Was it that obvious, or was Muriel just really perceptive? Maxi sighed. “We’re kind of going through a rough patch.”
Muriel patted her arm. “I think I know what you mean. You’re branching out, doing things for yourself for once. You said you hadn’t painted in decades because you set it aside to raise your family. Now you’re having you time, and it’s adding a different dynamic.”
“It’s not just that.” Maxi glanced at Chandler. She felt awkward talking about her personal problems to a stranger, but Muriel had a way of making one feel as if they’d been friends for ages. Maxi had a feeling that Muriel would understand exactly where she was coming from. “We were having trouble before. Our relationship was distant. That’s what prompted me to go my own way.” She didn’t want to tell her how she’d wrongfully suspected the cheating. It was embarrassing. “We’ve grown apart since the kids left.”
Muriel’s left brow quirked up. “Well, if you ask me, that’s not a man that wants to stay apart.”
“Really?” Maxi glanced in the direction James had taken, but he was gone. “Maybe it’s for the best. I’m afraid if we go back to our old ways, I’ll lose this new part of me. If I have to choose, I’m not sure if I would choose my old life or my new.”
Muriel gave her a funny look. “Who says you have to choose?”
Maxi frowned. “I don’t know. James never really encouraged me to do creative things before. Somehow, I feel like I have this one opportunity to live out my dreams, and I don’t want to waste it.”
Muriel shrugged and took a sip of wine. “I can certainly understand that, but maybe you can find a way to blend the old with the new and have it all.”
James’s mind whirred as he wandered through the crowd of tourists with their colorful summer shirts, flip-flops, and half-eaten ice cream cones. He didn’t know what he’d expected, but things hadn’t gone quite as James had planned at the Purple Blueberry.
Who was that guy—Chandler—sitting with Maxi? Okay, maybe he was reading too much into that. They had only been sitting at a table together, and it wasn’t just the two of them. Another woman had been there. For all James knew, the man and woman were a couple. Maybe they were all just friends. But the vibe the man was giving off wasn’t that of a friend. And the way he looked at Maxi told James the man’s intentions were more than just friendly.
He’d messed up. The whole plan was to join Maxi, loosen up, have a good time, and reconnect. But the presence of this Chandler guy had thrown him for a loop, and James had never been good at thinking on his feet. In fact, this whole misunderstanding had started because he couldn’t respond to Maxi’s question about how he’d ignored her downtown when he’d been trying to keep Picasso as a surprise.
What he should have done was sat right down at the table and joined in. Pretended to be at ease in Maxi’s artsy world. Had that really become her world so quickly? Would he ever fit in? Sally would probably say he never would if he didn’t try. And now he’d screwed up trying.
Maxi had invited him to join them, which probably meant that Chandler was just a friend. If James could only have thought that through faster, he would have sat down. Right now he could be drinking wine with Maxi. Instead he was walking down the street alone, and she was sitting back at the Purple Blueberry with Chandler. It was too late to go back now. He’d already said he was just passing by. Too late to fix what he should have done.
Should have, would have, could have. Hopefully he hadn’t blown his chances.
Chapter Sixteen
The next morning, James got a call from Jane.
“How did it go at the Purple Blueberry?” Jane’s tone was one of curious optimism.
“She was with a guy.” James walked through the bedroom, looking on the bed for Picasso. The cat hadn’t eaten his breakfast, and James hadn’t seen him this morning. He was starting to get worried.
“A guy? What do you mean? I know for a fact Maxi doesn’t have a boyfriend,” Jane said.
James felt a pang of guilt at suspecting she did. “I know, but it threw me. She was at a table with this guy, Chandler, and a woman named Muriel.”
Jane sighed. “Chandler is the art gallery guy. They were probably talking business.”
“She did invite me to stay, but I got all flustered about the guy. I didn’t stay.” James opened the closet and looked inside. No cat. “Guess I messed up.”
