The Magic in her Gift

by Missy Martine

  “The magic is in you, Sarafina. It’s in your gift. You just have to find it, love. Send for me so we can be together.”

  He scooted down her body until she felt his breath against her damp core.

  “Come for me, Sarafina, come for me now.”

  Meloir’s lips closed on her clit and she exploded, rainbows of colors dancing before her eyes.

  “Meloir,” Sara screamed, waking up in her darkened bedroom. She took a shaky breath. “A dream, only a dream,” she whispered. Her legs unsteady, she got up and walked into the bathroom. She looked in the mirror briefly and then washed her face in cold water. “Maybe I should take another shower,” she snorted. “Maybe a cold one.”

  “Miss Sara, are you upstairs?”

  Sighing, she walked to the door and opened it a crack. “Yeah, I’m here, Elias. I’ll be down in a few minutes.”

  “Okay, I’m going to make a fresh pot of coffee.”

  Twenty minutes later, Sara walked into the kitchen in time to see Elias pouring himself a cup of the fragrant brew. “I’ve never understood how something that smells so good can taste so bad.” She cleared her throat. “Did you have any trouble getting the Three Stooges back to dry land?”

  Elias choked on a laugh, spraying his sip of coffee on the counter in front of him. “Three Stooges? Not sure that’s a comparison I would’ve made.”

  “Please, give me a break. Don’t tell me you weren’t thoroughly entertained by all the drama unfolding in the house over the last twenty-four hours.” She threw him a grin over her shoulder as she pulled a soft drink from the fridge. “My mother should be nominated for an Academy Award for her performance alone.”

  “Uh, I’m not sure what you mean, Miss Sara.”

  Sara narrowed her eyes as she drank deeply from the cold can. “Come on, Elias. Did you buy the whole pity party my mother tried to throw?”

  He took another drink of his coffee. “You’re awfully cynical, to be so young.”

  “Not cynical, realistic. My mother only made this trip to hear the terms of Grandmother’s will. She fully expected to inherit everything of any value.” She gave a small snort. “Believe me, when I get back home I’m gonna have to listen to her moan and bitch for months, maybe longer.”

  “But you said the three stooges.”

  “Yeah, Bart and Clinton puffing out their chests to each other was pretty funny. I don’t think Clinton particularly cared for Bart questioning his every word.”

  Elias picked up a bag on the counter and then motioned for her to have a seat at the table. After she sat down, he placed the bag in front of her. “I thought we both could use a little cheering up so I brought us a treat.”

  Sara peered into the bag and laughed. “You sure know the way to a woman’s saddened heart.” Smiling, she held up a chocolate éclair and passed the bag to Elias. “Chocolate has always been, and will always be, the universal cure for a bad mood.” She sank her teeth into the rich chocolate and frowned as she chewed. “You know, this is definitely not on the diet I’m supposed to be on.”

  “Diet?” Elias snorted. “Is that something you’re doing for yourself, or for someone else?”

  “I, um, well. I really do need to drop a few pounds.”

  “No, Sara, you don’t. You’re a lovely, curvaceous woman and if I were a whole lot younger, you wouldn’t stand a chance.”

  Startled, Sara looked at the heat in his eyes and swallowed hard. “You never said if you had any trouble taking everyone back to civilization.”

  He chuckled and picked up one of the éclairs. “I didn’t have a bit of trouble. Unfortunately, the Three Stooges can’t say the same thing.”

  “Oh my, God, what happened?”

  “Mr. Everett and Mr. Aames got into it, hot and heavy.”

  “Bart and Clinton? What about?”

  “Your Mr. Bart insisted Clinton give him all the paperwork concerning your inheritance. Said he’s your attorney of record, or some such nonsense. He told Clinton that he would have to deal directly with him from now on.” He got up, walked over to the counter and picked up an envelope. “That reminds me, I’m supposed to give you this and tell you to sign them and give them back to me so I can mail them to Clinton.”

  “What is it?” Sara asked as she took the envelope from his hand.

  “If I understood correctly, something that says Mr. Everett has the right to make decisions for you.”

  Sara dropped the envelope as if it had burned her fingers. “I’m not signing any such thing.”

