Read Online 03 The Fate Of The Muse - Marina's Tales by Derrolyn Anderson - Free Book Online Page B

frowned. It didn’t look like
it was going to work out that way. I wished I could go surfing with
him every day, but as usual, he was already hard at work, so I
decided I’d visit him at the farmer’s market. If I wanted to spend
time with him, it was going to have to be while he was working.
    I put on a white eyelet sundress that looked
like summertime itself, fluffing up my hair in the mirror. The
aquamarine on my neck sparkled in the morning light, and I
automatically reached up to touch it, thinking about Ethan. When I
rounded the corner into the kitchen Abby looked up with a big
smile. She had a pen tucked behind her ear and a telephone in her
hand.
    “You look pretty this morning. Are you off to
see Ethan?” she asked.
    I returned her smile, nodding yes, “What’s
all this stuff?”
    She was sitting at the kitchen table with
papers and notepads spread out before her. A stack of boxes was
piled high in the corner, nearly blocking the back door. I could
see cases of local wine, cellophane wrapped gift baskets and framed
prints. The place looked like the inside of someone’s storage
locker.
    “I decided to add a silent auction,” she was
excited, “I’ve been collecting donations from neighborhood
businesses… Can you believe all the great stuff I’ve gotten so far?
We’re on track to raise a lot of money!”
    “Wow… that’s a really great idea!”
    I was impressed. Abby was a loving mom and a
compassionate yoga instructor, but I’d never known her to be so
organized and efficient. It seemed as though Ethan and Lue’s
misfortune was revealing some hidden talents.
    “Should I sign you up to donate a painting?”
she smiled slyly.
    “Of course!” I replied, “I’ll add one to the
pile. Can I pick you up anything from the market?”
    “No thanks, Dutch is coming by to make us
dinner later–”
    Her phone rang, and I waved goodbye to her
while she took yet another call. It was really gratifying to see
how the community had rallied around the cause. Once people heard
about the government’s plans, most of them were outraged. Soon, Lue
would have enough money and support to defend himself. I had a very
good feeling about the outcome.
    I pulled up to the farmers market, heading
over to the espresso cart and picking up a couple of mochas. When
Ethan looked up to see me heading towards him, his face broke into
a wide grin, and he stopped what he was doing to watch me. The way
his eyes squinted melted my heart, and when I came around the back
of his stand he took the coffees from my hands and set them down,
reaching around my back to pull me in close.
    “I was just thinking about you,” he bent down
to press his forehead into mine.
    “I hope it was a good thought,” I said.
    He kissed my breath away, “It’s always
good.”
    We sat down together, sipping our coffees and
talking about plans for the rally. It was still a week away but
everything was coming together nicely, falling into place like
clockwork. Even the weather was shaping up to be in our favor.
    “I can’t believe how much everybody’s helping
us,” he said, “Megan hooked us up with a sound system from some
musican guy she just met, and she agreed to announce the bands and
the speakers. Abby’s been calling all over town for donations. This
is gonna be great.”
    I smiled, happy for him, happy for us… just
plain happy. I moved my chair to the back of his stand and watched
him work. The market picked up, and Ethan had to hustle to keep up
with all the customers. He refused my offers to help, and I was
feeling kind of useless, so I pulled a book out of my tote bag and
kicked back to read.
    “Hey Ethan,” a girl’s voice called out
familiarly.
    I looked up to recognize his ex-girlfriend
with a jolt of shock. She was standing there with a smile, a canvas
market bag slung over her shoulder with a bouquet of flowers
sticking out of it. She was even prettier than I remembered. I
could have sworn I’d gotten over it, but my body