Country Roads(19)
She didn’t mention the most compelling reason for her family’s protectiveness. She wanted him to see her as whole and competent, not a fragile being who couldn’t be trusted to deal with the real world. “You know, it’s my own fault.”
“What is?”
“This situation. I just wanted to make art, so I let my uncle handle everything else.” Julia frowned as her lack of practical experience struck her. Her condition didn’t preclude her being involved with the business side of her career. She felt stupid and naive.
“Are you afraid of your uncle?”
Surprise made her glance at Paul. “You mean, physically afraid?”
He nodded, his face tight with concern.
“No. Absolutely not.” Her uncle’s weapons were more subtle but effective because she cared about him: a headshake of disappointment, a hurt smile, a gesture that said he only wanted to protect her. Just picturing him brought the lingering taste of failure back to her throat.
“That relieves my mind,” Paul said.
They rounded a shoulder of the mountain, and low-slanting sunlight splashed through the windshield, making her blink.
“Look left and you’ll get a great view of the river,” Paul said.
She shaded her eyes with her hand and let out a long “ah” of admiration. Ridges of mountains in varying shades of blue rolled away into the distance, their edges gilded by the low-lying sun. The river wound through the valley below, the water glowing like liquid gold. Her fingers itched for a brush and an array of paints. It would be a challenge to capture this moment of light, which changed even as she watched.
And it would make her uncle happy since it was a landscape, not a terrifying black horse on an abstract background.
She must have made an unhappy sound, because Paul took one hand off the wheel to give her shoulder a quick squeeze. “Does it remind you of home?”
“A little, but I was just thinking about how I would convey the scene on canvas, and how happy it would make Carlos to have me paint something pretty.”
“Don’t let him poison your pleasure in your work.”
She glanced sideways at him. The bone structure of his face seemed to stand out because his jaw was clenched in anger. “Would you let me paint you?” she asked, as her eyes followed the shadows and angles revealed by his emotion.
“What!” The car swerved almost imperceptibly.
“I wasn’t kidding when I said you would make a great subject.”
He laughed. “Would it tick off your uncle?”
“No, I’d have to paint you nude to do that.” She had become so comfortable with him, she forgot to avoid sexual innuendos.
“Now that I might agree to, depending on the setting.”
She flushed as a sizzle of nerves and excitement surged through her. “I know, walking out of the river, water streaming off you.” She was beginning to see it in her mind’s eye. “You could have a fish in your hand, as though you’d just caught it, and…”
“Not the setting I was hoping for.”
“It could be a really big fish.”
“I’m not much of a fisherman. I was thinking of an indoor setting.”
She sucked in air on a tiny gasp at his implication.
As she cast around for a sophisticated, woman-of-the-world sort of reply, he turned off the road between two stone posts and accelerated onto a paved but winding driveway, saying, “This is the kind of road the ’Vette is built for.”
When he took the first corner at a dangerous speed, Julia forgot about his flirting. Her throat tightened in panic, but the low sports car stuck to the road like Velcro. The next curve was gentler so their speed increased, and by the third one, she braced herself in the seat while she hoped he would floor it. “This is fun! Do you ever take your car to a racetrack?”
“Not anymore.” His voice was flat, and she wanted to ask why not, since he clearly enjoyed driving. But she could sense his withdrawal, and she didn’t want to push him any further away.
As they came out of the trees, a spectacular wood-and-stone house nestled into the hillside just to their right. He drew up to the front door and stopped the car.
“That’s a big house,” Julia said, feeling overawed.
“Wait till you see its owner.”
Chapter 7
NOW I UNDERSTAND why people take helicopters to eat at the Aerie.” Julia picked up her wineglass and leaned back in her chair. “That was the most delicious food I’ve ever tasted.”
“You should take her to dinner there, so she can see the view,” Claire said to Paul.
His expression was unreadable in the dim candlelight, but his tone was light. “If she’s willing to hang around Sanctuary for another three months, I’d be happy to. It takes at least that long to get a reservation.” His eyes went to Tim. “Unless you’re a vet.”