But then, she had grown old enough to accompany them, and the summer visits had ended. As promised, she had written to her great-aunt of her travels, her childish script filling pages with stories of her adventures – a camel ride in Egypt, a mosaic at a dig in Turkey, a Minoan vase her mother had uncovered on a Greek isle – the list had gone on and on.
“My name’s Edwina Foster.” Her traveling companion broke through her thoughts. “I’m flying to visit my grandson and his wife.”
“This trip is strictly business for me,” Adrianna replied.
“Actually, it’s more than a visit.” The blue eyes now twinkled. “They’re in their mid-thirties, and Ginny is expecting their first child. Jason has to attend a long conference in New York and didn’t want to leave his wife alone this close to her due date. They’ve just moved to Captain’s Point, Maryland, and haven’t had time to make friends.”
“Captain’s Point?”
“Do you know it? I hear it’s lovely.”
“I haven’t been there for any length of time since I was seven – almost twenty years ago, but I liked it back then. The town was full of little shops, but my favorite memory is of looking for shells on the beach.”
With a start, Adrianna realized she had just lied. Her favorite memory had nothing to do with the beach, but rather with the wind-tossed woods behind the giant house.
One day during the early part of her last summer visit, she had found an old butterfly net stuffed between the croquet sticks and badminton racquets that were stored in a deep closet beneath the staircase. Not wanting to disturb her great-aunt’s pre-dinner nap, she had gone outside to play with it, neglecting to tell the housekeeper where she was going. Happily chasing a bevy of yellow and white butterflies, she had left the manicured lawn and entered the cool quiet of the woods.
Other paths covered in pine needles had crossed, joined and then separated from the one that she had followed, and as the sun had set, she had realized that she was lost. A twig had snapped sharply somewhere behind her, and she had started to run, her way partially revealed through the leaves of the trees by a full moon rising overhead. Inevitably, she had tripped on a root and fallen to her knees, her right one striking the corner of a sharp pebble as she had let out a cry.
“Who is it?” A voice had called out up ahead.
“Adrianna,” she had responded, forgetting her great-aunt’s careful instructions about speaking with strangers.
“Stay where you are,” the voice had commanded. “I’m coming.”
A light rounded the bend ahead and came towards her, at first blocking her view of the boy who was carrying it. “What are you doing out here?” He had dropped a backpack onto the ground. “Miss Martha will be fit to be tied.”
“You know my great-aunt?”
“Everyone knows Martha Montgomery.” He had shrugged, calmly pulling a first aid kit from his pack and cleaning the cut on her knee with water from a Boy Scout canteen. “These woods aren’t safe at night for a little girl.”
“You’re here,” she had pointed out.
“But I’m older, and besides, I’m collecting specimens for my merit badge.”
At the time, she hadn’t known what a merit badge was, but it had sounded important. Silently, she had watched as he had applied an adhesive bandage to the cut by the light of his flashlight.
“I’ll walk you back.” He had held out his hand, and she had taken it gladly.
As the aircraft’s engines roared to life, Edwina’s voice broke through Adrianna’s long ago memories. “I’m sure I wasn’t the first person my grandson called on, but still, it’s nice to be needed,” Edwina admitted.
“I know they’ll appreciate your help,” she assured her traveling companion.
Turning towards the window, Adrianna watched as the runway flashed by, wondering if she had ever been needed by anyone – certainly not by her bright, shining parents, who had left her at a Swiss finishing school just two weeks before they had plunged to their deaths from one of the infamous curves along the Amalfi coast. And yet, here she was, flying from one end of the country to the other in response to two letters – one that had been more a command than a request and one that had broken her heart.
Available in print, for Kindle, Nook, and Kobo ereaders, and on iTunes.
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Tamara Ferguson
A member of the Romance Writers of America, as well as the FTHRW Chapter, Tamara Ferguson is the top-ten best-selling, multi-award winning author of the Kissed By Fate Romance Series and the Tales of The Dragonfly Romance Suspense Series. Her latest release is Two Hearts Surrendered. This military romance is her contribution to the bestselling Magical Weddings anthology, which includes stories by fifteen USA Today, best-selling, and award-winning authors.
Tales of the Dragonfly Book II: In Flight was a 2014 WINNER at the Readers' Favorite International Book Awards. Her latest release, That Unforgettable Kiss was recently a top ten Amazon bestseller in Kindle Saga Fiction, earned 3-5★editorial reviews from Readers' Favorite, and has just become the 2015 WINNER of The Romance Reviews Readers' Choice Awards in New Adult Romance.
A graduate of Illinois State University, Tamara Ferguson was a Vice-President of her graduating class and a Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges. She was awarded the Illinois State University College of Applied Science and Technology Collegiate Achievement Award upon her graduation.
A former horticulturist, she currently resides in central Illinois.
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