Chapter 27
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Tabitha was stuffed already, and they’d only been at the gala an hour. But each waiter that passed by holding a silver tray of Morgan’s delicious finger foods tempted her to sample just one more. Everything was topnotch, and that was just the culinary portion of the event.
The artwork. That was something else entirely.
“Did you have any idea our town was full of this much creative talent?” Tabitha lifted her wineglass toward the young woman pouring a white blend that paired with the current piece of artwork in front of them.
“I honestly had no clue,” Ben replied. He held out his own glass to be filled, too. “But it’s really wonderful.”
“It really is.” She cocked her head to take in the entirety of the massive canvas before her. It was so different from Cal’s work, with detailed, intricate brushstrokes that conveyed the likeness of the very beach located right outside the gala’s doors. “I love this one.”
“Then let’s bid on it.”
She yanked her head back to meet his eye. “Seriously?”
“I’ve been thinking you needed something on the wall behind your couch at the beach house. This would go perfectly there.”
She couldn’t disagree. The cool tones and muted hues were an exact match to the color motif in her home.
Before she could snag the pen for herself, Ben had it in his grip, jotting down a bid significantly higher than the one already on the sheet in order to guarantee his ownership of the lovely painting.
“You didn’t have to bid on it, Ben. I’m happy to purchase it for myself. I can afford it.”
“I know you can. Please, Tabs. Just let me spoil you.”
He sure had been. From the lobster tails to the strapless black gown she currently wore that he had insisted on buying for her, Ben had been showering her with gifts lately. She wasn’t used to that, not that she didn’t like being doted upon every once in a while.
“Well, thank you. I hope we get it. I really do love this particular piece of art.”
“Me too.” He gave her the sweetest lingering look. “And I really love you.”
“I love you, too,” she reciprocated with surprisingly little effort. Goodness, it felt good to tell him that openly.
Ben’s eyes suddenly pulled from hers, catching something over Tabitha’s left shoulder.
“Hey. There’s Edie. Let’s go congratulate her on the gala’s success.
I know she put so much time and energy into this event, not to mention all the refereeing she had to do with Cal and Josh.
It would be good to let her know we appreciate that. ”
Tabitha turned on her heel to see her best friend striding their way in the most beautiful green dress, one that made her look like a shimmering mermaid when matched with her fiery tresses all done up.
Edie had been wrapped in one conversation after another all evening, and Tabitha wanted to grab her attention while she had the opportunity.
“Edie.” She clasped her friend’s hands within her own and pulled her close to plant a kiss on her cheek. “Everything is just perfect. I’ve even heard a few hopeful whispers that Artistry Uncorked should be an annual event.”
“Really? You think so?” Edie glanced between Ben and Tabitha, brow creased from uncertainty.
“We’re low on the stuffed cream cheese mushroom caps and Josh says we’re out of vermentino already.
And for the life of me, I cannot get Cal’s painting to hang straight.
It looks cockeyed to me. Does it look cockeyed to you? ”
The couple turned to look in the direction of Edie’s gaze. “No. It looks fine.” Tabitha angled back.
“I don’t know. Something feels off.”
Meeting her ex-husband’s eyes, Tabitha wordlessly communicated exactly what she needed to.
“You know what?” Ben took a single step back.
“I’m going to go check on our bid. I see Christopher Larken from the title company hovering around the painting we have our eye on.
He beat me at a charity poker event last year, and I’m not about to lose again to that guy.
” His fingers affectionately grazed Tabitha’s hip. “I’ll meet up with you in a few.”
She nodded, then returned her attention to her friend. Something was amiss with Edie, and she figured it had nothing to do with the gala at all. These weren’t just “game-day” nerves, so to speak. “What’s really going on, Edie? Something’s bothering you.”
“Is it that obvious?” Edie frowned.
“Only to someone who’s known you as long as I have.”
“It’s nothing, really.”
“What’s nothing?” Camille appeared behind Edie, glass in hand, uneasy look on her face, too. It was as though the women had a radar for this sort of thing, the ability to sense when one in the bunch wasn’t feeling quite right.
“It’s Cal.” Edie paused, and neither Camille nor Tabitha filled in with assumptions of their own. Because Tabitha honestly wasn’t sure what was up with the men in Edie’s life at the present moment. She’d have to wait for Edie to tell her outright. “He invited me to go to Italy.”
“Wow. I thought you two weren’t even seeing one another.” Camille set her empty glass on one of the bar-height tables nearby. “Seems like a bold request.”
“It wasn’t an invitation in a romantic sense, necessarily. He’s participating in an immersive workshop where he’ll be studying under some of the most renowned artists in the world. And there’s one spot left in the class.”
