For a moment, Sara hesitated. “Okay, but I’m Sara, Clinton. She walked over and sat in the chair next to Elias. Calmly, she let her gaze meet Bart’s furious glare before glancing at her mother’s pale face. “Mother, is anything wrong?”
“Can we just get on with it, please?” Gwendolyn looked ready to explode.
“Very well.” Clinton took the remaining chair and opened his briefcase. He slowly pulled out a stack of papers, taking a moment to look each one over briefly. He seemed lost in his own thoughts.
“Well, are you going to tell us something?” Bart’s tenuous control had snapped.
Clinton looked up at Bart and then turned his attention to Gwendolyn. “Mrs. Weller, before I can proceed, I need to know if you want Mr. Everett to remain?”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Bart jumped to his feet. “I’m not going anywhere. What are you trying to pull?”
Clinton kept his eyes trained on Gwendolyn. “Your mother’s will has specific mention of you and your daughter as well as Captain Jacobs. Since Mr. Everett is not mentioned in the document, he’s not entitled legally to be here. He’ll need your permission to remain.”
“That’s, that’s…” Clearly, Bart didn’t have a valid argument.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake, I want him to remain. He’s my legal advisor.”
“Since when?” Sara asked.
Bart narrowed his eyes at Sara as he spoke to Clinton, “You heard her, she wants me here.”
“Very well.” The portly attorney seemed unaffected by the turmoil unfolding around him. “Do you want me to read the entire thing, beginning with I, Elizabeth Weller, being of sound mind? Or, do you prefer that I just give you the highlights of who gets what? I also have copies of the will for all the pertinent people.”
“Just give us the highlights.” Gwendolyn sighed as Bart held out his hand for a copy.
“All right, highlights it is.” He glanced over at Sara, a pleased, satisfied look on his face. “Ms. Danner, you’re to receive the island, everything on it and the contents of Ms. Weller’s three bank accounts.”
“What?” Gwendolyn screamed. “You can’t be serious. My mother left everything to Sara?”
Chapter 4
Sara could hear the whirr of the overhead fan and feel the stirring of air around her face. It amazed her to be aware of such insignificant things as her mother railed at the taciturn attorney. Finally, she’d had enough. “Mother, please, be quiet and let Clinton explain.” Surprised at her own daring, Sara watched her mother’s mouth close, her eyes narrowing, as she sat back down on the sofa.
“Yes, Mr. Aames, please do continue.” Bart had a disturbing, satisfied smirk on his face.
“You’re telling me my own mother didn’t leave me anything?” Gwendolyn asked.
“That’s not what I’m saying at all. With the exception of Mr. Everett, Ms. Weller bequeathed something to each person here.” He picked up the copy of the will he’d dropped when Gwendolyn began screaming. “You’re the sole beneficiary of your mother’s life insurance policies. There are three of them with a combined death benefit of four point two million dollars.”
“What’s the estate’s total worth?” Bart inquired.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Everett. I’m not at liberty to divulge that information to the group. My instructions are to only give the information listed in the will itself. Sara will be given separate documentation letting her know the value of the property and monies she receives. It is her discretion at that point who she shares that information with.”
“Then what does he get?” Gwendolyn nodded toward Elias.
“Elias Jacobs is to be given the title to the Magic Gift free and clear in honor of his years of service and friendship.” Clinton gazed up at Gwendolyn. “I’m authorized to tell you that he already owns fifty percent of the boat. He and Ms. Weller were partners.”
“So, Sara inherits everything else, free and clear?” Bart rose to his feet and went to stand behind Sara’s chair.
“Not exactly.” Clinton looked annoyed at being questioned. “There are stipulations that must be met for Sara to claim her inheritance.”
Sara’s head came up. “What kind of stipulations?”
Clinton gave her an apologetic look. “You’re required to spend seven days here, on the island, beginning tomorrow.”
“I can’t wait around here for another week. Can’t we put it off until this summer so I can rearrange my schedule?” Bart’s voice rose as he walked over to glower down at the smiling attorney.
