The moment he saw Amaryllis, his heart felt like it had come home. Her laughter brightened his day and he couldn’t resist smiling. He often found himself making excuses to talk to her at the inn. He made up questions about work, or asked about movies and books. He offered to cook for her almost every night, just to spend time with her.
They sipped cider and ate donuts as they wandered into the market which was housed in a series of interconnected tents. He’d booked a stall near the rear of the tent as some of his pieces were larger and if they sold, it would be easier to remove them through the back exit. He took her the long way around, carefully avoiding his booth.
“Do you have any hobbies?” he asked between vendors. “I mean besides sewing. You do still sew, don’t you?”
“I do sew a lot of my own clothing, and I knit a bit. Not much. I’m pretty slow and you know, work.” There was something akin to regret in her voice.
“I’d like to see something you’ve made.” He wasn’t just saying it either. He wanted to know more about her. He wanted to know everything about her.
“I made this hat and these mitts,” she said proudly, waving toward her striped beanie. “Oh, and the scarf too.” Her scarf was a plaid pattern in the same purple, white, and blue of the hat and gloves. It was a weird color combination, but it came together attractively.
“Nice. They’re lovely.” He’d have guessed the trio was purchased. “You’ve got some skills.”
“Now, I want to see your booth. I want to see what you do. No more dragging me up and down aisles. Take me to your metal. I know you’re delaying me on purpose.”
She hit the nail on the head there. Though he was proud of his work, he was a bit reluctant to show her. He’d had a few dates and had shown them his workspace. Several had been disinterested, and in one case rather rude. He’d only dated the woman who called his work a childish waste of time twice, and never after her rude comments.
It was important for couples to support each other’s hobbies. For Owen, this was more than a hobby; it brought in enough money that he didn’t have to work if he didn’t want to. Amaryllis’s positive reaction to his ornament holder gave him hope that she’d support his creative side, but there was still that element of doubt. It was almost as if he was putting part of his soul on display because a small piece of himself went into each one.
He grabbed her hand and led her to his booth. “Hi, Glover. How’s your mom?”
The teen smiled. “She’d great. Super stoked that you got her the job at the hardware store. She says thanks. You’re doing great today. I’ve already sold seven pieces, and I’ve got two phone numbers from people who want to talk about commissions. I didn’t know if you did that, but I said I’d pass on their information. Do you do that?” Glover’s face showed both his pride and his worry.
“I haven’t considered it before, but you did the right thing.” He clapped the boy on the shoulder. “G, this is my friend Amaryllis, she’s Ophelia’s niece.”
“Call me Rill.” She extended her hand. “Nice to meet you. Tell me about this big galoot’s work.” She jabbed her thumb toward Owen.
Glover snickered, though he was obviously trying not to. “Hi, Rill. Welcome to O.M. Designs. That’s short for Owen’s Metal Designs. Not a very original name, but I didn’t choose it. This is the work of Owen North. He’s a local artist who specializes in upcycled metal. He works primarily, but not exclusively, in scrap.”
Chapter Ten
Rill looked back andforth between Owen and Glover. The boy’s clothing was a little worn, but clean. The spiel was obviously rehearsed, but his enthusiasm was contagious. “Tell me about this artist.” She played along, pretending Owen wasn’t standing right beside her.
“As I said, he’s local. He buys scrap and uses found metal and upcycles it into shapes that come naturally from the raw product. He also designs pieces and cuts the metal to suit his vision rather than letting a piece of scrap inspire the design.”
“What’s the difference?” she asked, trying to ignore the fact that Owen looked extremely uncomfortable, as if he was worried about her reaction.
