Page 49 of A Second Chance

“He’s a nice guy,” Gwen offered.

“And a cop,” she whispered. And Gwen understood what she meant. Avery lived everyday knowing that the love of her life put himself in danger regularly, and so did Rebecca. It wasn’t for the faint of heart.

“You’re here early.” Gwen changed the subject.

“School tour day.”

For a split second, a shot of adrenaline coursed through her veins, then she remembered that she wasn’t taking part this year. It would have been horrible to get caught unprepared, but this year, the elementary school tour comprised learning to paint with Miss Megan and a glass blowing demonstration from Mr. Tristan. “Well, have fun with that,” Gwen said.

“It usually is, even if everything gets covered in paint.”

Gwen laughed, recalling last year’s event. One of the first graders left paint handprints all over the back wall of the art room and another girl dipped her hair in pink paint hoping to dye it.

Lu entered the workroom carrying a bouquet, “Look what someone sent.”.

“Those are so pretty,” Gwen said.

“Where’d those come from?” Megan said.

“They’re for Gwen, but I took a sneak peek at the card.”

Gwen gasped as Lu handed her the cellophane wrapped bundle, she’d never received flowers before. She took in the white daisy’s, pink Peruvian lilies, and orange roses.

“What’s up?” Tristan’s voice caused them all to jump.

“Gwen got flowers delivered,” Megan said.

“Oh, do you have a vase I can borrow?” Gwen asked, in part to distract him. She didn’t want to get into her relationship with Jason in front of them all. Everyone had an opinion on the matter.

He nodded and motioned for her to follow. Unlocking a closet in the hot shop, he opened the door to his storage area for pieces he considered “off”. They were still amazing as far as she was concerned, he’d sell a few of these for a fraction of the price, others he would break down and use in other pieces. He’d given her mom some of the fragments for her artistic endeavors. Tristan was a good guy, and despite his outward appearance, which bordered on homeless, made a ton of money from selling his glass creations. “Pick from these,” he pointed to a shelf of vases.

Gwen stared a half-dozen glass vases of varying sizes and colors. One with a purple swirl pattern caught her eye. “What on earth was wrong with this?” She picked up the hand-blown object and held it up to the sunlight streaming into the shop.

“The fluting is off.”

Gwen rolled her eyes. “It’s so pretty. No one can tell.”

“I can,” he replied, closing the closet door and turning the key in the lock.

“Not everything is high art.”

Tristan laughed. “I guess not… And glass is unpredictable sometimes.”

“Sure,” she nodded in a way she got it. The results of making small glass beads were sometimes unpredictable. The larger pieces, she couldn’t imagine.

“McMillan send you flowers?”

“He did,” she held up the vase, “thanks.” Gwen started back into the workroom with her vase and flowers.

“Are things going well between you two?” Tristan followed. “You need to be careful with him.”

“Yeah, I don’t trust him,” Megan chimed in.

“When he was here for the electricity, you wanted nothing to do with him.”

This was getting far too complicated. Gwen didn’t want to admit any of it to them. “What can I say? He’s one smooth talker.”

“That smooth talker better be good to you. He better not hurt you,” Tristan said.

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