Читать книгу Flirting With Disaster - Sherryl Woods, Sherryl Woods - Страница 10

After she closed Images on Sunday afternoon, Maggie decided she had time to pay that impromptu visit to Ellie to try once again to persuade the talented young artist to schedule a showing at the gallery. Until now Ellie had been reluctant to do anything more than bring in an occasional painting. Maggie attributed her hesitance to insecurity. She was determined to put that to rest and build her employee’s confidence once and for all.

She knew that Ellie lived in a loft apartment that had been created in an old warehouse along the waterfront. Since it wasn’t that far from the shop and the humidity wasn’t too oppressive, Maggie walked over, pausing along the way to chat with neighbors and customers who were taking advantage of the break in the weather to get some work done in their gardens.

It was nearly seven when she reached Ellie’s, but there was plenty of summer daylight left.

As the creaky old elevator neared the top floor, Maggie could hear an unmistakably angry argument. It was loud enough and heated enough that she decided to go right back down and come another day when her visit wouldn’t wind up embarrassing Ellie.

Before she could begin her descent, she heard a crash and the shattering of glass. That was enough to change her mind. Ellie’s embarrassment was a small price to pay to be sure that the young woman was safe.

Locking the elevator so it would be available for a quick departure, Maggie stepped off, ran to Ellie’s door and pounded on it. “Ellie, it’s Maggie. Are you in there? Is everything okay?” When there was no reply, she pounded some more. “Ellie, open this door, dammit, or I’ll call the police!”

The door swung open and a towering man stood there, his rugged face contorted with rage. “What the hell are you doing here?”

Though she was trembling inside, Maggie defiantly stood her ground and tried not to let him see even a flicker of emotion on her face. She took a slow survey of his features—the dark eyes, thick golden brown hair, thin slash of lips. She wanted to remember every detail in case she ever had to describe him to the police. He wore jeans and a grubby formfitting T-shirt.

“I stopped by to see Ellie,” she said more calmly. “Is she home?”

“Now’s not a good time,” he said, and started to close the door.

Maggie stepped over the threshold before he could stop her. “I’m not leaving till I’ve spoken to her,” she said, meeting the man’s angry gaze with an unblinking stare, even though she felt sick.

He seemed thrown by her determination. “Look, lady, you can’t just come barging into someone’s home. It’s called trespassing.”

“You could always call the police,” she suggested mildly. “In fact, I think that’s a very good idea. Why don’t we do that?” She extracted her cell phone from her purse and flipped it open.

For a minute she thought he might snatch the phone right out of her hand, but he didn’t. Instead, he stormed past her and headed for the elevator.

Maggie waited until the elevator doors closed and it began its creaking descent before she breathed a sigh of relief. “Ellie?” she called softly. “It’s okay. He’s gone. Where are you?”

“Go away,” Ellie pleaded from behind a closed door. “I know you were trying to help, but you’ve only made things worse.”

Maggie’s stomach churned at the quiet desperation she heard in her employee’s voice. “Ellie, please, come out here. Let’s talk about this. I want to help.”

Slowly the door to what was apparently a bathroom opened.

Maggie wasn’t sure what she expected, but it certainly wasn’t Ellie looking shaken but otherwise unharmed.

“Are you okay?” she asked, surveying Ellie closely for signs of bruises.

“Brian would never hurt me,” Ellie said. “Not physically, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

“From the elevator it sounded like a pretty violent argument,” Maggie said. “I was worried about you. I’m sorry if I embarrassed you by insisting on coming in.”

Ellie sighed and sank down on a leather sofa. “It doesn’t really matter. He’ll calm down eventually. He always does.”

“Then this has happened before?”

“A couple of times, but not like tonight. This was the worst he’s ever been. I upset him when I told him you might do a showing of my art.”

“I heard something break. Did he throw something at you?”

Ellie shook her head. “Not at me. At one of my paintings.”

Maggie heard a defeated note in the girl’s voice that spoke volumes. She finally understood that this was why Ellie was so reluctant to agree to a showing—she could never be certain if she would have anything to show. “He does that a lot, doesn’t he? Destroys your work,” she guessed.

Ellie nodded miserably. “He says I have no talent, that he doesn’t want me to be humiliated.”

