Enchanted By a Pirate (The Enchanted After Thirty #2)

Chapter 1

1

A nna lovingly stroked the yellow pansy petal. The delicate flower bloomed so beautifully. Her boss had told her to throw out all the pansies because they were no longer marketable. What nonsense. All it took was more patience and time than the boss allowed the garden department employees. And the right touch, of course.

"Anna? Are you here?"

Anna gently felt the thickness of the leaves and stem, unaware she was being called. "Your life is far from over. Just because your vigor can't be seen now doesn't mean it isn't hidden deep within you. I'll take care of you."

"Oh, there you are."

Anna jumped and placed her hand over her chest. Her co-worker and friend Nele was standing over her. "You startled me."

"Were you talking to the plants again?" Her friend chuckled and brushed a brown strand of hair out of her face. "I've never known anyone like you. You'd waste the entire day if I didn't snap you out of your flower trance every now and then."

Anna grinned. "I just like plants."

"That much is obvious."

"What are you doing in the warehouse? Do you need something or are you just here to give me grief because it's been a while since we've gone somewhere after hours?"

Nele pouted. "That's true, but that's not why I came. Marion and Heiko called in sick and now we're a teller short. The boss told me to fill in, but I haven't finished with the fruit trees yet. Can you take care of them?"

Anna's bright blue eyes lit up. "What a question. Of course I'll take care of them." As if she had ever refused to look after plants. She felt as responsible for them as if they were her children.

Nele raised her hand so that Anna could see her watch. "Even though you've been off the clock for half an hour?"

Anna furrowed her brow, which, like the rest of her face, was covered in freckles. "What…? It's already half past four? I had no idea."

"Oh well… Will you still do it?"

Of course she would. But she had to use this opportunity to ask for a favor in return. "Okay, because it's you. But in return, I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't pester me about going out on blind dates for one month."

"One month? The clock is ticking and we're not getting any younger."

Always in a hurry. Anna had no interest in going hunting for a man. She was romantically inclined and firmly convinced that a man had to conquer a woman. She wanted to be wooed and courted, not checked out at the bar like a teenager. She was definitely past that age. Anna looked at her friend with feigned indifference. "Your choice."

Nele rolled her eyes. "Okay, lazybones. As soon as the sun goes down, you curl up and start snoring. Only people who are retired do that."

"I like to sleep. So?"

"All right then. But in exactly one month, I'll ask again."

Anna rolled her eyes. "Naturally. Now let's get you to the register before the boss gives you an earful."

Nele saluted jokingly. Over her shoulder, she called out "Thank you" before disappearing between the flowerpots and stacks of humus and soil bags.

Anna marveled at the pansies' radiance one last time, then placed them carefully to one side so that no fool would come knocking them over and deprive them of this second chance at life. Then she left the warehouse and headed to aisle seven, where the fruit trees were on sale.

The home improvement center was slowly filling up, as was to be expected for a Friday afternoon. Many people would finish work early and go to buy a few plants or deckchairs. The gardening season was well underway, which was why there were more customers roaming the aisles than there had been a few weeks ago.

While Anna was cutting the individual wilted blossoms off the branches of an orange tree, Helene came around the corner. "Anna, that was you with the pansies, right?"

Anna merely nodded as she continued working.

"How do you do it? People always say I have a green thumb, but since you've been here, I've started to doubt my skills."

"Oh, that's nonsense. I'm just lucky."

"It happens too often to be luck. Where did you gain all your knowledge about plants?"

Anna shrugged. She simply knew and sensed what the plants needed. Sometimes, she believed the flowers told her what they needed through their thoughts — but that was nonsense, of course. "I've been working with you for a few years now and I've learned and tried out a lot."

Helene laughed and tugged the knot on her green apron tighter. "I've been working here for over fifteen years. Well, it doesn't matter. The main thing is that you stay with us and the flowers. But now it's time for you to go home. I'll get the fruit trees ready."

"But I… "

"You're already off the clock and have better things to do, right?"

Not really, but her co-worker didn't need to know that. "Thanks." She threw the wilting flowers into the compost bin and wiped her hands on her green apron. Now she had to start her weekend.

Half an hour later, Anna was strolling through the park. Her top-floor apartment was tiny and didn't have a balcony, so she spent the sunny afternoon outside. She released the messy bun on the top of her head, allowing her reddish-blonde strands to tumble over her shoulders. She inhaled deeply. It smelled like a freshly mown meadow, and even the scent of the lilac growing several yards away by the small pond filled her nose.

