I turned around. Vanessa smiled at us from a chair against the back wall.
“These are yours?” I was dumbfounded.
“Pretty cool, huh?”
“I’ve heard the story a million times, but now I really see it.”
Vanessa’s smile broadened until she turned to answer a question from someone else who was interested in her work.
“Thank you,” Dani said in a low voice. “She’s so talented but doesn’t have much confidence because she’s self-taught. When she got accepted, she didn’t think her stuff was that good. She said they probably accept all Sierra Rose Ridge residents.”
I snorted my thoughts, and Dani snickered.
“When she found out her photos were going to be showcased in the gallery, she thought it was a mistake. I was with her when she saw the display for the first time, and she cried. She agonized over the arrangement for her submission, and it was still a shock to see Rosa and Sam’s story come to life that way.”
“I’ve never felt anything like that when looking at a photo before.”
Dani bumped me with her hip. She’d been doing that a lot lately.
“Do you like it?”
“I’m not sure, but I’m glad I came.”
That was the right answer. Dani’s eyes sparkled, and I would have followed her to the end of the world.
“Come on.” She grabbed me by the arm again. “Let’s tour the rest of the gallery, and then we’ll check out the Rosa Delgado Memorial Exhibit.”
There were other good photos in the gallery, but nothing compared to Vanessa’s display.
Dani floated along, reinvigorated by the energy of the arts-loving crowd and atmosphere. She was in her element.
I looked forward to closing myself in my room and falling into a book to restore my equilibrium. Dani was pretty much the only person who didn’t drain me. Left to my own devices, I’d have gone home already and missed Vanessa’s exhibit, which would have been a serious loss.
She hugged my arm, and warmth flooded my system. I’d do anything to keep that smile on her face.
Chapter 21
JAKE
Twenty minutes later, I held her as she sobbed.
“It’s so sad. They never got to be together.”
I exchanged a bemused glance with one of the volunteers at the Rosa Delgado Memorial Art Exhibition. The art installation was set up in a series of canopy tents with different art mediums grouped together, all inspired by our town legend.
The whole thing was impressive, but the oil paintings pushed Dani over the edge. She’d locked herself away from art so long, and now all these pent-up emotions clamored to break free.
“Next year, Vanessa’s photos will be part of this collection, I bet,” I said.
She looked up at me, her lashes spiked with tears.
“You really think so?” she sniffed.
“If a dumb grump like me felt something from them, they’re good.”
“You’re not dumb.” She frowned at me.
“I notice you didn’t say I wasn’t a grump.”
