Art of Deception (Contemporary Romance) Read online

  She made a noise in the back of her throat. “Blondie has doggie breath.” She grinned at him, shaking her head. “I’m not a great catch either, bro. You see my living quarters.” She spread her arms and turned around. “And I get lost in my art. I’m totally unreliable if I’m in the middle of something. Men don’t understand when I tell them I can’t go out with them because I’m painting. I guess neither one of us is a prize catch at this point in our totally self-centered lives.”

  Merrick cast her a dimpled grin. “You make that sound like a bad thing. I’m completely happy this way. It would be great to find a girl who’d fit comfortably into my life. I’ve looked around and there’s nobody perfect out there.”

  She giggled, displaying her own set of dimples. “What would your perfect girl be like?”

  “Pretty, fresh, natural,” he said. “And she’d have to love me, sailing and Blondie.” He ticked them off on his fingers. “I could compromise on everything else.”

  “I’ll keep my eyes open.”

  He slung his tools in a canvas duffle bag, then cast a glance at her. “What about you? Do you have a certain type in mind? What will it take for you to commit happily ever after?”

  “Unlike you, I don’t have any preconceived ideas. He just has to get me, be sensitive to my needs but not be a doormat. Someone who respects me and understands what my work means to me.”

  “Seems easy enough. I’ll look around and find you a sailing man, someone with a bigger boat than mine. We can all go sailing together.”

  She pointed an accusing finger at him. “You just want him for his boat. I’ll find my own mate, thank you very much. But not until after my show is over. Until that time, I’m married to that pile of canvas.”

  Max spent the weekend immersed in her work. She added elements and layers to Oleg’s canvas while roughing in sketches and blocking colors on others.

  Since she painted in oils, they required a certain amount of drying time. In the humid Houston area, it could take up to a year for a painting to completely dry. Max knew that, with careful handling, the paintings could be hung wet, but was more concerned that she wouldn’t be able to produce enough satisfactory paintings to fill the walls of the gallery.

  Although she insisted she didn’t care what Jon thought, she thrived on his approval. She wanted to earn his praise, but some perverse part of her wanted him to appreciate her realistic works, as well.

  She took a few rhythmic steps in time to the zydeco tune playing in her ear buds. She liked zydeco music and thought she might take some of the spare cash fattening her bank account and spend a little time in New Orleans listening to the real thing. Maybe Willa would come along. No, Willa wasn’t interested in being a tourist in any place other than the mall. Merrick would enjoy the vibe of the Big Easy. He liked music, good food and drink, and New Orleans was located on the water. She’d ask Merrick to accompany her. Maybe they could sail to New Orleans out of Galveston Bay.

  Deeply engrossed in her work and in the music, Max set the disposable plate she was using as a palette on the floor and stuck her brush in her hair. She turned to her refrigerator and rummaged for a bottle of water. When she straightened up she let out a scream.

  Willa was crouched on the debilitated fire escape, clinging to the window beside the chipped porcelain sink in Max’s austere kitchen. She was wearing a dress and stilettos. She looked scared.

  Crushing fear gripped Max’s stomach as she pulled out the ear buds and stared, open-mouthed through the window. “What are you doing out there?” she yelled.

  “Thinking I’m going to break my neck.” Willa glanced over her shoulder at the parking lot far below. “Omigod! Let me in.” The rickety fire escape scraped against the brick building, swaying dangerously.

  “Small problem,” Max shouted. “That window is stuck. I can’t open it. You have to go back down the stairs. It’s not safe.”

  Willa’s eyes were wide with fright. “I can’t. I’m too afraid. I beat on your door but you didn’t answer. I could hear you moving around. What’s going on with you?”

  “I’m painting. Let me try to get the window open.” Max unlocked the latch and tried to raise the sash. She grabbed a table knife and ran it along the space between the upper and lower frames but it made no difference. The window was stuck. “Willa, you’re going to have to gut up and go down the fire escape. There’s no other way.”

