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 crossed her arms as she surveyed her small 450 square foot studio apartment in Boston’s Fort Point neighborhood. Crisp, cold October wind drifted in through an open window carrying the faint hum of traffic and the distant murmur of voices from the street below.
Sunlight from the tall industrial-styled windows framed in black steel and divided into a grid of glass panes highlighted the small kitchen, but the soft light couldn’t chase away the unease that settled over her.
Her gaze dropped to the cream-colored envelope in her hand that someone slipped under her door last night.
She pulled the card from the envelope again.
‘Your painting reflects my soul.’
Her hand trembled as she put the card on the counter. Mere words, but who wrote them? And how did they find her apartment? Was it someone she’d met at the gallery? A neighbor?
Before her thoughts could spiral, her eyes settled on a postcard stuck to the fridge with a cow shaped magnet reminding her of Vermont. She smiled as she tapped it.
“It’s you and me, Bessie. Living the dream.” The magnet was cute and silly, yet it symbolized something she couldn’t quite name, an undefined feeling, a longing for a connection she craved more and more these days.
At least her apartment came furnished sparing her the hassle of buying furniture for a space that didn’t feel like home. Still it wasn’t enough. She had to rent additional studio space in another converted warehouse located a few blocks away that she shared with three other artists. In places, the floors were slightly warped and creaked. The large windows provided good light, even though they rattled in the winter winds.
She was lucky to find both.
Still, it amazed her that the larger the rent she paid, the smaller the unit. But Fort Point 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, her heart sister, Jane Goodwin, who lived by Boston Commons. That is until Jane moved away and met the love of her life, Sheriff Ethan McQueeney.
She was living her best life in Beaver Creek, Vermont, on a farm tending to countless sheep, a pot-bellied pig named Chloe, countless chickens, and canning up a storm. Plus, she’d taken up writing mystery novels again, much to Ethan’s dismay. Jane had found her place.
Savannah sighed, brushing her honey-blond hair behind her ear.
Jane had come so far since losing her husband. What began as tragedy had somehow blossomed into something positive. She admired Jane’s courage to move on, rebuild her life and find love again.
Savannah wasn’t jealous, just envious.
Jane deserved all the best things in life, but it was a reminder of what she didn’t have. Growing up with absentee parents left a deep scar in her heart, even though Jane’s parents had adopted her as one of their own.
She wanted the connections that Jane found, the ones that made the world feel less lonely. More than anything, she wanted to find love, find someone who had her back and would be present for her the way her parents never were.
Maybe Vermont was where she needed to be, and finally stop searching for a place to fit in.
Not that Savannah was unhappy with her city life. She had her friends, although most had acquired significant others.
And there were plenty of events in Boston to keep her motivated—museums, funky restaurants, inspiring galleries and studio collaborations. Tonight’s exhibit at the Gilded Brush was proof of that. It was a huge step in her career.
She gazed again through the large window at the cobblestone street below. People were just starting their day, many with coffee cups in hand. Did one of them leave the note? A cold shiver shot through her body, and she took a deep shaky breath to steady herself.
The city was waking up, coming alive. Several delivery trucks rolled by. Their engines echoing in the street. A lonely seagull glided past with a roll or something in its beak. Savannah chuckled. Scavenger!
The scene grounded her for now. But the magnet on the fridge lingered in her mind. Every time she traveled to Vermont with its rolling hills and fresh air, peace and quiet beckoned her.
One of these days soon, she’d take Jane up on her offer to visit the farm, get together with some women Jane had befriended, and maybe even consider Claire Martinez’s offer to exhibit her new art at the Earth & Fire Gallery.
She’d been putting it off. The thought of showcasing her recent work was both exciting and intimidating. 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 painting. A smile tugged at her lips as she thought about it—another pink cow joining the herd of four already completed in muted pastels.
The whimsical pastel bovines had become something of a signature for her. Their soft dreamlike hues capturing a sense of calm and charm. The juxtaposition of serene expressions and playful colors seemed to enchant her buyers in Vermont.
But the truth was, the paintings weren’t just for them.
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 and what her Boston clients expected.
However, painting cows let her embrace a lighter, freer side of her creativity—a side she hadn’t realized she craved.
She wondered if her Boston clients would embrace the whimsical paintings, understand the message she was trying to convey.
The cows felt personal, a reflection of a deep connection to nature and a sense of belonging even if you looked a little different.
Her focus right now was preparing for tonight’s performance at the upscale Gilded Brush.
Savannah 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. Then her gaze drifted back to the note on the counter.
She couldn’t shake her curiosity about the note. Maybe it wasn’t a threat at all—maybe it was just an admirer. Maybe it was nothing.
Or maybe it was something.
Gah. A shiver ran down her spine. Either way there was no time for self-pity or thinking about the note. 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. The exhibit could redefine her career.
Was she ready for that?
Or was the desire for a simpler life stronger? Perhaps it was time to stop daydreaming about Vermont, pack a bag, and visit Jane.
Either way, the decisions ahead could affect more than just her art—they could redefine her life.