“No. You just missed an opportunity to spend time with her and reconnect. Don’t worry. There will be others. In fact, I have a great idea on how you and Maxi can spend a lot of time together.”
“You do?”
“Yes. We have a table for friends at the wedding on Saturday, and you’re invited.”
“I am? I don’t even know the bride and groom.” James peeked into his office. Picasso had taken to pushing his books off the bookshelf and lying in the empty space, but the cat wasn’t there.
“You don’t need to. All you need is Maxi and a romantic setting.”
James felt nervous. What if Maxi didn’t want him there? What if he messed up again? “I don’t know. What if she brings that guy?”
“Don’t worry. She won’t. She’s not interested in him. She loves you and wants you back, but she also wants to still be able to continue with her creative endeavors. You want her to do that, don’t you?”
“Yes, of course.” James was kicking himself for not nurturing Maxi’s creative side sooner. Whatever she wanted, he was good with it as long as she was happy.
“And you’re going to the gallery opening, right? Her work will be in there.”
“Should I?” James peeked into the bathroom, pulling the shower curtain aside. No Picasso.
Jane sighed. Probably at his cluelessness. Maxi had been the only woman he’d seriously dated, and apparently, in addition to lessons on how to dress, he needed lessons on how to win a woman over. Maybe he should consult with Sally.
“Yes, you should go. It will be a perfect way to show Maxi that you support her new life,” Jane said.
“Okay, I’ll be there.”
“Great, see you then. And don’t worry. Maxi will come around, and you guys will be back together and stronger than ever.”
Jane hung up, and James stared at the phone. He hoped she was right.
A gagging sound had him racing to the bedroom. It was coming from the bed. The cat wasn’t on top of the bed, but...
“Picasso?” James peered under the bed skirt, and his heart sank.
Picasso was crouched down like a rabbit, his eyes mere slits. He reminded James of the way the kids looked when they had the flu.
“Are you okay, little buddy?” James lay on the floor and reached in for the cat. Picasso did not resist, a sure sign that something was dreadfully wrong.
James pulled him into his lap and leaned his back against the bed, trying to comfort the cat, but Picasso wanted none of it. He tried to slink away but only made it a few feet before he started the most ungodly heaving and choking noises James had ever heard.
Oh no! What was happening? Should he call the vet?
Picasso stopped choking and glared at James. James’s heart twisted. He’d become incredibly attached to the cat in the few days he’d been here. If something happened to him, he didn’t know what he would do. He needed to call the vet, but in the meantime, he racked his brain for something he could do to ease the poor thing's suffering.
The cashmere sweater vest!
James leapt up, grabbed the vest out of the drawer, then made a little nest on the floor for Picasso, who was starting with the heaving again. The cat eyed the vest, hobbled over to the middle, his stomach lurching, and then...
Gak!
Picasso’s mouth opened wide, and out came an impossibly large tube of compacted hair. A hairball?
It landed on the white trim of James’s sweater vest, staining it cat-food yellow.
Picasso shook his head then sat on his haunches and proceeded to groom himself. He’d apparently recovered from the ordeal quickly. James’s sweater, o
n the other hand, had not.
James got a paper towel and disposed of the disgusting hairball. When he came back, Picasso was fast asleep, curled up in the middle of the sweater-vest nest. James couldn't help but smile. The sweater might be ruined, but Picasso was okay.
Jane hung up and looked around the foyer at Tides. She’d done her good deed for the day in calling James. Cooper thought so, too, judging by the way he was looking up at her approvingly.
“Don’t worry, boy. They’ll find their way back to each other.”
Woof!
Jane took a deep breath and looked around the lobby. She needed to focus on getting this place in perfect order for the wedding. Her mother had always said that making a good first impression was important.
“Maybe I should put out some coffee and pastries for when people check in. Brenda will be happy to make something special, and I can hit up Claire for some treats from Sandcastles.”
