Page 73 of Tattered (Lark Cove 1)

“Where is it? I’d love to see it.”

“I sold it.”

“Yeah? I didn’t realize you sold your art.”

She shrugged and pulled onto the highway. “It’s not the reason I do it, but if I didn’t get rid of some of the stuff, we’d be overrun at the house. So I commission my extra pieces at a gift shop in Kalispell. Then I set aside the money for Charlie’s college fund.”

“Hmm, interesting. How many pieces do you have commissioned?”

“I don’t know. Maybe twenty or thirty at the moment. But they’ve been taking my work for years. The owner is a good friend of Hazel’s.”

I wasn’t a regular in the art scene, but I’d been to my fair share of fundraisers hosted at art galleries. Twenty to thirty pieces were enough that Thea could become a career artist, especially if she had a story to go behind each piece. Most of my friends would go crazy over junk turned into art, and Thea’s work was incredible.

Once Thea and Charlie lived with me in New York, she wouldn’t need to work. She’d have time to focus on her artwork. I’d assumed that Thea’s art was just a hobby, but this could become her career. We could get a bigger place if she wanted a studio in the house. Or I’d rent her space.

She could create something other than cocktails during the day.

“It’s so beautiful today.” Thea’s eyes swept the lake as she drove. The sun was glistening off the glassy water. There wasn’t a cloud in the blue sky.

“This is a beautiful area.”

We’d definitely be back to Lark Cove. This small town had grown on me and the house I’d bought was a perfect spot for summer vacations to visit Hazel.

“Have you ever been to Montana before?” she asked.

“Once.” I nodded. “An ex-girlfriend moved out here for a job and I came out to visit.”

“How long were you together?” Something in her tone made it sound like she really didn’t want to know the answer.

“Five years.”

“Oh.” The temperature in the car dropped ten degrees, despite the shining sun. “So you were serious?”

“Yes. I met Emmeline at a fundraising gala and we started seeing each other. We lived together up until she took a teaching job in Prescott and moved out here.”

“Prescott,” she repeated. “I’ve never been there. That’s southwest Montana, right?”

“Right.”

Prescott was more rugged than this corner of Montana. Lark Cove suited me much more than the area where Emmeline had moved.

“What happened with you two?” Thea asked.

I studied her profile. The round sunglasses on her face were huge, covering a good portion of her cheekbones, but she was stunning. The sunlight coming through the windows gave her a glow.

“I broke it off with her at Thanksgiving this last year. She kind of forgot to tell me she was married.”

“Married?” Thea winced, hissing through her teeth. “And she didn’t tell you? That’s awful. What a b-i-t-c-h.”

I laughed. “I don’t think she kept it from me maliciously. She’s got a good heart. She and her husband got married young and then separated. They hadn’t seen each other in years, but they were still legally married. She moved to Montana for a teaching job and he turned up there. When they reconnected, I knew it was over between us.”

“Sorry.”

“It’s okay. It all ended for the best. She’s happy.” I glanced behind me, seeing that Charlie was busy staring out her window, then reached across the console to touch Thea’s thigh. “And so am I.”

There wasn’t anywhere in the world I’d rather be than in this car. I was happier than I’d been since the breakup. If I was being honest, I was happier now than I’d ever been when Emmeline and I had been together.

The luckiest thing that could ever have happened to me was Emmeline leaving New York for Montana. If she had stayed, I would never have met Charlie. I wouldn’t have found Thea.