by Jenny Rabe
“Can I at least tell you the whole story?”
Brian scoffed. “Is there much to tell? You met a woman somewhere, you liked her, she found out about me, and now she thinks she has the next best angle.”
Rob opened his mouth, then closed it. He had the decency to look sorry. “I swear I didn’t go out seeking someone who would do this to you. I had no idea what kind of writer she was. We barely even know each other.”
Brian shook his head and started walking away. “They’re all the same.”
When Brian wasn’t on the field, he was in the gallery instructing construction crews. He had enough money that they worked quickly, repairing beams, repainting walls, building in new sections. He could only guess what Cambria would want, but hopefully it would be a start.
Finally, when a grief meeting came up the next Tuesday, Brian decided if Cambria didn’t show, he would stand outside her door and knock until she opened to him.
But he didn’t have to worry. Cambria was already seated by the time he made it there. Her hair was in her typical mess of a ponytail and instead of changing after work, she wore her painting clothes, her hands stained with blue and green paint. Beautiful as ever.
The seats on either side of her were already taken, and he cursed himself for being late. The painting crew had barely left the studio, and he had sped the whole way.
She greeted him with a slow smile, and he gave a tentative wave in return, releasing a breath he’d been holding. At least she seemed happy to see him. Sitting through the meeting was torture. It dragged on and on, and tonight everyone reported on their final service projects. Brian was excited to hear that Chris and Sally seemed to be doing much better. In fact, they had adopted a cat and were trying for a baby again.
Jim and Arthur enjoyed cutting hair so much at the nursing home that Jim had taken a permanent volunteer position. Brian wondered if the graffiti project was the reason behind so much of his own healing. Or if it had been the company of Cambria.
When it was their turn to share, Cambria met his gaze. “Do you mind if I share?”
He shook his head, a little surprised, but eager to hear her speak. He had missed her so much, and even the sound of her voice sent a feeling of calm over him.
“Brian and I worked on covering up some of the graffiti in town.” Brian smiled as she said his name. “We were successful in power washing two of the sites and painted over two of the bigger walls.”
“That’s great,” Jancy said. “Well done.”
In a minute or less, she had summed up their entire project. No emotion. No fun stories of throwing paint on each other. Just the facts. Brian expected her to be done speaking then, but she continued.
“But I realized last week that that was not enough.” She stopped and met Brian’s eyes again. “I was feeling really down after a good friend took me out last week.”
Brian’s heart dropped. Friends? Is that what she considered them to be?
“The day after, I went to one of the bigger sites and saw that more graffiti had been drawn on the wall.”
Brian raised his eyebrows. This was news to him.
“At first I was really upset. After all the hard work we’d done together, in a few minutes it had been undone.” She gave Brian a meaningful smile. “Then I realized if we didn’t put something beautiful there in its place, it was left vulnerable, ready for anyone to deface it. This week, I’ve spent every moment at the four walls, painting beautiful murals of the town.”
Brian’s jaw dropped. She hadn’t holed herself up at all. While he’d been pining for her, she’d been getting out and doing some good.
“I finished the last one today. That’s why I look like this. I mean, I usually have the underside of my nails painted, but my clothes . . . I had no time to change so I—”
“You look amazing,” Brian said, interrupting. Murmurs of agreement from the others sounded in the room. Grinning, he winked at her.
She blushed and looked at the floor. “Thanks, you guys.”
Brian’s heart swelled. Who cared if she never returned his feelings? Okay, that wasn’t entirely true. It would hurt if she never returned his feelings, but if she only needed a friend right now, he would take it. He just wanted her in his life again. Stalker or no stalker, he would make a relationship work.
“I also realized something about myself,” Cambria said after everyone quieted.
Brian perked up, wanting more than anything to know.
