Page 65 of One Golden Summer
She nodded. “What you said got through. I’ve never put down roots, so why not start with a vase or a local painting of the harbour? Even though I might not stay in this house, whatever I buy can come with me. So, I did a little shopping. Made the place feel a little more like me. Turns out, I have an eye.”
“Good for you. I know that’s not your normal.”
“None of this is.” Saffron’s stare was loaded. “Do you want a drink?”
“Sure.”
“Wine, beer?”
Kirsty shrugged. “Surprise me.”
She walked over to the island. Somehow, the lounge was too far from Saffron. The bar had been too public and had too much of Anna. The walk home had been too concrete and crowded. Now it was just the two of them, she wanted it to be softer, closer. She hoped that’s what Saffron wanted, too.
Unless she’d read this wrong.
She really hoped she hadn’t read it wrong.
Saffron busied herself in the fridge, getting drinks. The pad Kirsty had seen before was on the island. The one Saffron carried everywhere with her. The one she guarded with her life.
Kirsty couldn’t help it. She lifted the cover. When she saw the intricate work there, she couldn’t stop herself looking closer.
“These are incredible. Did you do all these?”
Saffron cast her gaze to the floor, then returned it to Kirsty. She nodded.
Kirsty flicked through some more. “You’re not just some hobbyist. These are so richly drawn and beautiful. Have you worked these up into paintings, too?”
“Some of them.” She gave Kirsty a glass of sparkling wine before shutting the pad. “It’s just some stuff I’ve been working on.” She glanced up into Kirsty’s eyes, her sapphire gaze reaching in and gathering Kirsty close. “A lot of the reason I started sketching again is you.”
Kirsty put a finger to her chest. “Me?” Electricity crackled in the air.
Saffron nodded. “You told me to be who I wanted to be. To slow down. You and Ginger both.” She gave a wry grin. “So, I did. I finally remembered who I am and who Ireallywant to be. When I got into acting, I thought that would make my parents proud. It didn’t.” She shook her head. “Then, after they died, I stopped caring about anything else. All my old passions. The things that truly make me tick. I threw myself into my work and put my art aside. I even put my sister aside, which I’m not proud of.”
Kirsty reached out and took Saffron’s hand. A bolt of desire flashed through her. Her breath hitched in her chest.
Had Saffron felt it, too?
“You were young.”
“Still.” Saffron’s chest heaved. She put down her wine.
Kirsty followed suit.
Saffron stepped closer to her. “But now I live here, I’ve reconnected with Ginger. Nothing has made me happier in ages. Spending time with my sister, having time for my art. But what’s been the icing on the cake is meeting you. Because you care about everything you should. You always have. Your family. Your friends. Your passions. I love those handwritten notes you put on your wine: it shows who you are.”
Kirsty’s heartbeat roared in her ears as the weight of Saffron’s intense stare pressed into her. “I love my job, that’s all.”
“Most people don’t. Most people settle. You didn’t.”
“You know who you are, too.” Kirsty gripped the island with her right hand. “You’re Saffron Oliver, movie star supreme.”
Saffron smiled. “Also Saffron Oliver, stupidest woman alive when I’m around you. You might have awakened my soul and told me to be true to myself, but you also make me walk into doors. Did you ever wonder why I did that?”
Kirsty shook her head. “Because you’re clumsy?”
“Only when I’m around you. Because what you think matters.” She lifted Kirsty’s left hand and gently kissed her knuckles. The effect was the same as if she’d just pressed her tongue to Kirsty’s core. Thunder rolled down Kirsty. She gripped the kitchen island like her life depended on it.
“You matter, Kirsty McBride. You matter far more than I’ve been prepared to admit until now. Yes, I’ve fallen for the town, but in doing so, I could easily fall for you, too.”
