BLURB
Savannah Jones has always felt like an outsider, despite her confident and bubbly personality. With absentee parents and an unstable childhood, the only constants in her life were her passion for painting and her best friend. But when Jane moves to Vermont, Savannah is left feeling lost and alone. After a recent visit to Beaver Creek, the local gallery, Earth & Fire, invites her to showcase her art. She jumps at the opportunity. There, she encounters the brooding and intense co-owner, Dylan McQueeney.
Eager at a chance for a new beginning, Savannah moves to the charming Vermont town—but she’s not alone.
She is followed by a possessive admirer who thinks she belongs to him.
Dylan is a loner. He has enjoyed a comfortable life, supported by a loving family and a successful career as a painter. He has no interest in a relationship—been there, done that—and especially not with someone as different as Savannah who challenges him in ways he’s not used to. Their artistic styles clash, personalities collide, and Dylan wants nothing to do with the extroverted artist. However, when a deranged fan becomes a serious threat, they have no choice but to work together.
As the danger escalates, Savannah must decide if she can trust Dylan, as he grapples whether he’s willing to risk his heart. Can they overcome their differences and create a strong relationship? Or will the shadow of obsession destroy their chance at happiness?
Chapter 1
Savannah Jones surveyed her small 450 square foot studio apartment in Boston’s Fort Point neighborhood, her arms crossed as she took it all in. The faint hum of traffic and voices drifted up from the street. Sunlight from the tall windows highlighted the small kitchen, and a postcardstuck to the fridge with a cow shaped magnet reminding her of Vermont.
The good news was that the unit came furnished. The bad news was that she had to rent additional studio space to paint.
Her studio was a couple of blocks away in another converted warehouse that she shared with three other artists. The floors were slightly warped and creaked in spots and the large windows provided good light, even though they rattled in the winter winds. She was lucky to find it.
It always amazed her that, somehow, the bigger the rent she paid, the smaller the unit. Of course, this was the area to be in if you were an artist, since it boasted one of the largest artist communities in New England. The converted warehouses were an endless source of inspiration, even if they came with creaky floors and drafts.
Plus, it was just a short trip via the Red Line to Park Street Station to see her best friend Jane Goodwin, who lived by Boston Commons. Well, it was until Jane met the love of her life, Sheriff Ethan McQueeney. She was now living her best life on a farm in Beaver Creek, Vermont.
She sighed, brushing her honey-blond hair behind her ear.
Jane had fully embraced country life and was currently tending to countless sheep, a small pot-bellied pig named Chloe, numerous chickens, and canning up a storm.
Not to mention she was back to writing mystery novels.Savannah credited Ethan with that.
After Jane’s husband died, she’d given up writing novels something that she loved. Now she found herself embroiled in a small town’s secrets and enjoying every minute, much to Ethan’s dismay.
Helping to solve the mystery of the dead man in her pond hadn’t hurt either. Savannah still shuddered, as Jane described dredging up a skeleton while trying to restore the property. Not to mention, a small-town mobster burning down her barn and kidnapping her. Good times on the farm.
Not that Savannah was unhappy with her city life. There was plenty to keep her motivated; so many museums, upscale and funky restaurants, inspiring galleries buzzing with activity, studio collaborations, and just getting together with other artists. Tonight’s exhibit at the Gilded Brush was proof of that. The thrill of showcasing her pastels of landscapes and Boston scenes was a huge step in her career.
She gazed out one large window. Every time she traveled to Vermont with its rolling hills and fresh air, the peace and quiet beckoned her and the connection to nature, the sense of belonging she felt in Vermont.
One of these days, she’d take Jane up on her offer to visit the farm again, get together with some women Jane had befriended, and maybe consider Claire Martinez’s offer for her to exhibit at the Earth & Fire Gallery.
She’d been putting it off. The thought of showcasing her recent work was both exciting and intimidating, but it would be a nice change of pace. But most of all, she couldn’t deny she missed Jane’s friendship terribly.
For now, her focus was here.
Later, she’d go to her studio and finish her newest work. A smile tugged at her lips as she thought about it. Another pink cow to join the herd of four already completed in muted pastels.
The whimsical bovines had become something of a signature for her, with their soft dreamlike hues capturing a sense of calm and charm. The juxtaposition of serene expressions and playful colors seemed to enchant her buyers.
Painting cows had become an unexpected avenue for her to enjoy.
For years, she’d concentrated on landscapes and city scenes rendered in the same muted tones, focusing on structure and light. The pieces were beautiful in their own right, but cows let her embrace a lighter side of her creativity—a side she hadn’t realized she craved.
Her focus now was preparing for tonight’s performance at the upscale Gilded Brush. But maybe it was time to stop thinking about Vermont, pack a bag and visit Jane.
She glanced at her watch. Damn. Time was flying by, there was still so much to do.
She grabbed her coat, slipped it on, her unfinished painting was waiting. She’d work for a couple of hours, then get ready for tonight. The Gilded Brush exhibit was just hours away and tonight, her work would be the center of attention. Art enthusiasts, patrons, the newspaper and her friends would be there. It could send her career into a totally different avenue. Was she ready for that? Or was the call for a simpler life stronger?
Soon, she had decisions to make that could affect more than just her artwork.