Celia's Puppies (4 page)

Sandy couldn’t be too mad at her mother.

Finishing her coffee, she straightened the
bed, cleaned Cleo’s cat box then got dressed for the gym.

And Aden.

~~~~~~~~

Monday morning – 9:3O A.M.

“
Um, okay. You want to
film this?”

“
Yes, Dr. Lerner,” the
producer said. “We’re taping for Oprah. She’d like you to show the
painting and tell us how you found it.”

“
Okay, yeah, I got a call
last night,” Adam Lerner said. A trim, handsome man, he looked more
like a rock climber than a curator of the Lab at the Denver Museum
of Art.

“
Can you stand next to the
painting?” the camera man asked.

“
Um, sure.” Adam moved
next to an oil painting.

“
Okay, go ahead,” the
camera man said.

“
It’s a funny kind of
thing,” Adam said. “Museum curators can make their entire careers
by finding a great painting. I’m pretty young to be a curator. And
I’ve been a curator for a long time. Finding a great work of art,
like this, would solidify my career. Not that I’m unhappy in my
career.”

“
You’re doing great,” the
producer said. “Just tell us the story.”

“
At the same time, artists
want their work to hang in museums. Most artists believe they’ve
created great works of art.”

“
When they
haven’t?”

“
Mostly? No. You can see
there’s this collision of forces. The artist and the museum curator
act in this kind of dance… of greatness.”

Adam took a breath. Over the last five
years, he prepared for what he would say when someone finally asked
and Mike was ready to tell. He hoped he didn’t screw it up.

“
Anyway, I received a call
from Senator Patrick Hargreaves about a painting. Usually, I don’t
respond to ‘come see my painting’ requests because...”

“
There are so
many?”

“
Well, yeah. And we don’t
have a permanent collection at the Lab. They got my name from
someone who knew me or met me. Anyway, the Senator said the
painting was a gift from a local artist and he felt it was too
important to keep in one collection. He wanted to donate it to the
museum. Would I come for dinner? Please bring your wife. Oh, and
the artist would like to remain anonymous. Of course, I was
suspicious. But can you really say no to a Senator who invites you
to his house for dinner? I couldn’t.”

Adam shook his head.

“
Please
continue.”

“
I know they fed me
dinner, and I’m certain it was wonderful. My wife went with me. I
remember that. But honestly, when I saw this painting... I don’t
really remember anything else. I wanted to hide it, protect it…
like a naked child in the freezing rain...”

“
And?”

“
No one could believe we
had what we had. We did all the tests – paint, x-ray, whatever. Was
it a copy of a masterpiece? A fake? No, it was a new painter. This
painting is a huge find. A real masterpiece. Then we asked to meet
the artist. We had to force their hand as the artist didn’t want to
talk to us.”

“
Michael
Roper.”

“
If you say so,” Adam
said. “All I can tell you is that a really amazing human being
painted this piece and gifted it to the museum… through me. It’s
considered to be one of America’s great masterpieces. We’ve
received offers to buy it from major museums – New York,
Smithsonian... There’s no way we’re selling it. This painting
belongs to the people of Denver and their Museum.”

“
Is there anything else
you can tell us?”

“
He’s painted
others.”

~~~~~~~~

Monday morning — 10 A.M.

Jacob leaned forward to look at Jill. She
was sitting against the back of the couch holding her cup of
coffee. She hadn’t said much since coming to get him for his ten
o’clock break. He wondered if she was irritated that he wasn’t
sleeping as the doctor ordered. She didn’t look irritated. Mostly
she looked lost in thought.

But how would he know if she looked
irritated or not? To him, her every expression was beautiful.

“
We weren’t always
wealthy,” Jacob said.

“
What?”

“
You asked me why I had so
much money if I don’t care about it at all.” He paused. “Listen, I
can imagine how strange it must be for you. Everything is different
for you, for Katy and for me.”

“
But not bad,” Jill said.
“I’m not moving back to the apartment because I’m unhappy or
anything’s bad. I just feel... I don’t know… like I should. I mean,
you said it last night, we don’t really know each
other.”

Jacob nodded.

“
I’d like you to stay,” he
said. “Not as my nursemaid. I like your company. I like being in
the same room with you, under the same roof. I think everyone does.
How can I get to know you better if you’re somewhere
else?”

Jill opened her mouth to respond then closed
it.

“
You started to tell me
about making the money.”

“
Right.” He noticed her
diversion but didn’t want to fight it. “We lived in a little
apartment until I was about five years old. Two bedrooms. Val and I
shared a room. My parents worked. A lot. Val and I spent all our
time either at school or with Delphie. I didn’t know we were poor.
I guess we had each other.”

“
What happened?” Jill
asked.

“
A bunch of stuff,” Jacob
said. “In building DIA, priority bidding was given to women owned
businesses. My mother owned a majority share of Lipson Construction
because she put up the Marlowe mine as equity to start the company.
Lipson got the work. They did such a good job at DIA that when they
closed Lowry Air Force base, we got that work too. Then they closed
the old airport... Just before she died, my Mom reformulated the
company by creating the board of directors, and we got to work on
the T-Rex project. By the time she died, the company was worth a
lot of money.”

“
But didn’t you live in a
big house in Crestmoor before...”

“
My Dad had an inheritance
from his Dad and his brother. It was hung up in litigation... I
don’t remember why. Something stupid. He got the money when I was
four. He bought the house. He wanted the best for my Mom and he
thought Crestmoor was the best. She hated that house, but never
told him until last year of her life. That’s how they were — kind
to a fault to each other. Always doing what they thought the other
wanted regardless.”

Jill nodded.

