by Marie Force
As she took a drink from a bottle of water, she decided to work for a while until she felt sleepy again. She set up her paints at the wide desk and got busy.
That’s where Cole found her at eight o’clock the next morning. Drying paintings occupied every available surface in the room.
“Jesus, Liv,” he uttered as he picked up her take on the view from the Top of the Mark. “Have you been at it all night?”
Startled, she looked up at him. “What?”
“Have you been working all night?”
“Just since three.”
“After the way you passed out on me, I figured you were down for the count.”
“I’m so sorry about that. I hope you didn’t think—”
He smiled. “That I’d worn you out?”
Her face heated with embarrassment. “Well, you did.”
“Don’t sweat it,” he said, trailing a finger over her cheek. “So you couldn’t sleep?”
“I woke up, and I thought…”
He traded the painting he’d been holding for one of Fisherman’s Wharf. “Thought what?”
“That I’d gotten my period.”
His eyes flew up to meet hers. “And you didn’t?”
“No.”
She saw the relief on his face and understood exactly how he felt.
“Good.” He leaned down to kiss her forehead. “How about some coffee?”
She smiled up at him. “I’d love some.”
“I’ll call.”
“Cole?”
He turned back to her.
“Are they any good?” She bit her lip. “The paintings?”
“Let me put it this way—after I call for coffee, I’m going to give your client a ring. He’s going to want to see what you’ve done here.”
***
Victor invited them to dinner at his home, a contemporary built into one of the hills above Sausalito that overlooked the bay, the bridge, and the city in the distance. Victor and his partner, Paulo, had lived in the house for more than fifteen of the twenty years they had been together, and after Paolo made a big deal about meeting Cole, the first thing they did was show Olivia her framed painting on the wall of their study.
Seeing it displayed so prominently as part of their vast and eclectic collection made Cole’s heart race with excitement for her. His hand closed around hers and their eyes met. Sharing the delight only made the moment sweeter.
“We understand there’s more,” Paolo said, rubbing his hands together. He had dark hair, a deep olive complexion, and a thick Spanish accent, even though he said he’d lived most of his adult life in the United States.
“Victor comes home from his walk yesterday all excited about the new artist he discovered.” With Paolo’s accent, “Victor” became “Veektor.” “We were so happy to hear from you today.”
“You’ll have to excuse Paolo.” Victor rested a hand on the other man’s shoulder. “He went nuts over your painting, so he can barely contain himself waiting to see what else you’ve got.”
Cole handed Victor the portfolio they had bought earlier in the day to transport her latest work. As Victor and Paolo pored over the paintings, Cole kept his arm tight around Olivia.
At one point Paolo looked up at Olivia, his eyes gleaming.
Cole felt her tremble so he leaned in and brushed a kiss over her cheek.
Finally, they reached the end of the portfolio. “We’ll have a show,” Paolo declared.
“A show?” Olivia stammered.
“At our gallery in town,” Paolo said. “Let’s see, what is it now, November? We’ll do a show in March. Do you have more?”
Olivia had gone mute again, so Cole answered for her. “She has a huge collection of paintings. She does amazing drawings, too.”
“What kind of drawings?” Victor asked.
“All kinds but mostly portraits,” Olivia managed to say.
“Why don’t you show them, Liv?” Cole said. All eyes shifted to him. “Give her fifteen minutes, and you’ll have something you’ll treasure forever.”
“I didn’t bring my sketch pad,” Olivia stammered.
“We have one,” Victor said, “but only if you’re game. We didn’t invite you here to work.”
“I’d love to draw you both.”
“She probably thinks you have good bone structure,” Cole added dryly.
Both men laughed.
“That’s what I said about him. He’s still trying to decide if it was a compliment.”
“Let’s go into the library,” Paolo suggested. “Victor set a fire before you arrived, and it should be nice and warm in there.”
With the toy poodle skipping along at their heels, Cole and Olivia followed them through the single-story house where one room flowed into another. They had used an intriguing mix of antiques and contemporary pieces to create a warm but stylish environment dominated by art of all kinds.
The library boasted two floor-to-ceiling walls of books. The other walls were windows that had been situated to take full advantage of the view of Sausalito below and San Francisco in the distance. The sunset and fire cast a cozy glow over the room.
“What an amazing house!” Olivia said.
“We love it,” Victor said. “We can hide out if we want, yet we’re close enough to both towns to be there in minutes.”
“Oh, here’s Marta,” Paolo said as a young Hispanic woman came into the room. He introduced her to Cole and Olivia as their cook, housekeeper, and life manager.
Cole noticed Marta’s startled expression when she recognized him, but she refrained from comment.
“How about some of Napa’s finest?” Victor suggested.
When Cole and Olivia nodded in agreement, Marta left to get the wine.
“Now,” Paolo said, “where do you want us?”
Olivia took a look around the room and decided on the love seat.
Victor produced a sketch pad and professional-grade pencils and pens that Olivia practically drooled over. “Will this work?” he asked.
