EPILOGUE
Sebastian's sketches of Charlie were nothing short of genius.
Matt leaned in for a closer look. Sebastian had captured the fully completed sculpture in the reflection of Charlie's face shield. That small detail turned the drawing into a masterpiece.
Next to him, Daniel was grinning. "I'm glad Sebastian finally came out of the closet."
Matt laughed. "Don't let the press hear you say that or they'll be starting rumors it'll take years to put down."
"Sebastian wouldn't care. Hell, he'd probably love it."
Matt laughed his agreement.
Everyone had arrived for the big unveiling at noon, and the lobby of Sebastian's new building was a crush. The crème de la crème of San Francisco society had turned out for the grand event-and so had all of Charlie's students from over the years. Her mother too. The champagne flowed, white-coated waiters circulated with trays of hors d'oeuvres, and at twelve-thirty, there would be a buffet on the mezzanine level above.
The sun edged toward the fountain. The Chariot Race was covered with a drape of silk attached to a pulley by nearly invisible wires that would sweep it away at the appropriate moment. The building itself was incredible, the glass setting off an astonishing view of San Francisco's financial district, and the bright, cloudless sky above. The supporting columns were gleaming chrome, and even the polished marble floor could be considered a work of art.
"How the hell did Charlie get him to show his sketches?" Daniel shook his head in wonder.
"She told me it was magic."
Matt was happy for his friend. Charlie was a class act. A good woman was hard to find, as Matt well knew since the fiasco with Noah's mother. After Irene, he wasn't taking any risks. He had a hard enough time keeping Noah's nannies around, let alone a girlfriend.
"Have you seen Will and Harper?" Matt asked as they moved down the impressive line of Sebastian's artwork. Elbowed out of the way by a woman demanding a closer look, he stepped back before she punctured his foot with her stiletto heel.
"I saw Jeremy earlier." Daniel chuckled. "He said they're going to watch from the mezzanine above so they could be close to the real food as soon as it's served."
Matt smiled. Jeremy was great. Sure enough, he noticed three figures on the second level. Jeremy saw him and shook his arm at them so hard Matt feared he might topple into the fountain, but Will's hand was on his shoulder, his other arm around Harper. Will would never let either of them fall.
"What about Susan and Bob?"
"Over...there." Daniel pointed.
Standing by the fountain, Susan waved at them. Bob had his hand at her back and Matt thought his foster father looked a little overwhelmed by the press of people.
"Honey, I'm so glad to see you." Susan threw her arms around Matt in a huge hug. He remembered all the years as a pipsqueak kid when her hug was the only thing that made him feel safe. He would love her forever for that.
They moved in close to hear each other over the voices and laughter. "Sebastian and Charlie will be so happy you made it."
She sparkled with joy. "We wouldn't miss it for the world."
"It's all she's been able to talk about," Bob agreed. "That and wedding plans."
But Matt knew Bob was equally focused on getting everything ready for Harper and Will's wedding. Susan had revealed he was already working on the trellis. It would be a white Christmas wedding in Chicago with a small gathering, the nuptials to take place in Susan and Bob's living room.
"And now we have another wedding to plan." Susan was in her element, her eyes starry with the thought of more grandchildren. She adored Noah and wanted more, more, more.
Susan gave her son a huge hug while Matt clapped Bob on the back in greeting. "This is a real swanky place," Bob said, lifting his gaze to the sky above. "When are you boys moving in?"
The Maverick Group was taking the twenty-ninth floor. "Next week."
"How's Noah? You didn't bring him today?"
Matt spread his arms to encompass the packed lobby. "I didn't want to risk losing him in this crowd. Will let me drop him off for a few hours with Mrs. Taylor." Will's housekeeper was a very sweet lady, and Noah adored her chocolate chip cookies. Come to think of it, they all adored Mrs. Taylor's chocolate chip cookies. "You'll see him at the barbecue tomorrow."
"Mrs. Taylor?" Susan's antennae had popped up. "Oh dear, what happened to your latest nanny?"
