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Speak, Jamie, speak.“I . . . I . . .”Use your words, Jamie . . .“I’d be honored.”
He smiled and nodded. “Meet me after the auction, then, we will draw up a contract.”
Contract.
Oh . . . that was serious.
My breath shook as he handed me an envelope with my portion of the sale. I took it gingerly, trying to remain as normal as possible. The next purchase stepped up to the desk, and I stepped aside. I looked around for Jillian, Harrison, Holden . . . anyone. I stopped when I found my eyes searching for Elliot. He wasn’t here. I had just gotten off the phone with him, yet I still looked for him.
With a smile and a wave to the woman, I left the gallery and met my family on the street, all greeting me with hugs and cheers.
“How much did you end up with?” Harrison asked.
“I don’t know, I haven’t looked, but he wants me to meet him after the auction so we can discuss a contract.” My voice was still shaky. Why the hell was I shaking?
“What!” Jillian shouted. “What does that mean?”
“He wants two or three paintings to keep on his walls for the year and then he wants me back for the spring arts fest and the one in February.”
Jillian’s reaction was how mine should have been in the beginning. She gasped, covering her mouth with her hands, her eyes wide as she held back a scream.
“I’m not sure what's going to come of it, I’m just going to talk to him and see . . .”
“You better sign it,” Jillian urged.
“Only if it’s worthwhile,” Harrison added.
“Call Elliot. I’m sure he will have all the answers.”
I shook my head. “Elliot’s busy. He’s working on his set for the label and Bennett is probably hounding him. This is the last thing he needs to hear about.”
“How do you know he wouldn’t want to hear about it?”
“I bet he does, but I’m not going to let this get in the way of him meeting the label.” I looked down at the envelope in my hand, running my thumb over the thick paper. “Mom, will you take this back to the cabin? I can get an Uber once I’m done here.”
My mom took the envelope and placed it in her purse. “Harrison will stay.”
“I’m twenty-six, not six. Park City is safe enough that I can manage to get back to the cabin by myself. I’ll be fine, Mama.”
“Yeah, Mom, plus I’ve had more to drink than Jamie,” Harrison grumbled.
Pursing her lips and squinting her eyes, she gave me that signature “mom” glare before her lips curved to a smile. “You’re right. I may have been a little too protective of you.”
I tilted my head and looked from her to Jillian. “You two have been talking.”
My mom reached out and touched my shoulder, gripping it slightly, her fingers pushing comfort into my muscles. “I’m sorry, Jamie. But we are so proud of everything you’ve accomplished in spite of your health complications. So, go in there and settle it and we will see you at the cabin.”
I pulled her in for a hug, feeling my mother’s warmth fill my entire body. Jillian joined in on the hug a second before we let go of each other, prolonging the hug to last longer than expected.
They let me go, each offering a kind look.
“Oh, hey, don’t open the envelope until I get home. I don’t know how much is in there,” I added as they all began to step away.
“No promises!” Harrison shouted.
Rolling her eyes, my mother patted him on the back and pushed him down the sidewalk. I smiled as they all left, and watched as Jillian gave me another glance over her shoulder before I turned back into the gallery. I pulled out my phone and opened Elliot’s messages. The last thing he had sent was a photo of the sunset on the beach, with a caption:Missing the snow…
I quickly texted him back:
