by S. J. McCoy
“When was the last time you checked out the galleries in town, Gina girl? Do you think time stood still here, just because you left?”
“What do you mean?” Gina was surprised at the way he was scowling at her.
“Well, Miss Uppity-City-Girl, there are some mighty expensive galleries in town. Some big name artists and writers have moved to the valley since you left. You might want to check out some of them price tags they have on pictures of the wolves and the buffalo. All the Californian tree-huggers want a piece of the West as they understand it and apparently paying high-dollar for pictures of the critters is an important part of protecting 'em, or conserving 'em, or whatever it is they call it. The point is, you're basing your thinking on an idea of how this place works, and that idea is ten years out of date. If you want to stay, you should be working out a way to make it happen instead of bleating about all the things that make it impossible. You've never been a quitter, Gina, not when you want something. So am I right in thinking that you don't want to be here?”
Gina looked back at him, thinking hard about the answer to that. She'd told Liam last night that this was her home, so why was she making excuses about not being able to stay here? Were they really excuses, or was she just being realistic? She shook her head—she'd thought marrying Liam was being realistic! It seemed she had some thinking to do.
Her dad patted her arm. “Why don't you take yourself and your camera down to the park? That always used to help you get your head on straight.”
She nodded. “I think I will. Thanks, Dad.”
As she drove down the valley toward Gardiner, Gina wanted to call Ian. Wanted to talk to him about what she should do from here. He'd been supportive of her ideas about shooting in Montana, about the kind of shows she'd wanted to do. She valued his opinion and knowledge. She couldn't call him right now because he'd be sitting on a plane heading back to New York, with Liam and Kaitlyn. She wondered what the conversation between the three of them would be. Wondered if she would even be worth a mention, or whether they would all be focused on getting back to the gallery and pulling together the Avery show. She had a show of her own lined up for early next month. She had to wonder whether they would still go ahead with it. On the one hand, she hoped so. It was a showcase of the work she'd done in Brazil. A similar concept to what she'd wanted to do in Montana. Photos of bronzed bikinied bottoms drew sharp contrast with the huge brown eyes of street children. “Soccer on the Beach” was to be displayed next to “Laundry in the River.” She'd been fascinated by the country and its many faces, by the huge divide between ostentatious consumerism and abject poverty. She had to hope the show would still run, just for its own sake. She wanted to be able to share her insight into the ultra-modern lifestyle in parts of cities that were ringed with favelas or ghettos. Wanted to share her shots of villages and villagers living their centuries old traditions... She shook her head to clear it. She needed to focus on the practical. Needed to bring herself into the present, stop daydreaming about work she'd already done and its meaning, and start figuring out what work she was going to do from here on out, and what it would mean for her future in practical terms. Would she be able to make a go of it in the valley, or would she need to be traveling and finding new big city galleries to work with? Perhaps she should start exploring any connections she had on the West Coast?
~ ~ ~
Shane stuck his head around the door to the office in the back of the gallery. “Hellooo. Anybody home?”
“I'll be right with you.”
He grinned to himself. He liked the sounds of that voice. He'd heard that the owner of the new gallery on Main Street was something of a looker. After talking to Mason yesterday about Gina's options for staying in the valley, he'd decided to see what he could do to help things along. He figured Gina would be more open to his help than Mason's, and besides he'd been wanting to check out the new gallery—and its owner.
He turned to admire a series of paintings on the back wall. They were beautiful--oceanscapes and deserted beaches. Much as he liked them, he couldn't see that they would sell well. People here wanted mountains and bears. Visitors wanted a memento of their visit and locals wanted to decorate their homes Montana style. He was further convinced that these pictures wouldn't sell when he saw the prices listed underneath them. Damn! Most folks around here didn't make that much in a month—or two!
“Sorry to keep you waiting.”
Damn! That was a sexy voice! Shane felt it flow over him like warm honey. When he turned to face her, he had to push back the thought that he'd love to cover her in warm honey and slowly lick it all off. Jesus! She was beautiful. Long, honey-blonde hair framed a gorgeous face, laughing, honey-colored eyes smiled at him. She was short, or maybe not so much. At six-four most people seemed short to Shane. His family joked that he was the littlest brother, when in fact although he was the youngest, he was the tallest. He took a step toward her holding out his hand.
“Not a problem, you're worth waiting for.” Damn! What was he saying?
Her eyes widened in surprise, but she smiled and shook his hand. “Thank you, I think. I'm Cassidy Lane.”
He closed his hand around hers, it was warm and small and soft. He wanted to feel her running it over his chest, sliding it inside his pants. Jesus, Shane! He had to get it together but standing this close, her V-neck sweater was giving him an awesome view of her breasts that wasn't helping him any.
She followed his gaze down to her breasts then gave him a stern look. “What can I do for you?”
Oh, what could she do for him? He had to bite back a smile at the ungentlemanly suggestions that came to mind. She looked as though she was trying not to laugh herself. “I can think of several things you could do for me. If you're interested?”
She did laugh now. “Perhaps you should tell me your name first?”
“Oh, sorry.” He grinned. “Shane Remington, it's a pleasure to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you, Shane.” She smiled and let go of his hand. “What did you have in mind when you came in?”
