Page 14 of Too Enchanting

Jed

Icould feel Serena seething behind me, which, really, didn’t help her case at all.

She may not realize that I was picky about who bought my furniture, that it wasn’t about the money for me, but about finding the right home for my work.

“Thank you so much. Enjoy,” I said to the customer after she paid and told me again how much she loved my work.

Then, with no one left in the workshop but Reardon, Chris, and Serena, I turned back around and crossed my arms over my chest.

“Do you need help getting the shelves home, Rear?” I asked, ignoring Serena’s frustrated sigh.

“Ah, no, we got it,” Reardon said, looking between Serena and me with a confused expression. He must have decided not to get involved, because he shrugged and added, “Well, we’d best be getting back. C’mon, Chris. Later, Jed, thanks … and, Serena, I’ll call you later.”

“Later,” I replied, not taking my eyes off Serena as they walked out.

We stood there for a few moments, in the middle of a standoff. Not speaking or moving, until Serena couldn’t stand it any longer.

“What do you mean no?” she asked, as if I’d just said it. “That is what you’re doing here, right, selling your creations?”

I nodded.

“Yes, I’m selling them, but I reserve the right to sell to who I want.”

“To whom,” Serena said automatically, then when my eyes narrowed she muttered, “Sorry,” probably realizing the way to get what she did not include correcting my grammar. “But, I don’t understand. Why won’t you let me buy it?”

I sighed. It’s not that I wanted to be a dick, but the river table was currently my favorite creation. I’d spent a lot of time getting it exactly the way I wanted, and had an internal debate over keeping it for myself. When I decided to sell it, I knew the buyer had to be perfect.

And yes, Serena fuming with her perfect face and gorgeous hair that begged to be tugged between my fingers was perfect for most things … but not for this.

“It’s a special piece,” I began, not sure how to explain it in a way that she would understand, without sounding like an idiot.

“I know it is,” she said loudly, cutting me off. “That’s why I want it. It’s beautiful … mesmerizing … absolutely perfect.”

Okay, I like what I’m hearing…

“But?” I prompted, expecting there to be one.

“No, no but,” Serena replied. “It’s a work of art and I know just what to do with it. Here … come with me.”

She walked past me and out the door, and when I didn’t follow, she stuck her head back inside and said, “Come on, I promise I won’t lock you in the basement or hit you with a tire iron.”

I blinked. Wow, those were a couple of random, violent options.

Serena winced and said, “Sorry, I was reading Stephen King last night … Forget I said that, just, follow me.”

Intrigued, I followed her out the door, then locked and shut my workshop before walking from my yard to hers and going through her gate. She marched toward her own workshop on the back of her property, hair swaying and hips swinging in a very appealing way, then paused to unlock the door.

Once she’d stepped inside and turned on the lights, I crossed the threshold after her.

Then I was the one who stopped in my tracks as I tried to take it all in, my mouth open.

I’d expected the space to be empty, since she’d only moved in a little over a week ago, but instead, it was full to bursting.

There was standard furniture, nice, good-quality furniture, but there was also art. Gorgeous paintings, sculptures, statement pieces … but more than that there were hand-crafted pieces that were in the same vein as what I did.

“What is all this?” I asked, trying to take it all in at once.

“I’m going to be managing the art gallery in town, and they are in the final stages of the remodel, so I’m keeping most of the pieces that I’ve ordered, and been collecting, here until I can have it all moved to the gallery.”

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