Immediately swiveling to face her, he glided toward her, rounding the front desk just as she approached.

  “Hey, long time, no see,” he said, grinning as she stopped before him.

  “Right, and your name is?” she joked, her smile just as bright.

  He laughed; something he noted seemed to happen a lot around her.

  “No one important,” he said, eyes crinkling.

  His heart somersaulted in response to her giggle.

  “So,” she said, her brows raising as she rubbed her hands together. “I’m hoping you have good news for me.”

  Reaching into his pocket he grabbed his phone. “Yep, so you’ve got a couple options, actually. Just depends on what’ll work for your calendar. The earliest someone can start is next week. That work for you?”

  “Yes!”

  Once they’d figured out the schedule that’d work best for her, Collin texted the instructor whose availability aligned best and helped the two exchange numbers in a group chat. It took little time to set up the first couple of lessons, with the remaining courses to be scheduled by ear.

  “Keep me in the loop; if you ever find you’re having a hard time scheduling the rest of the lessons you need, let me know, okay? You have my number.”

  “I do,” she said, smiling. She placed her elbows upon the front desk, resting her weight upon it as she leaned forward. “You mind my asking what got you into this business? It’s pretty, uhm…niche.”

  He mirrored her pose, bringing his chin to rest on his palm while he spoke. “No, that’s fine. Well,” he began, looking away as he recounted the start of his life as the owner of a Brush Strokes & Beverages.

  “I used to do a bit of painting when I was younger, but always knew I’d have to get ‘serious’ after college,” he said, using air quotes to qualify the term.

  “So, I was working a full-time job and pursuing my MBA when I realized I was absolutely miserable. Not just exhausted, but I really hated the options my current path offered me. A friend of mine who I’ve known since highschool reached out, one day, on social media. Invited me to one of these events.”

  Everleigh tilted her head, imagining a college-age Collin, a high school Collin and a version of the man before her in suit, tie, the works. And as alluring as that last image was, it didn’t seem to fit the man she’d witnessed coming alive amongst the people, rhythm, challenges and creativity that made up his events.

  “Turns out,” he said with a slanted grin, “He’d bought into the franchise. And after one event, I was reminded of just how much I enjoyed painting. I mean, I knew I’d never grow into some hot-shot artist, but I wasn’t bad at it.”

  He shrugged, “My friend pitched the idea to me of opening my own; but to be honest, I was sold before his first words. Everything just clicked. Business, art. And I get a chance to learn from people who are better than me anytime I want.”

  “And you get to relate with people who may not feel they’re artists, but need a little art in their life. You get the chance to inspire them, too. It’s like, maybe, you’re able to give them the same moment you had.”

  “Yes!” he chuckled, delighted in her synopsis. “Exactly. It’s not altruism. But it means something to me. All of it.”

  “I can tell. You seem really in your element when you’re on the floor.”

  “Do I? You keeping an eye on me, Miss Everleigh?”

  Everleigh felt her neck and cheeks warm. She hoped her nutmeg skin tone would hide her embarrassment from this man. “Well, it’s not like there’s a ton of staff around,” she said, adjusting her glasses as an excuse to look away. “I was merely making an observation, Mr. Collin.”

  Collin’s lips tightened in suppressed amusement, the twinkle of his eyes betraying his attempt to muzzle his response.

  Everleigh straightened, “Anyway, you seem to fit this place. It’s a good match.”

  “It better be.” He straightened as well, taking in a deep breath as his eyes skipped around the walls, tables, doors. “Because it sure does require a lot of my attention. Maybe too much, sometimes.” His eyes came to rest upon her.

  Everleigh licked her lips, looking away again. “Well, I hope you find the time for what’s most important to you, as well.” She looked up at him. “I think, if it’s really important to you, not even this could stand in your way.”

  “You think? Do you really think I might be that good at prioritizing?”

