Willow woke bright and early the next day. Although the sun shone brightly, songs fromSingin’ inthe Rainstill pleasantly wormed through her head as she carried her coffee mug out to her garden terrace. She breathed in deeply the fresh morning air. It felt good to be alive! So good that she began to sing another song from that old Gene Kelly film.
“Good morning, good morning!” she sang as she strolled past the potted plants and flowers, finally settling onto the comfy outdoor sectional that she’d recently added to her outdoor paradise. She sang as many of the lyrics as she could recall then decided it was probably time to see that old movie again.
As Willow sipped her coffee, she replayed the previous evening. The gallery showing had been a pure delight. Much better than the first show she’d had last winter when only three “patrons” showed up. Hopefully last night’s visitors would translate into some sales. Not so much for herself, but for the artists who’d consigned their work to her gallery. Some of them, she knew, were really struggling. She wantedto see them succeed ... wanted the small town of Warner to begin embracing the arts. She felt hopeful.
“Nana?”
“Over here,” she called out, watching as Collin made his way through the maze of blooming plants. Wearing his plaid pajama pants, a white T-shirt, and a big smile, he sat down next to her.
“Nice day, huh?” He sipped what appeared to be carrot juice.
“Gorgeous.” She peered curiously at him. “And you seem in good spirits.”
“I am.” He nodded.
“Any special reason?”
“I sent Marissa a text a little while ago.” He set his glass down. “I was worried it was too early, but she texted right back.”
“And?”
“We are going on a bike ride today.” He beamed at her.
“Well, good for you.” She patted his back. “Good job on not giving up.”
“Mr. Emerson encouraged me to try again.”
Willow blinked. “Seriously? Mr. Emerson gives dating advice?”
Collin nodded. “He said to give her a second chance. That maybe she really did have other plans last night. Turns out he was right.”
Willow resisted the urge to remind Collin she’d said pretty much the same thing last night. “Well, I’m glad you listened to Mr. Emerson. And how about that letter he wrote—did you read it?”
“I did.” His smile grew bigger. “It’s really nice. Thanksfor asking him for it, Nana. It almost makes me want to start applying to a bigger college.”
“Really?” She felt hopeful.
“Yeah ... but not until a semester or two at the community college.” He grinned. “That’s where Marissa is going.”
“Aha.” She nodded. “Now I get it.”
He polished off the last of his carrot juice. “You got anything good for breakfast at your place?”
She grimaced. “I meant to get groceries yesterday, but I got distracted with the art walk preparations. I do have Irish oats, but that takes a while to—”
“That’s all right. I already had a bagel and cream cheese.”
“Sounds like I should be raiding your larder.”
He stood and stretched. “I better get going. I need to grab a shower before I meet Marissa at the park.”
She controlled herself from asking why he was showeringbeforea bike ride. After all, this was almost a date. Or maybe it was a date. Whatever it was, it was a first for Collin and she was happy for him. “Well, you have fun,” she told him. “It’s a perfect day for a bike ride.”
After Collin left, she felt her own stomach rumbling with hunger. As much as she hated to leave her peaceful retreat up here, she knew she needed to get dressed and go down to unlock the gallery. Leslie had promised to come in early to clean the place before opening.
With no plans to work at the gallery today, Willow dressed casually in jeans, a paisley smock top, and her favorite Birkenstock sandals, then went down to unlock the door just as Leslie arrived. “I’m on my way to get a bite to eat,” she told her. “Want me to bring you back something?”
Leslie held up a small brown bag. “I brought my breakfast with me.”
