I hug Gertie. “It’ll be a pleasure to be your chauffeur, Ms. Gertie.” She pats my cheek. “You’re a good man, Wire, but you need to have that talk with your woman. She needs to know what makes you who you are.”
“I know,” I say. Gertie gives me a firm nod, letting me know she believes me.
“Remmi was going to take us out to her workshop to look at some of her pottery work. Do you want to come along?” Kailyn asks.
“I’m coming with you,” Gertie decides, but picks up a smoked salmon and cream cheese appetizer and pops it into her mouth before she slides her arm through Remmi’s to walk out with them.
Remmi’s workshop is only a hundred feet away from the main house, but I installed lighting along the walkway leading to it. I’ve also got security cameras installed inside and around the workshop. I have the app on my phone turned on to keep my eye on Remmi and the others. Bull watches the women through the window.
“How’s it going with Remmi?” Phoenix asks.
“We’re taking it slow. I’ve been holding off telling her how I feel, but I’m done waiting. I plan on talking to her later tonight. I’ll make my intentions clear that if we’re starting something, we both have to be all in,” I tell the guys.
“Don’t think you’re going to get a fight,” Bull chimes in, looking over his shoulder and giving me a sly grin. “That woman is gone for you.”
“I fucking hope so, man,” I say with a chuckle.
Remmi
“These are all so beautiful. I want all of them,” Maya exclaims. She picks up a teal vase featuring a marbling technique that defines the texture and glaze, creating a unique coloring.
“I make new pieces every day, and I want to keep them all. I have a tough time packing them up and sending them off to my vendors,” I say.
Gertie is quiet for a while, then she picks up a deep green lamp. “I’d like to buy this for the baby’s room.”
We all look confused, but Gertie simply looks at Kailyn and asks, “Have you told Phoenix yet?”
“Gertie, there’s nothing to tell,” Kailyn responds, furrowing her brow. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Kaylie girl, make an appointment with the doctor. All the practicing for a baby you’ve been doing has paid off,” Gertie says with a giggle.
I laugh too, but not because of Gertie, but because Maya, Sadie, and Kailyn look utterly shocked. Kailyn looks down at her belly, and there’s no baby bump that I can see. Surely, Kailyn would suspect if she were pregnant.
“Kailyn, could you be?” Sadie asks.
“Well, uh…” Kailyn is speechless. When she finds her voice, she says, “Of course it’s possible.” She looks freaked, and I know what that feels like, so I step in.
I touch her arm to get her attention. “From what I see, Phoenix would be thrilled to be a father, and he loves you so much that it shows on his face the second you walk into the room. What does it matter, then? If you aren’t, then nothing changes, but if you are, then there’s nothing more precious than a baby to join in the love that you and Phoenix have for each other.”
“We’ve talked about having a baby,” Kailyn replies.
“Good, because you’re having one,” Gertie says firmly. “Now wrap up my lamp because it’s going in the baby’s room.” She hands me the lamp, and I do as she asks, because you really can’t say no to the adorable and very wise old woman.
It seems that Maya, Sadie, and Kailyn really like my work because they all pick out an item or three to take home with them. I’m glad they like my creations, but I don’t want them to feel obligated in any way, and I tell them so.
It’s wise old Gertie who steps forward and speaks for them all. “You don’t value your own worth, my girl. These things”—she waves her hand around my space—“they’re art. You’re an artist. You create with love and pour your heart and soul into each piece. It shows. From what Wire’s told me, you make a pretty good living at it. You can’t keep enough stock, and the orders keep coming in. The right people buy your things because they see their worth. You’ve earned your success, so hold your head up high and enjoy it.”
Those words hit home. Tears well up in my eyes because they feel so good to hear. Mom and Dad have always been proud of me, but they’re my parents, and they support me in whatever I choose. Listening to Gertie, someone who has known me for less than a day, validates that my dedication to my craft does shine through in my pottery.
“Thank you, Gertie,” I say quietly, then in a louder voice and with a shy grin, I go on to say, “That will be seventy-five dollars. I’m giving you the friends-and-family discount.”
Gertie bursts out laughing and hands me cash, squeezing my hand. “It’s worth at least double. But I’ll take the deal.” She’s not wrong. I sell this lamp to retailers for at least a hundred dollars, and I’m sure they would mark it up to make a profit.
Kailyn’s head is still clearly swimming with wonder when we go back into the house, but we come in to see a really tall, large-framed guy and my friend Mina arguing with each other. As soon as the man turns around, I recognize him. It’s the leader of Storm, the man they call Falcon. He doesn’t look a bit upset, but more amused. This does not bode well for him because Mina is not amused and looks like she wants to throttle him.
Her five-foot-two-inch frame is ridiculously petite next to Falcon, who is at least a foot taller, if not more. While Falcon gives a short wave to acknowledge our entering the room, Mina is oblivious, directing her anger at the big guy in front of her.
“You spent twenty minutes interrogating me outside and wouldn’t let me pass, and now all you can say is ‘It’s my job.’” She uses a deep, throaty voice, trying to mimic a man’s tone, probably Falcon’s, and failing miserably.
