by Annie Seaton
“That’s a long haul. What kind of bike have you got?” Cole took his arm from around Georgie’s shoulder and leaned forward.
“A Ducati. Best one I’ve ever had.” He glanced at Georgie as she moved her chair a little closer to his. “And I’ve had a few.”
The guy was giving him bad vibes.
“What gallery?” she asked.
“The Sea View Gallery in Carmel-by-the-Sea. I bought it around the same time that Ana hooked up with Blake.” Jack settled back in his chair and glanced around, wondering where Sienna and Ana had disappeared to. “I was going to sell it, but now I’ve decided to move here and use it as my base. Try my hand with my own gallery and doing something I love.”
Georgie’s eyes widened and she grabbed Jack’s arm. “Did you say the Sea View Gallery? In Carmel-by-the-Sea?”
“I did. Why? Is something wrong?”
“Oh, shoot,” she said.
Ana held the door open and Sienna strode in. Her black hair was cut short, framing her face in a pixie cut. Her dark brown eyes looked huge, outlined with that black pencil stuff she always wore. She flopped into her chair and sat back with her arms folded and stared across the table at Jack.
Her gaze was not friendly, and the come-hither look was gone. Jack looked from Sienna and back to Georgie, unsure of the vibes he was picking up.
“Happy birthday. If I’d known this was a birthday party, I wouldn’t have intruded.” He looked around for the waiter. “The least I can do is buy a bottle of champagne.”
“I’ll get it from the bar. The waitress is busy.” Sienna stood and pushed her chair back hard. It hit the low windowsill behind her with a loud crack.
Jack slid his chair back and followed her to the bar at the other end of the restaurant. She was edgy, and it seemed as though she was trying to get away from him. It was strange because five minutes ago she’d been smiling back at him. As they waited behind another couple, he took hold of her arm. “Would you like to tell me what I’ve done to upset you?”
“No, I wouldn’t.” Sienna stared up at him without a smile. He could have sworn her voice broke slightly, and she turned away from him and stared through the window. The sun had slipped below the horizon, and fingers of mist were settling over the calm sea as the sky darkened.
Jack shrugged and gave his order to the barman. The tension rolling off Sienna was enough to make him fidget as he waited for the bartender to open the champagne. Finally, the bottle was on the bar in front of him. “Coming?” He grabbed the bottle and waited for her to follow.
“I’ll be there in a minute.” It was quite clear she didn’t want to be in his company. Jack shrugged.
On his way back to the table, Cole pushed past him. Jack placed the bottle in the wine bucket and glanced back just in time to see the guy lean into Sienna. He put his hand on her waist, and she shoved it away. Jack’s fists curled as words were exchanged, and Cole glared at her for a few seconds before he pushed past her and headed for the door. Georgie and Ana, deep in conversation, missed the whole interaction.
Sienna walked back to the table, a flush on her cheeks.
“Everything okay?” Jack kept his voice low as she returned to her chair, a surge of protection rising in him
“Just fine and dandy.” She waited until Georgie looked across at her. “Your friend had to leave suddenly. I’ll explain later.”
Jack was bemused when conversation turned to the hardware store.
“Magda came in the other day.” Georgie held out her glass for a top-up and smiled at him. “She and Joe are leaving for the Caribbean next week.”
Ana turned to Jack to include him in the conversation. “Did you ever meet them? They are the sweetest old couple. They’ve lived in Nebbiton forever. Blake bought the hardware store from them when he left your father’s company.”
Jack shook his head.
“How many cruises have Joe and Magda been on now?” Ana asked Georgie.
The conversation buzzed around Jack and it was as though he’d imagined the prickly atmosphere when Ana and Sienna came inside, and the interaction he’d just witnessed at the bar. He sat back, interested to catch up with all their news. He hadn’t been out this way for a year and a half. He’d stayed in New York to support his mother after his father’s heart attack. To his surprise, she stepped in to help him with the company while his father went through a series of heart operations and a massive lifestyle change. In the end, to his great relief, Jack had only had to play a minor role in the business, and he’d spent a lot of time with his father. His father had disapproved of his casual attitude and frowned at the playboy lifestyle he thought Jack led. They’d had a few rocky years, and finally made their peace after his father finally understood that his creative nature didn’t lend itself to being in big business, and Jack had spent more time on his art and less time hitting the clubs.
