Page 29 of The Love In Sunsets

“Yeah.” She leaned her hip against the railing. “My grandfather spent a lot of time here painting what you’re looking at now. Most of his work was turned into postcards, greeting cards, that sort of thing, after he died.”

“Do you have any of his work?”

She nodded toward the pink house. “In there.”

“And your aunt paints?”

Another nod. “She’s extremely talented. There’s a three-year waitlist for commissioned pieces by her.”

“That’s incredible. I can’t wait to see some of her work.”

Eloise smiled.

“After I see yours.”

Her grin widened. “Maybe someday. I’m not nearly as gifted as she is.”

“Don’t put yourself down.” Kiel reached up and brushed a strand of her hair off her shoulder. She held his gaze for a long moment before catching her breath.

“Are you hungry?”

“Starving. But I have to ask, do you have a bathroom?”

“Yes,” she giggled. “The only thing I don’t have is a light upstairs.”

“You don’t need it with those skylights.”

“Nope, sure don’t.”

Kiel followed Eloise downstairs. She showed him the bathroom and after he took care of business, he came out and found her sitting at her table for two with menus spread out on the table. He took the seat next to her.

“What’s your pleasure?”

“Do you like seafood?”

“I don’t mind it.” Kiel picked up a menu, read it, and then showed it to Eloise. “Tacos?”

“Tacos it is.”

Eloise didn’t live far from the restaurant. On the way, she called and placed an order for pick up. While they walked, she pointed to a couple of the homes and told Kiel the famous people who lived there, most of whom Kiel had never heard of.

“Do you know what you want to do for a career?”

Kiel shook his head. “Nope. You would think four years at an esteemed institution would give you a path, but I’m literally on the path to nothingness.

“What did you get your degree in?”

“I double majored in economics and chemistry.”

“Where did you go?”

“Cornell.”

Eloise’s mouth dropped open. “Wow, brainiac, huh?”

Kiel’s cheeks flushed. “Not always,” he told her. “Science and math come easy for me.”

“Lucky. I wasn’t that great of a student,” she told him. “When you chose your degrees what did you think you’d end up doing after college?”

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