Why Not Tonight (Happily Inc. #3)(70)

“What else is going wrong?”

“I can’t for the life of me get the whole, and I’m using air quotes here, icy lair thing right. Renee’s working on it, too, and we’re stymied. Oh, Silver did a midweek wedding at one of the other venues last night and she called to say she thinks she got food poisoning.”

“Oh, no. That’s awful. How is she feeling?”

“She had to go throw up before she could tell me, so I’m guessing not good. And that’s everything here. You’re coming to the dinner on Friday, aren’t you? I’m looking forward to hanging out with everyone.”

With all five brothers in town, a big family dinner had been planned. Ronan had asked Natalie to go with him. “I’m a little nervous about seeing Aidan, Del and their wives again.”

“You’ll do great. They’re so sweet. I got to know Del and Maya last year when I worked on their wedding. I didn’t spend as much time with Aidan and Shelby, but they seemed really nice.” Pallas laughed. “I’ll make sure you and Ronan sit by us. How’s that? Then if you run out of things to say, you can roll your eyes at me.”

Natalie smiled. “It’s a deal.”

She and her friend chatted for a few more minutes, then hung up. Natalie looked at the clock and knew she had an entire afternoon to fill. The past couple of days, when she finished in the office, she’d simply gone home, but she couldn’t avoid the studio forever. There’d been a disaster, but no one was hurt and her next piece would be even better. The only way to get over her disappointment was to move on.

That was as much of a pep talk as she could manage, so she forced herself to her feet and walked across the parking lot to the studio.

The building was closed and dark. She knew Ronan was working from home and she wasn’t sure where Mathias and Nick were. After unlocking the door, she stepped inside and turned on the lights.

Nothing looked all that different than it had before. All the workstations were just as messy. The huge oven still sat in the far corner. She turned toward her area and saw the big easel was empty, which made her wonder where her canvas was. There was no way the guys would have thrown it out. She’d just assumed it would be waiting for her, all big and burned and ugly.

She looked around the studio but didn’t see it anywhere. She went into the storeroom and saw it leaning up against the far wall. Her heart stopped as she relived the horrifying moment of the first flames consuming her beautiful flowers. The sound of the canvas hitting the concrete floor replayed in her mind over and over again.

But even as the sound filled her mind, she couldn’t help noticing the damage wasn’t total. The top of the canvas had suffered the most and the flowers were burned down to the glue, but at the very bottom they were barely touched and three butterflies were intact. The flowers in the middle had scorched and burned petals, the black contrasting with the vivid colors she’d chosen for her piece. There was, she had to admit, a savage beauty to what was left.

She carried the canvas to her workstation and set it on the easel, then walked back and forth as she studied the canvas. While it still hurt to see the destruction, a part of her knew there might be other possibilities.

She ran her hands across the flowers. Burned bits fluttered to the ground. She did it again, faster this time, until all the loose pieces were gone. The flowers at the top were totally denuded. She would have to do something there for sure. And while she’d always thought she was only going to work with paper on this one, maybe not. Maybe it was time to add something else to the mix.

She dragged her supply cart close and began pulling out drawers and setting them on her desk. Buttons, she thought. Metal. She needed metal. More flowers on the top, but maybe not out of paper. Fabric might be better, with a huge butterfly dominating the middle.

She worked until her back and arms ached. When she finally stopped it was after six and she was exhausted. She hadn’t had anything to eat or drink since that morning, but none of that mattered. Not when she looked at what she’d done.

From the ashes, she thought. In this case, literally. She still had a lot to do, but she could see where she was going. The flowers were the base, but now there was so much more. There was dimension in the piece. Determination.

Her crushed heart opened and joy rushed in. She wasn’t broken or even beaten. She’d regrouped and she would be fine. As for the canvas in front of her...with a little time and love, it would still be her best creation ever.

She put away her supplies, then left the studio, careful to lock the door behind her. She got her bag and went to her car. Nearly a half hour later, she pulled up in front of Ronan’s house. He met her at the door, his gaze questioning.

“Are you all right?” he asked.

She stepped inside, dropped her bag on the floor, then raised herself on tiptoe and kissed him.

“Let’s go do it,” she whispered.

“You don’t have to ask me twice,” he said, pulling her down the hallway.

A quality she could totally respect in a man.





CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

“I’M NERVOUS,” NATALIE WHISPERED.

Ronan pulled into the driveway of Mathias’s house and parked behind a rental car. “We’re alone in my truck. You can talk in a normal voice.”

“I’m practicing for the dinner party later.” She worried her lower lip. “What if they don’t like me?”