Page 12 of Proof

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Chi-Chi nervously clicked on her walkie-talkie to speak with Cullen.

“I cannot pretend about things,” she said heavily.

“What’s wrong?” Cullen asked.

“I almost spilled the rice with your sister.”

“Spilled the beans,” Cullen corrected.

“Whatever you call it. I do not like lying to people.”

“Why? What happened?”

“Nothing, really, but when she told me Christopher was coming this weekend, I said I was happy it worked out. Then she asked me ‘what worked out,’ so I told her I said a prayer that she and I could get together.” She sighed. “I feel so foolish.”

“Don’t worry about it. Luna is a very spiritual person, and she advocates creative visualization. Manifestation. You know, that kind of stuff. She probably took it along those lines. You were thinking about it, and it happened.” Cullen was trying to soothe Chi-Chi’s angst.

“But seriously, Cullen, if you want me to be a part of any mischief, I am not going to be able to lie.”

Cullen laughed. “You have the highest level of integrity. That’s why everyone loves you.” Then he froze. Had he ever told her he loved her? For real kind of love? Sure, there were many times when any and all of them would sign off with “love you,” but had he ever looked into her eyes and told her exactly what she meant to him? Maybe what he should really be refurbishing was his ability to express his true feelings. Unlike his unfiltered sister, Cullen was always buttoned up, whether it was his shirt or his feelings. Maybe it was time for a change in wardrobe, physically and emotionally.

Chi-Chi noticed the pause in Cullen’s usual chatter and realized he was considering what he’d actually said. But in her heart, she knew they all loved each other, and they were lucky to have such a strong bond of friendship. She and Cullen were romantically involved, but they’d never talked about where their relationship was going. Maybe it was time for that conversation.

Chapter Four

Stillwell Art Center

Tuesday, Late Afternoon

Luna’s Dresser

Cullen felt a little creepy about going behind his sister’s back with the ruse of wanting to get into classic car refurbishing in order to play matchmaker. Not that Luna and Chris needed to be matched, but Cullen was concerned about his sister’s mood and the fact that she and Chris hadn’t seen each other in three weeks. Cullen knew from experience that long-distance relationships were not easy to maintain.

He thought the world of Chris, but he sensed Luna’s growing discomfort. She would never admit it. At least not to him. Maybe not even to herself. Cullen always wondered how she could be so brilliant when it came to reading other people, but so clueless about her own relationships with men. But Chris seemed to be the exception, though the distance and lack of commitment were worrisome. Not that Cullen should judge. He was as guilty of ignoring the elephant in the room as anyone else. If Luna and Chris had talked about a commitment, she’d never mentioned it to him. The class ring and “going steady” was cute, but it wasn’t an engagement ring. He shrugged. It really wasn’t any of his business, but Luna was his sister, and he adored her. What he really needed to focus on was his own relationship and what it meant to him and to Chi-Chi. But that would wait until the weekend, after he’d had time to rehearse what he was going to say to her. First, he had to figure out exactly what that was.

The buzzer from the rear loading dock rang. Cullen went to the back of the workshop and opened the door. A small pickup truck had pulled in.

“Hey, Cullen! Look at you—all grown up, with a business in this fancy place!”

“Duke! How the heck are you?” Cullen grasped the seventy-something man by the shoulders. Back when Cullen’s parents had their antique business, Duke was their delivery driver. When Luna and Cullen were kids, Duke would let them ride in the flatbed of the truck and take them to a pumpkin farm or an apple orchard. No one would imagine doing that now, and it was nearly horrifying to think about what could have happened back then. Like drinking out of the garden hose, thought Cullen. “Come in! Come in!” He slapped Duke on the back.

“This is some setup you got here.” Duke smiled, showing off his two gold molars. He took in the large workshop with its pristine workbench and wall of tools. He whistled. “Never thought you’d be in the furniture fixin’ business.” He shoved his hands into his overall pockets and marveled at the space.

“Yeah, well, I always had an interest, and along came an opportunity, so I took it.” Cullen nodded. “Follow me. There’s someone who will be very surprised to see you.”

The two men walked slowly from the workshop through the showroom, Duke stopping at almost every piece of restored furniture. “You do all this yourself?” he asked in awe.

“Yessir.” Cullen pointed up to the ceiling fixtures. “Got busy with some lighting, too.”

“Man-oh-man. You’re some kind of wizard there, kid.” Duke’s head was moving in all directions. He didn’t know what to look at next. “How’d you come into all this?”

“Well, you know my folks wanted to retire and had a lot of inventory. I didn’t want to be solely in the antiques business, so I started with what they had on hand, then began working on my own projects. Almost everything here is my work. I only have a couple of pieces left from their business.”

“Man-oh-man,” Duke repeated. “They sure must be proud.”

“I hope so. You know my dad. Not much for touchy-feely stuff or handing out compliments.”