Maggie felt her indignation rise, but she kept her voice under careful control. “Who is he? Your boyfriend?”

“He was,” Ellie admitted, shamefaced. “He wasn’t always like this. He’s changed lately. I’ve been trying to break things off with him. I know Brian’s no good for me, but he was my mentor, you see, so it’s hard. There was a time when he encouraged me, when he taught me technique and composition, when he helped me settle on the right medium for my work.”

“Then he’s an artist, too? How did you meet?”

Ellie nodded. “He was my instructor. Everyone said Professor Brian Garrison was the most talented artist on staff. I was flattered when he took an interest in me.”

“But eventually he realized that your talent was greater than his own,” Maggie guessed.

Ellie seemed startled by her assessment. “I don’t know. Maybe.”

“Oh, Ellie, I’m so sorry,” Maggie said, reaching for her hand. “Don’t let Brian or anyone else ruin this gift of yours for you. Let’s take a look at what you have here. You trust my judgment, don’t you? You know I’d never lie to you about anything this important?”

“Of course I trust you, but I don’t think I can look right now. You go ahead,” Ellie said. “I don’t know how much damage he did this time.”

Maggie moved into the huge open space that comprised the studio portion of the apartment, then winced at the destruction. Brian had obviously been at it long before she arrived and heard that crash. What she’d heard had apparently been a jar of turpentine that had been thrown at a huge still life of sunflowers. The style was reminiscent of Van Gogh, but Ellie had a unique vision that brought a touch of lightness and whimsy to the work. Of course, now the paint ran in distorted streaks, so it was impossible to get the full effect.

Another canvas had been slashed, another splattered with paint. One had a giant X painted cross it in vivid red. Apparently he’d been indiscriminate in his rampage, choosing whichever works were most convenient, not those of any particular theme. Still lifes had been damaged, as well as street scenes.

Maggie’s fury rose. Seeing such incredible paintings destroyed in a jealous rage made her almost physically ill. What a terrible waste!

“How bad is it?” Ellie called out in a voice that trembled.

“Half a dozen are destroyed,” Maggie told her, struggling to keep the outrage out of her voice. “But there are quite a few he left untouched, more than enough for a show.”

She went back to sit next to Ellie. “I think we need to get these paintings over to the gallery where they’ll be safe,” she told her. “And then you need to get your locks changed here. I’d do it myself, but I don’t want to leave you alone while I pick up my tools and try to find a lock at this hour. Besides which, we need someone with a truck to take the paintings. I’ll call some friends. We can take care of both of those things tonight. In the morning, if you’d like, we can go to the police and get a restraining order against him.”

Ellie shook her head. “That will only infuriate him more. Besides, I told you he’d never hurt me.”

Maggie squeezed her hand. “But he has hurt you,” Maggie said gently. “This is meant to hurt your soul, Ellie. It’s meant to destroy your self-confidence and rob you of something that’s very important to you.”

Ellie shook her head stubbornly. “I can’t ask for a restraining order. Changing the locks will be enough. He’ll get the message.”

Maggie had seen the rage in the man’s eyes. She doubted his mood would mellow significantly anytime soon. Nor did she think Ellie should ever risk trusting him not to explode when she least expected it, but she bit her tongue for now. She didn’t want to add to Ellie’s distress. “If you change your mind, I’ll go with you, okay?”

“Thank you.”

“Now, let me make that call and we’ll secure your apartment and move the paintings.”

She pulled her cell phone from her bag and punched in Dinah and Cord’s number. Unfortunately no one answered. She debated the wisdom of calling Warren, who might also be able to counsel Ellie on dealing with Brian, but she doubted he had the tools to deal with changing a lock, and that was a top priority. Nor did he have a truck to help with moving the paintings.

But Josh could help on both fronts, she realized. And if he’d been convinced to assist with the building of Amanda’s house, then he must have something of a knight-in-shining-armor complex. Fortunately he’d given all the volunteers a card with contact information on it, including his cell-phone number. Maggie found the card in her purse and dialed his number.

“Yes,” he answered so irritably that Maggie almost hung up.

“Josh, it’s Maggie.”

“Well now, this is a surprise,” he said, his tone immediately changing. There was a sexy vibe that hadn’t been there ten seconds ago.

