depicted,thereics,

quail,andloon.thereweredeerinsnowanddeerinhighgrass.

thereeadoterflies,andarattlesnakesowell

cauflagedthatacasualvieissit.theree,

lookingjatheeyeixoffearandhat

henearlybackedoff.

thisoffseeingrachelswork.hehadalwaysfound

itstrongtothepointofbeingintidating.hersheusedoils,

ethingsorealand

direood,ahereysteryto

ental

ncesuredthevulnerabilityofthewild.

taketherattleshereghtionbelo

thatsaidthedaedthihantofadeintothe

athingufearedharo

itself.

poufftocreatehjustthestrokeofabrushorpalette

knife.heuldneverdoanythinglikethat,didnthavethevisionor

theskill.sheoretalehanhe.

hesuspectedthatthatecture.true,he

hadbeenonthattraeetingrachel.buttheydhadsu

ehehadtoyedhtheideaof

spendingalifetipaintinghher.hehadnt,ostensiblybecause

oheeededtoeaney.deepdohough,heknew

thathisohers.

still,theyhadhadfun.

hethroughherpiecesagain.elevenpaintingsweredoneandready

tofra.seven,includiers,forthe

baore.fieldsketchesand

photographsothebahpiece.

hisbestguesssheofinishthe

seven.

andthefrangtheldingsackedinlongstripsbythe

baseboard.shehadpipleandnatural

thatitpete.pushingit,sheulddo

thefranginseveraldays.

twouldhavebeena

ch,iftheartista.

hehadplaellbenlythatatthegallerysunday

afteoon,butbeforeheuldsayaintoan

adjoiningroothreepaintings,fradhelplao

fratherest,hunginanalve.ceilingspot**eavasin

suchahatthesubjectlylitandriveting.benknew

hisstuff.

”ingtallerandstrongeronhisown

turf.”oheoldlastherofthefourisntforsale

atall.racheleher.idholdonto

it,too,ifitisalltifavorite.”hewaslooking

attheo,butjaan

ghtnothavecaughtthedifferehree.notonly

an,butheersonallyinvolved.

thepaintingthatbehatrachelrefusedtosell,hat

sheandjackhaddoogether.thesubjectpups

onafallenlog,thebaeadorees.theyhad

eontheseduringabusnse

santaluciasthatraoe.shehaddohepups,he

thebackground.

thepupsorevividheeing.sheght

havetouchedthep,butthebackgroundlyasithadbeenall

his.

”aybehe,too,

roking.

ben,inhisinno.”thebackgroundis

plintarytotherest,butdifferent,verysubtlelydifferent.it

kesthebobcatsrestriking.”.l”haveyoutoldrachelthat”

”nytis.”

”doesshesay””justthatiteago.so

anyrepaintingsareiudio”

eleven,jackthought,butheilllookingatthepictureheand

rachelhaddoogether.shehadnttoldbenabouthis

participation.

disho,perhaps,butiing.thepieceforsale.that

wasgood.

”doattheshow”benasked.

”i,uh,ithink...yeah,actually,ithinkksaid,

becausetheydefinitelyhadashotatit.thatthereal

question.

therealquestionhelkpickedupabrush

andllaboratedhheragain.

chapteine.

jager.hedidntknoerachels

nditionhadntged.hefiguredithadtodoore

rested.lifeinbigsurdidntkeeveningdends.hehadslept

reifeonths.

itsurprisedhibyrights,heshouldhavebeenlyingawakew

aboutrachelandthegirlsandightbeifracheldidnt

rever.

heshouldhavebeenlosingsleepover,shouldhave

beenstaringattheceilingtodoaboutjill.andhe

didthinkaboutallthosethingsbutduringtheday.rachelsbedwas

firahestofheronthesheetsrousedthedevilof

hisid,hehadalhher.

hethoughtaboutthatnohalohthegirls

inthehel,thathadanthavinga

breathofthagainstba,orhip,dependingonhowshe

ag.

duringthenight,atleast,hehadalpetentandstrong.

sosleepierood.

abethedriveitself.heusedtofinddrivingrelaxing,

ovedtothecity.

ofthat.trafficalel,allotoh

reofthepassingserythebeahokefields,thetouchof

purpleonthelowhills

sselfllohis

stretch,uldfeelhielfbreathingredeeply.hespot

heaurredgedthat.

orybeitthinkingaboutthegallery,

aboutbensfavoritepainting,abouttheonesiudioingto

befinished.hekeptthinkingthatitopaintagain.

itethingneinhislife.

sothiing.challenging.aningffile

tond,eaningful.but

thereitwas.

thephoharanfor

it.

jackfolloething

hadhappeheh

...