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LpJ Enterprises
Category:
Drama
Publisher: LPJ Enterprises
ISBN-10: 1490355685
Type: Fiction
Pages: 653
Copyright: January 10, 2007
Price: $2.99 (eBook)
Domestic Relationship Drama
She was raised to believe in 'Till Death Do You Part'. He believes in it too -so much that he's willing to kill her to prove it.
Excerpt
***
Skylir very much enjoyed both the tour and the presentation, titled 'Shadow Art', and by the time it was over she was glad she had not protested coming out with her husband tonight.
They themselves had even made a purchase - a photograph captured of the shadow of a tree falling across a far building. The angle and timing made it seem as though a dancer stood in the sunlight, arms stretched wide to the heavens, head thrown back - perhaps in mid-leap. It was eerie, Roland had declared, but she and Taylor agreed with Angel that it was thought-provoking; how often were simple things just not noticed by most people?
A while later, in the spaciously appointed and lavishly decorated public dining hall, she stood for a while admiring the 'old class' feel of the large house, again thinking of what she'd told Angel and how she had been right about the tour. While it had been nicely conducted, and quite informative about it's history and the way by which the family fortune was made, nothing of the 'real' family had been made to come alive - at least not for her. Nonetheless, she felt a sort of kinship with the old place...as though she and it were relics of another time and place.
Giving herself a mental shake to dismiss these odd and macabre thoughts, she smiled a little to herself and glanced around to locate Angel, who answered her smile with a wink before his attention was recaptured by something their Hostess was saying to the group with which he was standing.
She in turn decided that now would be a good time to taste a bit of that cherry-cobbler she'd been eyeing all evening, and so she moved away to the buffet tables, already spotting the one she wanted.
Having acquired it and now reaching for one of the linen napkins, she heard a voice at her side which was tinged with seemingly genuine disappointment
“Too bad for me.” so she turned her curious gaze to the speaker - looking right into a set of smiling brown eyes. The face that went it indeed bore an expression of ruefulness. “I'd intended to come back for it...” He lifted a brow and lowered his gaze to the saucer in her hand.
Only now did she get it - and the fact that he was teasing. With a just above polite smile she shook her head, saying without remorse
“Sorry. Guess even here at the table you have to get your bid in early, huh?” He chuckled a bit.
“Oh yeah...I was almost run over by a guy earlier, just trying to snag a little piece of meat. Had to count my fingers when I pulled my hand back!” She giggled
“That's terrible!” He smiled and indicated the other room as he asked now.
“Did you enjoy the showing?” She nodded enthusiastically
“O, I did! Teresa really has a way with the lens.”
“I agree.” he nodded easily “I saw her debut a few months back and told her the same thing.”
“Oh?” Sky queried, interested “Were any of these pieces there?” He shook his head this time.
“Only one or two...it was mostly a collection of other scenes...nature…people caught at odd moments...such as that.”
“Hm.” Skylir intoned, but she was glancing around the room as she did so. This action located Taylor, who happened to be looking right at her, and she saw her start towards where they stood...but she was intrigued by the way he'd described his conversation with the artist, and turned back to ask him. “You know her...I mean, personally?” another nod
“N-hm. We went to art school together for a couple years.” Her brows rose
“Ohhhh...so you're an artist too! What medium?” He stopped a passing waiter to lift them each a glass of wine before he answered, with a sudden shyness
“My art is really more a hobby...nothing that would be on level enough to sell. But to answer your question, I work with oils...painting that is.” She tipped her head, eyeing him speculatively as they stepped away from the table so others could chose from it.
“I'll bet...” she challenged lightly after a sip “...that your work is actually quite good, and you're just being modest.”
“Gabe is being just exactly that.” Taylor put in, having at last reached them and hearing the last part of their exchange. She tapped his arm in a familiarly fond gesture as she went on to assure Skylir
“His work is beyond wonderful! He's a frigging genius...a selfish one who refuses to share!” Skylir turned back to the object of her praise, watching with mild humor as he blushed and shook his head
“I am not.” Sky quirked a brow
“Not as good as she says...or not selfish?” To which he threw back his head and laughed, a sound which she - shamed inwardly - admitted sounded quite nice, before giving Taylor a look
“I am not selfish. I'm just not ready for rejection!” Taylor laughed this time.
