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“Oh, then you and Dillon should have fun. That boy loves to create new masterpieces as he calls them. He’s always experimenting and putting new things on the menu at the pub. The locals love to go in to try out his new recipes. ”
Lily gathered her stuff and rose from the couch. “I won’t be long. ”
Holly smiled. “Be careful. ”
Lily stepped outside into the sunshine. Though just days earlier the ground had been covered by a layer of snow, now it was as if spring had always been here. Flowers bloomed along the stone path that spiraled down the Colter property and the trees were leafing out. Some of the flowering species already had buds that were opening.
When she topped a slight rise that overlooked the meadow, she stopped and sat on a large boulder just off the pathway. The view was simply perf
ect, and the meadow spread out before her, covered in wildflowers. The mountain peaks jutted upward on all sides, still snowcapped against the bright blue sky.
For a long time she simply stared, absorbing the peace and beauty that seemed to cover the entire landscape. Then she began to draw.
She was totally ensconced in her creation. From time to time she would pause and mutter under her breath and then frown when a line didn’t look just so. She paid careful attention to color, blending when she didn’t have the one she needed.
Her back ached, but she continued on. Once started, she couldn’t stop. It was a compulsion. Her fingers felt alive. She was energized has her hand flew across the page.
Her wrist was stiff and her fingers had curled rigidly around the pencils, and still she continued on, in pursuit of perfection.
The sun had started to fade over the horizon when she heard her name carried on the wind. She straightened and nearly fell over when every muscle in her body screamed in protest.
“Lily!”
That was much closer. She frowned. That sounded like Dillon. She reached behind her to rub a kink out of her throbbing back and when she tried to stand, her knees buckled and she plopped back down onto the rock.
“Well hell,” she muttered.
“Lily!”
That one sounded like Michael.
“I’m over here,” she shouted back.
And then remembering the scattered pencils that now lay on the ground, she got off the rock and went to her knees, grabbing at them to stuff in her pockets.
“Lily?”
“Here,” she called again. “Just a minute. I’m coming. ”
She was just slapping the art book closed when both Dillon and Michael rounded the corner.
“Where the hell have you been?” Michael demanded. “Everyone’s been worried sick about you. ”
Dillon raised a radio to his mouth and said, “We’ve found her. She’s all right. ”
She blinked in confusion. “Your mom knew where I was going. ”
Dillon frowned in exasperation. “Lily, that was hours ago. You missed lunch. ”
“I did?”
Michael raised his hand toward the sky that was now ablaze with pink, purple and golden hues. “You’ve been gone for over six hours. ”
“I’m sorry. Really, I am. I had no idea. ”
Dillon glanced at the notebook clutched in her arms. “What were you doing?”
“Just passing time,” she murmured. “I wanted to make Callie a surprise. ”
Michael cocked his head to the side. “What on earth could you have been doing for Callie that made you lose track of time so that you were gone for six hours?”
She ducked her head and shifted her feet, but when she did, the pencils spilled out of her pocket and tumbled to the ground.
Both Michael and Dillon bent to gather them up and Lily backed up a step, her bottom lip caught firmly between her teeth.
“Lily?” Michael asked softly. “What’s going on? Is everything all right?”
“I was drawing,” she said in a low voice. So low that both men leaned forward to hear. “I wanted to draw Callie’s Meadow for Callie. It’s not much. It’s not very good, but I know she loves it here, and I thought it might cheer her up. ”
“Can I see?” Dillon asked cautiously, holding out a hand for the notebook.
She hesitated for a long moment but then handed over the notebook, nausea rising in her stomach. They would hate it. Think it was a waste of time. And she’d worried their mother on top of that. All while doing something frivolous.
Dillon flipped it open with Michael looking over his shoulder and both froze. Their eyes widened in shock and then Dillon glanced over the edge to Lily, his mouth wide open.
“I shouldn’t give it to her, should I?” Lily rushed to say. “I’ll just tear it up. It was a stupid idea anyway. ”
“Holy fuck,” Michael breathed.
“Lily, this is amazing,” Dillon said in awe. “Absolutely fucking amazing. You did this? All today?”
She felt like a deer caught in the headlights. She didn’t know what to say so she nodded instead.
Michael took the notebook from Dillon and examined it again, his expression incredulous.
“This is the most beautiful drawing I’ve ever seen,” Michael said. “It looks exactly like the meadow. The colors, the landscape, the trees and the mountains. It’s like looking at a photograph. It’s damn well perfect. ”
She flushed until her cheeks burned, and she ducked her head as shyness gripped her.
Dillon tucked his fingers underneath her chin and nudged upward. His eyes were questioning, and anger lurked in the depths. “Why didn’t you want us to know?”
“It’s not very good,” she said lamely. “And you were angry because I worried your mom. Time just got away from me. I tend to do that when I’m drawing. I know it’s silly. ”
Dillon placed his hands on her arms and guided her down to sit on the same boulder where she’d sat to draw for so many hours.
“We need to get a few things out in the open here. First of all, you don’t need our permission or approval to do a goddamn thing. If you want to sit around and paint yourself purple, that’s your prerogative.
