The Visions of Ransom Lake

by Marcia Lynn McClure

  “What’re you doing?” Tom asked.

  “Sharpening,” Marcia responded. However, a puzzled frown puckered her brow when the handsome Tom Ransom stepped closer to her rather than moving out of her way.

  “Oh,” he said. Marcia took several steps back, but he only continued to advance upon her—like some lean, resolute lion progressing on his prey.

  “Well…you know, Marcia,” Tom began as Marcia’s retreat was stopped cold when the wall behind her abruptly met with her back. “There’s something I’ve always wanted to do.”

  “Really?” Marcia managed to gulp in a whisper. Her heart’s pace had sped up. She sensed something was about to happen—though she didn’t know what.

  “Yeah,” Tom whispered, his voice quiet and low, a rather seductive quality in its intonation.

  “Wh-what’s that?” Marcia asked. She couldn’t believe what was happening! Surely she wasn’t misreading the expression on his face—his rather intimate body language. But as he placed his hands against the wall at either side of her waist, pressing his body firmly against her own, Marcia was further assured of his intention.

  Oh my heck! she thought. He’s going to kiss me!

  Tom grinned the famous “Handsome Ransom” roguish grin, which Marcia had come to know so well. It was the same grin he grinned each time before he’d stuck his suckers to her face in English class the year before. The same grin he grinned whenever he was flirting with her.

  “I’ve always wanted to kiss you,” he whispered. And in the next moment, Marcia thought her knees might give way beneath her, for the instant and delicious delirium washing over her as Handsome Ransom’s lips met her own was dizzying! His kiss, though lingering, was not too roughly forced but wonderful in its consummating, blissful application. He meant to kiss her not because he was a teenage boy with hormones raging out of control nor because he was teasing. Marcia knew this kiss was sincere, taken and given for fulfillment’s sake. She’d known all along—ever since she’d first met him in typing class five long years before—she’d always known that the tender crush she’d secreted for Tom Ransom was reciprocated. Oh, perhaps circumstance or differing social circles had caused that their mutual crush should forever remain secreted, but in those moments—in those blissful, satisfying moments when their lips were met in one mouth-wateringly consummate kiss—in that moment all bridled passions, all hidden secrets of the heart, were communicated.

  As their lingering kiss ended, Tom smiled at Marcia a moment before his head descended toward hers again.

  “Ransom! Get to back to your seat,” Mr. Gunner bellowed as he lumbered toward the front of the room, a large jar housing an ugly fish clutched in his hands. “What are you doing up there?”

  Pulling away and straightening his posture, Tom Ransom winked at Marcia as he turned and walked to his seat. On weakened knees—every nerve ending in her body jumping with excitement—Marcia walked to her seat as well. And as class began, Mr. Gunner threatening Fs to anyone who didn’t get the name of the “surprise” in the back, Tom Ransom took a sucker from his pocket and popped it in his mouth. Sighing contentedly, he winked at Marcia, flashing another dazzling grin in her direction when she winked back at him. Looked.

  “Rainbow trout,” Mr. Gunner began, holding aloft the smelly jar filled with chemicals and a dead fish. “Can you tell me why?”

  Yep. That’s it. Too anticlimactic? I hope not, for it was an epoch in my high school experience—the culmination of five long years of mutual attraction. Yes, one kiss—that’s all there ever was. And yet, it was enough to satisfy me. It was something like that painful longing for the first daffodil of the year to bloom—and when it finally does, cutting it from your garden and enjoying it in a vase on your windowsill until it withers and you are at last forced to give it back to the soil. Yet did you treasure it while it was there? Did you appreciate it forever? Of course you did!

  Tom Ransom was definitely not for me, and I was never sad about that fact. I enjoyed him so much as a friend and fellow class disrupter that I am never regretful at only having the one legendary romantic moment with him. After all, what a great moment it was!

