Chapter XIV
Connor shifted the handle of the large wicker basket to his other hand, as he watched Allie lock the front door of The Colborne Inn. She turned to him and they descended the stairs side by side, in thoughtful silence. They crossed the small lane, then walked along the path that led to the Cliff Walk.
"You know, the Village of Gerard's Cliff was settled by the English in sixteen, forty-three." Connor saw that Allie was allowing herself to relax, and trying to forget about the unsettling events of the past twelve hours. "It was primarily a shipbuilding town, since the river is nearby, with access to the sea." She hugged the blanket to her as they walked leisurely down the path. "They built dories, and schooners here. Fishing was also a main livelihood, but the rocky coast proved to be a problem." He saw her glance at him to see if he was listening. Connor was not only absorbed by her story, but also enchanted by her calm voice, which he was growing quite fond of hearing. He put his free hand on her elbow, as they turned onto the path. "The fishermen devised a way to protect their boats by digging a large channel from the ocean to the river, which then filled with water. It's now known as Baskin's Cove." Allie smiled at him. "There, they could safely keep their boats when they were ashore." They turned left onto the Cliff Walk. "There's so much about this place that intrigues me," she continued. "I love hearing stories about the trading vessels that left the piers here for Boston and the Caribbean, loaded with lumber. Then they would return with rum, salt, molasses, and sugar." They walked slowly along the pathway that followed the curves of the jutting cliffs hanging over the white, sandy beach. "There's even a small lighthouse on the Cliff Walk," she added. "I'll show you."
He nodded, mesmerized by the transformation he was witnessing. Connor could see that Allie's love of this wild, rugged shoreline seemed to give her a sense of peace and tranquility. They stopped at what Connor surmised was one of Allie's favorite spots - a small, dry clearing next to a wind-twisted tree that seemed to hang over the granite cliff, with breathtaking views of the beach and ocean below.
"How is this?" Allie turned to Connor, and, for a moment, he was speechless. Her face shone with pure contentment, and her eyes and smile were dazzling. My God, he thought.
"This looks fine." He tried not to stammer, and busied himself with helping her lay the blanket on the rough soil. Since there was a strong breeze, they gathered some large rocks to hold down the corners of the blanket. Allie began to unpack the basket, first pulling out the chilled bottle of pinot grigio they had finally agreed upon, after a spirited debate in the kitchen on the merits of various wines. A loaf of crusty bread, an assortment of hard cheeses, and a couple of apples composed the rest of the meal. Connor uncorked the bottle and poured the wine into two plain glasses, as Allie arranged slices of each of the items on her favorite blue print plates.
"To more days..." Connor began, tilting his glass toward Allie.
"...with no drama." Allie finished, laughing, and they clinked their glasses amiably, then sipped their wine. They ate their meal in peaceful quiet, save for the crashing of the waves, and the rustle of the breeze through the evergreens. Connor stole glances at Allie as often as he could, fascinated, as she watched the ocean as if drawn to it.
Connor sensed that both he and Allie were letting the idyllic setting, the wine, and the food, lull them into a false sense of security, and he was okay with that, for now. His mind started to drift to her idiot brother-in-law...former brother-in-law, Connor corrected himself. He didn't think Ethan would return again, but now Connor would have to find out where he figured in with all of this, if at all. He leaned back on one elbow, and looked out at the crashing waves, as he mentally reviewed the information he had at hand. Did he need to call for re-enforcement at this point? Connor was anxious to talk to Jake Ayers tonight...just a few hours from now...then he would have some answers. And a clearer sense of time. But, things seemed to be gelling more quickly than anyone had anticipated. He looked over at Allie, who was leaning against the gnarled tree, holding the glass of wine...her eyes slowly scanning the horizon. She turned her head towards him when she noticed his glance.
"This is just heaven, don't you think?" She leaned her head back as she breathed in the ocean air. "...just heaven."
"What are the cliffs like below?" Connor was curious since he couldn't see what was below the walk.
"We can walk down, if you want to." Allie raised her eyebrows and smiled at him, seemingly eager for an adventure.
"Then, what are we waiting for?"
