Santa Fe Fortune & How to Marry a Matador

about O’Keeffe and Stieglitz and how they’d influenced each other. It’s interesting how he began as her benefactor, and then the two of them fell in love.”
    “He believed in her,” Dan said, holding her gaze. She colored lightly around her cheekbones, and Dan found himself wanting to reach up and touch her again as he had in the larger museum.
    She stood suddenly, like she’d read his mind. “He was a good bit older, it seems,” Gwen said as they cleared the room with the rest of the crowd.
    “Perhaps a little,” Dan agreed. “But sometimes age doesn’t matter.”
    “Maybe not.” She colored a shade deeper. “They understood each other. That’s what counts.”
    Dan held back the door, and they stepped into the sunshine. “Probably helps that they started as friends.”
    She stopped on the sidewalk and looked up at him, dark eyes brimming with affection. “I’ve had the best day today,” she said, smiling sweetly.
    Dan hoped he was reading her right and that she liked him as much as he did her. So what if she was just here for a few days? When Dan was around her, he felt strong and capable, like there was no mountain too high for him to climb. “I have too,” he said, smiling back. “I hate the thought I have to head back.”
    “To the gallery?” she questioned.
    Dan’s cell buzzed, and he checked it briefly with a frown.
    “There are some things I need to look into before closing,” he said, tucking his phone away. “Can I see you back to the inn?”
    “Thanks, but I think I’ll stay in town a little longer, look around at a few of the shops.”
    “There’s another museum,” he offered. “That is, unless you’re arted out.”
    “I think I’m done for the day. I really appreciate you showing me around. The chile rellenos were the best.”
    He wanted to ask her to dinner but felt he shouldn’t push it. Dan didn’t want to overwhelm her, despite the fact that he was starting to feel he could never get enough of Gwen.
    “I’ll be working tomorrow during the day as well. I’ll want to be sure all’s going smoothly with a special shipment coming in. But I’ll be free by dinnertime. How about you?”
    She smiled at him brightly. “I haven’t made plans.”
    “How does pizza with a spectacular mountain view sound?”
    “Totally awesome,” she said with a grin.
    “Pick you up about eight fifteen?”
    “Sounds super, Dan. Thank you.”
    “Will you be okay for dinner tonight?”
    “Oh yes, fine. I’m still stuffed from lunch. I’ll probably just fix myself a small cheese plate.”
    “Watch out for that Havarti,” he said, repressing a smile. “I’ve heard it’s very aggressive.”
    When Gwen laughed, the sound resonated like music to his soul. “That it is,” she agreed. “I’ll be sure to take care.”

    Gwen spent the rest of the afternoon meandering through the small shops of Santa Fe. Just for fun, she tried on a Stetson and a pair of turquoise-and-white cowgirl boots at the Wild West Boutique just east of the plaza. Examining her reflection in the mirror, Gwen couldn’t help but grin. Who was this wholesome and happy-looking woman? Could it possibly be her? Gwen found herself wondering what Dan would think of the getup, deciding he’d probably like it. There didn’t appear to be much about her he didn’t like. It was such an unusual juxtaposition relative to how she’d felt with Robert. With Robert, she’d felt under a microscope, as if everything she did was scrutinized, and generally not in a very flattering way.
    She returned the hat to the rack, running her fingers through her curls. Dan had even seemed to enjoy her unintended tango with Havarti! Gwen tried to imagine how Robert might have reacted. He likely would have called her stupid or inept for not having checked herself better before leaving the inn. Robert didn’t appreciate being embarrassed, and she apparently did plenty to embarrass him in front of his wealthy, film-set friends. She was either too quiet or too loud, either clamming up like an idiot with nothing too interesting to say or running her mouth off for no good reason about things nobody else in the world would be concerned with. A fund-raiser for the children’s hospital? How utterly gauche of Gwen to bring it up. It was like she expected them to donate just because they could. That was no sort of social conversation starter!
    Gwen kicked off the cowgirl boots, wishing she’d given Robert a swift kick in the pants as he