Here is a sneak peek at Sky Paintings. To order this book, see the link below.
Synopsis:
Have you ever had a best friend? Someone willing to walk through the fire with you? Someone to share all your hopes and dreams and fears with? Someone you have laughed all night with, the one person who "gets it". The one person willing to drop everything and come running when you need her to. A sister of the heart and soul... your best friend.
Kedrian Sutherland and Paige Matheson met in junior high, and in a way, the rest is history. Paige had just moved to
Excerpt:
PROLOGUE: NOW:
Her hands flew over the keys, thoughts coming almost twice as fast as her fingers could get them on the screen.
It was almost noon, and the sun was shining brightly through the windows, making her blond hair glow, but she didn’t notice. Paige noticed nothing when she was writing. An earthquake could level the place, and she wouldn’t even blink till she was finished.
Finally, she typed “The End” with a flourish, and sighed. How many months and two rewrites later, it was done. She saved everything numerous times, then sat back in the chair and grinned.
“Finally finished,” she said aloud in the empty office. “Book is done and ready. Paige Matheson, author.”
Laughing at herself, she went into the kitchen for some coffee. Her jeans were well worn and loved, her old T-shirt stained with paint, and her feet were bare, but that was Paige. She was happy that way, playing beach bum and writing. It never occurred to her that she was beautiful, and if someone told her, she laughed it off. She had long blond hair and big green eyes, and was long and lanky. She wore make-up only to go out, and lived in her blue jeans, and it suited her just fine.
Her life was simple and easy. She wrote, saw friends, and had recently gotten a kitten from the pound, a gray and white ball of energy she called Sam. She dated casually, but at twenty-seven, had yet to find “the one.” And she wasn’t really looking. Kids weren’t a huge want, so she wasn’t racing the clock husband shopping.
Paige stood at the kitchen window, sipping her coffee and thinking. She’d have to call her publisher, get the manuscript faxed over there this afternoon. She had till next week, but Paige wasn’t one to procrastinate. Already she was immersed in new plots, characters and outlines.
The phone rang, startling her, and she spilled coffee on the floor when she jumped. “Hello?”
“My God, it’s alive! How’s the rewrite going?”
Paige grinned. The voice on the other end was bright and always had a hint of amusement, like the whole world was funny. Or a joke, which to Kedrian Sutherland it very well could have been. She and Paige had been friends since junior high, and had gone through almost everything together.
“Hey, Ked, what’s going on? The rewrite is done, and going out today. What’s new?”
“Well…” Kedrian paused. “I’m thinking about coming your way.”
Something in her tone set off alarm bells in Paige’s mind. “Are you ok, Ked?”
“I left Alan.”
Paige sat down at the kitchen table. “Oh, sweetie, I’m sorry. Where are you? What happened?”
“I’m at work right now, but I’m taking a leave starting tomorrow. He’s cheating on me.”
Paige closed her eyes. “God. Are you sure?”
Kedrian choked out a watery laugh. “Oh, very. They were in my bed when I got home last night.”
“What?”
“Yeah. She’s apparently some toothpaste model or something. And she’s eighteen.”
“Oh, my God… you’re coming here when?”
“Tomorrow evening? I get in at six.”
“Ok, I’ll pick you up. Just stay calm, ok? Don’t fight with him, just get your stuff and get out. Promise?”
“I can’t maim him?” Kedrian teased and they laughed.
“Nah, let me,” Paige said. “Or let the courts.”
“Even better. I have to get back to work, Paigie. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“You bet. Take it easy, Ked. Please.”
“Promise. Oh, and Paige?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m pregnant.”
Paige closed her eyes again. Only Kedrian would drop a bombshell so casually. “Oh, Ked… does he know?”
“He doesn’t care.”
“Do you?” Paige had to ask.
There was a minute or two of silence before Kedrian answered. “Yeah, I think I do.”
“Ok. Then right now, that’s all that matters. And that means you have to take care of yourself Ked.”
“I know... I really gotta go, kid. I have a lot to get done today.”
