Against the Wall (Stoddard Art School Series Book 3) Read online

  Kay stepped back and folded her arms over her chest. Her cheeks were bright, and her eyes sparkled with obvious excitement. “I’m sorry, I haven’t given you a chance to get a word in. What do you think?”

  The urge to drag her into his arms and kiss her was overwhelming. “You did all this in two days?”

  “I don’t sleep much.” She tipped her head looking impossibly adorable. He was in trouble.

  “I…I love it.”

  Chapter Six

  Kay ripped into the envelope. Well done! M. A neon orange sticky note from Madeline decorated the check from the Bruce Gallery in Boston. A receipt showed the sale price of the piece, the gallery’s catalog number, and commission fee.

  “Wow, get a load of all those numbers.” Dottie peered over Kay’s shoulder.

  “That’s about six summers worth of sketches.” Kay grinned back at Dottie. “This day keeps getting better.”

  Dottie gave her a squeeze. “So your design meeting at the inn went well?”

  “Once I stopped rambling on like an idiot. I was a nervous wreck.”

  “The drawings you showed me were terrific. You had nothing to be nervous about.” Dottie began rearranging a selection of hand-thrown pottery bowls.

  “I was confident in the sketches. There’s just something about Bear Coulter.”

  Dottie frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “He…I…get flustered around him. The way he looks at me sometimes like he’s…I don’t know, surprised somehow.” Kay fanned herself with the check.

  “But he liked your ideas?”

  “He loved them. Never blinked at the estimate. Liked the color scheme. I start Monday.”

  “Walter will be tickled. ’Course there’ll be no living with him seeing as it was his idea Yogi talk to you.” Dottie stepped back to appraise the look of her display.

  “I’ll make sure I thank him.” Kay moved one of the wide bowls an inch to the right.

  “You’ll puff that man up so his head won’t fit through the doorway.” Dottie returned the bowl to where she had it.

  Kay laughed and slipped the check into her bag. “I should get this over to the bank, and put my supply order in at the hardware store before they close.”

  Dottie gave her a warm hug and held her close. “Come for dinner.”

  “Is Friday still pizza night?”

  “’Course.”

  “I’ll be back.”

  Kay rushed through her errands and even had time to return to the cottage and change.

  She was looking forward to a relaxing evening. She’d been so wound up about the design meeting, it would be great to relax, eat pizza, and drink some beer. On the way into town, she’d pick up a six-pack of Walter’s favorite and grab a couple cheesy movies.

  As promised, she returned home with some gourmet cat food for her little friend. The beast had eaten all the tuna she had in the house and seemed intent on sticking around. It still wouldn’t come close, but if Kay left the food and water on the deck, it would slink up and fill its belly. Kay guessed it was a female and decided to call her Hope. The name seemed to fit.

  She slipped into her most comfortable jeans with the tear in one knee, a soft, short T-shirt with a tie-dyed tree frog flashing the peace sign on the front, and flip flops. Hair pulled into a quick ponytail, and she was off.

  Letting herself into Dottie’s kitchen, Kay could hear the television blaring. Walter was a tad deaf but wouldn’t admit it. “I’m here. I hope you ordered one with mushrooms.” Kay pulled three beers out of the six-pack and slipped the rest into the refrigerator. Dottie would only drink half of one, but Walter would tidy up for her, like always. “I rented a couple movies, too,” she hollered. “A chick flick for Dottie and me. Julia Roberts makes herself look like a duck in this one. And I found one of those awful sci-fi’s you like, Walter. Attack of the killer robot somethings.” Beer in one hand, movies in the other, she tucked extra napkins under her chin. “The pizza smells great.”

  Heading into the living room, she stole one of Walter’s favorite sayings. “I’m so hungry, I could eat the arse out of a grizzly—Bear.”

  The napkins fluttered to the floor as Bear Coulter stood. He seemed even bigger in Dottie’s chintz-covered living room. He wore jeans and a loose button-down shirt, which looked impossibly white against his skin. His hair was damp as if he were straight from a shower, but his jaw said he hadn’t had time for a shave. The combination was lethal.

  “Hey, sweetie, come join us.” Dottie patted the couch cushion next to her.

