Santa Fe Fortune & How to Marry a Matador

them, they’d probably be more apt to, given competition. And if nobody came through, Dan had a backup plan. It was the least he could do. Besides, he’d already made a promise to Gwen.
    “Megan?” he called out to her. “Can I speak with you a moment?”
    She looked up from a huge vase in which she tastefully arranged flowers. “What’s up?”
    Okay, so he was determined to do it, but he didn’t want to shout it across the gallery. “Could you, please…” He motioned for her to come over. “It will only take a second.”
    She stopped what she was doing and came and sat in the chair in front of him. “Is this something about the reception tonight? Because if you want me to stay late, the fact is I already came in early and—”
    “No, not at all,” he said, subverting her worry. “I’ll stay and clean up. I wouldn’t expect you do that on top of all you’ve already done.” He gave her an easy smile, and she relaxed in her chair.
    “Great! Thanks.”
    Dan laced his fingers together in a businesslike fashion. “The truth is I wanted to speak to you about the sale of Ms. Marsh’s canvases.”
    “Yeah. They’re pretty good, huh? I think they’ll move, don’t you?”
    “I’m actually interested in guaranteeing that.”
    Megan scrunched up her pixie-like face. “Like how?”
    Dan cleared his throat, trying to sound natural. “If all five haven’t sold by nine fifteen—”
    “All five? Do you seriously think that’s possible?”
    Dan sent her an enigmatic grin. “I’d say it’s certain that all five will sell by nine thirty.”
    “Uh-oh, I smell subterfuge.” She mulled this over a moment, then asked impishly, “What do you want me to do?”

    Gwen sat in the cool quiet of her suite, sipping a rosehips-and-cinnamon tea. She’d walked around town for a bit to release her pent-up energy, but being out in the heat had only made her more anxious. She didn’t know what she was nervous about, for heaven’s sake. She’d had her work on display before and had spoken to people about it. Those other times were small events, though, and this was the big-time. This time, Gwen needed to walk away with a substantial cash sum. Gwen felt herself growing sweaty and instinctively reached to twist the band on her finger. She looked down with happy surprise, noting it was gone. Gone, chucked clear into the rapids of the Rio Grande River, never to be seen again. It had been such an exhilarating moment, yet in some ways she was numbed by it. Part of her still felt as if she were in a daze, unable to grasp that terrible phase of her existence was over.
    Something she recalled with utter vibrancy was the way Dan had held her. Her senses tingled at the memory of the kiss that went on and on and on… Her first assessment of Dan as a world-class kisser had been right on the money. Gwen felt a tender ache in her chest. She was falling hard for Dan, but within another couple of days, she’d be gone. Just as they were really getting to know each, the fates would tear them apart, sending her back to North Carolina and Dan to his life on Paradise Ranch.
    Gwen chided herself for the self-pity. She hadn’t flown out here to fall in love. She’d come to sell her art, and hopefully this evening, that was exactly what she’d do. Gwen stared down at the empty spot on her ring finger, thinking of the hurt Robert had caused her. Now, completely without meaning to, someone quite the opposite, a true prince of a man, stood to crush her as well. Maybe getting involved with Dan had been the wrong thing. But the more she was with him, the more she wanted to be around him. This was sure to make it extra painful when she had to go. Gwen recognized the fullness in her eyes as welling tears. She set down her mug and dabbed them with a napkin, knowing she’d not made things any easier on herself.
    It had been a wonderful week, but already she felt as if her heart was breaking. If she got in even deeper, Gwen didn’t know how she’d extract herself. It had taken her nearly three years to get over Robert, and toward the end, she hadn’t even cared for him! What sort of shape would she be in after finally finding the right man but at the wrong place and time? Gwen sucked in a breath, knowing she had to be strong. She had goals to achieve for herself and was on a serious mission to help her sister. If the canvas sales went well, perhaps there’d be more trips to Santa Fe and other opportunities to see…
    Gwen folded her