Read Online Loving Again: Book 2 in the Second Chance series (Crimson Romance) by Peggy Bird - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Peggy Bird
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shipping box from the floor. “Will you finish uncrating these paintings while I make a couple of quick phone calls to see what I can do to get this thing with my artist settled?”
“Sure. I’ll uncrate, you hang, and maybe you can get out of here at a decent hour.”
“And I can buy you a late lunch.”
“Thanks, but I’ve got plans later today. Hot date.” He grinned.
In the back storage area, where what she laughingly called her office was located, Liz made her phone calls. When she returned to the gallery, the paintings were all uncrated and unwrapped, but Mike was gone, without telling her he was leaving, without asking if there was anything else to be done and leaving the front door, with her keys still in the inside lock, open. Young men, of whom she was inordinately fond under social circumstances, could be amazingly annoying under other circumstances, Liz thought. She mentally shrugged her shoulders and got to work hanging.
By the time she drove home a couple hours later, it was pretty clear that her day had sucked. First, there was Eubie Kane. Next, the painter from Arizona whose work she was hanging had sent different paintings than the pieces he’d promised, not all of which worked with the theme she’d planned for the show. Last, there was a gold bracelet missing from her jewelry display case. She wasn’t sure who made her angrier: Kane, her featured artist or her new hire, who had to be the thief because she’d seen the bracelet in the case when she’d gone to make her phone calls but it wasn’t there when she came out. As soon as she found the item missing, she’d called Mike. When she got voice mail, she remembered he’d said he had a hot date. She left a message saying she needed to talk to him urgently.
Halfway home she thought about dropping by his house and leaving another message but realized she didn’t have his address with her and she didn’t have the energy to go back to her gallery to get it. She drove to her home in southwest Portland, put on a mix tape of her favorite golden oldies, poured a large Bombay Sapphire gin on the rocks, and stewed about her day. She wasn’t sure Mike would show up for work again but if he did, she was going to raise hell with him.
Chapter Six
Sam and Amanda had quickly fallen into a regular pattern of seeing each other. When he was with his sons for the weekend, Sam picked her up at her studio during the week for dinner and they had take-out Sunday evening at his apartment after the boys went back to their mom. The weekends when he was kid-less, they spent as much time together as his job allowed. They went to the symphony. They rode horseback. They took Chihuly to the dog park and played Frisbee with him.
Amanda loved being with him. He was constant in his attention and affection. He made her laugh. She found herself thinking of him often during the days she wasn’t with him. Her heart beat faster when she saw him. All the signs of falling for him.
But she wasn’t sure she was ready to get more involved. Not until she was standing securely on her own two feet. As a result of this reluctance, she changed the subject every time the conversation got within two states of any comment that could lead to a discussion of where the relationship was going.
It had been her bad judgment in getting involved with Tom Webster that had gotten her in trouble, trouble she couldn’t get out of without a lot of help. She was determined never to let that happen again. Not that Sam was another Tom Webster. She knew that wasn’t true. But she had to prove to herself that she could manage her life without help, even if that help came in the form of the sexy cowboy-turned-cop she was half in love with. So, she tried to keep their conversation light. Distracted him when it looked like it was getting too deep. Whistled for her dog who adored Sam to come play with them. Whatever worked to change the subject.
It worked. Until the beef bourguignon evening.
Amanda
“Sure. I’ll uncrate, you hang, and maybe you can get out of here at a decent hour.”
“And I can buy you a late lunch.”
“Thanks, but I’ve got plans later today. Hot date.” He grinned.
In the back storage area, where what she laughingly called her office was located, Liz made her phone calls. When she returned to the gallery, the paintings were all uncrated and unwrapped, but Mike was gone, without telling her he was leaving, without asking if there was anything else to be done and leaving the front door, with her keys still in the inside lock, open. Young men, of whom she was inordinately fond under social circumstances, could be amazingly annoying under other circumstances, Liz thought. She mentally shrugged her shoulders and got to work hanging.
By the time she drove home a couple hours later, it was pretty clear that her day had sucked. First, there was Eubie Kane. Next, the painter from Arizona whose work she was hanging had sent different paintings than the pieces he’d promised, not all of which worked with the theme she’d planned for the show. Last, there was a gold bracelet missing from her jewelry display case. She wasn’t sure who made her angrier: Kane, her featured artist or her new hire, who had to be the thief because she’d seen the bracelet in the case when she’d gone to make her phone calls but it wasn’t there when she came out. As soon as she found the item missing, she’d called Mike. When she got voice mail, she remembered he’d said he had a hot date. She left a message saying she needed to talk to him urgently.
Halfway home she thought about dropping by his house and leaving another message but realized she didn’t have his address with her and she didn’t have the energy to go back to her gallery to get it. She drove to her home in southwest Portland, put on a mix tape of her favorite golden oldies, poured a large Bombay Sapphire gin on the rocks, and stewed about her day. She wasn’t sure Mike would show up for work again but if he did, she was going to raise hell with him.
Chapter Six
Sam and Amanda had quickly fallen into a regular pattern of seeing each other. When he was with his sons for the weekend, Sam picked her up at her studio during the week for dinner and they had take-out Sunday evening at his apartment after the boys went back to their mom. The weekends when he was kid-less, they spent as much time together as his job allowed. They went to the symphony. They rode horseback. They took Chihuly to the dog park and played Frisbee with him.
Amanda loved being with him. He was constant in his attention and affection. He made her laugh. She found herself thinking of him often during the days she wasn’t with him. Her heart beat faster when she saw him. All the signs of falling for him.
But she wasn’t sure she was ready to get more involved. Not until she was standing securely on her own two feet. As a result of this reluctance, she changed the subject every time the conversation got within two states of any comment that could lead to a discussion of where the relationship was going.
It had been her bad judgment in getting involved with Tom Webster that had gotten her in trouble, trouble she couldn’t get out of without a lot of help. She was determined never to let that happen again. Not that Sam was another Tom Webster. She knew that wasn’t true. But she had to prove to herself that she could manage her life without help, even if that help came in the form of the sexy cowboy-turned-cop she was half in love with. So, she tried to keep their conversation light. Distracted him when it looked like it was getting too deep. Whistled for her dog who adored Sam to come play with them. Whatever worked to change the subject.
It worked. Until the beef bourguignon evening.
Amanda
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