Page 61 of Keep Me Close

ChapterTwenty-Five

Hallie

“What do you think?” Jasmine asked, her eyes warm as she smiled over at me.

“I think it sounds great.”

“Ethan and Jack said your exhibition at the gallery in Anchorage did really well and that they showed some of your pieces in Seattle. I think you’ll sell well here. We get a different set of tourists than Anchorage. Also, Ethan and Jack want you to do some photography for their advertising.”

“I’d love to,” I said, meaning it.

A combination of trepidation, anticipation, and pride spun within me. I enjoyed the more artsy photography work, but I also appreciated the marketing work. It offered a different perspective and the chance to flex my creativity.

“So when is your baby due?” Jasmine asked after she set down a notebook.

I took a breath, letting it out quickly. “In just over three months. I can't believe it.”

“Oh, wow, we're due a month apart! Our baby boy is due in just over two months. Donovan's driving me insane. Have you met him?”

I shook my head. “I don't know many people from Willow Brook. I know Chase, and now you and his father and sister, but that’s about it.”

Jasmine smiled. “Willow Brook is a small town. If you end up living here, you’ll get to know lots of people pretty quickly. Gossip is athinghere. I lived away from here for years, and I kind of blocked that part out.” She rolled her eyes. “Donovan is friends with Chase. They're both firefighters. Hotshot firefighting is its own…” She paused, circling her hand in the air. “World, I guess. Donovan's a little overprotective since I’ve been pregnant, and it’s a little much,” she explained, her voice rising in pitch.

I grinned. “I can imagine. Chase and I are… Well, we weren't a couple before, so we’re figuring this out.”

“I love that! Chase is a good guy. It doesn't surprise me at all that he's totally stepping up to the plate.”

Just then, Jasmine's phone rang. She glanced down at the screen. Looking up apologetically, she added, “I really need to take this. This is one of our coordinators for scheduling shows.”

“Oh, go ahead,” I said.

“I'll make sure the kitchen brings out the takeout you ordered for Chase,” she added as she stood.

“Thank you. Where do I pay?”

She shook her head. “You're not paying.”

Before I could even argue the point, she lifted her phone to her ear and waved as she hurried away from the table. I glanced down at my own phone to check my email while I waited for Chase’s takeout. A few moments later, I heard my name. Glancing up, I saw Tiffany approaching.

“Oh, hi, nice to see you,” I offered when she stopped beside the table.

“Hey, what are you doing here?”

“I was having lunch with Jasmine.”

“Oh, that’s right! How’d it go?”

“Great! I’ll be able to show my work here, and I might have lucked into some marketing work for the gallery owners.”

Tiffany glanced around. “Where’s Jasmine?”

“She had to take a call. I'm just waiting for the takeout I ordered for Chase.”

“Can I wait with you?” Tiffany asked.

“Of course. Have a seat.” I gestured to the chair across from me and slipped my phone back into my purse.

She sat down, and we looked at each other for a moment. She burst out laughing as she shook her head. “I'm sorry. This is big. You're with Chase. You two are having a baby. I'm going to have a nephew, and we hardly know each other.”

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