I rolled my eyes. “The family doesn’t show random art pieces that are better placed on the fridge. And it’s not just family who gets in.”
“True. Although I would love it if Nate would let us show one of his pieces.”
I smiled, thinking of our cousin Nate. He was Uncle Storm and Everly’s son, and a brilliant painter. But he didn’t want us showing off his work. In fact, most of the artists in our family tended to try to keep their work away from the Montgomery gallery.
While I didn’t work in that field or in the building the Montgomerys owned, many of my cousins did.
On one side of the building was Montgomery Security, where Aria had worked for a short time. They were private security, bodyguards, and also installed security systems for those who needed it. Next to that was Montgomery Legacy, the tattoo shop that another set of cousins owned and operated. It wasn’t the first of its ilk in our family, considering my father owned another branch, but each person in my family who worked with art had a different medium. A different specialty. Next to that was Latte on the Rocks, a coffee shop and bakery that hadn’t technically been owned by the Montgomerys at first, but of course, the women who owned it married into the family. Apparently, that’s what we did. If we didn’t own something, we married the owners.
The business next door had once been a bike shop, though our family didn’t like to think about that. The operator had hidden a dark side that none of us had seen until it had almost been too late. But now it was family only under our roof. And while that section was a gallery for certain nights, it was also a school for those who wanted to learn different mediums.
Everybody was so talented, and I wish I could do something other than draw stick figures with slightly disproportionate limbs.
“Mommy? Can I have ice cream?”
I looked down at the grapes in her hand before leaning over to tap her nose with my finger. “I thought you already had your snack, Amelia Montgomery.”
My daughter looked up at me with those bright blue eyes and fluttered her eyelashes. I barely resisted the urge to narrow my gaze because I was pretty sure the woman at my left had taught her that trick.
“But I ate my fruit. I’ve been really good.”
“She has you there.”
I scowled at my best friend and cousin, wondering what I had done to deserve all of this cuteness. “Well, I’m glad that I had already planned on making sure we were near your favorite place with soft serve.”
Amelia stood up, her hands in the air. “Yay!”
I swallowed hard, tears threatening as I looked at my baby girl. She was so happy. I knew that we would grow together, and she would hit her teenage years, and things would be different. For now though, I’d treasure these moments.
And if my baby wanted ice cream, she was going to get ice cream. Because she never asked for much.
“Okay, my darling terror, it’s my turn to spoil you.” Aria stood up and held out her hand, and my daughter slid hers into her aunt’s.
“Be careful crossing the street,” I blurted, and Aria didn’t narrow her gaze at me or even roll her eyes. She just simply squeezed my daughter’s hand a little tighter, and I knew she was thinking the same thing I had.
We had almost lost Amelia because of the strange set of circumstances and letting her out of our sight or reach wasn’t going to happen anytime soon.
“We’ll be back soon.” Then Amelia’s eyes widened, and her teeth bit into her lip. I did not trust that expression.
I stiffened, the hairs on the back of my neck rising. “What?”
“Oh, just a certain cowboy is behind you.”
I turned quickly, nearly knocking myself over onto the blankets, and there he was.
Ewan.
I nearly questioned how Aria would even know what this man looked like, and then I remembered that Lex had shown his photo to everyone so they could have an idea of what he looked like as he told the story.
It had taken everything within me not to ask for that photo myself. There was something wrong with me.
We weren’t in the same park as before, but we were close to it. In fact we were near a common event center where I knew they had planned activities for weddings. I wasn’t quite sure what exactly they did, but it was commonplace to see groups of people preparing for their nuptials.
So it would make sense if Ewan had been close by already, that he might be here.
In all the parks in all the world.
His back was to me though, and he didn’t see me, and I was grateful for that. He probably didn’t need to see the drool currently sliding down my chin.