  My senior year found Tom Ransom voted in as Class Clown, of course! I was voted (I shudder to think) Class Mouth—having never had trouble projecting my singing voice, silly jokes, or laughter. I went on to find the perfect man (so much more handsome than Ransom) and a wonderful life with countless fond memories of many people. I haven’t seen ol’ Handsome Ransom since graduation but did receive an e-mail from him a year or so ago. It was fun to find out he had married a girl who was my best little friend when we were both three years old and playing in kiddie pools in our backyards. They had a baby, and Tom? Well, he’s a big real estate mogul in Albuquerque. Kind of fun, huh.

  Tom Ransom earned a place in my memory—maybe for no giant, life-altering reason, but just because he was who he was. And because he owns a piece of my heart, his last name always stuck with me. It popped in and out of my brain over and over through the years until I found the perfect use for it—a legendary hero named Ransom Lake.

  So there you have it—just a little something about the name Ransom and why I love it so much. It is a cool name, isn’t it? Ah, good ol’ Handsome Ransoms—I love them both!

  After mulling it over in my mind for nearly ten years, I really can’t tell you exactly why Ransom Lake is probably my most beloved hero. It’s just who he is, I think—that he’s our husbands, boyfriends, our romantic hero icon. He’s mysterious and sexy—not to mention pumpkin-y somehow (or do I just think that because I love pumpkins so much and think of Vaden and Ransom in the pumpkin patch every time I see the book?). He’s so many things we girls love—handsome, shirtless, scowling sometimes, and then when he smiles, wow!

  In the end, we’re just in love with Ransom Lake. In the end, we don’t need a reason, right? In the end, I’m just so honored that readers have kept him in their hearts the way they have, that babies are named after him, that more people love pumpkins because of him. Ah, Ransom (heavy sigh). Thank you for loving Ransom with me.

  ~Marcia Lynn McClure

  The Visions of Ransom Lake Trivia Snippets

  Snippet #1—During the Christmas season the year I was fourteen, my dad opened the front door one morning to find a gift sitting on the porch and addressed to me. The note said, To Marcia…From Your Secret Admirer. I didn’t recognize the handwriting, but I did recognize that it was a boy’s handwriting—being that it was very straight-lined and nearly illegible. I opened the gift to find a beautiful silver bracelet, and I was stunned! I couldn’t imagine who could have left the gift for me. But even so, it made my day and made me feel very special. The next morning there was another gift waiting on the front porch for me—a very pretty silver and turquoise necklace. I couldn’t believe it! Another “from your secret admirer” note was with it, and I was overwhelmed with delight. Several more mornings, just before Christmas, found several more gifts for me on the front porch. I can’t remember them all right now, but it was crazy—and wonderful! I knew that no one I actually liked at the time could’ve been doing it. The guy I liked most of the time was sort of off and on with his old girlfriend. So it couldn’t have been him, right? Wrong! The last morning a gift was left on the front porch for me (I think it was Christmas Eve morning), my mom clapped her hands together and giggled as she saw what the gift was. “I knew it!” she exclaimed. “I knew it! It’s Brandon Dailey.” I asked her how she knew it was Brandon—because I did like Brandon, but he was so off and on with his old girlfriend that I couldn’t imagine he really liked me, even though we hung out a lot and did a lot of stuff together. Mom laughed and pointed to the plate of perfectly made, delicious-looking pecan rolls. “Brandon’s mother makes those. She’s famous for them! Everyone knows she makes them.” Yep, the last gift Brandon had left for me was a plate of the most delicious pecan rolls I’ve ever had in my entire life. I hurried to my room then and retrieved the school photo Brandon had given to me
months before. Turning it over to read the message on the back, I smiled; it was the same straight-lined, illegible printing that was on all the secret admirer notes. And, yes, this little story from my past is exactly where I got the idea for Ransom’s leaving secret gifts (especially the pralines) on the Valmonts’ front porch for Vaden. (This past winter I went to a matinee movie with my son Trent. As we got in the concessions line, the man in front of me ordered popcorn and a drink. At the sound of his voice, my head snapped up, nearly popping my head right off my shoulders! It was Brandon Dailey. I hadn’t seen him in probably twenty years, but I would’ve known the sound of his voice anywhere. When he turned around, we hugged and exchanged happy greetings and catching ups. I smiled, having forgotten that he had a gold tooth (one of his lower ones) and suddenly remembering that it had been one of my favorite things about his appearance. I decided then and there that I need a hero with a gold tooth—don’t you think?)

