“Two artists in one small shop? I don’t think so. Tell me about Mrs. Wingate. Sweet old lady?”
“Not so old. Fifties, I guess. Very sweet, but she’s also good at business. This house needs a lot of upkeep. Tris says the only money she has is from the shop and the apartments she rents. Not an easy task.”
“You said there are three apartments. Who’s in the third one?”
“No one at the moment. I think it’s reserved for someone, but I don’t know who. I’m sure Mrs. Wingate would tell you if you asked. Actually, I’m hoping . . .”
“Hoping what?”
“That Reede would like to use it while he’s here.”
“Well, well, well,” Jecca said as she popped an olive in her mouth. “Is this something you didn’t tell me about?”
Kim grinned. “I purposefully hid it from you—for a whole twenty-four hours.”
“That long?! I think you broke the sisterhood code. Why would he need an apartment in his own hometown? Not that I’m anything but politely interested in what your world-traveling, beautiful brother is up to, but I’m willing to listen.”
They smiled at each other in complete harmony based on years and years of late-night talks, of crying together over men-are-slime, of giggling and deep laughter that came from their hearts. And more than once, Kim had said that she wished Jecca would become her sister-in-law.
In the seven years since Jecca had made a play to get Kim’s brother’s attention, they’d talked about him often. Kim always passed on any information her family received from Reede. He’d finished his medical degree, and as a single man with no family to tie him down, he was free to roam the world. He’d worked for Doctors Without Borders, set up a clinic in a remote part of Africa, and went to many world disasters. Kim said that there were few helicopters that her brother hadn’t been on. “They say, ‘go,’ and he says ‘yes,’” she’d said.
“Reede is coming back to Edilean in two weeks.”
Jecca couldn’t contain her big smile. In spite of several boyfriends and one serious romance, Reede had always been in the back of her mind. But then, Kim had never let Jecca go more than a couple of weeks without mentioning him. “How did you manage that?” she asked.
“Mom was able to put a ton of guilt on him because he hasn’t been home in over two years. I just found out yesterday that she’d finally beaten him down. He’s going to come home to help Tris.”
“Tristan again,” Jecca said. “So why does your doctor cousin need help?”
Kim waved her hand. “Long story. I told you about td o you abhe problems we’ve had in the last year.”
“The world heard about the CAY paintings found in little Edilean, Virginia. You think your friend would let me show some of those at Andrea’s gallery?”
“I’m sure Sara would. She only sold a few of them. And she’d love to show them to you.”
“Fabulous!” Jecca said. “I’d truly love to see them. What do they have to do with Reede?”
“Tristan, our cousin—”
“Who lives next door, grows orchids, is a doctor, and comes up in our conversation every other sentence . . .”
“That’s the one. You’ll understand when you meet him. He has . . . What can I say? A strong presence. People like him.”
“That’s good in a doctor. Are you going to tell me about Reede or not?”
“Let’s take this stuff to the kitchen,” Kim said as she began filling the tray, and Jecca helped her. Household chores were something they’d done together many times and they knew who did what.
When the tray was full, Jecca carried it back to the kitchen.
“There was . . .” Kim began as she put dishes in the washer and Jecca put the olives away. “An incident here a couple of months ago. Some man, an international thief actually, was caught trying to rob something from Tris’s house.”
“What was it? Diamonds? Gold? Is he that rich?”
“Not at all. A lot of Tris’s practice is pro bono. Anyway, during the scuffle, Tris was hurt, hit over the head with something and pushed down a hill. His left arm was broken—or cracked, I don’t know which—and he’s now in a cast and a sling. He can’t really function well enough to keep his practice going, so his dad came up from Sarasota to help out. When Reede gets here, he’ll take over. He’s staying until Tris can get back to work.”
“How kind of him.” There wasn’t anything Jecca had heard about Reede Aldredge that she didn’t like.
“Well, they are friends as well as cousins, and Tris would help Reede. Besides, it’s time my brother got over Laura Chawnley and came back to where he belongs.”