  “Clinton’s expecting to get them back in the mail by next week.”

  “Well, he can expect away.” She gave him a grin. “Don’t worry about it, Elias. I’ll handle Bart when I go home. Is that the only trouble they gave you?”

  “Didn’t rightly give me any trouble at all, but they had a little more thrown their way. They had been arguing for about an hour, with the boat tossing up and down in the swells. Now Mr. Aames is not a seasoned sailor.” He laughed. “Your mother had been pretty quiet, listening to the two legal eagles bantering back and forth and finally decided she’d had enough. She walked over to lay down the law and nature kicked in with a vengeance. Poor Mr. Aames couldn’t hold out any longer and unloaded his breakfast onto your mother and Bart’s shoes.”

  For a moment, Sara sat speechless, picturing the grim scene in her mind. Then the humor of the situation sank in and she doubled over in laughter. Tears were streaming down her cheeks before she managed to pull herself together. Guiltily, she raised her gaze to Elias’s eyes. “Sorry,” she gasped. “I know it’s not really funny, but I can just imagine the look on Bart’s face when his Cesare Paciotti shoes needed to be hosed down.”

  “It was pretty funny at that, Miss Sara.” Elias stood and walked toward the door. “I’m going to head over to the cottage now. It’s been a really long day for both of us and I’m pretty sure you could use some rest, too.” He gave Sara a strange, searching look. “I’m sorry to have to do this to you, Sara, but I’m going to need to be away for the next three days.”

  “Wait, you promised to stay here on the island with me.”

  “Hold on now, please. The deal is either I stay, or someone I choose. Do you trust me to leave someone here that can take care of things in my place?”

  Sara didn’t hesitate for a moment. “Of course I do, Elias. Who do you plan to leave here?”

  He smiled, obviously pleased with her words. “I have a friend, who just happened to be friends with Elizabeth, too. He’s promised to stay for the next three days and show you the sights. Hell, he knows these islands and waters as well as I do so there’s nothing you can’t ask him.”

  “Is he staying at the cottage near the beach?”

  “Yeah, I’ve already made sure it has everything he’ll need until I get back.” He walked over and took her hand. “You can feel safe with him, Sara. He’s a good man and he’ll make sure no harm comes to you. Let yourself relax and have a good time. He knew your grandmother pretty well so let him tell you all about her.” He kissed her fingers and then started toward the door. “Get some rest, little girl. He’ll be here by early in the morning. Maybe you’ll feel like offering him breakfast.”

  “Wait,” Sara cried. “What’s his name?”

  “Oh sorry, I must be getting senile in my old age. His name’s Mel, Mel Sartar.”

  Chapter 5

  Sara nervously paced back and forth on the covered porch, checking her watch for the umpteenth time. She’d been unable to relax or sleep after Elias dropped his little bombshell the night before. He’d been gone by the time she’d recovered enough to find her voice. Get a grip on yourself, Sara. It’s just a guide for a couple of days, nothing more. I just need to calm down. It’s not like it’s a blind date or anything.

  A large bird fluttering through the trees caught Sara’s attention. She turned to get a better look, her gaze shooting out over the ocean. “Oh, my God,” she gasped. A large boat sailed in the distance, heading away from the is
land. Closer to shore, dolphins played in the quiet waters, occasionally jumping toward the morning sky. She hurried to her bedroom, grabbed the drawing she’d done the day before and carried it back to the balcony. With trembling hands, she stared at the boat and dolphins she’d added to the picture because she’d thought it needed something else. What the hell’s going on? Am I turning psychic or something? The sound of the doorbell interrupted her thoughts. “That’s gotta be him.” Swallowing hard, she dropped her drawing and went to meet Mel Sartar.

  “Would you like cream or sugar with your coffee?” Sara struggled to keep the tremors from her voice as she faced the handsome man sitting at the kitchen table. She’d nearly fainted when she opened the door. Mel Sartar, for all intense and purposes, came straight from her dreams. She’d never seen her dream lover’s face clearly, but their build was identical.

  “No, thanks. Black’s fine with me.”

