Summer Magic

by Lorraine Bartlett

  He hunched his shoulders. "It's as good as anything. We have no basis for why this is happening."

  "We don't know how or why, only that it has something to do with Blythe Cove Manor. At the library, I found nothing about the history of the Manor. There were some photos in a book from the past. Maybe I'll take another look at it tomorrow."

  "I'll go with you."

  "Don't you have some work to do here with your franchises?"

  "I'm nearly finished. Another couple of hours working with the operation and I'll be done."

  "I'll go to the library. You better finish your work," she said.

  Drew stared at her for a moment, then nodded. Ellie had the feeling he knew she wanted to go alone. For some reason, there was something that was teasing her mind. She couldn't pull it into focus. She wanted to see the book again without an observer.

  "You know, something has been bothering me," Drew said.

  Ellie looked at him, waiting for an explanation.

  "Don't you think it's strange that a two hundred year-old manor has no historical documentation? I mean as an inn, then a B&B, there must have been at least one famous person who stayed there. Yet, the only volume in the library is a coffee table book that's only ten years old?"

  Ellie leafed through the coffee table size book the next morning. She found interesting photos of fashions that were long out of style. Many of the people had solemn or stern expressions on their faces. Ellie smiled at them. Then she saw something strange. Looking closer at the grainy black and white photo, she saw someone who looked familiar. He had a beard, and at first she thought it was the man she'd seen in her vision. However, there was something about him that wasn't the same.

  Asking the librarian for a magnifying glass, she returned to her table and expanded the section of the photo that intrigued her. As the image came into view, Ellie pursed her lips in order not to speak out loud.

  She was looking at Drew.

  4

  If not him, she told herself, it was one of his ancestors. It had to be. She checked the caption under the photo. The name associated with the picture was Curtis W. Truitt. He wore a beard and had an unruly length of hair. Ellie stared at the photo, checking to see that her eyesight had not failed. This man had to be related to Drew. That wasn't totally unbelievable. Drew's grandmother lived on the Vineyard. It wasn't too far a stretch to think that Drew would look like one of his ancestors.

  Checking the book page by page, Ellie looked over each photo. None of the others looked anything like Curtis W. Truitt or Drew. She wondered if there was anything she could find out about Truitt, like was he really related to Drew?

  Ellie believed in the frontal attack. Leaving the library with a copy of the book-page, she went straight to Drew's. She knocked at the door, but he didn't answer. Disappointed, she crossed the back garden and went into the bed and breakfast.

  "Anything wrong, Ellie?" Blythe asked.

  Ellie turned. Blythe was holding a dishtowel in one hand and a cup in the other. She tried to smile, but couldn't. "I was looking for Drew," she said. "Have you seen him?"

  "A few moments ago," she said. "He was headed toward the beach, I believe."

  "Thank you."

  She rushed out almost at a run. She headed for the stairs that led down to the sand. Skipping over the bottom step, she looked left and right. Drew stood at the waterline. He must have heard her footsteps pounding on the sand. Turning, he started toward her.

  "What's wrong?" he said, stopping her run with outstretched hands that connected with hers.

  Ellie noticed that nothing happened when their hands met. It was another assurance that they were outside of the Manor and none of the mystical forces in play occurred anywhere else. Yet they had when she was in Tennessee, and Drew said it had happened to him in Chicago. However, on the Vineyard, the Manor was the only place where the magic happened.

  Taking a moment to catch her breath, Ellie spoke. "I found something."

  "What?"

  She reached in her pocket and pulled out the folded sheet of paper. Unfolding it, she offered it to him.

  Drew took it and looked at it. For a long moment, he read the words on the page. There were only captions under the two pictures.

  "I don't understand," he said.

  "Look at the photo. This one." She indicated the one at the top.

  Drew looked closer. While he had no magnifying glass, the sun was bright and it wasn't difficult to see. Frown lines marred his bow.

