuttered on the other end. “Well, I don’t really know how to put this, but they pulled out.”
“Pulled out?”
“Of the deal. They called last night and canceled everything.”
I moved closer to the edge of the sofa and pinched the bridge of my nose. “Who’s been dealing with Mr. Morgan?”
“Me.”
“Since when?”
“Since he called last night.”
“All right. Who was he negotiating with beforehand? Jonah?”
“Uh…”
“Drew. Come on. You said you could handle this shit. If he was dealing with Jonah, then Jonah fucked it up somehow. He’s done this before with Regal and Continental. Both of which I managed to save by calling them personally. I’ll do the same with Morgan if you can’t bring him back on the deal by tonight.”
“I can handle it,” Drew said hurriedly. “You’re right. He was dealing with Jonah. I’ll ask for Jonah’s records of communication with him and see where he misstepped.”
“Good. And a tip, Drew?”
“Yes?”
“Start with his emails. If there’s a sign of where shit went south, forward them to me. I’ll be firing Jonah when I come back.”
“Alright. Will do. Hey, Brayden?”
I paused as I was about to end the call. “What?”
“I hope you and Bella are doing okay. And your mom. I’m thinking about you guys.”
The hardness and anger in my chest disappeared. “Thanks.”
“Sorry for calling,” Drew said, and then he ended the call.
I tossed my phone on the other end of the couch and buried my face in my hands. Drew was a good friend and a loyal employee. I trusted him to handle the situation with Morgan, but the potential of losing one of my biggest clients set me on edge. Now was not the time to have to deal with these kinds of situations. I needed to be present here for my mother.
I stood and stretched, trying to ease the kink in my neck, and then made for the bathroom, where I showered and brushed my teeth. I changed into a T-shirt and jeans and went to the kitchen, where I found my mother sitting at the table. Bella was sitting with her and eating a bowl of cereal as my mother completed a crossword puzzle in the newspaper.
I remembered sitting in Bella’s place as a boy while my mother did the same thing.
“Morning,” my mother said cheerfully as I set to work on making coffee.
“Morning,” I said. “Coffee?”
She shook her head. “No, thank you.” She closed the paper and crossed her legs. “I heard your phone call earlier. Everything okay with business?”
“Yes. Don’t worry about it.”
She narrowed her eyes at me. “You know, you sure have changed since moving to Florida. Since this job. That city did something to you.”
I put my back to her and braced myself on the kitchen counter. “I don’t need a lecture right now.”
“I didn’t realize I was giving one. I was simply making observations.”
“Yeah, well, how astute of you. I have changed. It’s been ten years. More has happened than business, you know?” I didn’t like the way my own voice sounded: angry, hard, dismissive.
“I know,” my mother said, bristling.
I finished making coffee and burned my tongue on the first sip. I scowled down into the cup and wished it would cool faster.
“There’s no need to stay cooped up in this house with me,” my mother said. “Why don’t you take a breather and go into town with Bella today? The sun is out for once. It’s a nice day to wander around. There’s a nice art gallery that opened above the grocery store.”
“An art gallery?” I asked, arching an eyebrow.
My mother nodded. “It’s quite nice. I think Bella would like it.”
“Can we go, Daddy?” Bella asked, looking up at me from her cereal bowl.
I frowned at my mother and then looked to my daughter, who was bright eyed and eager to go on an adventure. “Yeah,” I said, “Sure thing. An art gallery sounds… exciting.” It sounded anything but exciting.
“Yay!” Bella cried, pushing her chair back from the table.
“After you finish breakfast,” I said.
Bella blushed but tucked back into the table to finish her cereal. I caught my mother smiling at me.
“What?” I asked.
“Nothing.” She shrugged, looking back down at her crossword. “Just reminds me of someone, that’s all.”
“Of Dad?”
My mother smiled wistfully. “Yes.”
***
We were back in front of the polar bear statue by noon, and Bella was asking me all kinds of questions about it. How long had it been there? Did it take a long time to make? Who made it? Why did they make it? Was it made of stone? Did a real polar bear have to pose so the sculptor could get it just right?
I told a little white lie on that last question and said that the polar bear was a good model.
I held her hand as we walked a full circle around the statue. Her enthusiasm attracted the attention of other townsfolk, who pointed and waved at me as they passed. It seemed that my new clothes and sharp haircut could only disguise my identity for so long. By now, the whole town probably knew I was back, and places as small as Valdez were always crawling with gossip.
