“We just been spendin’ too much time together, and, woman”—he shook his finger at Filly—“don’t be a tattletale. Is Teddy going to come see us in a couple of weeks?”
“Yep, hopefully,” Sophie said. “He’s in Europe right now setting up things for my showing.”
“I can’t wait to see him,” Filly said. “If I was twenty years younger, I’d take that man away from you.”
“You’d have to be forty years younger and a helluva lot prettier.” Arty snorted as they walked back toward the supper table.
Emma’s eyes widened, so big that for a split second Sophie thought she might faint right there beside the SUV. Sophie looped her arm through Emma’s and led her toward the trailer. “They banter like that all the time. They aren’t serious, and they aren’t fighting.”
They walked up the porch steps, and Sophie threw the door open.
“I’ve never been around anyone like that,” Emma said. “I’m sorry if I embarrassed you.”
“You didn’t embarrass me.” Sophie gave her a hug. “You’re just used to folks who are so uptight that . . .”
Emma giggled. “As uptight as a bull’s butt during fly season. That was one of Rebel’s sayings, and I always thought it was funny. Mother would shiver all the way to her toenails if she saw me eating from red plastic bowls out of a communal pot of chowder. And was that a bumblebee flitting around on the chocolate cake?”
“Victoria isn’t here, and what she thinks doesn’t matter on Hummingbird Lane,” Sophie told her. “I’m going out to get our things. Take a look around and acquaint yourself with everything. I’ll be right back.”
She found Josh standing at the bottom of the stairs when she went outside. “I hope it’s all right that I brought a roommate with me.”
“It’s your trailer. You can do what you want while you are here. Need some help?” he asked.
“I never turn down help.” Sophie smiled. “Just the suitcase and the tote bag tonight. I’ll take care of the art supplies tomorrow. They’re in the back seat. And thanks, Josh.”
He kept his eyes on the ground. “Glad you’re here.”
“It’s good to be back,” Sophie said. “Just set them on the porch.”
Emma was standing in the doorway, and Josh stole a sideways look at her. His body language and the fact that he averted his eyes said that he was as uncomfortable as Emma was. “I’ll just set your things on the porch and then get on back to have dessert.”
“Thank you so much.” Sophie smiled again.
Emma took a step away from the open door when Josh set the bags down, and then he made a hasty retreat back to the picnic table. His orange Crocs caught her eye. She had always wanted a pair of those, but her mother said they were ugly. Any guy who wore orange shoes had to be all right.
Her mouth watered at the thought of having a piece of that cake. She couldn’t remember the last time she had cake or sweets of any kind. Her mother said that fresh fruit was much better for her than sweets, and the center where she’d been for weeks served fruit for dessert.
“Oh!” Emma gasped as she crossed the small living room to look out the sliding glass doors at the mountains in the distance. Look at that sunset. Sophie should paint that picture. It takes my breath away, she thought as she pushed the doors open and inhaled the night air. “There’s a porch and chairs.”
“So, you like it?” Sophie startled her when she slipped an arm around Emma’s shoulders. “I will be setting up my easel out here for the next few weeks, because I’m going to paint what you are looking at. I have three paintings planned. A night scene, one with a sunrise, and then the same at midday. I’ve already shipped the pictures for the showing in Europe, but hopefully if they want another showing next year, I’ll have these for then. What do you think, Em? Think you could find your way back to painting on this porch?”
“Maybe . . . someday if I can . . .” She shook her head and stammered, “I don’t know who I am anymore. I have . . . to know . . . what inspires me before I can pick up the brushes. I love your idea for all three of those paintings. Is there really nothing between here and those mountains? I mean, like, houses or