The Silver Rose Read Free Page A

out of sorts. She wanted to stop them and say,
No! Don’t invite him in!
But she knew such a reaction would only result in questions she wasn’t ready to answer.
    So she held her tongue and said nothing.
    Alanna unhooked her arm from Beth’s eager grasp and, with an indifference Rosa recognized as feigned, reached to unlock the door. In that instant, their guest spun on the heels of his highly polished black leather boots and strode down the hill to the corner café, his coat flapping behind him, leaving all three women gasping in surprise. Whether it was a deliberate snub or not, all three were silenced for several long seconds.
    â€œFriendly creature,” Rosa muttered, breaking the unnatural silence.
    â€œA missed opportunity,” Beth nodded in agreement.
    â€œWho for?” Rosa retorted. “Him or us?”
    â€œI think we should showcase him instead of the articles he’s bringing with him.” Alanna licked her lips and rubbed her palms together.
    â€œYou and me both,” Beth responded just as quickly.
    â€œHe’ll be back,” Alanna stated unequivocally.
    â€œOf course he will.” Rosa only hoped, as he was early, he would take his time introducing himself to them.
    Alanna cupped her hands and made a suggestive squeezing action with her fingers. “I have a sudden hankering to sculpt his butt in granite for posterity.”

Chapter Three
    Rosa was grateful for the initial quiet start to the working day after Alanna and Beth left, but then a steady stream of customers started pouring through the door in the hope they might meet Aden, the famous, handsome, and oh, so rich artisan who had chosen the Greenwood Gallery to showcase his work.
    As the day wore on until nearly closing, the influx of visitors never let up, and her mental resources were fully taxed with making polite conversation. A jumbled concoction of stories eagerly imparted by gossiping acquaintances mutated into the stuff of fairy tales, but one story persisted. Aden was asking questions about them all and, in particular, about Rosa. What exactly did Aden want to know about her? And why?
    She checked her watch. He wouldn’t come now. It was ten minutes to closing, and the day had all but sucked dry what was left of Rosa’s remaining energy. She wanted to go home, light the fire, collapse in a heap with a glass of Merlot, and warm herself from the outside in.
    Her skin prickled and she knew that wasn’t to be. There was a shift in the energy fields of the gallery and then Aden strode into view. This time he didn’t stand and stare. This time, without hesitation, he pushed the door open, bringing with him an icy blast of wind and a flurry of crisp autumn leaves.
    Rosa swallowed back a mix of fear and anticipation. Her heart skipped an erratic beat in her chest and then upped its tempo. She had known she would have to face Aden eventually but had hoped it wouldn’t be when she was so frazzled, so tired and out-of-sorts. His commanding energy swirled wildly about him, his aura a seething mass of spectacular color, and suddenly the spacious gallery was far too small to accommodate both of them.
    Rosa lifted her hair off the back of her neck. It felt heavy and wasn’t helping her headache any. She twirled it into a long coil and with a brief whisper of a spell it felt lighter. The relief was immeasurable.
    It was astonishing he did not belong to the magical fraternity. How could one with so much power, so much potential, be human only?
    Rosa pasted an artificial smile of welcome on her lips. “You’re lucky to find us open. I was just about to lock up.” His earlier snub rankled, and the increasing throb behind her eyes pained her. It was rude not to acknowledge who he was, but she wasn’t feeling particularly friendly right now. “Perhaps you’d care to come back tomorrow to view the exhibits when the light is better.”
    Dressed in a polo-necked black