moment. “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
Olivia’s words tumbled out in a hurt rush. “What’s with your friend, Dave? If I’ve done something wrong, I’d like to know, and I’ll apologize. The way he jumped down my throat earlier. Does he always have such a burr up his hindquarters?”
“Dave? No! He can be hyper sometimes, but he’d give you the shirt off his back. He’s been Nate’s best friend since they were kids, and I’ve known him for years. That was so not him. Honestly, he’s a really good guy.”
Olivia pursed her mouth, looking doubtful. She studied Kay’s painting during the dragging silence. “I like this. You’re very good. I like the way you see the rocks reflected in the water. Life’s like that, you know, kind of inverted.”
“Inverted?” Life?
“Yeah.” Olivia folded her arms over her chest, tapping one finger thoughtfully against her chin, and a dreamy expression slowly bloomed on her face, erasing her brittle, polished mask and revealing a gentle, sweet beauty.
Kay frowned at her painting. “I don’t know. It’s come out too stark.”
“It’s very stark, but that’s what’s right about it. I get a feeling from this painting. I think you should get feelings from paintings, don’t you?”
“What kind of feeling do you get from this one?” Kay found herself asking.
“Solitude and distance, but not loneliness. That sounds weird, I know. Maybe it’s nonsense. The picture’s so bleak. You probably meant to do that, and the rocks are so empty of, of—not color—just empty, but in the reflection in the water they come alive, beautiful. Like here. The real thing—” She swept her arm around. “Is naked enough, but…well, your picture just gives me the shivers, in a good way. You know, I’ve never been in the desert before, unless you count Vegas. It really is beautiful here. What I think is so weird is how all the bushes are spaced, as if someone arranged them.”
“Someone once told me creosote bush roots give off an enzyme or something to keep them from growing too close together, so they can have enough water. You know to be careful of the cholla, right? That fuzzy cactus over there?”
“Yes, thanks. JoAnn and Lloyd gave me the heads-up on all that stings, bites and stabs. Friendly country you have here.” She gave a wry grin. “You’re a teacher, too?”
“I teach at an art school in Tucson.”
“Kids?”
“Mostly kids. A few adult classes. I like working with the kids.”
“I want kids.” Olivia smiled bitterly. “R.J. wants to wait a few more years. Each year it’s been maybe next year, when business settles down.” She huffed out a breath, and unshed tears glinted in her eyes. “I’m sorry. I’m talking too much and not letting you paint. I came up here to see you work, not chew your ear off with my issues. I was curious to see how you paint.”
Kay searched for a polite answer. “No problem. But I think the painting might be done for today anyway, and I’m hot. Want to go swimming?” They should check on Mark and see how badly he’d fried himself.
“That water is calling my name. It’s hot enough to fry eggs up here. Let me carry something for you.” Olivia blinked hard and set a smile back in place as she gathered Kay’s folding campstool and cooler. A soft sigh escaped her. “You and Nate, you two really have your relationship together. Clear as day. Do you plan on having kids?”
Kids? Air stuck in Kay’s throat. She collapsed the umbrella and wrapped the bungee cord to restrain the folds. And have their relationship together? And clear? They used to. Now everything was pure fog. Her head swam as she packed up her paint box and she blamed the heat.
Olivia missed Kay’s silent panic. “I used to think R.J. was my Prince Charming, but somewhere, we went wrong, and I just don’t know what to do.” She sighed. “How did you meet Nate?”
“I met Nate here. After Ann and Lloyd got together, they twisted my
“Sure.”
Olivia’s words tumbled out in a hurt rush. “What’s with your friend, Dave? If I’ve done something wrong, I’d like to know, and I’ll apologize. The way he jumped down my throat earlier. Does he always have such a burr up his hindquarters?”
“Dave? No! He can be hyper sometimes, but he’d give you the shirt off his back. He’s been Nate’s best friend since they were kids, and I’ve known him for years. That was so not him. Honestly, he’s a really good guy.”
Olivia pursed her mouth, looking doubtful. She studied Kay’s painting during the dragging silence. “I like this. You’re very good. I like the way you see the rocks reflected in the water. Life’s like that, you know, kind of inverted.”
“Inverted?” Life?
“Yeah.” Olivia folded her arms over her chest, tapping one finger thoughtfully against her chin, and a dreamy expression slowly bloomed on her face, erasing her brittle, polished mask and revealing a gentle, sweet beauty.
Kay frowned at her painting. “I don’t know. It’s come out too stark.”
“It’s very stark, but that’s what’s right about it. I get a feeling from this painting. I think you should get feelings from paintings, don’t you?”
“What kind of feeling do you get from this one?” Kay found herself asking.
“Solitude and distance, but not loneliness. That sounds weird, I know. Maybe it’s nonsense. The picture’s so bleak. You probably meant to do that, and the rocks are so empty of, of—not color—just empty, but in the reflection in the water they come alive, beautiful. Like here. The real thing—” She swept her arm around. “Is naked enough, but…well, your picture just gives me the shivers, in a good way. You know, I’ve never been in the desert before, unless you count Vegas. It really is beautiful here. What I think is so weird is how all the bushes are spaced, as if someone arranged them.”
“Someone once told me creosote bush roots give off an enzyme or something to keep them from growing too close together, so they can have enough water. You know to be careful of the cholla, right? That fuzzy cactus over there?”
“Yes, thanks. JoAnn and Lloyd gave me the heads-up on all that stings, bites and stabs. Friendly country you have here.” She gave a wry grin. “You’re a teacher, too?”
“I teach at an art school in Tucson.”
“Kids?”
“Mostly kids. A few adult classes. I like working with the kids.”
“I want kids.” Olivia smiled bitterly. “R.J. wants to wait a few more years. Each year it’s been maybe next year, when business settles down.” She huffed out a breath, and unshed tears glinted in her eyes. “I’m sorry. I’m talking too much and not letting you paint. I came up here to see you work, not chew your ear off with my issues. I was curious to see how you paint.”
Kay searched for a polite answer. “No problem. But I think the painting might be done for today anyway, and I’m hot. Want to go swimming?” They should check on Mark and see how badly he’d fried himself.
“That water is calling my name. It’s hot enough to fry eggs up here. Let me carry something for you.” Olivia blinked hard and set a smile back in place as she gathered Kay’s folding campstool and cooler. A soft sigh escaped her. “You and Nate, you two really have your relationship together. Clear as day. Do you plan on having kids?”
Kids? Air stuck in Kay’s throat. She collapsed the umbrella and wrapped the bungee cord to restrain the folds. And have their relationship together? And clear? They used to. Now everything was pure fog. Her head swam as she packed up her paint box and she blamed the heat.
Olivia missed Kay’s silent panic. “I used to think R.J. was my Prince Charming, but somewhere, we went wrong, and I just don’t know what to do.” She sighed. “How did you meet Nate?”
“I met Nate here. After Ann and Lloyd got together, they twisted my
Similar Books
