Against the Wall (Stoddard Art School Series Book 3) Read Free Page B

vacation, so my vacation is a little bit longer this summer. I’m paying the water and electric direct, so it’s not like I’m sticking them with the bill.” She blew out the match and tossed it into the sink. “I’ve been the one keeping the place up, taking care of things. How many years has it been since they came here? They care about that cottage about as much as they care about me.”
    “That’s not true. They love you. If they knew you were struggling—”
    “They’d be the first ones to say, I told you so.”
    “Kay.” Dottie gave her that pitying look Kay hated.
    “You of all people know what they’re like.” Kay stopped herself from heading down that long, winding road filled with parental potholes. “I don’t want to talk about them anymore. I’m fine. Everything is fine. I’m here now. With you…and Walter.” She gave Dottie her brightest smile. “That makes everything perfect.” Kay stirred the gravy. “Speaking of Walter, where is he?”
    Dottie checked the clock. “I told him to be home by now. He’s no doubt making a pest out of himself at the inn.”
    “I saw all the construction going on over there earlier. Someone’s actually fixing up the old place?”
    “Sure ’nough. A nice fella bought the inn last winter. He stopped by the shop not too long after, asking Walt who he’d recommend hiring to do some of the work. Didn’t figure once he’d asked Walter for his opinion, he’d get such a buttinsky. The man has an opinion on just about everything, don’t ya know.”
    “Walter likes to help.”
    “At least him being over there keeps him out of my hair for a bit.” Dottie pulled a pie out of the oven, browned and bubbling, and set it aside to cool.
    Kay gasped. “You made me lucky pie?” Her mouth watered.
    “Sure did.”
    Dottie’s blueberry pie was legendary for making wishes come true. Kay requested it every year in place of a birthday cake. “But my birthday isn’t for weeks.”
    “Still had some blueberries in the freezer from last season. So you’ll get an extra wish this year.”
    “Sorry, I’m late, sorry, sorry.” Walter burst through the kitchen doorway and ducked as if he expected Dottie to take a swing at him. “I got chewing the fat with—”
    “I told you to be home a half hour ago.” Dottie fussed at him.
    He pulled a business card out of his breast pocket. “When ya hear what I got to tell ya, you’ll be happy I’m late.” He handed the card to Kay. “Have your ears been burning?”
    “What have you been up to now?” Dottie planted her hands on her hips.
    “Just singing Kay’s praises.”
    Kay read the warm, cream-colored card pinstriped with a gold border.
    BELL HARBOR INN
    Barrett Coulter, Owner
    Walter jabbed at the card with his finger. “He’s needin’ someone to paint a mural in the lobby. ‘I know a wicked good artist,’ I said. Told him all about that fancy school you’re going to. You were in town for the summer, too. He wants to meet with ya. I don’t know any of the particulars. We didn’t talk money, but he’s not cuttin’ any corners on fixing things up. Wait till ya see. Place is turnin’ out real nice.” He plucked a bit of pot roast off the serving platter and popped it into his mouth giving them both a smug look. “Now, it ain’t a definite, mind ya, but if ya stop in tomorra, ’bout two, he’d like to talk to ya.”
    “A mural job? That would be fantastic!” Kay hugged Walter around his middle and peeked over her shoulder at Dottie. “Can we eat our pie first? I think I know what I’ll wish for.”

Chapter Three
    Kay dropped her cell phone into her purse. She’d happily let the damn thing die, but because Walter gave it to Mr. Coulter as a contact number, Kay charged it overnight. She found eight messages when she checked this morning. None from Coulter. Good. None from Todd. Even better. Eight from Madeline Sullivan, the art director from the Stoddard School of Art.
    Cell phone reception at the