But at last I had to go. I didn’t want to leave her, and I know now that she deliberately sent me away. And I, who offered my services so gallantly to serve the South, only made one quick little voyage to the port of Orleans and back, bringing in not medicine and food supplies, but weapons with which to hurt and kill.
I might still have fulfilled my mission but for the Union boat that intercepted me. Once the ship drew close I recognized its captain, Carrie’s father. I couldn’t return fire. I couldn’t even face him. Rather, I turned and sailed my schooner home, back up the St. Marys to Carrie.
I was too late. I’d rashly promised to take care of Carrie and her babe. But she’d already been in labor for days. Finally she was delivered of a child, a poor pitiful little male child who died, along with my darling Carrie. I think this must be a punishment for my sins. I could not fulfill my promise, Carrie, not in this lifetime, but I vow that I will try. At my feet, as I write, is your daughter, the child with those silver-blue eyes.
Eyes that ask.
Eyes that must be answered.
I promise you once, Carrie. I now promise you again.
Carolina turned the page. It was blank. She raised her gaze to Rogan’s. “There were two children.”
“Yes. Your great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandmother, Carrie’s daughter. And Jacob’s son.”
“Oh, Rogan. The baby died. Does that mean that you’re not Jacob’s descendant?”
“We may never know, darling. Jacob could have had many wives and many children, or his family might have come from Charleston to claim his land. What happened over a hundred years ago has nothing to do with us.”
Carolina closed the book and laid it on the deck beside them, then turned back to claim her spot in Rogan’s arms. “I think it does,” she said with a sigh of satisfaction. “I don’t know what Carrie expected when she ran away with Jacob, but they’re together now. And this Carolina didn’t know exactly what she wanted, either, until she found it.”
The boat shifted and a faint whiff of tobacco ribboned the air where the two lovers lay.
“Do you think we’re alone, Carolina?”
“No, I think Jacob and Carrie will always be with us. Do you mind?”
He looked down at her face, now flushed with pleasure. “Not a bit,” he said, and kissed her.
Later, as they sat on deck, Rogan asked a question that surprised even himself. “How would you feel about your husband smoking a pipe?”
“I’d think one pipe smoker in the Rogan family is enough,” she answered with a twinkle in her eye.
The wedding was performed in the spring in the parlor of Ridgeway Inn. Angus Evans gave the bride away. Ryan Rogan was the best man, and Ida and Harry acted as witnesses. Afterward the entire town, including the rest of the Rogan family, came down to the docks to watch the Scarlet Butterfly make its maiden voyage south to a Caribbean island. The schooner, it had been decided, would eventually be moored at the wharf where the St. Marys River met the Atlantic Ocean, and would be open year-round for all the world to see.
Sean and Carolina were almost finished restoring their house on the St. Marys River. And Carolina’s portrait of the ship was finished and ready to hang over the mantel.
And if an observer looked real close at the painting and had a bit of imagination, it was sometimes possible to see the shadowy figure of the ship’s captain pacing the deck. Carolina just laughed when guests asked. She didn’t think it at all odd that the figure seemed to be in different places depending on who was watching.
After all, Jacob had always had a mind of his own, and like Carrie, Carolina wouldn’t have changed him if she could have.
Epilogue
“What do you mean you might lose her? Ryan, you’ve delivered hundreds of babies.”
“Sean, I warned you, and I warned Carolina, that getting pregnant was a risk, that she might not be able to carry a child. I don’t know why you let it happen.”
“Carolina wanted a child so badly, Ryan. I never intended for this to happen. But when it did, I couldn’t refuse her. Neither could you. It’s been three years, Ryan. Surely you doctors have learned something new. Please, Ryan, you have to do something. Having a baby doesn’t kill women, not in today’s world. There are modern miracles. Can’t we call in somebody?”
Ryan sighed. They’d had this conversation almost daily since he’d learned that Carolina was pregnant. “It wouldn’t do any good. I’m scheduling a c-section. The baby is showing signs of distress, and I don’t like Carolina’s blood pressure.”