“Um, yes,” she said with a smile.
“Do we need to stay still?” Paolo asked, excitement all but radiating from him. “I’ve never posed before.”
“Just be natural.” Olivia settled on the sofa across from them.
Cole stood behind her so he could watch but not be in her way.
“So how long have you owned the gallery?” Olivia asked as she began to draw.
The two men looked at each other. “Ten years?” Victor asked his partner.
“Eleven.”
“Yes, you’re right. I always forget. The gallery is Paolo’s baby. I’m just a silent partner.”
Paolo rolled his eyes. “Silent, my ass.”
They shared a laugh full of love and admiration. Cole had no doubt that Olivia would capture that.
“What do you do, Victor?” she asked.
“I manage the business end of the gallery to keep Paolo free to deal with the art side of the house. He’s the one with the real eye for talent.”
“I don’t know about that,” Paolo chimed in. “Who discovered Olivia Robison?”
“Well,” Victor said modestly, “I’ve picked up a few things from you over the years.”
Paolo, the more openly affectionate of the two, patted Victor’s knee. “He has a keen eye. Don’t let him tell you otherwise.”
“You won’t hear us arguing,” Cole said, and they laughed.
Marta came in with the wine as Olivia’s hand continued to fly over the crisp white page.
Victor poured three glasses of the ’92 merlot. Olivia had declined, and Cole smiled to himself when he realized she wasn’t drinking because she might be pregnant.
“I also do some financial planning for a number of clients in town,” Victor said.
“He’s wildly successful,” Paolo said. “You’ll want him managing your money when we start raking it in.”
Olivia’s hand went still, and she looked up at him. “Raking it in?”
/> “My dear,” Paolo said with a big, charming smile, “I’m going to make you a ton of money.”
“Shall we drink to that?” Victor asked.
As he touched his glass to theirs, Cole looked down to find a dazed expression on Olivia’s face.
Chapter 24
Cole woke up face down and alone in bed on their last morning in San Francisco. His head pounded, and his tongue was stuck to the roof of his mouth. On the bedside table was the bottle of champagne they had polished off after returning from Victor and Paolo’s house with a twenty-five-thousand-dollar “down payment” on Olivia’s future earnings. Since Olivia had taken just a taste, Cole figured he’d consumed most of the bottle himself. His stomach surged in agreement, and he fought back the need to puke.
Since Olivia was in the bathroom, he groaned his way through a second wave of nausea. When was the last time he had puked from drinking too much? Years ago. Determined to get his mind off his throbbing head and aching stomach, Cole thought about the evening they had spent with the colorful Victor and Paolo. How many bottles of Napa’s finest had the three of them polished off? He had lost count. No wonder he felt so sick today.
They had gone nuts over Olivia’s portrait, which had reduced Paolo to tears. Over a gourmet meal served by Marta, he had outlined his elaborate plan for Olivia’s career. She had been so overwhelmed that Cole wondered if she had managed to swallow a single bite of food. As a result, the small amount of champagne had gone straight to her head. He had never seen her as giddy—or as uninhibited—as she had been after receiving that hefty advance check from Paolo.
Twenty-five thousand dollars! Well, twenty-eight if they counted the other three she had gotten from Victor. That kind of money would give her a cushion she’d never had before. Maybe she could work less and take more classes so she could get through school faster. Since he had resigned himself to waiting until she got her degree to propose, that thought lifted his spirits but did nothing to quell the need to puke.
He sat up slowly, hoping the new position would work with gravity to settle his stomach. His head pounding, he sat still to ride the wave of pain. Over the water running in the bathroom he heard another sound. Wracking sobs. He bolted for the door and gritted his teeth against the blast of pain in his head as he knocked.
“Liv?” When there was no answer, he knocked again. “Honey?” She still didn’t answer, so he opened the door to find her sitting bent in half on the closed lid of the toilet. “Hey.” He dropped to his knees in front of her. “What’s wrong?”
She startled.
“Are you sick? From the champagne?”
Hugging the hotel robe tight around her, her face was so pale that she blended into the white robe. “There’s no baby,” she whispered, her eyes flooding with new tears.
“Oh, honey,” he sighed. “Come here.” As she broke down again, he held her tight against him. “It’s okay. When the time is right, we’ll have as many babies as you want.”
“I wanted this one. I know there’re a million reasons why it wasn’t a good idea right now, but I wanted it.”
“I know. I did, too.” Surprised by just how disappointed he was, he sat on the bathroom floor with her for a long time, but her sobs didn’t let up. “Honey, you’re breaking my heart. We’ll have a baby. We can try as soon as you want to. Who cares about the logistics? We’ll figure it out.”
“I wanted to do this for you. You’ve done so much for me. This was something I could do for you.”
Deeply moved by her, he brushed the hair back from her face and the tears off her cheeks. “Liv,” he whispered. “You’ve already given me so much that I’ve never had before. We’ve got all the time in the world to have babies.”
“I was so sure I was pregnant. I was sure.”
“You got your hopes up.”