  “Here.” She set the beers on the coffee table. “Oh damn, one short, be right back.” Kay fled to the kitchen.

  Crap on a cracker! She let out a slow breath. She hadn’t expected to see him here. Not when she looked like she’d fallen out of a thrift shop dumpster. Tugging at the hem of her shirt, Kay covered her eyes with her hand and groaned.

  “Everything okay?” Bear’s voice washed over her frayed nerves.

  She groaned again. Kay kept her gaze on the pink and gray linoleum tiles of Dottie’s floor. “Everything’s great.”

  “Cute shirt.”

  She closed her eyes and prayed for a gaping hole to appear between the tiles. “Thanks.”

  He tipped his head in the direction of the living room. “Walter invited me over.”

  Kay nodded like a bobble-head doll. “Of course he’d invite you. You’re buds.” She pulled a beer from the fridge and handed it to him. “I’m gonna go. Um, I just remembered, I left…something, you know, back at the cottage.” Her eyes locked on the third button of his shirt. “Something hot…like the oven or a candle. Wicked dangerous. I should take care of it.”

  “But there’s mushroom pizza.” Amusement tinged his voice.

  “Yeah, I’m not real hungry.” Kay prayed her stomach wouldn’t rumble. She snuck a peek at his face to see if he was buying it. He wasn’t.

  Bear raised an eyebrow. “You said you were starving a minute ago. Something about eating a bear’s ass.”

  Kay’s face burned. Her ears might just burst into flame. “So…you’re an organ donor. That’s really great.”

  Bear laughed and tugged on her shirt sleeve. “Come back in. If your cottage burns down, I’ll build you a new one.”

  A beer and a half later, (she did the tiding up) Kay was finally able to relax a little. The pizza was delicious, and the conversation never lagged. Walter and Bear talked about the inn, football, whether Skippy, the hammer-saluting carpenter, would need stitches one of these days.

  “I can’t wait to see what my girl does to your lobby.” Walter puffed. “Told ya she was some talented.”

  “Hasn’t she showed you her design? It’s amazing.” Bear smiled. “Next time you’re over, I’ll show you.”

  “I saw the initial sketches.” Dottie nodded. “Very impressive.”

  Kay’s face heated again. “Please, I’m sitting right here.”

  “You should be very proud. You’re a fine artist.” Dottie gathered the spent napkins.

  Kay began to gather up the dirty plates. “And you aren’t the least bit biased.”

  Dottie patted her hand and took the plates from her. “Not one bit.” She kissed Kay’s forehead when she passed.

  “I’ll have the crew priming and taping off this weekend. It will be all set for Monday.”

  “Prep is included. I don’t mind doing it.” Kay pointed at him with her bottle. “I’ve already put in the order for my paint and primer. The guys over at the hardware store said they’d deliver it all to the inn this weekend.”

  “You’re the boss.” Bear raised his beer to her.

  With Dottie in the kitchen and Walter’s eyes slowly closing, Kay was acutely aware of being alone with the handsome man to her left. He lifted his beer to his mouth and took a last swallow. She watched his throat work. Her own went dry, and she tipped her bottle to her lips only to come up empty. She’d done that twice now. How many times was she going to try to drink from an empty bottle?


  She set it aside before she started shredding the label like a fidgety loon. “Actually, you’re the boss. And you’re paying for prep, so you’ll get prep.”

  “I can’t wait.” He rested his forearms on his thighs and leaned closer. “I had a thought after our meeting. I contacted a local greenhouse about bringing in some dwarf container trees and ferns. You know, after the mural is finished. Thought a continuation of your design with a few real plants and potted flowers. The lobby will knock people out.”

  “That’s a great idea.”

  “You’ve inspired me.” He smiled again and held her gaze sending lovely fingers of warm tingles to some interesting places.

  Dottie returned from the kitchen, and Bear rose. “I should be going. Shadow is waiting for his run. Dottie, thanks for having me. It was great.” He tipped his chin toward Walter who snored softly from his corner of the couch. “Tell Boo Boo I said good night.”

  “I will, Bear. You’re more than welcome. Anytime.” Dottie patted his arm.

