Only in Dreams(26)

Once breakfast is over I will spend my morning either sketching or sewing. Tossing out the old drawings and starting from scratch has been the best decision I could have made. Now that I am beginning to see the results there is no doubt in my mind. The ideas are just blowing out of me, sometimes faster than I can record them. All one has to do is look around this sleepy little town to see the effect it’s had on everything from the color palette to the textures of fabric I’ve used.

My work is busting out of the small room I’m staying in. There are stacks of fabric choices all over the kitchen and stock room. I have even taken to storing some of the boxes of supplies in Christian’s back room, which is less than ideal with all of the wood shaving that happens in there.

Once my work filled mornings are done, I help Emmie out in the gallery so that she can make everyone lunch. She spends her mornings painting and her afternoons running the gallery, switching off with Colin who takes care of the massive online orders in the afternoon. We’ve become a well-oiled machine. In the afternoon I manage to squeeze in some more work time before we all knock off early for the evening.

Every night seems to hold a new surprise. A gathering in the town park, dinner at a neighbors, or even neighbors coming over to their house. Everything is so yummy that I have to continually remind myself that I have a wedding dress to fit into.

“What are you up to today?” I hear Christian’s voice over my shoulder.

I don’t turn to look at him; instead, I continue my work with my seam ripper, removing my latest sewing blunder. “What I’m always up to—work.”

He sits across from me at the dining table, watching me. I glance up self-consciously. “Is there something I can help you with?”

“You work too much,” he states with a furrowed brow.

I shake my head then return to the ripping. “Gee, thanks for the observation.”

“No, I just mean that you’ve been working your ass off since you got here. How about you have a little fun,” Christian suggests.

“I’ve been having fun,” I insist.

“I mean more than the Grandma/Grandpa nights Em and Colin plan for you,” he argues, reaching out and placing his hand over my work, gaining my full attention. “Let’s go have some fun.”

“Like what?” I stare at him suspiciously.

“I don’t know, we used to go all day without ever making plans—just seeing where the day would take us.”

I smile as I remember the carefree times of my youth, then shake my head as the reality of the impending deadline jolts me back to reality. “I can’t, I have too much to do.”

He takes the shirt I was working on out of my hands and stands up. “Come on, would it kill you to have a little fun?”

He extends a hand, and I feel my heart start beating hard and fast in my chest. What’s this big deal? It’s just one day. I could use the break.

I jump to my feet and exclaim, “Let’s do it! Are jeans and a t-shirt okay?”

“I hope so, because I’m not changing,” Christian says as he tosses the shirt I’d been working on onto the dining room table and drags me out the back door.

“Wait, shouldn’t we tell Em where we’re going?” I ask with concern.

“Why, do you need permission?” He laughs.

In an instant, the adrenaline kicks in, and I suddenly feel alive. I’ve been going through the motions all month long, surrendering to the routine, and not realizing it is starting to suffocate me. “Hell no, let’s go.”

A few seconds later and we are in the truck, speeding out of the gravel lot.

“So where do you want to go?” he asks me.

“I have no idea, I assumed you had some sort of a plan.”

“Because I’ve always been the guy with a plan, huh?”

“Point taken,” I acknowledge his sarcasm. “So what is there to do around here?”

“How do you feel about a road trip?” he questions, looking at me, his smile revealing his dimple.

“How far are we talking?” I’m suddenly worried about what I have agreed to.

“You okay if we head into the city?”

“Austin?”

“Unless you know of another city I don’t know about,” he fires back.

“You really are charming, aren’t you?” I grumble.

“That’s what everyone keeps telling me.” He smiles slyly.

We make small talk on the drive. He keeps asking me questions about Henry’s upcoming visit. I’m not sure, at first, why he is so curious, but then decide to leave it alone. As we near the city limits I wonder if he has figured out a plan for this late afternoon.”