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He decided to take a guess. “Your watchdogs aren’t as obvious as I thought they’d be. I don’t think Laine has caught on yet.”
Caleb laughed. “I’ll have you know my watchdogs are very good.”
No denial or acknowledgment. “I’m sure they are,” he said.
“Is she relaxed?” Caleb asked.
“She is. Not one nerve I can see.” He was hoping it had more to do with him being around, but maybe she wasn’t that fazed by what had happened.
“She’s a tough one. Just like her mother.”
“It seems it to me.”
“I won’t keep you long. I trust this call is between us?”
He grinned. “Sure,” he said and hung up.
Carson made his way back to see Laine talking to a few other people. “You’re back,” Deidre said.
“I am,” he said.
“I thought for sure you’d go check out some other works.”
“I’m only here for Laine,” he said, moving to a few more paintings.
Deidre was hot on his tail like an officer in a chase.
“It’s so hard to find men to come to these events,” Deidre said. “They just don’t have the love of art as I do.”
“I must admit that I’m new to this,” he said.
“I bet I could teach you a lot,” Deidre said, her hand landing on his arm.
Oh shit. “You might be able to,” he said, holding back a cough. “If I was available.” Might as well humor her or feed her ego. It wasn’t like him to be an ass if he could prevent it.
“A nice young man like yourself. Just the right age. Enough experience but not cocky with it.”
He took a sip of the champagne in his hand. He’d kill for a beer right now.
“Do you think?” he asked. “I hope my girlfriend feels that way.”
Her eyes moved up and down the length of him. “Most definitely. No one that looks like you should be here alone.”
“No, they shouldn’t,” Laine said, coming over and slipping her arm around his waist. “But he’s a great guy to be here to support me. I’m Laine Connors.”
“Deidre Warner,” Deidre said, putting her hand out to shake. “I’ve got a few of your paintings. I was just chatting with your boyfriend.”
She kissed him on the cheek. “He does like to chat,” she said. “You can let my father know we are doing well.”
His jaw dropped as Deidre moved away. “You’re joking, right?”
“Nope,” she said. “He’s been known to employ all sorts of people. I expected it this whole weekend. I’ve picked out two men. I figured there had to be a woman here. It’d be just like my father to slip in someone I wouldn’t suspect.”
Guess Laine was better than him. “You don’t think she was a cougar trying to get lucky with a visitor in town?”
“Oh, I’m sure you could get lucky with all sorts of people, but she’d never be your type.”
“What gave her away?” he asked.
