“Okay,” he said.“Now tell me what really happened.”
I did while I heated up his food and watched him eat.I tried some of the crab-stuffed shrimp, and they were delicious.Declan had made me a cocoa while he had a beer with his seafood feast, even saving a good amount for tomorrow’s leftover lunch.
“I still can’t believe that old bitty tried to curse Faith.”Shaking his head, he stored the food in the refrigerator.“Poor thing.”Grinning, he turned back to me.“I would have loved to have seen your mom go after Swan, though.”He took my cup and rinsed it out before putting it in the dishwasher.“Should we watch something or go to bed?”
I was having a hard time keeping my eyes open, so I said, “Bed.”
“That’s what I thought.Throwing cars can wear a person out.”He turned off the lights and waited for me to drag myself away from the kitchen table.
I barely had the energy to crawl into bed.Declan flicked off the lights and turned on the fire.When he got into bed, he curled himself around me, but I was already drifting off.
I slept late the next day, like late late.
Declan woke me an hour before the gallery opened, with spiked juice and the smell of food.“Come on, sleepyhead.Let’s eat so you can get ready for work.I already called Bracken and asked him to make sure your crew can get in to prep for work.”
“You’re really good at this whole mate thing,” I mumbled, trying to move the comforter to block the sunlight from my eyes so I could go back to sleep.
The bed moved and I felt a kiss on my head.“Thanks.Now come eat with me.I’m starving.”
That did it.I sat up and took the glass from his hand.“Why didn’t you eat without me?It’s late.”
“Because I like eatingwithyou.Come on.”
When Declan dropped me off at the gallery, my hair was still wet, but it was only a little after opening.I walked through the front door, Carter rolling his eyes at my tardiness.Hester was kind enough to make me a cup of tea, which I appreciated.
Frank complained that he’d missed the car relocation, but Faith had painted such a perfect picture for him, it was almost like being there.He asked to attend the next meeting with us, though I assured him there’d be no need to move more vehicles.
It was a nice, steady day.I spent much of it in the nursery, marking up the wall, planning what I was going to paint.On the drive to and from Pacifica the previous day, I’d planned the walls for the three rooms I needed to paint.The playroom in Bracken’s apartment would be a forest scene with a wolf, some black bears, an owl, a fox, and other woodland creatures.
The gallery nursery would be an underwater scene, in keeping with how I’d painted the interior gallery walls.Phosphorescent rays, seals, whale sharks, and the like would swim around the room.High on one wall, I’d paint the underside of a deck with three little raccoon noses looking over the edge as an octopus danced in the current below.
The nursery at home would be a combination of the two.I’d paint a forested cliff on the window half of the room, with crashing waves at the bottom of the cliff.The water line would be at about four feet from the floor, with a teeming underwater scene below and sailboats and sunshine above.
A knock sounded at the door and Frank ducked his head in.“Hey, Arwyn?There’s a man out here who wants to talk to you.We’ve closed down, but he said he doesn’t want to buy anything, just talk to you.Mom’s here.Do you want us to stay?”
I closed my sketchbook.“No.I’m sorry.I didn’t realize it was so late.This is what happens when I get involved in a project.Did Hester leave?”
He nodded.“Yeah; it’s been quiet the last hour or so.She closed up and went home.Carter said he’d stick around with you.”
“Okay.You and your sister take off.”I walked out with him, my sketchbook under my arm.I waved at Elizabeth.“You all have a good evening.I’ll see you tomorrow.”
A polished-looking man in a light blue button-down and khakis waited near the front door with Carter.He had a thick beard, glasses, and was wearing a weathered ball cap that matched his shirt.
Putting on my professional artist persona, I walked across the gallery.“Hello.I was told you wanted to speak with me?”
“Yes.”He had a charming smile that didn’t reach his eyes.“First, allow me to say, you’re incredibly talented.Your work is, well, genius.”He rubbed his forehead.“Sorry; I’m gushing and it’s embarrassing.Let me explain.I was hoping I could hire you to paint my wife’s portrait for our anniversary.I’d be willing to pay top dollar.”
Carter rolled his eyes behind the man’s back.
“Arthur?You can head home now.”
Carter tensed at my calling him by his brother’s name.Hopefully, he understood and would call Osso.
“We’ll be talking business now,” I told him.
Glaring at the back of the grinning man’s head, Carter said, “Okay.Good night.”He went out the front door and the man’s smile went up a notch.
“I hope this means you’re saying yes to the commission.”His eyes ran over me, as though trying to decide how easy I’d be to overpower.
