Page 48 of The B-Team

“It’s so beautiful,” Belinda said softly. She glanced over her shoulder at their host and smiled, feeling strangely awkward. “I tried to buy one of her pieces at her last exhibit, but they sold out too fast. I’m on the waiting list for a private commission, but I’ve heard it takes years to get to the top. One day…”

Mrs. Fitzwater came to stand beside her. “We’ll have to see what we can do about moving you up the list.”

Belinda gasped. “You know Stephanie?”

Mrs. Fitzwater threw back her head and laughed. “IamStephanie.”

“No!” Belinda’s jaw dropped. “Seriously?” She was suddenly tongue-tied and wondered if this was how fans felt when they met her.

“Oh, I’m quite serious.” She hooked her arm through Belinda’s and led her toward the hallway. “Boys, there’s some wine in the fridge. Do be a dear and pour some for all of us.”

Belinda glanced at Beast as she let Mrs. Fitzwater lead her away. He was definitely amused. Ryan, not so much.

“We won’t be long,” she told him, hoping it was true.

Mrs. Fitzwater led her to a room at the end of the hallway and pushed the door open. “I have a studio, of course,” she said, urging Belinda inside. “But I turned my guest room into a workspace for when I’m at home. Fortunately, there’s a small office space on the mezzanine that fits a bed, so guests still have a place to sleep. It’s not as spacious, but I think this works best for my needs. Plus, you don’t want your guest room to be too cozy, do you?”

Her smile was mischievous, and Belinda found herself blurting out her thoughts. Something she’d been schooled not to do by long, boring press tours. “You’re nothing like I expected,” she said, then blushed.

“No?” Thankfully, the woman wasn’t offended. “What were you expecting?”

“Um, someone …”Crumbs!How did she answer without offending her? “Erm, we—me, my husband, and my friend—we came to talk about your ex-husband.”

Understanding flickered in her eyes. “And you were expecting an uptight, officious little twit like the one I married?”

Belinda burst out laughing but stopped abruptly when she realized what was in the room. Floor-to-ceiling shelves contained small glass objects and sculptures, each a miniature version of the full-sized artwork she’d seen in exhibitions. A long table sat in the middle of the room, covered in sketches and color swatches. There were piles of art books under the windows and pin boards full of the most amazing and eclectic collection of photos.

“My inspiration,” Mrs. Fitzwater said, noticing the boards had caught Belinda’s attention. She gestured to the small glass pieces. “These are models for my larger works.”

Belinda’s heart raced. She wanted to examine everything. To run her fingertips over each sketch and glasswork. To soak it all up.

“I can’t believe I’m actually getting a glimpse of how you work. I am so in awe of your talent and skill, Mrs. Fitzwater, and have been for a very long time.”

The woman softened further. “My name’s Jennifer, and my friends call me Jen. I suspect you and I will definitely become friends, so please call me Jen.”

“Not Stephanie?” Belinda reached out to touch a small sculpture but froze with her hand in midair. “Sorry.”

“Not at all. Touch whatever you like. And, no, not Stephanie. I invented that name to go with my artwork. I’m just plain old Jennifer Douglas Fitzwater.”

“You kept your husband’s name after the divorce?” The glass object was like silk in her hands. The gentle curves made you want to stroke it, while the blues trapped deep inside the glass made you want to lose yourself in it.

Jen barked out a laugh, tearing Belinda’s attention from the art. “Of course I kept his name. It’s the only useful thing the man ever gave me.” A buzzer sounded down the hallway. “That will be Delia. Shall we go let her in? Then you and your companions can quiz me all you like about good old Garrison. Although we should probably open a second bottle of wine for that conversation. Trust me, we’ll need the fortification.”

Reluctantly, Belinda placed the artwork back on the shelf and followed Jen.

Delia turned out to be every bit as unexpected as Jen. The two women were smart, funny, and eager to talk about Commander Fitzwater. It didn’t take them long to settle into the comfortable sofas in the reception room, and even less time after that for their conversation to turn to Jen’s ex-husband.

“I told her he was a mistake on her wedding day,” Delia said, waving her wineglass for emphasis.

“She did.” Jen looked at her friend with fondness and a healthy dose of amusement. “I should have listened. But I was inlove.” She was curled up in the corner of a sofa, eating a slice of pizza from a paper napkin.

Ryan, of course, had ordered pizzas once it became clear the women were happy to talk and that dinner would be delayed. He choked on a mouthful of food, and Beast helpfully pummeled his back, a look of glee in his eyes.

Men.Belinda mentally rolled her eyes.

“Sorry.” Ryan gulped some water. “I met Fitz this morning, and he didn’t exactly come across as the lovable type.”

Jen shrugged. “I have a thing for repressed men. I keep thinking I’ll be the one to bring them out of their shells. That my love will change them.” She scoffed. “Plus, in the beginning, he was different—caring, interested in me, courteous. Unfortunately, that soon wore off.”