I looked over at Jace whose shrug seemed to say it would be okay with him. “Sure. I’d love to see them.”
Wren led me up a wide set of stairs to the second floor. We passed a room decked out in blues and greens that looked like Eli’s, then entered a room painted light pink with a butterflylamp on the dresser. She pulled out a half dozen sketchbooks and sat down at the foot of the bed.
“These are amazing.” I slowly flipped through the pages full of drawings of plants and flowers. She had real talent. “Have you shared these with your dad?”
Her dark hair bounced as she shook her head. “Not all of them.”
“How come?” Since camp had started, I’d been encouraging Wren to open up more to her dad. He and Eli were two of a kind, but I could see how Wren might feel a little left out since her interests and talents didn’t quite align with her brother’s and dad’s.
She shrugged. “He likes doing stuff more than he likes looking at stuff.”
“He might surprise you,” I said. “Even though you both don’t love the same things, it doesn’t mean that you can’t appreciate each other’s interests. Did you finish that picture you drew of the camp entrance?”
Wren bit down on her lower lip. “Almost, but not yet.”
“Well, I bet he’ll love it when he sees it.” We’d worked on it together in secret as a surprise for her dad. Wren had made great progress on her own and just needed a few tips on how to perfect her shading.
“I’m going to do it right now.” She got up and pulled another sketchbook out of a drawer.
“You’ve got this. I’m going to check and see if your dad needs help with dinner.” I gave her a side hug then got up to head back downstairs.
Jace stood at the kitchen counter smashing ground beef into patties while Eli worked on a crossword puzzle I’d passed out at the end of camp the day before.
“What’s a tough tree that’s sometimes used for signs?” Eli asked.
I looked over his shoulder. “Five letters?”
“Yeah. It goes right here.” He tapped his pencil on the blank square for number ten down.
“Try ‘cedar.’ Looks like it fits,” I suggested.
Eli filled in the letters. “You’re good at this.”
“Delaney’s good at lots of things.” Wren stepped into the kitchen holding a sheet from her sketchbook. “Look, Dad. She helped me with this picture I drew for you.”
Jace looked up as Wren flipped the piece of paper around. She’d added quite a bit to the drawing since I’d last seen it. Not only had she perfectly captured the entrance to the Big Wood Park, she’d added people to it. I recognized Jace and the kids but wasn’t sure who the woman standing next to him was supposed to be.
“Wow. Wren, that’s amazing.” Jace’s smiled widened as he stepped closer. “You’ve got all of us there.”
“Yeah, you, Eli, me, and Miss Delaney.” Wren set the picture down on the counter and bent over it, pointing out all the flowers and trees by name.
Something cracked open inside me. Wren had added me into their world, right into the center of it. I’d spent my whole life trying to prove my own worth and fit in somewhere by chasing goals, jobs, and titles. There I was, my image created in colored pencils, belonging in a way I’d never let myself dream of.
Since camp had started, I’d come to love Eli and Wren. I was honored Wren felt so safe with me. And Eli… he cracked me up with his undeniable enthusiasm for the great outdoors. I could see myself with them. My gaze snagged on Jace. I could see myself withhim.
A scratching noise came from the back door, interrupting my internal crisis. I looked over as Eli opened it just in time to see a huge dog bounding toward me.
“Brutus, no!” Jace’s fingers snagged on the dog’s collar as it jumped into the air.
Instead of knocking me over, I ended up with a couple of giant paw prints on the front of my white jeans and a slobbery kiss across the chin.
“That’s Brutus,” Wren said.
“I’m sorry. Let me get him back outside.” Jace got the dog through the door and closed it. The burger patties he’d left on a tray on the counter now sat on the floor. He looked up with an apologetic smile. “How do you feel about peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for dinner?”
“That sounds delicious. Where’s the bread?” I pushed my sleeves up and opened drawers until I found a knife.
Jace brushed past me, leaning in to whisper, “I could kiss you right now.”