“Saying goodbye to my husband was the hardest thing life has thrown my way, but it has opened doors I never expected.” Her voice broke a little, but after a deep breath, she continued. “I’ll always miss him. He’s been a part of my life for so long, I didn’t know how to live without him. But this same friend also showed me that being happy is what Shawn would want for me. He may have struggled the last few months of his life, but I know he would never wish for me to spend the rest of my life mourning his death. And like the walls I’ve been painting, my own life is empty and vulnerable to all the harshness of life, unless I fill it with something beautiful.”
She turned to Brian then, sending a shiver down his spine. The thought of her thinking of him as she painted each wall made every moment away from her worth it.
Jancy nodded. “That was beautiful, Cambria. Thank you for sharing.”
Brian’s eyes didn’t leave her until the meeting ended a few minutes later. After Jancy gave her concluding thoughts, he jumped to his feet, almost running to Cambria from across the circle.
“Can we talk?”
She nodded, and after a few obligatory but brief goodbyes to other members of the group, he gestured for them to leave. Without a word, she followed him. The night heat pressed down on them as he led her outside. She reached for his hand on their way to the parking lot, sending an electrical charge up his arm.
He stopped in the middle of the parking lot, pulling her into a tight embrace. He held her head against his chest, relishing the smell of her, the feel of her arms holding him tightly against her.
She finally backed away and pointed to her car. “The mechanic fixed it up nice. It looks better midnight blue.”
Brian whistled as he walked around to the driver’s seat. “Wow, they did a great job. I don’t even recognize it.” He squeezed her hand, not believing things were finally falling back into place. “I’ve missed you. I thought you’d never want to see me again.”
She leaned against the car door and searched his eyes. “I didn’t. I mean, I wanted to, but I was still angry.”
Brian’s heart stilled. “At me?”
“Not at you at all. You are . . . everything to me.” She pressed up on her tiptoes to kiss him once. He stepped closer, filling the gap between them. He kissed her again, running his fingers through her hair as he drew her into him. Everything about her, her smell, the taste of her lips, the feel of her body against his, was perfect.
When they finally broke apart, she nuzzled against him. “I really missed kissing you.” He held her closer as his body shook with laughter. “What? You can’t tell me you didn’t miss it too?”
“No, I did.” Brian looked up at the darkening sky. A raindrop splashed against his cheek, and he held a hand to the wetness. “Do you have plans tonight? I wanted to see your artwork, and then I was hoping to show you a surprise I’ve been working on.”
Cambria’s eyes lit up in surprise. “A surprise? What is it?”
Brian nodded and reached behind her to open the car door. “You’ll have to wait and see.”
Chapter Twenty Seven
Cambria
Excited energy flowed through Cambria as she drove the few miles home, Brian trailing behind her at a safe distance. It had taken all of her willpower not to answer the phone that week each time he called, but the distance confirmed how she really felt about Brian. She loved him. There was no doubt in her mind.
The first day after Brian had taken her to the museum, Cambria had stayed in bed, not answering her mom’s dozen ph
one calls or the many messages Brian sent her. Mrs. Walker’s advice sent her down one path of exploration, but it was doing the service project that had opened her mind completely.
She parked in the driveway, locked her car, and then jumped into the truck next to Brian, scooting as close to him as possible.
Brian chuckled and wrapped an arm around her. “Whoa, someone missed me.”
Cambria’s cheeks reddened. “Yeah, a little.”
Brian beamed down at her. “Well, that’s not so bad of a thing. Now, let’s go see what you’ve been working on before I show you my surprise. Glad to know you’re not all painted out.”
“Not even a little bit.”
“So where to first?” he asked, backing out of the driveway.
“How about the biggest wall? I’ve worked on that one the most.”
“You’ve got it.” He put his car in drive and started toward Main Street. As they drove the few miles, Cambria caught up Brian on her self-discoveries of the week, and he caught her up on baseball, avoiding the topic of what he’d been spending the bulk of his time on.
He pulled into the parking lot a minute later and gasped. “You even painted our uniforms. How did you do it so fast?”
