She smiled at Jessie. “Thank you. I’m trying to make some changes in my life, but in order to move forward, I need to make sure there aren’t any regrets.”
Jessie laughed. “I hear you. I wasfullof so many regrets when I first returned to Providence. It wasn’t until I finally accepted that I can’t change the past, and I only have power over my future, that I finally found peace and contentment.”
Peace and contentment.They weren’t quite the same thing as happiness, but it was close. At this point, Debbie would settle for feeling content.
She’d better change the topic before she grew emotional again. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you about commissioning a painting.” It was one thing to leave a generous tip for Amy, but Debbie needed a different tactic to make amends with Jessie.
“Really? What do you have in mind?”
“I’m having a hard time narrowing it down.” Her gaze returned to the seascape painting, and ideas filled her head as she recalled the traveling she’d done. A mural would be amazing but there were so many beautiful places in the world that she’d love to have paintings of on her walls. How would she narrow it down?
I could decorate each room in the house with a theme from a different country.
Debbie’s breathing sped up as the idea took root. She’d done minimal decorating since she moved into her new house, because without a family it just didn’t feel like home yet.
“I can’t decide if I want you to paint something from France or Italy or maybe India.”
“I’ve never been to India.” Jessie pressed her hands to her chest. “But I loved Italy and France. So rich in history and art.”
“I didn’t realize you’d been to Europe,” Debbie said.
“Years ago, yes.” Jessie told Debbie about how she’d studied abroad for eighteen months, and as they continued to talk about their favorite places to visit, they realized they had been in a couple of the same cities around the same times.
As Debbie discussed what type of paintings she wanted Jessie to do, her gaze kept returning to the painting on the easel. A lightness filled her chest as she studied the artist’s style and the vivid colors. A burst of adrenaline coursed through her veins as she pictured a little coastal village in Greece that had become one of her favorite places in the whole world. She knew exactly what she wanted her mural to look like. Tingling filled her hands and fingers as an urgency to go through her pictures filled her. She hadn’t felt this excited since she got the text approving her as a foster parent last week.
But it could be weeks or even months before she got to foster a child. Waiting was driving her crazy already. This project would give her something to focus on now.
“What can you tell me about the girl who painted this?” Debbie pointed to the easel.
“Like I said, she’s incredibly gifted.”
“Do you think she could do something similar to this but on a much larger scale?”
Jessie nodded. “With a little guidance, I think she could. Why? What are you thinking?”
Debbie explained that she’d like to hire the girl to paint a six by eight foot mural.
Jessie explained some of the challenges and intricacies of such a project then added, “She might find it overwhelming, but I’d love to see her take on a project like this.” Jessie walked to her desk with purpose and picked up a pink flier and handed it to Debbie. “I’d love to see her take advantage of this exceptional summer art program offered by WSU, but I’m not sure her family can afford it. She might agree to take on the project if you offer to pay for her tuition for the program.”
Debbie studied the flier. Her gaze rested on the bottom line. Six hundred and fifty dollars. That was nothing to her but many middle-class families might find it difficult to pay. An idea began to take shape in Debbie’s head, and additional adrenaline shot through her, causing a prickling feeling on the back of her neck.
“Do you mind if I hang onto this?” When Jessie shook her head, Debbie asked, “What’s the artist’s name?”
“Savannah Reed.”
Reed.Was she any relation to Dallas Reed and his younger brother Cody? She’d only read with the fourth and second grade boys twice, but they were the cutest kids. She wanted to put little toothless Cody in her pocket and take him home. Debbie pictured their red hair and freckles and the strawberry blond who had smiled at her as she walked out of the classroom and decided it was a strong possibility.
Debbie smiled at Jessie. “I don’t suppose you can tell me where she lives?”
“I’m afraid not, but it’s a small town.” Jessie grinned and winked. “I’m sure you can figure it out.”
“Indeed.” Debbie laughed as she made her way to the door.
CHAPTER5
Debbie double checked the address on the red brick home to make sure she was at the right place before approaching the front door.
It wasn’t ethical for Jessie to give her Savannah Reed’s address, but it hadn’t taken much asking around to find out the Reeds lived in one of Dwayne Saunders’s rental homes. Providence was a small town, and her sisters knew everyone, including where they lived. Never mind that the Reeds had been here for less than a year.