“Yes, especially after you were so excited about it.” Glancing up at him, she asked, “Are you sad?”
He nodded. “I got my hopes up, too. But guess what?”
“What?”
“There’s always next month.”
“So we just throw caution to the wind and go for it?”
“Why not?”
She laughed through her tears and studied him, seeming to really see him for the first time since he came into the room. “You’re green.”
“I have the worst hangover I’ve ever had in my life.”
“Me, too, and I only had a little because I thought I was pregnant. I even puked.”
“I’ve been trying not to for the last half hour.”
“Next time we celebrate, no champagne.”
“That’s fine as long as we get to do the other stuff.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “I’ve never seen you quite so wild.”
She cringed. “I can’t even think about it. It’s so embarrassing.”
“I’ll never forget it,” he said with a dirty grin. “Especially the striptease.”
Groaning at the memory, she said, “Success does funny things to me. Did they really give me twenty-five grand last night, or was that a champagne-fueled dream?”
“I love the things success does to you, and yes, they really did. I’m not sure if you remember the details since you were in such a daze, but that was the only way they would keep your portfolio.”
“Aren’t they the most adorable couple you’ve ever met?”
“I never thought I’d be saying this about two guys, but they really are. I feel like I’ve known them forever after just a few hours with them.”
“I do, too.”
“Your career will be in good hands with them, Liv.”
“I know.”
“I wish I could think of some way to cheer you up. This should be another one of your best days ever.”
She rested her head on his shoulder. “It will be. Just give me an hour or two.”
“I can do that. Is there anything else you want to do today before we go home?”
“Not really. What time do we have to leave for the airport?”
“Two.”
“Then let’s go back to bed for a while.”
***
Olivia was subdued as they winged their way across the country that night. So much had happened in the last four days. She would need a while to fully process it all.
“How are you doing over there?” Cole asked.
“Better since I could finally eat something and keep it down.”
“Same here.” He paused before he added, “How about the other thing?”
“I was just thinking that I suddenly have a better idea of how my mother felt after she lost the twins. I wasn’t even actually pregnant, but the sense of loss is so profound. Imagine what it must’ve been like for her.”
“I can’t.”
“That doesn’t mean I get why she treated us the way she did, but still, I can see how losing two babies would do something to your heart.”
Cole held her hand between both of his. “I wonder how she’s making out in the rehab place.”
“I don’t know. My dad can’t have any contact with her for the first week.” She paused and glanced at him. “I have no idea what he’s going to do if this doesn’t work. There’s no way he can stay with her the way she’s been the last few years. He’s got too many years left to be living like that.”
“Well, let’s hope it works.”
She smiled at him.
“What?”
“I like how you said that, like you have a stake in it.”
“I do. I want you to be happy, and I think you mother’s problems have been a huge cloud hanging over your life.”
“Yes, they have.” She caressed his face. “I love you,” she whispered. “Thank you so much for this trip, the Fairmont, everything. I’ll remember it always.”
“So will I.” He reached for the hand she had placed on his face and kissed her palm. “And you’ll be back there in no time to get ready for your show.”
“I hope you can come with me. I can’t imagine being there wi
thout you.”
“You’ll be so busy with your work that you won’t have time for me.”
“I’ll always have time for you.”
“That’s what you say now. Just wait until you’re a globe-trotting sensation. Then I’ll have to make an appointment with your people just to have a nooner with you.”
Laughing, she pushed at him. “Shut up.”
He slipped an arm around her and nibbled on her ear. “Is Jenny going to mind that you’re bringing home a guest?”
“Not at all. She’s one of your biggest fans. And besides, it’s only for a day or two until we can move into my place.”
“True. We’ll have to keep it down, though. We wouldn’t want Jenny to find out you’re a screamer.”
She rolled her eyes. “We’re out of business for a few days, don’t forget.”
“What do you mean?”
“Hello? The monthly event?”
“You think that’s going to get in our way?”
She shot him a wary glance.
“Think again, baby.”
***
They tiptoed into Jenny and Will’s house after midnight, leaving everything but the essentials downstairs to minimize the noise, but Olivia was hit with the giggles as they crept up the stairs.
Cole clamped a hand over her mouth and followed her into the guest room. He shut the door behind him. “All the way over here in the cab you’re lecturing me about being quiet, and then you’re the one making a racket.”
“I couldn’t help it,” she snickered. “I felt like a teenager sneaking my boyfriend into my bedroom while my parents are sleeping.”
He hooked an arm around her neck. “Your horny boyfriend.”
“I thought you were sick.” She took a step back from him. “The champagne and all that?”
“I’m fully recovered.”
“Cole, wait.”
He dropped hot, passionate kisses on her neck. “Get naked, will you?”
“I am not having sex with you when I have my period. Forget it.”
“I won’t forget it, and you are having sex with me. Right now.” He started pulling at clothes until he found soft skin. “Mmm, that’s what I’ve been dreaming about sitting next to you for hours breathing in that Olivia scent that drives me wild.”
