“What’s this supposed to be?”
“Your share of the profits,” she said. “And last night’s customers promised to tell all their friends and neighbors to buy their trees from us.”
Kerry sold two more Christmas trees in the early afternoon. When business slowed again, she went back to working on her drawings of the forest that Austin had conjured. She’d finished drawing oval borders around the sketches, each a little different, with twining vines, pinecones, and butterflies, and had begun lettering the text on the pages when Heinz seemingly materialized from thin air.
He stood over the worktable, examining her work. “This is coming along quite nicely.”
“Austin spent the day with me yesterday, and of course he wanted to work on his story,” she said.
Heinz pointed at the drawing of the gateway to the forest. “Ahh. This looks very magical.”
“I’m so glad you see that. He wanted his own private forest, inhabited with all kinds of creatures.”
He stabbed the border she’d just drawn. “The oval motif is a nice touch. Fanciful. And your calligraphy is excellent. Did you learn this in art school?”
“No. I taught myself by watching YouTube videos. It was how I earned spending money when I was in school, addressing wedding invitations and place cards.”
He nodded. “What happens next in this story of yours?”
“I’m not quite sure. Austin will think of something.”
Heinz shook his head. “What an imagination that child has.”
“He’s very smart. And sweet. He was asking about you yesterday.”
Heinz looked away. “I’ve been attending to business.”
Kerry tilted her head. “Do you live in the neighborhood? I mean, I see you walking here most days.”
“In the vicinity,” he said. He picked up the sketchbook, abruptly changing the subject, and began leafing through the pages.
“Ahhhh. These dogs. What personality you’ve given them!”
“I do enjoy drawing dogs,” she admitted. “There’s something about the openness, their vibrant personalities.” She turned to see Gretchen approaching.
“I must be going,” he said, nodding in her direction. “That one thinks that I am the bogeyman.”
If Gretchen saw the older man chatting with Kerry, she didn’t mention it. She walked quickly, with purpose.
“Kerry, Austin told me how much he enjoyed yesterday, and I can’t thank you enough.” She paused. “Pat seems to think it was wildly inappropriate of me to even ask you.”
Gretchen shook her head to indicate that she disagreed with her ex. “Be that as it may, I got you this.” She thrust an envelope into Kerry’s hand, then turned and hurried away.
“Wait,” Kerry called. “That’s not…”
Kerry looked down at the envelope, shrugged, and slit it open with her thumbnail. When a two-hundred-dollar American Express gift card slid out, she was speechless.
“This is too much,” she murmured.
chapter 25
Two days later, Kerry stood outside the window of a nearby boutique, gazing at the racks of designer clothes inside.
“Nothing in here for me,” she told herself. But it was in the neighborhood, and she promised Vic that she’d be back to the tree stand within half an hour.
Her mission this morning was simple: to buy something suitable for tonight’s “casual” dinner date with Patrick—and Austin.
But this shop? The scalloped dark-green-and-white-striped awning over the storefront, the creamy brick façade and dark-green-painted trim, not to mention the subtle lighting and understated elegance of the display window—all of it screamed money.