  “I should go, too.” Kay stood. She kissed Dottie’s smooth cheek. “You have an early day tomorrow and Walter’s done in. Don’t watch Julia Roberts without me.”

  “I wouldn’t think of it.”

  Bell Harbor was all but deserted as Bear walked her to her car. Without the tourists, the town rolled up the sidewalks early. A cool breeze off the water scented the air. The ring of a buoy bell at the mouth of the inlet bid them a peaceful good night.

  “I’m sorry I messed up movie night. The duck movie sounded pretty good.”

  Kay shook her head. “You didn’t mess up anything.”

  “Maybe not, but you got pretty thrown at seeing me in there.” Bear tipped his head back toward the house.

  She shrugged a shoulder. “You surprised me, is all.”

  “A good surprise?”

  “More of a damn I wish I’d worn something better than a frog T-shirt surprise.” She tugged at the hem of her shirt.

  “I told you, I like the frog.”

  “I don’t know, ducks, frogs…bears… It was getting a little too Animal Planet,” she teased. “Speaking of which, you’ve a dog to take care of, and I-I’ve still got a dangerous candle burning.”

  “Right. Hope you’re not walking into a fiery inferno.”

  “Me, too.” She dug keys out of her pocket. “Tough running in flip-flops.”

  “The pink sparkly toenail polish would definitely slow you down.”

  When had he checked out her toes? She lifted her foot slightly so the glitter caught the light. “On the contrary, sparkles give you superpowers.”

  His eyes did the crinkle thing that made her heart race. “I had no idea.”

  “It’s why women can tolerate wearing totally inappropriate footwear. Flip flops, high heels? Sparkly nail polish is the great equalizer.”

  He laughed. “You’re crazy.”

  Kay shrugged. “You’ve been warned.”

  “And cute as hell.”

  There was no laughter in the statement. Kay met his gaze. In the amber glow of the streetlamps, the world took a breath. The buoy bell rang. “Now, I’ve been warned.”

  “Have a nice weekend, Kay. I’ll see you Monday.”

  “Or maybe Shadow will give me more slobbery sweet talk on the beach tomorrow.”

  Bear shook his head. “We’re staying at the inn for the next couple of days. I’ve early deliveries coming, and I’ll be laying tile all weekend. It’s easier if we camp in town.”

  She couldn’t help but be a little disappointed at the prospect of two days without seeing Bear and Shadow on their runs. “Sure. That makes sense.”

  “Besides, I’ve had a serious talk with Shadow. The boy needed to be set straight. He may have seen you first, but I called dibs.” One corner of his mouth tipped into a smile.

  Her breath caught, but she recovered. “D-don’t you think it’s up to me to decide who gets dibs?”

  “No.” His gaze held her. If he moved half a step closer, he was in kissing range.

  Kay blinked up at him. “No?”

  “Nope.” His voice lowered. “You can’t judge until we’ve both had the chance to kiss you.”

  “Oh.”

  He took that half step and leaned closer, tugging on the hem of her shirt. The backs of his fingers brushed the bare strip of skin above the waistband of her jeans. “And I can promise you, I’ve never slobbered in my life.”

  Chapter Seven

  “Of course, I’m sure. I told you when you called yesterday and the day before, I never worked on the Regency project. I can’t help you with this, Diane.” Bear rubbed at the ache between his eyebrows. “No, you’re gonna have to handle this one yourself.” The saws were grinding away upstairs. There was grout to mix. He needed to get back to work. Kay was due this morning. He didn’t have time to pacify his ex-wife.

  Bear took the cordless phone into the kitchen to refill his coffee. It was going to be a long day, and it hadn’t even started.

  “Diane, what do you want me to do? What? You’ve lost it. I’m on the other side of the country up to my eyeballs in construction. I can’t drop everything and bail you out. If it’s as bad as you think, you should be talking to lawyers, not me.” God, she was like a dog with a bone. “I’m not coming to California. Because I’m not. Check the door, sweetheart, my name is gone. It’s your business now. You deal with it.” He blew out a breath. “Of course I still care, but—” Bear pushed back into the lobby and found Kay had arrived and was looking over the supplies that had been delivered for her over the weekend.

