Sara looked up and smiled. “Tell me about her, about the two of you. When did you meet?”
“Lizzie and I were together forty years, more or less. We met right here on the island.” He got a faraway look in his eyes. “She meant everything to me.”
“Why didn’t you marry her?”
He laughed, but it had a bitter sound to it. “She wouldn’t marry me, Sara. She didn’t want to get married again unless Gwen approved.”
“Mother didn’t like you?”
“That child hated me from day one and I never understood why. I always figured she wanted her own daddy to come home to her.” He sighed. “She never gave me a chance.”
“I’ve never heard my mother speak of her father. Hell, I’ve never even seen a picture of him.”
“Lizzie told me he ran out on them right after she had Gwen. I don’t think the child ever met him.” Karl slid down to the floor and leaned back against the table leg. “She had just turned ten when Lizzie brought me here. That child could get into more mischief than any kid I’d ever known. She put everything she had into trying to drive me away, but Lizzie would have none of it. That woman made it her goal in life to make us a family.”
“What finally happened? I mean, I know that Mother left to go to a boarding school when she turned sixteen.”
“Yeah, she was one unhappy young lady.” Karl looked up and smiled. “Not just with me, mind you, but unhappy being on an island without any friends.” He grinned wickedly. “Specifically, boyfriends. After talking it over, I agreed with Lizzie that it might be best to give into her demands and let her go away to school. Lizzie had been home schooling her up to that point.”
“And that made her happy?”
Karl snorted. “I’m not really sure Gwen’s ever been happy, or even capable of being happy.” He looked at Sara apologetically. “Sorry, kid. I forget that she’s your mother.”
“No apology necessary.” Sara sighed. “I’ve never known her to be happy either.” She was quiet in thought for a moment. “You never said how you met Grandmother. Where do you come from?”
He looked uncomfortable for just a moment. “Well, I’m from a place called Rysm, which I already know you’re gonna say you’ve never heard of. When Lizzie called for me, I was in a bad way. I had lost my wife and son in an accident and just wanted to start my life over. She gave me that chance and I’ll always love her for it.”
“Did you always stay here with Grandmother, or did you get to travel when you were younger?”
“No traveling, it just wasn’t possible. We spent our life on this island, happy right up to the end.”
“You look wistful. Did you want to travel with her?”
Karl looked away and brushed at his eyes. “I always wanted her to come to Rysm, but she wouldn’t leave Gwen here alone.”
“That’s sad, Karl. I’m sorry you didn’t get to show Grandmother your home. You said you’re leaving here in the morning. Are you going home?”
“I’m not rightly sure, girl. My time here’s up, but whether I end up back home or not is anybody’s guess at this point. I didn’t really wanna go on without her here. It’s time for me to move on.”
Sara walked over to stare out the window. “I don’t understand any of this, Karl. Grandmother said she was leaving me her magic, but she didn’t explain what it meant.” She turned to look at him. “Do you know what she meant by her magic?”
Karl stood and walked over to take her hands in his. “You have to find the magic in yourself, Sara. It’s there, deep inside you just waiting to help you find happiness. Don’t be afraid to embrace it.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope. “Lizzie wanted you to have this letter, but I’m supposed to tell you not to read it until after the reading of her will. Will you promise me to do that?”
Sara stared at the letter from her grandmother and swallowed hard. She slowly held out her hand. “I promise.”
“Be happy, little Sara.” Karl bent and placed a kiss on her cheek, then turned and walked toward the door.
“Wait, where’re you going?”
He turned and smiled. “It’s time for me to move on, little girl. I’ve fulfilled my promises to Lizzie so I can leave this place a happy man.” His eyes narrowed as he gave her a shrewd look. “Now it’s time for you to find your happiness, and don’t you let anyone stand in your way.”
Before Sara could say anything, he walked out the door. She thought for a moment and realized it was silly for him to leave before the memorial service. “Karl, wait,” she yelled as she ran to the door. Surprised to find the hall empty, she rushed down the steps in an attempt to catch him. Still not seeing him at the bottom of the stairs, she walked to the front door and stepped outside.