“Ok, just be safe, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“I will… thanks, Paige.”
“Don’t thank me, just get here! Love ya.”
“You, too, Paige.”
Paige sat at the table after they hung up, mulling over all the new information. Sam wandered in, meowing for attention, so she scooped him up and rubbed him.
“Well, this is definitely going to be interesting, huh, little guy?” she said, and he purred contentedly.
“Yeah, you’re always happy,” she laughed at him. “Nice to know someone is.”
**************
The rest of the day was a whirlwind. Paige faxed her manuscript, and went to the grocery store, then the florist. Paige’s vice was fresh flowers; she loved to surround herself with them. It made her house more a home, and to her, a cheery place to be.
She did up the guest room with fresh linens, and placed vases of yellow roses on the nightstands. The room was a soft, sunny yellow and white, and the adjoining bath was the same. She made sure there was soap and shampoo, and replaced the towels, then sighed. She could dress it up with every comfort, but Kedrian would still be depressed and afraid. Her entire world was crumbling, and fresh towels sure wouldn’t change that.
Paige cleaned the kitchen then, and put a vase of sunflowers on the blue-checkered tablecloth. She fed Sam, and fixed herself a ham-and-cheese omelet, which Sam found more interesting than his kitten food.
After dinner, she took a hot shower, and went into her office to check e-mail. There was a confirmation from her publisher about the manuscript, and one from Kedrian.
Paige,
Thanks again for everything. I’m glad we have each other, and that we have stayed so close… that’s rare! Guess some things do last forever, don’t they, Rudolph? See ya!
Love,
Ked
Smiling to herself, Paige closed her e-mail, and got down to work on her latest outline. By the time she glanced at the clock, it was three in the morning.
She groaned, saved, and shut down the computer. She needed to sleep. Tomorrow would be a long day, and probably a longer night, sitting up till all hours and talking. Par for the course when she was with Kedrian, but this time would be different, far more serious. Kedrian had an entire new life to build, and a new life growing inside her. It was more than daunting, it was downright terrifying. Paige was heartsick that this was happening to her old friend; there had to be a solution to all of this.
Sighing and forcing herself to think about something else, Paige headed to her room and crawled under the covers. Within minutes, she was asleep, and didn’t wake up until eleven o’clock the next morning.
*******
Paige was at the airport by five-forty and at the gate by five-fifty. She had brought a teddy bear wearing a floppy hat and sunglasses, carrying a gaudy neon green flower, and when Kedrian got off the plane and saw it, and Paige, she started laughing. And when Paige hugged her, the laughter turned almost instantly to quiet sobs.
“Shh,” Paige soothed her. “It’ll be ok, I promise. Somehow, we’ll fix all this.”
Kedrian pulled back, wiped her eyes and nodded. “Yep. Nowhere to go but up now.”
“That’s right, and you’ll get there.”
They gathered the luggage and headed out to the car. Once they got to the house, and got Kedrian’s things settled in her room, they fixed steaks and salads and ate on the deck.
“Want to talk about it?” Paige asked gently, pouring lemonade for them both.
Kedrian sighed. “Why can’t it ever be easy, Paige? Meet; fall in love, live happily ever after?”
“I know. We plan it out, we see it so clearly, and then…” Paige shook her head. “The roof caves in.”
“Too many times,” Kedrian agreed. “For both of us.”
“Yeah, but this is about you, and the baby. Any ideas yet?”
“I honestly don’t know. I know I’m getting a divorce, and I know I’m keeping the baby. The rest… I just don’t know.”
“Well, there’s time for all that. You can stay here as long as you want, and I’ll do whatever I can to help. Does he know where you are?”
“Yeah, I left a note. And I called my lawyer, so that’s rolling.”
They ate in silence for a few minutes, and then Kedrian sighed. “The worst of it was he didn’t even fight me, Paige. He didn’t even ask me to stay, or anything.”
Paige shook her head. “What did he say?”
