"Why don't you head home, Genie? I'll come and lock up after you leave, and finish the cleanup duty from opening tonight. I'll bribe Steve into helping me when he comes to pick me up." Sally's voice carried from the kitchen in the back of the small gallery. Her chatter was followed by a huge crash, which echoed with the unmistakable sound of glass shattering. "Oops!"





Rolling her eyes, Genie Stuart made her way through the gallery to see what Sally had broken this time. If Sally weren't so good at charming clients, customers, and critics then she would have found herself barred from Mind's Eye years ago.





Of course, it also helped that Sally had been her best friend since high school and the closest thing Genie ever had to a sister. She had few secrets from Sal; they'd helped each other through the best and worst points of their lives. When Sally had discovered that she couldn't have kids they'd cried together. The low points of her own life were still sore spots, but she'd survived them because of Sally, who had made Genie live again, demanded it even.





They'd supported each other through pain and grief. Sally had accepted guardianship of her four-year-old cousin when she turned twenty-one. His parents were killed by a drunk driver on the way home from a business function. Sally had never even considered saying no when the lawyers had informed her.





Genie had never understood how someone so clearly meant to be a mother as Sally was had been denied. But the minute Sally had brought the shivering, grieving boy home, she knew that Luke would always be the child of Sally's heart.





Sally had helped Genie through an abusive marriage and gotten her back on her feet when the bastard had cleared out her savings, before the law caught up with the man, giving him a one-way ticket to prison. It had been a relief when he was finally caught. He had been sheriff at the time, and both women enjoyed the irony as he was arrested by his own men.





When people had started digging deeper, they found he had been embezzling money from the department for more than twelve years, not to mention his illegal dealings with drug runners. He was tried and sentenced to fifty years, with parole hearings only after fifteen years served.





Okay, maybe there was one thing that Genie wouldn't tell Sally, or more specifically couldn't tell her, but how exactly was she supposed to drop into conversation that she had been in love with Sally's now-grown cousin Luke since he'd hit nineteen and become a hunk overnight?





Perhaps something like 'Hey, you know who I fancy the pants off...?' Yeah, it didn't really sound like it would go over well while gossiping and drinking coffee.





And if she couldn't reveal that, she'd never be able to share that he was one of the reasons Genie didn't date anymore. Not because she thought she stood a chance with Luke--he was way out of her league, like in-the-stratosphere out of her league. Her general trust issues surrounding men was just another great wall separating them.





Yep, she was just a big ball o' crazy. Damn. Genie really needed to stop watching those crappy comedy shows at three in the morning. When your favorite TV program affected your thinking, it was time to let it go and sink back to reality.





Sighing, Genie pushed open the kitchen door and surveyed the carnage that always seemed to follow Sally around. Sally stood in the middle of the kitchen surrounded by broken glass. She held an empty tray and wore a shocked and apologetic expression on her face.





"Seriously, every time without fail. Every year. How can you possibly manage to even tie your shoes in the morning, Sal? Wait--don't tell me--they're Velcro aren't they?" The two women glared at each other for almost a minute before they both crumbled and broke into loud laughter.





"Come on, I got the broom and the dustbin out before you came in here," Genie sighed as she reached to grab the items in question.





Feigning a look of dramatic hurt, Sally complained, "Oh, right. Nice to know my best friend has faith in me," before breaking out in laughter again.





"I do have faith in you Sal--" She paused for effect before continuing. After years of cleaning up broken glass, this was well-deserved ribbing. Sally gave as good as she got, so Genie knew they'd end up trading jibes sooner or later. It was a good way to let off steam with a friend."--Faith that you will somehow manage to break something on opening night for the spring season collection. Why do you think we stopped ordering the expensive glasses?"





Glancing at the clock above the door to the gallery, Genie sighed and started clearing up the glass. "Look, I'm going to make a move in a minute. I need to let Butch out for a walk. Leave the rest of the clean-up if you want, and I'll come in and do it tomorrow," she offered.





