Page 55 of Hard to Love
“Do you want me to?”
He massaged the back of his neck the way a sumo wrestler might grip his opponent. “God help me, yes.”
Even though his tone was slightly grudging, his words kindled a slow heat in Greer’s belly. But rather than touch him now, she just gave him a small smile and hustled him out of the booth. As she trailed him down the aisle toward the barn door, she called out, “Time to shut it down, people.”
A few artists clicked off their machinery and lights with a sigh. Others groaned and remained hunched over their work.
“I mean it.” Greer raised her voice a little. “If you’re not out of here by 11:05, I’ll disqualify you from the competition.”
Chad slowly sauntered out of his space and said, “Youcan’t treat people that way.”
“What way?”
“Like you’re a drill sergeant, and they’re your recruits. They’re artists.”
“I’ve never bought into that whole artists-are-tender-souls thing.” She motioned to a jewelry maker, and the woman stowed her loupe and left her booth. “Believe me, they’ll be thanking me in the morning when they’re well rested and well fed.” Her dad had always said she had the strength of personality to lead an army of angels straight into hell.
“You sure you don’t want to grab something to eat?” Chad asked.
The muscles in Greer’s face locked into their pleasant position. “Bet you can find a tablemate easily enough.”
“Your loss.”
Doubtful. But ten minutes later, Greer was gazing out over a tire-flattened expanse of pasture and all cars but hers were gone. Tomorrow, she’d mark off the public parking. She wouldn’t charge for it either. Gouging people before they ever stepped inside the village wouldn’t encourage them to spend money. She also needed to talk with Sawyer about providing some type of food services on a more permanent basis.
And oh, if she was calling this place a village, wouldn’t it be amazing to bring in a few more buildings, make it look the part? If she could get her hands on a Sunday haus, she could put it right over there.
She pulled her phone from her back pocket, tapped in a few notes to herself. Then she scowled down at it. God, she was becoming as anal as her plan-loving brother.
Alex’s words came back to her.As talented an artist as you are, you might be an even better businesswoman.No,she was just trying to diversify her hometown, ensure it was never again endangered the way it was before Delaney took over as the new Prophecy bootmaker.
She filled her lungs with April air and stared up at the full moon in the cloudless night sky. Too pretty to waste. Too pretty to spend by herself. She whipped out her phone and texted Alex.
On foot. Meet me in the woods halfway between the cabin and the barn once you’ve parked your car.
She made her way across the expanse of pasture, the grass crunching pleasantly under her boots, and into the stand of trees separating the barn side of the property from the house side. As she meandered along, the chirps and rustles and hoots wrapped around her like a beautifully hand-knitted shawl. Warm, comforting, familiar.
Then came a crashing that announced a much larger presence. Maybe this hadn’t been her brightest idea.
“Greer, dammit, are you out here?”
She huffed a quiet laugh. No bobcat or mountain lion. Just a prowling Villanueva. “Probably the only thing out here now. You’ve scared everything else away.”
“Something wrong with your car?” His voice came from ahead and to the right.
“No, why?”
Alex materialized from between a couple of grasping yaupons. “Because you’re walking.”
She held her hands up as though she could touch the moon. “It was a nice night for a stroll.”
“I could’ve humped it back by myself. I don’t need an escort.” A ghostly howl echoed through the trees, making them both flinch. “Jesus, I feel like I’ve walked into a Red Riding Hood story. Think a pack of coyotes is reason enough not to wander around in the woods by yourself atnight?”
“I’m not by myself.” She slipped her arm through his. “I’m with you.”
Alex grunted and paused to break a dead branch off a skinny tree trunk. “Guess I know now to arm myself on these late-night sneak-around sessions.”
“I never even thought your living in the barn could create problems. But Chad, he’s the kind of person who would blow the whole thing out of proportion.”