I had no interest in knowing what the residents were saying behind my back or what they were wondering. I had no doubt that Bella was a curious subject, as well. They all probably wondered where her mother was. I
hoped they would conclude that she must be back in Florida. Maybe they would assume I married a rich, hoity-toity bombshell who refused to set foot in a place like my hometown.
I ignored the stares as I looked up toward the grocery store. On the right hand side was a wooden door with gold letters stamped across it. I could make out the word “ART” right smack in the middle.
“You ready to go look at some paintings?” I asked Bella, who was finally tiring of the stone polar bear.
“Yes,” she said, looking up at me. “Now?”
“Now.” I nodded, and we walked across the square to the wooden door. When we were close, I could see that it read “Valdez ART Gallery”. I knocked, but no one answered. So I tried the handle, which was unlocked.
I pushed it open, and Bella and I found ourselves standing at the bottom of a narrow staircase. I gripped Bella’s hand and we both started climbing. The stairs were wood and creaked on every landing. They were old, like the building. Some of the drywall along the stairwell was starting to crack, and the paint was peeling away.
I missed Florida.
When we got to the top of the stairs, we were in a hallway. On the right were four separate doors that all had people’s names on them. Offices, I assumed.
At the very end of the hall on the left was another door marked “Gallery”. I pushed it open and let Bella walk in first.
I was surprised by the space above the grocery store.
It was an open concept loft with original hardwood floors and floor-to-ceiling windows. I had always seen the black trimmed windows from the street above the grocery store but never knew what sort of place lay on the other side.
The floor was riddled with canvases of all different sizes and covered in all different images. I noticed that each and every one of them was a painting of something in or around Valdez.
So this artist likes this town a whole lot, I thought to myself as Bella and I began wandering amongst the paintings.
I paused in front of one. It captured my attention as soon as my eyes fell upon it. It was a swirl of colors, mostly purples and blues, and was streaked with shimmering silver paint to capture the effect of the northern lights in the Alaskan sky.
That was one of the only things I missed about this place.
I reached out and traced a thumb over the painting. The oil paint was rough, uneven, but it was a masterpiece.
I pulled it forward to get a look at the wooden frame. There had to be a price tag on it somewhere. I was surprised to find none. I frowned and stepped behind it, searching the blank back of the canvas. Still nothing.
Confused, I looked for prices on the other paintings and still found none.
“How can someone buy these if they don’t know how much they are?” I mumbled to myself.
“Daddy,” Bella called. “Come look at this one!”
I followed her voice around a corner and found her pointing at a small painting of the polar bear in the square.
I chuckled. “You really like that polar bear, hey?”
“He’s cute,” Bella said.
“We could buy the painting and hang it in your bedroom if you want,” I offered.
Bella gasped. “Really? Yes, please!”
I grinned, amused by her enthusiasm. “We just need to find someone who works here. I wonder if they went on their break. Hello?” I called, hoping someone would emerge to sell me the painting for my daughter.
I only had to wait ten or fifteen seconds before I heard hurried footsteps.
Then a young woman swept around the corner and drew to an abrupt stop when she saw me. Her dark hair, streaked with red, danced around her shoulders, and her eyes locked onto mine. Her lips parted like she was about to speak. Then she seemed to think better of it, closing her mouth and slipping her hands into the pockets at the front of her apron.
So Rein had continued painting after I left.
She looked from me to Bella, then back up at me. Her movements were stiff, and I could tell that she was uncomfortable with me being in her place of work.
I was uncomfortable too. I had left a note and my number on her car the other night and she hadn’t called, which was a straightforward message that she wasn’t interested in seeing me again. I wished I could disappear or use my daughter as a human shield until I was out of the loft.
It was suddenly very obvious why my mother wanted me to come to the art gallery.
Chapter 10
Rein
There were people in my shop. For the first time in ages, there were actual people in my shop.
I hurried out of the back office and frantically tied my apron behind my back. I rushed around one of my paintings and found myself staring at a little girl with dark hair who couldn’t have been more than five. She was looking at me with a big sunny smile that revealed a couple missing teeth, and she reached out to grab the pant leg of the man standing slightly behind her.
I looked up the length of his body and locked eyes with him.
