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Grant raised a questioning eyebrow. “Now look which one of us is breaking into restricted areas.”
“Apparently you’re a bad influence.” She shot him a playful look that ignited something inside him. Doing a quick check of the hallway behind them, she twisted the knob and led him inside.
The space seemed to be some sort of supply closet and was a stark contrast to the clean, crisp look of the rest of the gallery. The walls didn’t have the same pure, white gleam. In fact, with all the paint-splattered tables, wooden crates, and utility shelves full of supplies, it was hard to see the walls at all.
Molly wandered into the room. “I was helping Ellyn and the artist set up yesterday. They were making the final decision on which pieces to put on display, and there was a whole series of pictures they decided against that I thought you’d enjoy.”
“And you decided to sneak me into the storage closet for a private viewing?”
Molly grinned one of her hypnotic grins. “Something like that.”
“I’m intrigued.”
She turned a corner in the L-shaped room and stopped in front of a table holding six different framed photographs. “May I present to you, for the first time on semi-public display, the collection entitled ‘Beautiful Beginnings.’”
There were six different shots of ocean sunrises, each of them taken from a boat offshore. The beauty of the dawn was unobstructed, making it a different kind of touching.
“They reminded me of the sunrises from your boat that you described. The ones you said that were the most inspiring,” Molly explained, staring at the photographs.
They remindedhimof those sunrises, which was hard to do. It was impossible to capture the essence and grandness of an inspirational sunrise in a photograph, but this photographer had gotten as close as anyone he’d ever seen. The images moved him.
He stepped up to the first piece to examine it more closely. “Why would they not use them?”
“A whole lot of artsy reasons I can’t even pretend to understand. Something about the feel of the space and the story of the show.” Molly leaned against the table opposite of the art. “But, to be fair, I didn’t understand most of the conversation that went on last night. Have you ever heard art people talk about lighting?”
He didn’t know a thing about art-related lighting, but what he did know was that he connected with these pieces. “I didn’t get to see everything on display, but it’s a shame a room full of people won’t get to enjoy these.” He moved to examine the second one.
“You like them, then?”
He turned to her, his gaze meeting hers, and a thrill reverberated through him. “Very much.” And what made the moment even more special was that she’d known he’d enjoy it and had set it up for him. “And I’m guessing we didn’t break any laws or copyright infringements by being in here?”
Molly grinned, hoisting herself up to sit on the table, as if she planned on sitting there to admire the pieces for a while. “I have full permission from Ellyn and Landon. Ellyn said you should be honored, because she doesn’t let just anyone in here. And also, please ignore her mess.”
“Clearly she hasn’t seen the supply closet at Turtle Rehab.” He pushed himself up on the table next to her. His thigh grazed hers in the process, sending a zing racing through him. “But you can tell her that with these impressive works in here, it was impossible to see anything else.”
Molly looked pleased. “What are you doing next weekend? The photos should still be here. I could pack us a picnic brunch and we could enjoy another sunrise together. At the perfectly reasonable hour of noon this time.”
“Tempting.” Grant let his legs swing as he pictured the supply room midday-sunrise picnic with Molly. “Unfortunately, I won’t be here next weekend. I have my interview.”
“Oh, right.” Molly brightened, looking as stunning as the morning sky. “How could I forget that? Are you nervous?”
He considered the question for a moment. “A form of nervous, maybe. There was a time when I would’ve given anything for this job. At Turtle Rehab, we can save one turtle at a time, but the studies and research done at universities can help hundreds, even thousands of turtles.”
“Sounds inspiring.”
Grant nodded, trying to figure out how to put into words the job that moved him. “It is. Plus, I love the discovery. And getting to interact with nature. And the adventure of it all. Really, I enjoy the whole package.”
Molly’s understanding gaze was focused on him in a way that allowed him to feel her sympathy. “It must’ve been a big sacrifice to give that up and come home.”
He thought back to the day he’d packed his car, sparking a ping of sadness from all the loss that had followed. He shifted, as if a more comfortable sitting position would somehow ease some of the ache of the past. “A sacrifice, yes, but I love my family more. It was an easy choice.” If he had it to do over again, he’d still make the same choice every time.
“And going back there?” Molly gently prodded.
The same inner conflict he’d been dealing with since he’d first heard of the opportunity pawed at him. “The decision’s not as clear-cut this time.”
Molly nodded as if she understood, and he got the feeling she could probably relate more than most. “Well, from what I’ve heard, there’s no way they’ll say no. It sounds like you’re the perfect person for the job.”
There was something about her words that sparked confidence in him. Or maybe it was her faith in him in general. Either way, it left him feeling more optimistic about the future than he’d felt since he’d found out about the job. “There are a lot of ways they could say no, but I appreciate your vote of confidence.”