  Sara watched as he sipped from the china cup. He looked to be in his mid-twenties with really broad shoulders, dark brown hair and the bluest eyes she’d ever seen. “Elias said you were a friend of Grandmother’s.”

  “Not sure about friend, more like an acquaintance. Elias introduced us about a year ago and she allowed me to visit a few times since then.” He locked his compassionate eyes on her own. “I’m very sorry for your loss. Elizabeth was one of a kind, a wonderful woman.”

  “Thanks, I wish I’d known her better. I wasn’t allowed to visit as a child and then I got so caught up in my job and my own life I never took the time.” She wiped her hand over her eyes. “I always thought there would time for us to get to know one another.”

  “Life is precious and shouldn’t be squandered. It’s too short for regrets.” He gave Sara a curious look. “Elias told me you live in Atlanta and that you’re engaged to be married. What do you do for a living, Sara?”

  “I’m a teacher.” Sara struggled to control her wandering thoughts. The memories of her dream lover, so fresh in her mind, made it difficult to concentrate on their conversation. “I teach pre-school age children.” She sighed. “A lot of people think of me as a glorified babysitter.”

  He was quiet for a moment. “Do you just sit and watch the kids all day or do you try and teach them things?”

  “They learn all sorts of things, the alphabet, their numbers, even how to write their names. I try to incorporate learning into their games.”

  Mel smiled and reached for her hand. “It takes a special kind of person to take such interest in children. There’s no nobler calling than teaching our young. You should be incredibly proud of your accomplishments.”

  Sara felt her cheeks getting warm. “Thanks, Mel. So, what do you do?”

  “I’m a carpenter by trade. I do pretty much anything from working on houses to designing and building furniture.”

  “Do you have family somewhere? Where are you from?” Sara’s gaze focused on Mel’s blue eyes. “Sorry! If I’m being too nosy, feel free to tell me to butt out.”

  Mel laughed. “You’re fine. I don’t have any family anywhere. My parents passed away a long time ago and I never had any brothers or sisters.” He took a sip of his coffee. “I’m from a little place you probably never heard of, Rysm.”

  Sara felt a tingling along her spine as her heartbeat accelerated. “Did you say, Rysm?”

  “Yeah, have you heard of it?”

  “My grandmother’s partner came from there. Maybe you knew him, Karl Barters?”

  Mel’s hesitant smile suddenly turned radiant. “Yes, I knew Karl quite well. We’re from the same village.”

  “Do you know how I—” Sara started, her head jerking around, her hand coming up to lie over her heart at the sound of the satellite phone on the kitchen wall. She gave Mel a sheepish grin. “Sorry, it’s the first time it’s rung since I’ve been here. Excuse me for a minute.”

  She walked over and picked up the receiver. “Hello?”

  “Sara, can you hear me?” Bart’s angry voice came through loud and clear.

  “Of course I can hear you, you’re practically screaming. Is something wrong?”

  A muffled curse followed by a deep sigh drifted through the phone line. “I called Clinton Aames to see if he’d received faxed copies of the papers I sent for you to sign. He hadn’t, so he agreed to call and check with Elias Jacobs.” There was a long pause. “You want to tell me why Mr. Jacobs would tell him you’d refused to sign the papers?”

  Sara winced and turned her back to Mel. She cleared her throat, rubbing a hand along her neck. “Look, I’m not really sure I want to sell the island and this isn’t really a good time to talk about this, Bart. I’ve got company right now.”

  “Company?” he shouted. “Just who’s visiting you?”

  “Elias had to be away for a few days on business and he arranged for a friend of his to stay in the cottage near the dock while he’s away. He came by this morning for some coffee.”

  “Well, excuse me for interrupting your little tete-a-tete. It’s late here and I have to be in court early tomorrow. We’ll discuss this when I call you back tomorrow evening.”

  Sara’s shoulders slumped as she heard the resonate click indicating Bart had hung up on her. She slowly replaced the receiver and glanced at the table, managing to give Mel a small smile she didn’t feel. “That was my fiancé calling from the states.”

  “It must be hard to be separated from the one you love. You must miss him a great deal.”

  Sara thought about that statement. Her cold hands clasped together as she forced a smile and gave a hesitant nod. “Yes, it’s difficult being without someone you love.”