“Boy...please! You probably don't even know the meaning of that word!”
“And you, Miss Wesley...” he came back gaily “Don't ever quit!” Taylor shook her head with a playful frown
“Your point?” Both laughed again. Skylir took this moment to cut into their banter.
“So...Gabe right? Seems I had it by the tail...I didn't hear you deny that you were good at your work.” He managed a sheepish look, but didn't get to reply as it was again Taylor who cut in
“O, you guys haven't introduced yourselves?” she pointed to Sky
“Gabe, this is Skylir Lawrence. And now that I think about it, you should know that her husband is one of the best Restorations and Renovation Experts in the city.”
“That right?” He parried - unknown to them trying to keep what he was thinking to himself and out of his face. Taylor was going on anyway
“Def.” and now to Sky “This, Sky...is Gabriel Reynolds...who looks at lot like the paintings of all those old folks in the Great Hall, in case you haven't figured it out yet.” Sky's eyes widened as she made the connection.
“Reyn-...you're...”
“’Fraid so.” he muttered with a bashful smile. “Although Nana let us know she was bequeathing the old barn to the Society, I didn't know until after that she'd named me Conservator...but I get to live here as a perk, so it evens out pretty much I guess.”
“Some perk!” Sky breathed - the house had certainly just come alive! “You get to LIVE in this wonderful house, you're an artist...by hobby...and you get to have first peek at all this great new talent! What an utter privilege!”
Something seemed to go through him, and occur to him at the same time. Sobering a bit, he leaned forward to capture one of her hands in both his own - intending merely to shake it, but holding on to it as he told her now.
“Sky, you're a peach. I'm so glad I met you. We're having another Show at the end of next month...why don't you all come? Taylor...” he looked to her “I'll call you with details and you can pass them along to my new friend here.”
“Def.” Taylor assured with a bounce of her brows “Make it around the weekend though huh? The next few days are gonna be wild ones.” He nodded, releasing Sky's hand - and only now reminding her that he held it - but keeping his gaze there as he finished with what should have referred to the arrangement
“Beautiful.” but his next words without question for Taylor “Ok... Will do hon.” and again to Sky directly “It's been a real pleasure meeting you, Skylir...I hope to see you again. At the opening.” She forced her eyes away from that intent gaze.
“Nice to meet you too, Gabe...bye now.”
“Oh...he liked you.” Taylor intoned softly as soon as he was out of hearing range, bringing Sky's shocked and embarrassed gaze spinning around to lock on her
“Don't you start that!” She admonished - without the smile which normally would have gone with her reaction to her friend's teasing. “He was just being polite.”
“Banana Skins.” Taylor giggled knowingly “Girl he was all over you!” and now she tipped a brow as she amended teasingly “At least he was before I mentioned Angel....I thought only searchers forget to throw in little tidbits like that.” Sky blushed to the roots of her hair
“That's not funny!” but she was smiling nonetheless “And for your information lil Miss gutter thinker, I am not by any means searching! I don't even look at other men that way!”
“Girl...” Taylor came back at once with a sly look at Gabe's retreating form “If you didn't...at least every once in a while, you wouldn't be a woman!”
“I don't.” Sky insisted primly “I happen to love my husband very much, and I don't need to consider other options.” Taylor rolled her eyes.
“Options smopkins. I love my hubby too...doesn't mean I can't look. Besides...” she shifted her head towards her ear as she added meaningfully “Dear Gabriel has plenty to look at! And don't say you didn't notice!” Sky opened her mouth to protest this, then caught Taylor's look and had to laugh
“Didn't say I didn't notice...” she quipped with as much meaning “...just that I wasn't considering other options!” Taylor laughed aloud
“That's what I'm talking about!” Sky giggled too, but nudged her
“O hush...you're just bad!”
“I know right?” Taylor sniggered with a double bounce of her brows. Seeing a server, she summoned her, asking Sky as she did “Want some more wine?” Sky shook her head.
“I think I'm about at my limit. Maybe I'll go see what my hubby is up to…while I'm over here fooling around with you.” Taylor started to answer this but she held up a finger “Nah-uh! Don't!” And turned away, leaving her friend laughing.
"Fallen Angel" All Rights Reserved
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