Hannah's List (Blossom Street #7)(44)

I had a small table in the room and rolled out the sketch, anchoring it with a paperweight and a book on opposite corners. One look at the ocean scene, and I frowned. She'd drawn a wave and in the crest of it were turtles and tropical fish of all sizes and colors. In the distance beyond the wave, a sailfish leaped into the air. There was a whale in the background.

"This isn't what I want," I said, trying to understand what I found so objectionable. I suspected it was more my attitude toward Macy than the sketch itself. Still, I felt the kids who came into my practice might think it wasn't interesting or whimsical or exotic enough. The mural was meant to entertain and distract them, not provide a zoology lesson.

"Why not?" she challenged.

"I just don't. It's not...kid-themed," I muttered.

"You told me to draw whatever I felt would work, and I did."

"True, and I apologize, but the ocean scene doesn't suit me," I said flatly. "I'd like another alternative." She was right; I'd basically given her free rein, but at the same time I retained approval. "Come up with a different approach."

"Fine," she said shortly. She reached for the sketch and rolled it up. "I don't have a problem with developing something else. However, before I spend several hours putting together a new scene, it would help if I had some idea of what you're looking for."

"I don't know. Zoo animals, I suppose."

"Zoo animals," she repeated, obviously disappointed in my answer. "I can do that...I guess."

"In a jungle scene," I added. "Gorillas, giraffes and lions should do nicely."

"You got it."

"When can I expect to see a new sketch?"

Macy paused, eyes on the ceiling as though mentally reviewing her commitments. "Does Monday afternoon work for you?"

I walked behind my desk to my appointment calendar and nodded, then wrote it in. "That should be fine. Make it 5:00 p.m."

Nodding, Macy stopped on her way to the door. "Are you positive you don't like the ocean scene?"

"Unfortunately, yes." My reaction had been immediate.

"I could throw in a ship. I'd thought of doing that and I didn't, and now I'm sorry."

"I wouldn't have liked it with the ship, either," I told her.

"Harvey liked it...well, as much as Harvey likes anything."

"Is Harvey one of your cats?" I remembered that Macy had several cats. Why that detail stuck in my mind I could only speculate. She talked about them as if they were human, which was odd enough, but soliciting a cat's views on a piece of art...

"Harvey is my neighbor, and he has exquisite taste."

This was apparently a dig at me for disliking the ocean scene. I recalled that she'd mentioned this Harvey in our first phone conversation. "No doubt he does, but it isn't his office where you'll be painting the mural."

"That's too bad," she muttered.

"One day another client might ask you for an ocean scene and you'll have it in your inventory."

She shrugged, but didn't respond.

I steered her toward the door, unwilling to continue the conversation. I wasn't interested in her next-door neighbor's opinion. The only opinion that mattered here was mine, and I didn't want the children who came into my office staring at fish.

"I'll have the jungle scene for your review on Monday," Macy said as she swept out of my office. "At five."

Feeling a twinge of guilt I realized my attitude wasn't entirely fair or open-minded. Macy was simply too...unconventional for me. Too erratic and unpredictable. In any case, I felt I'd done my duty by Hannah. From this point forward I'd concentrate my efforts on Winter and Leanne.

Thinking about Winter, I decided now was a good time to give her a call and thank her for the croissants. I waited until everyone had left the clinic, then closed my office door.

Surprisingly, I felt a sense of anticipation. I tried to think of something Winter and I might do together. I'd taken Leanne to dinner and, while that had been pleasant, I was looking for a different activity with Winter, since she owned a restaurant and eating out might be too much like work for her--too much like checking out the competition.

I called Winter's cell number; she answered on the second ring.

"It's Michael. I wanted to thank you again for the croissants," I began.

"You're very welcome."

She seemed pleased to hear from me, and that was encouraging. "The croissants disappeared so fast I was fortunate to get one." I'd eaten it with my lunch and savored every bite.

"There's always more where those came from," she teased.

I felt utterly inept at flirting, but stumbled ahead. "I was hoping, you know, that the two of us might get together soon."

"Ah, sure. When?"

"How about Sunday afternoon?" I tossed that out, although I didn't have a single idea of what we might do.

"What do you suggest?"

"Well..." I thought for a moment. "If the weather's nice we could ride bikes." This was something Hannah and I used to enjoy. A surge of pain tightened my chest. I was surprised when the memory didn't hurt as much or last as long as I'd come to expect.