When he first bought the gallery in Carmel, Jack had viewed it merely as an investment in something he loved, and his father’s company had managed it for him. Now he had a chance, once and for all, to prove to his father that art was not a hobby, but his lifetime career. Getting the commission for his sculptures in a new building in San Francisco had built Jack’s confidence, but until he’d finished them and met the deadline, he was not going to tell anyone why he’d moved here. He would prove to everyone that he was a true artist and that the commission had not been a fluke, no matter what his dad said. There had been an offer to buy the gallery last month, but he’d told the management company to tell the buyer it was no longer for sale. He had something to prove to himself.
This was Jack’s big chance to make something of himself in the art world.
Something that hasn’t been given to me.
There was no way he would ever get sucked into letting money rule his life. Chasing the dollar almost killed his father, and he had no life outside of his work.
Not for me. No way.
“Sir?” Jack looked up at the waitress who was standing beside him, with her order pad ready.
“I’ll just have the seafood chowder, thanks.” Jack stifled a yawn. “Sorry. I need to have an early night and grab some sleep.”
He caught Sienna looking at him as he reached for his water glass. If he drank any wine, he’d probably fall asleep at the table.
“You do look tired.” Her voice had lost the icy edge and the angry color on her cheekbones had faded. Maybe it was that other guy who had been bugging her.
“Yeah, I love riding my bike, but the last three days were pretty hectic. I wanted to get over to the coast to—”
“Well, it’s good to see you here.” Sienna cut him off before he could finish. “I’m sure we’ll be catching up some more.”
“Hope so. Are you still in Nebbiton?” He’d assumed that Sienna still worked in the hardware store where they’d first met.
“No,” she said slowly. “I’ve moved down this way.” She held his gaze, her beautiful dark eyes fixed on his.
He lowered his voice. “I’ll give you a call later in the week when I get settled. Same number?”
Sienna looked at him over the top of her glass, but her expression was guarded as she nodded slowly. “Same number.”
Georgie cleared her throat loudly, and he reluctantly broke eye contact with Sienna and settled back in his chair.
“Don’t drown like our great grandmamma. That was one of Uncle Renzo’s favorite stories,” Georgie said. Jack looked across the table at her as her laugh rang out, before he switched his gaze back to Sienna. Damn it, he couldn’t take his eyes off her. Sienna had a wry grin on her face.
“And you, as gullible as usual, always fell for Uncle Renzo’s story,” she said, nudging Georgie with her elbow.
Jack must have looked confused, and Sienna leaned closer to him as she explained. Her perfume was sharp and floral, and he took a deep breath, enjoying the fresh fragrance after a day on the road smelling dust and tar.
“When we were in high school, Uncle Renzo brought
us down here to the pier at Monterey for a birthday dinner, and he told Georgie a story about his grandmother falling asleep at the table when he was a little boy, and drowning in her chowder.”
Jack grinned as Sienna continued the story. “He had her sucked in, hook, line and sinker, for the whole night until she started to cry, and then he took pity on her.”
Sienna smiled as she looked at Jack. Her long, delicate neck arched gracefully as her head turned slowly from side to side, and Jack got another whiff of her perfume. Her eyes were hooded, and Jack sensed she was waiting for something.
He couldn’t smother the next yawn that overtook him when he finished his meal. Jack pushed his plate away and put his hand over his mouth. “Sorry.”
“Boring you, are we?” Sienna smiled, and he held her gaze for a long time before she looked down again. Her long dark lashes hid her expression.
“Not in the least, but I’ll have to get some sleep or I’ll drown in the chowder too.” He joked to lighten the tension between them; could almost hear the attraction crackling between them. He was looking forward to spending time with her, as soon as he got himself organized.
