Threads of Steel (Bayou Cove) (22 page)

By Saturday afternoon when she was alone with her work, she received a call from Doug in Los Angeles to tell her his plans. “If you still want to see me, I can stop over in New Orleans. I’m supposed to fly into the Gulfport airport tomorrow afternoon, but I can fly into New Orleans just as easily, that is, if you have time to visit with me.”

She squeezed her eyes tight and bit her lip. “I’d love to see you. It just so happens that I was planning to take some time off over the weekend. If you’ll let me know what time your plane lands, I’ll be glad to pick you up at the airport.”

Instead, he suggested he meet her at her home or business since he had to rent a car to get
back to the Gulfport-Biloxi Airport where he’d left his car.

She realized how much trouble he’d have to go through to make the stop-over in New Orleans. Thrilled to be seeing him again, but apprehensive that things were going too fast, she busied herself with the intricate details of the wedding dress and tried not to think what she’d done by accepting his invitation to be in New Orleans with her.

Would they only go out to dinner and then tour the French Quarter before he got back on the interstate to return to the Mississippi coast or would he stay in town for the night?

That thought sent tingles down her spine. What would she say if he asked to go to her house or her to his hotel room? Would she agree? Would it lead to anything?

Just thinking about being in his arms gave her pause as she let the excitement and the fear settle. She swallowed and tried to concentrate on the garment, but it was hard not to think about the man who had come into her life at a time when she least expected to meet anyone of interest. She couldn’t deny she wanted to get to know him better, but getting close to any man sent a small alarm off in her head.

Why was that? Why couldn’t she just let it happen— if anything was going to happen?

“You big chicken,” she said out loud, laughed at herself, then concentrated on the garment.

Doug’s flight landed at three on Saturday and Anna Marie was once again still slumped over the sewing table. When she thought he’d be off the plane, she hit his number and asked that he meet her at the business. She was doing hand beading on a Mardi
Gras
gown, and having him meet her here would give her a little more time to work on it.

Thinking about what it all meant made her insides churn so she pushed the possibilities out of her head and slipped another sequin onto her needle.

In what seemed like only minutes, the door buzzer surprised her. She looked at the clock and realized the time had flown by. Carefully, she set the train aside,
then
quickly weaved her way through the sewing room and out into the plush lobby. Taking a quick glance in an antique mirror near the door, she shook her head. She had hoped to freshen up before Doug got to the city, but he’d have to see her after a day of work.

Her heart raced as she opened the door. He stood on the sidewalk looking as handsome as she’d ever seen him. The light blue golf shirt and a pair of light beige pants emphasized a mature body that had been kept in shape. The late afternoon shadows covered the narrow side street, making the lines of his face pronounced, but the shadows couldn’t hide the warmth that she’d come to recognize in his eyes.

“You found me,” she said
.

“I didn’t need to call. Your directions were great. Hope I didn’t alarm you when I rang the doorbell.”

She chuckled and ran her hand through her hair. “Do I look that bad?”

“Oh no.
You look great.” With one step he pulled her into his arms. “You look really great.”

He tilted his head and covered her lips with a long, deep kiss that took Anna Marie off guard
.

She melted into his body, heard his heart pound against his chest, and returned his kiss with a fervor that shocked her.

Too quickly, he pulled away far enough to look into her eyes. “You shouldn’t open the door to strangers.”

She stepped back, but she yearned to continue that kiss. “Strangers don’t kiss like that.”

He laughed. “Glad you noticed.”

She’d noticed, all right. Her body still quivered.

Then she got serious. “I looked through the peephole before I opened the door. I’m very careful when I’m here alone.”

“Good.” He looked behind her into the building. “Are you still working?”

“I was, but I’ve done enough today. Would you like to take a look around the place while I get my things?”

With her mind and body still reeling from his kiss, she led him down the hallway into the sewing room. “This is it. This is where I bury myself for days on end.”

“Wow, this is quite impressive.” He walked through the tables of fabrics, bent over industrial machines, took his time examining the partially made garments on several mannequin. “This is quite a set up.”

“This is our high season. We’re in full swing for Mardi
Gras
in a few months. All of those tables and racks have costumes for three different
krewes
. This side of the room is for a huge wedding we’ve contracted.”

“How many people work here?”

“In our busy season we hire extras. I think we have six seamstresses with us right now. Stephen and I do all the designs and patterns and a lot of the sewing, but we’ve grown so much that we can’t possibly do it alone anymore.”

“Well, like I said. I’m impressed.”

“Thank you. I’m proud of how far we’ve gone in seven years.”

He followed her through the building and into their main office. “Wow again.” He walked up to a mannequin that stood in full Mardi
Gras
gala, complete with eighteen feet of sequined train and five feet of feathered collar. “That’s gorgeous. I’ve been to a lot of balls on the coast and this is as beautiful as any of the costumes I’ve ever seen.”

She walked up to the mannequin and touched the gown done in shades of blues, greens and silver. “Thanks. This was from our first big ball. I did this particular gown myself and the maid didn’t have any place to put it so she’s letting us display it for a while. The ball had an ocean theme. I worked late each night by myself and as I watched my drawings come to life, I was transported into another time.”

She ran her hand along the feathers that graced the collar. “Now whenever I get scared that I can’t do something, I just look at this mannequin and I get the courage to start a new project.”

