by Gerri Hill
“Whoa, now,” David said, raising his hands. “I don’t want to get into an argument with you. We have different opinions on this one, I’m afraid.”
She leaned back and tried to relax. “Yes, I guess we do. I don’t suppose you want to discuss organic farming?” she asked with a smile.
“Let’s don’t,” he said. “In fact, I wanted to ask you about your work. You don’t know how many times I’ve been to Potter’s and have never thought to ask about the squirrel they have sitting on the counter. Then today, there was this woman asking who had done it, and I was surprised to hear your name. You said you did wood sculptures, and I guess I had no idea what you really did.”
“I gave Carl that squirrel four years ago,” she said. “I generally do larger pieces now.”
She didn’t want to talk about her work. She didn’t want to share this with him, she realized. He would not understand how each piece became so very personal to her, even the small trinkets, as Kim called them.
“How is it that you’ve lived here six years and we’ve just now met?” he asked.
Just lucky, I guess. But she stifled her grin and answered tactfully.
“I doubt we have any of the same friends.” They had literally run into each other at the grocery store, him knocking her flat on her backside as he had hurried into her aisle. His way of apology was to offer her lunch. Cassie was too embarrassed to decline.
“You hang out with artists, I guess?”
She shrugged. “I’m an artist. I do know some of the local farmŹers, though.” She raised her eyebrows and forced a grin. “I hang out at farmer’s markets, too.”
“Buying only organic vegetables, no doubt,” he said sarcastiŹcally.
She stared at him for a moment. “No doubt,” she said dryly, realizing that she didn’t like this man in the least. Why had it taken three dates for her to figure it out?
After dinner, she offered to make coffee, but he declined. He wasn’t too fond of French vanilla, he said. She was thankful.
“We can sit and visit, if you like,” he offered.
“Actually, I have some work to do, David. I hope you don’t mind, but I’d like to call it a night.”
“Oh, of course,” he said immediately. “I’m glad we got to spend some time together. I know how busy you are.”
He walked over and took her hands, and she steeled herself for the kiss she knew was about to come.
“Thanks for dinner. I enjoyed it.” He lowered his head to hers, but she stepped back.
“Listen, David … I’m sorry,” she said, pulling her hands away. “This isn’t going to work.”
“What do you mean?”
“Us. This,” she said, motioning between them. “We’re just… too different. And I’d like to be able to meet you on the street someday and consider you a friend and not an ex-boyfriend, you know what I mean?”
He sighed and shoved his hands in his pockets. “I guess. I feel kinda lost out there anyway. I mean, I’m nearly forty. I picked a hell of a time to start dating again. Half the women in this town are newly divorced and hate men, or they’re gay, or they’re into saving
the earth and picket my farm because I won’t go organic, or they’re vegetarian and despise me because I keep a few cattle … oh, I didn’t mean you, Cassie.”
She smiled. “It’s okay. No offense. I haven’t taken to picketing
farms yet.”
“Well, let me get out of here. I’ve enjoyed meeting you, if nothŹing else,” he said.
“Thank you. I’m sure I’ll see you around town.?’ She waited politely beside the door until he had started his car and driven off.
She leaned against the closed door and shut her eyes. The only good thing to come of the evening was that she had not thought about the woman she had seen earlier that morning. She shoved away from the door. Not much, anyway.
Chapter Five
Cassie sat down and placed the piece of wood between her knees. She selected a palm chisel and began carving the wood, shaving off small pieces with each stroke. She found that people liked to watch her while she worked, and it helped sell the smaller carvings that she now had lined up on the table.
Her booth was roped off, a large ten-by-twelve area, with tables lining three sides. The fourth side was reserved for the giant carvŹings she had positioned there. She sat under the shade of an umbrella and looked around at the milling crowd, still small at this early hour but growing. She recognized a familiar figure walking toward her, and she lifted a hand in greeting.
