by Peggy Bird
“My plan was to suspend the piece so it hung low enough to be seen from outside the structure and fence it off so people wouldn’t be able to get into the gazebo. It would be the centerpiece of the exhibit, with signs around it explaining what it was all about, maybe have a display table next to it where I could talk to people about the installation. But the idea is obviously not gonna work.”
“No, but I see what you’re trying to achieve. Where else could you make it work?” She swept her eyes around the grounds. “What about those two big oak trees? Would one of them do? They’re close enough to the bandstand to be central to all the activities and the pieces would be high enough to be out of reach of anyone who wanted to bat them around.”
He jogged over to the two trees, which were spaced about twenty yards apart and circled them, looking up into the branches of what must have been hundred-year-old trees. “How about this—how about I suspend wire cable from one tree to another and hang the firework in between them? I’d set up an information booth under it and staff it all day.”
“Do you think it’ll work?”
“Not sure but if it’s okay with you and whoever else has to approve, I’d like to give it a try. If I don’t think it’ll be secure, I’ll suspend two smaller ones from the two trees to flank the information booth.”
“Done. Now, what else do you have planned?” With the biggest problem out of the way, she seemed to visibly relax.
For the next half hour, they traipsed around the grounds as Leo showed her the places he’d selected as possible sites for his installation. From the area around the National Park visitor center on the northeast corner to the area on the south edge of the ground where the picnic tables were located, to the trees along Evergreen Boulevard, he showed her all the possibilities. Shannon made notes and took photos with her phone, but the more they tramped around and talked, the more she seemed open to any and all of his ideas.
Eventually she said, “I better get back to my desk. I really appreciate your doing this. I should have thought to ask you to show me around long ago. It would have made things much easier. With a better idea about what and where you plan to work, I know exactly who needs to sign off on it. I should be able to get it done in ten days, maybe less.”
“Thanks. And I’m the one who should have offered a tour when I first contacted you. I’m sorry I didn’t. For a lot of reasons.”
She glanced down at the ground then back up, her eyes half hidden by her long lashes. “A lot of reasons?”
“Yeah. And not all of them professional.” Leo let the sentence hang in the air like one of his fireworks for three or four breaths before saying, “Look, this may be inappropriate but the next time I’m in Vancouver working at Firehouse Glass, can I take you out to lunch?”
“I’d like to,” she began, “but I’m not sure … ” She let the sentence fade off. She was obviously going to say no but the expression on her face looked like she was reluctant to do so.
“It’s okay. I get it. You’re in charge of getting my work approved, and I don’t want it to look like I’m trying to influence you inappropriately.” He cocked his head and half-smiled. “Maybe after everything’s all settled … ?”
She smiled back. “Sounds good.”
Chapter Four
A week later, Shannon had the excuse she needed to make the phone call she’d been looking forward to. But now that she had a reason to contact Leo, no one seemed to be on the other end of the line. Finally, after about a dozen rings, a woman answered and said abruptly, “GlassCo.”
“Is Leo Wilson there?”
“Yes, but he’s in the middle of something right now. Can he call you back?”
“Sure. Tell him Shannon Morgan from the city of Vancouver … ”
“Wait, I think he’s finished. Hold on.”
Before Shannon could protest the interruption of his work, she heard the woman yell, “Leo, Shannon Morgan’s on the line. From Vancouver. Shall I take a message or can you come to the phone?”
Leo’s reply was somewhat muffled but she thought he said, “I know who Shannon is, Amanda. I’ll talk to her now.”
In a few seconds, he said, “Hey, Shannon. Sorry to keep you waiting. I was finishing up a piece for one of the fireworks.”
“I shouldn’t be interrupting you at work. I could have emailed, but I was so excited about getting it all done I decided to call instead. Thought you’d want to know right away. As soon as you could, I mean.” She realized she was babbling, took a deep breath, and started over. “What I meant to say is, all the permits and permissions came through, and I wondered if you’d like to take a look at them and make sure I got it all right.”
“When?”
“When? You mean, when to see them?” God, she sounded like an idiot. She never had this problem talking to anyone else she dealt with.
“Yes, that’s what I mean.” His voice was low and soft; it felt sweet, like warm chocolate syrup pouring over her. It also sounded sexy and slightly amused.
“Today? Tomorrow? What’s good for you?” she asked.
“Are you free for lunch today?”
He sounded as anxious as she was to get together again. “Yes, I am. How about eleven forty-five at the entrance to city hall?”
“See you then.” He paused for a second before saying, “And, Shannon? Thanks for making this happen.”
“Just doing my job, but you’re welcome.”
• • •
Leo was ten minutes early and spent the time looking around the lobby of Vancouver’s city hall. Built in 2008 as the new headquarters for the city’s daily newspaper, a bad economy and the long, slow slide of the newspaper business had led the local owners of The Columbian to file for bankruptcy, return to their old offices, and let the bank sell the new one.
It made a stunning civic building. If the glass front wall and etched glass panels inside hadn’t commanded Leo’s attention, the three-story atrium lobby would have. He got so lost in inspecting the building, he forgot to watch the people walking by.
