nymphs seems familiar.”
“Picture me nude.”
A devilish gleam came in his eye. “I have. Many times.”
She gave him a playful swat on the shoulder. “Nude with
great swirls of blue hair longer than I am.”
Dan looked from Tess to the painting and back again. “My
God, it’s you!” She grinned and his eyes narrowed and his nostrils flared as a
rush of irrational fury flashed through him. The thought of anyone, even an
artist, seeing his Tess nude angered him. He hadn’t even seen her nude yet. “Did
you pose for this?” His words were sharp.
Her eyes widened. “Are you such a prude?” She sounded
amused.
“Did you?” There was no humor in his question.
“Only the face is mine. The rest is pure imagination.”
Dan felt his gut relax.
Tess rose and tugged at Dan’s hand. “Come on. I want to show
you something.” She led him to a painting with another female fantasy figure
and hoisted the large oil to eye level. “Look closely at the face of this one.”
He squinted and leaned toward the stylized mermaid with
copper hair.
“Look familiar?”
He glanced at Tess and frowned. “It reminds me of your Aunt
Olivia.”
Tess smiled. “And that one?” She pointed to another leaning
against a flat.
Dan squatted and looked at the central figure whose flowing
white hair was studded with starfish. “Gram?”
She nodded again. “Your grandmother was delighted to be
immortalized as a sea siren. Hook got a kick out of it, too.”
“Hook?” Dan glanced at the corner of the painting, then up
at Tess. “Do you mean . . . Hook?” He sketched the big man’s distinctive scar
on his own face, tapped his front tooth, and pointed to large oil. “ Hook painted this?”
Looking smug, Tess slowly nodded her head.
“My God,” Dan whispered, stunned. “He’s an ex-con.”
“A sensitive, very talented ex-con. My grandmother and Aunt
Olivia first saw his work in a Huntsville Prison art show.”
“I can’t believe it. Tess, I promise you, these paintings
are fabulous.”
“I know. Several have bought his work.”
“And he stays on as your aunt’s houseman?”
While they hung Hook’s paintings, Tess told him the story of
how her grandmother and her aunt had hired an attorney and used their
considerable influence to secure Hook’s parole in their custody.
“It helps when you know the governor personally,” she said
as they placed the last of the watercolors. “They recognized Hook’s potential,
and he was grateful for their faith in him. He’s completely devoted to Aunt
Olivia, as he was to my grandmother before she died. Hook says they gave him a
chance when nobody else would. They outfitted a studio in his apartment over
the garage and saw that he had art lessons and all the supplies he needed.”
“It’s amazing. I still can’t comprehend that somebody who
looks like Hook can paint pictures that look like this.”
“Believe it.” She cocked her head and gave him a complacent
grin. “Are you feeling a bit sheepish about judging him by his looks?” When he
nodded, looking appropriately contrite, she said, “Good. You’re learning. Come on,
let’s get the rest of these up.”
By the time they were finished, it was dark outside and Nancy
had gone home. With Dan’s arm draped casually around her shoulders, they stood
surveying their work.
“I think we did a fine job,” he said. “We make a good team.”
“A darned good team,” Tess agreed, slipping her arm around
his lean waist.
“I can’t remember when I’ve enjoyed an afternoon more. I
hate for it to end.”
“It was fun, wasn’t it?” She glanced at her watch. “It’s
almost dinnertime. We’d better get home or Ivan will have our hide. You’ve
become his personal project, you know.”
“Why don’t we have dinner out for a change? Think Ivan would
mind if we gave him a call?”
Tess shook her head.
After they phoned, Tess locked the gallery and they walked
toward the waterfront. With the loss of the
“Picture me nude.”
A devilish gleam came in his eye. “I have. Many times.”
She gave him a playful swat on the shoulder. “Nude with
great swirls of blue hair longer than I am.”
Dan looked from Tess to the painting and back again. “My
God, it’s you!” She grinned and his eyes narrowed and his nostrils flared as a
rush of irrational fury flashed through him. The thought of anyone, even an
artist, seeing his Tess nude angered him. He hadn’t even seen her nude yet. “Did
you pose for this?” His words were sharp.
Her eyes widened. “Are you such a prude?” She sounded
amused.
“Did you?” There was no humor in his question.
“Only the face is mine. The rest is pure imagination.”
Dan felt his gut relax.
Tess rose and tugged at Dan’s hand. “Come on. I want to show
you something.” She led him to a painting with another female fantasy figure
and hoisted the large oil to eye level. “Look closely at the face of this one.”
He squinted and leaned toward the stylized mermaid with
copper hair.
“Look familiar?”
He glanced at Tess and frowned. “It reminds me of your Aunt
Olivia.”
Tess smiled. “And that one?” She pointed to another leaning
against a flat.
Dan squatted and looked at the central figure whose flowing
white hair was studded with starfish. “Gram?”
She nodded again. “Your grandmother was delighted to be
immortalized as a sea siren. Hook got a kick out of it, too.”
“Hook?” Dan glanced at the corner of the painting, then up
at Tess. “Do you mean . . . Hook?” He sketched the big man’s distinctive scar
on his own face, tapped his front tooth, and pointed to large oil. “ Hook painted this?”
Looking smug, Tess slowly nodded her head.
“My God,” Dan whispered, stunned. “He’s an ex-con.”
“A sensitive, very talented ex-con. My grandmother and Aunt
Olivia first saw his work in a Huntsville Prison art show.”
“I can’t believe it. Tess, I promise you, these paintings
are fabulous.”
“I know. Several have bought his work.”
“And he stays on as your aunt’s houseman?”
While they hung Hook’s paintings, Tess told him the story of
how her grandmother and her aunt had hired an attorney and used their
considerable influence to secure Hook’s parole in their custody.
“It helps when you know the governor personally,” she said
as they placed the last of the watercolors. “They recognized Hook’s potential,
and he was grateful for their faith in him. He’s completely devoted to Aunt
Olivia, as he was to my grandmother before she died. Hook says they gave him a
chance when nobody else would. They outfitted a studio in his apartment over
the garage and saw that he had art lessons and all the supplies he needed.”
“It’s amazing. I still can’t comprehend that somebody who
looks like Hook can paint pictures that look like this.”
“Believe it.” She cocked her head and gave him a complacent
grin. “Are you feeling a bit sheepish about judging him by his looks?” When he
nodded, looking appropriately contrite, she said, “Good. You’re learning. Come on,
let’s get the rest of these up.”
By the time they were finished, it was dark outside and Nancy
had gone home. With Dan’s arm draped casually around her shoulders, they stood
surveying their work.
“I think we did a fine job,” he said. “We make a good team.”
“A darned good team,” Tess agreed, slipping her arm around
his lean waist.
“I can’t remember when I’ve enjoyed an afternoon more. I
hate for it to end.”
“It was fun, wasn’t it?” She glanced at her watch. “It’s
almost dinnertime. We’d better get home or Ivan will have our hide. You’ve
become his personal project, you know.”
“Why don’t we have dinner out for a change? Think Ivan would
mind if we gave him a call?”
Tess shook her head.
After they phoned, Tess locked the gallery and they walked
toward the waterfront. With the loss of the
Similar Books
