Artfully Yours Read Online Free

life in under twenty-four hours. She was still conflicted about what this said about her as she sat on the granite kitchen countertop the next morning, sipping her second cup of coffee.
    She watched Jenny through the window.
    Her sister puttered about with one of the many pots clustered in an artistic arrangement on the deck. This one was a round-bellied terracotta, stuffed full of colorful flowers. Jenny had lifted it up onto her lap and was busy picking off dried leaves, keeping an eye on Katie as her daughter dashed around on the clipped lawn, every now and then leaping into the air and tossing her head. And neighing.
    Elle took a thoughtful sip of coffee. The deck was new, and by the looks of it hadn’t been through a winter yet. There were no scuff marks or patches to show where furniture once stood, and there was of course no furniture, either, which was why Jenny sat on her butt on the wooden boards, cast stuck straight out ahead, looking much too young to have a four-year-old. Every now and then, Jenny’s head lifted as she tracked Katie, and Elle was hit with a dizzying sense of déjà-vu.
    Once, that had been her, watching over Jenny. Once, Jenny had been the carefree girl riding imaginary unicorns across the lawn.
    Jenny wasn’t carefree anymore.
    The déjà-vu was clobbered by a cold rush of guilt. She’d taken her eye off Jenny, and for a lot longer than a couple of minutes.
    Elle’s body jerked as she heard the click of the front door opening, and the hall rang with a cheery voice. “Come right on in, folks, and get a load of this floor. Hardwood. Mmm. Don’t you love it?”
    Snatching up a dishtowel and scrubbing at the hot coffee she’d sloshed over her hand, Elle slid off the countertop and strode through the kitchen into the hall. She stopped to stare at a short blonde woman, standing there with arms outspread, inviting the young couple with her to take a look around.
    “What the hell?” Elle said.
    The blonde’s attention swung to her, but her big smile didn’t slip an inch. With the grace of an air stewardess, she rearranged her arms to direct the hovering couple into the living room and said, “Be with you in a minute. And check out those windows, will you? Was I right? Yeah, I was right.”
    The couple wandered into the other room, and the blonde turned on a stiletto heel to face Elle. They sized each other up for a long moment, then she grinned, and this time the smile was real. “Elle Finley. Looking good, girl.”
    Elle squinted. “I know you?”
    “Awesome! You don’t recognize me!” She put her hands on her hips, fabulous mauve manicured nails a startling contrast to the pale gray pencil skirt. “Imagine a couple of extra pounds, and glasses.”
    “Uh—”
    “Try a hundred extra pounds, glasses, and brown hair.” She pointed to herself, miming an explosive puff around her head.
    “ Lila? ”
    Lila Baxter, Jenny’s best friend and partner-in-crime since kindergarten, danced over on her shiny shoes and flung her arms around Elle, squeezing her in a hard hug.
    “Holy shit, I can’t believe it,” Elle said when she got her breath back. “How’ve you been?”
    “Oh, you know.” Lila flipped her long hair. “Amazing.”
    “It’s great to see you. It’s a bit weird to see you, though. Here. In my sister’s house with strangers. What are you doing in my sister’s house with strangers?”
    “Elle, I’ll be honest with you. I screwed up. Didn’t realize you were here. I promised Jenny I’d hold off as long as possible, but these guys, they were super keen to see the place, and you know how it is. Work’s work. Am I right?”
    Elle just shook her head.
    “Huh.” Lila blew out a sigh. “Jenny didn’t tell you yet, did she?”
    “Nope. Let me guess. You’re a realtor, and she’s selling the house?”
    “Close. Dean’s selling it, the prick. All part of the shitty divorce agreement. I told her to fight for half, but all she wanted was to get free of him as quick