“I need some help,” she said. “Are you busy?”

“Maybe you ought to tell me what sort of help you need before I say just how busy I am,” he said, a sudden note of caution in his tone.

Walking away from Ellie, Maggie spoke in a low voice and gave him a condensed version of what she’d walked in on a half hour earlier.

“I’ll pick up a new dead bolt and be there in twenty minutes,” he said without hesitation. “You two going to be okay until then?”

“We’ll be fine. Brain’s gone. He took off when he realized I wasn’t budging.”

“If he turns up, though, call nine-one-one and then scream your head off till all the neighbors come running,” Josh said. “Don’t hesitate, okay?”

The genuine concern in his voice was comforting. It confirmed her gut instinct that he was the right man to call.

“You want me to stay on the line till I get there?” Josh added.

“I’d rather you concentrate on getting that lock and driving over here like a bat out of hell,” she said honestly.

“I’m on my way,” he said.

“Thanks.”

She turned to smile at Ellie. “Help is on the way. Why don’t I make us some coffee.”

Ellie grinned. “I thought all Southerners lived on sweet tea this time of year. Lord knows, we did at my house. What is it with you and coffee?”

“A minor part of my rebellion,” Maggie told her. “I’ve always hated going with the crowd on anything. That doesn’t mean that drinking sweet tea isn’t one of my guilty little secrets. I’ll go pour us a couple of glasses, okay?”

“Sure.”

En route to the kitchen, Maggie paused to give Ellie’s shoulder a pat. “It’s going to be okay, you know.”

“I hope so.”

“Come on. You know so. I keep telling you how talented you are. I’m an expert, remember? You need to start listening to me, rather than a man who’s pea green with envy.”

“It’s not that,” Ellie said. “I’m just worried if you store those paintings at the gallery, it’ll make you a target. What if Brian comes after them there? I don’t want to be responsible for him ruining your wonderful gallery.”

“He won’t,” Maggie replied with a confidence she wasn’t entirely sure was justified. “He knows he can intimidate you, but he won’t try it with me. He’s already seen that I don’t back down. He knows I won’t hesitate to put his sorry butt in jail.”

But despite the forceful words, Maggie resolved to have the security system at the gallery checked and the locks there beefed up, as well.

It took Josh longer than he’d anticipated to find a halfway decent lock and then locate the warehouse. Every second of the delay was torture. Despite her brave front, he’d heard something in Maggie’s voice he’d never expected to hear—fear. Despite her declaration that she and this other woman were fine, he’d been tempted to send the cops over there to keep an eye on things. Only her promise to call the police herself if this nutcase showed up again kept him from doing so.

When he finally found the darkened warehouse, he was appalled that anyone was living in such an area, especially a woman alone. It was clearly a place that someone had hoped to turn into a trendy section of funky studios and shops, but the transformation was far from complete. It was mostly dingy and run-down, with way too few streetlights for his comfort.

By the time he finally got to the right address and rode the groaning elevator to the top floor, he was cursing a blue streak. Not that anyone could have heard him over the music blaring from the apartment beneath. It sounded as if a garage band on speed was rehearsing inside. No one would ever hear screams over that racket.

He pounded on the apartment door for what seemed like an eternity before Maggie finally opened it.

“Why didn’t you ask who it was?” he demanded.

“I did. Apparently you didn’t hear me,” she said, even now shouting to be heard over the din.

“How the hell does your friend stand that?”

“It just started,” she told him. “Ellie says they only rehearse on Sunday nights.”

“Lucky for her or she’d be deaf by now.” He knelt down and studied the door and the current lock. The door was solid enough. In fact, it felt like steel. Nobody would get through that, he concluded. Add the new lock, and she should be safe.

“Do you want anything to drink?” Maggie asked.

Josh finally met her gaze, which he’d been avoiding up till now. Hearing her voice earlier had cut into one very hot fantasy he’d been having about her. He’d been afraid seeing her in person would kick those hormones right back into gear. It did.

“Nothing,” he said gruffly. “Let me get to this.”

“Sure. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you coming over here like this.”

“Not a problem. I wasn’t doing anything.” Except thinking about her sexy body, but that definitely didn’t bear mentioning.

