by Ciara Knight
She took a long cleansing breath, seeing the most recent atrocity in her mind’s eye. “It’s work. It’s fine.”
“Now who’s lying?”
She sighed. “Fine, I hate it. I hate it more than I can even express.”
“Actually, I think your work does a great job of expressing that. I saw that painting you were working on.”
“Yeah.” She noticed that the small dimple he had deepened when he smiled. Had it always been there? His brows also seemed darker, so dark they made his blue eyes pop even more. The man was definitely paint worthy, but she swore she’d never paint portraits again. Connecting with someone on that level was unimaginable, especially if she already knew what the end result would be.
“So, why are you painting them if you hate it so much?”
“I already told you, it’s work. Besides, now it’s my turn.”
He sighed. “Okay, shoot.”
“Why does my picture mean so much to you?”
He closed his eyes and took a long breath. “My advertising company is in trouble, and getting this contract would save it.” His eyes popped open. “I’m not trying to guilt you into taking the job…well, unless that would work.” He winked playfully. “I just don’t want my business to fail. I enjoy what I do, and working with artists is enjoyable. Most of the time.”
When was the last time she had fun at work? Sketching on the beach by herself was fun in its own way, but she couldn’t remember the last time she had fun with another person. The only memories that came to mind were the night Stephon announced that she was washed up and he wouldn’t sell her paintings anymore, and the night she found him in bed with another woman.
“Where’d you go?”
“Huh?” She blinked to find Josh staring at her with a confused look on his face. Fighting the sandy grit and tears that always came with the memory of her ex-fiancé’s betrayal, she scrubbed at her eyes. “Sorry. The wind…”
“Are you okay?” He reached over, but she backed away. “You have more sand about to go in your eye.”
She closed her eyes, and his thumb grazed the arch of her eyebrow then along her cheek. It left a trail of heat, scorching her skin more than midday sand on bare feet. She opened her eyes to find him close, too close.
“Someone did a number on you, didn’t they? Do you think he’s the reason you can’t work anymore?”
“Who said I can’t work anymore?”
He leaned back with a cool air about him. “If you could, you would’ve jumped on the chance for thirty-five thousand dollars.”
“Thought it was twenty-five.” She caught his eye twitch, the same gesture she had seen earlier when he had lied about his clothes, and knew it was his tell.
“After what I saw in there,” he pointed to her sketchbook, “I think it could be worth thirty-five. That is, if you can do it.”
A clap of thunder rolled in the distance, warning of the storm’s approach. She got up on her knees. “We best head back.”
He helped her stand, his soft hands on her elbow, his breath on her ear. She pulled away and fought the quickening of her pulse, but it won, deafening in her ears. No, not happening, she told herself. No man, however good looking or softhearted he might be, was going to trick her into believing in him again. Not now, not ever…not again.
Chapter Six
Josh knew he’d hit a button, but the question now was how hard should he push it. He reminded himself that he needed to stay focused on the project, not on the girl.
They reached the front porch of the cottage just as the skies opened into a torrential downpour. Lily opened the front door, and they hurried inside. Connie quickly hopped up from the kitchen table where she had been sitting with Allen. They both looked guilty of something.
“What’s going on?” Lilly asked first.
“Nothing,” Connie said, taking Lily’s art supplies from her hands to set them on the kitchen counter.
Josh pointed at Allen. “Lily, this is my business partner and friend, Allen Bolton. Allen, this is the artist, Lily Holt.”
Allen offered his hand, and Lily took it. “Nice to meet you. I see that what Josh said is true.”
“What’s that?” Lily asked, and Josh fought the rise of panic.
Allen gestured to the easel with that monstrosity of a painting on it. “That you’re a talented artist.”
Josh bit his tongue and leaned into Lily. “I assure you Allen is not the art connoisseur of our group.”
