Conspiracy of Silence by Martha Powers

Author:Martha Powers [Powers, Martha]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi, azw3
Tags: Romance, Mystery
ISBN: 9781597229227
Google: t9MzPwAACAAJ
Barnesnoble:
Goodreads: 5137190
Publisher: Wheeler Pub.
Published: 2008-11-01T00:00:00+00:00

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Chapter Thirteen

“Clare.” Jake’s voice close to her ear brought her back to her senses. “Are you all right?” Embarrassed by her momentary faintness, Clare stepped back and took a deep breath.

“For some reason I’m feeling a little shaky,” she said.

She turned to face Jake. He was watching her intently, his eyes shadowed and his mouth pulled into a frown.

“It could be the heat.” Jake said. “It’s usually not this hot for the show. This year it’s pretty brutal. Would you like to sit for a minute?”

“I think I’m all right now. I was a little dizzy. Almost as if I was having a reaction to the picture.”

She knew her explanation was weak, but she didn’t know how else to express the feelings she had when she looked at it.

“Come look at this one,” he said, turning her toward another canvas on the far side of the booth. “I think you’ll like this one better. I was fishing in the evening in a little bay off Lost Lake. The light was perfect. There was no breeze and the loons were just beginning to call across the water. Everything was still except for right against the shoreline where you can almost see the ripple of the water as a muskie swam just beneath the surface.”

He pointed to a spot on the canvas and Clare narrowed her eyes to get a closer look. Whether it was the storytelling tone of his voice or the skill of his painting, she could swear she saw the water move. She looked at him and smiled.

“It’s a beautiful painting.”

“Thank you.”

“There’s Jake,” came a shout from in front of the booth. Erika Hanssen stood in front of the opening, her hands on her hips. “Have you sold lots of pictures today?”

“That’s a rude question, Erika,” Nate said as he pulled on his daughter’s pigtail. “Don’t encourage her, Jake. This child needs to learn some manners.”

Erika ran up to Jake and gave him a hug, asking a series of rapid-fire questions about Waldo. Nate smiled across at Clare as he said hello to Ruth.

“I came to steal your renter,” he said. “I promised her beer and hot dogs if I ran into her. Want to join us?”

“I’ll walk over with you. I told Jake I’d pick up something for the two of us and come back to keep him company,” Ruth said.

Clare turned to say good-bye to Jake and caught him staring at her, his expression pained. He was holding on to one of the metal support poles, and she walked over to him.

“Now it’s my turn to ask if you’re all right,” she said softly.

“Thanks for asking. I’ve got a pinched nerve in my back. Every once in a while it gives me fits. Gettin’ old is all about maintenance. Patch. Patch. Patch.”

“I’m starving.”

Erika’s whine effectively broke the group up. With a wave, Clare said good-bye to Jake.

While Nate bought the hot dogs, she and Erika scouted out a table in the shade. It was close to one in the afternoon and the sun pressed down heavily.

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