“Honest as a Boy Scout. Isn’t that what Tank said?”
“You remember everything.” That and his honesty were only two of hundreds of wonderful reasons she felt the scale tipping toward love. Love. Holy crap was that a scary thought. She had no experience loving a man as more than a friend. But what she felt for Brant was so big and real, he was with her even when they were apart. How could it be anything else? She tucked those feelings down deep for the umpteenth time until she was ready to face them.
She took one last look at the map of Silver Island she’d drawn for the mural, with each historical landmark called out and current scenes depicted. She’d drawn Bartholomew Silver’s ship sailing in Fortune’s Cove by the cliffs of Fortune’s Landing, marking where he’d landed in 1601 when he’d founded the island. The Pride was shown off the northeast shore, with treasure hunter Zev Braden and his diving team swimming around the treasures. She’d drawn the Bra Brigaders sunbathing at Mermaid Cove, with a mermaid tail sticking out of the water, and she’d drawn children playing at the park off Main Street. Just now she’d snuck in a drawing of Scrappy with the ball between his paws. She showed elderly couples dressed in fifties-style suits and dresses holding hands as they watched fishermen unloading their daily catch at the Silver Harbor pier and a modern-day Christmas tree lighting with the community rallying in the park near Silver Monument in the center of town. The flag from Top of the Island Vineyard waved in the background. She’d included boats decorated for the holiday flotilla sailing around Rock Harbor, their lights sparkling against an evening sky, and Mayor Osten standing at a podium announcing the winner.
Brant’s grandparents had told her about community breakfasts at the Seaport lighthouse, and she and Brant had attended one last weekend. She’d drawn that as well as the original seafarer’s cottages that she’d fallen in love with along Seaport’s main streets, which were now used as shops. Yesterday evening Brant had taken her to see Chaffee, and last night she’d drawn kids playing around the historical fountain in Chaffee’s town square. She showed Silver House resort back in the day, when it was just a home, prior to all of the renovations, fishermen standing on a rickety pier, and the airport when it was established in the early 1900s, with a biplane on the runway and children wearing knickerbockers and knee-length dresses watching from behind a fence.
She couldn’t help but honor Ava—the reason she’d found her sisters, Brant, and the island—and she’d drawn her as a teenager watching Olivier paint on the deck of the Bistro. She knew the mayor might not allow that picture since it was so personal, but she had to try. She showed all of the town buildings and modern-day Main Street in Silver Haven with window boxes overflowing with flowers, colorful awnings, and flags at every shop entrance. But her favorite representation of Silver Island’s community spirit was the drawing of Brant and his family driving down Main Street in his grandfather’s red truck when Brant and his siblings were young, all of them sitting on their knees in the back, waving to the people on the sidewalks as Roddy announced movie night with the megaphone from the driver’s seat. The mayor might nix that one, too, but it was worth a shot.
With every minute of research she’d done, and every picture she’d drawn, she’d felt closer to the town and the people, as if she were becoming one of them, and she realized, she wanted to be.
She took a deep breath, meeting Brant’s eager gaze, and handed him her heart’s work.
His hand covered hers, his eyes trained on her, not the drawing. “I’ve watched you work on this for weeks, and before I look at it, I just want to say thank you for trusting me to be the first to see it.”
Too nervous to speak, she nodded, and as he turned his attention to the drawing, she pushed to her feet and paced.
She tried not to scrutinize his every breath as he studied the drawing, but she was too anxious not to question his knitted brows and the way his jaw hung slack. “Is it too much? I know the mayor might not allow the Bistro and your family’s truck because they’re such personal images, but I had to try.”
He held up one finger and continued studying the picture.
“I tried to keep a balance between new and old,” she said anxiously as she paced. “Did I go too far in one direction? I asked the mayor about using the map as the overall premise two weeks ago, and he seemed to love the idea. But do you think it’s too complicated?”
Brant shook his head and pushed to his feet. “Caity, I’ve lived on this island for thirty-three years, and I wouldn’t have thought to put in half of this stuff. You not only captured the spirit of the island, but you showed all of the things that make up the very heart of it. I knew you were talented, but this . . .”
Her eyes welled with happy tears. “Really?”
“Really, baby. You’re going to blow them away.”
She squealed and threw her arms around him. He caught her with one arm, holding the sketchbook away from their bodies with the other as they kissed and laughed.
“I’m so relieved!” She took the sketchbook and looked over the drawing again. “I fell in love with the island when I was drawing it. I hope they like it.” She kissed him again and then went to put the sketchbook in her backpack.
“Brant! Cait!”
She turned at the sound of Randi’s voice and saw her, Tessa, Millie, and Gail approaching. Millie and Gail were wearing floppy sunhats and big movie-star-type plastic sunglasses. Scrappy barked and waggled his butt.
“Hope you guys are done making out because we’re taking Cait.” Randi loved up Scrappy.
“Taking me?” Cait looked at Brant, who was grinning like a Cheshire cat. “What’s going on?”
“We’re having a girls’ day,” Gail explained, taking her arm. “And we need to get a move on before the rain moves in.”
Millie motioned toward Cait’s backpack. “Tessy, get her bag, will you?”
“Got it, Gram.” Tessa shouldered Cait’s backpack.
“Don’t look so worried, Cait. This is a rite of passage.” Randi took Cait’s other arm. “I promise we’ll bring you back to him in one piece so you can smooch all night long.”
Cait had never been kidnapped by a group of girls before. She was excited, and a little nervous. “Is this like hazing at a sorority? You’re not going to make me drink too much or go streaking, are you?”
“Only if you’re lucky, hon,” Millie said with a wink.
The girls laughed.
“Have a blast, babe,” Brant said. “We’ll see you later.”
As the girls led her away, she looked over her shoulder at Brant. He was holding Scrappy, and he blew her a kiss.
“That’s enough ogling,” Randi commanded. “It’s time to put my brother and your pup out of your head for a few hours and have some fun!”
But they’re my favorite kind of fun. “Putting your brother out of my head is easier said than done.”
“You tell ’em, honey.” Gail squeezed her arm.
“You girls could learn a little something from Cait,” Millie added. “Maybe she can open your eyes to romance.”
“Gram,” Randi and Tessa complained.