Free Against the Wall (Stoddard Art School Series Book 3) by Lisa A. Olech

to mend the fences. Before it’s too late.”
    Kay frowned. “Too late for what?”
    “Nothing.” Dottie lifted a hand. “I’ll go back to minding my own business. I love you both, and it breaks my heart to see you both so unhappy.”
    “I’m not unhappy.”
    Her words hung in the air as Dottie sipped at her tea. “What happened with Todd?”
    Kay was on her feet again. She dumped the rest of her tea into the sink. “Wow, Mom and Todd in one conversation. I may be too tired for this.”
    “Does your breakup have anything to do with the fact that you’re keeping Bear Coulter at arm’s length?”
    Kay shot her a look over her shoulder. “What?”
    Dottie shrugged and spoke into her cup. “The man is sweet on you.”
    “I am too tired for this.” She rinsed her cup and put it into the drainer to dry.
    “You’d have to be blind not to see it.”
    Turning, Kay braced her hands on the edge of the counter. “Bear is a client.”
    “So?”
    “So, I don’t date my clients.”
    “He’s a good man,” Dottie insisted.
    “I agree.”
    “Handsome, successful, good-hearted.” She counted each quality off on her fingers.
    “I agree with all those things.”
    “Then what’s the problem?”
    “Besides him being my client, he lives in Maine. I live in New Hampshire.”
    Dottie scanned the room. “Looks like we’re in Maine, now.”
    Kay narrowed her eyes. “Cute. I’m only here for the summer. What happens come August when I have to go back? I won’t even buy a houseplant because who’d take care of it come fall?”
    “Bear isn’t a houseplant, honey.”
    “No, he isn’t, but I don’t want a summer fling. Bear’s not a fling guy. He’s a forever guy. He deserves someone who is settled and stable. Who’s going to be around for the long haul.”
    “Then may I ask why are you feeding a stray cat?”
    Kay huffed out a sharp breath. “Good question.”
    After Dottie left, Kay showered and slipped into bed. Her body was exhausted, but her mind refused to quit. She tossed and turned and, in frustration, growled at the ceiling before covering her face with her pillow. The day was too warm. Her bedroom felt stuffy and stale. Throwing the pillow didn’t help. Air. She needed air to clear her head and cool off.
    Slipping on a T-shirt and shorts, Kay headed out to her spot on the point. Passing Bear’s house, she replayed her conversation with Dottie. All her reasons concerning Bear were valid. The last thing she wanted or needed was a summer romance. After Todd, her heart couldn’t take it, and she wasn’t the type to keep her heart out of the mix. Bear Coulter might be sweet on her, but every time she got within two feet of the man, she became some brainless twit. She’d lost track of all the times she’d humiliated herself. Best to keep her head down and do her work. That’s all. Come August, she could leave with a solid bank account, maybe a nice reference, and an unbroken heart.
    Making her way through the tumble of granite boulders making up the point, she found her place. Her rock. The ancient stone had forever marked this spot. It dipped in on one end, carved out by a million storms and the endless beating of the water. It was the perfect place to sit and watch the waves. Walter called it Fred Flintstone’s beach chair. High and dry, the warm stone cradled her tired back.
    Kay rolled the tension out of her neck and lost herself to the beauty of the calm sea. The rhythmic waves soothed her. She closed her eyes and relished the feel of the sun on her skin. Out here, the smell of the water was sharp and clean. The air cooled as it came across the sea. It cleared her mind, refreshed her soul, and clarified her resolve.
    Dottie meant well, but Kay wasn’t going to let a set of big shoulders and a tight guy butt cloud her judgment. Bear Coulter was off limits.
    “Kay?”
    Kay startled and twisted around. “Bear? What are you doing here?”
    “I thought I saw someone walk past the house. You’ve