“I’m afraid you don’t understand, Mr. Everett.”
“What don’t I understand?”
“Sara will have to stay here alone for the next week. That’s what Ms. Weller’s will demands.”
“Alone! I can’t stay here alone. I wouldn’t feel safe.” Sara could feel a tingling up her spine belying her statement.
“What happens to the estate if Sara can’t fulfill Mother’s demands?” Gwendolyn asked.
“If she forfeits, then everything is auctioned off and the money will be donated to several specific charities.” Clinton turned his attention back to Sara. “I didn’t really explain things well enough, Sara. You won’t actually be alone. The will stipulates that you remain here alone, without family. It also requests that Mr. Jacobs, or someone of his choosing, remain in the caretaker’s cottage near the docks during this next week. Either he, or another person, will be responsible for making sure you have supplies and that your time here is spent in safety.”
Bart glanced at Elias. “You’re willing to do this? You’ll stay here with her for a week so she can inherit?”
Sara didn’t give Elias time to answer. “Bart, I can’t stay here for a week no matter who’s willing to stay with me. I’ve got my own job I have to get back to. They’ll have trouble finding a replacement with such short notice.”
“Would you excuse us for just a moment?” Bart took Sara’s arm, pulled her from the chair and then led her out of the room.
“Let go of me,” she whispered, her voice tremulous.
“Listen to me, Sara. This is too good an opportunity for you to mess it up. Think about it, please. You’ve just inherited this island. I’ve already been looking into selling it for your mother.”
“You want me to sell the island?”
“Hell, yes, I want to sell it. Do you have any idea what this place is worth?” At her frown, he tightened his hand on her arm. “It’s going to bring us a fortune, Sara. It’ll make Gwendolyn’s four million look like pocket change.”
“Is money all that matters to you, Bart?”
“Of course not, but money is very important in life. It can make all our dreams come true, Sara. We can have a huge estate built in Atlanta, and vacation homes in France and Italy. With that kind of money, I can cultivate big, moneymaking clients that will advance my position at the firm. Hell, I could conceivably make senior partner. How does Everett, Everson, Adley and Walker sound?”
Like all your dreams would be coming true, but none of mine. I’ve never wanted a big estate or houses in France or Italy. Sara could see the greed in Bart’s eyes and it saddened her. “What do want me to do, Bart?”
“Stay here like your grandmother wanted. Spend the week just relaxing and planning the wedding. Do this for our future, Sara.” Without waiting for her answer, Bart pulled on her arm, leading her back into the study.
Clinton looked up from his papers when they came into the room. “Well, Sara, what’s it going to be?”
Sara glanced at Elias and felt strangely comforted by the smile reflected in his eyes. Sighing, she turned her attention to Clinton. “Okay, I’ll stick around for another week.”
“Excellent,” he beamed. “Then I’ll just get everyone’s signature to show they’ve been notified of the will’s contents and Mr. Jacobs can return the rest of us to the mainland.”
“Wait, I thought he had to stay here with me.” Sara tried to keep the panic from her voice, but didn’t think
she’d succeeded by the compassionate look on Elias’s face.
“Don’t worry, Miss Sara. I’ll only be gone half a day at the most. I’ll take them to the docks at Keestria and they can get a taxi to the airport from there. I’ll just grab some groceries and turn around and come straight back.” He looked at her thoughtfully. “Would you like to come along for the ride?”
Sara thought about spending several hours on the boat with her mother and Bart and decided time alone on the island didn’t sound so bad. “No, that’s okay. I’m not all that anxious to be bobbing up and down in the ocean for several hours. I’ll just stick around here. Maybe I’ll spend some time drawing. Grandmother’s studio is stocked with pretty much anything I could possibly want.”
Gwendolyn came to her feet. “Does this mean we can leave now? I, for one, can’t wait to get back home. I’ve always hated this place.”
