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“Doesn’t it though?” He kept his eyes on the road. “The short of it is, she died in a car accident, and Lennox felt as if it was his fault. That’s why he built the academy. He went years not allowing himself to be a Dom. Marie managed to drag him into the light, and now they’re married.”
“Wow.”
He couldn’t help but chuckle. “Right? Anyway, Winnie was a local painter, and she fixed up a beach house to use as a studio and retreat for when she wanted to get away from everything. She left it to Lennox, and he and Mariela turned it into a community arts center.”
There was a comfortable silence as Ronnie let the story sink in.
“What a sweet way to remember her,” she finally said. “I wonder what Andie could possibly need for us to pick up at an arts center though.”
“She hasn’t sent you the list yet?”
“No.” Ronnie picked up her phone and checked. “Not yet.”
“We’re not far. Maybe you’ll have it by the time we get there.”
But he had a sinking suspicion she wouldn’t.
Chapter 14
VERONICA
Veronica still hadn’t received a text from Andie by the time they made it to the cute oceanfront arts center/house. When they pulled into the drive, it appeared as if an animal—raccoons, Terrence believed—had somehow gotten into the garbage cans and made a mess of the front yard. He’d given her the keys and told her to go inside and call Andie while he cleaned up.
Her phone call hadn’t taken very long at all, and when it was over, Terrence hadn’t finished with the outside. She wanted to see the rest of the house before they left. It wasn’t a large property; there was no way to get lost.
She peeked into the rooms downstairs first. There were two large rooms she assumed had been bedrooms at one point in time but now seemed to be set up as multipurpose rooms. In the back of the house, she found an actual bedroom and full bathroom, though the bedroom was smaller than the other two. She couldn’t help but wonder who it belonged to. A small kitchen and a good-sized living room completed the downstairs level.
There was one set of stairs in the two-story house. She climbed up to the second level, expecting to find moremultipurpose rooms. But that wasn’t the case. Standing at the top, she knew she’d stepped into Winnie’s old studio.
She walked across the huge room to the far side where tall windows overlooked the ocean. It wasn’t full dark yet, but it was slowly approaching. There was enough faint light outside to allow her to see the edge of the beach where the sand and water met. The stretch visible from the window was empty, though she suspected the area was never overrun with visitors. Even in the near dark, she could imagine the delight a painter would feel working in such a space.
“What are you doing up here in the dark?”
She jumped at the sound of Terrence’s voice and looked around, not realizing how dark it’d gotten. How long had she been up there?
“Sorry,” he said, turning on a nearby lamp. “Didn’t mean to scare you.”
She blinked as her eyes adjusted to the low light. “No big deal. I was just admiring the view and lost track of time.”
With the lamp on, it was impossible to make out the ocean anymore, but it did illuminate the room.
“This is an incredible studio.” Terrence gazed around. “I knew it was up here, but this is the first time I’ve seen it.”
“I thought you’d been here before.” Wasn’t that what Andie had said? Or had she only indicated he knew how to get here?
“A few times, yes. But just the downstairs rooms. Lennox limits the people allowed up here.”
“I didn’t realize,” she said, feeling bad that she’d walked around like she owned the place. “We can go back downstairs.”
“No rush. We’re responsible adults, and we’re from the academy. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind.”
She still felt uneasy in a space she knew was typically restricted. “I’d feel better downstairs.”
“After you.” He held a hand out toward the staircase. “Did you find what Andie needed us to pick up?”
“Not exactly.” She walked past him and made her way to the first floor.
He followed her into the kitchen. “What does that mean?”