Cambria smiled and looked at the wall-length baseball field, remembering her flurry of excitement. “You could say I was driven.”
“Man, you really are fast. And you painted the three other sites too?”
Cambria nodded. “Those were easy, though. Each day I worked on all of them, adding details here and there. Today, I just added final touches and then sealed it.”
Brian took out his camera and snapped a picture. “This is amazing. You’re really something.”
Cambria blushed again. “Okay, now your turn. We can see the other paintings another day. They’re just of the town square and a few murals of random touristy spots. What’s your surprise?”
Brian rubbed his hands together. “Your paintings were pretty awesome, but yeah, my surprise is even better. I just have to drop by the house real quick and pick something up.”
They were quiet as Brian drove to his house. But as soon as he pulled down his street, Cambria gasped. “These houses are huge. You don’t live around here, do you?”
“Um, well, remember how I told you I owned a company?”
Cambria nodded as she continued to stare at each house they passed. Her eyes grew wider and wider with each passing mansion.
“Well, it’s also a billion-dollar company that serves most of the United States.”
Cambria spluttered. “A billion? You’re a billionaire?”
He nodded and parked his car in a driveway. “Kind of.”
She stared straight ahead, studying every angle of his house. “Is that why the policemen seemed to know you?”
Brian froze. “Yeah, maybe. Though Davidson is a pretty common last name.”
“Brian Davidson.” She said it a few more times, rolling his name around in her mouth. “I’m guessing that’s why the newspapers are stalking you. Not many billionaires walk around in baseball suits and eat at casual steak restaurants.”
He wrapped his arms around her waist as she processed this new information. She pulled back to meet his eyes. “So is that why you helped me out with my business? Because you felt sorry for me?”
“Of course not,” he said. “I mean, I wanted to help, but I believe in your talent. You’re an amazing artist.”
She relaxed a little, shaking off the mounting fear inside. “You think so?”
Brian sighed and brought her back to him. “Yes. Of course.”
She bit her lip. “Sorry, I’ve just never liked a billionaire before.”
Brian gave a hearty laugh. “Well, we’re pretty awesome.” He pulled her in for a kiss, gentle and long.
After a minute, Cambria stepped back, her jaw dropping a bit. “I don’t know what’s more breathtaking. Your kisses or your house?”
Brian smirked. “My kisses of course.”
She pushed at his shoulder, then he led her up the walkway. Great white columns held up the wide porch; he had immaculate grounds and balconies on all three floors.
As he opened the door, Sunny came bounding toward them, May hurrying after him.
“Hey, boy,” he said, rubbing the length of Sunny’s belly. “Remember Cambria?”
The dog licked her in response, and her laughter filled the space of his house.
“You’re back just in time. You need to feed this dog,” May said, giving him a sideways glance. Then she turned to Cambria. “And it’s great to see you again. I hope your house is still immaculate.”
“Er…”
May and Brian laughed as Cambria’s face filled with heat.
“I’m just kidding,” May said patting her shoulder. “I’ll leave you two alone. I’ll be upstairs.”
“Your house is amazing,” Cambria whispered when May had gone upstairs and he walked her around the bottom-floor rooms. “You even clean up after yourself.” She ran a hand along the smooth granite countertops that lined the kitchen.
“Housekeeper,” he reminded her. “I have a housekeeper.”
Sunny barked loudly at them.
“Aw, what’s wrong, buddy?” Cambria asked, rubbing the dog’s ears.
Brian patted the dog’s back. “He’s a little mad at me. I’ve been gone long hours all week.”
Cambria lifted an eye. “Would that have anything to do with my surprise?”
Brian smirked. “Maybe.” He walked into the kitchen, then came out jangling his keys. “I have to go to the bathroom real quick. Will you get a scoop of food for Sunny? It’s in the garage in a huge bucket.”
“Sure thing.”