  Snippet #2—Now, you already know that I love bacon. But do you know how long I’ve loved it—or how desperately? One day, when I was about two years old, my mom and dad noticed that my breath was not smelling baby-fresh. As they sniffed closer, they discovered the icky smell was coming from my nose. They whisked me off to the doctor, expecting to find that some horrible sinus infection or something had overcome me. But do you know what they found instead? That’s right—bacon! I had secretly stuffed bacon up my nose a couple of days before. Gross—but funny! And from this story was borne the little incident of Vaden’s stuffing beans up her Uncle Dan’s nose.

  Snippet #3—Did you know that the original orangeish cover of The Visions of Ransom Lake was designed using photos I had taken myself? The pumpkin patch in the foreground was a pumpkin patch where our little family used to go each fall to choose pumpkins for jack o’ lanterns. The grassy meadow section with the big tree was actually taken at a cemetery in Ferndale, Washington. (The design artist removed the tombstones.) The creek and bridge were something the design artist added. You just never know with me, right?

  Snippet #4—Snippet #3 leads us to Snippet #4 by asking the question, “Why is the new cover of The Visions of Ransom Lake so vastly different than the old one?” Well, the first reason is staying current. The old cover—the style of using landscape and soft colors—was new and up to date when The Visions of Ransom Lake was first published. But I think readers also prejudged it, thinking it was something about a lake in the country that had psychic powers, you know? I love the pumpkins, but I decided it was time Ransom Lake got the attention he deserves! And I wanted the book cover to more readily reflect the fuller story of the book. I know we will all always cherish the first pumpkin-y cover of The Visions of Ransom Lake, but I do hope you’ll embrace the proxy for Handsome Ransom on this new cover too. At least the handsome part (nose, chin, jaw, whisker stubble—gotta love it!).

  Snippet #5—Here’s a trivia tidbit for you. In late 2002, The Visions of Ransom Lake was pulled from the shelves of one of the biggest bookstore chains in the United States. Why? Because it had one complaint lodged against its content. The scene where Ransom kisses Vaden in the ally? You know, when he pushes her up against the building and takes off her mittens? Well, one customer was absolutely appalled at the way Ransom unbuttoned Vaden’s coat before he kissed her. Thus, she lodged a complaint to the bookstore chain, and the bookstore chain pulled The Visions of Ransom Lake from its shelves. Crazy, right?

  Snippet #6—I’ve always been a Rock Hound. My mother was and is a Rock Hound, and one of her brothers is a Rock Hound. In fact, the only school club I ever belonged to was the Rock Hound club (fourth grade). There’s nothing like a good rock, you know? Rocks intrigue me. I’ve always loved them. And with that goes the fact that I’ve always been mesmerized by geodes. They’re so pretty; I just love them! I love to get one and hold it under the light or in the sunshine and just watch the crystals sparkle. Well, when I was a tweener (young teenager), one summer my friend Bobbie (she lived across the street) and I used to go into my driveway, search for rocks that held promise, and bust them open using a hammer and a small chisel. I don’t know where in the world the rocks in our driveway were quarried from, but almost every rock we busted open that summer had a small hollowed space inside filled with tiny crystals. Why in the world we were dumb enough to bust rocks with a hammer I’ll never know. We’re lucky we didn’t put an eye out. Still, we had so much fun searching for treasure (small geodes) in my driveway that year. I love geodes. Hmmm—you know who else loves geodes? Ransom Lake! What a coincidence.

  Snippet #7—I thought I’d leave you with something kind of corny as the final snippet for today. It’s Tom Ransom’s signature in my 1981 yearbook—the year before our legendary consummate kiss. Here it is:

  Dearest Marcia,

  You have been the light of my life ever since I met you!!!

  During 3rd period you gave me chills up and down my spine

  with your luscious body and wonderful personality!!!

  Good luck in whatever you do!

  Love,

  Tom Ransom

  How sweet, huh? Yep, good old Handsome Ransom. You gotta love him.

