Page 11 of Artfully Wild
“Good.” She smiles. “I’m glad.”
I should ask her now. “So, what’s the display for?” Coward.
“Oh, you know how before Sarah died, Camp bugged my dad basically our whole lives to buy the store? Well, I guess, three years is the right amount of time to respect the dead, because he got in touch a bit ago and wanted to talk about buying the store from me. But his team asked for sample pictures of equipment in the store and out at the campgrounds. So, I’m trying to set everything up so Avery can take pictures for me and send it all in.”
Of course I know exactly what she is talking about. I’ve been pushing her to talk to her dad about selling what used to be his store, since she’s been so conflicted about it, but I don’t think she has yet. Or maybe it’s a conversation that’s happened already and that’s why she’s setting everything up? She ignored me at first, because she wasn’t sure it was something she really wanted and I almost brought it up again, but it’s not my place. I don’t want to overstep, even though a large part of me desperately wants to.
My eyes widen. “Wait! You said they weren’t going to buy it and that Camp changed his mind, you liar!” I shove her shoulder lightly with my hand. I should have known she was lying. Camp never would have backed down so easily.
“I can’t believe you just pushed an injured woman,” she exclaims.
“You’re more dramatic than Cordie and Fran, I swear. Why didn’t you tell me you actually listened to my advice for once?”
“Because,” she explains, starting to rearrange the gear I tried to place earlier. “I didn’t think anything would come of it really. I just told them I was interested and it had been a while since I heard anything so I wasn’t sure anything was going to happen, and I got the email about pictures when you were out of town, so I just forgot to tell you.”
When I was out of town? I haven’t traveled in a long time. She flinches like she can see the gears turning in my head andshe’s waiting for me to figure it out and yell at her. “The last time I was out of town wasfourmonths ago! You waitedfourmonths to do this?”
She grimaces. “Yeah, that sounds bad. But I really did forget to tell you and then the deadline came up faster than I expected and I didn’t do it yet and didn’t want to ask for Avery’s help.”
“Why are you always so afraid to ask for help?” BecauseI’mthe one who should be asking that particular question.
“I don’t know. I just don’t like putting people out. It feels weird asking people to help do something for me. I prefer focusing on everyone else.” We can agree on that, at least.
“Well, you deserve this. And you deserve the help from a professional.”
“Telling me I need a therapist, Sinclair? What a way to tell a woman.”
I roll my eyes at her and give her a sideways hug. “I’m proud of you, Skylar.” To my surprise she wraps both her arms around my waist and fully hugs me. Her body is completely flush against mine and I think about her wrapped around me last night when she climbed into bed behind me.
She answers with a muffled, “Thank you,” against my chest and I kiss the top of her head and rest my chin there, relishing in the feeling of holding her close. My heart is pounding with the hope she might feel even a sliver of what I do.
When she breaks away to look up at me, I open my mouth to ask for her help or to ask her to kiss me, I’m not sure which. It doesn’t matter though, because we are once again interrupted by those damn bells above her door, because apparently no one in this town gives a damn about closed signs anymore. She springs apart from me as Ethan comes crashing in and runs straight behind the desk completely ignoring us.
Hudson and Avery appear outside the window, Avery attempting to pull Hudson back by the waist and completelyfailing as Hudson makes it to the door, the bells jingling again as he struggles through it. “Would you let go of me, woman?”
“Never!” Avery calls out before she leaps onto his back, almost knocking him over. Hudson turns his head so it’s inches away from her face, “Something tells me we’ve been here before,” he says softly, like it’s a secret just for her. Skylar pretends to vomit next to me.
In the meantime Ethan is searching through the carvings on display behind the glass case before finding one—a bear standing on its hind legs—with a little red cape tied around its neck like a superhero.
“Aha!” he exclaims. “You lose, Uncle Hud!”
Avery laughs and plants a firm kiss to Hudson’s lips before hopping down and walking over to Ethan to give him a high five. “He usually does.”
“You know what,” Hudson says, crossing the distance between him and Ethan in a few strides. Once he gets to Ethan, he throws him over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry and turns to walk out of the door. He stops and looks at us, squinting like he’s a detective looking for clues or anything to tell him that we’ve been up to no good. I shift my hips and I swear he narrows his eyes even more, almost closing them and I can’t help but wonder what he would do if Ethan wasn’t here right now. He looks between Sky and me, a battle seeming to wage inside his head, then nods to me as if to say, “Just because she can take care of herself, doesn’t mean I’m not watching you.” I nod back, showing as much respect as I can in the gesture. He adjusts Ethan on his back, jerking him higher up on his body, causing his nephew to erupt into a fit of giggles.
“In cahoots with my wife. Such a traitor, E.” He continues to giggle as Avery rolls her eyes and follows them towards the door.
“I heard that,” she says. “No one likes a sore loser, Waters.Andwe aren’t married yet.”
“We’re as good as.” Giving her a soft look, he pulls her into him and continues to walk.
“Next time, maybe read the sign!” I call after them.
“Next time, maybe stay upstairs the morning after—ow!” He rubs his arm where Avery punches him as they exit.
Once they leave, silence returns to the store. The only sound is Skylar moving things around, setting up the display again. “They make me nauseous,” she says, not looking at me.
“Nah, I think it’s cute.” So, we’re both ignoring Hudson’s teasing. Noted.