“We can leave as soon as you and Mr. Everett are packed.” Elias took Sara’s hand. “Can I speak to you, alone, for just a moment?”
“Sure, I’ll meet you on the porch in just a minute.” Elias nodded before walking away. Sara turned to her mother. “Do you need help with your things, Mother?”
“No, I packed up everything this morning. I’m ready to go if someone will carry my bags down.”
“I’ll get them,” Bart offered. “It’ll just take me a minute to throw my things together.” He narrowed his eyes at Sara. “I want to talk to you before I leave.”
“Okay, I’ll meet you upstairs in just a minute.”
“Fine, just don’t be long.” Bart turned and headed toward the stairs.
Sara turned to Clinton and offered her hand. “Thank you so much, Clinton, for everything.”
He shook her hand and smiled. “You’re quite welcome, Sara. It’s been my pleasure to meet you. I have your address and contact phone numbers in Atlanta. I’ll be in touch with the final paperwork once you’ve fulfilled the stipulations of the will.”
“Thanks, now I guess I’d better go see what Elias wants before I go upstairs to say goodbye to Bart. Excuse me, please.” Sara turned and went outside to find her protector for the next week. He was sitting on the porch swing.
“I don’t want you to worry about anything, Sara. This has always been a perfectly safe place to live. Elizabeth never had a moment’s trouble here and neither will you. I won’t be away for long and you have both a short wave radio and satellite phone for emergencies.”
Sara laughed. “I’ll be fine, Elias. I’m not afraid to be here.”
“But you said—”
“I know,” she interrupted. “I’m not sure why I said that. I think I wanted to see what my family would do.”
“Did you get the reaction you wanted?”
“No,” she said sadly, “but I got the one I expected.”
“I’m sorry, Miss Sara.”
“Don’t be, I’m gonna be just fine. You just be careful taking them home and get back here as soon as you can. I might not be afraid, but I have a feeling I’ll be lonely, here all alone.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll be back before you know it.”
Sara smiled and made her way upstairs to Bart’s room. He was sitting on the bed waiting for her. “Get everything packed?”
He nodded and indicated he wanted her to sit next to him. He slowly clasped her hand in his. “Did Aames tell you how much money you would be getting along with the house?”
“Uh,” Sara was speechless for a moment. “No, I didn’t think to ask him.”
“I’ll make sure I get the paperwork from him before we go our separate ways at the airport. I’ll just tell him I’m your attorney of record and he’ll have to deal directly with me.”
Now wouldn’t be the best time to argue so Sara decided to ignore his statement. “I’ll get my ticket changed to fly back in a week and call you with the flight number and arrival time.”
A frown wrinkled the skin between his eyes. “I’m going to be pretty tied up with work between now and the wedding. You should either make other arrangements or plan on taking a taxi home from the airport.”
“You wanna make senior partner using my money and you can’t take time out to pick me up at the airport?” She knew it was the wrong thing to say as soon as it left her mouth and, from the thunderous look in Bart’s eyes, he agreed with her.
“I can make senior partner without your help, Sara. I stupidly thought it would be nice to have our dreams come true sooner rather than later.”
Sara sighed. “I’m sorry, Bart. I guess the strain of everything is just beginning to get to me. I just know how much I’m gonna miss you after you leave and I know I’ll be anxious to see you when I get home.”
He gave her a long, measuring look and then smiled. “That’s all right, dear. It won’t be long before we’re married and spending all our free time together. This week is a wonderful sacrifice you’re making for our future.” He stood. “Now, give me a kiss goodbye and I’ll go round up your mother’s luggage.”
Sara stood and stepped into his open arms. Gently their lips pressed together. Suddenly, visions of Sara’s dream lover flashed across her mind, causing her to step closer, pressing her breasts against his chest. Her tongue licked slowly across his lip.
