gone by the time Cam let himself in late that night. I was too snug to bother looking at the clock. Trouble in paradise? I wondered as I drifted back to sleep.
I was not reassured by the sight of Cam’s face at breakfast the next morning. “Problems?” I ventured, trying to be tactful—not easy, this early.
He shook his head. “I don’t know. You remember that weird animal in Doctor Doolittle with the heads at both ends?”
“Yup. Why?”
“That’s the way this feels. She says she loves me, but then she pushes me away. I don’t know what to do.”
“Wait. Be steadfast, brave, and true, and trust that it will all work out in the end.”
He looked at me skeptically. “And how are things going with your warrior hero?”
“Just fine, thank you very much. Now can we talk about something that doesn’t involve our messy romantic lives? You have any plans for the day?”
“We thought we’d go see the San Xavier Mission—Allison hasn’t seen it yet. You?”
“I might do some more work in the studio. I’m playing with a new technique—well, new to me—where you take colored rods and fuse them around the bubble and stretch it out.”
“You really like trying out new techniques, don’t you?” Cam said, almost wistfully.
“Sure. Hey, remember, I haven’t been doing this all that long, and I know I’ve still got lots to learn. Besides, it keeps things interesting. Don’t you find the same thing with computer code?”
He shrugged. “Sometimes. More in the hardware than the software these days. Maybe Ferguson had the right idea, getting out now. He’s still got time to do something else with his life, if he wants to.”
“Are you thinking about becoming an art collector?” I tried to lighten Cam’s uncharacteristic morose mood. I managed to draw a smile from him.
“I don’t think so. But aren’t there some dude ranches around here? Maybe I could become a wrangler. Just for a change of pace.”
“But then you’d have to really work!”
We bantered happily until Cam adjourned to the shower. I was surprised when the phone rang—Cam was just about the only person who called on this line, besides Matt, occasionally. I was even more surprised when I answered and found it was Peter Ferguson.
“Am I calling at a bad time?”
How had he gotten my number? I hadn’t given it to him. Oh, right—he’s a computer genius, so he could probably find anything. “Oh, no, nothing like that. I was already up, and I was just getting ready to head down to the studio.” Em, you’re babbling. “What can I do for you, Peter?” Please don’t say you’re firing me before you’ve even hired me. I was surprised by how much I cared.
“A couple more of the glass pieces have arrived, and I wondered if you’d like to see them?”
No mention of Maddy. Should I bring her up? I decided against it. I would much prefer some quality time with the glass—not to mention Peter Ferguson—without her intrusive presence. “When did you have in mind?”
“Today, if you’re not too busy.”
The glass in my studio wasn’t going anywhere, and Nessa could cover the shop. “Fine. Say, one o’clock?”
“Excellent. You can find your way?”
“I think so. You might as well give me your phone number, just in case I get lost.”
I scribbled down the number he gave me, and hung up. I turned to find Cam looking at me with a wistful expression. “What?” I demanded.
“That was Peter Ferguson?”
I nodded. “He wants me to look at some more of his glass panels. No, you can’t come. Maybe next time.” Good heavens, I thought, would there be a next time? “And he didn’t say anything about Maddy. I wonder what that’s all about.”
“You sure that’s all he wants?”
It took me a moment to figure out what he meant. “Cam! It’s nothing like that. He knows I share his appreciation of these pieces, and I’m not sure Maddy feels the same way. It’s a privilege to get to see them.”
“Uh-huh. Did I
I was not reassured by the sight of Cam’s face at breakfast the next morning. “Problems?” I ventured, trying to be tactful—not easy, this early.
He shook his head. “I don’t know. You remember that weird animal in Doctor Doolittle with the heads at both ends?”
“Yup. Why?”
“That’s the way this feels. She says she loves me, but then she pushes me away. I don’t know what to do.”
“Wait. Be steadfast, brave, and true, and trust that it will all work out in the end.”
He looked at me skeptically. “And how are things going with your warrior hero?”
“Just fine, thank you very much. Now can we talk about something that doesn’t involve our messy romantic lives? You have any plans for the day?”
“We thought we’d go see the San Xavier Mission—Allison hasn’t seen it yet. You?”
“I might do some more work in the studio. I’m playing with a new technique—well, new to me—where you take colored rods and fuse them around the bubble and stretch it out.”
“You really like trying out new techniques, don’t you?” Cam said, almost wistfully.
“Sure. Hey, remember, I haven’t been doing this all that long, and I know I’ve still got lots to learn. Besides, it keeps things interesting. Don’t you find the same thing with computer code?”
He shrugged. “Sometimes. More in the hardware than the software these days. Maybe Ferguson had the right idea, getting out now. He’s still got time to do something else with his life, if he wants to.”
“Are you thinking about becoming an art collector?” I tried to lighten Cam’s uncharacteristic morose mood. I managed to draw a smile from him.
“I don’t think so. But aren’t there some dude ranches around here? Maybe I could become a wrangler. Just for a change of pace.”
“But then you’d have to really work!”
We bantered happily until Cam adjourned to the shower. I was surprised when the phone rang—Cam was just about the only person who called on this line, besides Matt, occasionally. I was even more surprised when I answered and found it was Peter Ferguson.
“Am I calling at a bad time?”
How had he gotten my number? I hadn’t given it to him. Oh, right—he’s a computer genius, so he could probably find anything. “Oh, no, nothing like that. I was already up, and I was just getting ready to head down to the studio.” Em, you’re babbling. “What can I do for you, Peter?” Please don’t say you’re firing me before you’ve even hired me. I was surprised by how much I cared.
“A couple more of the glass pieces have arrived, and I wondered if you’d like to see them?”
No mention of Maddy. Should I bring her up? I decided against it. I would much prefer some quality time with the glass—not to mention Peter Ferguson—without her intrusive presence. “When did you have in mind?”
“Today, if you’re not too busy.”
The glass in my studio wasn’t going anywhere, and Nessa could cover the shop. “Fine. Say, one o’clock?”
“Excellent. You can find your way?”
“I think so. You might as well give me your phone number, just in case I get lost.”
I scribbled down the number he gave me, and hung up. I turned to find Cam looking at me with a wistful expression. “What?” I demanded.
“That was Peter Ferguson?”
I nodded. “He wants me to look at some more of his glass panels. No, you can’t come. Maybe next time.” Good heavens, I thought, would there be a next time? “And he didn’t say anything about Maddy. I wonder what that’s all about.”
“You sure that’s all he wants?”
It took me a moment to figure out what he meant. “Cam! It’s nothing like that. He knows I share his appreciation of these pieces, and I’m not sure Maddy feels the same way. It’s a privilege to get to see them.”
“Uh-huh. Did I
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