Dreams That Bind Us (Romancing The Keys #3)

Chapter 18

K ey West

James wound his Range Rover around the muddy potholes, which technically could be classified as sinkholes, and carefully avoided various bicycle parts and other debris scattered in the road.

The first time he had driven out here with the gallery representative, he had wondered if they'd made a wrong turn. It had amazed him that just beyond this run-down trailer park was a series of warehouses, a couple of locally famous restaurants, one of the best fish markets around, and a high-end yacht marina.

The disparity was shocking.

His hands tightened on the steering wheel as he swerved at the last minute to avoid a stumbling drunk who shouted incoherent obscenities at him as he drove away. It terrified him to think of Anna out here by herself all the time. The moment she let him, he'd move her operations to Old Town at least, if not onto Sunset Key itself even if he had to knock down a couple of buildings to build her a warehouse.

But he'd have to get her forgiveness first.

May take a while. I royally screwed up.

And he'd have to forgive himself, too, which would be far more difficult. He'd flown nearly twenty hours straight to get back to Key West and had hardly slept. Every time he closed his eyes, he'd seen that stricken look on Anna's face when he'd told her he was leaving and dismissed her. It crushed him to think of what he'd done so thoughtlessly.

But he wasn't about to give up. He couldn't. She was his person, his soulmate. He wouldn't stop until she listened to him and accepted his apology and took him back.

The last gift his mother had left for him in her apartment added to his anxiety. After the message she had written, it served to highlight just how big his mistake had been in how he’d handled things with Anna.

He firmed his jaw and dodged another crater.

I will fix this.

James spotted her classic pickup parked under a group of trees and released a sigh of relief. She was here. He took a deep breath as he parked behind the behemoth.

A large splattering of bird shit decorated the middle of the hood. From the looks of it, she hadn't moved the truck in a while.

There also weren't any floral arrangements thrown out here. That was a good sign. It had been an extravagant gesture, but he’d been desperate being so far away.

The shop owner had relayed how irritated and difficult Anna had been when he'd delivered the flowers, but that she'd finally relented.

James snorted. That sounded exactly like his Anna.

His Anna…I hope she’s still my Anna. I will make this right, whatever it takes.

He knocked, then tested the knob. It was locked. Thank god! He hated the thought of her being unprotected out here.

There was no answer, so he knocked again. Nothing.

He leaned his ear against the hot metal, listening for any signs of activity, then finally caught it: the buzzing sound of a saw. She was cutting wood pieces. He waited until the saw stopped a minute later then banged loudly.

"Nobody's here!" came the shout from inside.

James grinned at the borderline hostile response and banged again.

Not getting rid of me that easy, Kitten.

"Go away!"

He pounded his fist against the door, undeterred. He could do this all day.

Finally, he heard the click of the lock and he'd barely had enough time to stumble out of the way of the outward-swinging door.

"Somebody better be dying. I've had it with all these interruptions," Anna snarled as she marched out, still wearing her protective glasses.

Her beautiful aquamarine eyes widened when she spotted him. She pedaled back several steps.

"Hi, Kitten." His chest constricted at the brief flash of heartbreak in her gaze.

"You don't get to call me that anymore," she whispered in a broken tone. She held a shaking hand to her chest as if she could protect herself from him. It was like a knife to the gut.

"You'll always be my Kitten." And she would, whether she allowed him back into her life or not.

Anger flashed on her face, and he watched as she mentally pulled herself together. Her eyes narrowed as her jaw firmed, her chin tilting up. She was a beautiful elfin goddess armoring herself for war…against him.

"What are you doing here?" she spat. "I thought you were busy traveling ." The sneer on the last word almost brought a smile to his face. But he didn't dare show that emotion when she was so obviously hurting.

Keeping his voice low and smooth, he answered, "I finished my business and got here as quickly as I could. Did you read my emails?"

She rolled her eyes and folded her arms over her chest, not budging from the opening of the doorway. She had no intention of allowing him inside. But she hadn't slammed the door in his face either. It was a promising compromise, and he'd grasp at anything he could at this point. "No."

James frowned at the simple syllable. He'd written his heart out in those emails and in the card he'd had the delivery man give her. "Did you read the card I sent you?"

