Page 41 of An Heir For Her Enemy

Logan had been so proud of this place when he’d purchased it, cash in hand, a few years ago. It had felt like the culmination of so many of his dreams. Yet now, it felt as empty as his office had. Instead of enjoying the space, he thought of Delaney in her small studio. He hoped she’d put his support checks to good use and found a bigger place. He wished he could have been there to help her.

Logan sighed and shook his head to clear it. He wasn’t some mopey fool who wandered around his house mourning his lost love. He was a businessman, and Delaney wasn’t really lost; he could still help her, and the baby, in the one way he knew how.

So, Logan changed into dry clothes, heated up a portion of lasagna, and went to his home office. There, he worked late into the night. He did his best to banish all thoughts of Delaney through figures and formulas — and, for the most part, he was successful.

CHAPTER 18

DELANEY

Delaney stared at the painting in front of her as though it were the key to all her problems. It depicted a pile of rocks on a mountaintop, framed by the bright colors of a setting sun. To Delaney, it evoked achievement and pride at a life well-lived, which matched what she knew about the painter. It was a beautiful piece, but today it made her sad. Her life hardly felt like it was full of achievements right now.

“Well?” Carmen nudged Delaney’s arm. “What do you think? Should I make an offer?”

Delaney had agreed to a contract with Carmen, which she was still finishing up even though she’d received the money Logan had promised. She could have broken ties with Carmen, but she didn’t want to take a blow to her reputation — and a little extra money couldn’t hurt with a baby on the way.

“I’m not sure,” Delaney told her honestly. “It’s a fine piece, but it doesn’t really mesh with the collection you’ve put together so far. Even if you’re planning to sell it, it’s better to have a niche than a bunch of random artwork. May I ask why you’re interested in this piece?”

“I’m not,” Carmen replied. “But Bitsy has her eye on it, and I can’t lose out to Bitsy. I’m sure you understand.” She nodded, rather unsubtly, at a similarly aged woman in a pink dress with a fur drape.

“Right. You wouldn’t want to be outdone by Bitsy.” Delaney failed to keep the sarcasm out of her voice, but luckily, Carmen didn’t seem to notice.

“No, I certainly wouldn’t. Especially not after she snatched that painting of a duck while you were away. I’m still not pleased about that, by the way. Why did you slip off for another job while we had an open contract, again?”

“I am sorry about that.” Delaney tried to give Carmen an apologetic smile. “I thought it would be only a few days, but there were some unforeseen circumstances.”

“Right.” Carmen didn’t seem interested enough to pry. “Have you heard about the new painting, something about a child? Apparently, some up-and-coming collector found it. It’s supposed to be from some famous Italian painter.”

Delaney tried to keep her expression neutral, but her heart began to race at the mention of Logan andTheCherished Infant.

“I did hear something about that.”

“Well, the collector is having some event next week to show it off. You should come with me. It’s very exclusive, but I want to know if this guy actually has any art to speak of, or if he’s just another poser.”

Delaney didn’t point out that Carmen was at least as much of a poser as Logan was, with the art she bought just to “flip.”

“Unfortunately, I think I’ll be busy that night.”

“Oh, come on. You know this guy. You were talking to him a few weeks ago, I think. Logan Banks?”

“Hmm.” Delaney pretended to be deeply involved in the rocks-and-sunset painting. “I do like the technique here. Maybe it’s worth an investment.”

“Ha. That’ll show Bitsy.” Carmen grinned, and Delaney thought that she might be sufficiently distracted from Logan. She was wrong. “I think this whole event is just a show to get more investors. What do you think?”

“I’m not sure. That isn’t really my realm of expertise.”

“I know, I know.” Carmen waved her hand. “All right, I’ll make an offer on this one. Feel free to look around. I’m just going to have a word with Bitsy.” She flounced off, and Delaney let out a relieved sigh. She was looking forward to the time when she wouldn’t have to deal with clients like Carmen anymore, a time that was coming soon. At least Logan had been trustworthy enough to pay her for the Rome trip. Delaney’s gallery was right around the corner.

Although, lately, her gallery had seemed more and more like a pipe dream. She finally had the money, but she wasn’t sure how she could open a gallery and become a single mother at the same time. Both were the kinds of jobs that took all of one’s time and energy. If Delaney had to choose, she would choose her baby. She still hoped she could find a way to make the gallery happen, but she wasn’t sure it was possible.

It all felt deeply unfair. Logan could go on with his life as usual, while she had to change everything. Delaney had always wanted to be a mother, and whenever she thought of her baby, her heartfelt fuller than she could have imagined. Yet the timing was still terrible.

“Delaney?”

Delaney’s heart stopped. The voice was deep and young and sounded just like Logan’s. She whirled, but it wasn’t him.

“Oh, hello.” Her voice was too high. Delaney forced herself to take a deep breath. “Do we know each other?”

“No, not yet. I’m Jonathan Wells. I heard about you from a past client of yours, and I’m looking to expand my art collection. Are you taking on new clients at the moment?”

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