Page 207 of The Seven Rings
With the last paintings loaded, Sonya got behind the wheel. “Okay, it’s been a while, but I remember how to do this. I think. I hope.”
She remembered well enough to get them into town and parked behind Bay Arts.
Kevin hustled out to meet them. “We’ve had people calling or stopping by since we opened. Those flyers, Sonya, they’ve really worked. I’m going to pick up more wine. We’ve already cleared other art off the walls.”
He all but bubbled as they began to unload.
“This is turning into our biggest event since our May Day. I hope you don’t mind me saying that having one of the ladies of Lost Bride Manor featured hasn’t hurt.”
“How could I mind? That’s who we are, right, Son?”
“That’s just who we are.”
It took time, and more time, as Sonya was fussier about placement than either the artist or Kevin.
“I’d thought to intersperse seascapes, still lifes, the landscapes, and so on.”
“So had I.” Lips pursed, Cleo watched Sonya hang another. “But she’s right, Kevin. There’s a flow to it this way. I’d worried grouping like this would be boring, too much the same.”
“You don’t do boring,” Sonya said, and stepped back. “And you never paint the same thing twice. There’s always different movement or light or focus. These? The studies of Poole’s Bay from different angles, the individual buildings like the old school—and future museum? They tell a story. Just like the lighthouse studies, your floral work.”
She scanned the result, nodded. “Okay, seascapes, marina, the man and boy sailing.”
She pointed. “Let’s start there.”
Cleo smiled at Kevin. “She’s right again.”
When they finished, Cleo took a turn behind the wheel, and a satisfied Sonya settled back.
“You’d have done it the way I did. You’d have seen the flow.”
“Maybe, but I didn’t have to. I could just have fun with it.”
“Aren’t you even a little nervous?”
“I’m really not. This is icing, Son. It’s just delicious icing. I’m going to put on something boho, I think, do some glam makeup, and have nothing but a good time. If anything sells, that’s the sprinkles on the icing.”
“I have a feeling you’re going to enjoy a lot of sprinkles.”
When they arrived at the manor, they were surprised to see Owen’s truck and Trey’s car.
“I didn’t think they’d be this early. We’ve got more than two hours.”
“I hope they brought food, or don’t expect me to throw anything together beyond some stir-fry. I need about half of what we’ve got to get my boho on.”
Cleo pulled into the garage, turned off the truck, then nodded in satisfaction. “If we need to drive this thing during the winter, we’ve got it.”
“I used to think of it as just a big bastard. Now it’s a big, beautiful bastard.”
The dogs ran around to greet them. Pye more sashayed, then noting who’d arrived, just wound her way toward the front door.
When they went inside, Clover hit it with “The Boys Are Back in Town.”
“Since you’re going boho, I’m going for a contrast—simple, subtle,” Sonya said as they walked through the house toward the kitchen. “Boots?”
“Definitely.”
“Me, too. I can be sorry summer’s done, but never sorry when that means boots.”