"Well, at least you have faith in something, then. Steve and I will clear up the worst, but don't forget to come in anyway to check out the new artwork you commissioned."





Genie looked studiously away, fighting a blush. Sally raised her voice and continued, "The new artwork, from a certain enigmatic, artistic recluse who makes you blush when you talk about him. That piece in the back room is stunning. You still need to decide which section to hang it in, too," Sally reminded her.





Genie's blush deepened. Pale skin was definitely not one's friend in times of embarrassment. One thing about trading remarks with your best friend was that they knew all sorts of dirt about you.





Genie knew Sally was right, though. It was like being back in high school again, going all dreamy over the gorgeous guy in the corner who wrote confusing poetry. Except she didn't even know what her artist looked like. How could she fancy someone she hadn't seen? Was there any such thing as a voice crush?





Genie had talked for hours with that husky voice about the piece she wanted, not the details, but the emotions and feelings she wanted portrayed in the painting. Finally, she'd decided it should be about that all-consuming love people searched for, whether they knew it or not. The type of love that's undeniable. Whether it be that of the star-crossed lovers throughout history, a soul mate, or the 'one'--whatever you want to call it, but it was the type of love that both terrified and tempted Genie.





"Actually, Sal, that piece is for me. I'm going to hang it in my bedroom, or the living room. I'll know when I see it where it belongs." Every piece had its place and knowing where that place was is what made Mind's Eye the best up-and-coming gallery in the city.





Even if she did say so herself, Genie and Sally were the hottest new thing in the local art scene at the moment. Considering the cutthroat nature of the art world at times, it felt damn good to be at the top for a while. They'd worked damn hard to be there, too.





Trying to be casual, Genie couldn't resist. "Have you heard from Luke recently? He was going to come home for a visit soon, wasn't he?"





Genie had both longed for and loathed the idea of Luke coming home, since his job as a lecturer allowed him the summer off. She just hoped it would be a cold summer. Perhaps a freak snowstorm or something to ensure the young hottie kept his clothes on. Last summer had been torture. Genie spent the entire time trying not to drool, not just over Luke but over Matt--the resident Sheriff and eligible bachelor--as well. Why were there so many buff, unattainable men around her?





Since Sally had married Steve and moved in with him two years ago, they'd lived in a three-bedroom house with Steve's children from his first marriage. Their house would be full enough, so Sally had offered Luke Genie's spare room.





This visit was set to be his longest trip home since moving away, almost the entire summer and maybe winter too, as he was apparently at a crossroads as to what to do next with his career.





He'd gotten his teaching degree a few years early by skipping the last year of high school and working through his term breaks at college in order to move to what he'd described as 'more challenging classes'. When he was a teen, they'd teased him about being a brainiac, but they were all so proud of him. Sally still bragged about his achievements.





Sally got a strange look on her face and avoided eye contact before replying slowly. "Yes. I heard from him yesterday. Since he got me and Steve that webcam, we speak to him at least once a week. He even reads Harry Potter books to the twins. They adore him. He said he'd try and get down here soon as possible and that he'd like to take you up on the offer of your spare room while he's here, if it's still open."





Having no idea what had made Sally so squirrelly, Genie just nodded and waited for Sally to continue. She knew how important this visit was to Sally, and no matter how many cold showers it took to get herself to think clearly with Luke sleeping under the same roof, she wouldn't do anything to ruin it.





So, priority number one: no lusting after unsuitable men, including muscled, young, handsome, kind--





Stop!





Oblivious, it seemed, to Genie's distraction, Sally continued, "Luke says if things work out the way he plans with his... business deal... then he'll be here at least until the end of the summer, and maybe longer, depending on the outcome of his plan. Err... yes. Business plans."





Genie watched as Sally swept out of the room, mumbling something about cleaning up the office. What was that about?