Page 12 of Artfully Wild
That gets her to look at me. “Gross. They’re gross. You don’t think they’re gross?”
“Not really,” I say, shrugging my shoulders. “They love each other. I think it’s nice.”
“You’re too much of a romantic.”
“And you’re too much of an…unromantic.”
She raises her eyebrows at me. “Really? That’s the best you could come up with.”
I smile and take the opportunity. “Listen, I need a favor.” My hand immediately goes to my hair, running my fingers through it before adjusting my glasses. She looks at me expectantly while Max meows for her attention. Once he gets it, the feline eyes me like he’s also waiting for me to continue. “I need your help.”
“Typically, that’s what a favor means, Jacob,” she says, sardonically.
“Hah, hah.” I respond with the same amount of sarcasm that coated her voice. “Okay, well, you know I’ve been needing to expand the shelter for a while, right?”
“Yeah, your home is practically overrun with creatures, I know. Go on.”
“Well, Sophie had an idea for an auction.”
“An auction?”
“For the Winter Festival. I know you don’t really do portraits of any kind, but we thought you could paint portraits of someof the animals we currently have at the shelter and we could auction them off during the festival to raise the funds to expand and get my house back. I know you have your store stuff to deal with, so if it’s too much to ask it’s fine. I don’t want to add more to your plate. I can always figure some—”
“Seriously, shut up. You know I’m not going to say no. I would love to.”
“You don’t have to. Really, if you’re too busy with this stuff.” I gesture to the gear to her right.
“And you sayIhave a problem with asking and accepting help?”
“I think we both do.”
“Agreed.”
We stand in silence for a few moments. “So, when do you want to start?” I ask, shoving my hands in my front pockets.
“Well, I have plans with Avery this Wednesday to get the rest of these pictures done. We’re hoping to do movie night Friday, but I’m free in the afternoon or we can do Thursday night.”
“I have surgery Friday afternoon, so let’s meet at the studio Thursday?”
“I’ll be sure to let Charlotte know we will be there. She will probably appreciate the company.”
“Right…Charlotte,” I say, trying not to let my smile slip. I might have completely forgotten that Charlotte lived above the studio and we wouldn't have the place to ourselves. I push aside the disappointing thought and plan to say a quick goodbye before heading back to the clinic, looking forward to a full day of appointments to distract me from my thoughts.
Before I leave though, I notice the light blue book Skylar brought in with her a few days ago still sitting on the desk. She doesn’t usually carry around books, so it’s natural she’d forget this was here. It looks old and battered, like someone had it for years, turning through the pages over and over to reread their favorite parts.
“Taking up some reading?” I ask, casually. Curious, I open the cover of it and see a neat familiar scrawl.
She made herself stronger by fighting with the wind.
I make myself stronger, not by fighting the wind, but by letting myself be carried with it. Don’t be afraid to be carried with the wind, Sky.
All my love, Sarah.
I crinkle my brows in confusion and turn toward Skylar who is so focused on the front display, I think she assumed I left already.
She finally takes her attention off the items and starts walking toward me. “Oh yeah, it’s the same book my sister used to be obsessed with. I found it on Henry’s shelf and Fran let me have it. She was being weird about it though and said it was mine? I don’t know, she freaks me out when she’s cryptic.”
I close the cover before she gets to the counter and hand it over to her. “You haven’t opened it, have you?”
