Love Makes the Difference (Sully Point Book 1) (23 page)

"Not at all. I could probably get more, but it is your
first showing."

"Now I'm nervous all over again."

Sam put an arm around her shoulder. "Don't think about
the money, let's just enjoy the evening."

Frank and Cody arrived, dressed in new suits that Holly had
provided. They both looked as shocked as Holly had when they saw the paintings.
Sam and Anna walked up to Frank to discover him looking a painting filled with
light, as tears ran down his cheeks.

"Dad, are you okay? What's wrong?" Anna gasped
out.

"Nothing's wrong, kiddo. It's all right. Your talent--so
like your mother's yet different, all your own. I'm so proud of you, I don't
know what to do."

Sam watched them hug and felt a glow of satisfaction. This
was how life should be, filled with happiness and meaning, and love.

Within the next fifteen minutes the gallery began to fill up
with people. Anna stood with Sam and was introduced over and over again by
Stanley. Sam stood behind Anna and could always tell when someone recognized
him. Each time he gave a little shake of his head right when the person would
have said something, and prevented any distraction of interest from Anna to him.

From the bits and pieces of conversation around them, Sam
thought he was hearing a positive reaction to her work. He glanced around and
saw two security team members, dressed in nice suits, standing close to them.
There were others scattered throughout the crowd and near the door.

Stanley whispered something to Anna that made her eyes go
wide. Hmm, a sale? More than one? He leaned forward to ask when a screeching
voice cut through the noise of the gathering.

"Get away from him! I told you that you'd pay and now
you will!"

It was Patrice, in disguise, waving a gun, as the security
team beganlunging for her.

Too late, Sam thought, and dove in front of Anna even as
Patrice fired the gun.

Chapter 13

Anna's world narrowed to her view of Sam's body jerking once
and falling to the floor before her, even as Leo threw her to the ground.

"Let me up! Sam! Oh God, is he hurt? Please let me get
to him."

Leo kept her on the floor for a moment longer, then said, "All
right. Patrice is secured. Police on the way."

Anna scrambled up to her knees to see Sam on the floor
before her, blood staining his suit on the left side.

"Sam, no, please, don't leave me. Hang on, we'll get
help." She looked up at the people around them. Leo was already opening Sam's
shirt to assess the damage.

Looking down at Sam, she cradled his face in her hands, even
as his eyes fluttered open. "There you are, oh Sam I've been so stupid. I
want you to know this--I love you. I love you so much."

Sam looked directly into her eyes and said, "Now you
tell me? Anna, I'm not dying. I think it's just a scratch."

"I don't care. I mean, I do care that you aren't dying.
But that doesn't change what I'm saying." She leaned over and kissed his
mouth gently, hearing in the background the clicking of cell phone cameras. "I've
always loved you. And I always will." She turned to Leo. "Is he
really going to live?"

Leo chuckled. "Yes, it's just a scratch. He'll be fine."

"I love you Sam Carter, and I don't care who knows it."
She waved a hand at the people around them.

"And I love you, too, Anna Grainger." As she
leaned down to kiss him again, she felt his right arm coming up to circle her
neck and pull her down to him. The crowd around them began applauding.

* * * *

The romance of Sam and Anna, and the perfidy of Patrice, was
well-documented in newspapers and online for several weeks after the shooting
at the gallery. Anna's paintings sold like hotcakes at phenomenal prices, while
the public clamored for any news they could get about the couple.

Anna finally suggested they give an interview to a TV show
host, and Sam agreed, hoping it would quell some of the interest. That tactic
apparently backfired and brought them even more fans.

Patrice was locked up in an institution for the criminally
insane. She'd fallen apart completely after trying to kill Anna.

Sully Point was a huge benefactor of the shooting and
subsequent notoriety of Sam and Anna's romance. Tourism that year was huge as
everyone wanted a photo of Anna's building and the place on the beach where Sam's
house had burned down. But the real draw was the bakery. Holly had hired more
help, and no fan felt complete until they'd sampled cookies, muffins, or donuts
from the bakery.

As for Sam and Anna, they disappeared for a while. Sam
rented a villa in Italy and they stayed in seclusion, writing and painting and
loving. Anna remained in touch with her family by phone and Skype, as did Sam. Norm
called Sam regularly to ask about the book's progress, and so that Sam could
yell at him and let off steam. Stanley held another showing of Anna's works
without her and called them reveling in the triumph of the event.

* * * *

Anna stood next to Sam on the beach at Sully Point. No
longer known as Wally's place, the sight of the burned house was now just Sam's
beach house. She looked out at the ocean and a clear blue sky, wispy clouds
high up floating by. "I've missed this place. Italy was wonderful, but I'm
glad we decided to come back here for autumn."

"Are you still okay with the idea of building us a place
here at the beach?" Sam asked as he stood behind her and wrapped his arms
around Anna.

"Yes, I think it will be great. Especially if we make
it larger for my studio. I'll still keep the building with the loft, but I
think I'd like to work out here so close to the elements."

Sam cleared his throat. "Anna, there's something I've
wanted to talk to you about for a while now."

"Hmm? What's that?"

He turned her around to face him. His dark chocolate eyes
looked very serious to her and she wondered what was going on. "The thing
is, love, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I love you madly. Will
you marry me?"

Anna felt her mouth drop open for a moment and then shape
itself into a smile that grew. "Marry you? Yes! Absolutely! Oh Sam!"

As her arms slid up his shoulders, and his encircled her
body, she felt an explosion of happiness inside her. He pulled away after a
long passionate kiss and pulled a box out of his pocket--a Tiffany's box. He
opened it and inside was a ring with an emerald-cut large diamond, surrounded
on either side by actual emeralds.

"To match your eyes," he said softly.

"It's gorgeous," she said. He slipped it onto her
ring finger and it fit perfectly. "Do you think a person can be too happy?"

"Never."

"That's good," she said. "Because I think
this kind of happiness goes on forever."

"Let's start our forever right now."

# # #

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