“Too much information. She should go with her gut. It’s your problem, too.”
“Well, Mia’s in the hospital and everybody in town has an opinion they believe is pertinent. Norah’s ready to take the phone off the hook.”
“I agree its kids, but I’ve kept my ear to the ground. So has Meg, Principal Marsh, and Reese Donovan, who is their new campus officer. Nobody is talking. Rumors, yes. But a lot of kids are out sick. Heck, Jake even is. I’ve got to check on him later.”
“Nice they’re so close you can finally be involved.”
“Yeah, but surreal sometimes. I spent most of my life not knowing about these kids. It’s weird to have a brother and sisters.”
“Bud, mine get me without me saying a word. You do, too.”
“It feels good to be in a strong family network. Speaking of which, we should pull Reese Donovan into training with us. His experience in Houston’s ISD is keeping him afloat, but I don’t like that he doesn’t have a connection to backup.”
“I’ll make it happen. On another note, I did something.”
Bret’s eyes widened, and he flipped a hand in forward motion. “Do tell.” He poured Tom a cup of coffee and put it in front of him.
“I hired Penny Gutherie to do a remodel on the bedroom Summer uses as her studio. It was her grandmother’s sewing room and has never been changed.”
“Like cosmetic?”
Tom took a sip of the hot brew. “Nope. Lights, custom storage, new windows, add new electrical, flooring. The works.She has a space at Jonathan’s house in San Francisco I used as a template. She worked better there.”
“She strikes me as a wildly creative person who can paint wherever the mood strikes her. Have you seen the new Summer LeFey hanging at Clem’s?”
“A new one? No.”
“Go check it out. It’s a drawing, and she colorized it with art pencils. It’s the Bowen’s little girl – sketched with ketchup on her face and a fry in her hand. It’s framed and on Clem’s wall.”
Tom stared at Bret and shook his head. “How did you find out?”
“Mrs. Heigl. She said Summer drew it one day a week ago when they ran into each other at Clem’s and were talking about the mural. Whipped it out in the span of a couple hours. A few days later, it was on the wall, signed and framed.”
“Oh lord, Jonathan is going to have a few things to say.”
“Too bad. Her art. Her decision.”
“Not the way it works, but setting that aside. Remodel plans? Good idea, bad idea?”
“Depends. Are you doing it because the space needs it or because you’re trying to keep Summer here?”
“Both, neither. Maybe.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I’m not sure. Seemed like a great idea. A gift from me that says I get you.”
“Price tag?”
“Huge. Home improvement loan huge.”
Bret opened the dishwasher and began putting dishes away. “Ah. Well, my only suggestion is you better include her in this discussion. She’s a temperamental artist to be sure, but if I did that to Meg, I get skinned. We argued constantly when we remodeled our kitchen from the fire. You’re messing in something that will be strictly hers to use.”
“But that’s the point.”
“Is it? You don’t have to compete with her artist life. You only have to be there which you’ve been doing.”
Waiting had never been his strong suit, and what Bret was saying implied he should have a little more faith in Summer.
“So, include Summer and find something else as a gift?”
Bret closed the now empty dishwasher, hung the dish towel on a rack, and confirmed his thought. “Yep, keep the peace.”
