Free Just a Wish Away by Barbara Freethy Page A

will. There was no doubt about that. "Did they tell you when you might be able to go home?" she asked.
    "The doctor thinks I should stay a couple of days," Phoebe said with annoyance. "I don't know why. I can sleep at home same as I can sleep here."
    "Well, you need to do what the doctor says."
    "He's young," Phoebe said. "How much could he know?"
    "More than you, Aunt Phoebe. You need to listen to him. I'm taking care of the shop for you, so you don't have to worry about that."
    "Evie told me you were unpacking for me. You don't have to do that, Alexa."
    "I want to. Every new piece is a discovery. It's fun."
    Her aunt let out a weary sigh. "You sound just like me."
    As her aunt's voice drifted away, Alexa debated her options. She wanted to ask some questions, but despite her aunt's confident attitude, she still didn't look well. Then again, they needed some answers, and waiting might only make things worse. "Aunt Phoebe, do you remember what happened when you went to the antique store night before last?"
    "I don't," she said with a sigh. "Everyone keeps asking, and I try to remember, but it's all shadows in my mind."
    "What do you remember?" Braden asked. "Start with how you got there. Did you drive?"
    "I did drive. I parked in back like I always do," she said.
    "So you went in the back door?" Braden continued.
    Her aunt nodded. "Yes."
    "What happened next?" Braden asked.
    Alexa watched as her aunt's brows knit together. She liked the way Braden was taking it slow, one step at a time. And he was so calm, so patient. She could see that his approach was helping her aunt to relax.
    "I put my purse down on the desk in the back room." Her gaze narrowed. "Oh, dear, I bet it's still there."
    "I'll look for it when I go back and I'll bring it to you," Alexa said.
    "Thank you. There's no cash, but I do have my credit cards in it."
    "After you set your purse down, what did you do?" Braden asked, bringing Phoebe back to the subject at hand.
    "I grabbed the first box by the back door and took it into the office."
    "Why did you do that?" Alexa asked. "Why not just unpack in the storeroom?"
    "It was in my way. I couldn't even get into the showroom. So I thought I'd put some of the smaller boxes in the office. I was going to make a nice, orderly stack. I do love things organized. It's so much easier to find everything. Whenever I get a delivery, I have to unpack it right away. It just bothers me so much to have boxes sitting around."
    "Then what?" Braden asked, obviously sensing that her aunt was getting off track.
    "I heard a noise," Phoebe said, looking a little surprised. "I just remembered that. Something broke. It sounded like glass. I stepped into the showroom and I was about to turn on the lights when something bright flashed in my eye. I think I saw the shadow of someone. Maybe he had a flashlight."
    Alexa caught her breath, watching her aunt wrestle with her memory.
    Phoebe's frown grew deeper. "I don't know what happened next. I feel like I might have screamed, but I don't know if that was just in my head." She paused. "Then I woke up here in the hospital. I guess I hit my head on the counter or something." Her aunt's voice rose. "Or did someone hit me? Who would do that?"
    "You don't need to think about that," Alexa said quickly. As much as she wanted information, she didn't want her aunt to stress herself out, and it was clear she was becoming agitated. "We don't need to talk about this anymore."
    Her words did little to reassure her aunt. "I've just never had anything like this happen before," Phoebe said. "And I don't know what was stolen. My assistant won't be back until Monday, so it's frustrating not knowing what I've lost."
    "I know you didn't have a chance to look through the boxes that you received from the Wellbourne estate," Braden said, "but did you have any idea what he was sending you? Do you think there were some valuable items included?"
    "Everything I sell in my store has value," Phoebe replied. "But if you're