Just Me (32 page)

“
Thank you. When I couldn't find her, I went insane. Callie, say thank you to Lark.
”

“
But I want to see my sketch.” Callie said this as she started
around the side of the easel, and I knew she wasn't expecting much since her reaction to my earlier work was lukewarm at best. As soon as she saw herself, her little jaw dropped. She turned those baby blues on me.

“
It's me.”

“
Yes.”

“
Wow.”

I lifted the sheet. “Would you like it?”

It was like I just offered her the moon.

“
Can I?
”

“
Absolutely, but how about I let Mom hold it, since your dirty hands will smudge it.
”

“
Oh no, I don't want to smudge it, it's perfect.”
She looked past me to her mom.
“
Can you carry it, Mommy?
”

I turned to give the sketch to Gwen, but she hesitated in taking it.
“
Please, I'd like for you to have it.
”

“
It so beautifully captures Callie. Thank you.
”

Mitch walked over and wrapped his arm around his wife's waist.
“
Thanks for watching our little wild weed and for the portrait. It really does capture Callie perfectly.
”

“
No problem.”
I didn't realize Logan had come to stand at my side until he spoke.
“
Maybe tomorrow I can give you a tour of my studio?
”

“
I would really like that.
”

“
Thank you for what you did for Callie. Gwen was a wreck when she called the house. We were just organizing a search party with the sheriff when Broderick called.
”

“
She's a spunky kid, I like her.
”

“
Yeah, it's hard not to like Callie. I'll see you tomorrow.”
He turned to Bastian, “Thank you, Bastian.
”

“
Sure thing.”
Bastian said.
Logan then followed his wife and the others away.

“
We'll call it a day. I'll see you tomorrow at the site around nine?”
Broderick said.

“
I'll be there.”

Broderick moved away from us. “Good night, you two.
”

Bastian linked our fingers, both of us looking at the group moving across the square. He whispered,
“
It's almost as if...
”

He left the thought unfinished, which made me ask,
“
As if what?
”

A smile touched his lips.
“
Nothing. Let's pack this up and have a cookout on the beach.
”

“
Oh, I like that idea.”

“
We could even go swimming.”
He
suggested with hope.

“
Swimming? It's a bit cold.”

“
Skinny dipping.” He wiggled his eyebrows.

A surge of heat whipped
through me. My voice sounded a bit husky in reply.
“
Skinny dipping with you, yeah, I don't think it's too cold for that.
”

Bastian immediately released my hand and, with the speed of a superhero, started packing up my supplies. Five minutes later he reached for my hand again and pulled me toward Baby.

“
In a hurry, Bastian?”

“
To see you naked? Hell yes.”

The following morning Logan took me into his studio, where he showed me canvas after canvas. Most of his works were of landscapes, but his use of color and the compositions took my breath away. He said he didn't typically do portraits, but the few I saw could hold their own against the finest portrait artists ever.

We entered the kitchen for a drink and that's when I saw two additional pieces. One was of Saffron and an older gentleman—looking at each other and laughing: the affection between them was clear. The other painting was of Saffron standing behind a bar pouring a beer. I studied the portrait, the love that Logan had for Saffron was shown in every brush stroke. He stood silently at my side looking at the painting.

“
I did that during a time when I wasn't with Saffron and I missed her so damn much.
”

“
You can see that, your love for her practically jumps off the canvas. I drew a sketch of Bastian right when we first started dating. When Ms. Whitney saw it, she told me my love for him was very evident. I guess, since it was mine, I didn't really see it, but I understand now what she was saying.”
Turning slightly in his direction, I asked,
“
How long have you been offering this scholarship?
”

“
This is the second year. The last was an artist who focused on sculpting, but I wanted to concentrate on painting this year.
”

“
Lucky for me,” I said teasingly. He smiled in reply, but I watched as the smile faded.

“
Lark, can I ask you something?”

I turned to face him and when our eyes locked he asked,
“
What was it like for you living with your uncle and aunt? I realize it's none of my business, but Saffron mentioned that you told her about your aunt kicking you out of the house. Was she always so intolerant of you?
”

He was right, it wasn't any of his business and yet I found I didn't have a problem with sharing my personal life with him. And more, I didn't candy-coat it but told him exactly how it had been.
“
She ignored me and lied to my uncle to make it seem that I was disinterested in the family, when really she didn't want me anywhere near them.
”

“
And your mother?
”

I was tempted to lower my head before his serious gaze, but I held it.
“
At the risk of making myself look less in your eyes, the truth is my mother died because she had too many vices and indulged in them recklessly. The time I spent with my uncle was like staying at a resort in comparison.
”

“
And your father?”

“
Never knew him.”

“
I'm sorry. I shouldn't get so personal.”

