Sweet Joymaker (Indigo Bay Christmas Romances #3) - Jean Oram Page 0,41

him around town? It was going to be so awkward.

Pulling herself out of the daze, Maria moved to the stack of finished bags outside her bedroom. She smoothed her hand over one where she’d painted a palm tree bending in the wind. Clint had revived something in her, and even if she couldn’t have him, she decided she’d keep what he’d restored within her.

With her jaw set, Maria grabbed her purse. There was one more thing she had to do before she left Indigo Bay.

She arrived at Seaside Cycles out of breath, her mind whirling with inspiration. She collected an airbrush kit from one of the shop assistants, Liam. He gave her a few tips, then watched as she tested it out. Satisfied she wouldn’t destroy the scooter, he turned her loose. She attacked the scooter, praying she didn’t mar its perfect paint job with her own additions.

Two hours later she stretched the kinks out of her back and admired her work. Not flawless by any means, but her custom painting was raw and full of life.

A deliriously happy, fat mermaid settled herself on a rock as waves crashed around her, mid-storm. She looked strong, and somehow slightly surly.

It was perfect.

And then Maria began to cry.

Out on the street, she collected herself and called the one person she knew would understand. The one person who could help her sort through the confusion and pain that was making her heart ache like it never had before.

“He said what?” Fiona said into the phone, so loudly that Maria lifted her cell away from her ear and lowered the volume. Fiona’s voice mellowed as she said to someone in the diner, “I’m on the phone. You can wait for a top-up.”

“I can call back later,” Maria offered.

“No, you called me at the diner, which means it’s important. Garfield can wait for more coffee.” She said it firmly, as though daring the old man to argue with her.

“Way to lay down the law,” Maria said with a chuckle.

“It’s the only way to handle the opposite sex. Show them who’s boss.” There was a sassy flirtatiousness to her tone, and Maria wondered what her friend was playing with. She knew things weren’t good with her husband, William, but Fiona wasn’t the type to step out on her marriage. Not even for the persistent and sweet Garfield, a man half the town was rooting for.

“Clint wants to get serious. He’s saying he knows I’m the one for him.”

“And?” There was a tremor of excitement in Fiona’s voice.

“What do you mean, and? We were supposed to be having fun, enjoying some adventures, and now he’s getting serious and acting as though I need to change my life for him.” Her voice grew louder, and she lowered it even though there was nobody sharing the empty sidewalk in front of Seaside Cycles.

“I understand,” Fiona said smoothly. “You’ve centered your life around others for a long time. You definitely don’t want anyone in your family to be inconvenienced by you taking what you want for once.”

“Exactly!” Maria said, before pausing. “What?”

“People will be inconvenienced if you follow your heart and date Clint. Your boys will have to get over the fact that you, too, have a life, and that includes having wants and needs.”

Maria shut her eyes. Her friend was twisting things around.

“Moving on is hard,” Fiona said. “I understand that. It takes courage. You know some folks will be unhappy if you follow your heart, and they’ll be unhappy if you don’t.”

Maria had a feeling her friend was talking about her own situation with her bear of a husband.

“What if you follow your heart and make everyone unhappy? And then it doesn’t even work out because you were rushing into things?” Maria said.

“Valid point. You could lose either way. But sometimes you have to take what you need and tell everyone else to go to—” There was a crash. “Oops. Dropped some plates.”

“I should let you go.”

“No, it’s fine. They’re not going to get any worse than they already are now—broken.”

“Why can’t this be easy?” Maria’s heart ached and her eyes welled with tears.

“Because you’re used to being the good wife, the good mom, the good rancher, the good friend. It’s natural for you to put others first.”

Maria sighed. She’d been hearing that a lot lately.

“Maybe it’s time to switch your priorities,” Fiona said.

“It’s not about that,” Maria said. Putting herself first would no doubt make her feel selfish and greedy.

She caught herself. That was really twisted, and