She strolled leisurely along the gravel path toward the pond as she pushed up the sleeves of her blouse and smiled. Butterflies were flitting around the lilac bush and settling on its first blossoms while Anna sat on the park bench and turned her face toward the sun with her eyes closed. This would give her even more freckles, but that was just the way it was. Nele always said it made her look much younger than she was, but it was just people who didn't have pesky freckles all over their faces who said things like that. As a teenager, her friends had urged her to wear makeup so that she could go to the club before her eighteenth birthday. But Anna liked her freckles and always refused. They were a part of her, just like her short stature and her penchant for glittery dresses and tales of royalty.

She heard a whisper in her ear, which startled her out of her reverie. However, there wasn't anybody next to her. Strange. Anna glanced around the area to see if anyone was nearby, but there were just a few other park visitors and they were far away, so none of them could have whispered anything to her.

Shrugging, she returned to her sunbathing. She drew her legs up, wrapped her arms around them, and with her eyes closed, enjoyed the warmth of the rays on her skin. A loud "Help!" made her jump. She quickly stood up and looked around, but it didn't appear that either the elderly gentleman walking his poodle nor the two students sitting on the grass drinking coffee had shouted for help. Perhaps it was one of the children on the playground? One girl was swinging rather high. Then again, it didn't sound like the cry of a child, but rather like that of a grown woman.

Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, she settled back on the park bench, though now she could no longer enjoy the spring day. She sat there wide-eyed, her gaze searching the winding paths and tulip beds for someone who needed help or was playing tricks on her. Even though she didn't spot anyone, her relaxed mood was gone.

She tilted her head, her gaze wandering to the lilac shrub's purple flowers. The scent was heavenly and she deeply inhaled the familiar sweetness. If anything would help her to relax, it was the delicate scent of a flower. But then, all of a sudden there was another scent mingled with it. This smell, however, didn't calm her — no, it made her heart beat faster with excitement.

Frowning, she peered upward. What was it?

She wrinkled her nose as she tried to place it. Slowly, she rose and followed the scent. It was definitely a flower, but why couldn't she think of the name of the plant? She knew them all and could recognize each one by its scent alone. Why not this one?

In deep concentration, she followed the scent of the flower across the meadow, all the way to the border where tall spruce trees were stretching their crowns toward the blue sky. In their shade grew flowers with delicate pink blossoms. When Anna recognized them, she heard a loud rustling.

Anemone nemorosa, also known as thimbleweed.

Suddenly, Anna felt woozy and the ground gave way under her feet, enveloping her in an unfathomable darkness. Images assaulted her: a ship, lots of glittering dust, a woman screaming for help. Then, Anna plummeted. As she tumbled downward, her stomach grew queasy and she tried to scream, but no sound emerged. She fell deeper and deeper into infinity until somebody grabbed her by the shoulder. The blackness faded instantly.

Dazed, Anna blinked. An elderly gentleman was squatting beside her, shaking her shoulder while his poodle sniffed her sneakers.

"Are you all right, miss? Do you want me to call an ambulance?" The strong smell of rubbing alcohol on him filled her nose and brought her out of her daze.

"Uh? What?" Anna cleared her throat. "I mean what happened?"

"You fainted. Have you been drinking?"

Anna shook her head. "No, I'm fine."

"Are you sure? You were unconscious." Anna nodded and the gentleman leaned on his cane and rose to his feet, groaning. His hands were shaking. "I was out for a stroll when I saw you collapse for no apparent reason. So, I thought I'd better check on you."

"Thank you, that was kind of you. But I'm fine now." She rubbed her arm, which hurt a little. She'd probably just fallen on it. Since the gentleman made no move to leave, she stood and brushed the spruce needles off her blouse and jeans. The man seemed reassured and spoke to her again.

"Well, thank goodness it was nothing serious. Goodbye. Come on, Bonny, we're no longer needed here." With difficulty, he continued on his stroll with his dutiful poodle panting behind him.

Meanwhile, Anna directed her attention back to the anemones that she had collapsed next to. She had never fainted before. Had the smell of the blossoms triggered the flood of images and the fainting spell? Had it awakened some memories? Perhaps reminded her of a movie? But no matter how hard she tried to recall everything she'd seen, the images slipped away like an elusive dream. Perhaps the images didn't mean anything at all and had only been a part of her stupor. Maybe she just imagined she'd seen something.

Lost in thought, she walked back to the gravel path when a loud jingle jolted her out of her reverie. The ice cream man was pushing his cart into the park, his bell beckoning those with a sweet tooth. Smiling, Anna headed straight for him. Though she still had to shop for groceries, a scoop of lemon ice cream was just what she needed to recover from the scare she'd had.