Paul ducked gracefully under the rope after dodging a family of five.
“Quite a crowd already,” he said after placing a friendly kiss on Cassie’s cheek. “Jeff’s worried he didn’t bring enough.”
Jeff did beautiful pencil sketches of wildlife and framed them
using salvaged wood from old barns in the area. Jeff was the man that Paul had fallen in love with.
“So, things are still working out for you two?” she asked.
“Yes. Things are wonderful, Cass. I’ve never been so happy.”
“Well, I was hoping that was the reason I hadn’t seen you in awhile,” she said.
“I’m sorry,” he apologized. His face showed genuine dismay, and Cassie smiled and took his hand.
“Oh, I’m teasing, Paul. I know how happy you are. It’s written all over your face.”
“And how are you doing? The last time we talked, you seemed
so down.”
“Down? Did I? No, just preoccupied with my work, most likely,” she said, trying to convince him as well as herself.
“Well, I better get back. I just wanted to say hello. Good luck
today,” he called.
She watched him go, smiling as he hurried back to Jeff. Now there was a man she had something in common with. He was an artist, a vegetarian, and he didn’t get on with his parents, either. And so she had tried with him. There just hadn’t been any passion between them. They were always the best of friends and could talk for hours, but whenever they tried to move their relationship to another level, it stalled. Their kisses were nothing more than affecŹtionate. They were never in any danger of losing control. Actually, it was almost as if they had to remind themselves that they were supposed to be dating. Then he met Jeff. He finally confessed to Cassie that he had been suppressing his attraction to men for fear of alienating his parents even more. But Jeff had literally swept him off his feet, and Cassie had wished Paul nothing but the best.
When she thought about it now, it was almost a relief that Paul had met Jeff. If there was ever a man she thought she could be with, it had been Paul. He was a gentle, soft-spoken, kind man. But it was nearly exhausting trying to invent feelings where there were none. And they had maintained their friendship, although they didn’t see each other nearly as often.
“These are beautiful.”
Cassie raised her head, pushing her thoughts away and smiled at the young couple who had stopped to admire her carvings.
“Thanks. You’re welcome to pick them up,” she offered.
The woman touched a fawn, one of Cassie’s favorites, and she saw her eyes light up, knowing instantly that they would buy it.
“How do you do it?” she asked Cassie.
Cassie stood and carried the piece she had been working on. “It starts like this,” she said, holding up the wood she had just begun carving. “This is going to be a squirrel. At least, if I have enough wood left for the tail.” She picked another piece out of the box under the table and showed it to them as well. “This was supposed to be a squirrel, too, but as you can see, no tail.”
“How did you learn how to do this?” the man asked.
She shrugged. “Some people can paint… I carve.” How did she tell someone that it just came naturally?
Out of the corner of her eye she glimpsed a woman admiring the large golden eagle standing nearly three feet tall from its base. She turned to watch the woman, to see her reaction to her work, and sh
e actually felt her breath catch in her chest. It’s her.
“I really like the deer. How much is it?” the woman asked.
Cassie swallowed with difficulty and made herself turn back to the couple, smiling. “Seventy-five. All of these smaller ones start at seventy-five and go up to one twenty-five.” Then she pointed to the end where an assortment of larger squirrels sat. “Except them. The larger squirrels there are all two hundred.”
“Is seventy-five too much, Mark?”
“No. If you like it, we’ll get it,” he said.
Cassie turned again to watch the woman squatting beside the eagle, unmindful of the sign that warned her not to touch. Her sunglasses were shoved casually on top of her dark head, and her sleeveless shirt showed off well-muscled arms. Cassie’s eyes travŹeled from her thick, dark hair to smooth cheeks tanned a golden brown, on down to small waist and … perfect legs. Cassie had the same reaction to her the second time around. Heat assailed her body, and she was afraid. “You do take checks?” the man asked.
“Hmmm?”
“Checks?”
