My Almost Ex (The Greene Family #2) - Piper Rayne Page 0,68
so good coming from his mouth.
After we clean the brushes and I say goodbye to Ivy and the other helpers, we turn off the lights to the room and walk out of Northern Lights Retirement Center hand in hand.
“Do you ever regret not going to school for art?” I ask.
He sighs. “Don’t go rethinking all my life choices again. I told you, I’m happy.”
“But it’s not too late, you know. You could still do it.”
He opens the passenger side truck door and kisses my nose. “I like my job. I’m happy where I am.”
He shuts the door, and when he slides into his seat, he puts the picture in the back seat.
“It’s just a suggestion,” I say.
He starts the truck. “I will say this. I haven’t drawn a thing in over a year. That felt good tonight. But what came out when I put pencil to paper is the most important thing in my life right now, and that’s you.”
“But, Adam…”
He shakes his head, putting the truck in gear. “Don’t overthink this. I was never meant to be an artist. It’s just a hobby I enjoy.”
Then he pulls out of the parking lot, and there seems to be a finality to the conversation I don’t like. Is this why I set up the art nights behind his back? God, please tell me I didn’t leave him so he’d go be an artist in LA and we lost an entire year for nothing?
As good as things are between us, I know I wouldn’t have left without a good reason.
It’s been a month since Lucy and I decided to be together again, and things are going great. I’ve yet to sleep in the master bedroom and she hasn’t pushed me, although I’ll find her in there sometimes, reading her journals or staring at pictures of us. Not a lot of memories have surfaced since Marla ambushed Lucy at their house and she recalled our wedding. For the most part, I’ve made my peace with the fact that we may never find out what caused her to leave, but that’s only because she’s a different Lucy now. The same still, but different. More open.
We’re at my brothers’ brewery today and they’re telling her how they’re going to name a beer after her.
“It’s going to be called Lucy Takes Flight. We’ll give them five different kinds of beer in small glasses.” Jed places the setup in front of Lucy.
She glances at me before saying to Jed, “You’re going to name something after me?”
“You’re an ass,” I say, shaking my head.
His forehead wrinkles. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“The name?” I raise my eyebrows. “Lucy Takes Flight.” He and Lucy still look at me confused. “Referencing how she skipped town…”
“Jesus it’s called that because it’s a flight of beer, you idiot.” He shakes his head at me.
“Oh, sorry.” Lucy’s frowning at me and I feel like an ass for assuming the worst.
“Anyway, moving on,” Jed says. “We had Mr. Sanders make wooden planks for the flights.”
Her hand falls over her heart and she glances at me and back at my brothers. “That’s so sweet!” She leans over and hugs them both.
“It’s going to be the hit of the season,” Jed says and points at the first glass. “So you have our Razzle Dazzle, Naked Digger, Melting Heart, Limp Donkey, and No Stout For You.”
“I think this is just their way of not making a beer for the season,” I say, crossing my arms.
“Well, we toyed with Minderaser but didn’t think it would sell. When Lucy came in to figure out which beer she liked best, the lightbulb went off,” Cade says.
“Technically Molly thought of it,” Jed says.
Cade rolls his eyes. It feels like he wants to say more but doesn’t. I’m not sure what that’s about, but if Jed’s messing around with Molly, heads are gonna roll and Nikki’s gonna be the one holding the ax.
“I love it.” Lucy picks up Melting Heart.
“That’s ours. Mine and Presley’s.” Cade smiles.
“It is not. It’s from the duo night,” Jed says with a scowl.
“I made that beer for her, it’s ours.”
My brothers walk away, bickering about who the beer belongs to.
“They’ll never stop fighting over who makes the best beer this place sells.” I nod toward the Melting Heart in her hand. “That was their best seller last year.”
“I love the apricot taste.” After she sips it, I lean over to kiss her.
“So, I was thinking…” I begin the conversation I’ve started in my head a million