CHAPTER 7
Six Months Later
Adrienne pulled her Camry into the art academy parking lot. Excitement and nerves stirred in her. She didn’t know a lot about kids, but the thought of sharing her love of art filled her with a sort of joy her career in law never could have. She parked her car, gathered her paints and brushes from the trunk, and headed for the wide double doors.
Artie, the owner of the school, stopped her. “Yeah, congratulations!”
“On what?” Adrienne asked.
“I heard your divorce was final!”
“It’s not much to celebrate,” she said. “It’s more of a failure.”
“No!” Artie punched her finger into the air. “It’s a liberation celebration.”
“That might be how my ex sees it.”
“But how do you see it?”
Adrienne thought back over the past few months, on how she’d refused to continue their marriage charade just so Seb could keep his share of Abuelo’s business, how Abuelo had died while still in Italy and never learned of the pending divorce, her stilted conversations and negotiations with Seb, and the job opening at the art academy. “It’s all good,” she said with a smile. “It’s not the story I thought I was going have, but it’s all good.”
“Hey, someone told me that you know the Where’s Waldo musical guy.”
“That’s right, I do.”
“So, what would you think of asking him to perform at our school fundraiser?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Nick is almost pathologically shy. He very rarely performs in front of people.”
Artie scoffed. “You could have just said no. You don’t have to make up stories.”
“I’m not making up stories,” Adrienne said.
“That guy and his dog are all over the internet!”
“I know but—”
“Just think about it, okay?”
Adrienne nodded and followed Artie down the hall. She stopped when she got to her classroom door. Exhilaration rushed through her as she stepped into her own studio. She drew in a deep breath, loving the smell of turpentine, paints, and freshly sharpened pencils. Just like her students would create their own masterpieces, she was creating her new life one day at a time.
On her way home, she decided on a whim to drop by Bar de Música. “Home” was still at her parents’ house, but as her dad was slowly regaining his health and the use of his arm and leg, she was looking at bungalows to buy in their neighborhood. Close so she could help if her parents needed her, but far enough away to enjoy her privacy.
She pulled into Bar de Música’s parking lot, pleased to see a throng still lining up out the door. Lingering on the sidewalk, she hesitated and debated. She hadn’t come for a cocoa, but still it seemed wrong to cut through the crowd.
Jon spotted her and waved her inside. “It’s like a miracle you’re here!” he called over everyone.
Steph also noticed her and looked like she wanted to vault over the counter. “Get back here,” Steph said. “He’ll be thrilled to see you.”
“He? You mean Nick?”
And that was when she saw Ximena lying on a cushion just inside the front door. Her heart lifted. “Nick’s here?”
Matt nodded. “Heard your divorce was final.”
Nick heard or Jon heard? Slightly confused, Adrienne maneuvered through the crowd, passed the counter, and headed for the office.
Nick jumped to his feet when he saw her. “Adrienne! I wasn’t expecting you!”