“I forget, but would you like to hear what I have in mind now?” He raised an eyebrow and gave her his best charming smile. Women loved him, and he loved women.
She laughed again. “From the look on your face I think I can guess, and no thank you.”
Wow, he hadn't expected that. He was used to a resounding, yes please! when he turned on the charm. He certainly wasn't used to being turned down flat. He checked her left hand. No ring. Maybe there was a boyfriend?
She laughed again. “My God! If I'm not interested I must be married right?”
Oh, shit! She'd seen him check. He shrugged sheepishly. “What other reason could you have to turn me down? I mean, I'm adorable, right? And you do find me incredibly attractive.”
“Adorable?” Her eyes shone with laughter, but she kept a straight face and a stern tone. “I was thinking more along the lines of deplorable.”
That took him by surprise again. “Now you're hurting my feelings. Why the hell would you think I'm deplorable? You only just met me.”
“Exactly. I've known you for less than three minutes and you're already making lewd suggestions and expecting me to jump at the chance. You're one of those guys who thinks he's so good looking that every woman he meets is going to throw herself at him.”
He shrugged. “I never made a single suggestion. It was your mind that went there, all by itself.” He took his time looking her over, letting his gaze linger on her breasts far longer than was polite. He was pleased to see her nipples harden, reassuring him that no matter how she was playing it, she was as attracted to him as he was to her. He looked up to meet her gaze and was pleased to see her cheeks flush. “And you're not going to throw yourself at me because you want to make me work for it.”
She didn't have any reply for that. Her nipples were still standing to attention, though.
He smiled. He was pretty sure he had her hooked. “Don't worry, Cassidy. I'll make an exception for you
. I will work for it. How about we start with dinner? I'll pick you up at seven.”
She shook her head. “Thanks, but no thanks. I'm not interested.”
Shane smirked and let his gaze travel to her breasts again. “The girls are betraying you, they're telling me otherwise. They're definitely interested.”
She put her hands on her hips. “I said, no. Did you come in for something in particular? If not, then I'd like you to leave.”
He smiled, hoping to win her over. “As a matter of fact, I came to ask how you work with local artists, whether you plan to put on shows, whether you'd be interested in working with a friend of mine. She's been working out of New York for a long time, but I'm hoping she's going to stay in the valley.”
Cassidy shook her head in disgust. “You're coming on to me while trying to find work for your girlfriend? I feel sorry for her.”
“No! I said my friend, not my girlfriend. I don't have one of those.”
“I'm sure you have dozens of them. Sorry, but I'm not interested.”
Shane realized he might be blowing an opportunity for Gina here. “Listen, I'm sorry, okay. I find you attractive, I'm the kind of guy who will give it a shot. You're not interested, you've made that clear, but please don't dismiss my friend because you think I'm an asshole.”
That drew a laugh at least. “Okay, since you put it like that, here.” She handed him a card. “Tell your friend to give me a call.”
Shane grinned as he turned the card over and looked at the contact information, including cell phone number and email address.
Cassidy frowned at him. “That is not for your use. Do you understand me?”
“Sure.” He met her gaze with a grin. “I'll pass it along. Thank you. It was good to meet you, Cassidy Lane. I'll be seeing you.”
She shook her head at him. “Not if I see you first.”
Shane laughed and let himself out. She was going to be a challenge, but then he hadn't had one of those for a while. He turned the card over in his hands again. He'd stop by the Delaney place and give it to Gina on his way home. Just as he'd made a mess of things with Cassidy back there, he was afraid that if Mason tried to help Gina get set up here, he'd mess up completely and she'd leave again. Gina had been his best friend when they were kids. When she and Mason had gotten together, it seemed the most natural thing in the world to Shane. Gina felt like family, she was part of the family. She and Mason were meant to be together, and Shane's world hadn't seemed right since they broke up. He was going to do everything he could to help get them back on track. He grinned as he made his way back to his truck—and if that meant having to deal with a hot gallery owner, then hell he'd do it--to help Mase and Gina, of course!
Chapter Ten
Gina stared out the window. She loved this view. How many times had she stared out of the window in her apartment in New York and looked at that brick wall she hated so much? How many times had she wished that she was sitting back here instead? Now that she was here and had the opportunity to stay here, she needed to pull herself together. The day she'd spent in the park with her camera had re-ignited her passion for the work she could do here. It was time to make a plan and get on with it.
She picked up her phone. It was time to talk to Ian and seek his input—both on what she should do about her upcoming show at the gallery and what she might be able to do here. She'd talked to a couple of old friends in California, two galleries in San Francisco were interested in helping her make a name out there. One was only interested in her previous work, but the other had loved the idea of putting on a Montana show.
She imagined Ian sitting in his office at the gallery as she listened to the phone ring. Would Liam be with him? She could picture the two of them, Ian pacing while Liam sat, feet on the desk, fingers steepled under his chin. She hoped Ian would be alone. She'd exchanged a few short texts with Liam, but he was holding to the idea that they would talk when she returned. He wasn't accepting that it was over between them, at all.
“Ian Rawlings.”
