“And you feel inspired in here?” Emmalyn asked, already knowing the answer to her question.
Daisy turned around and smiled at Emmalyn. “So inspired. I want to clean it up, paint the outside blue — a pretty, calming blue. I want it to have the appearance of a little cottage full of wonder and good feelings. I want it to look like a painting itself, with colors, and flowers and maybe I can even put a small porch on the front. Kids can set up easels out there and paint if they want to. And in here I want to take full advantage of these great windows and not put anything over them to block the natural light coming in through them. I can put shelves on the walls in all the rooms to store supplies. I can have easels on this side for the painters and tables or desks for sketchers. I can have the other two rooms set up for sculpture or any other medium the kids show interest in. Of course the classes wouldn’t be all at once, but certain days for certain classes, unless of course the student is more advanced and can work on their piece themselves.”
“You could tear down the walls and have one large room so you could oversee all of it at one time.”
Daisy’s eyes widened and her mouth formed an exaggerated ‘O’ as she saw the space with new ideas. “I could!”
“So, this one is it?”
“Yes! I have to talk to my dad, but yes. Unless he can find something structurally wrong with it, yes. I like the location. I love the space. And there’s plenty of space on the lot if I wanted to expand and put in a kiln to fire pottery I could. I could make space for a couple of potters wheels. I could even put up another building for other types of sculpture, like your mom does, or with stone and chisel. It’s limitless.”
“No way I can talk you into one of the other newer buildings?” Emmalyn asked.
“They’re just boring commercial buildings. This one has heart. This one is it.”
“It’s old.”
“It’s perfect.”
“Alrighty then. Let’s go get the wheels turning.”
Daisy squealed a little, clapping her fingertips together right in front of her face before resting her still pressed together hands against her lips giving the impression she may break into prayer. “I’m so happy.”
“That is what you’ve been missing. And that is why I’m going to make sure this works for you. We need to go see your dad, get him to come take a look, and then find out what needs to happen with the bank for you to be able to lease it.”
“Lease it? I’m not leasing it. I’m buying it.”
“Buying it?” Emmalyn asked.
“Yes. I love it. It needs me.”
“What if the art school studio thing doesn’t work out?”
Daisy shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ll figure something out to use it for.”
Emmalyn moved closer to Daisy and looped her arm through Daisy’s. “You won’t have to. It’ll be an art school.”
“You really think so?” Daisy asked hopefully.
“Daisy, I have no doubt. This is the happiest I’ve seen you in a long time. You deserve this.”
Chapter 3
Havoc knocked on Remi’s front door, non-stop, until it was yanked open, then he grinned at Remi and his practically twitching eye.
“Just open the door and walk inside,” Remi said in carefully measured tones which spoke loudly to his irritation.
“That wouldn’t be at all polite,” Havoc quipped, flicking the end of Remi’s nose as he walked past him and into the house.
“But knocking for two minutes straight and flicking my nose is?” Remi asked. He pushed the door closed and followed Havoc into the living room where all the guys were assembled for Monday night football amid a coffee table covered with junk food and beer.
Havoc walked over to Remi’s sectional and plopped down in one of the empty spaces.
“Want a beer,” Barron asked, reaching into an ice chest beside the recliner he was sitting in and tossing it to Havoc without waiting for an answer.
Havoc didn’t even look up, he simply lifted a hand and caught the bottle in midair.
Remi reached over from his reclaimed seat a few places down and pushed a coaster toward Havoc.