“
Anyway, my point is that
all of a sudden, I had all this money. I didn’t know what to do
with it,” Jacob said. “In fact, I planned to give it all away and
only spend what I earned myself. Then my Dad came to Maine and...
Well, here I am. Outside of this place, I don’t really spend the
money.”

Tucking her leg under her, Jill turned to
look at him.

“
We weren’t always poor,”
Jill said. “Only after our parents died. I don’t know what they
were thinking. I have more life insurance than they did and they
had five kids. I guess they thought they’d live
forever.”

“
It must have been a hard
transition,” Jacob said.

“
I think Megan and Mike
really suffered. They gave up their dreams for us,” Jill said. “If
you don’t spend any money, how’d you get the car?”

“
I bought you the car that
Jennifer Garner drives. Or Mike said Jennifer Garner drives that
car.” Jacob shrugged. “It seemed perfect for you and
Katy.”

“
It is perfect,” Jill
said. “I love it. So does Katy. But I don’t mean that
car.”

“
Which car?”

“
The Aston
Martin.”

“
Oh, isn’t that funny?
It’s the car James Bond drives.” He laughed. “It’s actually Val’s.
It was a gift from that producer guy, Kapanski. Val was here with
Mike. She tells everyone she ‘retreats’ in Colorado when really
she’s here with Mike. Producer boy missed her so much he ‘sent a
car for her.’ Mike went ballistic. I don’t think Val’s driven it.
It had like a hundred miles on it.”

“
It’s totaled?”

“
Yep,” Jacob said. “I
doubt Val will replace it.”

“
Why did you drive
it?”

“
I thought I was going to
die,” Jacob said. “I figured if I was going to die, I should at
least drive the stupid expensive car and wear the stupid expensive
suit. I’d never worn the suit before either. Val sent it to me so I
could go to that premier. The one we missed last Friday
night.”

“
You thought you were
going to die? And you still came to get me?”

Jacob nodded.

“
Why?”

Jacob took her hand in his.

“
I think I said this in
the car. You’re the very best thing that’s ever happened to me.
Whether it’s one day or a life time, nothing’s going to change that
fact.”

“
How can you be so sure?”
Jill asked

Jacob shrugged.

“
I know my heart,” he
said. “I never thanked you for saving my life.”

Jill blushed.

“
Your compression dressing
is the reason I didn’t die,” he said. “Thank you for the chance to
sit here on this couch with you... It’s wonderful.”

“
You’re welcome. Thank you
for the dress contract and the diamonds and adopting my daughter
and...”

“
Most of that doesn’t have
anything to do with me,” Jacob said. “But I know, it’s
overwhelming.”

“
It’s overwhelming,” Jill
said. “I’m caught between taking a break and wanting
more.”

“
What do you
mean?”

“
Well, I miss my things. I
know they aren’t much but they are mine. My things. My space. My
life. I’m surrounded by your life and your things. They’re nicer
than mine. Well, not this couch, but you know what I mean.
And…”

Jill moved so her face was less than an inch
from Jacob’s.

“
I’ve never felt this way.
I want more of you.”

She kissed his lips.

“
More
touching.”

She slipped his hand under her blouse then
kissed him.

“
More holding.”

She shivered as his fingers caressed her
nipple. She kissed him again.

“
More talking.”

She gave him another kiss.

“
More love.”

She flopped back on the couch.

“
Then I feel just stupid
and crazy.”

“
Why?” he asked. “I want
all of that too.”

“
Well, you’re recovering
and should sleep,” she said.

“
Uh, first one to the
bed?” he asked.

He stood up then he fell to his knees. Jill
screamed then laughed. He held up a large square cut diamond ring
in his left hand. Clearly an antique, the center diamond was
surrounded by a hundred light blue aquamarine stones in an ornate
setting.

“
Will you marry me,
Jill?”

Jill’s hands cupped his face.

“
Oh put it away,” a
woman’s voice came from the stairwell to the Castle. “Shit. I have
the worst timing. You’re not naked are you?”

Jill looked up to see a gorgeous woman with
long auburn hair and large blue eyes come across the apartment. She
looked like a model or an actress, but her designer dress and
Kenneth Cole shoes were too understated and professional. The woman
looked familiar but Jill couldn’t place her.

“
Get up, lover boy,” the
woman said. “Hi Jill.”

“
Samantha, you think I
could have a minute?” Jacob’s face registered irritation and shock.
“Maybe a knock?”

When the woman turned, she winked at Jill.
And Jill realized that this was Samantha Hargreaves, Alex and Max’s
older sister. Max told her yesterday that Samantha had just moved
back from Washington DC. She was a criminal defense attorney and
Valerie Lipson’s best friend.

“
The Denver Police are
here to see you, Jakey. They don’t want to wait a
minute.”

Chapter
Twenty-nine

Mess with one…

“
I’m sorry,” Jacob said.
“I’m not sure what you’re saying.”

“
Mr. Ashforth states that
you attacked him in his office. He states…,” the Denver Police
Detective read from a piece of paper. “He states that you
threatened his children and wife. He claims you were out of
control, wild eyed, and so violent that he felt he must stop you
before you reached your car.”

“
Or what?” Jacob
asked.

Jacob looked over to at his lawyer, Samantha
Hargreaves. She shook her head slightly as if this was to be
expected.

“
It’s our understanding
that you have a black belt in a martial art and certainly we know
you are wealthy. He states that he felt you were a danger to his
family and the community.”

“
In the first place,”
Samantha said, “a black belt doesn’t mean anything. I have a couple
myself. Unless you can prove that my client was an immediate danger
to specific persons, you have to let this drop. Jacob Marlowe was
attacked by Mr. Ashforth, from behind I might add, after he
terminated his contract with Ashforth Pipe Supply. You should be
prosecuting Mr. Ashforth, not vice versa.”