Divine Phoenix(Divine Creek Ranch 10)(80)

“Really? I wish I could be there to watch you.” Clay was using the lost wax method for casting the final version of Lydia’s bronze. She’d seen the photographs it was based on and couldn’t wait to see how it turned out. Lydia was beautiful, her face very expressive, and Lily thought the clay version of the statue had captured her essence perfectly.

He’d created a plaster cast “negative” from the clay statue, then created a wax statue from the plaster cast, which was layered with many coats of ceramic to form a second “negative.” The ceramic had been fired, and all the wax lost in the process, leaving the perfect ceramic “negative” behind. The firing had also given the ceramic the resiliency to withstand the heat of the molten bronze which had been poured into it recently. The statue was currently at the fine arts foundry where the bronze had been poured. Lily hoped she could be there for the big reveal when the ceramic was broken away.

“I’ll wait until you’re there to do it. How did your test go?”

“Just fine. I felt well prepared.”

“I talked to Del. He’ll be by to pick you up at five. He’ll follow you to the house so you can take your car home and then you’ll go with him from there.”

“Do you think someone could be watching me?” She’d worried that she was being paranoid, but the thought of someone recording her movements gave her the willies and had her glancing in her rearview mirror the whole way over to the shop from the salon.

“It could be, I suppose. You can bet we’re going to be much more vigilant. I’m glad the two of you will have some more time together. I’m not sure what’s going on with Del. I thought we’d see more of him in town. I think something happened he’s not talking about. Maybe you can help him talk about it, you know? Work your magic.” Clay rose from his seat and headed toward the hallway that led to the kitchen. “I need a snack. You want anything?”

“No, thanks. It’s probably good I left all of Del’s food at the house. There’s no room in the refrigerator or freezer here. You should eat some of those Girl Scout cookies you have stuffed in the freezer. I’m curious, Clay. It doesn’t make you uncomfortable that I’ll be alone with him? No jealousy?”

Clay stopped in the door to the hallway and looked her in the eye. “No. You’re good for him, just like you’re good for me. I guess I’ve taken on the ‘Divine mindset’ about relationships.”

“What’s that?”

He leaned against the doorframe and crossed his arms over his chest, still maintaining warm eye contact with her. “The real issue is what’s good for you. That’s how all the guys feel. They want what’s best for the woman they love.”

“Oh.” That thought warmed her core more than she cared to dwell on.

He’s talking about the other husbands as though he were one of them. Is he falling in love with me? Clay is really open to sharing, if it’s what I want? Surely I’m imagining what he just said.

Clay turned down the hall like they were having any ordinary, everyday kind of conversation, and she heard him rummaging around in the kitchen.

He came back with a box of Thin Mints and a cup of coffee. “I forgot there were so many of these in the freezer here. I ran out of room for them at home.”

Lily tried to suppress her snort of amusement. “Yeah, I saw your deep freeze. There must be at least fifty boxes in there. Those little girls see you coming, don’t they?”

Clay chuckled. “What?’”

“They see the sign on your forehead.”

“My sign? And what does my sign say?” he asked with teasing good humor.

Lily laughed. “It says SUCKER. I’ll bet you take one look in their big, innocent eyes and you’re held in thrall while they sell you every box they have.”

Clay groaned, “Is it that obvious?”

Lily nodded. “But generous guys like you help to make their dreams a reality, so you just keep on giving until it hurts…or you run out of freezer space.” She pointed at the cookies. “Those Thin Mints are gonna take time to thaw out.”

Clay banged the sealed plastic sleeve against the workbench. “I know. Maybe I’ll just dump them in my coffee and get a spoon. Want some?” He went back in the kitchen for a second and returned with the necessary implement.

“No, thank you.”

“There’s something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about.” He popped a broken piece of coffee-soaked cookie in his mouth.

“Am I in trouble?”

“Hell no! You’ve done a great job with the personal jewelry website and thanks to you and your work with Duke and Gage, the main website is looking good as well. I really appreciate it. That bartering arrangement for Emma’s ring was worth it.”