“What’s the hang up?” Camille asked. “Sounds like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
“The fact that it’s a six-month course, and I have another once-in-a-lifetime opportunity happening during that timeframe.”
“Hannah’s due date.” Tabitha put the pieces together.
“Yep. And the birth of my first grandchild isn’t something I’m about to miss because I’m off galivanting in some Italian city with a handsome younger man.”
Tabitha could read the disappointment in Edie’s eyes, and she completely understood it. “I’m sorry, Edie. It sounds like that could have been a really great experience for you.”
A little huff of air passed between Edie’s lips. “Can you believe in my forty-five years, I’ve never traveled internationally? It’s something I’ve always wanted to do; I’ve just never had the money. A little ironic that now that I actually have the money, I don’t have the time.”
“You might not have six months to spare, but what about six weeks?” Camille suggested. “Or even six days?”
“What do you mean? It’s a six-month course.”
“All I’m saying is that you don’t necessarily have to give up on the thought of an Italian adventure completely.
If it’s somewhere you want to go, I think you should figure out how to make it work.
Just because Cal’s planning to go for six months doesn’t mean you need to join him the entire time.
I’m guessing there are other courses you could take that might be shorter to fit with your schedule.
It doesn’t have to be all or nothing. In most things, there are alternatives. ”
Camille was onto something with that, and it was a foreign concept Tabitha had only recently learned for herself.
When it came to her job at the hospital, she often did feel like it was all or nothing.
No in between. Only recently when she declined her promotion had she realized she was in charge of creating the balance she sought in her own life.
And now it appeared that Edie was in that same challenging position.
“I’m with Camille. If the thought of traveling excites you, then you should look into ways to make it happen.”
Edie smoothed her hands down the front of her dress, her shoulders lifting to her ears.
“You know? It really does excite me. When Cal mentioned it, I wasn’t sure if it was the thought of traveling with him that perked up my senses, or if it was just the thought of exploring another part of the world in general that did it. ”
“Maybe exploring Cal in another part of the world was the real reason?” Camille snorted, always one to add humor to the situation.
“I don’t know,” Edie confessed. Tabitha couldn’t help but notice the pink hue that reddened her cheeks. “Maybe a little. I just can’t seem to shake my feelings for that man.”
“Why do you have to?” Tabitha asked, glancing over her shoulder to catch Ben’s eye.
He was right where she expected to find him, staking his claim on that beautiful painting.
Only recently had she given up on shaking her own feelings, and that had been the best decision.
Still, she knew every relationship was different, and Edie had to do what was best for her.
“I just don’t know that I’ll ever be ready for a serious relationship again,” Edie said. “And the thought of marriage?”
“Hold up.” Camille’s hand shot up like a crossing guard’s. “Did Cal propose? Or did he just invite you to join him in taking an art class in Italy? Once again, you’re doing this all or nothing thing, Edie. It doesn’t have to be. One thing at a time. One foot in front of the other. Baby steps.”
“You’re right. I don’t know why I immediately jump to marriage when I think of dating in general.”
“In fairness, I’m doing a bit of the whole pot calling the kettle black thing, because I fully realize I did marry a man I fell in love with just a few months after meeting him. But everyone has their own timeline. And not all relationships need to lead to marriage.”
Tabitha nodded and snagged a veggie cup from the server when she came by with the tray.
“I don’t think Ben and I will ever get remarried.
And I’m okay with that. I like what we have right now.
And I don’t think our relationship will be less meaningful simply because we don’t have matching ring bands on our fingers.
If anything, we’re stronger than we were before. ”
“You girls always know what to say to make me feel better,” Edie said, sighing a little with her relief. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“You’ll never have to wonder,” Tabitha said. “We will always be here for you. Even if you are across an ocean studying naked sculptures of men.”
“Is that what you’ll be doing?” Camille chomped down on a carrot stick. “Girl, why would you ever pass that up? Do you have room in your suitcase for me?”
“You know…we did do a month-long seascape villa retreat together,” Edie said, drawing out her words as she looked between her friends. “What do you think about an Italian villa one next?”
“That’s something that’s definitely on my bucket list,” Tabitha agreed. “But not until I can scale back on my hours at the hospital, which probably won’t be for a few more months.”
“And I can’t leave Skip and Foster alone to run the Inn just yet. A year from now?” Camille shrugged. “That might be a different story.”
“I could wait a year,” Edie said, even though everything in her tone conveyed otherwise.
“You will absolutely not wait on us to start living your best life.” Tabitha slid an arm over Edie’s shoulder and hugged her tightly to her body.
Camille did the same on the other side, and together, they sandwiched their best friend.
“It’s your adventure, and you should start living it right away. ”