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She followed his gaze to where the back windows overlooked the garden she’d spent years cultivating. “It’s a work in progress. Carly used to help me a lot, but now school and homework are a lot busier. So there are places that I’ve fallen behind on.”
Wyatt moved toward the back door. “Can you give me a tour?”
“Um...” Anita had thought they’d start right away making phone calls. They only had a couple of hours before businesses would shut down. But the lighting really was better right now, and she could show him more things. “Sure.”
Wyatt had noticed her hesitation. “Or not. I don’t want to be nosy.”
“It’s fine.” Anita flashed him a smile, and wished her pulse weren’t jumping around so much. Her garden was like a second child. She was proud to show it off, yet it was also very personal. But it wasn’t like he was going to criticize anything. “Come on through.”
Wyatt stepped out the back door after her, and Sassy showed up, apparently from a reprieve in the garden. “Oh hello,” he said. “This your cat?”
“Meow,” Sassy answered, rubbing against his legs.
“Sorry about the cat fur,” Anita said.
“It’s fine.” He reached down to give Sassy a scratch. “Friendly cat.”
“Yeah, I think she spends more time at the neighbor’s than here. You’re not allergic?”
“Nope.”
Sassy got distracted and bounded off after something. Anita led Wyatt to the worktable.
“This is where you work?” he asked.
“Most of the time,” Anita said. “When the weather cooperates, of course.” Today, the clouds blocked most of the sun, but the rain had held off.
Wyatt touched the edge of the table. “What’s this project?”
“Oh, it’s three sisters,” she said. The canvas was a large square, and she’d started the dresses on two of the girls, using dark green and deep burgundy leaves for the skirts, and a third one was outlined. “Their mother wants this done before they all become teenagers.”
Wyatt studied it for so long that Anita felt antsy.
“You have a remarkable talent,” he said at last. “I didn’t even know this type of art existed.”
She gave a small shrug. “It’s all around us. In the trees, the bushes, the flowers. Shapes that resemble people.”
He nodded, then his green gaze cut to hers. Out here, in her garden space, her mind started to sort through the leaves and plants she’d choose to create his image. She’d have to mix two greens to get the right shade of his eyes.
“I don’t think that stuff has ever crossed my mind.” His mouth lifted into a smile. “Like I said, you have a unique talent.”
All right then...Anita could stare into his eyes longer, or she could get moving to show him around before Carly arrived.
“Mom?” Carly’s voice echoed through the house, then a door slammed.
Too late. She was here.
“We’re in the garden,” Anita called, breaking her gaze from Wyatt’s scrutiny.
Seconds later, she appeared, backpack slung over her shoulder, face flushed as if she’d run the whole way home from school. And perhaps she had. The cat appeared again and trotted to Carly, who picked it up.
“Oh hi, Mr. Davis,” she said.
“Wyatt,” he corrected. “How was school?”
“Boring,” Carly said, petting the cat. “The only good thing about it was the brownie at lunch.”
Anita frowned at her daughter. “Don’t tell me you only had a brownie.”
