Tabitha was stuffed already, and they’d only been at the gala an hour. But each waiter that passed by holding a silver tray of Morgan’s delicious finger foods tempted her to sample just one more. Everything was topnotch, and that was just the culinary portion of the event.
The artwork. That was something else entirely.
“Did you have any idea our town was full of this much creative talent?” Tabitha lifted her wineglass toward the young woman pouring a white blend that paired with the current piece of artwork in front of them.
“I honestly had no clue,” Ben replied. He held out his own glass to be filled, too. “But it’s really wonderful.”
“It really is.” She cocked her head to take in the entirety of the massive canvas before her. It was so different from Cal’s work, with detailed, intricate brushstrokes that conveyed the likeness of the very beach located right outside the gala’s doors. “I love this one.”
“Then let’s bid on it.”
She yanked her head back to meet his eye. “Seriously?”
“I’ve been thinking you needed something on the wall behind your couch at the beach house. This would go perfectly there.”
She couldn’t disagree. The cool tones and muted hues were an exact match to the color motif in her home.
Before she could snag the pen for herself, Ben had it in his grip, jotting down a bid significantly higher than the one already on the sheet in order to guarantee his ownership of the lovely painting.
“You didn’t have to bid on it, Ben. I’m happy to purchase it for myself. I can afford it.”
“I know you can. Please, Tabs. Just let me spoil you.”
He sure had been. From the lobster tails to the strapless black gown she currently wore that he had insisted on buying for her, Ben had been showering her with gifts lately. She wasn’t used to that, not that she didn’t like being doted upon every once in a while.
“Well, thank you. I hope we get it. I really do love this particular piece of art.”
“Me too.” He gave her the sweetest lingering look. “And I really love you.”
“I love you, too,” she reciprocated with surprisingly little effort. Goodness, it felt good to tell him that openly.
Ben’s eyes suddenly pulled from hers, catching something over Tabitha’s left shoulder. “Hey. There’s Edie. Let’s go congratulate her on the gala’s success. I know she put so much time and energy into this event, not to mention all the refereeing she had to do with Cal and Josh. It would be good to let her know we appreciate that.”
Tabitha turned on her heel to see her best friend striding their way in the most beautiful green dress, one that made her look like a shimmering mermaid when matched with her fiery tresses all done up. Edie had been wrapped in one conversation after another all evening, and Tabitha wanted to grab her attention while she had the opportunity.
“Edie.” She clasped her friend’s hands within her own and pulled her close to plant a kiss on her cheek. “Everything is just perfect. I’ve even heard a few hopeful whispers that Artistry Uncorked should be an annual event.”
“Really? You think so?” Edie glanced between Ben and Tabitha, brow creased from uncertainty. “We’re low on the stuffed cream cheese mushroom caps and Josh says we’re out of vermentino already. And for the life of me, I cannot get Cal’s painting to hang straight. It looks cockeyed to me. Does it look cockeyed to you?”
The couple turned to look in the direction of Edie’s gaze. “No. It looks fine.” Tabitha angled back.
“I don’t know. Something feels off.”
Meeting her ex-husband’s eyes, Tabitha wordlessly communicated exactly what she needed to.
“You know what?” Ben took a single step back. “I’m going to go check on our bid. I see Christopher Larken from the title company hovering around the painting we have our eye on. He beat me at a charity poker event last year, and I’m not about to lose again to that guy.” His fingers affectionately grazed Tabitha’s hip. “I’ll meet up with you in a few.”
She nodded, then returned her attention to her friend. Something was amiss with Edie, and she figured it had nothing to do with the gala at all. These weren’t just “game-day” nerves, so to speak. “What’s really going on, Edie? Something’s bothering you.”
“Is it that obvious?” Edie frowned.
“Only to someone who’s known you as long as I have.”
“It’s nothing, really.”
“What’s nothing?” Camille appeared behind Edie, glass in hand, uneasy look on her face, too. It was as though the women had a radar for this sort of thing, the ability to sense when one in the bunch wasn’t feeling quite right.
“It’s Cal.” Edie paused, and neither Camille nor Tabitha filled in with assumptions of their own. Because Tabitha honestly wasn’t sure what was up with the men in Edie’s life at the present moment. She’d have to wait for Edie to tell her outright. “He invited me to go to Italy.”
