Fielder's Choice

  Alana worked fast and finished the painting before noon. She’d just have to do without the glitter. Though she usually liked to work with oils, for once she was grateful that she’d chosen acrylics, since they dried relatively fast. In case she did want to use the image, or something like it, for the body line label, she photographed the finished painting. She carried it down to the kitchen and asked Isobel to wrap it and send it by messenger to Sophie. She’d checked the Giants’ schedule; Matt was out of town until Tuesday, so he couldn’t intervene. She wanted Sophie to have the painting since she couldn’t help with the garden.

  Isobel offered her a scone hot from the oven. She used a hot pad to take it off the tray.

  “You know,” Alana said as she crumbled off a corner of the scone, “you might want to give Iris the recipe for these. She might need it to deal with Mr. Hartman.”

  Isobel held the painting at arm’s length, and Alana saw her knit her brows.

  “What is it?” Alana asked. “Is something wrong?” She hurried over to examine the painting.

  “Maybe,” Isobel said as she laid the painting on the counter and began to wrap it with sturdy brown paper. “But not with the painting.”

  Alana didn’t have to ask what she meant. She’d been awake most of the night struggling with her warring feelings. She knew she’d done the right thing, finally. But she missed Matt and Sophie. And she couldn’t fool herself—she loved them. Her feelings for Sophie had been clear in every stroke of paint, her feelings for Matt clear with every beat of her heart.

  She’d changed, but she had no desire to go back to the woman she’d been. Even her body didn’t feel the same to her anymore. It was as though her lovemaking with Matt had transformed her. Before she’d fallen asleep around three in the morning, she’d even considered texting him and suggesting a date.

  But in the light of day she’d searched her conscience and knew she still didn’t come up to the mark, no matter how much she’d changed. Yes, she’d done the right thing in sending Matt away. But why the hell did the right thing have to hurt so badly?

  She swore off watching more games. Seeing Matt without being able to talk to him or touch him was torture, torture she sure didn’t need.