Chapter 57

fifty-seven

ANDREW

“I thought this canvas could go here. What do you think?” Nick asked as he and his assistant held the photograph of a large bison against the red-brick wall.

For the last hour, we’d been fine-tuning the placement of each canvas. By five o’clock tonight, my photographs would be ready for tomorrow’s event.

I tilted my head to the side, studying the canvas. “I definitely think it should go on that wall. The red brick’s solid and gives the photograph more impact.” I looked at the landscapes on either side of the bison canvas. I’d taken all three photos on one of my trips to Yellowstone National Park. As soon as the main gates opened, I’d driven to my favorite lookout point. A fine mist had been rising above the river, sending tendrils of fog across the breathtaking landscape.

As the early morning sunlight filtered through the clouds, animals stepped through the mist, giving me the photographs I was waiting for. Halfway through the shoot, the bison in the middle canvas appeared. His large brown head had bowed toward the ground. When he looked up, his eyes stared straight down the lens of my camera.

As soon as the shutter clicked, I knew I had an incredible image. But it wasn’t until I returned to my studio that I realized it would be one of my best shots.

It was as if the bison was daring me to come closer, to see for myself how big and bad he could be.

Nick said something to his assistant and kept moving.

I still couldn’t believe that Nick had gone to so much effort to make my exhibition a success. His gallery rivaled any I’d seen in New York City, and the placement of my canvases was perfect.

My only worry was the one I’d left until last.

As I walked toward the portrait of Jacob, my heart pounded against my chest.

Nick must have seen my distress. “It will be all right. Is this the man who broke your heart?”

I nodded and took a deep breath. For once in my life, I regretted how real my photos seemed. If I didn’t know better, I could have sworn I was looking through a window, staring at the man who’d made me believe in happy ever after.

The white wall Nick had chosen for the canvas was perfect. Unlike the other pictures, this portrait was hanging on its own. It gave the image a sense of space, allowing Jacob’s gaze to travel beyond the canvas and into the unknown.

Nick stood beside me. “Has he seen the portrait?”

“No. I took the photo at a friend’s wedding. He doesn’t know it exists.”

“You could sell it for thousands of dollars.”

I shook my head. “It’s not for sale.” The portrait of Jacob was a last-minute addition to the canvases I’d promised Nick. After Shane and Jonathan’s wedding, I’d spent three days slowly adding light and shadow to the original image. It was supposed to be a surprise, a gift Jacob would see when he next returned from Afghanistan.

And even though he didn’t want me in his life, I’d still give him the portrait. It was too personal, too much of everything he was, to let it hang in someone else’s home.

Nick touched my arm. “If he is half the man you have captured, be patient.”

“It’s too late,” I whispered.

“It is never too late.”

I wished Nick was right, but his romantic heart was getting in the way of reality. Jacob was about to start a new phase of his life. And I wouldn’t be part of it.