Page 91 of Silver-Tongued Devil
She hesitated, not sure how to start, then said, “I have this thing. In Portland. With my glass.” She told him about the gallery. She didn’t mention Blake.
Evan got still—more still than usual—which meant he was emotional. Finally, he said, “That’s great.”
She waited, but that seemed to be all that was forthcoming. “I’ve got Blake’s house to finish, of course.”
“Need help?”
“No. He says no rush.”
Evan shot her a glance, and she said, “Well, yeah. He’s cutting me some slack.”
“Uh-huh.”
“But here’s my plan. I’m going to pull out all the stops to finish his house around the grand opening of the resort on the Fourth. Then I want to take a month off painting.” She didn’t wait for Evan’s answer, but hurried on. “If I could get at least three pieces done, then I could get back to the painting part-time after that, at least for a month. If we had Danny and José full time to help you, we could manage it even if we got quite a bit of work. I need to make sure I’ve got plenty of pieces in reserve if the first ones go fast. If they really sell.”
Evan was just looking at her, so she kept going. “I know it’s a lot to ask, but I wouldn’t be all the way out of it. Blake wants to have a party at the house on the weekend after the Fourth for some of the people in town. He thought he could show off what I’d done—painting his house, I mean—and it would give M & O a push. We’ve never had enough of that high-end market, and this is exactly what we need to get it. I could still consult on the colors and do the sales part, and I wouldn’t take a draw for the month. I’d take less after that, too. If you could keep Danny and José working…”
She stopped, because Evan had a hand up. “Hang on,” he said. “What do you mean, you won’t take a draw? What about Russ? What about the bank?”
“I’ve made almost ten thousand dollars on the glass just in the past month. I sold two pieces in Portland just a couple days ago. I charged a lot, and they paid it. I’m far enough ahead to do this, easy. I could taketwomonths off. It’s just having enough man-hours for you.”
“So let me get this straight. Every bit of this hangs on Orbison.He’sgoing to give a party, and you think that’s going to get us contracts. You’ve made ten thousand bucks, but where has it come from? From him, I’ll bet. And you want to count on that? That’s your big plan?”
“The party idea is about ten days away,” she said, trying to rally. “I think I can hold his interest for that long. Give me some credit. And the gallery isn’t Blake. It’s me. It’s mine. My deal.”
“Is it?” Evan’s ice-blue eyes were steady on hers, looking too deep, seeing too much. “He takes you to Portland on his plane, and somehow, you’ve got the kind of deal you’ve never been able to land? Why don’t I believe that?”
She was hanging by a thread, but she kept going. “It’s not about what you believe. I’ve got an opportunity. I’m asking you if you’re willing to work without me for a while. I’m telling you that I’ll be doing my part to bring in business and do the initial work, so you won’t suffer. If you get in a bind, I’ll step up.”
Evan set his coffee cup down on the step beside him, every move deliberate. “It’s not about me, and it’s not about the business. We’ll get by. We always have. It’s about you making a stupid decision. Orbison paid too much for a few pieces of glass because he wanted to get in your pants, and now you’re ready to jump off the deep end.”
All right. That was too far. “Oh really? Because I’m such an idiot that I can’t make a rational choice to go after my best opportunity ever to do what I want most?”
“No. Because you’re in love with him, and you’re hoping too much.”
The words punched the air out of her chest. “Maybe I am. So what?”
“So he’s not in love with you.”
Another jolt, and then her chin lifted. “He saved my life. And why couldn’t he fall in love with me? Why not?”
“Dakota.” Evan sighed. “All right. He got you out of the lake. He’s an OK guy. He talks good and looks good and sounds good. He has a fancy house, he has a plane, and he can write you a big fat check and make you feel like all your problems are over. But how long is he going to be in Wild Horse once the resort opens? Have you asked him that? He’s on vacation, or close enough. So, sure, go on and take a month. If you get us more work, that’s great. But make it be about the glass, not about him. You don’t have him, and you’re not going to get him. He’s not long term. It’s not going to happen.”
Her blood was heating, and not in a good way. “Wait a minute. When April got pregnant, did I say, ‘Watch out, Evan, because she’s not going to stick?’ No, I didn’t. But I thought it. I was scared the whole time she was pregnant that she’d take off before she even had the baby, but you were in love with her and I knew you wouldn’t listen anyway, and even if you did, what could you do about it? So I shut up and hoped I was wrong. Which means that when sheleft,I didn’t say ‘I told you so.’ I said, ‘I’m so sorry,’ and I helped you pick up the pieces.’”
“I didn’t have pieces. I was fine.”
“You were not fine. You were a mess. And I didn’t tell you so. I didn’t tell you it was bound to happen, because you’d picked the wrong person to love. I treated you like an adult. An adult who was my friend.”
“I’m just trying to help.”
“Well, you’re not helping. Look. I know what I am. I know who Blake is. And yes, I’m…” She took a breath and said it. “Maybe I’m in love with him. But I don’t have any illusions. That’swhyI’m taking this chance and throwing everything I have into it. Maybe he helped me get hung in that gallery, but if I sell there, it’s because ofmywork.Mytalent. Nobody can make people buy. It’s up to me to make sure that what I’ve got to sell is the best I can make it, and I’m going to bust my butt to do that. I’m asking you to help me. I’m not asking you to warn me about my broken heart. I know all about my broken heart. I can see it coming down the road exactly the same way you can. I’m asking you to let me do what friends do, to let me make my mistake and take my medicine, and then to be there when I’ve done it. Just like I’ll do for you when you fall in love again.”
“I’m not falling in love again.”
“Yeah, Evan. You tell yourself that. You were made to be a woman’s rock. That’s the man you are.”
He stood up. “You’re wrong. Not anymore. I’ll be Gracie’s, and that’s it. So—yeah. Take your chance. Take your month. Do what you have to do. And when Orbison’s gone, I’ll be here. And I won’t say I told you so.”