“I’ll call Angus,” Sean said, his voice low and wavery. “He ought to know.”
“You do that, and when you get back, just wait here in Carrie’s room. Call the nurse if you need her. I’ll get set up.”
Angus said he’d come immediately. Sean thought a moment, then called his mother. They might never be close, but they were finding their way back to each other, thanks to Carrie’s insisting that their baby should have a grandmother.
Back in Carrie’s room, Sean sat on the chair beside her bed and took her hand. She was pale, very pale, as pale as she had been that first day he’d found her in his bed on board the Butterfly.
So much had happened since then. He’d learned how to love and how to be loved. His entire life had changed so much that he hardly remembered a time when Carolina hadn’t been the center of it. And she’d been happy too. Until he’d made her pregnant, she’d been as bright and warm as the sunlight that seemed to follow her.
Now she was sedated.
Suddenly she opened her eyes.
“Hi, Captain.”
“Hi, Sleeping Beauty. You know, I called you Goldilocks the first time I saw you because of your haircut, but I really thought you were waiting for your prince to kiss you awake.”
“I still am,” she whispered.
He kissed her gently. “Don’t worry, darling Carolina. I’ll take care of you and our baby. I promise.”
“I know,” she said, “you both will.”
As Ryan and the nurse wheeled Carolina away, Rogan sat in the darkness. He reached for a pipe, then laughed. A thousand times he’d thought about buying a pipe, but he’d never done it.
In the lobby he found a shop that sold cigarettes, pipes, and tobacco. He picked out a fine-looking carved pipe with a curved handle, along with a pouch of tobacco, and paid the clerk.
“You know, you can’t smoke that in the hospital,” she reminded him. “But there’s a solarium outside the second-floor waiting room that you can use.”
“I don’t need to smoke it,” he said, patting his jacket pocket. “I just needed to have it.”
Back in the room, he waited. After what seemed like hours the door opened and Carrie’s bed was rolled back inside. She was still half-asleep, but she was all right.
“The baby?” Rogan whispered to his brother, who had come in behind her.
“The baby’s going to be fine,” Ryan answered, adding, “No thanks to you.”
“To me?”
“You didn’t have to give her a linebacker. She’s much too small to carry such a child.”
For the rest of the night Rogan slept with his head on her bed. In the morning the nurse brought their child, laid it in its mother’s arms, and left the room.
“Come and look, Rogan. We have a beautiful son.”
Rogan watched as the child stared at his father for a moment, then grasped his mother’s nipple with relish. “He has eyes like his mother, silver-blue eyes,” Rogan said, with a catch of wonder in his throat.
“Yes, but he has his father’s greedy touch.”
“What will we call him?” Rogan asked.
“I thought, if you approve, we’d call him Jacob.”
“Jacob is a fine name.”
They watched the child nurse.
“Rogan, have you taken up smoking that pipe I see in your pocket?”
“No, why?”
“Then he’s here. I smell pipe tobacco.”
&
nbsp; “So do I. I’ve smelled it most of the night. I thought it might be because of the dampness, from the rain.”
“It’s raining? I can’t see it, Rogan. Will you open the window?”
It seemed to be stopping. Rogan tugged until he managed to raise the window a few inches. The smell of the sea rushed in, the sea and summer flowers. And then, hovering in the open space, there appeared a flash of red.
“Look, Rogan.”
The red, lacy butterfly fluttered there for a moment, then dipped its wings and flew away.
“A scarlet butterfly,” Carolina whispered. “It’s a miracle. Thank you, Jacob.”
The child opened his eyes and smiled. Outside the rain stopped and the sun came out.
In the harbor beyond, the boats floated like colored leaves on the water. Back in the saltwater lake the silt shifted, releasing its hold on the buried wooden figure. Gracefully it bobbed to the surface and floated by the dock. Aged and weathered, the figurehead moved back and forth, washing the mud from its graceful wings.
