Harlequin Intrigue: April 2022, Box Set 2 of 2 by Caridad Piñeiro

Author:Caridad Piñeiro
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2022-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Ronin settled on a blue button-down and newer jeans to wear to his gallery show that Saturday. As he ran a brush through his hair he thought it would be good to have a wife or girlfriend who could have passed judgment on his appearance. One of the advantages of wearing a uniform most days was that he didn’t have to make these kinds of decisions.

He arrived at the gallery at ten thirty and walked around the empty space, pretending to study the display of his work and trying not to appear too anxious. When the bell on the front door sounded, relief flooded him as the sheriff stepped inside, with his wife, Lacy, and Shane Ellis and Lauren Baker.

“Thanks for coming,” Ronin said, hurrying over to greet them.

“We’ve been looking forward to it.” Lacy Walker, an attractive brunette who was obviously pregnant, surveyed the wall of framed photos. “Your work is so beautiful.”

“Lauren thinks we have too many blank walls in our place,” Shane said. “We thought we’d buy something so we can say we knew you when.”

“I wish Courtney would come see this,” Lauren said. “She’s always loved landscapes, and yours are so beautiful.”

“I invited her,” Ronin said. “But she said she couldn’t make it.” Better not to go into detail.

Lauren’s expression grew troubled. “She only does what Trey wants her to do,” she said. “He talked her into selling her SUV, so now she has to rely on him if she wants to go anywhere.”

“There are other one-car families who find a way to make it work,” Shane said.

“They’re not miles from town with no phone,” Lauren said. She glanced at Ronin and softened her voice. “Sorry. I never have liked Trey Allerton, so I tend to get worked up about him.”

Another group of people entered, and Ronin moved to greet them.

An hour later, the small gallery was packed with people. Ronin had sold three pieces. Lacy Walker had purchased a scene of a sunset over Dakota Ridge, while Shane and Lauren chose a photo of a weathered barn against a stormy sky.

Adelaide arrived at the end of that first hour, her purple-framed bifocals matching her purple leggings and the purple irises on her quilted black tunic. “It’s good to see all your talent isn’t wasted taking crime scene photos,” she told Ronin when she found him near the buffet table at the back of the room. She indicated a grouping of photos nearest them. “Where did you take these? I thought I knew every set of mine ruins in the county and I don’t recognize them.”

“It’s part of the settlement above the Sanford Mine,” he said. The trio of photos depicted the remains of three cabins, all in various stages of decay, the last little more than a foundation and a few logs. “It’s quite a hike up that ridge, off the main trail a ways. I found them by accident when I was hoping to get some shots looking down on the surviving mine buildings.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.