A tall man raced down the street toward them. A cop blocked his path, but Morgan strode over to him. Because of the blocked bodies, she couldn’t tell who it was, but the initial shouts implied the man was upset.
Suddenly, everyone was quiet. Morgan walked over to the driver’s side as the back of the unknown man strode away and got in. “That
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was Jackson. He wanted to apologize for not noticing that Harley was missing. He’d told Jackson he was going to take a leak. When he didn’t come back for a while, he checked out the bathroom. Needless to say, Jackson freaked and came running over to your store.”
“What a nice man.”
“He most definitely is.”
She’d have to send him a thank-you note. If he hadn’t warned them about Harley’s threat, no telling what might have happened.
Shivers made her skin crawl.
“You okay?”
No. “Just thinking about what might have been.”
“Don’t even go there.”
During the drive back to Morgan’s she only spoke when he asked her a direct question, which wasn’t often. His focus appeared to be on the road, but she bet he was royally pissed about her reverting back to the old Dakota. He never did like it when she wore extra heavy makeup or put in her piercings. Too damned bad. Couldn’t he see she was hurting?
It took forever to get his place. He’d barely come to a stop when she jetted out of her seat. The front door wasn’t locked and she dashed inside. It was only 10:15 p.m., but she went straight to Morgan’s bedroom to get her suitcase. She wondered if he had another room she could sleep in.
She looked into each of the other rooms. Sure enough, there was a spare bedroom at the end of the hall. Without asking, she moved into the other room.
“Dakota?”
There was almost a hint of worry in his tone, but she wasn’t in the mood for anyone. She stepped from the room into the hall. “I’m in here.”
His breaths increased a bit, but his lips pressed together as if he wasn’t sure whether to be angry, indifferent, or caring. “You okay?”
“Yes. I’m tired. I’m going to bed.”
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She turned around to reenter the room, but he didn’t follow her in.
Still, she could feel his heated gaze on her back. The door had a push lock. She debated locking the door but decided against it. When Clint came home, she wouldn’t mind a hug from him. He always was accepting. Hell, she could paint her face green and he’d still want her.
She must have been more tired than she realized because the next time she opened her eyes, it was morning. Voices sounded fairly far away. She got out of bed and headed to the bathroom. Staying here any longer was out of the question. Morgan really didn’t want her.
He’d made that clear last night from his cold tone. Once he found out she wasn’t injured, it was as if he’d emotionally shut her out. She could hope it was that he was scared, but she’d experienced him this way before.
She brushed her teeth and changed back into her dress. Clint must have heard her because she was about to open her door when he came in. He enveloped her in his arms. His strong chest was a balm to her hurt heart. Tears suddenly began to flow. Damn things. She’d been strong last night. She didn’t want to break down now.
Clint leaned back and dragged a thumb over her cheek. He led her to the bed and made her sit. “Tell me about what happened. Morgan filled me in on the attack.”
“I was so scared. I’d just opened the door when Harley barreled in behind me.” She hiccupped. “Morgan thinks I was careless, but I wasn’t.”
“As long as you’re okay that’s all that matters.”
“I want to go back.” She knew she’d have a fight on her hands, but she was ready.
“Okay.”
She leaned back. “Okay?”
He chuckled. “While you were sleeping the Intrigue police were doing their job. They picked up Harley and he confessed to smashing your storefront window and vandalizing your paintings. There was no doubt about him trying to harm you. I’m just thankful Morgan came
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when he did.”
“Me, too. If he hadn’t there was no telling what Harley would have done.”
He kept his gaze on her. She couldn’t look at him in the eye. He touched her shoulder. “Did something else happen?” She didn’t want to get into the discussion about how Morgan had retreated to his old self as soon as he saw the piercings and hair gel.
“Can you drive me home and we can talk about it on the way?”
“Don’t you want something to eat first?” Her stomach still hadn’t settled. “No.”
He shrugged. “I see you’re packed. You don’t want to leave your case here?”
His voice nearly cracked, but that couldn’t be helped. Morgan made it clear that he didn’t want her. Okay, maybe he never said anything, but his look told her a lot. “No.” Clint picked up her case and she followed him out. Morgan was either in the kitchen or perhaps in his bedroom, but she didn’t see him on the way out, which was fine by her.
As soon as they were out the drive, he looked over at her. “Spill it.”
The hurt was too raw to tell him. “There’s nothing to tell.”
“Bullshit. I know that look. What did Morgan say to piss you off?”
Clint always could read her mind. “It wasn’t what he said, it was the way he acted.” Once she said that much, she wanted confirmation that her assessment was right. “After he made sure that Harley hadn’t harmed me, he could barely look at me.”
“Why?”
Men were so dumb. “Because I had in my piercings and had put gel in my hair.”
“Maybe he was too upset to show you how much he cared.”
“You’re wrong. Even when I got back to your house, he gave me the silent treatment. Bottom line is that if I don’t revert back to the 146
prim and proper woman that he wants, then he doesn’t want me at all.”
