Page 41 of Hold My Heart

He stepped through the front door of the gallery and stopped to survey the space, the details Olympia had worked so hard to get right over the last several weeks. The room was beautiful. Spotlights showcased the larger pieces of art, including three sculptures well over seven feet tall. The one closest to him was done in a combination of copper and wood, twisting toward the ceiling in intricate spirals. There was room for a four-piece orchestra directly across from him, and the strains of instruments tuning up filled the space. The fundraiser officially would begin at two in the afternoon. He was early but already people were milling around, curious to see the exhibition offerings. Stopping to look at rich oils and whimsical watercolors and imaginative sculptures. Carrying around flutes of champagne and tiny plates of appetizers and nodding like they understood the messages behind the artwork.

His tie was suddenly too tight. He loosened it until it dangled below his clavicle. Trying to appear nonchalant even as he felt his back break out in sweat, he stepped farther into the gallery. There was Olympia in the center of the room, clutching a glass of something and trying not to lose her poise.

To anyone else, she looked perfectly put-together. Her hair was twisted in a loose bun ending just below her neck. A burst of color on her cheeks drew attention to her tight smile, eyes lined with bronze to match her dress. Even through the strain he knew she was under, she was still gorgeous and in command.

Too bad for her. He was about to rock her world.

He’d taken his first steps toward her when a woman stepped in front of him, blocking his path. It took him way too long to recognize Ashleigh, resplendent in a dress the color of maple leaves in the fall. It clung to her figure, cut a bit too high at the thigh and a bit too low at the bust. A purposeful decision, he guessed, if the exposed cleavage was any indication.

“Harlan, wasn’t it?” she purred, flicking her loose blond hair over her shoulder. “So wonderful that you could make it for our little soiree.”

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world.” His smile was tight, holding in check the emotional storm raging inside of him. It was difficult not to stare over her shoulder at Olympia.

“If you like, I’d be happy to give you a personal tour. We have a few more interesting pieces in the back that weren’t approved for today’s display.”

“I’m sorry, I’m really not here for the tour. Excuse me.”

He placed a hand on her shoulder to gently guide her out of his way, ignoring her sputtered response as he walked away. His eyes were fixed on the one woman in the room who mattered to him.

“Harlan!” Her eyes widened when she saw him. “What are you doing here?”

He took hold of her arm instead, drawing her away from the sculpture she’d been showcasing to an elderly couple. “We need to talk.”

Her face twisted into a pretty scowl. “There is nothing to say. Unless you’ve come here to rake me over the coals for working instead of trying to get Renee back.”

“Should I?”

“How dare you judge me!” She dug her index finger into his chest, forgetting where she was for a moment. “You don’t know what I’ve been thr—”

“Enough, okay? Enough arguing and enough blame. I’m not here to see what you’ve done. I’m not here to do anything except talk to you, which I’d like to do in private. Unless you want an audience.”

The pesky flirtatious Ashleigh was watching them, as well as a new crowd of people coming through the door. It was obvious she’d gotten about the same amount of sleep he had. Which was to say, none.

At once he felt guilty for pushing her. Despite the makeup she’d applied, there were dark circles beneath her eyes and her skin was so pale she looked almost transparent.

No, he couldn’t back down now, especially not when he wanted to gather her close and protect her from any further hurt.

“What are you really doing here? I’ve made it clear where I stand on this,” she said with a shaky inhale. “I don’t want a relationship, not with you or anyone else.”

“I’m not here to badger you about our feelings for each other. Although I will tell you I’ve been in love with you since the first time I saw you.” He stopped when her eyes went wide with panic. “Yeah, I’m sorry, there was probably a better way to tell you I love you, but there it is. We can talk about that later. Right now, we need to figure out a way to get Renee back.”

“Don’t you think I’ve tried? I was at the lawyer’s office this morning before they even opened, waiting at the door. His secretary told me no one had seen him for days. I tried calling his cell phone, I tried talking to his partners, and no one could tell me anything. I went down to the social services office and threatened to break in if they didn’t give me my daughter back, but they still wouldn’t let me inside. I’ve pulled every possible string I can. I’m going out of my mind.” She pushed at him when he attempted to take her in his arms. “Don’t touch me.”

He tried to keep his hands to himself but found they had a mind of their own. Yup, there they went, settling down on her waist and keeping her with him, keeping her from bolting away. “Olympia, we are going to solve this together.”

“How many times do I have to tell you? There’s nowehere, Harlan. There is me, and there is this shit storm, and everyone around me is laughing and having a fabulous time while I’m—” She let out a hysterical laugh. “I’m losing my mind.”

Enough was enough. “Now look. I’m done putting up with your attitude.”

She pointed to her chest and knocked a few sequins loose. “Myattitude! Are you kidding me?”

“No, I’mnotkidding you,” he retorted, gently but firmly guiding her out of the middle of the room. There were still eyes on them, he knew, but he’d get her as far away as possible before she stopped him. “This needs to be aired before it spoils. You’re actingselfishly.”

“You can’t be serious right now. Me, selfish? All I’ve done is try to help other people and look at where it got me,” she replied.

He snorted. Prepared to go head-to-head with her. “Help people, sure, but you push others away when they try to giveyoua hand. You pushed away someone who was solidly in your corner. You don’t want to talk about your pain...hell! You don’t want to talk aboutanything.Any kind of difficult topic and you run away, throwing yourself into your work because that’s how you’ve gotten through tough situations in the past. I’m here to tell you this is one situation you can’t outrun because I’m not going anywhere.”

There was a moment of hesitation where he saw Olympia wavering. Another push, he thought, and she’d topple like a tower of Jenga pieces. He wanted to stop. Too bad it had to be done.

---