Page 32 of Alpha Marked

River leaned into his shoulder as they walked, and for a moment, she didn't miss her dad so much.

They pulledup in front of the art gallery at five-o-five. River sat in the car, scanning the area and watching the people inside milling about, looking at the artwork.

"I can take you straight to the airport if you want," Strider offered.

Part of her wanted to say yes, but she couldn't. She'd worked too hard for this moment and needed to see at least what people thought of her work.

"I'll be back." She opened the passenger door.

"I'll circle the block until you come out."

She turned and smiled at him. "Thanks, Strider, for… everything."

He gave her a lopsided grin. "You're my girl, River, just like Bianca. Always have been."

Her heart constricted, wishing she'd done more to let him in. She kissed his cheek and exited the old muscle car.

The busy street bustled around her as she stepped up on the curb and pulled open the glass door. Her boss's assistant, Tiffany, raced to her with a frantic expression.

"Oh my gosh, there you are. Andrea has been calling you for two days."

"I… lost my phone."

"Thank heavens we got to your studio and packed up your last piece. It's amazing, by the way. I'm so glad we could bring it here and get it up in less than six hours. You did want it here, didn't you?"

River patted Tiffany's arm. Tiffany always rambled when nervous, and she was ultra-nervous from the sound of it.

Tiffany linked her arm to River's. River's heartbeat so loud she was sure everyone in the room heard it. People drank champagne and snacked on canapes while looking at paintings by various new artists from around town.

"Come on, you must see your space. Andrea couldn't get your final approval on the placement of the pieces, and she's been having a total conniption fit over it. I told her it looked amazing, but she wouldn't believe me. Only you can reassure her." Tiffany dragged her into the back gallery.

River stopped, and her breath caught for a moment. The six best pieces she'd ever created were among the brick walls and antique wooden floor. People gathered around each one, pointing to various aspects and smiling.

River couldn't help but smile at the reactions.

Strings of Edison lights hung from the ceiling, adding a warm glow to the space and bouncing off the steel and iron sculptures. River took it all in for a moment, entranced by what she'd created.

"River!" Her boss's sharp, sultry tone brought her out of her reverie.

River blinked, and her boss bustled over, a smile plastered too brightly on her face.

"Here she is everyone. The artist and my own protégé River Whitetail."

Clapping and cheers erupted all over the room, making River's cheeks heat. She dropped her gaze to the floor, and the clapping died down. Andrea took her arm and showed her around, introducing her to more people than she could remember the names of. People oohed and ahhed at her work and craftsmanship. She thanked each in turn before being swept away to meet someone new.

"River," said Andrea. "I'd like for you to meet a dear friend of mine, Ed Simons. He's the director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art."

He bent his head and kissed the back of River's hand. "Charmed, my dear lady. Your work is quite remarkable."

River's throat dried so fast she couldn't form words.

"I told Andrea I would love to have one outside my house in my garden. We've redone our estate with a full garden in the back, complete with a hedge maze, and I think one of your sculptures would be the perfect surprise to stand in the center of the maze for my guests to discover."

"Well… I… I don't know what to say. I am so honored. Of course, these are all for sale, or if you want something different, I would be happy to make it for you."

Ed nodded. "The one of the wolf and the rabbit in the corner would be perfect, but Andrea has informed me it's sold."

River swallowed hard. "It is?"

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