  “No! Part of it broke away from the wall when I was climbing up. I’ll fall.” Tears sprang to her eyes. “I’m afraid, Max. Do something.” Willa’s fingers were turning white from gripping the rusted railing. The structure swayed again, producing an ominous metallic groan.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Max called Merrick and he promised her he’d rush right over. She stayed at the window with her palms pressed against the glass, mirroring Willa’s until she heard Merrick’s noisy arrival ten minutes later. He beat on her door and when Max opened it, she saw he came equipped with his tool bag and a uniformed police officer.

  Max’s brow furrowed into a frown. “Merrick, I didn’t think we needed to involve the police.”

  “I didn’t,” he said. “She involved herself.” Merrick went to the window and tested to see if he could raise it. “Nope, it’s painted shut and the old pulley system is broken so it’s dead weight.”

  Max turned to look at the trim female officer questioningly.

  “He was tearing up the road. I stopped him for excessive speed and he gave me this lame story about a fire escape.”

  “Not so lame, huh?” Max frowned at her. “That’s my best friend out there.”

  “Can’t she climb down?” The officer took off her hat and used it to gesture with. “It’s only three stories. She can do it backwards if she’s afraid of the height.”

  “Look at her. She’s wearing Dolce and Gabbano sandals with four-inch stiletto heels. She’s terrified.” Max turned her attention back to the window. Merrick had inserted a chisel between the frames and he was hammering it into the gap.

  “Don’t worry, Miss. I can call for a rescue team from the Fire Department.”

  Max frowned at her. “Give Merrick a chance, Officer. He’s pretty amazing.”

  “You must think your boyfriend is Superman,” Officer Carney said.

  “He’s my big brother, and yes, he is.” Max noticed that the Officer smiled at that. “Are you going to arrest him?”

  “Not now that I know he wasn’t lying about the emergency. You wouldn’t believe the stories people tell me to get out of a ticket.”

  “Merrick never lies. He’s Superman, after all.” Max returned to stand close to Merrick, anxious for Willa.

  “I can’t budge it. Stand back.” Merrick got out his drill and made four holes at the corners of the lower section of the wood frame. He inserted a keyhole saw in one of the holes and sawed all the way down both sides of the frame. He sawed across the width of the frame at the top and bottom and told Willa to push on it gently from the top. The portion of window fell into Merrick’s hands as Willa pressed against it. He set it aside and reached out through the opening to lift Willa over the roughly sawn wood.

  Max let out a relieved breath, not even realizing she’d been holding it.

  Once inside, Willa burst into tears, clinging to Merrick’s neck.

  “You saved my life!” she bawled.

  Merrick looked embarrassed as he awkwardly patted her shoulder.

  “That’s his girlfriend?” The officer nodded her head toward Willa.

  “No. Willa is the Queen of Drama.”

  When Willa was settled on the futon with her feet up and the officer had determined that she wasn’t suicidal, Max drew Merrick aside.

  “Thanks for saving my best friend, Merrick. I know you have no use for such a girlie girl but, Willa’s like the sister I never had.”

  Merrick nodded toward Willa. “I know that. The two of you have been conjoined since kindergarten.”

  Max grinned at him. “I seem to have a gaping h
ole in the side of my loft but I can staple some canvas over my new city view. Why did you decide to cut the window out?”

  Merrick reddened slightly as he rolled his eyes to the ceiling. “I didn’t want to break the glass with Willa right outside.” He raised his voice and three sets of female eyes riveted on him. “Do you realize how dangerous it is to have the window to the fire escape stuck shut, especially in an old building like this?”

  Max knew this was going to be a repeat of the time he found a pack of cigarettes in her purse. Needless to say, that was the end of her short-lived smoking career. He hadn’t told their parents but he did threaten her with all manner of bodily harm if she didn’t cease her smoking experiment immediately.