“Is everything all right, Miss?”
Sara turned around at the sound of Elias’s voice. “Yeah, everything’s fine. Did you happen to see Karl come this way?”
“No, Miss, I didn’t, but he did say he was leaving this evening. Perhaps he’s already gone.”
Frowning, Sara stared toward the jungle path. “I guess you’re right, but he sure did leave in hurry.”
“I wanted to ask if you or your family need anything before I leave.”
“You’re leaving?” Sara couldn’t keep the anxiety out of her voice.
“Don’t worry, you’re perfectly safe here. I’m heading back to the mainland for the night. I’ll be bringing Mr. Aames back with me in the morning.”
“And Mr. Aames is Grandmother’s attorney? The one who’s going to go over her will?”
“Yes, Miss. Mr. Clinton Aames to be precise.”
“Is he coming for the memorial as well?”
Elias looked uncomfortable. “About the memorial…”
“What about it?” Sara didn’t like the way he wouldn’t meet her eyes.
“There isn’t actually a formal memorial planned. It was Elizabeth’s wish that the family gathers and have a quiet time on the beach to remember her by. I had thought that the three of you could take care of that after your breakfast and then you’d be ready to listen to all the legal jargon by lunch time.”
Sara laughed, pleased to see the relief flow over his features. “That’s perfect, Elias, more than perfect. My mother hates funerals and Bart never met my grandmother. It’s much easier on everyone if we can just be left to our own thoughts.”
“Excellent! Then I’m going to be taking off. I’d rather not start any later so I can dock before nightfall. You’ll find dinner in the oven and I set the timer so that it would be warmed for you to eat around six o’clock.”
“Thank you, that’s very thoughtful of you. I hope you have a safe trip back and we’ll look forward to seeing you tomorrow.”
“Thank you, Miss.” Elias began walking down the path.
“Elias, wait.” Sara waited for him to turn around. “Are you taking all of us back to the mainland after the reading of the will?”
“Well, I guess that depends on what the will says. I know Mr. Aames is going back because he has a late plane to catch. I figured we would wait on your plans until after the reading. I was under the impression that you came prepared to stay at least one more night.”
“You’re right, we did. I just thought if it was possible for us to travel with you we could all get back to our lives faster.”
“Are you in that much of a hurry to get back, Sara?”
“No, I’m not in a hurry.” The truth of that statement surprised Sara.
“Then let’s just wait and see what happens tomorrow.” Elias turned and disappeared in the trees.
Feeling restless, Sara strolled around the side of the house, thinking a walk might clear her head. She cried out in delight at the carpet of color strewn across the lawn. There were so many different kinds of flowers in every color in the rainbow. Bright reds, oranges and golds mixed with pastel pinks, yellows and blues beset her eyes. Sun-dappled leaves glittering with drops of water from the sprinklers weaved among the colors. Stan
ding in the center of all that beauty stood a small gazebo.
Carefully, Sara made her way along the stepping stone walkway to the small, lattice structure. Inside hung a swing and she promptly sat down and began to move back and forth. Closing her eyes, she inhaled deeply, taking in the sweet flower perfume along with the smell of damp earth. She could hear the wind through the leaves and felt her hair blowing around her face. The sounds of birds calling and small animals skittering through the foliage pierced the air around her. She glanced around and saw several bird feeders at the edge of the garden, birdseed scattered on the ground below. “This is a real paradise. It’s no wonder Grandmother never wanted to leave. I don’t wanna leave.” So caught up in her enjoyment of the garden, Sara didn’t hear footsteps approaching.
“What are you doing out here all alone?”
Startled, Sara swung around. “Bart, you scared the life out of me. I didn’t hear you walk up.”
“You didn’t answer my question. What are you doing out here?”
Sara watched as he walked into the Gazebo and joined her on the swing. “I’m not doing anything but enjoying the view. Don’t you think it’s beautiful here?”