  "Have you ever heard of Curtis W. Truitt?" she asked.

  Drew looked at her with recognition.

  "I see the name means something to you." Ellie pointed at the photo, putting her finger on the bearded face of the man who looked like Drew. "Anyone look familiar?"

  Drew looked at the grainy photo for a long time. He moved the paper closer to his face.

  "Curtis W. Pruitt," he read. It wasn't like he recognized the name, more like he was reciting it to see what it felt like on his lips.

  "He looks like you," Ellie said. "Without the beard and the long hair, but it's you. A little older perhaps, but it could be you in the photo."

  "How old is this?"

  "According to the caption it was taken in the late 1800s."

  Drew looked up at Ellie. "I have an Aunt Winona Pruitt."

  "Is she related to Curtis Pruitt?"

  "I don't know. She never mentioned anyone named Curtis. Why would she? This man must have died long before she was born. The only thing I can say about her is she always treated me as if I was her son. I used to spend weekends with her when my parents were away. I still go to see her whenever I can."

  "Do you think you can call her and ask her about this man?"

  He nodded. "I'm not sure how I can ask without telling her why and sounding like I've lost my mind. Why do you think this man is crucial to what's happening to us?"

  "First, he looks like you, and second, I'm sure this is the man who was in my vision yesterday."

  Ellie woke up dragging. She felt more tired than she ever had after a full day of renovations. Her body and mind were exhausted.

  As the guests were heading out for the day, and Martha lazily eyed her from the corner, Ellie poured herself a third cup of coffee and resumed her seat. Blythe bustled around, removing dishes and disappearing into the kitchen.

  Ellie wondered what she should do. This mystery was getting to her. Research in the past had always been a pleasurable experience. She loved discovering little known facts about something that occurred in the past. But she discovered that when it was her own life, the pleasure wasn't so good.

  She stopped, holding the cup midway to her mouth. Why did the thought that this had something to do with her life bother her? This was not her life. It could be Drew's. He had to be connected to it somehow. But why her? She'd never met him before she tripped on the last step down to the beach. But she was intimately involved in his story. Why?

  The chance for further thoughts was lost as Drew came through the kitchen door. He must have walked through the backyard that connected the two properties. Ellie's heart lifted a bit when she saw him.

  Getting a cup of coffee, he sat down next to her. "You look tired," he whispered.

  "Exhausted," she confirmed. "I hardly slept at all. My mind was plagued by thoughts of what and how all of this is happening and why it's happening to you and me."

  "Let's not talk about the stone today," Drew suggested. "You've been on the Vineyard for three days and you've only been to the beach once. How about we forget the stone and the visions for a few hours?"

  The thought was appealing. Spending time with Drew on the beach sent different, safer visions to Ellie.

  "I do like to swim," she said.

  "Go change and we'll head for the waves."

  Ellie glanced at the ocean in the distance. She could hear the water beckoning. She'd swear the salt content in the air increased so she smelled it more clearly.

  "Be back in a moment." She rushed
to her room, changed into a one-piece suit, covered it with a skirt wrap, grabbed her beach gear and was back ten minutes later. Drew met her in the great room. He carried a picnic basket.

  "What's that?"

  "Lunch. Blythe prepared it for us."

  His smile was disarming.

  "I thought you'd want a snack after a swim. It always makes me hungry."

  Together they headed for the water. It was cold as Ellie rushed headlong into the surf. Drew was only a step behind her. His body dove into the water and swam several feet before turning to face her.

  The sun glistened on the water sliding over Drew's chest. Ellie suddenly couldn't speak and neither could she turn away. She stared at him as she watched small golden drops of liquid diamonds run down the contours of his chest and disappear down his swimming shorts, returning to the ocean from where they had come.

  She couldn't help wondering how many other people those drops would touch before they returned to this spot. And who would be here when they did? It wouldn't be her. This was only a short trip for her, a brief interlude in the life of a history professor from Tennessee.