Brayden Hennie.
Of course.
I opened my mouth and promptly shut it again. What did he expect me to say to him? And who did he think he was, showing up at my place of work unannounced?
“We want to buy this!” the little girl cried, pointing a finger straight ahead at the painting I had done of the polar bear in the town square. It was an old piece—a piece I thought would never, ever sell.
“Umm,” I said, forcing myself to smile at her. “Okay. You can just have it.”
The little girl looked up at Brayden and grinned. “We can have it she said.”
“I heard her,” Brayden said in that deep voice of his that used to drive me wild. He looked up from his daughter and back to me. “I won’t take it for free. You’ll have to set a price for it. Money is no object.”
Money is no object, I mocked him in my head. “It’s not worth anything. I painted it ages ago. Just take it.”
Brayden’s daughter rushed forward and wrapped her arms around my legs. “Thank you! I love it. I love the big one outside, too.”
I stood stiff in her hug for a surprised moment, then patted her shoulders. “I like the one outside too. He’s huge!” I spread my arms as wide as I could, and she giggled. “My name is Rein. What’s your name?”
“Bella,” she said shyly.
“Bella, what a nice name. It suits you.”
Bella blushed, giggled, and then tugged on the corner of my apron. “Did you paint all of these?”
“Yes,” I nodded, “I’m the only artist here. I paint every day.”
“Cool!” Bella said, turning back to her father. “Did you hear that, Daddy? She painted all of these!”
“I heard her,” Brayden said, his hands clasped behind his back. He arched an eyebrow at me. “Impressive. You’re a lot better than I remember.”
“You didn’t see much of my work back then. I didn’t like showing people.”
“Oh,” he said simply.
“Are you looking for something in particular?” I asked, slapping on my business face and tone. There was no need to be rude, but I didn’t have to be nice and sweet, either. Professional was the happy middle ground.
“No, we were just looking. But when Bella sees something she likes…” he trailed off and smiled as Bella wandered away from me to look at more paintings. “She gets it.”
“A doting father, I see.”
He glanced at me and then back at Bella. “I wouldn’t say that.” He unclasped his hands from behind his back and ran them through his hair. Watching him move was like watching something magical. I had always thought so, even when we were teenagers. He was made of something special. That was for sure. I had always known it, and I had told him constantly, too.
“How’s business?” he asked, turning in a circle and admiring my loft. “You have a pretty cool space. Never thought Valdez would have something as trendy as this going for it.”
“It’s good. Not everyone has to leave to start a business.”
He
looked at me out of the corner of his eye, then smiled. “It would seem so.”
“Daddy, I’m hungry,” Bella said as she returned to his side.
“Alright, kiddo,” he said, extending his massive hand to her. I couldn’t help but think of how cute it was that she grabbed his thumb. “We’ll go get some dinner as soon as Rein tells me a price for her polar bear painting.”
I crossed my arms and scowled. “Consider it a gift. From me to Bella. A welcome to Valdez present.”
“Giving your merchandise away for free isn’t going to get you any profit, you know?”
“I’m aware,” I said coldly. “But it’s my business, and if I needed your advice, I would ask for it.” I walked over to the painting and took it off its stand. Then I handed it to Bella. “There you go, sweetheart. All yours.”
She smiled down at the painting as Brayden let out a deep sigh behind her. Then he stepped forward, and his daughter followed, her tiny fingers still wrapped around his thumb.
He drew to a stop once he passed me and turned around. He was so close that I could smell his musky cologne. “Listen, Rein… I’m sorry. I know it’s been a long time and that probably means nothing now, but I am. Would you consider joining us for dinner? I want to repay you somehow and taking your merchandise doesn’t feel right.”
“No, thank you, but—”
“Please?” Bella pouted beside him, looking up at me with big green eyes that looked exactly like Brayden’s. “It’ll be fun!”
Brayden shrugged one shoulder as if to apologize to me. He seemed to know how cute his daughter was and how hard it was to look her in the eye and say no. I supposed that made sense. He was her father, after all, and he hadn’t been able to say no to giving her the painting.
“Alright,” I conceded. “But I can’t stay out late. I have an early morning.”
“And I have a four-year-old,” Brayden said, chuckling. “I can barely stay awake past nine anymore.”
My Last First Kiss: A Single Father Secret Baby Novel Page 6