“
It's fine. Sometimes I wonder who he is and if he even knows about me. In my room at home, I have a print of the sculpture, Mother and Child, by David Cambre. I used to pretend that he was my dad and that he had created the sculpture for me. It was easy to do since we looked so similar and shared a love of art. It was a childish fantasy, but also comforting. It made the concept of my dad seem more real. When David died, I actually mourned for him because it felt as if a little piece of me had died with him.
”

Logan turned abruptly and walked toward the kitchen.
“
I'll get us some lemonade.”
His voice had grown hoarse.

For the rest of the day I thought about Logan's reaction to what I had said about David. He had looked stricken. Was it simply sympathy for the girl who was unloved enough to have her own aunt kicking her out of the house, the same girl who pretended a familial connection to someone so far removed from her sphere, or was his reaction fueled by something more?

***

The following morning found me walking through town checking out the local shops. I stood outside the bakery eating a chocolate-covered cream donut when Saffron appeared and the way she eyed my donut made me nervous.

“
You got any more of those?”

“
Yeah, would you like one?”

“
I'd give you my arm for one.”

I reached into the bag.
“
Not necessary, keep your arm.
”

I watched her take a bite and
honestly, she looked like a woman in the midst of the most intense orgasm of her life. I looked down at my donut and wondered if we were eating the same thing.

“
Since I got pregnant, I can't get enough of these guys. It really is no wonder that I'm as heavy as a small whale.
”

“
Not a small whale, maybe a large dolphin.”
This earned me a look, so I lowered my head to keep her from seeing my grin.

“
Are you heading somewhere?”
She
asked in between mouthfuls.

“
No, just walking around.”

“
Mind if I join you?”

“
Not at all.”

We started
from the bakery, when something caught my eye across the street.
“
Is that a statue of a swordfish?
”

Saffron's bark of laughter confirmed it.
“
Yeah, Logan made it and dedicated it to the town.
”

“
I want to get a better look.”
I crossed the street and stood in front of the life-sized swordfish carved from a dark-blue marble. As silly as the intent might have been, the statue was beautiful. The lines, the detail were flawlessly executed. The bag of donuts I held slipped from my numb fingers.

“
Holy shit.”

“
Lark?”

I couldn't even get a handle on my emotions because there were just too many burning through me, the strongest of those being joy. I leaned closer so I could whisper,
“
Logan is David Cambre?
”

“
How do you know th
at
?
”

“
I've extensively studied David Cambre and this...”
I pointed to the swordfish,
“
is a David Cambre. It even has the small crescent moon he carves into all of his works.
”

“
Jesus, you really do know David's work.”

“
Why did he change his name?”

“
Because he isn't one for being in the spotlight, so he used a different name to help keep some anonymity. He was a celebrity, but a reluctant one.
”

I paled, thinking of my conversation with Logan yesterday.

“
What's that look for?”
Demanded
Saffron.

“
Yesterday, I told Logan how I always secretly wished David was my dad. He's probably packing up my stuff as we speak and calling the local asylum.”

Saffron grabbed my arms firmly. “Don’t even joke about that. He would never send you away, not ever.
”

She was so adamant in her reaction that it fueled the suspicion that had taken root yesterday, that there was another reason for why I was brought here. Now wasn't the time to think on it, Bastian and I could hash it out later.
“
He faked his own death?
”

“
Yeah, after a stalker fan from hell made threats against me. It was the last straw for Logan and his alter ego. I suppose since you know that you should know the rest. Logan's full name is Logan David MacGowan.
”

I went into shock. Logan MacGowan entered the art scene about five years ago and blew the minds of everyone with his landscapes before he dropped from sight, but he was also David Cambre and, more shocking, he was Logan Dupree: the man I was here to study under. Yeah, I was in shock. When I was able to pull my head from that, I realized Saffron was still talking.

“
..
.a
t
the time it seemed like the only option. He took my maiden name, Dupree, since MacGowan had a link to Cambre, but Dupree didn't. Now, I wonder if all that wasn't a bit drastic. But Logan felt he had to do this for our family’s
safety. There are many things I love about Logan, countless things, but his loyalty, his unwavering devotion to his family and friends, is on the top of the list. A finer man—with the exception of your lovely Bastian, you'll never find.
”

Devotion to family, an interesting choice of words. More than likely, I was just being fanciful but was it possible that Logan really was my dad? I couldn't deny the family resemblance; we were both artists and he did send for me, in a way. Was it possible that he was my benefactor who successfully foiled the Rosses' plans? Had he been watching over me at a distance? Never had I thought the day would come that I'd be face-to-face with my dad. Bitterness warred with excitement—if he was my dad, why had he waited until now to reach out to me? The anger I normally felt at thinking about my father was there, but it was tempered by the fact that Logan wasn't a faceless stranger, but a genuinely nice person. I was tempted to ask Saffron point-blank who he was to me, but I just couldn't seem to say the words.