Connie giggled with a nervous twill then tugged Allen back to the kitchen table to sit down. “We were just talking about our favorite places in New York. Do you know that we both run in Central Park three days a week? Well, I used to run there before moving here. I’m Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Allen is Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday. I even used to run the same path. How crazy is that?”
Josh eyed Allen who looked away. The only time Allen ever ran was when there was a deal to chase. Josh had invited him to join his early morning runs numerous times, but Allen had always turned him down. He wouldn’t call Allen out on it now, though, but if Connie was anything like her sister, his partner had better be a darn good liar or confess quick. “Really?”
“I’m surprised you don’t like to run,” Connie said to Josh. “I thought all you high-strung types loved to run.”
Josh eyed Allen. What exactly had he been telling her? “It’s not that I don’t like to run, I just prefer running through the city.”
Lily opened the refrigerator and started pulling out lunch meat and bread. “That’s because you haven’t run on the beach at sunset or sunrise. It puts running Central Park to shame.”
Connie moved into the kitchen and started helping Lily make sandwiches. “What do you boys like? Ham? Turkey?”
“Ham sounds good.” Allen eagerly joined the women at the counter, no doubt thankful the topic of running had been sidelined.
“What about you?” Lily asked Josh. “I have lettuce and tomato if you’re vegan.”
“No, I’m not vegan.” Josh figured the girls would kick them out the moment he returned with Lily. Now, they were making them lunch?
Lily set out plates and put slices of bread on each. “Stop worrying. If it makes you feel better, you can take it as an apology for your sunburn. I’m not going to have you being washed away in a flood adding to my guilt.”
How did she always seem to know what he was thinking? Maybe she really was a unicorn. He shook his head. “Turkey for me.”
“So, did you two work out the details?” Connie asked. “Is Lily doing the artwork for your company?”
Before he could answer, Connie grunted as her sister’s elbow connected with her side. “We haven’t discussed it yet,” Lily replied. “Now butt out.”
“Fine, but whether you decide to take it on or not, you need to finish that house painting first. I promised the customer we’d have it to him at the end of the week.” Connie carried two plates to the table and sat down, Allen sitting beside her. The small kitchen table didn’t allow for a lot of room. Lily sat across from them, leaving one seat left. The one beside her.
Josh slid into it, careful not to bump the table. They were so close he could smell the soft fragrance of her hair and skin. Her name fit her perfectly. She smelled like fresh flowers, like lilies. He recognized the smell from his sister’s wedding last year. But Lily smelled better, lighter, more alluring.
“What do you want?” Lily asked.
Busted. Sheepishly, he fumbled with his sandwich. “Want? Um…”
“The artwork. You said you wanted parts of it changed. What did you think I was asking?” Lily bit into her sandwich.
He took a drink of water to stall for a second and regain his composure. “Same setting, same girl, but the guy needs to be different. He was off somehow.”
“What do you mean by off?” Connie asked.
Allen cleared his throat. “Well, the owner of the company we’re working on this advertisement for said the man looked…wrong, like h
e was keeping a secret. Since the theme needs to be romantic, having the guy looking like he’s keeping secrets from the girl kind of ruins it.”
“Perceptive owner,” Connie mumbled.
The table jolted and Connie bent over. “Ow.”
Lily took another bite. “Fine, different guy. Got it.”
They sat in silence for a few minutes, each of them focusing on their food. Josh had trouble concentrating on his sandwich with her leg up against his, and finally set it back on his plate.
“Oh, and the guy needs to look like he wants the girl as much as she wants him to want her,” Allen said.
Lily shot up from the table and dumped her half-eaten sandwich in the trash before heading for her easel. “Then I better get to work if I’m going to finish this on time.”
Josh wasn’t positive, but he guessed the guy in that drawing was someone Lily knew, and he’d hurt her. Yet why would a guy let such a beautiful, talented girl go without a fight, let alone hurt her? He tossed his own half-eaten sandwich into the trash. Now wasn’t the time to dig into that any further. He needed to stay focused on work. Besides, she was a grown-up. Who was he to try to help her through a tough time? “You could sketch a rough draft for us. We can take a look and go from there.”
