Page 59 of Under the Northern Lights
“It’s so good,” Julia groaned. “And he painted him opposite-handed too. Ugh.”
“It’s not good,” Gage argued. “I’m not even wearing a hat. And I certainly don’t look like I should be selling fish sticks.”
“Oh, I don’t know if I’d say Reed’s painting doesn’t resemble you,” Aurora joined in.
Gage glanced her way with a questioning look.
“You and your brother’s artistic rendering of you are both wearing raincoats and boots,” she explained.
He rolled his eyes and groaned in defeat.
The three men who had joined in threw their heads back in laughter.
“I’m going to return this fish to the kitchen,” Gage announced. “And wash my hands,” he added, not wanting Aurora to think he was leaving because he was upset by her support of Reed’s efforts.
“There are so many stars out this evening,” Aurora said as she sat bathed in the warm glow of the fire pit on the lodge’s back patio. “It’s so beautiful. I’m glad it finally stopped raining so I could experience this.” They’d sat around and visited with his family after the other guests departed following the painting challenge, which had been way more fun than she’d expected it to be.
“You think that’s something,” Gage told her, drawing her back from her thoughts, “you should see the night sky when the Northern Lights are painted across it.”
“I would love more than anything to see them in person, but it doesn’t seem to be in the cards for me this trip,” she said with a sigh. “Mom and Dad always talked about how magical they were when Jade and I were growing up.” She looked his way. “They fell in love under the Northern Lights when they were here.”
He smiled. “I never really thought about them as magical. Maybe because I grew up with them being fairly common in my life. But you’re right, they really are something special to behold. Especially for your parents, it seems. Maybe you’ll have the chance to see them for yourself before you leave for Seattle. There’s still time.”
“I really hope so,” she said softly. “But I’m not going to hold my breath.”
“If they’re as magical as your parents say they are, you just have to believe you will see them before you go home,” he said.
She nodded and lifted her gaze upward once more. The second she did, a shooting star raced across the dark velvet sky. “Did you see that?” she exclaimed.
“I did. Be sure to make a wish,” he replied.
She laughed softly. “I don’t believe in wishing on shooting stars,” she admitted. Not anymore. She’d wished on them so many times before. Always the same silent plea. Aurora wanted to find that one special love. She thought she had found it with Ben, only that wish hadn’t ended up coming true.
“You believe that the Northern Lights are magical but won’t wish on shooting stars?” he said, his curiosity clearly aroused.
“Wishing on them was something I did as a child,” she told him.
“There’s no age limit for wishing. I think you should go ahead and make one. Just in case it decides to come true.”
She sighed. “Okay.” Closing her eyes, she made her wish. Then she looked up at Gage. “Happy?”
His smile lifted a little more. “Happy.”
Aurora shivered and pulled the wool blanket Gage’s mother had given her before they’d gone outside around her tighter.
“Are you cold?”
She shook her head. “No. This blanket and the fire are keeping the evening’s chill at bay. I’m not sure where that shudder came from.”
“Well, if you get cold, just tell me and I’ll turn up the fire. Or we can go back inside,” Gage told her as he joined her in admiring the starlit sky.
“Gage . . .”
He looked her way. “Yes?”
“Can I ask how you met Jess?” Aurora quickly added, “If you don’t mind my asking. I know it’s none of my business.”
He hesitated for a long moment and then shook his head. “For some reason, when it comes to you, I don’t mind opening up about things I don’t normally share with others.”