Mystically, it righted itself, planting its base in the mud by the shore. And then, as the rays of the sun pierced the foliage overhead, a tiny red butterfly flitted through the air and settled on the tip of the wooden wing.
Like a verbal sigh, the sound of the wind ribboned across the air and disappeared into the woods.
“What do you think, lass?”
“A scarlet butterfly. Carolina has her son, and she’s fine. I think it’s time we went back to the ship, Jacob. They don’t need us anymore.”
The butterfly rested in her special chosen spot for a very long time; then, as if weary beyond belief, she fluttered her wings and flew away, leaving behind her the promise of new life to come.
Of promises fulfilled.
Of dreams come true.
THE EDITOR’S CORNER
Welcome to Loveswept!
Kick off the summer with these sultry Loveswept reads. We’re starting June off with two fantastic e-originals …
FLIRTING WITH DISASTER, fan favorite Ruthie Knox’s latest novel in her scorching-hot Camelot series, where a no-strings-attached fling blooms into love.
TRYING TO SCORE, Toni Aleo’s captivating second novel about second chances and healing hearts, featuring the hockey hunks of the Nashville Assassins.
… And ending the month with HER BETROTHED’S DILEMMA, a special original historical short story from Loveswept author Megan Frampton.
We also have some wonderful classics for you to enjoy:
Temptation runs rampant in Linda Cajio’s DOUBLE DEALING, #1 New York Times bestselling author Iris Johansen tells an engrossing story about a man who promises a forever love in FOREVER DREAM, and Sandra Chastain enthralls with her three searing romances, SINNER AND SAINT, SHOWDOWN AT LIZARD ROCK, and SCARLET LADY.
If you love romance … then you’re ready to be Loveswept!
Gina Wachtel
Associate Publisher
P.S. Watch for these terrific Loveswept titles coming soon: July brings Samantha Kane’s sensual new e-original, TEMPTING A DEVIL, Toni Aleo’s third entrancing book featuring hockey hunks, EMPTY NET, Ruth Owen’s dazzling AND BABIES MAKE FOUR, Jean Stone’s beguiling SINS OF INNOCENCE, Katie Rose’s utterly irresistible A HINT OF MISCHIEF, Iris Johansen’s seductive TIL THE END OF TIME, Sandra Chastain’s enticing stories, DANNY’S GIRL and SILVER BRACELETS, and August heats up with three e-originals: Stacey Kennedy’s intoxicating CLAIMED, Elisabeth Barrett’s blazing SLOW SUMMER BURN, and Toni Aleo’s red-hot CROSSING THE LINE, as well as Sandra Chastain’s stirring SURRENDER THE SHADOW, Katie Rose’s unforgettable COURTING TROUBLE, Adrienne Staff’s alluring CRESCENDO, Iris Johansen’s tantalizing YORK, THE RENEGADE and Ruth Owen’s ultra-sexy BODY HEAT. Don’t miss any of these extraordinary reads. I promise that you’ll fall in love and treasure these stories for years to come.…
Read on for excerpts from more Loveswept titles …
Read on for an excerpt from Toni Aleo’s
Taking Shots
Chapter 1
Eleanor “Elli” Fisher didn’t understand why she was so forgetful. She was convinced that if her ass wasn’t attached to her, she would forget it at home too. But really? How in the world did she forget all the bulbs for her light stands?!
Elli stood in the entrance of the Luther Arena, waiting for Harper Allen, her assistant, to bring the bulbs back from her studio on the western side of Nashville. This was one of the most important days of her career and she forgot the bulbs.
God, I am an idiot.
How did she manage this? She ran her hand through her unruly brown curly hair, sighing. As if forgetting the bulbs wasn’t enough, she was also having a really crappy hair day. This was her first year with the Nashville Assassins. She couldn’t blow it. Being chosen to be the photographer for a hockey team was huge, but when it was for the team that just won the Stanley Cup and had the prospect of winning again? Hello, it was HUGE.
When she saw Harper running into the arena with the bulbs in hand, she let out the breath she had been holding. Damn, that was fast.