  “Hey, I gotta go.” He set down his coffee and met Kay’s eye. Smiling, he held up a finger indicating he needed just another minute. “I can’t be any more clear about this. No. No, I won’t change my mind. I’m sorry that you feel that way. Have a nice”—he looked down at the receiver—“day.” Diane hung up on him. Having been married to the woman, he wasn’t surprised. Relieved, but not surprised. Their last two conversations had ended the same way. He was used to it.

  “Problem?” Kay nodded toward the phone he tossed onto the cluttered reception desk.

  “Not anymore.” His day just got much better. Kay pulled a receipt slip from one of the boxes by her feet. Grabbing his coffee, he joined her. “That arrived late Saturday afternoon. Did you get everything you ordered?”

  She checked off the list. “Some of the paint is back stocked, but I can still get started with prep and prime. Hopefully, it won’t take too long to get it to me.”

  Her long hair was secured in a thick braid trailing down the center of her back. Her mottled jeans bore smudges and smears of paint in every conceivable color. A gray hoodie bore similar markings. She slipped the receipt into her back pocket and pushed her pencil into her braid before bending to organize things. Her hoodie rose, and her jeans dipped leaving a pale curve of soft skin. Bear’s brain lost a good amount of blood flow.

  He cleared the sudden catch in his throat. “Let me know if you have trouble getting anything. I can probably find it through my guys.”

  “I think I’ve got it covered, but thanks.” She shot him a quick smile over her shoulder.

  “You know, I never gave you a tour of the place. Fourth floor is still a disaster, but if you’d like to see the rest.”

  “Um, I’d love to. Maybe later?”

  “Sure, sure. Later.” She went back to unpacking quarts of latex paint. He twisted the cup in his hand. “Coffee?”

  “No, thanks, I’m good.”

  He should really stop studying her butt. “You know where the pot is if you want some. Feel free to help yourself. There’s donuts, too. Bottled water in the fridge.” He was rambling.

  “Thank you.” She pulled out a set of plush roller sleeves and tossed them to one side.

  “Is it too cool in here? I could bump the heat.”

  “Bear…” Kay straightened, blew out a breath, and crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m great. I don’t need coffee, donuts, it’s not too ho
t, or too cold. It’s perfect.” She shook her head and laughed. She tucked a stray hair behind an ear. “I’m sure you’ve got your hands full with other things. I’m all set. If I need anything, I’ll come find you. I promise.”

  “That was a nice way of telling me not to let the door hit me in the ass on the way out.”

  “Handsome and smart.” She crooked one eyebrow at him.

  “Okay.” He held up his hands. “I get it. I’ll get out of your way.”

  “I’d appreciate it.”

  “But if you need any—”

  “Bear.”

  He threw up his hands in surrender. “I’m going.”

  And he went, but he couldn’t stay out of the lobby for long. He needed to see her work. It fascinated him. She fascinated him. He kept finding excuses to pop back. A forgotten supply order. His coffee cup. A pencil. Had he left his tape measure down here? Where’s the phone?

  All the while watching her as she made a slow sweep of the lobby, running her hands over the plaster walls, marking with chalk any imperfections she found in the surface. She filled the holes with Spackle, wiped them smooth, and then taped off the baseboard using wide, blue painter’s masking tape.

  On one of his return visits, he found her at the top of a stepladder taping along the ceiling line. Fear of her falling caught him like a blow to the chest, followed by the sudden, insane desire to catch her if she did. It would all happen in slow motion. She’d lose her footing, he’d drop everything and rush toward her in that split second easily scooping her into his arms. He’d hold her tight while their beating hearts calmed. She’d be so grateful…she’d…she’d…

  What an idiot!

  By the time five o’clock rolled around, all he wanted to do was pin her against the wall and kiss her. He’d been thinking about just that thing since he left her at her car the other night. Whoa. Let’s be honest here, he’d been thinking about kissing her since the first day on the beach.

  He knew what the problem was. Lack of rainfall. Monsoon Diane had dried up more than a year ago, and he was in a serious drought. Or…maybe he wasn’t a pig and only thinking with his dick. Either way, he needed to hurry up and kiss her, so he could stop thinking about it and get back to work.