“Hey.” She had to smile at the sound of his voice.
“Gina! How are you? When are you coming back? You and Liam need to sort this out. Your show is coming up fast.”
She sighed. “There's nothing to sort out. It's over, Ian. Why won't he accept that?”
Ian didn't speak for a few moments. Gina waited. He was deliberate and measured in everything he did. “I thought that might be the case. You really mean it, don't you?”
“Yes, I do. We're not right for each other. I finally get that. He's a good man. I hope he'll find someone he will be happy with, but that someone isn't me. We weren't very good at making each other happy and I think over time we would only make each other miserable. It's better that we face that now.” She didn't like to say that she thought she already knew exactly who it was that would make Liam happy. She didn't know if Ian realized what was going on with Kaitlyn.
“I love you both, Gina. I hate to admit it, but I believe you're right. Unfortunately, Liam disagrees.”
“I'm afraid it doesn't matter whether he agrees or not. It's over between us.”
After another long silence, Ian spoke again. “So, what are your plans? What are you going to do? What about the show?”
“That's what I'm calling to ask you. I don't know if Liam will want to go ahead with the show once he finally gets it that we're done. I don't know if you will want to. As for my plans, I'm hoping to get your advice as to what I should do. I'd like to stay if I can find a way to make it out here, but I don't know if that's a pipe dream. I don't know if I can find a market, or if any of the galleries on either coast will touch me.”
“Gina, you can make it wherever you want to be. Don't you doubt that for a moment. I will help you in any way I can, you know that.”
Relief rushed through her. “Honestly, Ian, I didn't know that. I wasn't sure how you would feel, knowing that Liam and I are really done.”
Ian laughed. “Gina, we've been friends for a long time. I won't lie, part of me is sad that the two of you aren't going to make it, but part of me knows it's for the best. I'm kind of relieved. I love you both, and much as I'd love to see you together, I think you're right. You would make each other miserable over time, and I'd hate that. I think we should go ahead with the show. It wouldn't make sense to cancel it. We've already built a lot of buzz about it. However clueless Liam may be about relationships, he's pretty astute about this business. He wouldn't want to cancel it either.”
Gina could almost hear him thinking in the silence that followed. “But?” she asked.
He laughed. “But I think you need to be here for it. You're quite the celebrity these days and so many of those photographs have stories that need to be told. We both know that you're the one who needs to do the telling. So what do you say, will you come back for it?”
She nodded slowly. She'd known that if the show went ahead she would have to be there. “Of course I will.”
“Don't worry, it'll be fine. Liam will be fine.”
“I know.” Gina did know. Once Liam finally got it in his head that it was over between them, he would be cold toward her, but polite. Excruciatingly polite, if she knew him.
She could hear Ian rifling through papers. Apparently he considered the topic of her show closed and was moving on to other business. “Okay, do you remember Alison Ford? She's in San Francisco these days and...”
Gina smiled. “Thanks, Ian. I already talked to her.”
“Of course you did. And Jeannie Steele?”
“Her, too.”
“See. You always come to me to help out, but you have everything covered yourself.”
“I wish I did. Those two are about all I have, and Jeannie was only interested in the shows you and Liam already did. She was talking about simply recreating what we'd already done in New York.”
“Don't worry about her. She's too conservative, only interested in emulating what already works. Oh...”
“What?”
“Sorry, I'm scrolling through my contacts. Did you ever meet Cassidy Lane?”
Gina racked her brain. “I don't think so. I feel as though I should know the name, but I can't place her.”
“She's a painter, an absolute sweetheart, but a law unto herself. She took San Francisco by storm a couple of years back, then dropped off the face of the earth for a while. Next thing, she showed up down in Florida painting sunsets, oceans, and beaches. She licensed a lot of her work to one of those awful commercial operations that produce cheap canvasses for the masses. Everyone thought she'd sold out, but she was just bored. She made a shitload of money then disappeared again. She's just reappeared on the radar and you'll never guess where she is.”
“Where?”
“Right up the road from you, in Livingston.”
“Oh wow!”
“That definitely could be a wow. I think the two of you will hit it off wonderfully. Both creatively and personally, you have a lot in common. You should call her. I'll email you all her contact info. Tell her I put you on to her and tell her when I come out there again to visit you, she owes me dinner.”
Gina smiled. “You're going to come visit me?”
“Of course I am, you silly girl. For now though, I have to go. Let me know when you talk to Cassidy, I'll be very curious to hear what the two of you cook up together. I think you'll make a formidable team. Talk to you soon, okay?”
“Thanks, Ian. Bye.”
As soon as she put her phone down it started to ring again. Mason!
“Hello?”
“Hey, G. How you doing?”
“I'm fine thanks.” What did he want?
“I was, errr...”
She had to smile. He sounded hesitant, nervous even—very un-Mason-like.
“Well, I've been thinking. You're a single woman now. And you know I want you back. But it seems every time I see you, I grab you like a caveman.”
She let out a little laugh. It was true, but she'd hardly tried to stop him whenever he'd done that.
“So, what do you think about going out to dinner with me? Like, a real date. Start out on the right foot, get back to where we were and go from there.”