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“See you later, Mother,” Presley said as we walked toward the truck.
I opened her door, and she slipped inside, and I came around the driver’s side and got behind the wheel before pulling down the driveway.
“Sorry about that.” She looked out the window as the words left her mouth.
“You don’t need to apologize to me. I know it’s not personal. She doesn’t appear to like anyone.”
She laughed. “My dad and I had this heart-to-heart about her, and I’m trying to see things through her eyes, but it’s not easy.”
Presley proceeded to tell me about how her mother hadn’t wanted kids, and she didn’t think she’d be a good mother, but she knew how much Frank wanted a child. I listened as she filled me in on all that he’d shared.
“Well, I have to say, she raised one hell of a daughter, and regardless of the way she has behaved most of the time, she brought you into the world. For that alone, I can’t dislike her.”
“Wow, that’s quite possibly the sweetest thing you’ve ever said to me.” She winked, and I helped her out of the truck before she followed me to the front door.
“Then you better buckle up, because I’m about to top it.”
We stepped inside, and she tugged at my hand until I turned around to face her. “Does this surprise involve you being naked?”
“You can’t get enough of me, can you, baby?” I leaned down and kissed her forehead. “Trust me. I want you naked really badly, but I want to show you something first.”
“Fine. I’ll have my way with you later.”
I took her hand and led her up the stairs to the loft.
“What is this?” she asked, as she gaped at the room.
“It’s a place for a raven to spread her wings and fly.”
twenty-one
Presley
My ex-husband hada lot of money. I’d grown up in a family that had a lot of money. My parents had bought me cars and clothing and fancy trips around the world. Wes had gifted me art that I didn’t really care for and jewelry that was not even my style but had cost a fortune.
But this.
I had no words.
This was by far the most thoughtful gift I’d ever received.
I shook my head as I looked around. There was an easel with a large canvas resting there and a table beside it with every color paint imaginable. Several brushes sat beside the paint, and there was a painter’s smock sitting on the stool in front of the easel. There was a smaller easel beside it, with a matching table and some finger paints and watercolors on that one. A matching smock rested on the chair there, as well. There were a few packages of M&M’s sitting beside the paints. He’d thought of everything.
Cage moved to open the French doors that were directly in front of the setup, and a light breeze bustled in as I looked out at the cove in the distance.
There were tall trees in every color and shade of green. The sky was a perfect turquoise blue today with swirls of white clouds, and the sun was a gorgeous mix of yellow and orange.
“I can’t believe you did this. It’s stunning.”
“Yeah? I thought maybe you could spend your last few weeks here. You can come and paint whenever you want to. Hell, you can be here when I’m at work and Gracie’s at school. Maybe this will help you get inspired to paint that mural for Lola.”
A lump so thick formed in my throat, making it difficult to breathe.
“And I can teach Gracie to paint.”
“I sure as fuck hope so, because you’ve got that girl dreaming of horses and talking about becoming a jumper. Let’s push the paints, all right?”
This man. He was all tough on the exterior and soft beneath that hard shell.