  “Hmmm, I don’t know you that well, yet. But I can say I hope so. For your sake. I mean, I hope the same for me, too. Uhm, how about I say a prayer for you? I’m not sure about your beliefs, and I’m not prying. But, I’m Christian and if you want, I’ll say a prayer for you. About that area of life.”

  “I’d appreciate that, Everleigh. More than you know.” He regarded her, the prior humor that’d molded his features now replaced with something else. Something that made her heart beat a little faster.

  “And, for the record,” he said, a small smile playing upon his lips. “I’m a believer, as well. So, I really thank you. I think I need to be reminded, sometimes, that Christ is supposed to be the lead in my life. Not me.”

  “Ditto,” she agreed, quietly.

  She nodded, their focus on one another remaining unbroken for several silent beats.

  Finally, Collin cleared his throat. “And if I haven’t said it yet today, thank you for helping me out. That means a lot to me, too.”

  “Well, I guess I should also thank you for the idea–for the gift, I mean. I would have never thought of painting a portrait for my parents’ anniversary. This is going to be an amazing surprise for them. And it would have never come about without you."

  “You got the ball rolling, Everleigh. I can only take so much credit. Your generosity got you here.”

  “More like a big mouth and the funky attitude I had that night.” She chuckled, emptily.

  “I never got the sense you were in a bad mood that night. What happened?” he asked, softly.

  She waved her words away, suddenly very interested in the display on her phone. “Nevermind, it doesn’t matter right now.”

  “It matters to me, Everleigh.”

  She looked up, her mouth slightly gaping at the quiet sincerity she felt in his voice and could, now, see reflected in his gaze. Shoulders relaxing, she suddenly felt extremely vulnerable under his regard. She felt like, maybe, she could tell Collin anything, and everything would somehow be okay. Be better.

  A jingle behind her alerted her of company, causing both their gazes to jerk toward the door.

  “Hey!” a young woman greeted as she guided the door shut behind her, her eyes darting from Everleigh to Collin and back again.

  Everleigh recognized her.

  “Hey, Andrea,” she heard Collin confirm, behind her. “You know Everleigh.”

  Andrea gave Everleigh the same warm grin she recalled from the night they first met. “Boy, do I. You were so sweet at that event.” Andrea walked to Everleigh and pulled her into a strong, short embrace. Pulling back, Andrea admitted, “It was so frantic I didn’t even think to thank you. Are you here for another event?”

  Everleigh shrugged. “Yes, uhm, in a way.”

  “I decided to take her up on her offer to help us while we’re short-staffed. She was gracious enough to throw this drowning man a rope,” he said, his blue eyes gliding over to rest upon Everleigh, who’s attention was still on Andrea.

  The young woman’s smile faltered as her eyes once again volleyed between her manager and Everleigh.

  “Oh. Oh, that’s great,” she said, her voice breaking as she returned Everleigh’s gaze, blinking. Andrea offered a fleeting, tremulous smile before turning to bolt toward the backroom.

  “I better stop standing around here.” Andrea threw over her shoulder. “Need to get us started. Let me know if you need anything,” she called out as she disappeared beyond the threshold.

  “Right, let’s get you squared away.”

  Strong hands gently gripped Everleigh’s shoulders, giving them a reassuring squeeze before Collin guided her around to face him, once again.

  “You ready?”

  Everleigh grimaced. “As I’ll ever be.”

  “If you have any questions, any one of us will be happy to help you.”

  “I don’t have to give customers tips on painting, right?”

  “No, you just do what you did the other night, and you’ll be fine. You know, ‘Great job,’ ‘Creative use of color’,” he mimicked. Giving a soft smile, he dropped his hands, his fingers sliding down her forearm as they traveled back to his side.

  Everleigh bit her lip. As much as she knew that ‘lust does not a relationship make’, she couldn’t help but compare how sensitive she was to every encounter with Collin; versus the lack thereof within her recent, and longest, romance. Even Collin’s small gesture had flooded her with a sense of safety mingled with a yearning whose depths frightened her.

