Page 46 of Love Among Vines

“Definitely. Is it super tacky if I request a case of wine for my services?”

“I’ll send you home with two.”

“Deal.”

She extended a hand over the dog, and he shook it, cementing whatever the next two weeks would bring.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

RETT

Jade pausedat her front door, keys in hand. “You don’t have to come in. It’s not…what you’re used to,” she said with a glance over her shoulder.

He frowned at her. What did she think he was, a member of the royal family?

“I went to college. I’ve lived in small apartments before. Besides, this is your own home. I live in my grandma’s house. How embarrassing is that?”

She cracked a small smile and unlocked the door. It opened and instantly blinded them with afternoon sunshine.

He followed her and hefted her tote bag inside. Penny torpedoed past them, nearly knocking him headlong into the entryway.

Jade’s head swung from left to right. She was clearly self-conscious having someone else in her space.

“Make yourself at home. I’ll try to be quick. Do you want some water?”

“I’m fine.”

There wasn’t any reason to be embarrassed about her apartment. It was a standard New York studio brightened substantially by a bright orange couch and magenta accent wall.His toes sank into a rug that looked just like a patch of moss on a forest floor. A pile of colorful throw blankets waited in a wicker basket next to the couch, and the appliances in the kitchen were a shade of mint. It was cozy. Much homier than his place.

He strode over to the easel that clutched a blank canvas. Art supplies were organized neatly in a three-tier cart next to it. He inspected them and took pictures of the brands. Just in case she agreed to the paint and sip night.

While she climbed a small spiral staircase that must have led to a sleeping loft, he cracked a smile at the cross-stitch mounted next to the window that read “Eat a Dick” in flowing script. A painting hung above the couch. He had Googled some of her past work but seeing it in person was something else.

Gray clouds and raindrops came to life, practically dripping onto a red umbrella that covered two adults each holding the hand of a child. He almost reached out to see if it was actually wet. A sign that read “Bronx Zoo” hovered above them.

“This is beautiful,” he said without turning to look for her.

Footsteps rang on the staircase.

“Oh. Thank you. It’s a memory.”

“Your parents?”

She sidled up next to him and stuffed her hands in her pockets. “Yeah. I painted it the week after they died. My dad was gone a lot, so this was a special day. We practically had the zoo to ourselves because of the rain.”

“I think they’d be really proud of you.”

She cocked an eyebrow. “Ah yes, I’m sure all parents hope that their children will be nearly bankrupt and on the brink of homelessness at twenty-six.”

He turned to her and put his hand on her shoulder. Her blue eyes were watery as she stared back at him, and he caught a tear with his thumb as it slid down her cheek.

“You will never be homeless. If the worst happens, you can come back to Hammondsport. We take care of our own.”

His pulse quickened at the thought of Jade settling down in town. Not that he was rooting for her to lose her apartment. Or looking for a real relationship.

She stepped out from under his arms and turned toward her windows. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. “I’m sorry. I’m usually a lot better at looking on the sunny side of things. This week has just been…a lot.”

“What have I told you about unnecessary apologies?”

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