"No." Her eyes glared daggers at him. She was practically bristling for a fight and he much preferred this to her running away. But she was not going to make this easy, and honestly, he deserved this.

"Anna." James reached a hand out to her, careful not to touch her, and edged slowly forward. "Please listen to me."

"There's nothing to say, James. I got your message loud and clear. What we had, whatever it was, is over." She shrugged, looking vulnerable, her eyes welling with unshed tears behind the safety glasses. "You didn't need to come out here to finalize it. I'm not an idiot."

"Of course, you aren't." He continued toward her until they were only inches apart, feeling some reassurance when she didn't shy away. "Anna, we need to talk. Please, let me apologize and explain."

"That’s not necessary." Anna firmed her shoulders. "If you don't mind, I have work to do." She took a step back, pulling the door with her.

He stuck his foot in the doorway, stopping the door's progress with a thud. "I owe you a huge apology, Kitten," he replied, deliberately using her nickname. "Have dinner with me and I'll tell you everything."

"Again, it's not necessary," she huffed. "I accept your apology, but you don't owe me anything. Other than some peace and quiet. Now, if you'll excuse me…" She kicked his foot out of the way with her work boot and yanked on the knob, slamming the door in his face.

Staring at the closed door, he heaved a frustrated groan against the metal. It wasn't any worse than he'd anticipated, but it was exactly what he had suspected would happen. He had broken her heart and lost her trust. In her mind, their bond had been severed and he would have to rebuild it.

If she let him, that is.

But somehow he'd do it, even if it meant he'd have to drive out here every day and camp out next to her truck. He'd get her to talk to him. He'd tell her, and keep telling her, what she really meant to him.

In the meantime, there was someone—or more like a few someones —who might be willing to help him. He scrolled through his phone, found the name he searched for, and pressed the button.

"Paradise West. This is Annette. How may I help you?"

"I need your help."

Anna's hands shook as she set the lock and leaned against the hot door. Shock still buzzed through her from the sight of James standing at her doorstep. It was the last thing she’d expected, and if she was being honest with herself, it was the one thing her traitorous heart had secretly wished for.

But she hadn't let herself believe he would ever show up asking for her forgiveness. This was an experience she was unfamiliar with. Part of her wanted to jump into his arms and pretend none of this had happened.

But she couldn't do that. His reaction to his mother's words was a gut response that he hadn’t been able to control. It would only be a matter of time before her psychic walls were breached again and he would get spooked.

Why is he here? He's supposed to be traveling the world right now, making even more billions.

Anna took off her safety glasses and ran a trembling hand down her face, swiping at the wet trails on her cheeks. What she wouldn't give to talk to Aunt Louise right now.

Why the hell haven’t I replaced my phone?

She didn't know how to handle these conflicting emotions or how she'd continue to hold the line with James. She knew by his very presence that he wouldn’t give up. He’d search her out again.

But her aunt was off on an extended vacation to Italy with Carl, a man who actually valued her and her extraordinary abilities.

Anna sniffed and swiped at her nose. If she really wanted, there were other people on the island she could talk to. One particular person came to mind. She glanced around and patted her pockets, then huffed out a harsh breath.

A phone really would have been handy right about then. She made a mental note to pick up another cell phone the next time she drove into Key West.

Moving to her desk, she opened her email and grimaced—fifty-three messages. And that was just from today. She’d never let her business go like this, and that she did it because of a man made her even more angry.

But those other emails would have to wait. She typed out a quick message to Annette, praying she'd get a response soon. It felt like she was about to come out of her skin and she really needed to talk to someone who would understand.

There was no telling how long it would take to hear from Annette, so she pushed from her desk and turned to the partially constructed cabinet when her email dinged with a response.

You have great timing, Anna! The ladies decided to hold an impromptu meeting of the Steamy Clams Romance Book Club tonight. I have no idea which book they plan on discussing. And there’s the odd shot that they actually never get around to it, but that doesn't matter. It'll be an entertaining evening either way.

Can you join us? In case you're wondering, James will not be here. And just so it's clear between us, I'd never set you up like that. I hope you can make it. I'd love to return the favor and impart some words of wisdom if possible. Six pm. Don't worry about bringing anything. The ladies are taking care of that. Best, Annette

Anna heaved a shuddering breath, and more hot tears flooded her eyes. What perfect timing.