  She couldn't let this friendship go any further. If it hadn't been for the diary and the stone, she wouldn't be here and the two of them wouldn't have met. But fate had intervened and they were brought together at Blythe Cove Manor.

  "You're seriously in thought," Drew commented.

  Ellie snapped out of her altered state and gave him her attention. His eyes were dark, staring at her as if he wanted to read her thoughts.

  "Thinking about the stone or the visions?" he asked.

  They'd agreed to put those thoughts aside for the day.

  Shaking her head, she told him the truth. "I was thinking about water. Imagining it flowing around the world in an endless cycle." It was partly true, she appeased herself.

  "Since we have so much of it here, let's swim," Drew said.

  They struck out together, swimming parallel to the shoreline, alternating front strokes for back and then floating while the sun warmed their cheeks.

  As they had entered the water, they came out of it hand in hand. Running over the sand, Ellie collapsed onto the blanket Drew had spread earlier. He handed her a bottle of water and took one for himself. Together they drank as if they'd crossed a desert, not swam in the ocean.

  "That was refreshing, but now I'm hungry. What's in the basket?" she said.

  "Salad or sandwich?" Drew asked, holding one of each.

  "Sandwich."

  "Don't you want to know what kind?"

  She shook her head. Drew passed her a ham sandwich with mustard. Ellie immediately unwrapped it and took a bite.

  "Coming here was a good idea," she told Drew as she settled back on the blanket, surveying the sea and sky in front of her. "I forgot how much I love the ocean. Living in Tennessee, there isn't much chance to go to the beach. It's only during vacations that I get to swim in the ocean."

  Leisurely they ate the prepared meal of sandwiches, salads, and cold cuts. Blythe included a bottle of wine, some fruit and cheeses.

  "Do you think Blythe is playing matchmaker?" she whispered, sipping from a crystal goblet that seemed to make her intentions obvious.

  "Could be. I've known her to try it before."

  "Try it," Ellie said. "Can I assume she didn't succeed?"

  "Oh she did, a few times."

  Ellie understood the unspoken answer was that Blythe had succeeded, but not with him. There was more to the story, Ellie thought, but it was a door she wasn't about to open. She knew she couldn't walk through it. Ellie loved the beach, the sun and the water. They stayed for several hours, going in and out of the water, and eating all the food Blythe prepared. Leaving the beach, they went to Drew's where she accepted his offer of the use of his shower.

  Clean, dressed, her wet hair and face free of makeup, Ellie and Drew took a long walk into town. They window-shopped, ate ice cream sitting on a street bench, then had an early dinner at Chris's House of Beef. It was part of the franchise Drew's company owned. It sat inside the St. Romaine Hotel. Lingering over dessert and coffee, Ellie was reluctant for the day to end. Finally, they left the restaurant and walked silently back to Drew's. He poured them a glass of wine and they sat and watched the sun set on another day on the Vineyard.

  "Thank you," Ellie said, quietly.

  "For what?"

  "A wonderful day. This was much better than researching in a library or looking for clues at the Manor."

  Drew smiled and settled her against him. She knew she should pull away, but his arms felt good. She rested her head on his shoulder. She could blame her actions on the wine. This was the third glass she'd had, although their spacing was divided by hours.

  The orange, yellows and reds blended in striations over the water, making her drowsy. Maybe it was Drew, too. It had been a long time since she'd relaxed in a man's arms, smelled the scent of his body, and wanted nothing more than to stay exactly where she was.

  The stones didn't command her attention. Thoughts of the visions she'd had and the man pointing at her in her Manor bedroom were lost among the painted horizon and the man next to her.

  "You know, most people think of paradise as a tropical island with palm trees swaying in the breeze, but this…" she indicated the sea and sky "…this painted picture of the sunset and the calmness of the sea–this is paradise."

  "I read somewhere that music and water are the two things than can calm the soul," Drew said.

