Chapter 4 #2
After another hour or so of cracking glass, my hand was screaming, so I put those supplies away and pulled out my sketch pad. There was a piece of polished jade in my stone collection that was begging to be turned into a ring. I sketched some setting ideas.
“You’re a painting machine tonight,” I said to Piper. I’d situated myself between her and Shawna. Dakota had come back in and was unwrapping earlier pieces that had been drying.
“I’m working on my fall inventory,” Piper said. “People will be all about everything fall in another two or three weeks. I want to be ready.”
“You’re so smart,” I said, meaning it.
Piper laughed. “I don’t know about that. I learned the hard way last year when I didn’t have enough fall merchandise ready. I could’ve sold so much more.”
“We were talking earlier about making money off our art,” Dakota said. “How did you get started?”
“I borrowed from a bank. Still paying that off, but I’m making progress. Variety helps. Flowers bring people in initially, but I’m getting traffic for all kinds of decor.”
“Your signs are popular,” Shawna said. “I see them all over.”
“They’re easy enough to make.” Piper pointed her paintbrush at her current project, which read “Sweater weather” in a scripty, swoopy font. “I don’t get to come out here often enough because of all the business stuff, but when I do, I like to crank out a bunch.”
“I’d noticed we hadn’t seen you for a while. Not since Naomi died.”
“Yeah.” Piper looked thoughtful for a second. “It’s weird, isn’t it? Without her here? Maybe you’re more used to it though.”
“It’s definitely weird,” I said.
“You’re doing awesome with everything, Harper,” Shawna said, “but I hate that she’s not here.”
I blew out a breath. “Me too, sister.”
Dakota wiped her eyes. “Dammit, y’all.”
We all laughed, which helped to lighten the moment.
“Have you heard anything lately? From the brother or the aunt?” Shawna asked, also swiping at her eyes with her arm.
“Not a word,” I said. “Last time I spoke to Sharon was two or three weeks ago. Her advice was to keep on keeping on here. She said if I didn’t want to ‘mess with’ the studio, I didn’t have to.
But I told her again I love it as much as Naomi did, and so many people rely on it. I’m fine opening it whenever I can.”
Sharon Finley was Naomi and Ian’s only living relative. When Naomi had died, Sharon had flown in from Oregon and taken care of funeral arrangements.
“I can’t even with her brother,” Dakota said. “He has to be a real shithead.”
“That’s all I can guess.”
I didn’t expect him to reach out to me—he likely wasn’t aware Naomi had a roommate—but the old house did have a landline because reception out here in the country was crappy on a good day.
Naomi had insisted on keeping it in case of an emergency in the maker space—with the various saws and the kiln and other dangerous equipment, anything could happen.
It was ironic that a non-life-threatening injury had been what had ultimately taken Naomi’s life.
“Are you still living here in the house?” Shawna asked.
“Yeah. I know I should try harder to find something.”
“You should. You don’t want to be caught by surprise if this guy suddenly puts the house on the market from afar,” Shawna said.
“I’ve had that thought,” I said. “I know you’re right. It’ll be tough to find something in my budget. Naomi’s house is paid for, so she didn’t charge me a lot.”
“Roommates,” Piper said.
If I was honest, I hadn’t put very much thought into moving yet. I’d let myself slip into denial because of the unknown factor of Naomi’s brother, but that was being stupid. All it took was for someone to say it out loud.
“Dakota, are you tired of living at home?” I said, keeping my voice light, noncommittal.
“Every single day,” she said, her gaze focused on her work. She looked up at me. “How much would rent be?”
“It depends. If you’re interested, I could look for a place.” The more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea. I could totally live with Dakota. I’d never considered it before because I’d not needed a roommate or a place to live for three years.
“I’m open to it. My mom leaves me alone, and I have the whole basement to myself, but it’s probably past time to get a place of my own.”
“You think?” Shawna teased.
“She hasn’t given me any reason to get out,” Dakota said. “I think she likes having me there. But I’m twenty-seven.”
“Time to jump, my friend,” Piper said.
“I know you’re right.” Dakota became animated. “This could be fun.”
“I’ll start looking on Monday, once I get this gala out of the way.”
“The gala,” Piper said. “Where Naomi’s being recognized? Are the rumors true? Are you taking Coach Dawson?”
“All true,” I said.
“And you’re okay with that?” Shawna asked Dakota. “Ooh, your future roommate and your brother. If that’s not a romance trope, I don’t know what is.”
Dakota laughed. “I’m fine with it. As far as I know, there’s no romance.” She eyed me hard, and I shook my head.
“No romance. Dakota made me do it,” I insisted.
“I did dare her,” Dakota admitted.
Shawna tilted her head. “What’s the story there?”
Dakota shrugged. “My brother needs to get out for a night, away from town, a break from Danny.”
“He’s out every Friday night at games, isn’t he?” Shawna asked.
“I mean not for work. A date.”
“But no romance?” Piper asked.
“I don’t think he’s in the right place for that,” Dakota said.
“But he hasn’t been on a date since our cousin died and Danny became his responsibility.
Harper’s safe. She doesn’t want anything from him, unlike all the women who are itching to go out with him.
None of them even try to get to know him.
They just want to land Max Dawson, former-NFL player. ”
I could see how that might be true. I wondered if it bothered Max or if he even noticed it. I couldn’t remember ever hearing about him being in a relationship. Maybe he was like me and didn’t want one.
“You don’t want to land Max Dawson?” Shawna asked me, grinning.
“I don’t,” I said. “I don’t want to land anybody. I was going to bid on someone to take to this gala anyway, just so I don’t have to go alone because…”
“It might be hard,” Piper said with an empathetic look.
“It might be hard,” I repeated. Understatement.
“Sounds like a good arrangement then,” Shawna said. “He gets out of the house. You don’t have to go to the gala alone. And it’s no big deal to either one of you.”
“Exactly.”
I didn’t confess that I was nervous, and it wasn’t just about speaking in front of a large group on behalf of Naomi.
Max was incredibly good-looking and had this engaging, likeable quality about him that made it easy to forget he wasn’t still a star athlete. There were good reasons women went all a-flutter about him.
I wasn’t blind, and when I thought too hard about Saturday night, I got butterflies in my gut. That alone told me it might be a bigger deal than I was admitting to anyone, including myself.