Page 68 of The Love Ambush
She shudders against me. “I don’t know if I should.”
It twists something deep inside of me that she’s decided doing something she loves isn’t allowed. She’s clearly been way too strict with herself, and I fully accept the job of reminding her how to have fun again. “Of course you should. It’s okay to have something for yourself.”
She hugs me tighter. “I’m afraid if I start again, I won’t be able to stop and, Levi, I forget everything when I paint. I forget the world around me. I can’t be a good guardian if I lose myself to painting.”
“I promise I won’t let that happen.” Though, I definitely intend to push her to do what makes her happy more often.
“You can’t make that promise.” She shivers again, then tilts her head back and looks up at me. “You really did this for me?”
“Of course. I could hear in your voice how much you missed it the other night, and Josephine is friends with the gallery owner. She deserves most of the credit.”
She pops onto her toes and kisses me quickly. “Thank you.”
I keep an arm around her shoulders as I turn us and open the gallery door. I expect her to ask where she’s been set up to paint, but she takes her time looking at each photograph and painting and collage on the walls. She asks the gallery owner, Holly Winslow, a million questions.
I love to see her so excited, but I’m yawning and bored out of my mind about twenty minutes in.
“You can go,” Holly says when she notices my boredom. “I’ll help Gentry with everything she needs.”
I hadn’t really thought about what I’d do while Gentry painted. “Do you want me to stay?” I ask Gentry.
She barely glances up from the sculpture of a railroad track she’s staring at. “Hmmm?”
“Do you want me to stay and watch you paint?”
Her expression is so horrified, I immediately know her answer.
I hold up a hand. “No problem. I’ll find something to keep me busy. Text me when you’re ready to go back to the farm?”
“Thank you, Levi.” She gives me a quick, hard hug, and goes back to the sculpture.
As soon as I’m outside, I send a quick text to Sophie, telling her to let me know when the movie’s over and not to contact Gentry. She must still be in the theater, because she doesn’t respond.
I also text Brodie, letting him know to leave Gentry alone and to get in touch with me if he needs anything. I should have just taken Gentry’s phone, but then she’d have no way to reach me when she’s done.
And now, I’ve got nothing to do, nowhere to be, and I have no earthly idea what to do with myself. So, I call Deacon to check in on the business.
“Oh, now you decide to call me back,” Deacon says.
“Did you call?” I know he called. He’s also texted. I hacked into his account and made him the contact for all the dating website matches, because I want nothing to do with this impending shitshow of a prank.
“I’m going to blame this whole thing on you if this goes bad.”
“Is it going bad?” The part of me that loves drama and would love to see Deacon get the bad end of this prank is rubbing its hands together in delight.
“I saidifit goes bad, idiot. I know you’re over there hoping to see this blow up in my face, but I’ve got a woman on the hook who seems perfect for our grumphead Sebastian.”
Grumphead? Deacon always has had a colorful way with words. “So, when’s the first date?”
“Uh, I don’t know yet. I’m still chatting with her to make sure she’s the right one and to prepare her for Sebastian. If we send her in blind, she’ll run in the opposite direction like a black snake who just bumped into my steel-toed boot.”
“You mean slither?”
“You know what I mean. She seems great.”
“So, you’ve told her she’s not actually talking to Sebastian and you’re telling her how great he is?”
“I’m not going to admit to her this is a set-up right out of the gate. No way she’ll stick around.”