Cooper trotted over to the narrow mahogany sideboard against the stairway wall. Jane had always loved that piece with its richly carved grapes and white marble top. “You’re right, that’s a perfect spot.”
She cleared her grandmother’s flow blue china plates, which stood in little easels, off the top of the sideboard and put them carefully in the glass-front china cabinet in the dining room. Cooper trotted around behind her, watching patiently, then followed her back out into the lobby.
“Now what? Flowers? Maybe if we place some of Nona’s vases around with flowers from the garden...” Jane went to the window beside the door and looked out at the garden. Andie had done an amazing job with it in the few weeks she’d been here, and it was thick with colorful flowers. The hummingbird feeders Andie had pulled out of storage sat filled with red liquid, and iridescent green birds zoomed around them.
Andie herself was at the arbor, probably trying to figure out how to get the pink roses the bride had requested. “Let’s go out and talk to Andie about the flower vases, and we can get an update on the arbor while we’re at it.”
Cooper didn’t have to be told twice about an opportunity to go outside. He was already at the door before Jane even finished the sentence.
Andie trimmed a few dead leaves from the rosebush at the base of the arbor and eyed the hanging baskets loaded with miniature roses. If she could place those in strategic spots then weave in some fresh-cut roses the day of the wedding, the arbor would look fantastic. She just needed someone to make some adjustments to the arbor so she could hang and weave.
Woof!
Cooper bounded over, and Andie knelt to pet him.
“Those are pretty.” Jane gestured to the hanging baskets. “I bet this will look great when you’re done.”
Andie stood. “Let’s hope. I need some adjustments to the arbor, though. Did you talk to anyone about doing that?”
“Sally is going to take care of that today,” Jane said.
“Oh great.” Hadn't Jane said that Shane was going to do that? Andie wasn’t exactly disappointed—Sally would do a good job—but she had to admit she was kind of hoping for Shane. Oh well, she had more important things to think about right now. “How are the centerpieces coming along?”
“Great! Maxi finished painting the candles for us and is bringing them over tomorrow morning. She’s focusing on finishing her painting for the gallery opening today.” Jane fingered a delicate petal of one of the roses that climbed up the arbor. “You are going to the opening, right?”
“Of course, I wouldn’t miss it.”
“You can come with Mike and me if you want.”
“Thanks, I’d like that.” It felt good to be included, and it was nice of Jane to think of her. “How are things going with Maxi and James?”
Jane sighed. “Not easy. He seems to be worried that Chandler has designs on Maxi.”
“Chandler? I doubt that. He usually goes for ditzy blondes.” Andie thought for a minute. “But he did seem really interested in Maxi. I figured it was just because of the sketch he saw, but maybe not? She is attractive. You don’t think she’s interested in him, do you?”
“No, definitely not. She loves James.” Jane’s phone pinged, and she pulled it out of her pocket, her face lighting up. “It’s Mike. He wants me to go look at condos with him. Says he needs a second opinion.”
“Sounds serious.” Andie wiggled her brows.
Jane blushed. “I’m not moving in with him, if that’s what you mean.”
“Why not? You guys make a great couple.”
Jane’s smile faded, and she gazed out at the ocean. “Well, you never know. I guess for now it doesn’t hurt to approve of his condo. Besides, it’s fun to look at places. Can we get together when I get back to go over more plans for the wedding?”
“Of course. I’ll be here.” Andie watched her sister walk away. Things were getting a bit complicated in Lobster Bay. Maxi and James’s relationship could have a wrinkle if Chandler was in the mix, and why did Jane suddenly seem concerned about her relationship with Mike? Andie shook her head and went back to her work. Hopefully everything would work out fine for everyone.
Chapter Seventeen
Mike liked the condo at Boulder Hills. It was an end unit with two bedrooms and a large deck in the back. The yard was private, too, fenced off from the abutting unit with a tall fence. It didn’t have a water view, but those condos were out of his price range.
