Page 22 of Valley of the Shadow
She turned to Makeda, the only person in the room who wasn’t cheering her on. “What do you think?”
Makeda looked thoughtful. “I don’t think I know you well enough to have an opinion.”
“That means you’re the perfect person to be objective.”
Beatrice pointed at Makeda. “That’s an excellent point.”
Natalie eased her shirt over her shoulder and turned to Dez. “If you found something you love, then you should do it. It doesn’t hurt that much.”
Which was a lie. It hurt like hell, but Natalie wasn’t going to tell Dez that, or she’d wimp out.
Beatrice chanted. “Do it. Do it. Do it.”
“Come on,” Brigid said. “Don’t be a ninny.”
“I don’t know you well,” Makeda said. “But I will say that one of my sisters has two tattoos. She got them several years ago, and she still loves both of them.”
“What are they?”
“Birds. She’s an avian biologist.”
“Interesting,” Beatrice said. “I’m filing that away.”
The poor tattoo artist looked tired.
Natalie asked, “Do you have time tonight? We can always come back another night. It’s late.”
The man asked, “You have cash?”
“Yep,” Dez said.
He shrugged. “Then I have time. I’ll make coffee.”
He was unfazed by the late hour. It was nearly two in the morning, and it had taken about two hours to get from the ranch into town. Natalie caught Brigid checking the time regularly, making sure they didn’t cut it too close.
“Do you like this?” Makeda pointed to a photograph of a poppy.
“If he can make it orange, like a California poppy, it’d be perfect.” The poppy in the photograph was red.
The artist asked, “Can someone show me a picture?”
Natalie got her phone out and looked for a picture she’d taken last spring of the poppies. She showed it to the artist, who nodded and started to make up a sketch.
“No problem,” he said. “I can make it that color.”
“Tattoo is a go!” Beatrice said. “Yes!”
Brigid, who’d been hanging out by the door, said, “Going to get more drinks. What’ll ya have?”
“Beer.”
“Gin and something.”
“Whiskey.”
“Water.”
Brigid cocked her head at Makeda. “Water?”
