Chapter 20
Five Months Later
Olivia
It took five months, but I finally felt like I was doing something right here in Santa Fe. After moving in with Brad, everything sort of fell into place. I painted and sketched more than ever, constantly drawing inspiration from my love for him. This place, Santa Fe, inspired me in a way nothing else ever had. I felt at home here and with Brad. It didn’t take long for me to decide I’d never leave. This was home. This was where I belonged.
For the first few months, I painted like crazy and sold everything I could. I worked tirelessly at Carla’s shop, trying to save up extra money and make a name for myself. Eventually, my paintings became a local hit. Everyone came out to Carla and to the farmer’s market to request one. Business was insane. I never imagined I would become so successful so soon. It wasn’t long before Carla realized I needed a place of my own. She found a few shops nearby that I could rent out for very little money. I worried about getting into business on my own, but with Carla’s help, I managed to do so successfully.
Brad helped me design and organize my gallery, and now, a month later, it was fully up and running. I’d sold a few high-dollar items and countless smaller ones. People came from inside the city of Santa Fe to check out my work and reserve future pieces. The local businesses all bought a few paintings to hang in their stores. It was crazy how quickly my life turned around. Just a few months ago, I felt helpless and lost. I never thought I would make it as an artist, and now I owned my own gallery.
As I locked up the gallery one evening, my mother called me. I stared down at my phone, nervous and breathless. We hadn’t spoken in months. I didn’t know why she was calling and for a split second, I worried something might have happened to my dad.
“Mom,” I said as I answered the phone. “Is everything okay?”
“Everything is fine,” she said, her voice guarded but kind. “I’m just calling to see how you are.”
“Um…” I said, confusion setting in. “I’m fine. I actually opened my own art gallery about a month ago. Business has been good.”
“From what I’ve heard, it’s been more than good,” my mom said.
I blinked. What was she talking about? How did she know anything about my work or my gallery?
“What do you mean?” I asked nervously.
“Well, I got an interesting phone call a couple of days ago,” Mom said. “From Brad Jones?”
“Yeah,” I said. “And what did he say?”
“He just told me all about your gallery and how successful you’ve been,” she said. “He spent almost an hour gushing about how amazing you are and how you’re an inspiration to him. He’s very proud of everything you’ve accomplished, and he thought I would be too.”
“Oh,” I said, unsure of what else to say.
I never imagined Brad to be reserved or standoffish. Brad would call my mother to talk about me. It was crazy and yet, I believed it. Brad would do anything for me. He’d proven that time and time again since I moved in with him.
“Well,” my mom said. “I won’t keep you. I just thought I would call and say congratulations on your success.”
“Thank you, Mom,” I said.
“And…” she hesitated. “I’m sorry about everything, Olivia. I was wrong. We, your father and I, were wrong. You obviously have a talent for this that we didn’t see before.”
“It’s okay,” I said, though it wasn’t.
“Maybe you can come home for a visit soon,” she said softly, “with your friend Brad.”
“Sure,” I said. “That sounds nice.”
We said our goodbyes and hung up. I stared at my phone in shock, unable to believe what just happened. It wasn’t like my mother to admit she was wrong. In fact, I’d never once heard her utter an apology in my entire life. Not to me or anyone. I felt like I was living in a dream as I locked up the gallery and climbed into my car.
My little car wasn’t new. It was a rundown little thing that Brad fixed up for me, but I loved it. It was perfect, and it was all mine. As I drove it toward Brad’s shop, I tried to make sense of my conversation with my mom. She was kind, nice, and supportive. Three things she’d never been before. She even wanted me to visit and she wanted me to bring Brad. I wasn’t sure what to make of that, but I knew it was a good thing.
As I pulled into the parking lot of the auto shop, I saw Brad working in the garage. I grinned and let myself into the lobby, pouring a cup of coffee and admiring my paintings on the wall. Brad insisted on buying them for the shop and the apartment. I tried to give them to him for free, but he refused. I loved seeing them hanging on the walls of this shop, the place we first met.
I walked around the counter and let myself into the garage. Brad saw me and stood up straight, grinning widely and opening his arms for a greasy hug. I hugged him tightly and leaned up to press my lips to his. I sighed against his lips, melting into his chest. No matter how many times I kissed him, I never got used to it.
When we pulled away, I saw a woman standing just outside the garage. She was glaring at me with earnest. I just grinned at her and waved, making her storm off in a huff. Rolling my eyes, I turned back to Brad.
“Still hanging around, huh?” I asked, gesturing toward where the woman disappeared.
“I didn’t even notice,” Brad said, shrugging.
“Which is why I love you,” I said.
It wasn’t anything new, these women hanging around Brad. They’d always done so, and now that we were together, they were even more persistent. They hated me for taking him off the market, but I didn’t care. Brad was mine, and I loved him for it.
“I love you too.” He grinned and kissed me again.
“So,” I said. “I got an interesting phone call from my mother today.”
Brad’s face fell for a split second. He flashed me a guilty smile, and I just laughed, taking his hand and pulling him into the office. We each fell into a chair so we could talk freely.
“I can’t believe you called her,” I said.
“Are you mad?” he asked, worry crossing his face.
“No,” I said. “I’m just surprised. Why did you do it?”
“I thought she should know how you’re doing,” he said, shrugging. “She’s your mother. I know your parents have been terrible to you, but I don’t know. I just wanted them to know they made a mistake. I wanted them to know that your talent is undeniable.”
I smiled and sighed. “Well, she was nice about it.”
“She was?” He raised his eyebrows in surprise.
“Yup,” I said. “She even said she was sorry for everything. She congratulated me on opening the gallery. I honestly don’t think I’ve ever been so surprised. I didn’t know what to say. It was crazy.”
“That’s amazing!” Brad said. “She finally sees the mistake she made.”
I nodded. “She wants me to come home for a visit,” I said. “She said I should bring you along with me. I guess she wants to meet you.”
“She does?” Brad asked. “Wow, I thought for sure she would hate me after I called her out of the blue like that.”
“Nope, I think she actually kind of likes you already,” I said.
Brad laughed, making my stomach fill with butterflies. I could never get used to being with him. From his cobalt eyes to his big belly laughs to his soft kisses. He was everything I always dreamed of and more. I never imagine the sexy, bad boy mechanic I met on my first day in town would become the love of my life. Now I couldn’t imagine my life without him.
“I think we should do it,” Brad said firmly. “We should go to New York.”
“You do?” I asked, surprised. Brad always talked about New York like it was hell on earth.
“I do,” he said. “I mean, I don’t want to live there. God no. Never. But a visit wouldn’t hurt.”
“No.” I smiled. “It wouldn’t.”
“Especially now that your parents are being nice,” Brad said, shrugging. “Maybe you guys can finally have a good relationship, you know?”
“I hope so,” I said.
Brad smiled and pulled me into his lap. He kissed me softly, wrapping his arms around my waist. Whatever happened with my parents, I knew it didn’t matter. As long as I had Brad, I’d have everything I need.
The End