  Mel smiled and put his coffee cup in the sink. “Elias told me you’re new to this area. I thought you might be interested in taking a boat tour of the islands with me today.”

  Sara’s eyes closed briefly and then she gave Mel a wide grin. “I can’t tell you how much I’d enjoy that.”

  He nodded. “Then let’s go.”

  An hour later Sara stood next to Mel as he expertly guided the small motor boat around the island. Palm trees gently swaying in the breeze littered the horizon. She could hear the loud cries of tropical birds, but had no luck spotting them in the thick foliage.

  “Look over there.” Mel pointed to an area out at sea. “Watch closely.”

  Sara focused her gaze in the direction he indicated and then gasped when a huge spray of water shot up into the sky right before a dolphin soared into the air in a graceful dive. “How come the water shot up before he jumped?” she asked.

  Mel grinned and winked. “It wasn’t the dolphin that made the water shoot up.”

  Sara frowned and looked closer. “Wow,” she cried when a huge whale came lumbering to the surface.

  Mel laughed. “Yes, it’s a whale. We also have sharks in these waters. For the most part, hammerhead and tiger.” He nodded toward the dolphins they could still see playing. As long as you see those fellows, you don’t have to worry much about sharks. They’ll steer clear of each other for the most part.”

  Feeling light and happy, Sara shielded her eyes from the sun and looked out over the other islands. The sight of a fluffy, white mushroom-shaped cloud caused goose bumps to break out all over her arms. “Mel,” she said in a shaky voice, “what’s that?” Her hand trembled as she pointed toward the ominous cloud.

  “Nothing to worry about, Sara,” Mel chuckled. “It’s a volcano.”

  “A live volcano?” Sara could hear the fear in her own voice.

  “You’re looking at Tinakula. It’s in Temotu Province. It’s the eastern most island in these waters.” He slowed the boat to nearly a crawl. “She’s live all right. Clouds of steam and smoke are pretty constant. It forms fresh clouds like that one daily.”

  “Is it dangerous?”

  “It can erupt without warning and sometimes lasts for days.” He put a comforting arm around her shoulder. “You don’t have anything to worry about. Anything it spews drops directly into the ocean.”

 
; Sara trembled at the feel of his warm skin across her back. “Um, are there any other volcanoes around here?”

  His arm lifted as he pointed toward another small group of islands. “Over there are Savo and Simbo. Both are what we call low scale. They spew streams of hot water and steam.” He put his hands back on the wheel. “You can hike up to them if you want. There are lots of hot mud pools around them. Don’t sophisticated women like you pay big money for mud baths?”

  “Sophisticated,” Sara sputtered. “If sophisticated means wallowing in a mud bath, then I’m happy being a plain, old country girl.”

  “I don’t think I’d ever call you plain, Sara.”

  The heat in Mel’s eyes made Sara’s nipples tighten painfully. I need to get a grip on myself. I’ve never felt desire like this except in my dreams. “Um, Elias said there were opportunities for scuba diving here.”

  “There are.” Mel frowned. “But I don’t recommend it.”

  “Why not?” she asked.

  “Too many World War II ships sank in this area. You’re right smack in the middle of what historians say was the bloodiest and longest campaign of the war. There were over thirty-eight thousand lives lost here.”

  Sara gasped. “Thirty-eight thousand?”

  “Hard to imagine, isn’t it?” He nodded toward the open sea. “There are still sunken barges, tractors and jeeps with unexploded munitions out there. Whites Beach used to be a military base. Hundreds of ships and aircraft literally litter the ocean floor in the area.” He gave Sara a melancholy look. “It’s much too dangerous for a novice diver.”

  Sara sensed a sadness in him that she couldn’t define. “Is there something wrong, Mel?”

  He took a deep breath and looked away. “My parents were killed during a war. They were my only family. I don’t have any aunts or uncles.” He gave her a tiny smile and winked seductively. “Now it’s up to me to carry on the family name.”

  Sara’s breath caught as she felt moisture gather between her thighs. Oh my, God. I need to get away before I do something I’ll regret. “Mel, I’m not feeling well. Do you think we could head back to the island now?”