“Fine,” Lily said without looking up from her painting.
Josh had an overwhelming urge to take the paint brush out of her hand and pull her into his arms and comfort her, but he shook it off and headed for the door. “Okay, I’ll be in touch. Allen.”
“I guess we’ll have to talk more about New York next time,” Allen said to Connie. “Hey, do you know of any decent places to eat around here? I love trying local cuisine.”
Connie cleared their plates while Lily continued painting and Josh remained with his hand on the doorknob. “Yes, there’s Zach’s Shack. It has great seafood. Oh, and if you want something more upscale, I recommend Ray’s on the Bay.”
“Great. I’ll check them out.” Allen finally made it to the door, but stopped again and Josh nearly growled in frustration. “You said Lily had to be done with the painting by the end of the week, right?” At Connie’s nod, he continued. “Then we’ll take you gals out to Ray’s on the Bay Friday night to celebrate.”
“Great,” Connie said with more enthusiasm than when she agreed to the sum of twenty-five thousand. “I love that place.”
Lily froze mid-stroke but didn’t say a word. Josh wrenched the door open and escaped into the fresh breeze, away from the smell of paint and perfume. The rain had slowed to a drizzle, but the humidity had kicked up a few notches, causing his clothes to instantly cling to his skin.
“See you, then,” Allen said as he followed Josh out.
They made it halfway to the car before Josh turned and slugged him on the shoulder. “What the heck were you thinking asking them out?”
Allen rubbed his shoulder as he walked ahead to the car and opened his door. “What? I thought you wanted this artwork done. You were going to blow it in there, so I was trying to lighten the mood.”
“Me? You’re the one who told her that guy didn’t want her.”
“What are you talking about?” Allen got in and shut the door.
Josh went around to the driver’s side and started the car. Then he sat for a moment, gripping the steering wheel with a strange sense of sorrow for Lily. “The guy in the sketch. It’s someone from her past and you basically just told her that it was obvious he didn’t want her.”
Chapter Seven
Dawn came before Lily felt like she’d even gone to sleep. The anxiety of trying to draw something that expressed just the right emotion had almost driven her to the nearest insane asylum. Groggily, she rose from bed, dressed and padded to the front door.
“Trying to sneak out? You didn’t even have your first cup of coffee yet.”
Lily sighed. “Don’t need coffee.”
“And I have a snowball fight in Hell later,” Connie teased.
“I wanted to get out and see if inspiration struck. You know I work better out in the morning air.”
“I also know you hope he’ll bring you coffee again.”
Lily turned to face her sister and the truth, sort of. “It’s my favorite coffee place.”
“Yeah, that’s it. Admit it, you find him cute.”
Lily huffed and set her art supplies on the table. “Me? What about you? You were practically throwing yourself at Allen. I love that place,” she mimicked her sister’s words. “You two were so cozy it was embarrassing. Oh, and since when do you run in Central Park three days a week? Your idea of breaking a sweat is stepping outside.”
“So I embellished a little.” Connie waved her hand dismissively and headed for the kitchen. “I’ll admit I think Allen is cute if you admit you think the same thing about Josh.”
“What are we, twelve?” Lily pulled her hair away from her face and tied it back with a hair band. “Fine, I admit it. He’s attractive, but he’s all business and serious and—”
“Too much like Steven? Ever think it’s time to let that go?” Connie grabbed both of Lily’s hands and guided her into the living room to sit next to her on the loveseat. “Listen, I know that creep scarred you deeply, but you deserve your happily-ever-after. It’s not your fault he cheated on you. And you can’t spend the rest of your life being scared the next guy will do the same thing. It’s not that you’re scared of trying. You’ve never been scared of anything in your life. That creep just made you think you couldn’t do it without him. But if you remember, you were already a respected artist before he got a hold of you and sold you to the highest bidder.”