  Stepping backwards, Collin clasped his hands behind his back, putting some distance between the two of them. With his chin, he gestured toward the backroom.

  “Andrea will help you with getting started, since you didn’t get the chance to have a proper introduction last time.”

  Everleigh granted him a slight nod and smile. “Right.” Spinning on her heel, she departed, disappearing into the backroom to join her interim teammate.

  And Collin closed his eyes, shaking his head at himself, once again.

  “Look but don’t touch, Collin,” he quietly chanted.

  Chapter 4

  Between her full-time job and her brief part-time gig, the remainder of the week became a blur for Everleigh.

  “I must really love my parents,” she lamented while sweeping up the store room’s floor.

  The afternoon sun poured through the large windows lining the wall of the store front; illuminating the patrons who were on their way to other stores in the outdoor mall.

  Everleigh straightened, placing her hands on her waist to aid her stretch. Relaxing, she gifted herself with a few moments of people watching before rolling back her shoulders and completing her task.

  She made her way to the trashcan to dump her final load of dust.

  “Oof!” Everleigh’s body jerked at the impact from behind her, the dustpan toppling from her hand, undoing the work she’d completed.

  “Oh, I’m so sorry, Beverly!” came Andrea’s startled cry as Everleigh turned to face the young woman, exasperation causing Everleighs brows to furrow.

  Andrea backed up with wide eyes and mop in hand.

  Everleigh sighed. Andrea had been uncannily clumsy and forgetful since the day of their reunion.

  “No problem, Andy,” Everleigh responded.

  Everleigh watched Andrea’s expression morph into a pout. Not surprising, since Everleigh had overheard from her young co-workers that Andrea hated that nickname.

  “By the way, my name is Everleigh,” she continued, pointedly enunciating each syllable. “Do you need help with the pronunciation?”

  The young woman’s expression darkened, her jaw setting as she shook her head.

  “If you do,” she heard a voice behind her chime in, “Let me know…Andy.”

  Both women turned to face Collin who came to stand by Everleigh’s side, though still at a noticeable distance.

  Blinking, Andrea nodded, though not without the watery sheen that covered her eyes becoming apparent. With more maturity than Everleigh would have given her credit for, Andrea walked to the wall where she carefully leaned the mop. Walking by the two, she strode to the backroom without a backward glance. In the distance, Everleigh heard the bathroom door slam shut.

  Collin continued gazing in that direction. “I don’t know what’s gotten into her this week.” He’d noted the increase in mistakes on Andrea’s behalf; but only when it concerned Everleigh.

  “I have an idea,” Everleigh offered.

  Collin turned his attention to Everleigh. He felt awkward, knowing that the distance he’d kept between them these past few days was warranted. But he also wondered if Everleigh had noticed anything amiss.

  In a lowered tone, she continued. “She has a crush on you, Collin.”

  Confusion clouded his expression. “Really?” He looked back at the backroom’s open door. Turning back to Everleigh, “But what does that have to do with her behavior?”

  She hesitated to tell him; to reveal her guess that, for some reason, Andrea saw Everleigh as a threat. To confess such a thought would mean that Collin would be obliged to dismiss the idea. And Everleigh just wasn’t in the mood to face that reality—to have no choice but to smother the feelings she knew was one-sided.

  He shook his head. “She’s an intelligent girl; I’m sure she knows that I’m too old for her.”

  “Intelligence has nothing to do with matters of the heart,” Everleigh breathed, bending to pick up the fallen dustpan.

  Collin turned back to her, watching as she surveyed the layer of dust that’d managed to spread in all directions.

  “Let me get that, Everleigh,” he said, reaching for the plastic tool in her hand.

  She snatched it away just before he could grasp it.

  “Oh, no. What are you trying to do, take my job or something?”

  Collin chuckled. Swiping at the dustpan again, and missing as Everleigh moved both hand and body out of his way.

  He trailed her as she walked backwards, a soft grunt escaping her when her back hit the wall. She nibbled at her lower lip as she watched his eyes deepen in color, a look of triumph spreading across his face.

