his life, who never took chances or acted impulsively or followed hunches,
that
Chase Hadley was smitten by a woman he’d met only once and about whom he knew absolutely nothingat all.
Shaking his head he put the crow down. ‘This’ll be all, Bill.’ He carried his basket of goods to the counter.
As he opened his wallet he noted the barred owl next to the register, its feathers rendered with the same exacting detail as the moose’s fur. These pieces would have taken hours to make. And their prices didn’t come close to doing them justice.
‘Hang on a second.’ He ran back,grabbed up an armful of items from the display table and returned to the register. Bill watched, impassive, as he set them one by one on the counter.
Chase shrugged. ‘I like to support struggling artists.’
Bill began ringing up his purchase. ‘Like I said – pretty lady.’
Chase carried the boxes up the ramp, noting with pleasure the solid feel of the plywood construction beneath his feet. He’dbuilt the ramp the week they’d moved in and still felt pride in his bit of handiwork. Bracing the boxes against the back door, he twisted the knob and entered the kitchen.
The house, a classic colonial design, had needed only minor modifications to accommodate his father’s wheelchair. The dining room was now his father’s office and the original den had become his bedroom. Chase had the entiresecond floor but only made use of two of its four rooms – one for a study, the other his bedroom.
But the best feature of the house, the reason Chase had chosen to rent it, was the glass conservatory off the living room. With its natural light and commanding view of the lawn and woods it was the perfect place for his father to paint.
As he set the boxes on the kitchen table he heard the buzzof his father’s wheelchair approaching from the living room. A moment later the robust figure of Allen Hadley swept into the room.
‘Hey,’ he said in his usual greeting.
‘Hey, yourself.’ Chase hung his jacket on the hook by the door and surveyed the kitchen. The breakfast dishes were right where they’d been when he’d left that morning. Rolling up his sleeves, he stepped to the sink. ‘How wasyour day?’
‘I finished the Lynxes.’
‘Great. That puts you ahead of schedule, doesn’t it?’
‘If “ahead” means being two weeks behind.’ The man’s gaze grew distant. ‘I was thinking I’d do the bobcats next. I had a terrific idea for the scene – a male in deep snow, leaping after a snowshoe hare. Lots of action. Winter shadows to offset the white. What do you think?’
Chase nodded. But the lengthydescription had the ring of diversion. ‘Can’t wait to see it. Did you do your exercises?’
Allen shifted in his chair. ‘Well, you’ll be pleased to know I sat down this morning and actually worked out –’
‘Did you do your exercises?’
He sighed. ‘No.’
Chase aimed a soapy finger at him. ‘After dinner. Or no TV.’
The man let out a good-natured huff. ‘You’d think I was five the way I get treatedaround here.’
‘And we both know the response to that one, don’t we?’
‘Probably wouldn’t have finished the Lynxes if I’d stopped to bother with all that nonsense.’ Allen buzzed his chair to the fridge and opened it.
‘Exercises here instead of three months in a rehab centre. Wasn’t that the deal, or am I mistaken?’
‘Did I ever tell you you’ve got a lot of your mother in you?’ Allen’s muffledwords issued from the fridge.
‘In fact I seem to remember the word “religiously” used a few times,’ Chase added, unfazed by his comment.
Clutching an armful of salad ingredients, Allen reversed and closed the fridge. ‘All right, let’s not argue. Especially when you’rewinning. I’ll do them right after dinner, okay? You can even count.’
‘Don’t think I won’t.’
‘Yeah, I know how you doctors liketo watch folks suffer. Bunch of sadists.’ Allen plunked the groceries on the
that
Chase Hadley was smitten by a woman he’d met only once and about whom he knew absolutely nothingat all.
Shaking his head he put the crow down. ‘This’ll be all, Bill.’ He carried his basket of goods to the counter.
As he opened his wallet he noted the barred owl next to the register, its feathers rendered with the same exacting detail as the moose’s fur. These pieces would have taken hours to make. And their prices didn’t come close to doing them justice.
‘Hang on a second.’ He ran back,grabbed up an armful of items from the display table and returned to the register. Bill watched, impassive, as he set them one by one on the counter.
Chase shrugged. ‘I like to support struggling artists.’
Bill began ringing up his purchase. ‘Like I said – pretty lady.’
Chase carried the boxes up the ramp, noting with pleasure the solid feel of the plywood construction beneath his feet. He’dbuilt the ramp the week they’d moved in and still felt pride in his bit of handiwork. Bracing the boxes against the back door, he twisted the knob and entered the kitchen.
The house, a classic colonial design, had needed only minor modifications to accommodate his father’s wheelchair. The dining room was now his father’s office and the original den had become his bedroom. Chase had the entiresecond floor but only made use of two of its four rooms – one for a study, the other his bedroom.
But the best feature of the house, the reason Chase had chosen to rent it, was the glass conservatory off the living room. With its natural light and commanding view of the lawn and woods it was the perfect place for his father to paint.
As he set the boxes on the kitchen table he heard the buzzof his father’s wheelchair approaching from the living room. A moment later the robust figure of Allen Hadley swept into the room.
‘Hey,’ he said in his usual greeting.
‘Hey, yourself.’ Chase hung his jacket on the hook by the door and surveyed the kitchen. The breakfast dishes were right where they’d been when he’d left that morning. Rolling up his sleeves, he stepped to the sink. ‘How wasyour day?’
‘I finished the Lynxes.’
‘Great. That puts you ahead of schedule, doesn’t it?’
‘If “ahead” means being two weeks behind.’ The man’s gaze grew distant. ‘I was thinking I’d do the bobcats next. I had a terrific idea for the scene – a male in deep snow, leaping after a snowshoe hare. Lots of action. Winter shadows to offset the white. What do you think?’
Chase nodded. But the lengthydescription had the ring of diversion. ‘Can’t wait to see it. Did you do your exercises?’
Allen shifted in his chair. ‘Well, you’ll be pleased to know I sat down this morning and actually worked out –’
‘Did you do your exercises?’
He sighed. ‘No.’
Chase aimed a soapy finger at him. ‘After dinner. Or no TV.’
The man let out a good-natured huff. ‘You’d think I was five the way I get treatedaround here.’
‘And we both know the response to that one, don’t we?’
‘Probably wouldn’t have finished the Lynxes if I’d stopped to bother with all that nonsense.’ Allen buzzed his chair to the fridge and opened it.
‘Exercises here instead of three months in a rehab centre. Wasn’t that the deal, or am I mistaken?’
‘Did I ever tell you you’ve got a lot of your mother in you?’ Allen’s muffledwords issued from the fridge.
‘In fact I seem to remember the word “religiously” used a few times,’ Chase added, unfazed by his comment.
Clutching an armful of salad ingredients, Allen reversed and closed the fridge. ‘All right, let’s not argue. Especially when you’rewinning. I’ll do them right after dinner, okay? You can even count.’
‘Don’t think I won’t.’
‘Yeah, I know how you doctors liketo watch folks suffer. Bunch of sadists.’ Allen plunked the groceries on the
Similar Books