While it warred with her instinct to stay within the metal walls of her warehouse, her need to talk through her heartbreak and roiling emotions was nearly eating her alive. She was tired of being a hermit, tired of living like this and hiding away from the world.

She was only one piece of furniture away from completing The Majestic's final order. Once she was done, it was time for her to start emptying that bucket list.

The gathering was well underway when Anna parked near Paradise West. The animated banter she could hear from where she stood on the front porch brought the first real smile to her face in weeks. She paused on the porch, her hand raised to ring the doorbell, wondering if the ladies knew that she and James had separated.

Under the most ideal circumstances, news of her failed romance wouldn't have made the island’s grapevine. But Anna knew better than that. There was nothing this town loved more than to talk about drama.

Would she get sympathetic comments? Urgings to forgive James and welcome him back with open arms? Or would it be offers to set her up with a distant cousin? All three scenarios sounded horrific.

Get out of your head, Anna!

Anna rang the bell and cringed at the nearly deafening screech as Hazel swung the front door wide.

"Anna! You made it," Hazel slurred. A cloud of alcohol vapors tinged with fruit hovered around the woman's head, suggesting she had pre-gamed before the meeting, which wasn't unusual for the Royal Conch Society.

Just as Annette had predicted, it looked unlikely that they'd be discussing any romance novels. "Come in. Come in. Iris's sangria batch is particularly potent tonight. I think you might enjoy it."

The thought of a strong drink actually sounded great. "Thank you. I'm sure it will." Anna closed the door behind her and followed Hazel into the main room.

"There she is!" called Miriam, who was perched at a high table across the room, Annette by her side. Miriam held up a glass of sangria in toast. "Anna, make a stop at the bar and then head over here. There's a favor we need to ask you."

Oh, boy.

She'd known every member of the Royal Conch Society since she was a child, and their reputations, and shenanigans, had only grown more flamboyant as they got older. There was no telling what they would ask of her, but her gut told her it had something to do with her abilities.

Dutifully, Anna grabbed a drink and strolled to the table, settling onto a tall bar stool. "I thought this was a book club meeting," she muttered to Annette.

Miriam waved a hand. "We'll get to that eventually. Maybe. But first, we have to get the details ironed out for our annual Halloween party."

Anna blinked. "That's a month away."

"Yes, which means we're late getting it set. Normally, we have it planned out months in advance, but it slipped off our radar this year."

Miriam took a long sip and set her cup down with a loud 'Ahhhh'. "Annette has agreed to hold the party here and Cornelia had a great idea to have interactive stations throughout the first and second floors where guests could stop. We thought it would be fun to have a fortune teller booth."

Anna shook her head, knowing exactly where Miriam was going with this.

"Don't say no yet, girl. Just hear me out." Miriam held her hands up dramatically, her eyes bright with excitement. "We can call it Madame Louise's Fortunes in honor of your aunt and we can charge them ten dollars for a reading. You won't have to go into much detail, just let those walls down a bit and give them a little taste of their future, wow them a little. We decided the money would go to the local food bank. Now, what do you think?"

The group's leader propped on one elbow and grinned, her eyes daring Anna to say no.

"You know I don't tell fortunes, Miriam. You need Aunt Louise for that."

"Oh, I know, dear. But I checked with her already and she may not return from Italy in time. She recommended you and said you could stumble your way through it."

Anna drew back as if she’d been slapped. "She did?" It was difficult to control the shock in her voice. Her aunt knew how much she would hate this.

"Mmmhmmm. Said it would be great to get you out of your cave for a bit. I agree." Miriam leaned closer. "It's no good to wallow in heartbreak alone. You need to be around people."

Well, shit.

So much for hoping they wouldn't have heard about the breakup.

Anna took a huge gulp of her sangria and coughed as it burn down her throat. No wonder Hazel was stumbling around. The drinks were close to pure alcohol tonight.

She jolted when Annette draped a warm hand over hers and gave it a light squeeze. "You don't have to answer right away. There's something I wanted to show you upstairs. Would you care to join me?" Annette lifted her eyebrows expectantly and lifted her chin toward to upper floors.

"Sure." Anna slid off the bar stool and took another swallow of the sangria, blinking at the bite. She set the glass down and turned to follow Annette.

