their future.
Chapter 20
Kira spent the next two days too revved up to sit still. Deciding to make use of her abundance of nerves, she’d sweetly cajoled Mr. Murphy into letting her take his portrait. She ended up photographing in and outside of Gallagher’s while she was at it, even catching a few shots of Cait when the woman wasn’t canny enough to turn away from her camera. She’d spent much of the previous night selecting her very favorites and now waited on pins and needles for the images to print.
While the gallery projected elegant small-town charm, it still had many modern amenities tucked away in the back room. Morgan had seen fit to add a printing room to the back, and had installed high-end printers for different sized reproductions. It had been an investment up front, but the prints they’d sold since had more than justified the expense. Morgan was grateful she didn’t have to seek out a professional printer for this job, as she was itching to see how her prints would look on the wall. Morgan had supplied her with frames and mats at Kira’s request; she had asked nothing more, for she was used to working with moody artists.
Pleased that Morgan hadn’t pushed her for details until she was ready, Kira moved to the worktable where she’d stacked the mats she wanted to use.
She’d decided to start with five images only – a selection of Grace’s Cove through her eyes. She hoped they would elicit the same warm response in others as they had in her when she’d taken the photos. The printer finished the first of her prints and, setting aside three frames that would be for gifts, Kira got to work. It had been a while, she mused, since she’d been in the business of printing and framing her own work. She was so used to seeing her work in digital form only, or in a magazine, that she rarely thought about seeing it in other mediums.
Now, as she held up the first photo of Mr. Murphy, a wide smile spread across her face.
“Just look at him,” Kira whispered. He was smiling, laughing at someone’s banter, looking across the bar instead of directly at the camera. She’d taken the shot in black and white, so that the lines creasing his face stood out in dark relief against his skin. Behind him, a soft ray of light filtered through the window, creating a sort of halo around him, while the metal of the beer taps gleamed in the glow. He looked like every Irish grandpa she’d ever known, with a cheerful smile, a newsboy cap, and a willingness to tell a story. Nobody could look at this picture and not smile, Kira thought, and bent to mat a smaller version of the same picture as a gift for Mr. Murphy – or, more likely, for Cait. Kira knew he would probably refuse the photo, and she hoped Cait would find a spot on the wall at Gallagher’s for it.
Next up, Kira framed a photo she’d taken of Gallagher’s front door and window. This one she’d done in color, for Ireland was known for its brightly colored pubs, and Gallagher’s was no different. With its graceful arched door, a cheerful window box full of flowers, and dark wrought-iron hinges, it invoked the days of old while also beckoning one closer. Everyone who saw the photo would want to go to this pub, Kira thought. It seemed to invite the viewer to step inside and stay for a while.
The third photo had Kira smiling once more. This one was of Cait, a smile on her face and fire in her eyes as she shot off a comment to one of her regulars while she poured a pint of Guinness. Pint-sized herself, Cait’s confidence and complete command of her environment shone through in the photo. Oh, she’d be annoyed that Kira had stolen a photo of her, but Kira didn’t care. She was stunning, a beautiful woman in full power of herself and her business.
Finally, Kira looked at the last two photos she wanted to sell. Both were from the hills that occupied a special place in heart. The first was of Fergal and Heather, their little paws hooked around each other as they floated in blissful sleep on the surface of the still pond. Reflected in the water were the hills behind, and the few clouds that dotted an otherwise blue sky. She’d been grateful to capture the