Page 22 of Butterfly Sisters
Meredith seemed to stand taller as she answered, evidently taking Leigh’s question as if Leigh were skeptical of her success when she’d only asked out of curiosity. “I’ve sold fifty-two of my paintings since the gallery opened. At $1,000 a painting. My trip to Paris is paid for. It’s to do a commissioned painting for the actor David Ferguson. He’s decorating his farmhouse outside the city.”
Mama gasped. “TheDavid Ferguson, the one from all those action movies?”
“Oh my goodness. That’s incredible.” Leigh suddenly felt terrible for being so flippant about the fact that Meredith had said she’d need to have a little notice to get things tied up before she left for the cabin.
“I’m so proud of you,” Mama said, clearly still in awe, blinking as if to internalize what Meredith had said, her eyes glistening with emotion.
But instead of happiness, something flashed across Meredith’s face—resentment? “Thank you,” her sister said, straight-faced, not basking in their joy.
“You should be happy, Meredith,” Leigh pointed out. “We’re both so thrilled for you.” As she said it, she inwardly cringed, knowing she’d drawn that invisible line with Meredith on one side and Leigh and her mother on the other.
“I don’t need your approval to be happy,” Meredith said. “I’ve lived without it this long; I definitely don’t need it now.”
“I’m not giving you my approval,” Leigh said, a bite of pent-up anger in her rebuttal.
Mama beamed through her tears. “This is no reason for a fight,” she said, with the same manic happiness she’d had in the days after their father had died. “We shouldcelebrate. Let’s get a bottle of champagne and have the neighbors over. We can enjoy ourselves without the pressure of having just the three of us.”
“It’s fine. You don’t have to go to all that trouble,” Meredith said.
“It’s absolutely no trouble. I’m already thinking of people we can invite. We can also call Colton and tell him if you haven’t already, see if he can come over, too.”
For the first time since she’d stepped onto the porch, Meredith softened at the mention of Colton. “Okay. I’ll call him.”
Leigh couldn’t help the slight envy she felt that Meredith could call up Colton on a whim, yet Leigh had barely even been able to talk to him, and she still had so much to say. She wanted to make sure he knew what a great childhood she’d had because of him. And how she was a better person for having known him. She didn’t want him to think for one second that her memories of him were anything less than wonderful. With Meredith there, she wondered if she’d ever get a chance to tell him. But, as Meredith dialed his number on her cell phone, a tiny smile on her lips, Leigh knew it was her sister’s moment right now, and she wouldn’t let it get the best of her.
“Hey, I’m headed out to find something to paint,” Meredith said, with a knock on Leigh’s doorway.
Leigh looked up from the last-minute studying she’d been doing on her laptop to prepare for her pitch to Greystone Properties. Her sister had a canvas under her arm and a sack-style bag heavy with art supplies crossing her body, paintbrushes peeking out from the top. “I want to see if I can get a few paintings done before the big party tonight. So, I figured I’d let you know where I was going.” She rolled her eyes.
“Thanks.” Leigh shifted away from her computer, leaving it behind her on the bed.
“Where areyouheaded?” Meredith asked, noticing Leigh was dressed in her best linen trousers and tank with matching cardigan and flats.
“I have a meeting for work… local company,” she said, lying just a little. Greystone had no idea she was coming by, but when she’d gotten no response to her message, she figured it was worth popping in.
“Well, we’re both working. I never thought I’d see the day when we werebothdoing the same thing.”
Leigh gave her a half-smile. “Can I ask you something that I’ve been wondering for a long time?”
Meredith waited, her expression expectant.
“Why don’t you like to spend time at the cabin? You’re always rushing out.”
Meredith visibly began to close up, that wall she was so good at raising sliding across her face.
“I’m not judging you,” Leigh scrambled. “I don’t have any opinion on it at all. I’ve just always been curious as to why you stay gone so much, and I’ve never asked.”
Meredith blew air through her lips. “Lots of reasons, but mostly because being in new places energizes me. I don’t even have a house in San Diego where the gallery is. I’m better off in a hammock in the trees somewhere than trapped inside four walls.”
Leigh smiled. “You and I are so different,” she noted.
“Yes, we are.”
A heavy silence fell between them until Meredith filled it. “Well, I’m headed out. Mama’s in plan-mode.” She made a face.
“Oh no. Really?”
“I think she’s called everyone in town.”
