I couldn’t come up with a good excuse to say no.”
Her sister fiddled with the hem of her floral shirt. “I don’t want to stop you from going, but there are things about Dr. Tim you should know.”
“You mean about his wife?”
Holly’s gaze jerked upward. “You’ve already heard that she killed herself?”
Claire nodded.
“And you still want to go out with him?”
Anger tightened the muscles of Claire’s jaw. “Yes.”
“I think you should be real careful. You don’t know what drove her to it.”
“No, and neither do you.”
Holly sighed. “Don’t get all huffy. I’m just concerned.”
Now Claire felt like a heel. “I know, but it seems wrong to pass judgment on someone without knowing all the facts.”
“Do you like him?”
Like
wasn’t the right word. She was strongly aware of him. “Yes, and he cares a lot about Willow.”
“Well, Lord knows I’m not the best judge of men,” Holly said with another sigh. “Anyway, please don’t cancel your dinner. I’d feel horrible knowing you’d missed out on it because of me.”
“It’s no big—”
“Go! The girls and I will watch Disney movies. It’s our favorite Friday-night date.”
Although she knew that was true, Claire was still torn when an idea struck her. “Will you and the girls help me pick out what to wear?”
T HE NEXT DAY , Claire stood in front of the Castillo painting, letting the color and light and movement flood through her and wash away the ugliness of the last couple of days.
“Earth to Claire?”
She jumped and turned at the same time. “Paul! You scared the heck out of me.”
“I called from the front gallery, but obviously you were farther away than just this room.” He stood in the doorway of the secure room, a seersucker jacket hooked on his finger and slung over one shoulder. “What has you so fascinated?”
He strolled up to stand beside her, his lanky frame so similar and yet so different from the teenaged boy she remembered.
“This painting by Julia Castillo. Are you familiar with her work?”
He shook his head as he examined the painting. “It’s nice. Very scenic. Could I afford it?”
“It’s not for sale,” she said, disappointed by his lukewarm appreciation of her treasure. “It belongs to me. Davis says it adds cachet to have it in his gallery. And frankly, it’s gotten so valuable that I don’t want to keep it in my house. There’s a state-of-the-art alarm system here.”
“So I couldn’t afford it.”
“I’d have to see your Form 1040 before I could answer that.”
He grinned. “My accountant tells me I can afford lunch at Food and Folks. Join me?”
“I have an appointment in forty-five minutes,” she said, glancing at her watch, “but that should give us enough time for a sandwich.”
“If that’s all you’ve got, we’ll make it work,” he said.
As they walked the four blocks to the restaurant, Claire felt a smile curve her lips as virtually everyone they passed said hello to her companion.
He deftly avoided being buttonholed by two older men, but made a little boy giggle by producing a quarter from behind the child’s ear. She remembered that Paul had always been good at sleight of hand, hiring himself out as a magician at kids’ parties to earn some extra cash. Some things hadn’t changed.
The café’s hostess knew Paul too and escorted them to a quiet corner table covered with a red-and-white-checked tablecloth.
“I think you should run for mayor,” Claire said after they had placed their orders.
“Been there, done that.”
“Seriously?”
“Two terms. It was good for business, but bad for my social life. Too many committee meetings at night.” Paul was twirling a spoon through his fingers at lightning speed. “I know you weren’t a big fan of Mayor Wickline, so you’ll be happy to know I defeated him when he was running for his fifth consecutive term.”
“Mayor Wickline,” Claire said slowly. “I’d forgotten he became
Her sister fiddled with the hem of her floral shirt. “I don’t want to stop you from going, but there are things about Dr. Tim you should know.”
“You mean about his wife?”
Holly’s gaze jerked upward. “You’ve already heard that she killed herself?”
Claire nodded.
“And you still want to go out with him?”
Anger tightened the muscles of Claire’s jaw. “Yes.”
“I think you should be real careful. You don’t know what drove her to it.”
“No, and neither do you.”
Holly sighed. “Don’t get all huffy. I’m just concerned.”
Now Claire felt like a heel. “I know, but it seems wrong to pass judgment on someone without knowing all the facts.”
“Do you like him?”
Like
wasn’t the right word. She was strongly aware of him. “Yes, and he cares a lot about Willow.”
“Well, Lord knows I’m not the best judge of men,” Holly said with another sigh. “Anyway, please don’t cancel your dinner. I’d feel horrible knowing you’d missed out on it because of me.”
“It’s no big—”
“Go! The girls and I will watch Disney movies. It’s our favorite Friday-night date.”
Although she knew that was true, Claire was still torn when an idea struck her. “Will you and the girls help me pick out what to wear?”
T HE NEXT DAY , Claire stood in front of the Castillo painting, letting the color and light and movement flood through her and wash away the ugliness of the last couple of days.
“Earth to Claire?”
She jumped and turned at the same time. “Paul! You scared the heck out of me.”
“I called from the front gallery, but obviously you were farther away than just this room.” He stood in the doorway of the secure room, a seersucker jacket hooked on his finger and slung over one shoulder. “What has you so fascinated?”
He strolled up to stand beside her, his lanky frame so similar and yet so different from the teenaged boy she remembered.
“This painting by Julia Castillo. Are you familiar with her work?”
He shook his head as he examined the painting. “It’s nice. Very scenic. Could I afford it?”
“It’s not for sale,” she said, disappointed by his lukewarm appreciation of her treasure. “It belongs to me. Davis says it adds cachet to have it in his gallery. And frankly, it’s gotten so valuable that I don’t want to keep it in my house. There’s a state-of-the-art alarm system here.”
“So I couldn’t afford it.”
“I’d have to see your Form 1040 before I could answer that.”
He grinned. “My accountant tells me I can afford lunch at Food and Folks. Join me?”
“I have an appointment in forty-five minutes,” she said, glancing at her watch, “but that should give us enough time for a sandwich.”
“If that’s all you’ve got, we’ll make it work,” he said.
As they walked the four blocks to the restaurant, Claire felt a smile curve her lips as virtually everyone they passed said hello to her companion.
He deftly avoided being buttonholed by two older men, but made a little boy giggle by producing a quarter from behind the child’s ear. She remembered that Paul had always been good at sleight of hand, hiring himself out as a magician at kids’ parties to earn some extra cash. Some things hadn’t changed.
The café’s hostess knew Paul too and escorted them to a quiet corner table covered with a red-and-white-checked tablecloth.
“I think you should run for mayor,” Claire said after they had placed their orders.
“Been there, done that.”
“Seriously?”
“Two terms. It was good for business, but bad for my social life. Too many committee meetings at night.” Paul was twirling a spoon through his fingers at lightning speed. “I know you weren’t a big fan of Mayor Wickline, so you’ll be happy to know I defeated him when he was running for his fifth consecutive term.”
“Mayor Wickline,” Claire said slowly. “I’d forgotten he became
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