Then he heard, “Nice building, isn’t it?” And there she was, in a slim chocolate brown wrap skirt with big buckles down one side and a white blouse with narrow tan stripes. With her hair in loose waves over her shoulders and heels giving her an extra few inches in height, she looked all business and hot as hell at the same time. All he could think was how much he wanted to unbuckle those fasteners and see what was under the skirt.
He was glad he’d gone back to his house before he headed for Vancouver and changed into neatly pressed jeans and a collarless shirt.
“Maybe not as historic as Portland’s city hall but a lot more impressive when you enter. And it’s a more functional workspace, too, I imagine,” he answered.
“It’s wonderful, much classier than the old city hall. I think this architecture will wear better than the seventies style of our former offices. I feel sorry for the newspaper staff, though. They were only in here long enough to get to like it before they had to move out.” She started toward the door.
Asking, “Where am I taking you for lunch?” he followed.
“How do you feel about food trucks?”
“Love them but I was thinking something more … ”
“Vancouver only has one so far—Mighty Bowl. They move from place to place and today they’re right across the street near Esther Short Park. It’s a gorgeous day; we can eat in the park and enjoy the sun.”
He reached ahead of her and pushed opened the door. “Show me the way.”
Ten minutes later they were eating their veggies and rice lunch, sitting along the edge of a fountain full of kids wading in the still chilly water. “So, does this measure up to the cart culture in Portland?” Shannon asked.
“Absolutely. It’s delicious.” He nodded toward the file folder she had tucked under her. “Are the permits and permissions in there?”
“Yup. You can take a look when you’re finished eating. One thing didn’t work out. Your idea to string wire c
able for a large firework between the two oaks? The urban forestry staff vetoed it. They’re okay with you hanging a small one in each tree—they have a specified weight limit in the permit—but they turned down one big one on a cable. Too much weight, they say, for such old trees.”
“I’m not surprised. It was a spur of the moment idea. I didn’t put any research into it. So, we go with two small ones, then, and a canopy over an information desk between the two. Maybe put some literature out from your tree guys so folks know it’s okay to do what I’ve done.”
“So you’re not upset?” Shannon had a little crease between her eyes—a frown, really. He’d noticed it before when he thought she was worried about what his response would be.
“If that’s the only problem, I’m a happy camper.” The crease didn’t disappear, so he looked around for something else to talk about to put her at ease. “I’ve never been in this park before. Which is odd since Firehouse is only a couple blocks away. It’s beautiful. And it has a killer bandstand.”
She seemed to relax a little as she talked. “We have summer concerts there. Pink Martini’s been here, Patrick Lamb, Aaron Meyer, Curtis Salgado, sometimes the Vancouver Symphony.”
“Do you go to the concerts?” Leo watched closely to see if the frown reappeared.
“As many as I can. Assuming the weather’s good. I’m not much for sitting in the rain or in one hundred degree heat.”
“I’m not either. Would you be up for some company at one of the concerts if the weather’s nice?” He ducked his head apologetically. “I should probably have asked first if you already have someone to go with.”
She shrugged her shoulders. “Used to. Don’t anymore.” She looked up from under those incredible eyelashes and smiled. “I’d love company. Do you want me to send you the schedule when it comes out?”
Wanting to see her outside work, Leo pushed his advantage. “Or do I have to wait until summer to do something with you other than discuss work?”
This time she laughed. “No, not if you don’t want to.”
“Good. Because summer’s a long way off. This weekend is closer. Could we start then? Maybe a movie. Do you like movies as well as concerts?”
“Absolutely. There’s a new indie movie at the Living Room Theater off Burnside—something about living in a war zone. It sounds interesting.”
“You’re on. What time should I pick you up?”
“I’ll meet you there if you—”
“My mama raised me right. Where do you live and how do I get there? I know a bit about downtown Vancouver but not much else about the place.”
“No problem. You’ve already been close to where I live—I rent one of the townhouses on Officers’ Row, across from the parade grounds.”
The arrangements for the movie settled, their lunches finished, and all the paperwork signed, Leo walked Shannon across the street to city hall. “Thanks for taking care of all this,” he said, indicating the folder of permits she was carrying.
“Like I said, it’s part of my job. I’ll have copies made and mail them to you.”
“And I’ll see you Saturday.”
• • •
The movie was a disappointment but the evening wasn’t. After they left the theater they wandered across Burnside Street to Portland’s iconic bookstore and got lost in the stacks for an hour or so before having dinner at a nearby Thai restaurant. Shannon couldn’t remember the last time she’d laughed so much or felt so comfortable being with someone, the last time an evening out had been so good. Honestly? The last time she’d had an evening out at all, let alone one this much fun.
They held hands like high-school sweethearts as they walked along the sidewalks, and he didn’t do more than gently kiss her when he took her home. It was a kiss as sweet as the handholding had been. Affectionate but not demanding, holding her close enough so she could enjoy the feel of male muscle but not so aggressive he turned her off. Somehow, Leo knew instinctively exactly how to impress her.