  My everlasting admiration, gratitude and love…

  To my husband, Kevin…

  My inspiration…

  My heart’s desire…

  The man of my every dream!

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Marcia Lynn McClure’s intoxicating succession of novels, novellas, and e-books—including The Visions of Ransom Lake, A Crimson Frost, The Rogue Knight, and most recently The Pirate Ruse—has established her as one of the most favored and engaging authors of true romance. Her unprecedented forte in weaving captivating stories of western, medieval, regency, and contemporary amour void of brusque intimacy has earned her the title “The Queen of Kissing.”

  Marcia, who was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, has spent her life intrigued with people, history, love, and romance. A wife, mother, grandmother, family historian, poet, and author, Marcia Lynn McClure spins her tales of splendor for the sake of offering respite through the beauty, mirth, and delight of a worthwhile and wonderful story.

  BIBLIOGRAPHY

  A Better Reason to Fall in Love

  A Crimson Frost

  An Old-Fashioned Romance

  Beneath the Honeysuckle Vine

  Born for Thorton’s Sake

  Daydreams

  Desert Fire

  Divine Deception

  Dusty Britches

  Kiss in the Dark

  Kissing Cousins

  Love Me

  Saphyre Snow

  Shackles of Honor

  Sudden Storms

  Sweet Cherry Ray

  Take a Walk With Me

  The Anthology of Premiere Novellas Romantic Vignettes

  The Fragrance of her Name

  The Heavenly Surrender

  The Heavenly Surrender 10th Anniversary Special Edition

  The Heavenly Surrender Hardcover Edition

  The Highwayman of Tanglewood

  The Highwayman of Tanglewood Hardcover Edition

  The Light of the Lovers’ Moon

  The Pirate Ruse

  The Prairie Prince

  The Rogue Knight

  The Tide of the Mermaid Tears

  The Time of Aspen Falls

  The Touch of Sage

  The Trove of the Passion Room

  The Visions of Ransom Lake

  The Whispered Kiss

  The Windswept Flame

  To Echo the Past

  Weathered Too Young

  A Better Reason to Fall in Love

  Contemporary Romance

  “Boom chicka wow wow!” Emmy whispered.

  “Absolutely!” Tabby breathed as she watched Jagger Brodie saunter past.

  She envied Jocelyn for a moment, knowing he was most likely on his way to drop something off on Jocelyn’s desk—or to speak with her. Jocelyn got to talk with Jagger almost every day, whereas Tabby was lucky if he dropped grap
hics changes off to her once a week.

  “Ba boom chicka wow wow!” Emmy whispered again. “He’s sporting a red tie today! Ooo! The power tie! He must be feeling confident.”

  Tabby smiled, amused and yet simultaneously amazed at Emmy’s observation. She’d noticed the red tie, too. “There’s a big marketing meeting this afternoon,” she told Emmy. “I heard he’s presenting some hard-nose material.”

  “Then that explains it,” Emmy said, smiling. “Mr. Brodie’s about to rock the company’s world!”

  “He already rocks mine…every time he walks by,” Tabby whispered.

  A Crimson Frost

  Historical Romance

  Beloved of her father, King Dacian, and adored by her people, the Scarlet Princess Monet endeavored to serve her kingdom well—for the people of the Kingdom of Karvana were good and worthy of service. Long Monet had known that even her marriage would serve her people. Her husband would be chosen for her—for this was the way of royal existence.

  Still, as any woman does—peasant or princess—Monet dreamt of owning true love—of owning choice in love. Thus, each time the raven-haired, sapphire-eyed, Crimson Knight of Karvana rode near, Monet knew regret—for in secret, she loved him—and she could not choose him.

  As an arrogant king from another kingdom began to wage war against Karvana, Karvana’s king, knights, and soldiers answered the challenge. The Princess Monet would also know battle. As the Crimson Knight battled with armor and blade—so the Scarlet Princess would battle in sacrifice and with secrets held. Thus, when the charge was given to preserve the heart of Karvana—Monet endeavored to serve her kingdom and forget her secreted love. Yet love is not so easily forgotten…