He looked around, his eyes narrowed. “Yes, it’s very beautiful. It would make a perfect vacation paradise.”
Feeling pleasantly surprised, Sara turned and took his hand in hers. “You think you’d like to come back here with me for a romantic vacation?”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Sara. It’s much too far away from our home to be of any use to us. You’d need a vacation just to recover from the trip here and back. I’m thinking about how much money your mother could sell this place for. There are people who would pay a fortune for a private island like this in a tropical paradise. Do you think she would be interested in letting me find a buyer for it?”
Releasing his hand, Sara sat back in her seat and tried not to let her disappointment overwhelm her. “I have no idea, Bart. You’d have to discuss it with her.”
“I’ll do that, tomorrow after the will’s read. Do you know what time the lawyer will be here?”
“According to Elias, sometime around noon. He’s already left for the mainland.”
“We’re having the memorial service first?”
“No, not exactly.” Sara proceeded to fill him in on the personal time meant to be a memorial planned for the morning.
“That’s perfect. I’m sure you and your mother will excuse me from participating since I didn’t know the lady. I can spend that time on some conference calls for some cases I have coming up. If they get the reading done quickly, maybe we could be back at the airport heading home by tomorrow night.”
“Elias isn’t expecting to take us back to the mainland until day after tomorrow.”
“I don’t care what he’s expecting. He’s being paid to do a job and we’ll go back when I’m ready.”
Sara sighed and snuggled close to Bart’s side. She leaned up and kissed his cheek, then ran her hand down his chest. “Don’t you feel romantic in a place like this? Doesn’t it make you want to make love on the beach?” She tried to pull his head down for a kiss only to have him pull away from her hands.
“What’s gotten into you, Sara? We’re here with your mother who’s probably watching us out the window as I speak.” He glared down at her. “We talked about this and we agreed to hold off on our relationship until after the wedding.”
“You decided, but I didn’t agree, Bart. We’re thousands of miles away from home, without your son in the next room, in a romantic Garden of Eden. How can you not be romantic in a place like this?”
“Romance has its place, but not at somebody’s funeral. We’ll have our romantic honeymoon after the wedding.”
She could see his anger building and her courage drained away. “I’m sorry, Bart, you’re right. We’re here for a reason and I should stick to the plan.”
“That’s my good girl,” he soothed. “We’ll have a good life together, Sara, if you just give it a chance.”
“I know and I am sorry.” She let out a shaky breath. “So, you haven’t told me where this romantic honeymoon is gonna take place.”
“I’d planned on it being a surprise, but I guess it would be better to let you know so you pack the appropriate wardrobe.” He smiled, a look of utter satisfaction coming over his face. “I’ve been offered a chance to second chair a civil rights case in Houston. I know what you’re going to say, that I’m a corporate attorney and you’re correct. My friend and former school mate, Alex Walson, is the head attorney and he’s asked me to come in with him.” He turned and looked at Sara. “It’s a news-making case, Sara. It’ll make national headlines and we’ll be right in the thick of it. I’ve already passed the bar exam for Texas.”
“We’re going to Texas so you can try a case for our honeymoon?” Sara hated the indignation in her voice.
“Houston is a great place for a honeymoon. There are plenty of sites for you to take in during the day and we’ll be together most evenings. I’m sure there will be a few working strategy dinners for the case, but it won’t be every night.”
“I see,” Sara choked out.
“It’ll be great, I promise. You’ll get to meet a lot of interesting, important people. It’s the chance of a lifetime for us. It could really advance my career.”
Sara blinked back her tears. “You’re right. It’s a great opportunity for you. I’d never want you to miss out on something like that.”
“That’s the spirit, my dear.” He reached over and kissed her cheek before he stood. “What’s for dinner?”
“I don’t honestly know. Elias said he left it warming in the oven and it would be ready by six.”
He glanced at his watch. “Well it’s nearly six now so I’m going to check it out. I’ll get things started while you go wake your mother. Instead of waiting until morning, I’m going to feel her out about letting me broker a sale of the island for her while we eat.”
