Total pages in book: 117
Estimated words: 115435 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 577(@200wpm)___ 462(@250wpm)___ 385(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115435 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 577(@200wpm)___ 462(@250wpm)___ 385(@300wpm)
“Well, if that’s not one hell of a compliment, I don’t know what is.”
We turn, and my old friend sweeps me up in a quick hug. He’s grinning from ear to ear.
“It’s good to see you,” I tell him, but he’s already turned his attention to my girl.
“Aye, it is, but I want to meet this lovely woman with an eye for genius.”
Anastasia, Kane’s wife, smirks beside him.
“This is Billie,” I tell him. “Billie, this is Kane and his wife, Anastasia.”
“Please, call me Bee,” she says as she shakes their hands. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m a big fan.”
“And now, I’m a fan of yours,” Kane replies after shaking her hand. “Connor tells me you’re from Montana?”
Billie’s eyebrow climbs in surprise. “That’s right. Do you two live here in Galway?”
“Only part of the year,” Anastasia replies. I like Kane’s wife very much. She’s a beautiful blonde with the bluest eyes and a curvy figure, and she keeps Kane in line the way no one else has ever been able to. “The rest of the time, we’re on a little island just across the Sound from Seattle. That’s where I’m from.”
“That makes sense,” Billie says. “The museum there is amazing.”
“Right?” Anastasia grins, takes Billie’s hand, and pulls her away. “Kane’s working on a new exhibit for the museum now. You really have to come see it. Now, come with me to the bar. I want to introduce you to Kane’s siblings and their families.”
They walk away, and I turn to my friend with a grin. “I like your wife.”
“Aye, and so do I, mate. She’s the best part of me.”
“How are the kids?”
“Hopefully asleep.” He laughs and claps me on the shoulder. “Come on, there’s some whiskey around here somewhere.”
“Don’t you have to see to your other guests?”
“I’ve said hello, and that’s all they need from me.”
“And there you are, the grumpy bastard I’ve always known. I was worried there for a minute.”
He smirks, and we each take two fingers of whiskey from the bartender.
“Your package was delivered this morning,” he tells me. “Safe and sound.”
“Excellent, thank you. She’ll love it.”
“It was supposed to be a part of that new exhibit my wife mentioned.”
“I’m quite sure the two million I paid you will make up for that.”
Kane laughs, then swallows his whiskey. “It took the edge off. And how are you and your pretty lass doing?”
“She’s the best part of me,” I reply, echoing his own words.
“I’m sorry to interrupt,” Billie says as she sidles up beside me, slipping her hand into mine and linking our fingers. “I’d like to ask a question about a piece if you’re open to discussing it. Some artists don’t like to talk about their art.”
“For you, fair Bee, I will talk about it. Which one do you fancy, then?”
“The one you’ve titled Luminary.” She leads us both to the piece set on a pedestal that has to be about a square meter in size to accommodate the massive chunk of glass. It’s wavy, resembles a shell with a pearl inside, and is colored the same as a pearl.
The discreet price plaque says it’s fifty thousand euros.
And now, it’s my bumble bee’s.
“You have good taste,” Kane says with a nod as the two settle in to talk about his process, and I step back, giving her time with a man she admires.
“She’s wonderful,” Anastasia says beside me as we both look on.
“She’s everything,” I reply.
“When you get married, I’d love to do the cake.”
“I thought you retired from the cake business.”
She shrugs. “I did, but I still work magic for the people I love. I’ll come out of retirement for you.”
“You’d deliver to Montana?”
“I’ll deliver it wherever it needs to be, friend. You think you’d do it in Montana?” she counters.
“That’s her home. Our home, now,” I reply. “Her family and friends are there. I can’t imagine her wanting it anywhere else.”
“You know what I find intriguing? You’re already talking about a wedding as if it’s a foregone conclusion, but there’s no ring on that girl’s finger.”
“Yet.” I wink at my friend and watch as Billie makes Kane laugh. “Holy shit, was that a laugh out of him?”
“It happens once in a while,” Anastasia replies. “Always shocks the hell out of his family, too. But the tortured artist has mellowed.”
“Thanks to you and the wee ones.”
She smiles brightly at that. “I like to think so. Bring Bee to Seattle sometime so we can spend more time together.”
“We’d like that.”
And then it hits me how distinctly different Anastasia’s response to Billie is from Fiona’s. Granted, Anastasia and I don’t have a romantic history, but Billie’s words flash through my mind, nonetheless.
“Sure, my good friends might ask questions and even warn him that hurting me means they hurt him in turn. But they wouldn’t deliberately try to destroy something important to me.”