“For Christ’s sake! It’s a mad house out there!” Harper complained in her thick southern accent. Her hair was in spikes this week. The spikes were also purple, which made it even more interesting. Hadn’t she discussed with Harper how they needed to keep a professional image? Yes, purple was a team color.
But still!
“I know, come on. Let’s go put the bulbs in.” She didn’t have time to have it out with Harper right now; she had to get to the ice. They all but ran towards the entrance to the ice. Once there, she was greeted by the Assassins’ PR rep.
“Ms. Fisher, how do you do? Are you ready?”
Melody Yates was intense. That was the only way Elli could describe her. She was from New Jersey, and had been converted into a Southerner. And that made no damn sense to Elli, but whatever, this was her boss. So she flashed a huge grin and turned on her southern charm.
“Yes, ma’am. Let my assistant put these bulbs in, and we can get started.”
“Good, the boys will be out soon. Then we’ll go downstairs for the other shots we need.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Harper ran ahead of them and started setting everything up. Elli took in a deep breath. She had been photographing weddings almost her whole adult life, and now she was moving to sports. She had always wanted to do sports photography, partly because she had such a love for hockey, but she never could get an opportunity. Now, thanks to a job opening, and being related to the owner of the Assassins, here she was.
This was her chance.
A big one.
Harper handed Elli her camera with a big smile. Harper knew how important this day was, and also how nervous Elli was.
“Go on over there and let me test shoot, Harp.” Harper started towards the goal and turned with a stick in her hand, making a stern face. It brought a smile to Elli’s face. Harper was a dork, but God, Elli loved her. After fixing the aperture on her camera, Elli called Harper over as the guys started skating onto the ice.
“Good golly, Miss Molly! Look at them! Good Lord! They are gorgeous!” Harper whispered as all the guys came out and sat on the bench. Elli took her time looking the guys over. They were gorgeous, alright. But she already knew that, since she never missed a home game. Sometimes she thought it was the uniforms: bright purple and black, with a masked man on the front of the jerseys that brought out their good looks. But nope, even with the helmets off, these men were just plain gorgeous.
Getting back in the zone, she called for the coaches first. Trying to bottle her nerves, she got started. After shooting the coaches, it was on to the team. Each player came out in front of the goal, striking his pose. Elli zoomed in, taking a head shot before taking one with him holding a stick. After that picture, each lined up for an action shot, which consisted of skating towards her while shooting a puck. During all of this, Harper offered up commentary.
“For the love of God, El, that dude
is hot!” Elli rolled her eyes, taking the shots she needed.
“Hush, Harp.”
“No, really. Like, please, can I hit on one of them? Just one?”
“No.”
“You’re no fun.”
Elli laughed it off. She was starting to get into her groove, just as the captain and the alternate captains came off the bench.
“Oh, to hell with what you say. Number two is mine, after this!” Elli gave her a pointed look as Jakob Titov, the Assassins’ leading scoring forward, skated in front of the goal. Jakob was extremely good looking, with hard lines to his face, bright green eyes, and dark brown hair. He was a looker, but not Elli’s type.
He reminded her too much of her ex-boyfriend.
“Hush, Harper!” Elli said as she took the shots she needed. What she didn’t need was Jakob making eyes at her assistant, which he did. And, of course, Harper returned them. She didn’t know why it bothered her so much that Harper always flirted with the clients. It didn’t matter how old they were or what they looked like, or even if they were the groom. She always found something in them that she liked. It was probably the fact that they all had a penis.
Elli loved Harper, but Harper was a little promiscuous and didn’t care who knew. Guys had no worth to her unless they were naked and inside her, as she always said. Elli always wondered what made Harper that way. It made no sense. There had never been a guy who had done Harper wrong in the twenty two years they had been friends. Her parents were good people. So Elli really didn’t understand where it came from. And, of course, guys liked Harper. She was wild, beautiful, skinny, and amazing.
Everything Elli wasn’t.
Jakob lined up, giving her his action shot. After she got it, he skated towards her and Harper instead of his teammates.
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