All They Wanted (Wanted 5.6)

Balling his fists, Jeff slowly spoke. “I’m … going … to … kill … him.”

I tired like hell to cover my laugh, but the second Josh walked up and said good morning and Jeff went after him, I lost it.

“Jesus, Mary, and Joseph! Jeff really? There are kids at this park!” Ari called out as Jeff chased Josh around the three campsites. She turned to me and Ellie and sighed. “I tried telling him last night, but he wouldn’t listen. Do you know how bad he is going to stink up my house? He may have to sleep in the barn.”

Heather approached us. She looked at Jeff and Josh, then back to us. “Do I want to know?” she asked.

Ari and Ellie both responded. “Nope.”

With a shrug, she walked over to the cooler, opened it and asked, “What’s for breakfast?”

The sound of the wind blowing lightly through the trees had me dropping my head back and smiling.

“Aren’t you supposed to be painting, Ells?” Ari asked in a hushed voice.

“I’m enjoying the sounds of nature and the peeks of sun through the threes on my face. Let me have this moment. Plus, my hand is cramping.”

Ari chuckled. “Don’t let the teacher see you. She already yelled at that poor old lady for closing her eyes and humming.

Focusing back on the work in front of me, I stared at it.

With a grimaced face, I stated, “Mine doesn’t look like it’s supposed to.”

Peeking over at mine, Heather chuckled. “Looks better than mine.”

I glanced at hers and we both started laughing.

“Ladies in the back, did you need some help?”

Instantly, I felt my cheeks heat as Heather and I shook our heads.

“This class is for serious painters, ladies. Unless you can zip it, you’ll be asked to take your canvas and vacate.”

Heather picked up her brush and fumbled over her words. “Yes, sir … I mean ma’am. Yes, ma’am.”

After a few seconds, Ari leaned over, “You totally just got schooled by the instructor.”

Pushing her away, I put my finger to my mouth for her to hush up.

“Okay, is she serious? For serious painters? It was an open class put on by the park!”

Aril shrugged. “I guess she takes it serious.”

I dragged in a deep breath and focused back in on my painting. Tilting my head, I stared at it. With a quick peek at Ari’s, I groaned internally. Her painting was perfect. The mason jar was spot-on and the flowers she had put in it were beautiful. The colors reminded me of the west pasture during this time of year. The flowers in full bloom. I could almost smell them.

Then you had my drawing. I turned back to it. My jar looked like a paint can. The flowers were basically sticks coming out of the can with weeds sprouting out.

Then I saw it.

Holy crap. Are you kidding me?

At the bottom of the painting we were to paint the words Wild Flowers. Mine read, Mild Flowers. How in the hell did I do that?

I covered my mouth to hold back my laughter.

“What’s so funny?” Heather asked.

When I looked back at her tic-tac-toe painting I couldn’t hold it in, even though I tried like hell to. My strained laugh came out sounding like someone dragging a metal chair across the floor.