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“Is that . . .” I can’t get the words out as I rush to a piece in the foyer, dragging Carter along. “The colors, the texture, her expression.” I clamp my hands over my mouth as tears unexpectedly fill my eyes. This artwork is everything I’d dreamed, only better.
“Oh, you found our Eakin piece. It’s not a classic—or not yet, at least—but Thomas really enjoyed the emotions in her eyes.”
We all stare at the art for a moment in silence, feeling connected to the woman in the drawing.
“She looks sad, like she’s gonna cry,” Grace whispers.
Bending down, I nod agreeably. “People do cry when they’re sad, but there are happy tears too. And I’ll tell you a secret, I even cry when I’m mad. Do you think she might be crying for another reason?”
I can feel Carter and Elena’s eyes, but I’m in tour guide mode with Grace because you never know what will spark a child to have a life-long love of art.
“Elena? Dinner’s ready.” I look up to see a square-shaped woman with blonde hair slicked into a military tight bun standing by a doorway. She’s wearing black pants, a black polo, and black kitchen clogs. Clearly, she’s house staff.
“Nelda, this is Carter, Luna, and Grace. Could you be a dear and get us an extra setting on the table?” Elena subtly tilts her head toward Grace.
“Of course,” Nelda answers. “Should I make an alternative meal for the young lady? We’re having salmon.”
Grace looks up at Carter. “That’s the pink fish?” When Carter nods, she speaks directly to Nelda. “I like salmon.”
Of course she does. I think I’ve had salmon once in my life at a museum event where I mostly hid in the corner and prayed no one would ask me questions. But this little girl knows pink fish from other fish and can talk to strangers with ease. I make a mental note to see if I can use Grace as a character inspiration in my graphic novel.
Instead of the dining room, Elena takes us to the kitchen where a round breakfast nook table is set for dinner with family-style serving dishes in the middle. Nelda quickly adds another setting as Carter pulls out a chair for me, and then, in a move that startles me, he slides the napkin into my lap. It feels intimate, and when I glance up, Carter’s eyes are stormy. The second I meet his gaze, he jerks his away as though burned and finds his own seat between me and Grace, with Elena sitting across.
“I hope you don’t mind eating in here. The dining room is so stuffy, and between you and me, I need glasses and a hearing aid to talk to people at the other end of that thing.” Elena holds her hands up wide, demonstrating how big the table is.
“No, of course not. This is perfect,” Carter says obsequiously.
Elena picks up a platter from the assortment in the middle of the table and leans toward Grace. “Would you like help getting the salmon on your plate? Sometimes, they like to swim away.”
She laughs at her own silly joke, and Grace grins as she nods. Once everyone has filled their plates, Elena says, “Tell me about Blue Lake Assets, Carter.”
She takes a bite of broccoli salad as he sets his fork down and dabs his mouth. Carter’s clearly ready for the question, and his voice is sure and steady as he answers. “My grandfather started it decades ago, and my dad is CEO now. My brother, Cameron, my sister, Kayla, and I work there. It’s a family legacy we’re proud to stand behind. Our specialty is that we don’t lock ourselves or our clients into a single investment vehicle. It’s specific for each person’s needs and wants.”
As Carter attempts to sell Elena on his family’s company, I only understand about a fourth of what he’s talking about. It’s English, and I know the words themselves, but all together, not a bit. He’s going heavy on the family angle, driving home that this is no small potatoes offer but rather a close connection between the Harringtons and Cartwrights.
He’s a good salesman, I remind myself. Does and says whatever it takes, no matter who it cuts, as long as he ends up in the plus column.
I thought Carter would be all dry facts and figures, and though he does discuss those, he also adds in a story of his own first account acquisition.
“I put ten thousand in the stock market based on a tip I thought was a sure thing.” Carter laughs and then Elena joins in. “We both know there’s no such thing, but then I was young and cocky, sure I had a money maker.”
“What happened?” I ask and then clack my mouth shut, realizing I should know this story as his wife.
