Page 9 of Dreams That Bind Us
Anna didn't respond. The idea her aunt detailed was too preposterous to wrap her mind around. She'd given up the possibility of having a healthy romantic relationship years ago, much less finding a soulmate.
"You're wasting your gifts, Anna," her aunt added, exasperation in her tone.
"I'm not. I helped the girl at Paradise West," Anna argued. The weakness in her own voice was irritating.
"The ghost of Paradise West?” Aunt Louise scoffed. “That was months ago. You should be doing more. I can't believeyou've been able to hold your block this long anyway. You must be exhausted all the time."
Anna stared off at the far wall, unable to defend herself. Shehadbeen blocking herself from her talents for many years, and it was incredibly exhausting. But her aunt also understood why she was driven to do it.
"I don't want to make another mistake again."
"Anna, please listen to me." Her aunt's tone softened. "You didn't make a mistake. What happened to your parents was meant to be. You weren’t ready to receive a message like that or to know what would happen. If anyone should have received a warning, it should have been me. Not you. And I didn't. As tough as it seems, your mom and dad were meant to take that trip to Italy and to be on that plane. It was their path. There was nothing you or I could have said that would have changed their minds or destiny."
"They thought they were safe." Silence stretched between them, filled with a weight and grief all too familiar.
"It's been too long since you've visited," her aunt said, finally breaking the awkward quiet with a change of subject. "Maybe it's time for you to come visit for a day or two, get grounded and centered."
Anna chewed a nail, considering the proposal. Now that she thought about it, she hadn’t seen Aunt Louise in well over a year, and she could use her soothing presence right now. Logistically, the time was right to take a couple of days off after finishing The Majestic’s order before she started on her pieces for the gallery.
It would be good to get away from the island for a bit. She'd deliver the furniture Monday morning and then drive to Delray Beach from there, and maybe stay a few days.
Her phone buzzed with another call. "I need to go, Aunt Louise. The art gallery is calling me. But I'll drive up Monday afternoon. I promise."
"Hmmm…good. I'll see you then, girl. And remember, you can't avoid this man, so stop running. I can't wait to meet him. Love you." With those cryptic words, her aunt ended the call.
Pressing a finger for the other line, Anna answered, "Hello?"
"Hi, Anna. It's Becky. Sorry this is so late. It’s the first chance I’ve had to make calls. But I have great news." The gallery manager's voice was rushed and held a tinge of excitement. "The gentleman did show up today and bought your entire collection. When I mentioned that you planned to restock the gallery, he asked if he could tour your warehouse in person and pick out anything you'd be willing to sell or that wasn't already spoken for."
Anna groaned and rubbed her forehead. She hated having people in her workshop. This was her place, her oasis where she could close off the world and just focus on her art. It was why she sold her furniture through the gallery and a few select stores: it gave her privacy and a level of anonymity. The gallery was never permitted to give out her name or the location of her warehouse. Only a handful of locals knew how to find her, and that was exactly how she liked it.
"Who is this guy?" she asked, trying to bite back the irritation in her voice.
"He's a real estate guy from New York who just relocated here. He bought a large house in Old Town and is furnishing it with local artwork. He’s already made my business for the next six months and I really don’t want him going elsewhere to find anything."
The temptation to say no was immense, but Anna understood the importance of a small business’s need to get in the black. Plus, the gallery had been too good to her to outright reject the request, even if it did annoy the hell out of her.
"Okay, fine, but only if you come with him and promise that you'll get him out of here within thirty minutes. I'll be workingon your back orders which are stacked nearly to the ceiling because all my time was focused on The Majestic job."
"That sounds perfectly reasonable," Becky assured her. "When can we come out?"
"It'll have to be late next week." Anna glanced around at the jumble of furniture stored in her warehouse. This was only a quarter of the completed order. The rest was in storage waiting for delivery.
"It's a complete mess here right now. I deliver the furniture order to The Majestic on Monday, and then I'll be out of town for a couple of days. Maybe Thursday or Friday? And no more than thirty minutes. I mean that," she reiterated.
Becky‘s triumphant laugh rang through the speaker. "I'll make sure the visit is quick. He also asked if you could hold off on moving any of your pieces here until he has a chance to look over them."
"Well, that's bold of him," Anna scoffed. She was tempted to cancel the guy's field trip, but a sale was a sale. "I also want him to sign a non-disclosure agreement that he won't give out my name or location to anyone, and that he won’t stop by my warehouse anytime he feels like shopping for furniture. I value my privacy."
"I'm sure he'd be willing to do that. I'll give him a call tomorrow and see if either of those days work for him."
"Okay. You can just email me back." Anna yawned. She ended the call and slowly climbed the stairs to her apartment, conveniently located in the top section of the warehouse with windows that overlooked the commercial docks and the Florida Strait beyond. The open loft was one of the reasons she chose this place. She could breathe here.
She climbed into the shower and stood under the hot water for fifteen minutes, letting it relax her completely, soothing her aching muscles. A long soak in a hot bath would have beenbetter, and standing there, she wished she had one of those gorgeous white porcelain bathtubs that could fit three people. She'd never been able to justify the expense of a real clawfoot bathtub to herself before. But maybe with a small portion of the profits off this order, she could consider it.
She was barely awake as she climbed into bed and settled on her pillow with a contented sigh. Maybe tonight she'd finally sleep in peace, she thought as she drifted off.
Broad shoulders and a wide chest filled her vision as strong hands threaded through her hair, lifting her face for a soul-searing kiss. But this time, she didn't fight it. She leaned into it, yearning for what only he could give her.
