Page 37 of Christmas On Anchor Island

Henri had given this woman enough chances to break her heart. “What if she wants to tell me to stay out of her life?”

“She wouldn’t have you drive halfway across the island for that,” Callie said. “Go see what she wants. You’re leaving tomorrow anyway, right? If nothing else, take this chance to tell her goodbye.”

Seven minutes later, Henri was pulling up to the dark storefront, as requested. A figure stepped around the side of the building, hands in her pockets as she stepped into the moonlight. Taking a deep breath, Henri stepped out of the car and braced for what was to come. She couldn’t remember ever feeling so vulnerable and fully expected this to be a gently delivered farewell.

“Thanks for coming,” Mia said as Henri approached. “I know it’s late.”

Henri wanted to get this over with. “Why am I here?”

Mia held out her open hand. “You gave me a present. Now I want to give one to you.”

This was a change from earlier in the day. “Did you talk to Nota?”

“I promise, I’ll tell you everything.” Hand still open, she said, “Just come inside.”

Surrendering—for now—she took the offering and let Mia lead her around the side of the building. “Is this where you kill me and turn me into fish food?”

“You have a vivid imagination,” she said, which didn’t really answer the question.

“Writer’s curse.”

They reached a door on the side of the building that Henri had never noticed before. “What is this?”

“My workshop. Lola knew I needed a place to work on projects I couldn’t do at home, and she offered me a room here.”

Mia used the light on her phone to see to unlock the door, and once inside, she flipped a switch off to the right. The light was nearly blinding after being outside in the dark.

“Sorry, I should have warned you. I work at night a lot so I had extra fixtures added.”

“Did you steal them from an airport runway?” Henri asked, holding her free hand up to block the glare.

She tossed the keys on a long wooden table. “You’ll get used to it.” With a tug, she said, “Your present is over here.”

The room wasn’t big, but the soaring ceiling made it feel larger than it was. Paint cans, easels, and stained rags covered the table with the keys and another against the left wall. Mia dragged her to the far corner, to an impressive-sized piece hidden beneath a gray cloth.

“I finished this last month, but I wasn’t sure what to do with it,” she said, running a hand along the covering.

“Then you didn’t make it specifically for me?”

Mia met her gaze. “You were the inspiration, but I didn’t know if I’d see you again. Or if you’d want anything from me when you did come back.”

“I’ll always want something from you,” Henri admitted, and she wasn’t talking about a Christmas gift.

The other woman blushed and turned away. “That’s good to know.” Gripping the material, she said, “Here we go.”

The gray cloth was whipped away to reveal a navy-blue statue that took Henri’s breath away. More than a foot tall, the sculpture featured two female figures entwined, heads thrown back in ecstasy, their eyes closed. The movement of the piece made it appear as if their long hair was blowing in the wind, and Henri wouldn’t have been surprised to see the figure come alive and move.

“Mia, it’s gorgeous.”

“Do you think so?” she asked, self-doubt clear in her tone. “I thought maybe I should have gone with a different color.”

“No,” Henri assured her. “This blue is perfect.” She leaned closer, taking in the tiny details. A dimple in one woman’s cheek. The curve of a hip. “Can I turn it?”

“Go ahead.”

With careful movements, she examined the piece from every angle. Then she saw it. “Is that…”

“The quill tattoo on your right shoulder,” Mia answered. “Yeah.”

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