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eat,” Tina
commented as they both watched Tom walk toward the door.
    “Hush,” Ashley chastised her sister.
    “Well, he does,” Tina protested. “I’m just
sayin’…”
    Thankfully, Tina didn’t say anything more as
Tom opened the door and the bell over it jangled. He strode in, and
Ashley’s mouth went dry. He really was the most handsome man she’d
ever seen in person. Certainly the nicest—both in looks and
personality—she’d ever been on a date with.
    Tom walked right up to her, a smile
stretching his face. “Hi,” he said, meeting and holding her
gaze.
    “Hi,” Ashley replied in a breathy tone.
    “Well,” Tina’s loud voice intruded on the
moment. “It’s good to see you again, counselor.”
    “Good to see you too, Tina.” Tom seemed to
have trouble tearing his gaze away from Ash to acknowledge Tina’s
greeting.
    Tina chuckled and flounced away, clearly
amused at them, but Ashley was just glad to see her go.
    “Are you ready to go?” Tom asked.
    “Yeah, just let me grab one thing,” Ashley
turned around to find Tina standing behind her, holding up the box
of pastries she’d put together earlier.
    She and Tom walked out together, Tina
snickering behind them, but Ashley didn’t care. She felt like
Cinderella being picked up by Prince Charming, in the pumpkin
coach, heading for the ball.
    The locals at the table outside gave them
speculative looks as they passed but didn’t say anything. Ashley
wasn’t sure what they thought about another of their kind dating a
human, but so far, the response to Brody and Nell’s relationship
had been mostly positive.
    Tom helped her hop into the vehicle then
jogged around to the driver’s side and got in. Within moments, they
had left the small Main Street behind and were out on the back
roads that led around the side of the cove.
    Tom’s home was set a short distance from the
shore, on a high point in the terrain that would afford some
protection if the tide rose during a storm or something. It was a
beautiful structure, with numerous tall windows that probably let
in lots of light during the day. As it was, in the early evening
twilight, Ashley got to see the beautiful views Tom had of the cove
as the sun set in the west, turning the waters all sorts of vibrant
colors.
    “This place is just lovely,” Ashley
complimented his home as they walked in, and she got a good look at
the floor-to-ceiling windows that showcased the natural beauty of
the cove.
    “Thanks. I designed it around the views, and
my studio is all about the light.” He led the way around, showing
her each of the rooms on the main floor. The house had a mostly
open floor plan, so the tour didn’t take very long.
    She was impressed by everything she saw, but
when he led the way into his studio, her breath caught.
    On an easel in the center of the room was a
massive canvas that looked nearly finished. It was a view of the
cove at sunset with the vibrant colors of the dying sun reflected
off tempestuous waves. The piece spoke of the power of nature and
the majesty of their surroundings. Its subject matter was rugged,
and yet, the painting was refined in its technique. It was a
masterpiece.
    “Oh, wow. Tom, this is brilliant.” She moved
into the room, drawn by the beauty of the image.
    “John asked me to do something for the new
town hall he’s building. This will hang across from the front
entrance, so you see it when you walk in.”
    “It’s magnificent.” She stood, just admiring
the big canvas for a while. “It looks alive. I can almost feel the
motion of the waves.” She looked at Tom. “You’re really
talented.”
    He seemed almost uncomfortable with her
praise but gave her a gruff thank you before bringing her attention
to the skylights he’d installed. He also pointed out the array of
windows that he claimed brought in all kinds of light during
different parts of the day. Light, apparently, was very significant
to painters, which Ashley had known in a sort of