Page 5 of Wolf's Chance

Glancing up, I saw her dark eyes watching me curiously. “You approached him. And he’s a stranger?” My quick nod caused her to grin mischievously. “So, youdothink he’s hot?”

That brought my head up to look at her. “What?”

“Oh, come on, girl, you wouldn’t have approached a stranger for no reason.” Lily ran a critical eye over me, frowning slightly. “You could be better dressed.”

“It’s nine in the morning.”

“So?” She pointed at her black jean skirt, her shapely, toned legs bare underneath. “This skirt is perfectly fine for a Monday morning but still shows off what the good Lord gave me.”

“You do have amazing legs,” I conceded as I considered my friend. Her skin was a rich deep brown color with a natural warm undertone. Her skin was smooth and luminous, emanating a natural glow. Another contrast between us—where she was dark, I was pale. Lily loved spending time in the sun,where I preferred the shade, or more honestly, the solitude of my art studio.

“And hadyoubeen showing a bit more of what God gave you, you may have kept Hotcakes’ attention longer.”

Swatting my best friend’s arm, I gave her a stern look. “Firstly, I don’t want his attention; secondly, it shouldn’t be what I’m wearing thatkeepshis attention; and thirdly, I donotwant his attention.”

“You said that twice.” Lily didn’t care that I’d scolded her. She was watching me, enjoying my discomfort. “So, Miss I-Don’t-Want-His-Attention, why did you go up to him andgethis attention?”

Looking around the room at the other two occupants, who were over at the far end of the room, talking about their weekend, I still lowered my voice in case they overheard. “I think he’s been watching me.”

Lily’s almond-shaped eyes widened fractionally. “Oh my God, really?” she whispered excitedly.

Stunned, I stared at her. “It’s not agoodthing!” I whisper-hissed. “I mean likewatchingme.”

Lily gawked at me in confusion, causing a frown line to appear. “How do you know?” Checking to see the whereabouts of Peter and Lorna, she moved closer to me. “I’ve never seen that guy in my life. Where did you see him before this morning?”

“Saturday.” Tucking my hair behind my ear, I tried to avoid her eyes as I spoke. “I was at the farmer’s market, and he was there. I saw him because, well, he looks likethat,” I confessed with a blush. “I didn’t think he saw me, but after I got some things, I looked and he was behind me, and just…watching.”

Lily’s nose scrunched up as she listened. “So…you saw him and liked what you saw?” When I made eye contact, she let out a small murmur as she thought about it. “Then he saw you…and maybe he liked what he saw?”

“Yeah. I thought that too.” Opening my artist’s A3 sketch pad, I placed it on my easel. “Then I saw him yesterday, and this time, he was trying not to be seen.” I recalled the feeling of being watched as I went on my morning walk. “It wasn’t until I was coming back from Josie’s that I caught a glimpse of him, and I dunno, Lil…I justknewhe was following me.” Sitting on my high stool, I let out a sigh. “And then this morning, there he was, at the top of the street, just…watching.”

“You went for a walk and got a coffee from Josie’s and walked home?” Lily didn’t look convinced as she summarized the last two mornings. “And then today, you see him again.”

“You’re making it sound like I’m overreacting,” I muttered, straightening up as Peter and Lorna walked over to join us.

My best friend wasn’t one for pulling her punches. “Because I think you are. We live in a small town. We have lots of tourists who come here to hike andwalk. You live a few streets over from Main Street where all the stores are and where the coffee gets sold. Especially to someone who may be camping.”

“So…you think it’s a coincidence?” I saw her nod and I thought of my brief conversation with him this morning. “When I spoke to him, he said he hadn’t been watching me.”

“Well, duh. Even if he is a serial killer, he isn’t going toadmitit.” Lily saw my what-the-fuck look and shrugged it off. “Girl, I said it was probably a coincidence; I didn’t say don’t trust yourgut.”

“You girls okay?”

We both turned to Lorna as she took her seat. Lorna was a woman in her fifties, her two kids were in college, and she had severe empty nest syndrome. She’d signed up for art classes to get her out of the house before she drove her and her husband to divorce. That was what she’d told me when she came in for the first lesson. She’d also signed up for Zumba classes, and baking classes at the community center, and I was sure I heard her tell Lily she was thinking of learning Spanish.

Going from a mom supporting two kids who had full extracurricular activities to a stay-at-home mom with no one to rely on her had been a culture shock she wasn’t prepared for. Now she was filling up her days with classes, learning skills she hadn’t had time to learn when she had her kids at home.

I’d learned all that from her within the first five minutes of meeting her. Within the first three, I knew what she wasn’t saying: she was lonely. Lorna was also one of the sweetest women I’d ever met. Terrible painter, but she gave it her all and enjoyed it, and that was all that mattered.

“All good, Lorna,” I told her with a smile. “How was the weekend?”

Lily huffed but said nothing else as I turned my attention from the mysterious stranger to my two students, well, three if you included Lily.

The morning flew by. I’d bought some wildflowers from the market over the weekend, and I had them arranged in a vase for my students to draw for this lesson. Still art was an acquired practice. So many thought it was about replicating what was in front of you. Many forgot that it was aninterpretationof whatyou saw. I walked amongst the three easels now and again, giving pointers and admiring their efforts.

Lorna, straight and true, saw nothing but the flowers. Her brow creased with concentration as she did her best to match the shade of the paint on her palette to the color of the wildflowers.

Peter, middle-aged and slightly too generous with his hugs, concentrated more on the effect of light and shadow than the flowers themselves, creating a more sinister effect than I think he was hoping for.

---