  Facing her, he grasped the hand holding the dustpan, using his fingers to gently pry hers open.

  They listened together as the plastic tool clattered upon the concrete floor.

  Collin’s eyes remained locked on Everleigh’s as he weaved his fingers with hers.

  All day, he’d been distracted with the thought that, after this evening’s event, he’d have little reason to see her. Now, he could no longer deny that that thought did not sit well with him–at all.

  This is a mistake, he inwardly chided himself as he leaned in and watched her lashes flutter shut. Huge mistake, rang a small voice in the distant corner of his mind as his mouth came to hover over her lips.

  The jingle of the front door’s bell startled them both, forcing their attention toward the entrance and the image of Andrea storming away from the store, her ponytail swinging furiously behind her.

  Everleigh heard Collin’s sigh, and turned to look at him as he bent his head.

  He pulled himself away from her, leaving what felt like a chasm between them.

  “I’m– I’m sorry, Everleigh.”

  “For what? I’m not,” she countered, earnestly.

  He met her eyes. And she recognized the hint of a lopsided grin begin to make its appearance, only to be obscured as he wiped one hand over his face, accompanied by a slight shake of his head and closed lids. His hand remained over his mouth. After what felt like an eternity, his eyes opened and his hand dropped to his side, revealing lips pressed into a thin line.

  “I’m just–I wish I could pursue this but I’m just not–” he shrugged, not sure how to phrase his inability to handle a relationship. “I’m just not in the position, right now, to invite this. And I should not have put you in this position.”

  Everleigh blinked. What the hell did he mean by that?

  She opened her mouth to respond, but realized she really had no idea what to say. So she decided to say nothing. Nodding once, she averted her gaze from Collin and began walking to the backroom to retrieve her purse from his drawer.

  She stopped, angling her head in his direction without fully turning around. “Could you, uh, open your desk drawer for me?”

  “Yeah,” he said, softly, from behind her.

  She didn’t wait for him to catch up. She walked through the threshold with him trailing her. Once at his desk, she stood back while he bent to unlock and open his desk drawer. After she’d retrieved her purse she turned to leave.

  “Everleigh?”

  “Yeah?” she asked, finally turning to face him with a flat expression.

  “I’ll see you this evening?”

  Everleigh smiled to herself, almost chuckling at the ridiculousness of her romantic life.

  “Yeah,” she replied, flatly, as she headed for the exits.

  Chapter 5

  “He has a girlfriend, you know.”

  That evening’s event was about to begin; the last one, per Everleigh’s deal with Collin. She and the other two staff members had already set the tables. Now, she and Andrea were in the back preparing the paint trays.

  At the moment of Andrea’s statement, Everleigh was carefully squirting the last dab of paint into the tray before her; instead, the remaining glob of blue landed squarely on the table they were working on.

  Grabbing a paper towel she scooped up the errant mound, crumpled the towel and set it aside. “I—know,” she lied in a breathy exhale. “He told me. Today.” She looked up at Andrea. “Right after you left.”

  The young woman looked away, swallowing.

  “Is there anything else you’d like to share with me, Andrea? About Collin’s personal life, that is?”

  Andrea sniffed, gathering a couple trays in hand. “I just thought you’d wanna know, is all.” With that, she proceeded into the storefront to place the trays at two of the seats.

  Children, Everleigh thought with a sigh. She felt the muscles in her shoulders relax, even as her vision blurred with unwanted wetness. And yet, me and the child have something in common. Both foolish females with crushes on an unavailable man.

  Glad she was alone, she grabbed another paper towel, quickly lifted her glasses, and worked to dry the pool of tears that’d gathered.

  Everleigh guessed that that must have been what he was alluding to this afternoon. He’d very nearly cheated on his girlfriend and he’d remained faithful.

  And she’d walked out on him for it. If she had just known…if she had been aware, would she have denied the possibility of kissing him? She really didn’t know; what she did know is that all she’d wanted at that moment was him.