“Oh, yes.” Cassie forced herself to wait patiently while the man wrote out a check. “I’ll wrap that for you, if you like.” She wrapped the fawn gently in newspaper and taped one of her cards on the side.
As they left, she turned and was startled to find the woman patching her.
“Your work is exquisite.”
The voice was not what Cassie would have expected. It was softer, gentler than the imposing woman standing before her with only a hint of the huskiness Cassie imagined. Words refused to form, so Cassie kept quiet.
“You are Cassandra Parker, right?” the woman prompted.
“Cassie, yes.” Cassie paused only briefly before taking the woman’s offered hand, daring to meet her dark eyes for only a moment.
“Luke Winston.” The woman released Cassie’s hand much too slowly.
Cassie frowned slightly, and the woman paused, as if waiting for Cassie to question the unusual name. She pressed her lips together, refusing to ask the obligatory question. It wasn’t any of her conŹcern, she told herself.
“I’m looking for a couple of pieces for a client,” Luke explained. “One outdoors, one in.”
Cassie motioned to the remaining six that she had. “Only the two largest eagles have been finished for the outdoors, I’m afraid. And the totem. I can put a finish on one of the others, though, if there’s one you like.”
“No,” the woman said, moving away from Cassie, again circling the smaller eagle. “This one belongs inside, anyway.”
“I’m working on another eagle,” Cassie said unexpectedly. “In flight, six foot wing span,” she explained. At the woman’s expresŹsion, Cassie smiled. “It just sort of happened, and I have no idea how I’ll transport it, if I even want to sell it.”
“That may be more of what they’re looking for,” she said, again
turning toward the golden. “This one is beautiful, really.” She looked up and caught Cassie’s eyes and her voice softened. “I want it. I have the perfect spot for it.”
“For you? Or your client?” The thought of this woman having one of her pieces was causing all sorts of emotions to sift through her body.
“I feel drawn to this one. Like it was meant for me,” she said quietly. “Do you ever get that feeling?”
Cassie nodded, her eyes locked with this stranger. She opened her mouth, hoping her voice would follow. “Most of my work is from driftwood, small and large. I see a piece and it pulls me, tells me exactly what it needs to be.” Cassie’s voice was equally as quiet.
The woman was staring at her, as if she wanted to say someŹthing, and Cassie raised her eyebrows.
“What?”
The woman looked away and shook her head. “Nothing,” she said, almost to herself. Then she looked back and their eyes held, and Cassie was powerless to look away as they stared at each other.
“Hey, girl,” Kim called, breaking the spell. “Oh, I didn’t know … oh,” she said again, seeing the woman. “Well… I’ll let you finish with … whatever you’re doing,” she said and grinned wickedly at Cassie.
Cassie glared at Kim, although she was thankful for the interŹruption, and she moved away from the stranger. She watched as Kim shoved her hand toward the woman.
“I’m Kim Monroe. Just a friend,” she said pointedly and Cassie winced.
“Luke Winston.”
“Luke? Parents wanted a boy?” Kim asked the question that Cassie had not.
Luke smiled at Cassie before answering. “My mother wanted a Lucinda.” She opened her waist pack and pulled out her checkŹbook. “You do take out-of-town checks?” she asked.
“Yes, of course,” Cassie said.
“With all proper identification,” Kim added.
“Don’t you have your own booth to run?” Cassie asked under her breath.
“Lisa’s got it under control.”
“I guess I should ask how much it is,” Luke said.
“Two thousand,” Cassie said confidently.
Luke smiled and met her eyes again. “I would have paid at least
four.”
Cassie gave a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. Four?
After boxing it up carefully, Cassie offered to get help to carry it, thinking of Paul.
“No, not necessary,” Luke said. “I think two of us can manage. I’m parked fairly close,” she said.
Cassie looked at Kim with pleading eyes, but Kim smiled and rubbed her lower back before sitting down.