Connor stood up and held his hand down to help Allie up off the blanket. They gathered up their food, plates, and glasses, and stored them in the basket, leaving everything in its place. They walked further down the Cliff Walk, being careful of fallen branches, rocks, and the uneven path. Allie pointed to an area a short distance away that was accessible to the beach below.
"We'll have to climb down those rocks," Allie looked at Connor. "But it's not so hard. I've climbed down many times. However," she laughed. "I've never done it after drinking a glass of wine."
When they reached the spot, Connor started down first, crouching low, and using his hands to steady himself on the slippery descent. The boulders were still wet from the rain the day before, and small pools of water puddled between clusters of smaller rocks. He looked up to check on Allie, with the intention of helping her, but saw that she was climbing down with apparent ease. He clamored down the rest of the way, and when he reached the bottom, saw that she was right there with him. They grinned at each other. Allie pointed northward.
"Let's walk this way."
The wind was much fiercer down on the beach, and Connor watched Allie's golden ponytail swirl around her head as they both pulled up their jacket collars, and dug their hands into their pockets. They walked facing the wind, lowering their heads, as they trudged through the sand and rocks along the base of the cliffs. Occasionally, Allie would reach down and examine a shell half buried in the sand, washed up from the previous storm, when the tides reached almost to the rocks.
Connor found it hard to take his eyes off the pounding waves, crashing relentlessly on the beach. He lived pretty close to the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland, and was more used to tamer waters, unless a hurricane blew through. He found it hard to take his eyes off Allie as well, as she seemed to be thoroughly enjoying herself. They wandered toward the ocean, venturing almost to the sea foam washing on the shore. The wind was so strong, and the ocean so loud, that they couldn't hear each other talk. A huge wave crashed and sent a deep crescent of water rushing towards them. Allie shrieked with laughter, and without thinking, they grabbed each other's hand and ran from the almost certain drenching of their shoes and pants. Out of breath, they ran hand in hand, back up to the base of the cliff.
"This wind is brutal!" Connor yelled close to her ear, laughing. Allie looked at him, and nodded in agreement.
"Come on...I know someplace we can go." Allie pulled his hand, and they walked quickly northward, as she scanned the boulders. "Here it is!" She ducked behind a huge boulder, and Connor followed, into a dark, secluded cave. Connor discovered that he could stand upright, with a few inches to spare. "This is better, isn't it?" Out of the fierce wind, Allie let go of his hand and smoothed her hair, which had been blown in all directions. "Whew....that was fun." She leaned against the side of the cave, still breathing hard, and looked around her.
Connor leaned on the wall opposite her, propped one shoe back against the wall, and rubbed his short, dark hair, which was wet from the ocean spray. He looked around him at the small cave, and figured it to be roughly five feet wide, and ten feet deep, as he could make out the back wall. The sun shone into the enclosed area just enough to make it dim, not pitch black, as he had expected. He looked over at Allie, who seemed to have finished her visual scan of the cave, and realized that she was watching him intently, her arms folded loosely across her waist, a slight smile on her lips. Their eyes locked, and Connor was aware of nothi
ng but their breathing, as they leaned against their walls in the quiet enclosure.
Time seemed to stand still as Connor looked into her brown eyes...her beautiful eyes filled with specks of light, rimmed with damp, dark lashes. She seemed to be patiently waiting, her lips slightly parted, as she watched him. Despite his previous misgivings the night of the storm, Connor knew what they both wanted.
He pushed off slowly from the wall, and even more slowly crossed the short space between them, never taking his gaze off Allie's glistening, upturned eyes. He didn't need words...her eyes spoke for her. He put one hand on the wall behind her shoulder, and the other on her cheek, lightly caressing her soft skin. As he saw her breathing quicken, he put his fingers under her chin, and tilted her face upwards toward him. She kept her arms lightly crossed, as he bent his head toward her lovely face. Through his own lashes, he watched her eyes flutter close, as he lightly brushed her soft lips. Connor raised his head a little to linger on her face, and saw her eyes open as if she were in a daze....eyes that were soft, and liquid, and smoldering. She raised her arms, her hands moved upward, and she caressed the back of his neck, as he bent his head and kissed her again, this time with a passion that ignited them both. He pressed himself against her, wrapping his strong arms around her trembling body.
The Village of Gerard's Cliff Page 13