Matt felt the darkness rise up in him again, and he clenched his fists to tamp it down. "I caught her yelling at Noah when he knocked over a glass of milk."
Matt wasn't a violent man, but when he'd walked in on the woman's tirade, he'd been closer to losing control than at any time in his life. Even with all of Irene's crap, he'd never felt that kind of rage.
No one abused his kid, not ever.
"I'm glad you fired her ass."
He laughed. Susan always knew how to defuse the tension. "Yeah. I fired her ass. So now I need another nanny."
"Oh, sweetie." She gave him a hug for all his woes.
"You must have tapped out all the nanny services in town," Daniel drawled beside him.
It was the unfortunate truth. He didn't know how he'd managed to find every bad caregiver in the area-but he had. He'd have to look farther afield and hope the candidate wanted to move.
Above the din, the tinkle of metal on glass gathered attention. The sun was a foot from the fabulous fountain. Matt glanced at his watch. It was closing in on noon.
Rapping his champagne flute with a spoon, Sebastian stepped onto a small dais erected by the fountain. As the crowd began to quiet, he pulled Charlie up beside him.
"Oh my," Susan said in a breathy voice. "She's absolutely beautiful."
Matt had to agree. Her black dress was short and flirty, her back draped with strands of pearls, her red hair pulled up. Even from here, he recognized adoration brimming in Sebastian's eyes.
"That must be her mother." Bob indicated the elderly woman seated close by in a chair brought especially for her. "Sebastian told us her story, and she's a marvel. Even with her terrible arthritis, she walks a mile every day."
"I can't wait to meet her." Susan said. "I have so much to thank her for. Raising such a marvelous woman who's so perfect for Sebastian."
Sebastian held up his hands, and the last of the noise died down. "Thank you all for coming to celebrate the opening of my new headquarters here in San Francisco. In a few moments, the sun will be at its zenith, and you'll all see why I chose this space. Because it's a special spot, I needed a special sculpture to do it justice." He put his arm around Charlie, kissed her temple. "In the process I found this very special, brilliant woman who has agreed to be my wife."
The crowd erupted with oohs and aahs, and Susan wiped her eyes.
It was then that Matt saw Whitney, to Sebastian's right, with Evan slightly behind her. If looks could kill, every last one of them would be dead. Whitney didn't like all the attention going to anyone else. Sometimes Matt wished he could fire her ass too.
But only Evan could do that.
"Step back, folks," Sebastian called out. "The sun's coming."
Those closest to the fountain shuffled back as the sun crept up the first tiles and they burst into glowing rainbows of color.
"I present to you The Chariot Race by Charlie Ballard." Sebastian waved his arm, and the silk drape was whisked away, disappearing somewhere above the mezzanine.
A pin dropping in the fountain's waters could have been heard at the other end of the lobby. Four magnificent stallions strained against their harnesses, racing into the sky. The fountain's waters began to churn and hiss, billowing up like the dirt and dust beneath the animals' charge as they dragged the broken chariot behind them. They were triumphant while their driver had been lost in defeat.
As the sun hit the metal, the splendid animals came to life and Matt could almost hear the roar of their hoof beats. With no driver, the reins blew wild in the wind, and their copper tails flew out behind them like flames. Everything was awash in color, even the mosaic gleaming on the platform of the fallen chariot as it was exposed by the oncoming light. The spectators were utterly in thrall of the sculpture's power as the sun moved over it.
He heard whispered words like genius and brilliant. On the other side of the fountain, Charlie glowed as brightly as the chimera she'd created. Matt was in awe that she could produce such beauty from all its disparate parts-pitchforks and bicycle wheels, tractor seats and pipe fittings. She made sense out of senselessness. And in turn gave power and strength to everyone who gazed at her masterpiece.
The sun revealed new facets like diamonds sparkling in radiant light. His gaze followed its path until he saw a woman beyond the fountain, hidden in the shadows until the sun found her.