Chapter 49: Liam

We joined the group, each of us was handed a paintbrush. Standing in front of the canvas, I felt decidedly out of my element. Emma, on the other hand, seemed right at home.

She dipped her brush in the paint and made a bold stroke on the canvas. “See? Easy,” she said, glancing at me with a playful challenge in her eyes.

I took a deep breath and made a tentative mark next to hers. “I’m more of a numbers guy,” I confessed. “Art was never my strong suit.”

Emma laughed, a light, genuine sound that made me smile despite myself. “Well, tonight, you’re an artist. Let’s see some of that Harrington creativity.”

We continued, adding our own touches to the canvas. Emma's strokes were confident and whimsical, while mine were more cautious and linear. The contrast was oddly harmonious.

“You know, I never pictured myself doing something like this,” I said, stepping back to view our work. “Especially not in front of half of Maple Falls.”