Read Online Divine Solace: 8 by Joey W. Hill - Free Book Online Page A

listening to music and
knowing, for the next few hours, nothing’s going to disturb that, that’s a
gift.”
    He’d set aside his empty ice cream dish, had his fingers
linked over his knees as he listened to her. “I need to take you sailing
sometime. Have you ever been?”
    “I went on a big boat one time. One of those tall sailing
ships.”
    “Those are cool, but there’s a quiet on a smaller craft I
think you’d like. Will you go with me sometime?”
    He’d understood, and made her viewpoint, who she was, feel
right. “If you don’t do something that makes Lyda murder you this weekend,” she
managed.
    He chuckled at that, dipped his finger into her dish and
stole some of her ice cream. “Lesser miracles.”
    “Hey.” She fenced him away with her spoon, making that grin
wreath his face once more as he licked his finger clean. When she was done with
her dish, he took it and returned to the kitchen to finish cleanup. Since he’d
encouraged her to do her usual things, she went to her craft room. Once there,
though, she quickly realized she wanted to hang out with him. So she called
out, encouraged him to join her after he finished, if he still wanted to see
how she did the collages. To her great pleasure, he did.
    She showed him how she collected paper and employed
different mediums to give the collages textures. She particularly liked using
colors and patterns to create smaller pictures and patterns inside larger ones,
like the cat in the hallway.
    “I went through a religious phase. One of my first collages
was of Jesus’ face. I had this great idea of putting together a bunch of faces.
Young, old, different races, sexes, species, and that would become the shape of
his head, the crown of thorns.”
    “So how did it turn out?” His brow arched, eyes fixed on her
face.
    “Close up, it was interesting enough. But unfortunately, two
steps away it turned into a man with a lot of tumors on his face. Not the
effect I was seeking.” She laughed at herself. “I’m babbling, I’m sorry. I’m
sure this isn’t anywhere near as fascinating to you as it is to me.”
    “On the contrary. Your face lights up when you talk about
the things that interest you. It’s like watching a garden bloom in moonlight.”
He nodded to the corner, where she had a guitar propped. “You play.”
    When his gaze slid back to her, expecting her answer, she
was still trying to untie her tongue. “What was your major at college?” she
asked at last.
    “Horticulture, poetry. Philosophy. Mechanical engineering
for a semester or two.” He gave her a wry look. “I only had the money for the
first couple years, and then I shifted to auditing classes or paying for them
one at a time. I like reading just about anything, learning anything new.”
    “Okay.” That explained how he’d been able to deliver such a
beautiful line as if it was commonplace talk. “As far as the guitar, no, I
don’t play. I bought that for five dollars at a yard sale and then took a
couple lessons, but it didn’t grab me. I should probably sell it, but I haven’t
given up on the idea of starting my own bluegrass band yet.”
    He chuckled. He was on the floor again, his back against her
chair, shoulder blades comfortably pressed against her thigh and hip, the
position he’d assumed when she started handing him different papers to examine.
She’d also given him a pair of scissors to assemble his own ideas. It was an
experience she’d never thought she’d share with a date. Though Noah wasn’t
really a date. Not one like she’d ever experienced.
    Under normal circumstances, she would have been flustered,
having a handsome man in her home whose intentions were so…undefined. Instead,
he was proving to be a relaxing and attentive companion on every level,
anticipating things that might make her uncomfortable or self-conscious and
putting her at ease before they could take too firm a grip on her psyche.
    Chloe had told her that Brendan opened himself up