Chapter 15

Damian looked around, pleasantly surprised. His showing was going well but he had a pleasant surprise all his own. It wouldn't be shown until the bidding started. He was itching for it to be seen but it couldn't until the last possible moment.

He looked around the room at his immediate family and extended family. They all looked happy to be here.

Everyone was gathered around the newest member of the Stark family. Bron was only a week and a half old and yet she was getting more publicity because her parents were Manhattan socialites. Derek and Tophyr glowed with pride and relief that their family was safe.

Dayton and Izzy were beside them in another little group. Izzy's first novel had sold over five hundred thousand copies and her publisher was already looking for its sequel. The woman had finished the sequel as she was helping get the showing together. The publisher was obviously happy with it because he beamed while talking about her. His cousins looked at each other and shook their heads. They knew the man was drunk but there was no stopping him when he was on a roll.

Across the room were his parents and his aunt and uncle. All four adults looked happy with this whole thing. He was glad. He thought coming back home would be hard for him. It was but he had his entire family to lean on. He had finally told his parents how he'd had felt the last eight years. They had opened their arms to him and allowed him to cry. It was more than he could have asked for. Now looking at them across the room he felt the urge to make them proud.

He shook his head when he saw Dani flirting with some guy. His sister would never change unless some guy totally caught her attention. He prayed for the guy who caught his sister's attention because that poor man was going to have his hands full.

There was a loud clinking sound and everyone looked to the middle. Derek stood there with a small dessert fork and his glass of champagne. Tophyr stood beside him and Caroline beside her. He smiled when all eyes landed on him and everyone fell silent.

"Welcome, everyone. Your presence has made this night a success. The silent auction's tally is in. Tonight the Howling Wolf Gallery has collected over seventy-five thousand dollars for the American Heart Association." He paused as he allowed everyone to clap. "But that would not have been possible if it hadn't been for the hard work of the artist. Please give a round of applause to my cousin Damian Stark."

Damian lifted his glass in salute to everyone. His eyes met Caroline's and he knew the love that was shining there for him. He saluted her with his glass and a little wave.

Derek drew everyone's attention back to him once again. "I have news. Damian has held on to a very precious photograph that is not for sale but the first photo of his newest collection."

As he spoke Percy and Alex carried a canvas from the back and set it on the easel set up behind their brother-in-law. Caroline cast Damian a confused look but he only smiled in response.

Derek turned and grasped the velvet covering. "May I present Damian Stark's "White Lightning." He pulled the covering off and everyone gasped.

Caroline slowly turned as Damian made his way to the front. The photo was of her as she sat in the snow on a bench in Central Park. She remembered that day. She had been having a hard time putting the pieces of her life together. It was the first time she had thought about what her life would hold if she pulled this showing off.

At the time she thought she had seen flashes popping behind her but she had just brushed it off on the brightness of the snow. Now she knew it was Damian who had been causing the flash.

She looked at him as he stood beside her. "Why me?"

"Photography has always been a great love in my life. When I met you, I wasn't interested in anything else but the way you handled my overzealous family made me stop and look. I had been missing that friendly companionship. I found that first. Then the night you shoved me out of your apartment, I figured I better step up my game if I was going to win. This was the first way to do that," he said as he looked at the canvas with her on it. "Did I do a good job?"

Caroline smiled brightly at him then stood on her tiptoes to kiss him. He swept her into his arms and crushed her to him. He was afraid to let her go. Wrapping her arms around him, she held him just as fiercely as he held her. She didn't want to let him go.

Around them everyone smiled gently. Derek nudged Tophyr and his wife smiled over her shoulder. Izzy looked at Dayton then melted into his shoulder as he smiled gently at her. Catherine and David held on to each other as Elizabeth and Daniel smiled at their son. Dani started the clapping and Percy whistled.

When everything had died down and people were on their way out, Damian spotted Sophia in the background. She carefully made her way to him. He felt Caroline tense beside him but he shook his hand and watched her grandmother.

Sophia looked him over and smiled. "I see you were not joking."

He shook his head. "No, ma'am, I was not. I love your granddaughter and we are getting married."

Caroline's grandmother nodded. "I was wrong in my assumption of you. You are indeed a good man and that is what my granddaughter needs. Take care of her."

"Grandma!" Caroline said. She let go of Damian's hand and flew into her grandmother's arms.

Sophia smiled as she patted her back. "There, there, child. Don't cry. All is right."

"You're not mad at me?"

"No, honey. I could never be mad at you. I was a little disappointed in you that you didn't stand up to me but now I understand. You hadn't found your place in the world. Now you have and it's by that young man's side." She lifted her gaze to Damian. "You take care of her. If you don't, I'll take my cane to you."

Damian smiled and laughed. "Yes, ma'am."

Caroline escorted her grandmother out of the gallery. Dayton clapped his cousin on the shoulder.

"You have accomplished something no one has been able to do in ten years," he said.

Damian smiled softly. "I didn't do it intentionally. I just wanted to make her happy."

"And you have. Good luck, Damo."

Caroline returned a few moments later and took him by the arm. She held on as hard as she dared then turned smiling eyes up at him.

"Thank you, Damian. Thank you so much," she said.

He frowned at her. "What did I do?"

"You gave me a reason to talk to my grandmother. I've re-invited her to the wedding."

"Are you sure?" She nodded. "Okay." He looked around then sighed. "Let's go home."

As they walked out the door, Derek watched his cousin with a goofy smile on his face. "Who knew Tophyr Hurst was an excellent matchmaker?"

Tophyr shrugged, moving slowly to put on her coat as she shifted her daughter from arm to arm. "I do what I do best."

He laughed. "Meddling is your best thing." He took Bron from her mother and nestled her blanket around her to keep her warm. "Let's go home. I have a feeling we'll have a wedding to be planning in the next few months."

He pulled Tophyr under his arm and walked his family out of the gallery.

THE END… for now