He reached for his pocket and pulled out his phone, buzzing in his hand. 揝orry, it抯 Holden. One second. Hello??He answered before he glanced at me. 揧eah, she抯 here.?He handed it to me. 揑t抯 for you.?
揌olden??
揌annah.?There were noises in the background. A beeping noise as a truck backed up, people calling to each other. Water rushing? An alarm going off. 揂 contractor hit a water line at one of my sites.?He had to shout over the noise. 揑抦 stuck here until it抯 finished.?
揙h.?I glanced up at Wyatt, watching with a curious expression. 揝o I guess we抮e off for today.?
揕ooks like it. I抦 sorry.?
I shook my head even though he couldn抰 see me. 揑t抯 fine. I understand.?
Relief settled in my stomach. Not that I didn抰 like Holden. I did. He was fine. I didn抰 really know him. But the market was going so well and we were selling so many books that I didn抰 want to leave Liya to deal with it herself.
揑抎 ask for a rain check but today is the last day of the exhibit.?
揑 didn抰 know that.?My mouth twisted. 揑t抯 okay. It抣l come back, I抦 sure.?
揂h, no, not there!?he called to someone on the other end. 揑 gotta go. Sorry again.?
揑t抯 okay. Bye.?
I ended the call and handed the phone back to Wyatt.
His gaze skimmed over my face with concern. 揂ll good??
I shrugged. 揂ll good.?A woman with a little girl who looked about five wandered up to the booth. 揌i.?
The woman smiled down at the little girl. 揥e were hoping you had some books with either princesses or penguins in them.?The girl smiled at me before tucking her face into her mom抯 shirt and peeking out.
My heart flopped. The little girl and her mom were so cute. 揥e have books on both those things.?I pulled a few options and showed them.
The next couple hours passed in a blur. At one point, we sold so many books that I was sending Wyatt back to the store to grab whatever he could find.
揇oesn抰 the surf shop need you??I asked as he returned with another load from the romance section. 揑t抯 okay if you need to leave. You抳e helped us so much.?
He shook his head. 揟hey抮e fully staffed today. They got it handled.?
When afternoon rolled around, the booths around us began to close up.
I turned to Liya and Wyatt. 揝hall we pack it in? The market is over and we抳e sold a week抯 worth of books.?I couldn抰 help the smile that grew on my face. We were so doing this again next weekend.
Compared to the bright sunlight outside, the shop was so dark. It took my eyes a moment to adjust before I re-shelved the few books we didn抰 sell. Wyatt leaned on the counter and I shot him a grateful smile. 揟hanks for your help today. You抮e free to go.?
He pointed at Liya. 揂re you okay here on your own until closing??
She nodded. 揂bsolutely. That was already the plan because Hannah was going to the gallery.?
揋reat.?He straightened and gestured at me. 揝he still is. Come on, bookworm.?
揥here are we going??
揑抦 taking you to the gallery. You shouldn抰 miss out because my brother抯 a workaholic.?
Happiness flooded my chest and I grinned at him. 揙kay. Let抯 go.?
Wyatt tilted his head at the painting of a French countryside. 揑 thought her paintings were of forests around here.?
揝he spent most of her life in Vancouver and Victoria and that抯 what she抯 most known for, but she also studied art in San Francisco, London, and Paris.?We studied the painting for a moment longer, all bright oranges and yellows, before moving on to the next. 揚eople have the image of her being a reclusive artist in the woods with her pet monkey but she spent fifteen years not really painting after she finished school. Then she met a bunch of painters who inspired her, The Group of Seven, and it became her most prolific period.?
I pointed at the painting in front of us, all lush greens, towering trees and swirling skies in the saturated, psychedelic style Emily Carr was most known for.
揟hat抯 when she began creating work like this.?I stared at the painting, tracing the lines with my gaze. 揑t抯 amazing how you can meet people who bring something out in you.?I caught Wyatt抯 gaze, embarrassed. 揝orry.?
揥hy sorry??A little smile played on his features.
揑抦 talking too much. I抦 a bad date. I mean, not that this is a date or anything.?
Hannah, shut up, I told myself. Stop talking and making this worse.
揑 like it when you tell me about this stuff.?He nudged me. 揟alking about things you抮e passionate about on a date is a good thing.?
My face warmed but my stomach fluttered again. 揥hich is your favorite??
He pointed at the next one. 揗y aunts had a print of this one in their house.?
揗arried or sisters??