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Epilogue
Clara stood at herbooth, artwork that she’d drawn and painted over the years surrounding her. She’d probably stuffed way more things in the small space than she should have. But her art felt more like her babies and she had a hard time choosing what to bring and what to leave.
“I love this!” Chi exclaimed. “The colors are so pretty and the scene just says ‘home’ to me.”
Clara smiled. Chi held a print that she’d done of her niece, Nora, sitting on the back of her horse facing the sunrise, her hair just lifted off her shoulders with the early morning breeze, her face lifted to the lake and the water, sparkling with the first rays of sun shining on the water, her horse’s head lifted and regal, the beach deserted except for the two of them. It was one of her favorites too. And it said “home” to her as well.
“I really think you could ask a lot more for these. I’m not an art expert or anything, but the emotion this piece evokes is real and I would pay a lot more for it!” Chi dug in her purse for her credit card.
Clara had spent a lot of time figuring out how she could take payment and had managed to get pretty much everything set up so she could get paid however her customers wanted to pay her. Since she was considering making this her actual job, she figured she needed to do all the things necessary to make it a success.
“Thank you so much for this!” Chi smiled. She turned to the man beside her, who, in Clara’s opinion, looked hot and bored. “What do you think? Isn’t it amazing?”
The lawyer nodded, his lips barely turning up. “Let’s go somewhere cooler and more comfortable. How would you feel about spending the weekend at my penthouse in Chicago?”
“I’d...” Chi’s voice trailed off and Clara felt bad for her. It was obvious Chi was much more into the lawyer than he was into her. Emotionally, anyway. And Clara knew how that felt. She’d been in love with her boss for years.
She had no idea why. After all, everyone, bar none, in the office considered him a work-a-holic jerk.
“I wish I could, but I can’t leave Griff to do everything alone.”
“That guy can handle any knife fights that break out. Come with me.” The lawyer paused. “And be sure to give him my number.”
Clara was pretty sure that was a joke, but Chi didn’t laugh and the lawyer didn’t smile and maybe she was wrong.
Chi thanked Clara as they walked off, still talking.
Clara tapped her foot to the happy beat of the sweet harmony that drifted over on the lake breeze. The music Jubilee had hired for the evening was perfect. And even better since they’d been the ones to put on the trick riding performance that afternoon. It was a family of five siblings from farther up the lake in Raspberry Ridge. Clara had heard of them over the years, but this was the first she’d seen them perform. She’d seek them out in the future.
“Aren’t they good?” Jubilee, walking beside Clara’s brother, Matt, entered her booth with a big smile.
“They are! I can’t believe they live so close, yet I haven’t ever heard them. What a great find!” She returned Jubilee’s hug, squeezing a little tighter than strictly necessary, just because she was so happy that her brother had finally found a woman whom he loved and who would love him the way he deserved. Matt was a great guy and Clara couldn’t be happier for both of them.
“Sometimes things don’t work out the way we think they’re going to, and often that’s because God has something even better in store for us.” Jubilee stepped back and put an arm around Matt again. He pulled her close and she looked up. They exchanged a knowing smile, one that couples everywhere used to communicate without words.
It made Clara’s heart both happy and sad to see it. Happy because both Jubilee and Matt were so deserving of love and happiness, but sad because she couldn’t seem to get herself to focus on anyone but her boss who was emotionally unavailable, and not even someone she really wanted to like, let along carry a torch for years for.
“I think Nora found some new heroes,” Matt said.
“Where are your kids?” Clara asked, knowing that together they had three.
“Mom has them. You know her. We’ll be lucky if we get to spend any time with them today at all. She’s in her glory when she’s hanging out with kids.”
