Mason (Remington Ranch Book 1) (Contemporary Western Romance) by SJ McCoy Page B

Shane probably knew more about Gina and her life than he did these days. The two of them had kept in touch while she had refused to speak to Mason. “She is going to have a lot to think about. Whenever we've talked over the years, she's said how much she would love to come home, but she couldn't make it out here. What would she do? There's not exactly a market for fine art photography, is there?”
    “Bullshit! Look at all the California implants who are moving here. Bozeman is full of them. Big Sky is like Little California these days, and half the land in the valley has been bought up by out-of-staters looking to build their Montana McMansions! Those are the kind of people who'd buy up Gina's photographs like crazy, and they'd pay through the nose for them. There's a perfect market here for her if she works it right.” He thought about it for a moment, it made all the sense in the world to him. “She'd probably be able to make more money here than she does in New York—and she'd be able to do the kind of work she loves. She could do all her wildlife photography and capture the Old West like she always used to talk about.”
    “I hadn't thought about it like that, but you're right.”
    Mason shrugged. “Don't sound so surprised, I usually am.”
    “Well, good luck convincing Gina of it.”
    “Why would I need luck?”
    Shane laughed. “Because it's like saying all her reasons for staying gone all those years were wrong. That she stayed away when she didn't need to.”
    “Oh.” Mason could see that. “But surely if she wants to be here, she'll be glad that there's a way to do it.”
    Shane laughed again. “Maybe, but how much do you like it when you're proved wrong?”
    “Not much, but I accept it when it means that I'll be able to make things right.” He looked at Shane. “I know she's stubborn, but don't you think she'll just be happy to be able to stay, to see that there is a way to make it here, after all?”
    “Yeah, she should.” He held Mason's gaze for a moment. “As long as you go about it the right way. I'm pretty sure that if you lead with your usual that's bullshit line , she'll be less open to hearing what you have to say.
    Mason shrugged. Shane was right and he knew it. He'd already called her out on her bullshit this morning and her reaction then had been to tell him to get out of the truck. He'd have to find a more diplomatic approach to make sure that she didn't tell him to get out of her life. He wasn't entirely back in it yet, and he didn't want to screw up before he got the chance to be.
    ~ ~ ~
    “So what are you going to do, love?”
    Gina rested her elbows on the kitchen table and looked up at her dad who was leaning in the doorway. “I don't know. It's all happened so fast. A week ago I thought we were selling up here, thought I'd be marrying Liam, and bringing you to New York. Now it doesn't look as though the place is going to sell anytime soon. Liam and I are over, and I don't even know what I'm going to do in New York.”
    “Why the hell would you want to do anything there? You're going to stay here, aren't you?”
    “How, Dad? How can I make enough for us to survive on here?”
    He shrugged. “There are a couple of new galleries up in town. Couldn't you put your pictures in there?”
    Gina let out an exasperated little laugh. “Dad, the galleries in town don't sell much and what they do sell is a couple of hundred dollars at most. In New York, my photographs sell for thousands. I need the exposure and the big money buyers.”
    “When was the last time you checked out the galleries in town, Gina girl? Do you think time stood still here, just because you left?”
    “What do you mean?” Gina was surprised at the way he was scowling at her.
    “Well, Miss Uppity-City-Girl, there are some mighty expensive galleries in town. Some big name artists and writers have moved to the valley since you left. You might want to check out some of them price tags they have on pictures of