Page 49 of Painted in Love

After firing her caterer, Ava had been frantic to find a replacement for her five Bay Area eldercare homes. Though she had facilities all over the country, and internationally, she used regional caterers for each. Clay was pretty sure he’d been the one to suggest she try Ransom Yates, a celebrity chef who also catered large events.

Did that mean Clay was also responsible for their love story? Shaking Ransom’s hand, he didn’t miss the gleam in the man’s eyes as he turned his gaze back to Ava.

That was definitely love. Same for Cammie and Dane.

Then it hit him in the chest. Could this be what he felt for Saskia? He hadn’t known her long, but his feelings were different than they’d been with anyone who’d come before. Perhaps even cataclysmic.

As he took a seat next to Ransom at the round table, he asked, “Where’s Troy?” just in time for his brother to breeze in. Troy was a couple of years older than Clay. In fact, all his siblings were two years apart. The timing was so exact, he had to think his parents planned his mother’s pregnancies around their worldwide ski adventures.

Troy threw himself into his chair, out of breath as if he’d been running. “Sorry I’m late. I had a meeting with a new vendor that took longer than expected.”

Troy had gone from gold-medal Olympic diver to spokesman for several sports manufacturers, and now he’d built his own sporting goods line into a conglomerate with stores worldwide. But he still found time to deliver inspirational speeches to youth groups.

Clay clapped him on the back. “I just appreciate that you made it.”

Troy acknowledged that with a smile. “So what’s the fire burning under your butt?”

Clay took the mic, so to speak. “Dylan put out his first real piece of street art.” His family knew about Clay’s mentorship. “This isn’t like the tagging he does, but something he’s been working on in his studio.”

Gabby put her hand over her mouth before he’d finished, obviously anticipating what was to come.

Clay gave the bad news. “He got trashed. Badly. He was so upset he slashed all but one painting in his studio, and only because we stopped him before he got to it.”

A collective gasp filled the restaurant. They knew the kid, and they felt his pain.

Sitting back, Dane folded his arms. “What can we do to help?”

“Actually, I think he’s taking it fairly well now,” Clay admitted. “Saskia had a talk with him.” At Dane’s raised eyebrow, he explained, “Remember the mural I wanted to have done on the warehouse? I’ve commissioned San Holo. Saskia is his assistant.”

Ransom added, “He’s an amazing street artist, probably rivaled only by Banksy.”

“Saskia?” That could have been a twinkle in Fernsby’s eyes. “You mean the woman with whom you’re having intimate relations?”

Heat rose to Clay’s cheeks as if he’d been caught out in something. He was years past blushing, if he’d ever blushed at all. Until now.

“I can’t believe you just said that, Fernsby.” Gabby shot him a glare.

Fernsby merely arched a brow.

Then all his siblings got in on the act, hooting, hollering, clapping him on the back, filling the near empty restaurant with their clamor.

He raised his palms, sending them all back into their seats. “Saskia Oliver is her name, and she’s actually my problem.” He wagged a finger. “Not for the reasons you’re implying.”

He narrowed his eyes on Fernsby, but the man remained impassive. He didn’t even smile. Though generally short on smiles, since Fernsby had brought Dane and Cammie together, then Ransom and Ava, a smile or two sneaked in more often.

Troy jiggled his finger in his ear as if he hadn’t heard correctly. “I thought Dylan was the problem.”

“Saskia had a talk with Dylan,” Clay explained. “Even before I left, he was deciding what he could keep and what he had to throw away.”

Troy winked. “Then it’s woman troubles?”

He wasn’t going to talk about intimate details in a restaurant, even an uncrowded one. “The problem is what Saskia said to him. More importantly, what she said about Art Space.” Naturally, his family knew all about his video platform for artists.

Gabby looked at him with empathetic eyes. “What did she say?”

“She basically told him he had to suck it up and accept criticism if he wanted to be a great artist.”

“That’s blunt.” Ava’s voice was harsh.

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