“I hear you’ve been in business back in New York.” Sienna tipped her head on the side and narrowed her eyes.
“Yeah, I have been. But it wasn’t really my scene. I’m sure I’m going to like the West Coast much better than the hectic pace of New York.”
“It can get hectic here too,” she said, and there was something strange in her tone, as though she was trying to talk him out of the move. Jack racked his brain trying to think how much Blake knew of his reasons for coming down here. He knew he owned the gallery but nothing else. No one else knew about his commission.
“So you didn’t like being the boss? You’re going to do that sort of thing down here?” Sienna sounded interested.
“No, I’m not.” Jack shrugged. “I intend on finding a good manager for my business and I’ll look for a place to live near the beach. I’m sure I’ll get plenty of time to go surfing.”
“I hear it’s hard to get good staff down this way.” Sienna glanced at him and he had the feeling she disapproved of his plans.
Jack narrowed his eyes; he didn’t need anyone else judging him. “Is it? I’m sure I’ll find an agency to help me.” It was as though they were playing a game, although maybe he was reading too much into her words.
“So are you all still in the hardware and restoration business?”
Ana and Georgie shook their heads, but it was Sienna who answered him.
“I suppose you could call my work that. I still work with ‘doohickeys’ of a sort.” She sat up straight in her chair and her voice was still a bit snarky. He wasn’t imagining it; she was playing games with him and he didn’t like it. Maybe he wouldn’t call her after all. He didn’t need any unnecessary complications taking up his time.
Jack put a civil smile on his face. “That’s right. I’d forgotten the slogan for that hardware store that Blake bought. What was it again?”
“Whatchamacallits, thingamajigs, and doohickeys for every need,” Georgie piped up. She and Ana had been watching the interaction between Jack and Sienna with interest.
Why did he get the feeling that everyone else knew what was going on? It was hard to concentrate because he was so tired from the long ride today. Time to leave.
Jack pushed his chair back and stood slowly, but Sienna’s eyes stayed on him. “Time I hit the road. You’ll have to excuse me. I’ve had a long day.” Jack turned to Ana and Georgie and smiled. “I’m sure we’ll catch up in Nebbiton. I’ll be up to see Blake in the next couple of weeks. As soon as I get settled I’ll give him a call.”
Sienna lifted her wineglass to her lips and sipped slowly, regarding him over the rim.
“I’ll give you a call too, Sienna.” Jack’s eyes fixed on her rosy lips until her next words dripped from them.
“I’ll look forward to it.” But her terse tone belied the words. Jack turned to ask for the bill but Sienna’s next words stopped him.
“So tell me, Jack, whatever possessed you to buy an art gallery when you’ve had nothing to do with the art world?”
So she wanted to be smart. Well, he could play the same game. He turned slowly to face her.
“A gallery just sells a different type of product. Business is business whatever is sold. Paintings, pottery, furniture, wheelbarrows, stocks and shares…even doohickeys”—he flicked a glance at her—“or whatever it was you were in charge of in that hardware store. As long as you have a buyer and decent staff, there’s money to be made. No knowledge of art required.”
They were his father’s words, and although Jack didn’t believe them for a moment, he made them his. Sienna had really pushed his buttons with her “nothing to do with the art world” comment.
Her eyes flashed at him as her cheeks colored a deep red. “Well, Jack, I’m sure your staff will look after your gallery and make lots of money for you while you’re off surfing.”
“That’s all I can hope for.” He caught the waitress’s eye and asked for the check before turning back to the table. “I’ll get the bill—that’s my gift to you both. I hope you had a happy birthday, ladies.”
The scowl on Sienna’s face said otherwise.
Chapter Two
“So what did you say to Cole to upset him?” Georgie stood outside the door of the restaurant with Sienna, while Ana went to the restroom. “Why did he leave?”
“Why would you think it was me who upset him?” Sienna didn’t let the hurt show in her tone. She kept her voice firm as she faced her sister. “He made a move on me.”