  "And wine." Ellie took a drink from her glass. She sighed. "Too bad I have to go home."

  "Why's that?"

  The first reason was, he wouldn't be there, but Ellie kept that to herself. "I love it here. It's so relaxing, but I only booked a week and I have no real idea why I'm here." She wondered if fate had sent her here to meet Drew. Quickly, she swept the idea away. Fate had never done that in the past and she didn't think it would change its mode of operation this one summer.

  "That's what vacations are supposed to be," Drew teased.

  That was one of the things she liked about Drew, his ability to see the humor in situations. She'd grown up in a family where everything was scrutinized with all due seriousness. It was only when the vision first happened that her old habits of analyzing every detail returned.

  She wouldn't let those habits intrude on her time tonight. There would be plenty of time for that tomorrow.

  Drew pulled her closer, his fingers sliding up and down her arm. Awareness of his touch sailed through her blood stream. The feeling wasn't like touching the stone, yet the heat it produced in her was just as hot. This burning, however, came from within. She welcomed it without fear.

  The sun had fully set and only the light of the rising moon filtered into the room. Both she and Drew fell into an easy quiet. Ellie was glad the diary and her situation had not destroyed the calmness of the day, although she had scrutinized the faces of every man she saw, looking for someone who might be the man of her vision.

  No one had looked like him, except Drew. She stopped doing it when Drew made a comment about her distraction. And she knew it was useless to pursue such an insane method. Pushing those thoughts aside, she continued to look out at the ocean and listen to the surf below.

  "This is such an enchanted place," she commented. Then realizing that could be interpreted two ways, she said, "I mean it's beautiful."

  "I know what you mean," Drew laughed against her hair. She felt his mouth press a kiss against her forehead. A moment later, she turned in his arms and sought his mouth.

  His kiss was tender, loving, soft and seeking as if she was something delicate that needed careful handling. Ellie's arms slid around his neck. He pressed her back, lifting his mouth to look at her.

  Darkness prevented her from seeing the desire in his eyes, but she knew it was there. She could feel it in the way his arms held her, the way his body felt against hers.

  His mouth settled on hers again and all was lost. Then something amazing happened. Ellie
felt, no she knew, she was not alone. It was hard to explain, even to herself. She was someone else. And the man she was kissing wasn't Drew. He was someone else. His mouth was tantalizing. She didn't want to stop, but fear seeped into the part of her mind that was still hers. With Herculean strength, she pushed him away and wrangled her body off the sofa. Getting to her feet, she rapidly backed up several steps, gulping in air.

  Drew stood up, but took no action to reach her.

  "Who are you?" he asked.

  "Who are you?" she countered. "Or who were you?"

  She was back to being herself. There was no presence. She didn't feel anyone else inside her and she didn't feel that Drew wasn't Drew.

  He looked perplexed. "I've kissed my share of women," he said. "I don't apologize for that, but this is the first time I've felt as if one of them turned into someone else."

  "And you?" Ellie questioned. "I wasn't kissing you. I don't know who it was."

  "Neither do I." Drew whispered.

  For the second night in a row Ellie slept badly. Instead of three cups of coffee, she was on her forth when Blythe cleared the table.

  "Are you all right, Ellie?" she asked. "You look tired."

  Ellie knew how she looked, dark circles under her eyes and constantly yawning or blinking to keep awake.

  "I am a little tired," Ellie confirmed. "But I'll be fine.

  Blythe smiled. "Drew will be here soon. He'll cheer you up."

  Ellie tried to smile at the comment, but her face muscles wouldn't cooperate. Yet Blythe had confirmed that she was trying to match-make.

  It wasn't necessary, Ellie told herself as Blythe returned to the kitchen. Ellie had been attracted to Drew since she fell in his arms her first day on the Vineyard. And last night when he kissed her, before the body snatcher had taken over, she knew Drew had secured a place in her heart. Despite the intrusion of the ghosts, no one else of this world or any other would ever occupy that same place.