Page 54 of Coming Home to Wishington Bay
‘Mine?’
‘Yes. Gigi showed me a bunch you’d done, and there are the ones on the walls. They’re beautiful.’
‘I think you have to have people other than your grandmother assess your work to determine whether you’re actually any good.’ I laughed.
‘I’m independent.’
‘You had three years of brainwashing by Gigi.’
He shook his head, laughing. ‘I don’t think I have quite as much tact as you’re giving me credit for. If I didn’t think they were good, I wouldn’t be saying anything. And I certainly wouldn’t be telling you to take some to a local shop.’
‘You might. This might be a “revenge is a dish best served cold” ploy for me assisting you in falling off that ladder.’
He laughed, tipping his head back. ‘No, I think that was pretty much my own fault. And frankly, I don’t have the patience for all that sort of nonsense. As I think you probably guessed at the time.’
‘That is true.’
‘I saw you had your supplies out the other day. Are you going to do some more?’
‘I faffed a bit, but it’s been so long. I’m not sure if I can remember how to do it all! It didn’t go so well the other day but goodness knows how long those paints have been kicking around in the back of that cupboard until I unearthed them the other day. They aren’t at their best.’
‘There’s a great art supply shop in the city. One of the doc’s wives does an art class and she got him to pick something up for her the other week after shift. We were grabbing a quick bite for dinner to talk over a case and dropped in on the way past.’
‘That sounds great. Thanks. Maybe I’ll take a look if I get a chance. There’s still quite a lot to get through with the house and real painting at the moment.’
‘Sure. But be careful. Don’t overdo it.’
‘On the house?’
‘On you. Balance, remember?’
‘Oh, I’m fine,’ I said, flapping a hand. ‘Do you worry like this about everyone? It must be exhausting!’
‘No, just some people. Not everyone I know has spent the last goodness knows how long working fifteen- and sixteen-hour days, week in week out.’
‘That’s a bit of an exaggeration! I wasn’t that bad.’
‘Is it?’ He paused, fixing me with those eyes. I couldn’t lie.
‘No,’ I said, my voice small and my cheeks pink.
He reached out, gently taking my hand, pulling me a little closer. ‘I don’t mean to embarrass you, but I’m concerned. I’ve seen people in my own profession, and plenty others, burn out and it’s not pretty. I know you’ve had a bit of a crap time, with Gigi passing away and other people not treating you how you should be treated.’
‘Oh God, you got the full works, didn’t you?’ I groaned, rolling my eyes, just imagining the drama with which Gigi would have laced her telling of my story.
He smiled. ‘She was upset for you. And she was Gigi.’
I dropped my head, chin to chest. ‘Ugh.’
And then Gabe’s hand was under my chin, his touch so gentle yet sending a spark of fire throughout my body. He tilted it up until I was looking into those hypnotic eyes.
‘He was an idiot, and he didn’t deserve you anyway.’
‘I know.’
‘Wow. The belief in that statement was palpable.’
It was hard not to laugh. I heard the words again in my head, agreeing. ‘I know. He didn’t,’ I said again, this time forcing the belief I knew to be true into them.
