LITMIR.BIZ

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that tree. If and when she told, it would not be at a crowded restaurant with potential customers listening avidly.

      Actually, she had no plans to bring more heartbreak to Maria. The woman had loved the idea of their marriage. She had been needy after her son’s death, relying on Laura for several things since then. Her heart ached as Maria’s must. She didn’t want to cause any problems for the family.

      “I would appraise the paintings to the best of my ability,” she said.

      “There!” Maria looked in triumph to Jed. “She’s the best for the job.”

      Jed inclined his head slightly, a smile tugging at his lips. “So glad you approve my choice.”

      Laura admired his patience. She drew a deep breath, determined not to get upset with Maria this afternoon. She’d had enough turmoil already this day.

      “She’s one of the best art dealers in town,” Maria said. She looked at what they were eating. “I’ll have the shrimp, also,” she said.

      Jed summoned the waitress and placed an order for his mother.

      Maria ignored Jed and looked at Laura. “I planned to stop by the gallery to look at that alcove again. I think it’s too small and not light enough for the best display of his paintings.”

      “Mother,” Jed interrupted. “Have you seen the pictures Laura picked out for the show?”

      “Not yet.” Maria paused a moment, then took a deep breath. “I cannot bring myself to see my darling boy’s work. I know I will be devastated all over again. It’s all I can do to make it through each day. Planning this retrospective has given me something to focus on. I’m sure opening night will be almost more than I can bear.”

      For a moment Laura thought Maria might start crying. She’d been inconsolable at the funeral. Laura had visited a few times since, spacing the visits longer and longer apart. One day they would move back into the realm of gallery owner-artist, but for the time being, she was destined to play the part of grieving fiancée. Half the time she felt like such a fraud. The other half, she genuinely grieved and wished fervently that Jordan Brodie was still alive and she’d never walked in on him that afternoon.

      “They are not up to your standards,” Jed said.

      Maria waved her hands in the air as if that was of no importance. “Probably not yet. I’ve had twenty years more experience than he had. But the talent was there. Given time, he probably would have been one of the leading painters of the twenty-first century.”

      Laura blinked. Maria was really living in a fantasy world. “No,” she said involuntarily.

      Maria and Jed looked at her.

      “What?”

      Laura shifted position slightly, glancing at Jed in appeal. “The paintings are nothing like what you do, Maria. I don’t believe Jordan had the discipline you have to continue to grow in his work.” She stopped short. If what Jed said earlier was true, Maria needed to see the paintings to know her precious son would never have achieved her level of success.

      Unless he stopped drinking, of course. Maybe his entire life would have been different had he not wanted to party more than anything. Why hadn’t she realized that at the time? She’d enjoyed their clubbing as much as he had. But she would not have continued forever. Would he ever have settled in marriage? She’d never know.

      “Come by the gallery and see them,” Laura continued. “Help me choose which frames to use for the different subjects I’ve chosen. If you don’t like them, we have time to select others from his inventory.”

      “Oh, I couldn’t bear it. I don’t know how I shall be able to be at the showing, yet for my poor son, I shall be there. But I don’t believe I can see them more than once so soon after his death.”

      “You need to view them before the show,” Jed said. “They aren’t very good.”

      “How dare you besmirch your brother’s work! From the time he was seven or eight years old, he showed great promise. We all know you have no artistic talent, Jed. Don’t belittle what you can’t do yourself!”

      Jed’s eyes narrowed as if in anger. But his voice remained calm when he spoke, “I can’t draw worth a damn, but I do recognize raw talent, and it’s not there.”

      The waitress arrived with Maria’s sandwich.

      “Wrap it up, I’m leaving,” she said imperiously. She rose. Jed rose. Laura watched bemused as they stared at each other for a long moment. Maria spoke again,

      “I expect the show to proceed as planned. I trust Laura to have selected the best of his work and once the community sees the paintings, everyone will realize the loss to the art world his death caused. You’re the executor, figure out how to have those paintings be available for the show.” She followed the waitress back toward the restaurant proper to get her wrapped sandwich.

      Jed sat and looked at Laura.

      “She’s heading for a big disappointment.”

      “The paintings aren’t that bad,” Laura said diplomatically.

      “They aren’t that good. She expects to see masterpieces. Instead she’s going to see mediocre work. Are those the best?”

      Laura nodded, fiddling with her iced tea glass.

      “He liked to have a good time, didn’t want to be responsible, accountable, or grow up. And there was no need, as long as Mom subsidized him,” Jed said with frustration.

      Laura said nothing. She began to eat again, but the sandwich tasted like cardboard. As soon as she could, without looking as if she were fleeing, she wanted to leave.

      “So when can you come out to do the appraisal?” he asked.

      He was relentless. “Not before Thursday afternoon,” she said. Today was Tuesday; if he was in such a rush, maybe he’d not want to wait that long. She began to think it would suit her better to have another appraiser handle the task. She felt battered from all the drama of the day.

      “Fine. What time?”

      “Two?” Drat. She should have said she was busy until next week, or next month. Or just flat out told him no. She glanced at him. She didn’t think many people told him no.

      “I’ll be there. I have to clear out Jordan’s things. See if there is anything else worth selling. Most of his clothes I’ll donate. Do you have a recommendation where?”

      “There’s a thrift store in Provincetown that supports a children’s group. If I were doing it, I would donate there.”

      “What of his things do you want?” he asked gently.

      Laura shook her head. “There is not one thing I can think of I want.” She was not truly entitled to anything, even if Jed thought differently. She had ended their relationship. Had her ending the engagement caused Jordan to crash his car? She hoped not, but the nagging doubt remained.

      She tossed her napkin on the table and rose. “I have to get back to the gallery. Thank you for lunch. I’ll see you Thursday.” Unless an excuse presented itself before then so she could get out of doing the appraisals without questions being raised.

      Jed rose with her and waited until she walked away before sitting down again.

      Just as Laura was about to step away from the deck, she glanced back. He sat gazing out over the harbor. For a moment, she thought she caught a glimpse of loneliness. She hesitated. Maybe she’d misjudged Jed Brodie. There was no denying the tug of her heart as she debated returning to the table. For what? To see if she could cheer him up? Nothing could do that. And any close association could lead to a revelation she didn’t want made.

      Turning, she headed back to the gallery, planning her next appointment. And then she’d turn her attention to appraising the paintings that were currently awaiting framing.

      She’d

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