“I thought you might like the kitchen island and the window over the sink looking out at the woods.” Mike pointed the features out to Jane. Sure, he liked them, too, but he really wanted to be sure it was a place where she could see herself spending a lot of time.
“Those are good features. But do you like them?”
“Yep. Very nice.” Mike also liked the simple clean lines of the place. They sort of reminded him of Jane. The condo suited her personality—not pretentious or frilly.
“Are you going to take up cooking?” Jane teased. It was well-known that Mike could barely pour cereal. That was why he’d bartered with Jane for breakfast at Tides every morning in return for creating the website for the inn. Well, one of the reasons. The other was to see Jane, of course.
“I was thinking maybe you’d come over and cook.”
Jane frowned. “Maybe you should see if the kitchen suits Brenda. She’s better at it than I am.”
“Well, I hope she likes it, because I think I like this one the best,” Mike said. They’d looked at three condos already, and he did like this one but wanted to pick the one Jane liked.
Jane turned to the realtor. “Do they allow dogs?”
“Yes, one dog per unit. I saw the golden in your car. Is it yours?” she asked Mike.
“No, he’s Jane’s, but he will be visiting a lot.” Mike glanced at Jane. “Hopefully.”
Mike didn’t regret his decision to let Jane adopt Cooper. Cooper and Jane had bonded, and she brought Cooper to see Gramps often. Plus, if things worked out the way Mike wanted, he’d be seeing Cooper almost as much as if he did live here. And maybe eventually...
His phone vibrated, and he pulled it out of his pocket and turned it off without looking. Truth be told, he was afraid to look. Tiffany had texted him a few times about meeting up, since she was in town for the art gallery opening. Hopefully she would get the message that he didn’t want to get together at all.
Jane glanced at his phone, a frown creasing her brow. “We’re still going to the gallery opening tomorrow night, right?”
How odd she would mention that when it was the very thing Mike was worrying about. How would Tiffany react when she saw Mike with Jane? Would she cause a scene? Maybe Mike was making too much of this. Tiffany was probably over him and just wanted to say hi.
“Of course. I wouldn’t miss it.”
“Good. I invited Andie to go with us. You don’t mind, do you?”
“Not at all. Whatever you want is good for me.”
“Great.” Jane took another turn around the condo. “You know, I think this one is my favorite too.”
Stepping away, she glanced toward the ocean and took a deep breath of sea air to quell her nerves. Even though she had done her best work, she was still nervous about the gallery opening. Would people like her work? How would it stack up against the other artists on display?
“What do you think, Rembrandt?” She put the cat down and watched as he walked the perimeter of the patio. He was crouched low, moving slowly. She didn’t let him outside very much and only under strict supervision, so his little kitten eyes were wide with delight. Maybe if she and James got their own place, she would make some kind of fence or enclosure so Rembrandt could go outside and still be safe.
She and James? What would their life be like going forward? Did they even have a future, or had Maxi ruined it?
She’d been shocked to see him at the Purple Blueberry, but why didn’t he stay? She didn’t buy his story that he was on his way somewhere else and saw her so stopped in.
He’d looked good in more casual attire. Maxi suspected that Jane and Claire had had something to do with that. Had they been coaching him? She wouldn’t have a chance to ask them today. She had to finish the painting and wasn’t allowing herself to do anything else until she did.
The thought of James going to all that effort for her warmed her heart. Should she call him? No, that would be a distraction from her task of painting. And besides, she was a little nervous now because he’d left so abruptly. Maybe he’d decided that hanging out with the artsy crowd and frequenting places like the Purple Blueberry really wasn’t his thing. If that were the case, did that mean they couldn’t be together? Maxi didn’t want to give up her new life, but she also didn’t want to give up James.
Mew!
Rembrandt was sitting at the slider, looking inside. He probably wanted to graze at his food bowl. She’d never seen a cat eat so much!
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