“Thank you, thank you,” Cadence said happily. “I am obviously making the grand tour of everyone who saw my bad hair, so that you can rewrite that image of me with my good hair.”
“Old image entirely erased,” Diana promised her. “Is Izzy with Tyler today?”
“No, my parents,” Cadence said, shaking her head. Her curls bobbed adorably. “My dad has apparently started teaching Isabelle how to fish, which is not something I thought she’d enjoy, but which she apparently loves.”
Diana tried to imagine sweet, energetic Isabella sitting quietly for the long hours of a fishing excursion. She couldn’t imagine it.
“Huh,” she said.
Cadence laughed. “Yeah, exactly. Anyway, I’m off at the gallery today, so I’m at ends. What are you up to?”
Diana pulled a face. “Ugh. Inventory.”
Cadence copied her expression. “Ugh. Why is it so hard? At the gallery, I’ll sit there, trying to do it, and I canseethe paintings on the wall and yet it is so impossible?”
“The worst,” Diana agreed.
Cadence tilted her head thoughtfully. “Speaking of the gallery, though… did you ever get around to hanging that painting I gave you?”
Diana didn’t react quickly enough to hide her wince. When Cadence arched an eyebrow curiously, Diana knew enough was enough. Time to come clean.
“Okay,” she said, rushing to get all the words out. “So, here’s the thing. I have tried it in all kinds of places. Seriously, every room in my house has seen that painting. And I just can’t make it work. I’msosorry, and you weresosweet to give it to me, but it’s just not my style.”
“Oh,” Cadence said. “No problem. I’ll take it back.”
Diana blinked. “What?”
Cadence laughed at the baffled look on her friend’s face. “Yeah, Diana, I didn’t give you that picture because I loved it. I gave it to you because I loved it and thoughtyoumight love ittoo. If you don’t, you don’t. Art is subjective. It’s fine. I can find it a home easy peasy.”
When Diana continued to just blink at her, Cadence laughed harder.
“Oh my goodness, you’ve been driving yourself crazy about this, haven’t you?”
Diana started to chuckle too. “Okay, yes, maybe a little.”
Cadence rolled her eyes fondly. “Exactly. Listen, I still think you should make your house a bit homier. But that’s because I know you. I mean, look around!” She waved an arm at the shop, which was laid out to perfection with bright splashes of color to draw the eye to various displays. “You’re not the minimalist, ‘I love plain beige walls’ kind of person. You should let your house express some of your personality, because I happen to think that personality is pretty darn great.”
“I love you,” Diana told her friend. “And you’re right. I’m not going to put off decorating my house just because I’m not married. I still hope it will happen for me someday, but…” She paused, thinking of Eleanor’s words. “I don’t want to find just anyone. I want to find the right person. And that person will need to embrace that design is part of who I am.”
“Hear, hear!” Cadence cheered.
“I could use some help finding the art that speaks to me,” Diana added, almost shyly. “Do you think you could help?”
Cadence looked as though Diana had just told her she’d won the lottery.
“Of course I can help you!” she exclaimed. “Why didn’t you ask sooner?”
“Just being silly, I guess,” Diana murmured, already dreaming of all the things she’d love to hang in place of that wretched painting.
“Now, young man, I don’t mean to tell you your business, but I’m not sure that’s right…”
Garrett jerked at the sound of Mrs. Alder’s thin voice. The elderly woman was ninety if she was a day, as evidenced by her tendency to call Garrett “young man” even though he was in his forties. She often hired Garrett to do odd jobs, particularly as her eyesight was not exactly the best any longer.
However, it didn’t take very much to see that Garrett was installing Mrs. Alder’s new screen door upside down.
He glanced sheepishly over his shoulder to find the older woman leaning on her cane and giving him an amused look.
“Sorry, Mrs. Alder,” he said. “Too much woolgathering today.”