“That these things happen, that people just do this. They just do this? They cheat on their pregnant wives in their own home? They have their girlfriend’s things in the bathroom as their wife is leaving them?”
“What the hell happened to him, Ked? He was so great, and so ready to be married forever.”
“That new job changed him. He went from a sometimes photographer to a big shot almost overnight, and he wasn’t Alan anymore. He was busy all the time, in the darkroom or who knows where, and nothing else mattered. I know our marriage didn’t. And when I told him I was pregnant, he left for hours, and then refused to talk about it.”
“How far along are you, anyway?”
“I just found out last week, but the doctor says I’m almost twelve weeks.”
“So, he was obviously around for something. Bastard.”
“Yeah. Go figure, huh? One time in almost two months, and my birth control decides not to work.”
“But, everything’s ok there, right? With the baby?” Paige poured more lemonade, and edged another plate of salad toward Kedrian.
“It seems to be. Heartbeat is fine, and I seem the right weight, so I guess its all fine.”
“Good.”
“So… enough of tough stuff,” Kedrian said with a sigh. “What’s going on here?”
“Same old, same old. I sent the book in yesterday, so that’s one thing I don’t have to think about. You’ve met Sam,” she smiled,” and I’m outlining the new book.”
“That can’t be all!” Kedrian exclaimed. “Paige, that cannot be your entire existence! Don’t you go out? Meet people, do things?”
Paige laughed. “Well, yeah, sometimes. I have my friends here. I do things, Ked, don’t worry. I’m not a hermit.”
“What about men? Don’t you have one of those?”
“Oh, dozens,” Paige teased. “My little black book is full.”
“I’m serious, Paige.”
“I’m not seeing anyone, but I manage fine, Ked. I date when I want.”
“Aren’t you lonely? You can’t live with your characters, Paige. Or just the cat!”
“Stop worrying, ok? I’m happy here, I’m content. It’s you I’m worried about, not me.”
“You can’t keep doing this, you know. Don’t you want to be in love, maybe get married?”
“Sure, someday,” Paige said casually. “Right now I’m just busy. I write for hours a day, Ked. What guy wants someone he’ll talk to through a door? Or someone who forgets to eat or runs around revising and planning new plots? It would be a lousy way to have a relationship.”
“You’ve convinced yourself, that’s for sure! You’d make someone so happy, though, Paige. You have so much to give.”
Paige laughed. “Let’s worry about you right now, ok? If it happens, it happens. Meant to be and all that, right?”
Kedrian shook her head. “Damn independent writer,” she laughed. “Don’t be too independent, Paige. Open yourself up to the chance of needing someone.”
“Kedrian, have you ever really needed someone?” she countered.
“No,” Kedrian said simply. “And it hurts like hell, anyway.”
“I know,” Paige said, reaching across the table and squeezing her hand briefly. “And we’ll get through this. You can stay here as long as you need, or want to.”
“I can’t hide forever, much as I’d like to right now. There’s my job, my life in New York… I don’t know what I’m doing yet.”
“Would you consider leaving the city? A fresh start would be good for you, I think. New place, new beginning for you and the baby.”
“In a way, I agree. But then there’s the stress of moving, finding a place, getting settled, while getting divorced and being enormously pregnant. Is it worth it?”
“What about here? It’s beautiful, and it’s still not the boonies or anything. Plus, you’d have help.”
Kedrian looked around. “The Vineyard? It is gorgeous here, and I know you guys have killer food. But jobs? Who needs an entertainment lawyer in Vineyard Haven?”
“Think about it. I live here full time, and you’re my lawyer. A lot of celebrities come here and vacation, all over the Vineyard and the Cape. You may even have more diversity in clients from here. And you could work from your home, here.”
“That’s true,” Kedrian mused, and then yawned. “I’ll think about it.”
They sat on the deck for hours that night, telling old stories and laughing about their escapades as teenagers, together and apart. And when Kedrian claimed exhaustion, Paige sat alone, staring into the sky, thinking of who they’d been, what they’d hoped and dreamed, and wondering how growing up changes everything you used to know.
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