"Bring it with you," Annette said over her shoulder, then she looked to Miriam. "We'll be upstairs for a bit. Make sure the others don't interrupt, okay?"

"Sure thing, honey." Miriam lifted her glass in a toast. "We'll be down here working on the party details. Uhhh… I mean, discussing romance books," she added with a wink.

Annette chuckled as they climbed the stairs to the third floor. "That should keep them busy for a while."

"They're always looking for a reason to party. I'm honestly surprised they can keep up as well as they do," Anna noted. She noticed the glass of water in her friend's hand. "Are you missing wine yet?"

Annette grinned. "Every once in a while, to be completely honest." She patted her stomach. "But it's worth it. Besides, this is only temporary."

"When is the baby due?"

"Mid-December," Annette replied as she began climbing the circular, metal staircase to the Widow's Walk. "I'm hoping we don't have a Christmas baby. It would probably suck to have a birthday near the big holiday."

"I can see that."

Anna took a deep breath of the fresh evening air. There was something about being nearly fifty feet up from ground level that made the air cooler. The breeze was salt-laden and chilling in the topical humidity.

They sat in two lounge chairs that faced the west. Annette lifted her glass toward the western sky where the sun was beginning its descent into the ocean.

"Now that's a sight I never get tired of seeing. There's something about a Key West sunset that can't be beat."

Anna hummed her agreement into her sangria. She'd drank over half the glass and now wished she had poured a refill before they'd made the trek to the roof. But she was enjoying the slight buzz she felt moving through her bloodstream and the way it made all her worries fade away.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Annette murmured softly.

Anna heaved out a huge breath. She had desperately wanted to talk, but now that she had the opportunity, the words wouldn't form.

"What happened?" Annette urged.

"It was the last day we were together. He was making me breakfast, and I was getting ready to head to my workshop." Anna paused for a long minute, staring out at the horizon. "Did you know James lost his mother before he moved to Key West?"

"Yes."

"I had been letting my psychic guards down, little by little, relaxing and enjoying my freedom with James. He'd swore that my gifts didn't scare him, and to be honest nothing that he’d seen from either Aunt Louise or I had phased him. So I wasn't prepared when his mother pushed. She channeled through me and I can't remember what she said, but I'll never forget his face as I spoke those words. He looked at me like I was a monster."

Anna closed her eyes and let the tears flow down her cheeks. "His assistant called right at that moment and he couldn't get away from me fast enough." She let out a bitter laugh. "He walked by me like I barely existed, just telling me he had a couple of emails to send and he had to go to New York." She glanced at Annette. "I've never felt so worthless before."

"I'm so sorry, Anna. I can't imagine how horrible that must have felt."

Anna nodded. "I trusted him and he turned out to be just like the others."

Annette sighed and sipped her water. "Or…"

After a heavy silence, Anna's frowned. "Or what?"

"Or maybe he hasn't fully come to terms with his mother's death and hearing her speak to him through you was a shock he wasn't prepared for."

Astonished that Annette would side with him, Anna stared, speechless as her jaw sagged.

"I'm not defending his actions, but I am playing devil's advocate here." Holding her hands up, Annette leaned in. "Look, I've known James for a very long time, and I've never seen him this distraught about a woman. In fact, I’ve never seen or heard him this upset period. I don’t think you realize just how special you are to him.”

“The moment you two met, he started changing his schedule, cancelling meetings and trips, and even selling his businesses. The man has fallen hard for you and he made a mistake." She shrugged and turned her gaze to the south. "What he did was wrong, but I think you need to ask yourself if you're willing to let everything go over that. Sometimes you need to believe that it will all work in the end. At a minimum, you should hear him out and make sure he really hears you. That's all I'm saying."

Anna's ears buzzed with the truth of Annette's words, and a surge of hope shot through her.

"Judging from your silence, I'm guessing I either pissed you off or you’re thinking about it." Annette grinned as she stood up and brushed off her pants. "Either way, I just wanted the chance to return the favor."

"Return what favor?"

"The advice,” Annette replied with a soft smile. “Remember when you stopped here to talk to Amelia? You told me that not everyone gets the chance to meet their soulmate and you hoped I wouldn't waste my opportunity." Annette's gaze softened. "James is your opportunity, Anna. Don't blow it."