Sedona Conspiracy

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO ^PARTNERS

Nataly dressed in a Santa Fe skirt and a sleeveless white blouse for the occasion. She brewed a pot of coffee, and then arranged her business plan and a few sketches of the proposed gallery on her desk.

The call from Vasyl had come the previous evening. Whenever she heard his voice, now, she anticipated bad news about Eric, but this time it wasn’t so.”

“Is this about Eric? Is he leaving?”

“He’s still thinking about it, Natasha. I promise I’ll let you know when he decides something. No, this is about a project you’ve had in mind for quite a while. You remember Leon, of course.”

“Yes! Is he getting better?”

“He’s recovering nicely. I went to see him, to thank him for saving Eric’s life, actually. The man talks and talks. He mentioned your ideas about a gallery addition to your shop, and said you’d need a partner to help run it.”

“Leon and I actually talked about that,” said Nataly. “I already knew he was a CIA agent at the time, but I think he has a genuine interest in art. Is he retiring from government service?”

“Oh no, this isn’t about him. But, you know how it is; he has a friend of a friend from Phoenix who would be interested. Leon has talked to him. The man will arrive in the morning. I thought I might bring him up to meet you around noon? I think it would be good for you to have a new, creative project, Natasha. You need a distraction. I want you to stop being so sad.”

“I know you’re trying to help, Vasyl, but I’m not a little girl anymore. I’ll get over it.” It’s just my soul that’s dying, she wanted to say. “Sure, bring him over. If nothing else, I can get a second opinion of my ideas.”

“We’ll be there at noon.”

“Vasyl?”

“Yes?”

“I thought I might at least hear a goodbye from Eric. You’ve talked to him. Has he said anything about me?”

“No. We talked, though. I told him everything about you, about your father.”

“You didn’t!”

“Yes. He also knows his own heritage, now. I told him about his grandmother. I’m trying to get him to remain with the project, Natasha.”

“What was his reaction?”

“A bit stunned, I’d say. He has a lot to think about. Be patient with him.”

“I’m trying,” she said. It’s easy to be patient when your heart isn’t crumbling into pieces over something you have no control of. “See you tomorrow.”

Now it was noon, and Vasyl was habitually prompt. There was a pleasant coffee odor throughout the house, and it was a sunny day. Nataly opened the doors to the balcony, put three coffee cups and saucers on the table there.

The doorbell chimed four times, and she went to the door and opened it.

Vasyl was standing there with a slight smile on his face, and Eric Price was standing next to him. Nataly felt heat come to her face, and a little gasp escaped her.

“Okay, so I lied just a bit,” said Vasyl.

Eric’s eyes glistened. He held out his hand. “Hi. I’m Eric Price. Mister Brown here says you might consider the application of a total idiot to help you run an art gallery you’re planning. I’m here to apply for the job.”

Eric blinked. A tear edged up in one corner of an eye, and hung there.

His hand was cold when she touched it. She squeezed lightly. “Why don’t you come inside, Mister Price?” Her chest was so tight it was hard to speak, but the instant she touched him delicious warmth surged within her, and she willed the flow of it to her hand and into his.

Eric brushed past her to go into the house, and Nataly turned again to usher Vasyl in behind him.

Vasyl was gone.

Nataly closed the door. Eric had walked to the balcony and was standing there with his back to her. She walked up to him, reached up to place her hand on a shoulder blade.

“Eric,” she said softly.

“I’ve been a damn fool, Nataly. I’m still carrying baggage I should have dumped a long time ago. I had no reason to feel betrayed, but I felt it anyway. I don’t know how you can love a person like me.”

She rubbed his back. “But I do love you.”

Eric sniffled. “I love you, too. I tried to deny it, and it just made me miserable. I’m supposed to be Mister Tough Guy, with lots of walls. I didn’t want to get hurt again, so I hurt you instead.”

Nataly grasped his arm and turned him around to face her. His eyes were red and puffy, and he looked at her with an intensity she’d seen before and had dreamed about seeing again. And then he touched her, his hands, now warm, sliding softly up and down her arms.

“I’m still here,” she said. “I’ve been waiting for you to come back to me.” She reached up and put her arms around his neck, pulled his head down towards her, and kissed him.

It was a forever kiss, soft and deep, and time became irrelevant, a folded-up dimension. Two souls kissed, and expressed the bond between them that would not be denied.

Their lips finally parted, and his cheek was pressed warmly against hers. “I’m back if you really want me,” he said.

“Oh yes.” Nataly squeezed him tightly, and held on for long seconds.

“Your friend told you one thing that’s true. I’m looking for something to do here.”

“Are you leaving the service?” Nataly looked up at him and ran a finger across his cheek.

“Not just yet. I called my section chief, and he’ll approve a phase-out to retirement over five years while I work as a consultant on what they’re now calling the Ariel project. I’ll be on call, but I doubt I’ll spend more than half time at the base. Leon really did tell us about your gallery project. He’s already been reassigned. He’ll be gone in a week, and there will be no more tax-payer-funded-art sales for local artists. But the Phoenix office really did set us up with some good contacts. I think those will be useful if I get involved with a new gallery here.”

Nataly kissed him quickly, and smiled. “So, do you want to be my partner?”

Again, there was that intense look that made her heart sing.

“In every way,” he said, and pressed her to him.

“We probably should have some sort of contract,” she said, and curled a leg around his.

“Whatever you want,” said Eric.

“I’ll show you what I want,” said Nataly, and she led him through the house to the bedroom and the big brass bed where they would conduct their first business together.