She gave him an odd look, as if she was trying to figure out what to make of his suddenly irritable mood, then went back into the apartment, leaving a trail of some seductive perfume to torment him.

Installing the lock took less time than he’d hoped. He could have used an hour or two to get his equilibrium back. Instead, he was forced to go into the apartment.

“Okay, ladies, you’re all set. The lock’s in, and combined with that door, you should be safe enough,” he said to the woman seated beside Maggie.

“Thank you,” she replied softly. “It was really nice of you to come over and do that for me.”

“Ellie, this is Josh Parker. He’s in charge of building that house I told you about.”

“Of course,” Ellie said. “What a sweet thing to do!”

Josh shrugged. “I don’t know about sweet. It’s a job.”

Maggie grinned at him. “Don’t be modest. You know you did it to rack up points.”

“Really? And just who do you think I was angling to rack up points with?”

“Cord,” she suggested. “Maybe Amanda.”

Josh laughed. “Miss Maggie, you have me all wrong. I don’t need points with Cord and I’m not interested in Amanda.”

She studied him curiously. “Then why did you agree to do it?”

“Just in case I’m a little short on recommendations when I arrive at the pearly gates,” he claimed. He wondered if she’d buy that his admission wasn’t all that far from the truth.

“I suppose your fate there all depends on who’s checking in the newcomers,” she retorted. “If it’s a female, you won’t have any problem at all sweet-talking your way inside.”

“Well, just in case, I’m trying to accumulate a few good deeds. Speaking of which, where are these paintings you want me to move?”

“I’ll show you,” Ellie offered.

Maggie gave her a concerned look that Josh couldn’t quite interpret.

“Are you sure?” she asked Ellie worriedly. “Want me to move the others out of the way first?”

“Which others?” Josh asked.

“The ones Brian destroyed,” Maggie explained.

Josh got the message. What Ellie was facing was that first gut-wrenching sight of the destruction of something that was important to her. He’d known that feeling once when vandals had gotten into a historic house he was renovating and had themselves a field day with paint. The devastation had clawed at his gut for days.

“How about you just point me in the right direction and I’ll take care of it?” he suggested.

Ellie shook her head. “I’ll have to see them sooner or later. I’m ready now.”

As soon as he followed her into the studio area and she switched on the bright overhead lights, Josh saw why Maggie had been so concerned. Ellie took a look around and swayed. He caught her and led her to a stool in front of an empty easel. He gently turned it away from the worst of the destruction.

“Why don’t I bring over the rest of the paintings and you tell me which ones go and which ones stay?” he suggested.

She nodded, color finally coming back to her face. “Thanks.”

Maggie came over and stood beside her, a hand resting on her shoulder.

Josh didn’t know enough about art to make an educated judgment, nor did he want to waste much time examining each of the works, but something in his gut told him to treat the paintings with extra care. He supposed people tossed around the word genius a little too casually, but he had a hunch he’d just stumbled onto one.

In the end, there were a dozen paintings Maggie wanted to take to the gallery. She and Ellie stood guard at the truck, while he brought them downstairs one by one and loaded them carefully into the back of his pickup.

Then all three of them rode to the gallery, where Maggie supervised their storage in a secured vault in the back. Josh checked all the locks and nodded with approval.

“They’ll be safe enough here. How’s your security system?” he asked.

“Top-of-the-line,” Maggie assured him. “But I’m going to have the security guys go over it just the same.”

“Then let’s lock this place up and I’ll take you two out for something to eat. I’ll bet neither one of you has had dinner.”

Maggie regarded him with surprise. “To be honest, I’d forgotten all about food, and you’re right. I’m starved. Ellie, what about you?”

“I think I’d rather go back home,” she said. “I can walk.”

“Not a chance,” Josh said. “If you insist on going home, we’ll take you. I want another look around before I leave you there alone.”

“You don’t need to do that,” Ellie protested.

“Yes, I do,” he said flatly.

“Let the man get his full quota of brownie points for this,” Maggie advised. “He probably has to overcome a lot if he wants to get into heaven someday.”

He winked at her. “You have no idea.”

“Oh, I think I do,” Maggie retorted.

But Josh thought he detected a glint in her eyes that suggested she found this reply intriguing. It seemed Miss Maggie might just have a thing for dangerous men.

