She hadn’t been interested in dating him, however. She’d had a boyfriend at the time—one her strict parents approved of because he went to the right school, had a football scholarship to UCLA and attended the same church they did. Seth still wasn’t sure why Shiloh messaged him on social media once that relationship ended. He suspected she’d done it to rebel against her parents’ tight control, because she knew what she was getting into from the beginning—knew he’d spent eighteen months in juvie for driving the getaway car for some friends who’d tried to rob a bank. All the kids knew that. It was what her ex played on most to try to win her back.

Taking another drink of wine, he walked over and rolled up his jeans so that he could stick his feet in the hot tub. He had no business whiling away the hours out here, thinking about Shiloh. Missing her only made him grow maudlin. And he needed to finish “The Businessman” so he could start the piece he owed the Monterey Bay Aquarium. He was thinking of making that one a representation of the mad passion of Captain Ahab from Moby Dick and needed to decide exactly how he’d capture Ahab’s obsession through a strictly visual medium.

But he couldn’t concentrate. This felt like the many nights he’d spent the year after Shiloh died, walking the empty halls of their house for hours on end, as if he might find her in one of the rooms.

If he was being honest, however, it wasn’t just Shiloh standing between him and his ability to create tonight. It was Tia. He found her new face so intriguing that he wanted to paint her, which was crazy. It was a waste of time to even think about how he’d approach something like that. She’d never agree, even if he promised he wouldn’t sell it.

“There you are. I’ve been shouting your name through the entire house. I wouldn’t be surprised if the bird started imitating me.”

Seth twisted around to see his mother coming through the back door. “What are you doing here?” He checked his watch. “It’s late.”

“I know what a night owl you are. So I decided to stop by and say hello.”

“You mean drive over?” he said as she came toward him. “There is no stopping by when you live on the other side of town and it’s nearly midnight.”

Once she reached him, she playfully swatted his arm. “Stop it. It’s a Friday night. I don’t have to get up early in the morning, and I didn’t have to come that far. I love having you in town. I plan to take full advantage of it and see you as often as possible.”