Mary raised a brow. “Even better. Thanks, Landon.”
Kira hesitated for a second longer, then gave a reluctant nod. “Sure.”
I tried not to read too much into her response—or the guarded way she slipped her bag over her shoulder—but I couldn’t shut down the urge that I needed to talk to her for just a few more minutes. Attempt to clear the air between us.
What better way than at an overcrowded supply store on a Sunday?
Kira
The discount store had that familiar scent of dust, plastic, and faintly perfumed cleaning products. Shelves crammed with every color, size, and style of art supplies lined the aisles,making the space feel tighter than it was. Fluorescent lights buzzed above, and I squinted under their harsh gaze.
I turned a corner, scanning the aisle of acrylic paints, trying to match a palette in my head. But it was difficult when the man next to me kept picking up random items with the curiosity of someone who had never seen paint before.
“Landon, those are not on the list,” I snapped.
“Do you think Mary will notice if we get glitter pens instead of regular ones?” Landon asked, holding up a box of pens with a grin. “Add a little sparkle to her day.”
“Probably.”She has eyes,I was tempted to add.
Landon’s mischief-filled eyes lit up at my response. He tossed the box into the cart, pushing it forward and making an exaggerated show of maneuvering around a wobbly shelf of canvas boards. “Good. Hey, how do you feel about macaroni art?”
“Huh?”
He was giving me whiplash. First, his dedication to volunteering at the CCC. When he showed up last week, I assumed it was a fluke in the name of seeing me again. But to my surprise, he was really good with the kids. Attentive. Helpful.
Second, I had yet to figure out what the hell he wanted from me. He had been the most important person in my life for years, until he shattered everything between us.
Landon was back permanently, and while I was genuinely happy his family was rebuilding the diner, it was something I had to learn to live with.
“Well, I noticed your lessons focus a lot on painting. Which is great, considering it’s your specialty, but they’re in elementary school. They should be making wacky stuff like macaroni art and hand turkeys.”
“We do hand turkeys for Thanksgiving,” I said absentmindedly. “But macaroni art is a good idea.”
Landon tossed me a boyish grin and continued walking. My God, had he researched art project ideas for kids?
To my horror, the realization quelled into something that felt alarmingly like affection. For just a minute, he was the old Landon.MyLandon. Silly, sweet, considerate.
“Should we go with the cheap brushes that will shed like a cat or splurge for quality?” he asked, slowing down so I could catch up.
I sighed. “We’re shopping on a budget, so the kids might be painting whiskers onto everything they make.”
He raised a brow. “That could be the next art movement. Furry realism.”
That drew a laugh that felt like a punch. A quick sound that broke through my guarded exterior for a moment. Landon, on the other hand, looked pleased at my reaction. “Please don’t associate me with anything furry.”
“Glitter renaissance then?”
“I’ll consider it.”
We meandered into the next aisle, discussing lesson plan ideas and projects the kids would enjoy. Paper plate animals, popsicle stick puppets, play-dough sculptures. Landon was a lot better at brainstorming compared to Jordan. He was like a walking Pinterest board of ideas.
I tossed a few essentials into the cart: sponges, glue sticks, dish soap, and the paper towels Mary had scribbled on the list. In the paintbrush aisle, Landon added a couple of thick bristle brushes and a rolling brush to the pile.
“For the diner,” he explained when he caught the suspicion in my raised brow. “Mom wants to repaint the place. Brighter colors, new vibe. She actually asked me to ask you for help, but I told her no.”
“I’ll help,” I blurted, faster than I could think better of it.
What the hell, Kira?