Sara watched him walk away and had to bite her lip to keep from screaming.
I’m leaving you my magic so you can create your own happiness. Anything you can imagine is possible. Reach for your dreams with your gift.
Sara could hear her grandmother’s voice in her head. “But how, Grandmother? How do I make my dreams come true?”
Chapter 3
Sara walked into her grandmother’s bedroom and closed the door, fighting the urge to slam it shut. Dinner with her mother and Bart had been a true test of her patience. The casserole Elias provided had too much fat, the iced tea had too much sugar and dessert should’ve been skipped all together. And to top the evening off, she had to listen to Bart trying to charm her mother into selling the island so he could earn a stupid commission.
“Where’s a damn Domino’s when you need them?” Sara walked over to her suitcase and lifted it to the bed. Unzipping it quickly, she placed the letter from her grandmother on top of her clothes and then dug around in the side pocket and pulled out a Snickers bar. Smiling, she peeled back the paper and took a huge bite. Groaning softly, she let the chocolate endorphins flood her system, taking away the stress of the evening.
Finishing off her candy quickly, Sara pulled her clothes from the bag and walked over to the closet. The squeak of the door hinges sent chills up her back as she pulled open the door. Inside, her grandmother’s clothes hung neatly on metal hangers, her bathrobe hanging on a hook in the door. Several pairs of shoes lined up in a neat row under the dresses with a basket sitting at the end. Sara checked the contents and discovered a pile of orphaned socks, no two matching. Laughing, she pushed the clothes aside to make room to hang her own things. The sound of the hangers sliding along the bar sounded loud in the small enclosure. Turning, she took down the hanging robe and held it to her nose.
“Is this what you smelled like, Grandmother?” The scent was a combination of perfume, soap and powder. It made her think of warm hugs and kisses. Smiling, she took the robe and laid it on the bed. Not wasting any time, she
stripped off her clothes and bundled the soft, terrycloth garment around her. Pushing all the pillows off onto the floor, she pulled back the bed covers and then walked over and turned out the overhead light. Softly, her feet bare on the braided rug, she padded back over to the bed and sat down.
“Did you share this bed with Karl?” She ran her hand over the silky, clean sheets. “Did you share a great passion with him?” Sara began to unbraid her hair, thinking about the last time she’d slept with Bart. “Grandmother, do you think I’ll ever have passion?” She snorted. “Not if I marry Bart.”
Sara walked over to the dresser and picked up her grandmother’s hairbrush. She slowly began to comb her long hair. It fell several inches past her shoulders now. The feel of it against her neck always made her feel feminine when it hung loose.
Use your gift, Sarafina. The magic is in your gift.
“Grandmother?” Sara looked around the room with a frown on her face. “If you came to me in Atlanta, is it so strange to think you’d come to me here, in your own house? Where are you when I need you?” Getting no response, she put down the brush and went to lie down on the bed. “Help me, Grandmother. I don’t know what to do.” Getting no response, Sara closed her eyes and succumbed to the exhaustion of her long day.
Sara looked around and wondered how she came to be on the beach dressed in her nightgown. The sand felt warm under her bare feet, the breeze softly caressing her face. The moon was bright and round in the sky, seeming to shine directly on her beach.
She had just begun to walk toward the house when she caught a movement from the corner of her eye. She looked down the beach and stumbled to a halt, her eyes widening, her mouth going dry. A man walked slowly toward her, the most handsome man she’d ever seen. He looked close to six feet tall with dark hair and broad shoulders. Dressed only in a pair of shorts, she could see the smattering of dark hair across his chest that narrowed down his abdomen and disappeared beneath his waistband. His thighs were large and muscular, framing the bulge of his erection clearly outlined beneath his shorts. She raised her eyes to his and saw the face of a predator, a man with a mission. She trembled as he came near, close enough for her to see the blue of his eyes.
The Magic in her Gift Page 3