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“I missed you,” Carson said.
“The same,” she said. “I figured I wouldn’t see you until tomorrow.”
“I don’t know that I could have waited that long,” he said, laughing. “I’m glad I stopped over. I was watching you for almost forty minutes.”
“What?” she asked. How could she not have known that?
“I came in when Mary was leaving.”
Which would explain it since she wasn’t looking at the monitors until Mary said she was leaving.
“Why didn’t you say you were here?”
“Because you were in your element and I wanted to see it. I wanted to understand more.”
To her this was no different than why he explained the reason he wanted to go to one of her showings.
“And what do you understand?” she asked.
“That no one understands another person until they watch them doing something they love. There was music playing that Josie picked out, but you were both standing there painting and your hips were wiggling back and forth. She asked questions, you stopped and answered, then went back to what you were doing. Like you can easily do two things at once.”
“When you live and breathe something, it is easy,” she said.
“Not for everyone, it’s not,” he said.
“It is for me. I know a lot of people ask why I spend my time giving lessons when I don’t need to.”
“Because it’s never been about money,” he said. “You said it before and I believe it. Anyone who watches you with Josie or any of your other students would understand that.”
“No,” she said. “Only those who are close to me.”
“Who love you,” he corrected.
“Those who love me know and understand. And that is all I care about.”
She pulled him into her arms for a hug. She’d missed him more than she thought she would. More than anyone else when she was traveling and it had only been a few days.
Laine wasn’t sure she liked that feeling all that much. Reminding her of her parents’ relationship.
Was it not good to be that close to someone? Would it just hurt too much in the end if something unexpected happened?
And why was her mind cruising toward the negative when it never had before?
30
MALE EGO
“You don’t normally come down and see me in the morning,” Carson said to his brother on Thursday.
He started working nights last night and would be leaving soon. It sucked and would make it harder for him to see Laine, but he had Tuesday off and spent it with her that night, then was back tonight since he had to cover an extra shift this week working nights.
“I knew you’d be leaving soon and wanted to catch you to let you know the news.”
Carson was looking at the big grin on his brother’s face. He was positive he knew what was coming but didn’t want to take it away from his brother either.
“Tell me,” he said.
“You know. I know you know by the grin mirroring my face.”
