“An artist can make the hummingbird any color they want, just like a lizard,” she whispered to Coco.
“Yes, they can,” Josh said from behind her.
“Sweet Lord!” She gasped and almost dropped her paintbrush in the dirt. She’d been so involved with reliving the phone call with her mother that she hadn’t even heard a vehicle drive up in the front courtyard. “You startled me. I wasn’t looking for you to get home for a couple more hours.” She held up the painting. “What do you think?”
“It’s my favorite ever. If I can have it, I’ll give you free rent for the month of August on the trailer,” he said. “I see happiness, and I love the color.”
“It’s yours.” Emma extended her work toward him. It was hard to believe that one little painting had netted her another month in the trailer. Maybe by the time that month was up, this thing with her mother and the money would be settled.
He’s a sweetheart for doing this, she thought as she stole a long look at him while he was studying the picture in his hands.
“Thank you,” Josh said. “We brought sub sandwiches. Come on around to the table and have one with us.”
Emma nodded. “I’m starving, and I’ve got a lot to tell you all about what happened today.” She was so happy that the family was home and she could share everything that had happened that day with them. The news wasn’t as big a thing as when she got to tell them about Sophie’s engagement and the new gallery. But just knowing that she was getting stronger every day made her feel closer to Josh—closer to them all.
Chapter Fifteen
Depression was nothing new to Emma, but sheer restlessness was. Her days had been planned from the time she woke up in the morning until she went to bed at night for so long that she loved her newfound freedom. But this antsy feeling down deep inside her was something she had never experienced.
She watched the sunset that evening from her back porch, but it wasn’t nearly as pretty as the sunrise had been that morning—before the showdown with Jeffrey and her mother.
“That’s it!” She snapped her fingers. “I so wanted her to be sympathetic and say that the rape wasn’t my fault, that maybe she shouldn’t have kept me away from the world so much as a child. I could actually have developed some street smarts. Instead, she excused herself. Nothing has ever been her fault.”
Josh rounded the end of the trailer. “Hey, want to listen to some music this evening?”
“I think I’d rather talk,” she said. “Want a beer or a glass of sweet tea?”
“Beer would be great.” He smiled.
“Come on inside,” she said as she stood up and headed for the door.
She took two bottles of beer from the fridge and handed one to Josh, then motioned for him to sit on the sofa. She took a seat on the other end and sat cross-legged. “I can’t decide if I’m jittery or antsy or what the deal is tonight. I already told you about what happened when Mother called, but I just realized that she’s been unhappy for most of her life. And yet she’s never taken any responsibility for her unhappiness. When something was her fault, she blamed someone else every time. It would be good for her to have to go to court and tell them that she’s robbing me,” she blurted out as she twisted the top off her beer and took a sip.
“I’m not sure I could have faced my father in court if he had decided to protest Harry’s will, but if you have to do that, then I’ll be there for you,” Josh said.
Emma smiled. “That means a lot to me. What if she wins?”
“Then I’ll whisk you out of the courtroom and bring you home to the trailer park.” He grinned.
“You’re funny, but, Josh, I’m really kind of scared about it,” she said. “I was pretty brazen on the phone, but facing her in a court of law is another thing.”
“Sometimes you have to fight for what you want, or what is yours,” Josh said. “You can do this, Em. I know you can.”
“Thank you,” she said. “That gives me confidence.”
“I’m sorry your mama said those things to you,” Josh said. “I know what it feels like to be different in a world of really smart people, but my folks did want a child. Of course, they wanted me to