Bart stiffened and pulled quickly out of her arms. “I need to get going. Gwendolyn’s going to come looking for me if I don’t hurry. She’s very anxious to get home.” He grabbed up his bag. “Come help me carry your mother’s things downstairs and you can say goodbye to her.” Not meeting her eyes, Bart turned and walked out the door.
Sara stood, looking out over the ocean as the boat disappeared from view. Peacefulness settled over her, one that she’d never known before. What would it be like to live here? “Don’t even think it, girl. Bart and Mother would join together and have you committed!” Laughing, she began walking toward the trail that would take her back to the house.
She watched the waves sliding smoothly over the sun-kissed sand, the blue water topped with white frothy foam. Azure sky stretched endlessly, filled with huge, white, fluffy popcorn-like cumulous clouds. The perfect summer day just begged to be captured on canvas. Grinning, Sara hurried toward the house.
Reverently, Sara pushed open the door to her grandmother’s studio and stepped inside. Taking a deep breath, she took in all the scents that made her feel so alive. “I wish you could be here,” she whispered. Blinking back her tears, she went over to the corner table and gathered up some colored pencils. Looking around, she spied a stack of artist’s tablets. Grabbing one up, she hurried down to the second floor balcony and moved the porch rocker so she could sit and have a clear view of the ocean. Opening the book to the first page, she began to draw.
Several hours later, Sara began to notice the stiffness in her neck and back. Glancing at her watch, she froze. She’d been working on the picture for over four hours. “No wonder my butt’s asleep.” Standing, she stretched and then carefully examined her drawing. The colors were perfect, but she couldn’t help feeling as if something wasn’t quite right. “It needs something, but what?” Watching the waves for several minutes, she came to a decision. “There’s no rule that says I can’t embellish a little.” Quickly, she sat back down with her pencils.
Almost two hours later, satisfaction filled her as she gazed at the finished drawing. Standing for a second time, she grimaced as tiny pinpoints of pain swept up her legs, a protest of their long confinement. Feeling exhausted, Sara went inside to her room. She laid her drawing on the desk, stripped off her clothes and took a quick shower. Elias won’t be back for several hours. I’m gonna take a nap. Washing quickly, she dried off and then turned down the covers on the bed. The feel of the soft, cool sheets against her naked skin soon lulled her to sleep.
Startled, Sara looked around and caught her breath. The moon shone brightly across the sand, highlighting the spot where two lovers came together in her last dream. Warm ocean air blew softly across her body, making her aware of her lack of clothing. Embarra
ssed, she turned to go back to the house and stopped when she heard the sound of her name.
“Sarafina, wait!”
She turned and saw Meloir walking toward her, a determined look on his face. Her hands quickly moved to shield her breasts and pubic hair from his eyes. “Go away,” she cried.
Meloir continue advancing until his body brushed against her hands. Silently, he grabbed her wrists and lowered her arms. “Don’t hide yourself, Sarafina. You’re beautiful to me.” His head lowered, his lips brushing hers.
Sara pushed against his chest until he released her from his kiss. “This isn’t real,” she whispered.
“It’s as real as you want it to be, love. You’re my Heart Mate and we belong together. You only have to use the magic to make both our dreams come true. We could bond forever, but you have to hurry. We’re running out of time. You have to send for me to make it real.”
She tried to pull away. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t have any magic and none of this is real. You’re just a dream.” She began to openly sob.
“Shhh, love, it’s going to be all right.” Pulling her close to his warmth, he pressed his lips against her hair. “I want you, Sarafina. I want you to be mine forever, to share my world and my life with me. Send for me, please. I will make you happy, I promise.”
Sara cried out when he swept her off her feet and laid her on the warm sand. Before she could form a protest, he latched onto one of her nipples. A guttural groan escaped her lips when his teeth closed over her sensitive flesh, nipping sharply. Before she could voice any objections, his tongue soothed the burning sting. Trembling, she felt his fingers searching between her legs, her hips pushing toward the pressure when he found her clit and pinched. His head raised and he stared deep into her eyes while he teased her pussy.
The Magic in her Gift Page 5