“I can really pick ’em, can’t I?” Georgie frowned. “I can’t believe he hit on you on our second date. I’m destined to be a spinster. I might as well move in with the surrogate great-aunts now.”
Sienna shook her head with a small smile before she looped her arm around her twin’s shoulder. “I don’t think you’re quite ready for crocheting coat hangers with Thelma and Mitzi just yet. You just have to toughen up.”
“You’re not as tough as you make out.” Georgie gave her a sideways glance. “I saw the way you were trying to act mean with Jack, but you can’t fool me. You’re as soft as marshmallow inside. I’ll just focus on my job for a while, pay off my apartment, and then I’m going to travel. We might make Machu Picchu together yet.” She punched Sienna lightly on the top of her arm. “And then when I get back, we can both move in with the aunts and you can paint the toilet roll holders.”
“Very funny,” Sienna said drily. “I’ve got grander plans than that for my art.” She stifled a giggle. “Although I suppose the toilet roll holders are products too. A bit quirky. Maybe we could ask Jack to sell them in the gallery. After all, what did he say? Wheelbarrows, stocks and shares…even ‘doohickeys’.”
“I’m pleased to see your sense of humor is back,” Georgie said. She turned to Ana. “I guess I need a lift home, seeing as my sweet sister here sent my driver home without me. Can you drop me off?”
Ana nodded and the three girls headed off along the pier together in a comfortable silence. The air was crisp as the chill of the fall air settled, and Sienna took a deep breath when the salt-tanged breeze drifted across from the bay. She opened her bag and pulled out her keys. “I’ll see you all next weekend?”
“Whoa, not so fast.” Ana grabbed her arm. “We need to talk.”
“What about?” Sienna wanted to get back to Carmel, and think about the bombshell that Ana had dropped about Jack being the owner of the gallery…her gallery.
“Are you okay? About the gallery?” Ana frowned.
“Yes, I’m okay.”
The gut-wrenching disappointment that hit her when Ana told her about Jack owning the gallery, and changing his mind about selling, settled in Sienna’s stomach like a stone. She worried about the schedule for her exhibition. She needed to keep using the studio to finish her pieces in time. She’d done so much preparation; the exhibition couldn’t be
put back. To make matters worse was the jolt that hit her nerve endings, everywhere, every time Jack looked at her or opened his mouth to speak and let that sexy voice pour over her. If he was going to be her boss, dating him was out of the question. Besides, all her energy right now had to go into finishing her pieces and setting up the exhibition. She had no time for a social life—and didn’t want to ruin her reputation in the art community by going out with the boss. Funny that, until she’d found out Jack owned the gallery, she had looked forward to catching up and having some fun.
Sea View Gallery was perfect for her, and the building had everything that she wanted. This afternoon seemed like a dream now; she’d had such plans for the place. It had the best layout, with a kiln room underneath; it was close to the beach; and she already started to change the interior. And not only that, she was using the studio at the back for her work. She’d even slept on the sofa in the studio a few nights when too tired to drive home. She was planning on spending all day there tomorrow to do some more enameling of her frogs.
But she didn’t want to worry Georgie and Ana. “Another space will come up for sale eventually.”
“I was worried you’d be really disappointed.” Ana reached over and kissed her cheek. “We’ll catch up soon. I’d better pick Faith up. She’ll have worn out the old dears by now. I know Thelma and Mitzi love her, but they spoil that daughter of ours dreadfully. They wanted to know if we were ever getting married so she could be the flower girl. Would you believe they started pulling out dresses from their grandmother’s time?”
“So is there going to be a wedding?” Sienna smiled at her friend.
“Of course there is…one day. And you two will be the first to find out when.” Ana grinned, then headed for her car.
“I’ll be there in a minute.” Georgie waited with Sienna and turned to her with a frown. “You’re devastated about the gallery, aren’t you?”
Sienna linked her arm through her twin’s. “That’s a bit over the top. Not devastated, but I am disappointed. I had such big plans.”