  “In the event of a fire you might need to use those outside stairs as an escape.” He glowered at her.

  “Omigod, I wouldn’t recommend it,” Willa said from the futon. “Those stairs are a deathtrap. They’re all rusted and, in some places they’ve broken loose from the brick wall. It was so shaky I thought I was going to die.”

  Merrick glowered at Max, making her feel as though she would always be the cause of his big-brothery anxiety. “I’m going to install a new window tonight, and I’ll make sure the stairs are repaired this week. Don’t you have a friend who’s a welder?”

  “Yes, I do but, I feel bad that you’ve spent the whole day taking care of my needs.” Max shook her head and shrugged. “I’ve ruined your Saturday. All day long you’ve been helping me with the canvasses and now you’re going to replace my window. I know you’d rather be sailing.”

  “Forget it. Family comes first.” He turned to the officer. “What’s my punishment? I’ll come peacefully.”

  The cute officer’s brown eyes twinkled as she favored him with a wide grin. “It sounds like you sentenced yourself. No sailing and repairing the window. I’m not arresting you, nor am I ticketing you since your story checked out, although I don’t know how I’m going to write this in my report. Are you a professional woodworker or a carpenter?”

  He seemed to notice her pretty face and trim figure for the first time. “I’m an architect,” he said. “Do you like dogs?”

  “You haven’t met my room-mate. He’s a German shepherd retired from the K-9 unit and he sleeps by my bed.”

  He gave her the full effect of the dimples. “I have to run out to a hardware store to get a replacement window, but I’d like to call you sometime, Officer.”

  She cleared her throat. “As I see it, you’re on thin ice, Mister. You better not be running off anywhere but proceeding well within the posted speed limit.”

  He ducked his head and shot her a denim blue gaze. “Yes, Ma’am, Officer. I’ll proceed as directed.”

  “And I guess you better start calling me Shel since I’m giving you my phone number.”

  Merrick took the number and offered to walk her down to her police cruiser.

  Willa watched them leave, her smile frozen on her face. It quickly morphed into a sad expression that tugged at Max’s heart. “Why is it so easy for some people, and so hard for the rest of us? What are the chances that you or I could meet a really cute guy under similar circumstances?”

  Max shook her head. “Life has always been a smooth sail for Merrick. He’s a golden boy. I think he might really be Superman.”

  Willa tapped her French manicured nail against her water bottle. “You know, I think you might be right. Give me some adjectives to describe your brother.”

  Max gave it a few moments thought. “He’s athletic, creative, capable, good-natured and honest.” Max grinned. “And he’s brave and reliable, too.”

  “I agree.” Willa turned her aquamarine gaze on Max. “You know I’ve had a crush on your big brother since I was twelve?” She tilted her head back and let the water flow into her mouth, barely swallowing as it rolled down her throat.

  “Yeah, I know.” Max grinned at Willa who seemed to be quite recovered from her ordeal.

  She looked cool and lovely and her eyes weren’t red even though she’d been crying real tears. “How come you never fixed us up?”

  “Because the two of you are poles apart. It would be disastrous. You have nothing in common. I know you well enough to guarantee that you’d never speak to me again if I fixed you up and it didn’t work out. My brother has a bad track record with women.”

  Willa sat up straight, turning an anxious face to Max. “Bad? Like how? He always seems so nice. I can’t imagine him ever treating women badly.” She squeezed Max’s arm. “Girlfriend, don’t burst my bubble.”

  Max smiled and patted her on the hand. “I don’t mean that he would ever be unkind or dishonest. Women choose to delude themselves into thinking they can change him. He’s looking for someone who wants him the way he is. He’s got mad good looks. Women are always attracted to him but, after the initial infatuation wears off, he loses interest.”

  “I’m interesting,” Willa said.

  “You’re a very high maintenance woman. You have your own needs. My dear brother Merrick isn’t going to pamper you in the manner you deserve, and you’re not going to risk crow’s feet and split ends if he takes you out on the boat. Don’t break your heart on Merrick.”

