Page 86 of The Seven Rings
“Okay, let’s put that all away now, and get back to work.”
She worked another two hours, and toward the end heard the bounce of the ball.
When it stopped, so did she.
She went down, found Yoda in the kitchen enjoying a beef stick.The cat sat on a stool, washing herself. Which meant she’d likely had a treat, too.
And on the island, Sonya found a treat for herself.
Jack had obviously made use of the art kit she’d bought for him.
He’d painted the three dogs, sitting together in the backyard: Jones, with his eye patch and muscled little body; Mookie, floppy ears, goofy grin; Yoda, big eyes shining.
And the cat, sitting in front of her subjects like a queen.
He had the lush flow of hydrangeas to the right, and the lush green mystery of the woods behind.
“This is wonderful. And it’s really good work, too. You got their proportions, and that’s not easy. Most of all, it’s just sweet.”
She did what her parents had done with her childhood art. She put it on the fridge.
“This right here, things like this are a reminder why figuring out how to take Dobbs down and out is so important.”
They’d done it with Brandon Wise, she reminded herself, and they’d damn well do it with Hester Dobbs.
When she opened the back door, both cat and dog decided to join her. With them, she toured the gardens. Then she went to the shed, got a basket, clippers.
Why have a garden, she thought, if you couldn’t take some of it indoors? She took time to select what she thought would make a pretty arrangement for the table in the kitchen, and with one of Anna’s vases in mind for it.
When she wandered around the side of the house, she nearly cheered.
“Look at this! We’ve got our first tomatoes. The little ones.” She started to pluck them off, stopped.
“No, Cleo planted them. She should have the honor of picking the first ones. All three of them.”
Happy and relaxed, she circled the house toward the sea.
And when she caught sight of a whale sounding, far, far out, deemed it a perfect day.
She imagined Cleo was sailing back by now, or had docked andwas on her way home. She expected Trey might be finishing up work for the day, and Owen as well.
She knew Cleo planned a simple summer dinner, and that suited her just fine.
And considering all, she thought as she walked, it was time for a weekend barbecue, with the Doyles. Maybe her mother could drive up for the weekend and make it perfect.
Easy, family-style. Burgers and dogs, corn on the cob.
Thinking of it, she walked toward the seawall. The cat leaped up on it, gazed out as Sonya did.
“I should’ve brought the binoculars. If Cleo’s sailing back, maybe we could spot her.”
Pulling out her phone, she checked the time.
“No, she’s in the car by now. It’s later than I thought.”
The phone in her hand exploded with Pink Floyd’s “Run Like Hell.”
“What? Why?”