“I’ll hold down the fort. You run along,” she said to Cassie.
“Thanks a lot,” Cassie murmured, then bent to take one end of the box.
“I hope you put one of your cards in there,” Luke said as they made their way through the crowd. “I think I can get you a sale on that eagle. Money is no problem, by the way.”
“That’s nice to know. Maybe I should let you price it then,” Cassie said lightly. “I have no idea what to ask for it.”
“They’ve just built a home over on Russian River. Logs, totally natural. They have this enormous deck that reaches nearly to the water’s edge. They’ll love your stuff,” she said. “There’s a perfect spot for one of your large eagles.”
Luke was watching Cassie, so she tried not to labor as she helped carry the cumbersome box. Finally Luke grinned.
“Do you need to take a break?”
“Please,” Cassie panted.
“Sorry about that.”
They sat the box down, and Cassie rested her hands on her hips, trying to catch her breath, noticing Luke didn’t seem winded in the least.
“You work out,” Cassie stated unnecessarily. Her eyes moved
over Luke’s upper body, resting on her biceps. Luke shifted her weight and casually crossed her arms, watching Cassie watch her. “The most exercise I get is carrying driftwood back to the house,” Cassie admitted to this stranger.
“It started out as a relief to … my life, I guess. It became addicting,” she said. “But then, it beat the alternative.”
Cassie waited for her to explain but Luke didn’t and Cassie was polite enough not to ask.
“You’re really very talented,” Luke said unexpectedly. “I’m sure you hear that all the time.”
“Mostly from people who can’t afford to buy my work.” Cassie shifted from one foot to the other nervously, making a pretense of scanning the crowd. “But I do okay here.”
“Surely you’ve tried the city,” Luke said, casually resting her hands on her hips, her shirt straining across her chest.
“Yes,” Cassie said, pulling her eyes away from Luke’s shirt. Her breasts. “I started out in San Francisco. I still have several shops that carry my carvings and they do quite well there, but I find I work much better out here,” Cassie managed. “It’s peaceful. I don’t feel like I’m always in a hurry anymore.”
“Yes, I know what you mean. It’s nice out here. Hard to believe we’re only an hour or so fr
om the city.”
Cassie nodded, again looking into the crowd to avoid having to look at Luke Winston. It wasn’t fair, she thought. No one, espeŹcially a woman, should have the power to affect her so. She took a step back, suddenly feeling crowded by this woman’s nearness.
“I’m ready if you are,” Cassie said, wanting nothing but for this encounter to be over and done with.
“Okay. On three.” Luke bent easily and grasped her corner, waiting for Cassie to do the same.
Cassie watched as Luke bent. Against her will, her eyes were drawn to those tan legs and she completely forgot their task as her eyes ventured higher.
“Cassie?”
Cassie jerked her head away and met dark eyes that held just a hint of amusement. She blushed crimson.
“Sorry,” she murmured and hurried to pick up her end, silently cursing herself.
Luke smiled, flashing even, white teeth. “It’s okay,” she said lightly.
Cassie kept her eyes averted as they made their way to the parkŹing lot, and Luke was true to her word. She paused beside what appeared to be a new Lexus SUV, as black as the woman’s hair. With a push of the remote, the back opened while they waited.
“I appreciate you helping me.” Luke slid the box carefully inside, then slammed the door shut.
“No problem. It was worked into the price,” Cassie said as lightly as she could manage.
Luke flashed her a grin. “Well, I’ll let you get back. Your friend is probably waiting.”
Again she placed her hands casually on her hips and again Cassie had to drag her eyes away. She raised them to meet Luke’s and forced a smile, which faltered only slightly when Luke extended her hand.
“It was nice meeting you, Cassie. I feel like we’ve met someŹwhere before though. You look so familiar.”
“No. I don’t think so.” Cassie took her hand briefly, then pulled away. “I would have remembered. And thank you. I hope you enjoy the eagle.”