Clint’s jaw tightened. “I think you misunderstood his reaction.” He would say that. “You weren’t there. He hates me.”
“No, he doesn’t.”
She wasn’t in the mood to get into a he said, she said conversation, so she dropped the subject. When they got to her building, all she wanted to do was go inside and be by herself.
Clint dropped her off at her store. “You want me to come in?”
“No. I’m sorry.”
“You think being by yourself will help you get over this betrayal?”
“I don’t know. All I know is that I have so much to do, and the sooner I get back to work, the better I’ll be.” She got out of the car and leaned back in. “I’ll be fine. Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For not only driving me home, but for always accepting me for who I am.”
He leaned over the seat and motioned she lean in, too. He kissed her. “Call if you get lonely.” He winked.
Her pussy throbbed. Traitor. Dakota went inside and made sure the alarm system was turned off. She wanted the world to know she was open to business. No attack was going to stop her from conducting her business.
Her first chore was to call her client about her daughter’s portrait.
She dreaded explaining what happened, but she needed a few days’
extension to do the painting again.
“Dakota, I heard about the break-in. I’m so sorry. You take all the time you need to paint that portrait. It’s been years since I’ve planned on getting the picture done. A few more weeks won’t matter.”
“Thank you.”
The lack of a deadline helped get her focused. She needed her old routine back, and the best way was to dive in and paint. Good thing
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Harley hadn’t found the original photograph or she’d be in big trouble.
After getting out a new canvas from the back, she pulled up her chair and settled in. The light streaming in the front window bathed the canvas in a s
oft glow, getting her in the mood.
She inhaled to bring calming thoughts to her brain. This was the best place to paint in part because she loved watching the people walk by while she created her next masterpiece.
With the photo taped to the top of the canvas, she sketched the outline of the girl. This might have been the first time she got a second chance to recreate a portrait. It was almost like giving her own life a second chance.
Dakota understood that the eyes in the photo would be the most important part of the painting. With care, she drew the outline. When she was content with the shape of them in proportion to the face, she let her mind wander as she began to fill in the drawing with paint. She turned off her internal critic to let herself get lost in the creation.
Before long, her stomach grumbled and she realized she’d skipped breakfast and it was a little after noon. She had nothing in the house, so she decided to go to the Eatery and get a bite to eat. She’d just finished cleaning her brushes when the chime over the front door dinged. Her heart lurched until she remembered that Harley was safely in jail.
She came out from the back, wiping her hands on a towel. She stopped. “Dad?” She wasn’t sure how to react. He never came over.
“Is something wrong?”
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Chapter Fifteen
“I wanted to see for myself that you were okay.” From the way his voice shook, she almost expected him to give her a hug. Instead, he stood there.
She held out her arms and patted her arms. “See? No bruises. I’m fine.” That wasn’t the whole truth. Her heart was bruised, but she was sure he hadn’t come by just to see for himself that she hadn’t been harmed. “What’s really going on?”
“Is it a crime to check up on my daughter?” It was when he never had before. She shook her head. From the strange way her dad was acting, the world must have tilted on its axis today. “I’m just about to head out to the Eatery for a late lunch. Care to join me?” His answer would really convince her that aliens had taken over his body.
“Sure.”
She was almost tempted to see if there was a large spaceship hovering above the town. The last time she’d gone to lunch with her dad had probably been three or four years ago.
Even though the Eatery was only a half mile away, her dad wanted to drive. She still wasn’t sure why he’d stopped by. Once he saw that she was okay, that should have been it.
“How is the gallery coming?”
Most of the time, her father said little and rarely did he express interest in her plans. He was there to help with whatever she needed, but as far as telling her he loved her or that he missed her mom, he was sparse when it came to words. She’d given up a long time ago on having a deep conversation with him. “Fine, until Harley smashed the
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window and ripped up my favorite painting.”
“Oh.”
Now that was the dad she knew. He parked in front of the café.
Inside, the place was mostly empty, which allowed them to get a table in the corner. After she ordered food and her dad got a cup of coffee, she decided she’d take advantage of him being here.
“I know this may be a strange question, but as you know, I’ve gone through a lot of phases over the years.”
“You mean like how you used to starve yourself then eat everything in sight? Or how you would only wear black before you decided to pierce your face and dress rather wild?” Wow! She didn’t remember him saying so many words at one time.
There was something in the air. “Yeah.”
“What about it?”
“I never thought you’d noticed.”
He blew on his coffee, added a pack of sugar, and drank some.
“How could I not?”
The man was possessed. “Why didn’t you tell me to straighten up and conform or something?” Having some parental guidance would have been nice.
He looked over the edge of his cup. “Would it have done any good?”
He did have a point. “Probably not, but I think I did a lot of it to get your attention.” Holy shit. Is that true?
“I figured.” Her comment didn’t seem to faze him.