There was chemistry between them, she had to admit. Chemistry and common interests and a lot of laughing. If she wasn’t careful, she could begin to want to see more of him, even though he hadn’t said anything about repeating the evening. Although maybe having the temptation to get involved with yet another man who could break her heart was best left out of arm’s reach. She wasn’t sure she could handle that kind of hurt again.
• • •
She was so sweet. Sweet and sexy and smart and fun to be with. She wasn’t fussy and demanding, wasn’t afraid to show she was enjoying herself; she made him laugh. If there was an opposite of his ex, Shannon was it. Their first evening together had been everything Leo had wanted it to be and more.
It took all the control he had to keep from kissing her silly when he took her home, but he knew better. He didn’t think she was the kind of woman who got in too deep too soon. She was smarter. And, given the last time he’d jumped in too fast and ended up with the fuzzy end of the lollipop, he would be better off being smart about it himself. If his experience with Cathy had taught him nothing else, it had taught him to wade into these waters slowly, enjoying the build-up and making sure he wasn’t in over his head.
But if the way his dick reacted to one gentle kiss tonight was any indication, it wasn’t going to be easy.
Chapter Five
Shannon got an email from Leo on Monday with an attached review of the movie they’d seen the weekend before. His message said they should have found it before they wasted two hours watching a bad movie. On Tuesday, she got a second email saying he’d be in Vancouver later in the week and would drop by. She didn’t know if he meant at work or at home. However, she was so busy getting ready for the public meetings she was in charge of on Wednesday and Thursday, she didn’t have time to think about it.
The meeting on Thursday began at four. It was contentious, exhausting, and seemed like it would never end. It was close to eight o’clock when she dragged her tired body over the freeway bridge and onto Officers’ Row, happy to be in sight of home. She was almost there when she saw lights on the parade ground across the street. Stopping to watch in the darkening night, she saw what appeared to be a big spotlight pointed up into one of the oaks, circling it, before moving to another tree. She couldn’t work out what was going on until she recognized the trees as the same ones Leo was considering for his fireworks installation.
Then she remembered the message she’d gotten on Tuesday. He said the next step was experimenting with lighting. That’s what was going on. Her energy suddenly renewed, she walked through a gap in the split rail fence and strode toward the moving light. When she was within shouting distance she yelled, “Hey! You with the light! Do you have a permit?” She had a hard time keeping the laugh out of her voice.
It got a lot easier to be serious when the beam from the spot stopped her cold, forcing her to shield her eyes with her arm to keep from being temporarily blinded.
“Shannon! Oh, my God, I’m sorry.” Leo turned off the light. He apologized all the way across the parade ground as he ran toward her. “I didn’t mean to … I mean, I didn’t know … I’m so sorry. Are you okay?” When he got to her, he hugged her close and ran his fingers over her face, as if trying to see whether the light had actually burned her.
“I’m fine.” She blinked a few times to get him into focus. “What are you up to other than blinding a local resident with your spot?”
“Again—apology. I didn’t think. I wanted to see who was yelling at me about permits.” He grinned. “I should have known it was you.”
“I’m not sure a permit is required for lighting trees but I’ll check tomorrow. Let’s get back to what you’re up to.”
“I’m looking for the best places to hang the glass. Trying to see how the light shadows or accents specific places in the trees. I called you at work late this afternoon to see if you’d have dinner with me before I started my experimenting but got your out-of-office message. Then there was no answer when I knocked
at your door an hour ago.”
“I’ve had two evenings of hellish public meetings with people yelling about the parking fines and where you can park. Hardly been at my desk all week trying to get this organized”
“Please don’t tell me you’re going to raise the fines. This is the only place in the whole region I can afford the parking tickets.”
“Sorry. Afraid they’re proposing to raise both the fines and the meter costs.”
“Damn. I’ll have to pay more attention, won’t I?” He peered down at her. “You sound tired.”
“I am. It’s been some week.”
“I was going to ask you to go get a beer with me when I’m finished, but I’m guessing the answer would be ‘not tonight.’”
“You’re right. I don’t feel much like a noisy bar, but why don’t you come over to my place when you’re done and have a beer there?”
“Ten minutes, maybe, and I’ll have what I need. Okay?”
“See you in ten.”
• • •
Returning to his spotlight experiments, Leo found it difficult to remember what the hell he needed to do that was more important than being with Shannon. He looked around at the trees. Looked over at her house. Looked back at the trees. No contest. He’d rather be with her. The trees could wait.
When he approached her house, there were no lights on, either outside or in. He wondered if she’d changed her mind and gone to bed. Bed. Now there was a thought he shouldn’t get imbedded … shit … even the word describing what he shouldn’t be thinking about contained it. Bed. Shannon in one. His. Hers. He wasn’t picky. The more he told himself to stop, the more he became obsessed with the vision of Shannon in his arms … naked.
Telling himself to slow down hadn’t worked, in spite of his determination to be careful about how fast he got involved with her. The part of his brain trying to put on the brakes was being overridden by the other part—the one thinking of things like what she wore to bed. Would it be a cute little nightgown, all ruffles and lace, or pajamas? Or would he luck out and discover she slept nude? He could see her, naked, her hair spread out on the pillow, her hands reaching for him …
