Page 45 of Hard to Love
“We’ll be done in plenty of time, then.” He held up the pipe she was threading a burlap-colored short curtain onto, allowing her to shove all the fabric on without bracing the metal between her knees. Then, pretty as you please, he lowered it into place and secured it to the matching piece the first time. Not ten like she’d done with the others.
Damn him.
In an easy silence, they worked their way around a third of the booths, assembling the dividers between them. But when they began to make their second pass, setting up a long, rectangular table in each, Greer knew it was time to ask.
Or forever hold her peace.
Like that had ever happened before.
“So,” she said, “I was wondering what you think about this whole artisan village concept?”
“Still think you’re spending a lot of time and money and energy on something you don’t have a clue will work.”
So much for all her warm, fuzzy feelings. Yeah, what was bubbling up inside her wasn’t hearts and flowers. Rather than jab him in a particularly soft spot, Greer released her hold on one end of a table, forcing him to shuffle and juggle to keep it from hitting the ground.
“What the hell?”
She strode over to the bag she’d dropped near the front door and withdrew a plastic folder stuffed with packets of paper meticulously organized with binder clips. Then sheheaded back and slapped them down—one by one—on the table Alex had tipped upright. “Market research.”Thwap.“Marketing plan.”Thwap.“Business plan.”Thwap.
She was reaching for another set when he reached out and stopped her. “Sorry. It’s not my place to tell you how to run your thing.”
“You’re right. It’s not.” She did a mental deep breath. Because he wouldn’t want to sign on with someone who lost her shit that easily. Problem was, his opinion mattered to her. He was so damn talented. Had such an eye for detail and for beauty. “But I asked you what you thought, and you told me. I shouldn’t slap at something I asked for. So you really think this is too risky?”
They moved on to the next booth, where Alex turned a table on its side and jerked out the metal legs until they popped into place. “I still can’t believe you pulled the idea of this contest out of your ass.”
“I prefer to say that I was inspired.”
“Spur of the moment.”
“Fine, I’ll cop to that.”
“Is that the way you always make decisions?”
“Do you want the truth or the story that’ll make you feel more comfortable?”
“I’ve faced an assload of uncomfortable truths, Greer. I don’t like to be bullshitted. Were you trying to jerk me around?”
Yeah, she shouldn’t have tried to manipulate him with the competition, but it had been a good idea and she wasn’t sorry she was hosting it. This contest would bring her the best of the best. She propped her hands on the table behind her and boosted herself up to sit on its warm surface. “No, that’s the last thing I meant to do. I just knew if Delaney gave you the green light on the contract, you’d check out ofSweetwater and be gone.”
“I have places I need to go, things I need to do, people I need to see.”
“Your family?”
“That’s not the point of this conversation.”
When, if ever, would he let her in? Right now, she’d take anything. Crumbs of Alex Villanueva.
“I want you to stay because you’re talented. Talented? Hell, Alex, you may be the most gifted artist I’ve ever met. And I know a lot of them.”
He angled his face down and away from her. False modesty? No, the man really didn’t acknowledge what he had inside him. Not only the sheer talent, but the muse that allowed him to create such amazing designs. Craft them into a wearable piece of art.
“I’m not bullshitting you.”
“Then why are you making me compete against the other toolers?”
Yeah, that. “I knew it would keep you in town for long enough for me to sell you on my idea.”
“What does it matter what I think about your artisan village?”
