here. I thought it would be easier than trying to drive to Austin or San Marcos. Okay?”
“Sure. I don’t want to be difficult.”
“Be difficult if you like,” Flora said as she climbed in the car and caught the tail end of the conversation. “I love being difficult.”
“Artists are allowed,” Belle said. “Flora, you’re a genius. I didn’t realize how truly gifted you are. I’m impressed with your work.”
Flora beamed. “Why, thank you, my dear.”
“As much as I tried to convince myself otherwise, I simply wasn’t cut out for law enforcement. After all those years of preparation, I hated my job, hated the politics and dreaded going to work. Maybe I’m simply the rebel of the family, but I’ve always wanted to do something creative like paint or sculpt or write.”
“Then do it,” Flora said.
“I wouldn’t know how to begin.”
“How did you learn to read and write?”
“I went to school.”
“You can learn the basics of painting or sculpting or writing the same way. There are dozens of teachers around here. Why, I could probably give you a lesson when we get home.”
“After her nap,” Gabe said.
Belle shot him a sharp look, and he pulled an imaginary zipper across his mouth. She laughed, and he winked at her before he backed out and headed home.
ALTHOUGH IT PAINED HER to admit it, Belle really did need a nap. She’d planned to rest for a half hour or so, but when she awoke, it was almost time for dinner.
Going downstairs a few minutes later, she found the family assembled in the den. “I’m so sorry to be such a sleepyhead,” Belle said. “I simply died.”
“You’re supposed to be resting and recuperating,” Gabe said. “No need for an apology.”
“But I missed my art lesson.”
Flora dismissed the concern with a flutter of her hand. “There’ll be plenty of time for lessons. Would you like some wine?”
“I’d better stick with juice, or I may nod off in the mashed potatoes.”
Skye chuckled as she poured a glass of apple juice from a carafe on the bar. “How did you enjoy the nickel tour of our fair city?”
Belle sipped from the glass Skye handed her. “I didn’t get to see that much of it. I ran out of steam first, but I look forward to exploring all the shops and galleries. It’s a very picturesque little town.”
“We get a lot of tourists,” Skye said, “and it has grown a bit in the past few years.”
Suki soon called everyone to dinner, and after they ate, they watched a new Sandra Bullock DVD that Gabe had rented. When the movie was over, the group scattered, leaving only Belle and Gabe in the den.
“Is the house alarm set?” Belle asked.
“Yes, but I can turn it off. What do you need?”
“I just wanted to sit outside for a while and do some star-gazing.”
He picked up a throw from the sofa and held out his hand. “Come on. I need some stargazing myself.”
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