My Vargas jewels gave a little throb. And not because they just got nailed with a purse. Maybe she wasn’t as immune to me as I thought.
“Got a big day planned?” I asked, hoping she’d share more about her day, like she had yesterday after she got home, just before everything went to hell.
Shaking her head, she spun the cap on her thermos. “Nothing too big. The kids are still sleeping. I’ll be home by three so I can take them to Max’s therapy appointment this afternoon. You’ll have plenty of time to get to Young Wills. I’m still not sure about Ryla trying another new thing. A few weeks ago she got kicked out of the YMCA swimming lessons. Maybe Ryla could go on Thursday, but I’m on call so I don’t know. Or maybe it’d be better in the fall. I have to think about it. If you have any questions, it’s all in the—” her eyes darted to Barry on the island next to her—“schedule.”
Shoot. Itwaswhat I said about the schedule that spooked her last night. “I’ll make sure the kids are all ready to go when you get home. And we’ll get everything on the checklist done, don’t you worry!”
With a thin smile, she turned to walk down the hall, her long legs eating up the floor until she was out of sight.
My Vargas jewels gave another little throb.
Yeah, you and me both.
* * *
When I pulled into the high school parking lot for Young Wills practice that night, I spotted a familiar forestry truck. The truck’s tailgate was down and Jethro Winston, Sienna’s husband, was attempting to unload a large tribal mask that looked similar to the mockup we’d designed for our set. The kids were putting onThe Lion King Jr.for their end of summer performance and having a blast.
“Hey, Jethro,” I called out as I walked up next to him.
“Jace.” Jethro nodded.
“Whoa, get a look at these.” I shook my head, studying the masks in the truck bed. At least three feet tall and two feet wide, the three masks appeared to be made from solid wood. Each was decorated with metal pieces soldered together in an intricate tribal pattern. These were clearly a work of art; being more fitting for a museum rather than a set piece for a kids’ musical.
I glanced up at Jethro. “Is that real metal?”
“Yup. We got an artist in the family. Shelly said to tell y’all that she saw the design and made some improvements on it.”
“It looks better than anything I could do. Seems heavy though. Want some help?”
“Nah, I got it.” Jethro grunted when he tried to lift one of the masks, then set it down. “Actually, if you wouldn’t mind picking up that side, Jace,” he directed as we went about buddy lifting it. The mask had to weigh at least a hundred pounds. And there were two more in the truck.
We were breathing heavily, having just gotten the third and final mask through the entrance, when I heard a familiar voice from the hallway behind us.
“Well, if it isn’t two of my favorite men.” Sienna, lovely as usual, walked over to us. “Look at that thing. The picture did not do it justice. How many did Shelly make?”
“Three of ’em.” Jethro pointed to the two masks we’d set in the corner already.
“Jace, thank you so much for helping.” Sienna flashed her typical dimpled smile at me, then patted my cheek. As she bent to study the masks more closely, Jethro cleared his throat. Sienna turned her head to him, a wrinkle in her brow.
“Didn’t carry it all by himself, did he?” Jethro grumbled, toeing the ground. Sienna laughed and went over to him, giving him a quick kiss, stroking his cheek. “Thank you, my love.”
Looking appeased, Jethro rubbed his hands together gesturing to the masks. “So, where do you want ’em?”
Sienna, who’d gone back to studying the masks, waved her hand toward the auditorium. “On the stage. Wow, she really outdid herself.”
I cleared my throat. “Has uh, this artist ever made a set design piece before?”
Sienna looked up at my question. “I’m not sure, why?”
“Well, this weighs, what would you say,” I looked to Jethro who scratched the back of his head, “a buck? Maybe a buck ten?”
Jethro nodded in agreement.
Sienna narrowed her eyes, understanding the problem. “Oh.”
Jethro looked between us. “What is it?”
“They’re too heavy for the kids to move on and off stage between the scenes,” Sienna answered, pointing at the masks.
