Dear Lord. Rose pushed Tansy away, hoping no other embarrassing things leapt from her mouth. “Thanks for everything. I’ll see you at home later.”
“Sure, sis.” Tansy’s amusement seemed out of proportion to the joke, even for her. “Chance, I loaded those extra items you ordered into your truck.”
A flurry of winks and face twitches accompanied the words.
Rose sighed with exasperation. “Are you having a reaction to something?”
“Probably, but it won’t be fatal. Night, all,” Tansy said, squeezing Rose one more time before she vanished between other departing guests.
“That was odd. Even for Tansy,” Rose muttered.
“Don’t worry about her. Come. Your parents are in the VR booth, and I think they’re about to get lost in the rose maze at the Beast’s castle.”
Hours later, the crowds were gone. An energy remained in the air, alive with a glow that quivered through Rose’s entire system. But the voices were silent, and the upstairs studio no longer buzzed with lights and music. Fern had shut everything off then high-fived Chance, hugged Rose, and headed home with a satisfied smile.
Alone at last. Chance slow danced Rose through the gallery, the sweet scent of roses lingering on the air. It was the calm after the storm, and both had been amazing.
The song ended, and he pressed a kiss to her temple. “Are you ready to go?”
“I guess.” Rose glanced around, but the gallery was empty. “Walk me home?”
Okay, she lived next door, but it was the principle of the matter.
He tugged her toward the front door instead of the back. “How about a drive first?”
Rose followed willingly and climbed into his Bronco. She waited until they were on the road before hitting the questions. “What’s next? How long will you keep this show up? What’s the theme for the next show? What classes are you going to hold next?”
He chuckled. “You’re supposed to be tired. We’ll talk about all the details later, but I thought I’d change shows quarterly to start. I don’t have a set theme for the next show yet, but I’m considering something more rural. Pictures of Heart Falls contrasted with scenes from classical art to prove to the holdouts in the community that they pretty much live in a painting, so they may as well know the names of a few of the masters. And Fern is gathering suggestions for classes, so you can check that one with her.”
He turned down the road that led to her parents’ home. Rose wondered if she’d missed a memo about a post-gallery gathering.
Only he passed the family house then took the next two lefts, sliding to a stop in front of a house with a single porch light lit and a For Sale/SOLD sign on the lawn.
Chance lifted a hand in the air, keys dangling from his fingers. “I got them yesterday.”
Rose curled her fingers around them. Her heart was back to racing. “Oh.”
He took a deep breath. “Come home with me?”
When he paused and lifted her travel bag from the backseat, Rose laughed. “Did Tansy pack that?”
“She did. I’m not sure if it’s what you’ll need to stay the night or piled high with cookies.”
Rose tucked her fingers into his. “Either one works for me.”
They paced up the sidewalk hand in hand, the warm August air sweet with a familiar scent.
She paused and twisted until she spotted the source. “Rose bushes.”
“Lots of them,” Chance agreed. He stole the keys from her, unlocked the front door, and gestured her in.
Lights clicked on behind her, and then the two of them strolled together through the empty rooms. Large living room, a beautiful breakfast nook beside the kitchen with doors that would open onto the backyard. A kitchen that would make Tansy envious. Playroom and two bedrooms down. More bedrooms up.
“You could move a football team in here,” Rose teased.
He was opening the master bedroom door, so the quietly spoken words floated away from her. Still, she heard.
“That’s not who I want to move in…”