Lily’s hands shook. She didn’t want to think about it, but after almost two years she still couldn’t create anything worth selling in her own gallery. “He was my teacher. A world-renowned instructor. If he says I’m terrible, I’m terrible.”
“No, he said that because he didn’t want you competing with his new woman who doesn’t have even half of your talent.” Connie rubbed her arms. “Have you seen her stuff? She’s terrible compared to most of the artists out there, yet she’s selling. Then there’s you. You’re amazing, but you let him get inside your head. I wish you could believe in yourself the way I believe in you.”
“That doesn’t count. You’re my sister. It’s your job to tell me I’m good.” Lily fought the trembling in her soul. The one that longed to create and to mold material into what she saw, but her confidence had been shattered. “You really want me to do this, don’t you? That job for Josh and Allen is that important to you?”
“Yes, it’s that important to me, but I want you to do it for yourself. Not only so you can snap out of this funk you’re in and believe in yourself again, but also so you can take that twenty-five thousand and set up your own art gallery back in New York.”
“Thirty thousand.”
“What?” Connie’s eyes went puffer-fish big.
“It’s gone up to thirty thousand.” Lily sighed. “I do owe it to you. You went into hibernation with me when you wanted to remain in New York. I guess I can try to get you back there.”
“Girl, it’s not just about that. I love you. I want you to be happy, and I know you don’t just want to sketch, you need to. It’s who you are. Besides, I saw those eyes in your sketchbook. Wow.”
“Wow is right. No one believes in privacy anymore.”
Connie squeezed her hands. “Listen, I did some checking. I wouldn’t encourage you to consider this job or Josh at all if I didn’t think he could be good for you. It’s less about the art and more about your heart.”
“Maybe you should write their slogans,” Lily teased.
Connie rolled her eyes. “Very funny. So, you want to know what I found?”
Lily shook her head even as her head screamed yes. “No. Why would I care? At most, all he’ll ever be is a one-time business transaction. I’ll do this one job, then we never have to see each other again.”
“Ouch. But despite what you say those eyes were his,
and we both know that is the first expression of the soul you’ve done in two years. Especially of a man you think is cute.”
“I didn’t say he was cute.”
“Whatever.” Connie sighed. “Fine, I’ll tell you anyway. He’s a regular volunteer with Habitat for Humanity. He spends several weekends a month working in soup kitchens, and even volunteers to read to the elderly. You think a guy like that only thinks of himself?”
“How do you know all that?”
“I have my ways.” Connie chuckled. “It’s called social media. You should try it sometime.” She stood up and left the room, only to return a few seconds later with her laptop. “Here, look.”
On the screen, Lily saw a photo of Josh, dressed in nice clothes reading to an old lady. Another picture showed him in casual clothes, or at least his idea of casual clothes which consisted of a button-up shirt and khaki pants at a construction site. “So, he volunteers. It doesn’t mean he’s any less about business and productivity. Besides, this is social media. Of course, he’s only going to show his good side.”
“Stop. That’s Steven talking. He nearly worked you until you were hospitalized for exhaustion. And after he broke you, he moved on to the next person he could use. That’s what he is, a user. I’m glad you have nothing to do with him anymore, because you deserve better.” Connie stood. “You can continue to live in isolation and ignore your feelings, but I won’t anymore. I like Allen and I’m going to see him Friday night with or without you. Now, get out on that beach and get ready for that kind man with those amazing eyes to bring you coffee.”
Lily smiled and followed her sister’s advice, yet she couldn’t help thinking it was a mistake during the short ride to the beach. She ignored the doubt and retrieved her art supplies from the bike’s basket, telling herself it might be nice to spend the morning on the beach with him. After settling onto her blanket, she decided to try to duplicate the scene they wanted. She started with the background, sketching quickly. When she was done, she couldn’t wait to show Josh. But Josh never came. Not that day, or the day after, or the day after that.