“I would say more than a bit.”
It was an honest comment, but the intrigue on Judith’s face made Audra wish she had refrained. She didn’t want anyone—especially not Jack—to mistake this for a date. “So,” Audra said, reverting to her task, “I hear Luanne will be coming tonight.”
“Yes, yes. In fact, she’s already here.”
Audra was amazed that Luanne, even at her ripe age, still loved to drive herself around town.
“If you don’t see her anywhere, she’s probably over there in my studio. The joints in her knees were bothering her earlier, so she might be resting them.”
“I hope she’s okay. Would you like me to check on her?”
“Oh, you’re so sweet. But Sean can handle it.” Judith flitted her hand, clinking her copper bracelets. “You and Jack should enjoy your evening.”
“It’s no problem. Really, I’d be happy to.” For more than one reason.
Judith was about to answer when her gaze shot past Audra. “I think I recognize this handsome gentleman. I was starting to worry about you.”
Sean made it through the entry, looking like he had a story to share. “It is seriously vicious out there.”
“Why?” Judith said. “What happened?”
“I got back in my car, just to put my ticket stub on the window, and this elderly lady was waiting in her van. So I signaled I wasn’t leaving. She actually flipped me the—” He stopped to glance at Jack, who was suddenly captivated, and finished with: “A very ... not polite sign.”
Jack chuckled a little, as though well aware of the censored word. Audra didn’t want to imagine what other off-color phrases had made it into his repertoire. All the same, she couldn’t help laughing along with Sean. It was encouraging to see Jack in a happy mood, which admittedly came more easily when Sean was around.
“Sorry to interrupt,” a woman broke in. She wore cat’s-eye glasses trimmed in blue rhinestones. Presumably the gallery manager. “Judith, there’s a customer in the back interested in one of your new pieces. She’d like to discuss it with you if you’re free.”
“Sure thing. If you’ll all excuse me.” About to dash off, Judith turned to Sean. “Oh, I meant to tell you, honey. There’s a guy here who says he’s a friend of yours. I didn’t catch his name, but told him to keep an eye out for you.”
“Great. Thanks.”
Audra heard the subtle dread in his voice, and she understood. A reunion with anyone lost to Sean’s memory would make for an awkward exchange, or at best require a convincing façade. Audra knew how it felt to stumble across old acquaintances who sought a friendly update, having no knowledge of your latest news.
“So, what do you think, Jack?” Sean motioned to the closest wall. “You like this one?” The spotlighted piece was a multimedia creation of fairies.
Jack scrunched his nose. “Tinker Bell’s kinda girly,” he said, though he did admit to liking the darker, more mysterious butterfly painting. As Sean guided him to the next wall, Jack pulled his toy plane from his pocket and stroked it with his thumb, as if detecting the common theme of flight.
Luanne was nowhere to be seen.
“If you two are okay for a while,” Audra said, “I’ll go see how Luanne is doing. Jack, do you mind?”
He shrugged. “That’s fine.”
“Do you need help finding her?” Sean asked.
“Your mom says she’s resting in the studio. I thought I’d see if she needed anything.”
Sean smiled in appreciation, causing Audra a twinge of guilt. “Come on, buddy,” he said to Jack. “We got some art to see.”
Watching them venture off, Audra assured herself that confronting Luanne alone, without anyone knowing, was the right approach. As Vivian’s roommate and longtime friend, the woman must have been privy to details of Vivian’s life prior to Gene. But Luanne’s reasons for secrecy were yet unknown.
At the refreshment table, Audra filled a glass with water. She took a breath before poking her head into the studio. “Care for some company?”
Luanne looked up, seated by the worktable against the wall. “Well, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes.” She returned a small frame to a lineup of photos.
“Sore knees too, I hear.”
“Ah, yeah.” Luanne swatted the air above her legs. “Live long enough, you need replacement parts for almost everything.”
Audra stepped inside and closed the door, muffling the chatter and music. Shelves of art materials covered a full wall: foils and gems and wires and paint. Works-in-progress reclined on easels, their fumes wafting from drying acrylics.