Cambria walked into his wide garage. It was immaculate, everything in its proper order. She saw the bucket right away, grabbed a scoop of dog food, and lowered it into Sunny’s dish. “There you go. Poor Brian hasn’t been paying you any attention. I’ll have to come back tomorrow just for you.”
The dog wagged its tail and dug in like he hadn’t eaten in days.
Cambria giggled, picked up the scoop, and went to drop it in the bucket. When she put the lid back on, she knocked a box over that had been leaning on the side of the garage. She leaned over and picked it up, but before she could put it back, saw her own address penned on the box. Her heart thumped inside her as she pulled out the painting she’d so carefully wrapped and shipped.
It was of the baseball player, the painting she had loved best. Was that his surprise, that he had bought her favorite painting? She put it back in the box and leaned it against the wall again. But then she saw another box and another.
She gasped, holding a hand to her mouth as she walked down the lines of boxes, counting each one. All twenty-four paintings were there, stacked against the wall. Her eyes blurred as she stared at the packages. The packages she had packed and addressed. Anger started in her chest and burned its way down her body, her temperature rising in a dangerous way. If he had bought her paintings, she hadn’t successfully sold anything.
She stormed through his house, slamming the front door behind her. The nerve of him. She froze when she realized her car wasn’t there. It was a few miles to her house, but she wasn’t stupid enough to walk home this late. There was plenty of crime in their small city.
She slumped in the passenger side of the truck, silently fuming. Her new confidence of being able to market her art had felt wonderful, like she could actually make it on her own again. But now, she was back to square one. He hadn’t helped her at all.
Brian came around to her side of the door and opened it. Cambria huffed and scooted away from him.
His eyebrows came together on his forehead. “You don’t want to see your sur—”
“Oh, I saw your surprise already. How could you buy all my paintings? I thought I was really successful and could make it on my own. Instead, you bought them all, and I’m no better off than I was.” The tears came fast. The money was long gone, but somehow she’d find
a way.
He grunted. “I don’t want your money. And you ruined my surprise. I bought them for a reason.”
She rolled her eyes. “Just take me home. I’m not going anywhere with you.”
Brian threw his hands up in frustration. “Fine.” He went over to his side of the car, got in, and sped out of the driveway, rocks spinning and popping behind them.
Cambria hurried and buckled her seat belt. “Whoa, slow down.”
He glanced over, and his eyes softened. “I’m really sorry if I hurt you, but if you’ll just let me explain. It’s all part of a big surprise I have for you.”
She narrowed her eyes. “I don’t know how you could possibly make things better. You bought my entire inventory, and for what? To make me feel better? To keep me around? I know you’re a billionaire and all, but I’m not a charity case.”
Brian tightened his grip on the wheel as he turned down her street. “You’re not a charity case. I care about you.”
Cambria winced. In the last week, she discovered she loved him, and now what was she supposed to do? He pulled up behind her car, and she timed her exit perfectly. “Well, then maybe you shouldn’t have bought my affection.” Her newly repaired heart had been ripped open in less than five minutes.
“I want them all b-back. I’ll pay you every penny.”
He shook his head. “They’re already bought and paid for. I’m not giving them back.”
Indignation rose in Cambria, and she slammed the door with a loud slap.
Brian hopped out of the car and sighed. “Look, give me a chance to show you something. I did buy your paintings, but I did it for a good reason.”
“Yeah, I’m sure.” She marched up to her house, unlocking it in a hurry.
Brian yelled to her before she could shut the door. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”
Not if she could help it. “Don’t bother,” she said, slamming the door behind her.
Chapter Twenty Eight
Brian
At the end of practice the next day, Brian searched for Rob. An idea of how to present the art gallery to Cambria came to him as he stood at his new regular position, first base. If he wanted to make this right, he needed to make her surprise a grand gesture. Sadly, he would have to involve two people he really didn’t want back in his life.