The waitress brought over her ham-and-cheese sandwich. “Why not say something if you disapproved?”
“Who said I disapproved?”
That was true. “You didn’t compliment me, either.” He shrugged. “I loved you no matter what you looked like.” His works sunk into her like the final stroke of a brush on a painting. “You do?” He did? He’d never told her he loved her. His actions might have shown it, but growing up without a mom should 150
have clued him in that she needed more.
Her father set the cup back on the table. “Men are simple. I’m not the kind who goes around verbalizing what I feel.” No shit. Clint was great at telling how much he wanted her.
Morgan? Not so much anymore. “Okay.”
Her dad finished his coffee, almost acting as if the conversation had never happened. She had a lot to digest. Maybe she sucked at reading men. It wouldn’t be the first time she’d messed up a relationship.
When they left the café, she told her dad she wanted to walk back home. He nodded. “You know, if anything else happens or if you just want someplace comfortable to go, you’re welcome to move back home.”
This was shock number two. “Are you lonely or something?” Or did he need a cook or a maid?
“A bit, but don’t worry about me. I’ve been seeing a lady friend.” That did it. Mercury was in retrograde, and the city would be invaded any day now by little green men. Maybe that’s why he wanted to stop by. He wanted to break the news about moving on with his life. It was about time.
“When do I get to meet this lady friend?” He shrugged. “When the time’s right.”
Not expecting any kind of hug, she waved and walked back to her store. She needed to give a lot of thought to how her appearance affected people. Jade always said she was hiding behind her black lipstick and rather wild attire. Clint, and now her dad, said they loved her no matter what she wore. Maybe all this hiding behind her dark eye makeup really didn’t have the effect she’d been going for. She was the same on the inside no matter what color her hair happened to be. In reality, not having to mess with her appearance would be refreshing. The big question she needed to answer was who was the real Dakota Smith? The funky dresser or the sophisticated woman who ran a gallery?
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As soon as she got back, she took out the piercings, sanitized them, and put them away for good. Next, she took a shower to wash out the magenta, blue, and green spray. It would take a few washings, but at least the hair gel would be gone.
After she dried off, she put on her yellow dress and matching heels. This wasn’t the real Dakota either, but at least she fit into society’s definition of a businesswoman. Her makeup was applied lightly, using only fresh colors. When she studied her reflection, she smiled. She did look kind of pretty. She was more feminine and more approachable.
She wasn’t sure if the men were home or out doing their chores, but she would take her chances and go for a visit. Hopefully, they’d forgive her for her transgressions and welcome her into their bed.
* * * *
By the time Clint got back home, his anger had built to a boiling point. His brother was an ass, plain and simple. Clint barged through the front door ready to do battle. He knew his brother loved Dakota.
He wasn’t sure why he insisted on living in denial.
Morgan was in the living room drinking a beer. Two empties sat in front of him.
“Why did you shun Dakota?”
Morgan looked up as if he had no idea what Clint was talking about. “I didn’t say anything to her.”
“Did you or did you not act rather cold after you found her in the studio shaken to the core from the attack?” Morgan looked off to the side. “The old Dakota was gone. The woman I found in the studio had her piercings back. She was in that old ratty print dress she always w
ore.”
Clint couldn’t believe his ears. “What do you care what the fuck she was wearing? Couldn’t you tell she’d been traumatized?”
“I checked her out. She wasn’t hurt.”
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His brother may have been born first, but he wasn’t very bright, at least not now. “I bet she was shaking and upset. Right?”
“Yes.”
“She thinks you hate her because you didn’t fuss over her.” His brows pinched together. “You know that’s not true.” He guzzled half the contents of the bottle. He dropped his head. “Fuck. I couldn’t even touch her.”
Clint’s muscles froze. “Because she wouldn’t let you or you didn’t want to?”
“Both.” His lips firmed. He waved a near-empty bottle. “I told you this soft, pretty woman act was a sham. She’s fooled me for the last time.”
“Bullshit.” This was going to take a while. “I need a drink.” He got up and slipped into the kitchen. He came back with a beer.
“Here’s my question to you. Before all this crap happened at her store, didn’t you think she was the one?”
He placed the bottle on the coffee table, leaned back, and closed his eyes. “Yes.”
“So you admit that you loved her.” He wasn’t sure if it was a statement or posed as a question.
“God help me, but yes.”
He let out a long breath. “I can’t believe you’re so shallow that you can’t see why she put her studs in her face or colored her hair or whatever the hell she did to change herself.” Morgan jacked up. “I’m shallow?” He wanted to take his brother and beat some sense into him.
“What would happen if someone burned down our barn with all the horses inside?”
“That’s not funny, bro. You know I’d be devastated.”
“Do you think your attitude would stink more than it does now?”
“Fuck yeah.”
He wanted to cram the analogy into his brother’s thick skull.
When he didn’t seem to get it, he knew he had to spell it out. “When
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