“I can see why. This is spectacular work.”

“I’m glad you approve.” She grabbed her purse and flipped off several lights.

He walked to the door and waited for her. “Can I take you for a drink some place first or would you like to go straight to dinner?”

“Let’s get a drink and relax first. I know just the place.” She turned once to check on the room before flipping off the last light and heading out the door with him.

After deciding to take her car home before going out, he walked her out,
then
followed her through the crowded streets to her little bungalow. As she pulled up to the side of the house, she looked at the porch and tried to envision it through his eyes. Did he see an old frame building in a crowded neighborhood with hardly any yard and even less parking? Or did he see it the way she saw it—a piece of history kept intact by loving hands throughout the years.

She loved the pale yellow clapboard siding and the tiny front porch with barely enough room for a wooden swing and a high backed rocker. Even in November, the area had pots filled with blooming petunias and hibiscus. The oak tree that snuggled between her home and the one next door kept the porch shaded in the evenings but allowed the morning sun to warm her porch.

Anna Marie watched Doug look over her home as he got out of the car. “This is exactly
what I envisioned your place to look like,” he said as he closed the white gate behind him.

“Really?”

“Yeah, really.
I love it and I love this area. If I lived in this city, this is the street I’d be on. It’s a page from the past.”

She unlocked her door. “Come on in. I hope you like the inside as much as the outside. It’s tiny, but it’s all I need.” She put her purse down on the side table. “Feel free to look around while I take a minute to freshen up.”

Leaving him in her parlor, she headed into her bedroom and realized that she was almost giddy from the excitement of having Doug in town. She ripped off her blouse and pulled a light sweater out of her dresser drawer. In one quick movement, she had it on.

Within ten minutes she felt as if she were presentable enough to go into a lounge or a restaurant so with a long gulp of air, she opened her door to find Doug looking at the mantel.

“I’m told that wood came from an old plantation home that the original owners of this house also owned. They used this house to spend time in the city.”

He ran his hand along the carved mahogany length,
then
turned around with a smile on his face. “This is great. I’m thoroughly impressed.”

“I’m so glad you like it. I just love it here.”

Doug looked as if he would say something else, but instead simply stepped away from the mantel. “Ready?”

She grabbed her purse and let him guide her out the front door. The feel of his hand on her lower back reminded her once again of how much she missed by living alone. For so long she’d convinced herself she didn’t need a man in her life. That she was capable of taking care of herself. And she was. She had a beautiful little home close to the Garden District. She was part owner of one of the biggest design companies in New Orleans, and she was on top of her world.

But walking alongside of Doug made her remember the things she didn’t want to remember, like having a man escort you down the stairs just because he cares enough to keep you safe. She didn’t need him to do that, but she liked it.

Liked it a lot.

CHAPTER
14

Anna Marie walked in silence listening to Doug comment on her neighborhood. Just as on all the other occasions she’d been with him, she didn’t feel the need to talk or to try to impress him.

She liked that feeling. She wondered what he thought about their time together. He didn’t say much that was personal.

“Did you happen to watch any of the
tournament
on TV?”

Surprised that she wasn’t listening to him, she came out of her reverie, one that was going to ruin her night if she let it continue.

“No, I haven’t been home long enough during the week to even turn on the TV.”

He turned toward her, his smile nearly knocking her off her feet.

“You’re forgiven. You didn’t miss much. I wasn’t that great.”

“Excuse me? Didn’t you tell me your score was sixty-eight? I think that’s a pretty darn good score.”

“Everyone who plays with me can score sixty-eight in any tournament. That’s not a winning score. Needless to say, I didn’t win.”

“Humph. If I scored sixty-eight, I’d be shouting it to the stars.”

“But you’re not supposed to score that. I’m not either, for that matter. I’m supposed to score a lot less.”

He opened the door to his rental SUV and she scooted in. Every time she’s been with Doug, he always opened the door for her, making her feel special.

“So, where would you like to eat?
”
He turned in his seat to ask, and she realized that it didn’t matter where they went as long as they spend the evening together. “Someplace nice and quiet,” she finally said, “I’m much too tired to fight a crowd.”

“That sounds good to me too.” He pulled out into the slow flow of traffic. “Just direct me, and I’ll obey your every whim.”

She smiled at his choice of words. She bit her lip and hoped her body would cooperate tonight. It wasn’t like her to get excited about sitting next to a man, but tonight she was. She blamed it on the adrenaline high she’d been running on all week at work.

Not far from her own street, she showed him where to park. Happy to get out of the closeness of the car, she inhaled a big gulp of fresh air as soon as she stepped on the sidewalk.

Keeping up a pleasant, casual conversation to cover her case of nerves, she took him to a small lounge away from the crowds on Bourbon Street, but still having the charm of the French Quarter.

“I like to come here,” she said. “It’s quiet and the service and food are great.”

“Sounds good.”

They walked through a wrought iron gate that led into a dimly lit entry,
then
stepped down two worn stone steps. He stopped just inside the bar area and looked around. “Quaint. I like this.”

They took their seats at a table tucked against a wall across from the bandstand where an elderly piano player fingered a quiet melody that was somewhere between the blues and jazz. When he opened his mouth to sing, the talking in the bar stopped and everyone looked at the man.

Anna Marie slid into her seat and let his mellow notes take away her weariness. She looked over at Doug who was staring at her. “What?”