Page 108 of Brooke
That jolted him. Surely she couldn’t have known…
“She had a toast for us, but Jean Luc just got off the phone with the real estate agent. Brooke—well, she and Axel—got the property she wanted. We were going to toast them. Isn’t that great?”
“Dude, that was fast,” he said, swallowing thickly when everyone stopped talking and turned to look at him. And then the covered painting in his trembling hands. Because the carrier was pretty obvious.
He caught Axel’s slow smile. Sawyer felt a burst of fire whoosh through his belly. He had to take this next step. He had to show Nanine what he’d done.
She would decide what to do after that.
His gait was stiff but determined as he made his way toward her. She had a warm smile on her face, but he caught the assessing look in her eyes. Had she noticed the line of sweat trailing from his temples?
“You okay, Doc?” Dean asked before someone shushed him.
Almost wanting to slam his eyes shut and thrust the painting out before running from the room, he made himself lower the carrier against his legs. Drawing out the painting so it faced him, he gripped it against his body and found Nanine’s big brown eyes, ones that had given him fits while painting them.
“I have something for you,” he said, his voice a harsh rasp of sound. “I…I didn’t want Nanine’s not to have you, so I did this. You can hang it in the restaurant, or you can toss it into the Seine—like I almost did a few times.”
She stepped forward slowly in her elegant gait, the green and golds in her brown eyes growing brighter. Probably fromthe light from her soul, he thought. “My dear boy. Turn the painting around for me to see.”
His grip slipped to the left as he did as she asked, before he rebalanced it in his hands. A few shocked gasps filled his ears before dead silence reigned.
He wanted to turn his face away and hide from her initial expression, but his soul grabbed him in a headlock and wouldn’t let go as he beheld her reaction.
If he were painting her now, he’d use lighter colors to showcase the awe on her face and then a darker hue around her mouth, which opened in surprise before she lifted a hand to press against her lips.
Her shocked gaze flew to his. “Oh, Sawyer! It is the most exquisite thing I have ever seen.”
Something was welling in his eyes, in tune with hers, so he jerked his shoulder. “It’s only how I see you, Nanine.”
“Then I am a very lucky woman indeed,” she practically whispered, lifting the leaden feeling in his body, opening a door to heaven. His whole frame seemed to levitate off the ground at her words. He could practically hear the angels singing in his ears. “Will you let someone hold the painting so I may embrace you?” she asked, her voice filled with love.
His head managed to nod and then someone was gripping the painting with him. Kyle, he realized, who’d had his back earlier, gripping his shoulder as he’d hung his first painting in public. At Nanine’s.
Because it had all started and ended at Nanine’s. And with the woman herself.
“You can let go, Sawyer,” Kyle assured him, his voice shot with assurance. “I’ve got her.”
He had to peel his fingers off one at a time before stepping back. Kyle moved to the side. Nanine appeared in front of him then, her soft hands cupping his face.“Je l’adore, Sawyer. Merci.”
I love it. Thank you.
Her heart was in every word. He blew out a heavy breath, relief making him light-headed. “Man, you have no idea how glad I am about that, Nanine.”
A tear spilled down her face the moment before she embraced him, her whole being shining with a love so strong, it seemed to seep into him. Like he imagined sunlight did to human skin. He closed his eyes, her beloved Chanel No. 5 drifting into his nose. His arms brought her closer, and for a moment, the whole world was perfect.
He imagined there would never be another moment so perfect.
When she finally pulled away, she caressed his face and pushed up his glasses gently, pressing down his wild, sweaty hair. They shared a watery laugh. “I’m a total mess,” he muttered, swiping at his sweaty temples.
“Never.” She took his hand aside and gripped it. “What you are is one of the bravest people I have ever met.”
Words caught in his throat. Someone shoved a champagne flute in his free hand. He turned to see Dean beside him, a megawatt grin on his face. His other roommates moved in around him as Nanine stepped back, dispensing male bear hugs from the guys and sweet kisses and perfume-scented embraces from the girls. He shared a quiet look with Axel before Nanine lifted her glass.
“I have a toast, one I plan to conduct again when Madison is with us.” She put her hand to her heart. “To all my Courses, and tonight, to the new Nanine’s and the beautiful paintings shining so brightly on her walls by our beloved Fourth Course.”
“Hear, hear!” Dean called along with a few others.
They raised their glasses, and Sawyer savored the cool bubbles on his tongue. Nothing had ever tasted so sweet.
