The Sometime Bride

ship.”
    “That settles it, then,” he said with a wide, easy grin.
    “Settles what? I haven’t signed any contract.”
    “No, but if you will, I have an idea,” he said slyly.
    “What sort of idea is that?” she whispered, angling forward.
    Dan looked straight in her eyes with calm reassurance. “We don’t normally operate this fast, but I do have a list of potential buyers I can contact.”
    Her face lit up like the most stunning sunrise. “Are you saying what I think you are?”
    “If fortune smiles on us, we might be able to sell a canvas or two before you leave.”
    “All five?” she asked with a hopeful glow.
    Dan feared he’d done the wrong thing, caused her to think it was a certainty that this would go off. But when she’d gone all weepy on him, it had been impossible for Dan to stop himself. The truth was he had the means to buy all five of Gwen’s canvases himself without even making a dent in his money-market account. But that would make the dealings between them personal, and Dan had vowed to keep things on a professional level.
    Dan returned her gaze with cautious determination. “Let’s not go pushing our luck,” he said, sensing he’d gotten in over his head. He envisioned a huge, raw T-bone getting tossed onto a grill. Perspiration built at his brow, and he lifted Gwen’s soggy napkin from the table to dab it.
    “I need to get back to work,” he said, standing and helping Gwen with her chair. “Think you might stop by later to sign the papers? The gallery closes at eight. That would be a good time.”
    “Eight o’clock it is,” she said with a smile that knocked his socks off and held potential to knock other items of clothing off too.
    Dan said a polite good-bye, then hustled out of there like a rabbit being hunted by a pack of wild coyotes. He needed to get his head together and figure his way through these next few days. Not that this should be a problem for a take-charge guy like him who knew how and where to draw the line.
    Dan knew it was for the best, and really in Gwen’s interest, for him to back off from any sort of romantic notions now, while the backing was good. No matter what Santa Fean magazine said about Dan being the “Best Billionaire Bachelor Catch in the West,” privately he knew his shortcomings would give even the most understanding woman pause. Dan had been down that dusty trail once and was determined never to go there again. Didn’t matter what sort of attractive filly came out of the gate. The fact of the matter was Dan wasn’t riding.

Chapter Three

    Gwen left the restaurant by exiting onto the main plaza, an oasis of green in the earth-toned adobe town. Huge shade trees lined its crisscrossing sidewalks, dotted with wrought-iron benches and lampposts. Bordered by the nation’s oldest public building, the Palace of Governors, on one side and an array of upscale shops on the others, it was the city’s central gathering spot and playground, complete with a bandstand in which an impromptu flautist played. Gwen strode past a snow-cone vendor and a couple of quesadilla carts on her way to explore the smattering of handmade goods the locals had spread on the ground atop woven blankets. She surveyed the assorted silver jewelry, accented with turquoise, and small trinkets for sale with an appreciative eye, and made complimentary small talk with the Native American and Mexican peoples proudly showcasing their wares.
    A warm breeze blew as the sun angled high, bathing Santa Fe in its rosy glow, the impressive Sangre de Cristo Mountains just visible in the distance, their highest peaks capped with snow, even in summertime. Gwen made her way up a side street to visit Saint Francis Cathedral, a stunning Romanesque Revival structure challenging the surrounding adobe architecture with its sweeping arches and brightly hued stained-glass windows.
    Perspiration dampened her hairline as she climbed the steps to the building’s entrance. It was warmer in the sunlight, the scarcely filtered ultraviolet rays bearing down on her, causing her feet and hands to swell. At once, the thin gold band on her left ring finger felt too tight. She twisted it slightly as she continued her ascent toward the cathedral’s front door. Gwen hadn’t prayed for anything in a long time. In fact, she hadn’t been to church since Robert left. Maybe she should have. Thinking it over, she understood she had much to be thankful for. Not least among her blessings was her