Page 5 of The Bad Boy's Homecoming
“He can afford it, honey—no family discounts,” his gran said, finally setting down her knitting.
“Thirty, and I provide custom framing.”
“Thirty thousand?”he asked.“A piece that took you a few hours and, what, a few hundred dollars’ worth of supplies?”
“How much do you make for a few hours of work?”
He nodded and the right side of his mouth pulled up to show off a deep dimple she hadn’t noticed earlier.
“But this one isn’t for sale,” she said.Walking closer to the piece, she scanned the waves of yellow and red that looked like two orbs fighting some type of battle.“Nope, I think I’ll keep this one.”
“I’ll give you forty thousand for it,” he countered.
“Not everyone has a price, Mr.Hart.”She turned and tossed the rag she’d been twisting onto her paint stand.“I’m taking a break for the rest of the day, Mrs.Hart.Did you want to go into town with me?”
“No thank you, honey, you take your time.Tell your brother I said hello.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She didn’t risk another look at Levi.He was too gorgeous and saw right through her walls.She needed to avoid him.
CHAPTER FOUR
Levi
Chasing Something New
He didn’t knowhow long he stood staring at Missy’s pain, painted in dashes of yellow and swirling reds.But the sound of the front porch screen door snapped him out of it, just in time to see her head out of the house.Suddenly he had a hankering to go into town too.
“Where are you going?”his gran called from the living room where she’d moved to sit and read.
“Town.You wanna go for a ride?Or we could go for a walk on the beach if you’re up for it?”
“It’s a bit chilly today for me, even in the sun.But you better make sure you see your brother while you’re in town.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“You can bring me back some fresh bread and flowers on your way home, too, if you’re ready to start apologizing,” she called out to him.
He opened the front door but looked back at her over his shoulder.“What am I apologizing for again?Because I know I sent you a case of your favorite whiskey for your birthday.”
She smiled wide.“Yes you did, and you were my favorite grandson that day.But you haven’t called in weeks and you didn’t let me know you’d be coming home.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Let’s see if you forgot my other favorites too.”
“No, ma’am, just text me if you think of anything else you need.”
By the time he made it out front, Missy and the beat-up sedan he’d seen in the driveway were gone.His black Porsche 911 sat waiting for him in the shade of his favorite tree.When they were kids they’d hide in that tree and try to sneak up on their dad when he arrived home from work.He’d usually play along and they all ended up in a pileup.Now the old weeping willow lived up to its name, because it made him sad to think too much about those memories.His parents had been gone for almost as long as he’d had them, but it always felt fresh when he was home.
His dad was part of the reason he’d always been so obsessed with baseball.It had been the sport they both loved.And he’d wanted to keep that feeling of being close to his father when he went pro, but like a lot of things in life it wasn’t exactly what he’d thought it would be.He pushed the accelerator and picked up speed as he drove away from the big Hart House and back into Sandy Point.He knew exactly who he needed to see, but he’d been dreading this conversation for six months.
CHAPTER FIVE
Missy
Missing You
