“You haven’t asked. I don’t have a problem showing you. I haven’t painted a lot, though. Alvin is keeping me pretty busy.”
“And Jimmy, I bet.” She leans over and touches her elbow to mine.
“I mean, I guess.”
“No hanky-panky? This relationship is new! You should be doing it like three times a day!”
“Three times a day? I have a job, you know.” Trust me, Jimmy and I have had our fun together, but we’ve both been hard at work at our respective jobs.
We may not be jumping into the sack every minute, but the kisses we do share…I can tell how much he cares for me. The way the palm of his hand touches my face, his lips rub softly against mine.
“Did you ever find out how he knows that Lisa woman?”
Kayleigh’s mention of Lisa snaps me back into reality. “No. I’m not sure if I should ask, either.”
“I don’t think you should.”
“What?” I don’t necessarily disagree with her but I’m interested in her logic.
“Do you trust Jimmy?”
“Yes.” I don’t even have to think about it. When he’s not with me, I can still feel him and know that he will support me in anything I do.
“It shouldn’t matter, then. Unless he’s given you some reason not to trust him, then I wouldn’t even bring it up.”
“You’re right. The curious person inside of me just wonders, though. Is she an ex-girlfriend or close friend? Maybe she’s a family friend or someone he met sometime and never pursued anything with?”
“And you can drive yourself crazy trying to come up with the answer.”
“I drive myself crazy anyway.”
“Youdooverthink everything.”
Guilty. I have a history of contemplating every decision to the point of heart palpitations. Even when I think I’ve made the right decision, I still talk to Kayleigh about it, hoping she will reiterate my thoughts.
“Can I tell you a secret?”
“Always.” She turns to her side and perches herself onto her elbow, resting her head in her hand.
“I hope he decides not to sell the house. I know that if he does it’s not like he’s moving far, but I love having him right next door. I mean he can live in a house while flipping others. Chip Gaines lives in his own house, as do theProperty Brothers. Why can’t he? Besides, this house belonged to his grandparents. There has to be some sentimentality behind that. He has to want to hold onto that.”
“Not necessarily. Maybe it’s too hard for him to hold onto the house.”
I hadn’t thought about that. Still, I really hope he makes the decision to stay.
23
While the memoryof today is still fresh in my mind, I find a blank canvas and place it on my easel. I tie the back of my apron around my waist and neck, turn my standing fan on so it’s blowing right at me, and slide the paintbrush across the canvas.
My wrist flicks around the paper so quickly it’s like I’m moving in fast forward. The wedgwood blue meets a touch of green leading to the rolling sand. I’ll add a few kids building a sandcastle once the base dries. I can’t remember the last time I zoned out so much while painting. It had to be late high school, early college. I got my groove back like Stella handed it right to me—and I took off running with it.
I’m not even sure how much time passes when my doorbell rings. I set my paintbrush down and stare at the painting for a moment. A sense of pride washes over me, and I smile.
The bell rings again. “Coming!” I dash to the front door.
“What’s got you so happy?” Jimmy says when I open the door.
His wide smile and eyes grab me. “You do.” Without a second thought, I ball his shirt up with my fist and pull him toward me, slamming my lips into his.