Only after she and Josh were seated at an all-night diner in a part of town she rarely visited, did Maggie start to tremble. It could have been hunger, but she had a hunch it was a delayed reaction to her encounter with the out-of-control Brian Garrison.

Josh’s hand immediately covered hers. “You okay? The worst is over. Don’t fall apart now.”

“It’s probably low blood sugar. I’ll be fine as soon as I’ve eaten something.”

Magically, a waitress appeared at that instant, her artificially red hair sprayed into a dated beehive style and adorned with a frilly white cap held in place with bobby pins. A pin on her pocket said her name was Linda Sue.

“Hey, sugar, you’re out late,” she said to Josh. “You want your usual?”

Maggie regarded Josh curiously. “Come here often?”

“Most nights like clockwork, right at seven. I could set the clock by him,” Linda Sue claimed. “Hasn’t changed his order once in all these weeks, either.”

Josh looked vaguely unsettled by the revelation. “Maybe I’ll do something totally unpredictable tonight.”

“Such as?” the woman asked skeptically.

“Yes, Josh,” Maggie encouraged, eager to see what he would consider a daring break with tradition. “Do something wild.”

“Okay, you two,” he chided. “Stop trying to turn this into some sort of dare. I happen to like burgers and fries.”

“But not tonight?” Linda Sue asked. “Is there something different about tonight, besides the fact that you finally have a good-looking woman with you?”

Maggie watched as Josh struggled to find a suitable comeback for the question. She grinned at his obvious dismay, then decided to give him a break.

“Well, while you’re making this life-altering decision, Josh, I’m ordering the burger and fries. If you have it every night, it must be good.”

“Best in town,” the waitress assured her. She turned to Josh. “Made up your mind?”

He shrugged finally. “What can I say? I like the burger. But I will be daring. I’ll have onion rings tonight.”

Maggie chuckled. “That is daring. I’m impressed. And just so you know, if you try to sneak even one of my fries, I will hurt you.”

Josh sighed dramatically. “Then you’d better bring me a side order of fries, too.”

“Coming right up,” Linda Sue promised.

The whole exchange had succeeded in calming Maggie’s nerves, but as she met Josh’s gaze, her pulse set off at a gallop all over again. However, he was the first to blink and look away.

“Why don’t you tell me more about what happened earlier tonight?” he suggested. “What set the guy off?”

Maggie finally blinked and looked away. “I gather Brian was Ellie’s mentor. When he heard I’d offered her a showing at the gallery, he freaked.”

Josh frowned. “You think she’ll stay the hell away from him after this?”

“She says she will. Problem is, he doesn’t seem to want to stay away from her.”

“Do you think he’s dangerous? Does she need protection?”

“I wanted her to get a restraining order, but she refused. She says he would never hurt her.” A look flashed across Josh’s face that startled Maggie. “You think she’s wrong, don’t you?”

“Women make that sort of mistake a lot,” he said tightly.

“And you know this because …?”

He shook his head. “It’s not important.”

“I think it is,” Maggie contradicted, seeing the evidence in his stormy gaze.

But before she could press the point, Linda Sue came back with their food. The heavenly aroma and the gnawing sensation in her stomach forced her to push her questions aside for the moment. When she picked up her burger instead of prying into his life any further, there was no mistaking his relief.

Maggie met his gaze. “I won’t forget what we were talking about,” she told him, determined to put him on notice.

“Have a French fry, sugar. They’re just about good enough to make you forget everything.”

“Nothing’s that good,” Maggie countered, but she popped one into her mouth. It was excellent. Crisp on the outside, tender inside and sprinkled with just the right amount of salt.

“Well?”

“Not bad,” she said, deliberately playing down the tastiness.

His eyes locked with hers. “Oh, really? That’s the best you can come up with?” He picked up another fry, dipped it in ketchup and held it to her lips.

Maggie swallowed hard, then accepted the unspoken dare. She licked the ketchup off the fry, then slowly took it into her mouth. When she did, Josh’s fingers brushed her lips.

And that had the effect he’d desired. She promptly forgot everything except the sensation of his work-roughened finger skimming across her lower lip. The jolt shot right through her. Something told her she’d be remembering that long after she was home—alone—in bed.