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"Oh, Everett, that's not—"
"I wanted to surprise you, but since you're fighting me on this, I suppose I’ll tell you. I took the liberty of sending photos of your work to a few acquaintances. They would like to meet with you in person. Before the holidays."
She swallowed hard. Wait, what? "Acquaintances?" she asked, needing the clarification.
"Gallery owners, curators."
From the New York art world? Shock rolled through her. She'd never been able to get any attention there. So much of the world was based on who a person knew and the networks around them. Locally she did okay, but wasn't it every artist’s dream to see their work on gallery walls the world over? "Why…why would you do that?"
"Why wouldn't I do that for you?" he asked instead.
"I don't… I mean, I-I dunno. I don't know what to say. I'm just surprised." Flabbergasted was more like it. Shocked. Blown away. Her last boyfriend had been jealous of the time she spent painting. He'd wanted her to sit beside him on the couch and watch him play video games instead. He'd complained that she smelled of paint thinner and oil paints and always wanted to go to boring museums and galleries.
But Everett…supported her art? Wanted to help her. "Why?" she asked softly again.
He looked decidedly uncomfortable for a moment before slowly releasing her after one last gentle swipe of his thumb over her mouth.
"Because if I can help you, I want to."
"What's the catch?"
"No catch."
"Everett." She sensed his frustration with her growing but ignored it for the answers she sought.
"Fine. If you have to have a catch, I suppose it's the fact that, while we're there, I'm hoping you'll attend some events with me."
"What kind of events?"
"Parties and gatherings. Maybe a gala or two. It's the holidays," he said as though that would explain everything.
She supposed it did. Her attorney father certainly had had his share of invitations to various functions over the years, and he was nowhere near Everett's level of wealth. "Galas?"
His mouth curled up at the corners and her pulse picked up speed.
"Are you going to be stubborn about this?"
She smiled at his teasing. "I wouldn't be me if I wasn't."
"Say yes, Isabel. You can have your meetings and tour the galleries, I'll have a stunningly beautiful date for events I'd rather ignore, and while we're there, we can also enjoy all the festivities of Christmas in New York."
"It sounds…lovely." It wasn't a lie. It sounded like a Hallmark movie or a fairy tale. One she'd love to live. If only for a little while. "What about us?" she forced herself to ask.
He held her gaze, the look in his eyes one she couldn't make out.
"I'm hoping the time there will help us come to an acceptable compromise."
"What kind of compromise? We just need to sign some papers, Everett." His silence and narrowed gaze left her shaking her head. Now who was being stubborn? "I'm certain your attorney agrees."
"I don't care if he does."
"But…why? The longer we take to get this settled, the more likely it is that my family might find out."
His gaze glittered. "Let them."
"What?"
"Is it so surprising to you that I like you, Isabel? That I’d like to see where this could take us?"
