the perfect counterpoint to her mood. "He's a little old for you, don't you think?"
"Is he? How old is that?"
"About 29 or 30, I think." Liv took a bottle of water, trying to appear nonchalant though her insides were knotted up like burl wood.
"Ten years older. That's not so much. Anyway, I don't care. I think he's a hunk."
Yes, he was a hunk. He was tall and gorgeous, intelligent, and had a sexy Texas drawl that was like honey in Liv's ears. "Don't you think he ought to decide what he wants for himself?"
Gabriella laughed. "I have my wiles."
Trey's truck pulled up, startling them both. They watched him saunter over, his boots crunching on the pebbles and gravel of the parking area. He tipped his hat. "Ladies."
"Hi, handsome," Gabriella said, an invitation in the twinkle of her eyes.
Liv wanted to slap her, and the feeling was very unwelcome. She turned to Trey and smiled. "Hi, Trey."
He grinned. "Do you have a minute, Liv?" He turned to Gabriella. "Would you excuse us, darlin'?"
Liv bristled at the use of that term of affection for anyone but herself. She tamped it down. She was just edgy.
"Sure, Trey. Come over and let's chat when you're done with Liv."
Liv thought the younger woman said "done" like she meant permanently done. Nevertheless, she smiled politely and said something noncommittal to Gabriella as she walked away. Then she turned to Trey. "I'm glad you came by. There's something urgent we need to discuss."
His look of concern was endearing. "I'm sorry I'm so late. There was a trail ride this afternoon, and that takes a lot of settin’ up and puttin’ away."
She sighed, trying futilely to calm her nerves. Time was running out. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say that you had some sort of obligation to be here. I realize you're busy, and…well, after last night, I wasn't sure you'd come at all."
The rain pounded now, and the big drops found their way into the tent from its open sides. Trey took her arm and steered her toward the center of the cover, where they were more out of the wet. "To be honest, angel, I wasn't sure I should."
Liv looked down at the trampled dirt, her heart heavy. So that was it. She'd screwed up and that was the end. She deserved it. "Why did you?"
"I'm stubborn, I guess."
That was puzzling. She looked up into his face. There was straight honesty there.
"I think we have somethin' special goin' on and I don't want to walk away from it."
Her heart did a little spin. "I'm glad you feel that way. I feel that way, too."
He smiled. "Good enough. Now that we have that settled, let's go have some supper. I want to take you back to the house."
His family would be there. Her stomach roiled. First things first, though. "I need to talk to you first, Trey. That photographer from the other night called my agent. He's trying to blackmail me. Well, blackmail us ."
"Shit. I was afraid of that. What does he want?"
"$50,000 for the worldwide rights."
He whistled in response to the number. "Damn. I don't know how those rights things work, but would that keep you safe from further blackmail attempts?"
"Yes. He'd be breaking copyright law if he published the photo anywhere. I could sue him. The basic idea is that we buy the photo rights. If we pay him, he'll sign a contract giving up all his rights to the photo. "
"A contract, huh?" He appeared to think it over. "I should find him and knock out his teeth. I had hoped the picture was messed up or he had second thoughts."
"No such luck, Trey. And you can't go after him. He's within his rights to sell the photo or blow it up to building size and hang it from the Empire State Building if he wants. We were in a public place."
He sighed. "Have you seen it?"
"My agent has."
"We don't have much choice then." He put his thumbs in his front pockets. It reminded Liv of his father, Leo, that first time she'd seen him. "I'll write out a check when we get to the house."
Now it was Liv's turn to frown. She hadn't expected an army major to have
"Is he? How old is that?"
"About 29 or 30, I think." Liv took a bottle of water, trying to appear nonchalant though her insides were knotted up like burl wood.
"Ten years older. That's not so much. Anyway, I don't care. I think he's a hunk."
Yes, he was a hunk. He was tall and gorgeous, intelligent, and had a sexy Texas drawl that was like honey in Liv's ears. "Don't you think he ought to decide what he wants for himself?"
Gabriella laughed. "I have my wiles."
Trey's truck pulled up, startling them both. They watched him saunter over, his boots crunching on the pebbles and gravel of the parking area. He tipped his hat. "Ladies."
"Hi, handsome," Gabriella said, an invitation in the twinkle of her eyes.
Liv wanted to slap her, and the feeling was very unwelcome. She turned to Trey and smiled. "Hi, Trey."
He grinned. "Do you have a minute, Liv?" He turned to Gabriella. "Would you excuse us, darlin'?"
Liv bristled at the use of that term of affection for anyone but herself. She tamped it down. She was just edgy.
"Sure, Trey. Come over and let's chat when you're done with Liv."
Liv thought the younger woman said "done" like she meant permanently done. Nevertheless, she smiled politely and said something noncommittal to Gabriella as she walked away. Then she turned to Trey. "I'm glad you came by. There's something urgent we need to discuss."
His look of concern was endearing. "I'm sorry I'm so late. There was a trail ride this afternoon, and that takes a lot of settin’ up and puttin’ away."
She sighed, trying futilely to calm her nerves. Time was running out. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say that you had some sort of obligation to be here. I realize you're busy, and…well, after last night, I wasn't sure you'd come at all."
The rain pounded now, and the big drops found their way into the tent from its open sides. Trey took her arm and steered her toward the center of the cover, where they were more out of the wet. "To be honest, angel, I wasn't sure I should."
Liv looked down at the trampled dirt, her heart heavy. So that was it. She'd screwed up and that was the end. She deserved it. "Why did you?"
"I'm stubborn, I guess."
That was puzzling. She looked up into his face. There was straight honesty there.
"I think we have somethin' special goin' on and I don't want to walk away from it."
Her heart did a little spin. "I'm glad you feel that way. I feel that way, too."
He smiled. "Good enough. Now that we have that settled, let's go have some supper. I want to take you back to the house."
His family would be there. Her stomach roiled. First things first, though. "I need to talk to you first, Trey. That photographer from the other night called my agent. He's trying to blackmail me. Well, blackmail us ."
"Shit. I was afraid of that. What does he want?"
"$50,000 for the worldwide rights."
He whistled in response to the number. "Damn. I don't know how those rights things work, but would that keep you safe from further blackmail attempts?"
"Yes. He'd be breaking copyright law if he published the photo anywhere. I could sue him. The basic idea is that we buy the photo rights. If we pay him, he'll sign a contract giving up all his rights to the photo. "
"A contract, huh?" He appeared to think it over. "I should find him and knock out his teeth. I had hoped the picture was messed up or he had second thoughts."
"No such luck, Trey. And you can't go after him. He's within his rights to sell the photo or blow it up to building size and hang it from the Empire State Building if he wants. We were in a public place."
He sighed. "Have you seen it?"
"My agent has."
"We don't have much choice then." He put his thumbs in his front pockets. It reminded Liv of his father, Leo, that first time she'd seen him. "I'll write out a check when we get to the house."
Now it was Liv's turn to frown. She hadn't expected an army major to have
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