  Willa flashed a hopeful smile. “You’re right, but I’ve been hung up on him for over half my life. Don’t kill my dream.”

  “Merrick is the perfect brother. He’s a great friend, but he’d rather be sailing than anything else.”

  Willa sat up suddenly. “That’s it! Merrick is the perfect man. He can be Max Foster, the artist.”

  Max felt a rush of heat to her core. “Wait a darn minute here! I’m Max Foster, the artist.” She pressed her lips together in a firm line.

  “But, they’re expecting a man and we can give them one.” Willa gestured with her water bottle. “Merrick is the perfect choice to be a Man of Vision alongside Jon Donnell. He’s tan and gorgeous. He’s blonde to Jon’s brunette. He’s the rugged outdoorsman to Jon’s slick city professional. He’s talented and artistic and he could charm a snake. He’s a golden boy. You said it yourself, he’s Superman. The public will love Merrick.”

  “Not going to happen,” Max said in a calm voice. “This is my career we’re messing with. When I’m introduced to the public, I want to be the one to take my own bows.” She felt a flush warm her face as her temper flared. “Besides, the only people who are expecting a male Max are Jon and Oleg. Nobody else has any interest in the gender of the artist, Max Foster.” She folded her arms across her chest with an air of finality.

  “Okay, okay. It was just a thought.” Willa swung her legs off the futon and searched for her shoes. The trendy spike-heeled sandals required a bit of effort to lace up and tie around her trim ankles. “You better raise your testosterone level. This show is entitled Men of Vision. If you’re going to be one of them, you’d better bulk up.”

  Willa’s words replayed in Max’s head long after her departure.

  Merrick returned later with his tools and the new window, bringing them up in the freight elevator at the back of the building. He also brought Blondie, his Great Pyrenees rescued from the local SPCA. Blondie, named for her luxurious coat of long platinum hair, stood four feet high at the shoulder.

  “Hey, Blondie.” Max buried her face in the dog’s fur and gave her a neck rub. She found a treat kept in a tin especially for Blondie’s visits.

  With Max assisting, Merrick installed a fully functioning casement window in record time. When he finished, the window served its original purpose. He demonstrated by raising and lowering the window and locking it for her.

  “Thanks a lot, Merrick. I owe you.” She ran her fingers over the smooth unpainted wood frame.

  “You owe me big time, but who’s keeping score.” He grinned at her as he cleaned his tools.

  “Apparently you are, but let me remind you that you wouldn’t have met that attractive cop if I hadn’t called you to rescue Willa,” she said. “Doesn’t that count for anything?” She turned from the win
dow to stare ingenuously up at her big brother. “She looked like just your type of girl.”

  “Yeah, Shel’s pretty cute and she likes dogs. We’re having dinner Friday.”

  “Go slow, big brother. You don’t want to break a cop’s heart. She carries a gun and handcuffs. She could hurt you.”

  “I always go slow, Max. It’s the women I go out with who want to go fast. I’m in no hurry.”

  She shook her head and held up her hands. “Actually, I was thinking of you. Make sure it’s right. I want you to get married and give me lots of nieces and nephews, but I expect you to choose the girl who’ll love you forever.”

  He made a guttural sound and shrugged. “I’m not rushing to get married. When I do, it will be a carefully thought out decision based on love, mutual respect, interests in common and years of companionship. I’d do anything else for you, kid. Anything.” Merrick headed for the door.

  Max pursed her lips thoughtfully. “Would you, now?” She stopped him short, grabbing him by the hand as he reached for the door handle.

  He turned back, a question on his face. “Sure. You know I would. I’m coming back to repair your fire escape when you get your welding buddy to help me. Is there something else in particular on your mind or are you just book-marking me for a favor to be named later?”

  She gazed at him intently. “I may have to ask you to do me a big favor, but I won’t if I can help it.”