After a few miles, the driver took a left turn onto West Shore Drive.
“Are we staying in one of the hotels in town?” Mia guessed, as they drove in the direction of the South Fork’s north shore and Montauk’s little downtown area.
“This is killing you,” he smiled, clearly taking delight in his wife’s discomfort at her lack of control.
“You suck, Schooner Moore,” she feigned anger, but her ear-to-ear grin gave her away.
Nodding, he leaned over and kissed her, “Yeah, I do, Mia Moore.”
Before town, the cab made a right turn onto Star Island Road, quickly passing over a thin causeway strip of land onto Star Island itself. One more right turn and the cab pulled up to the circle in front of the Lighthouse Building at the Montauk Yacht Club.
A bellman from the yacht club opened the cab door for Mia and Schooner. Smiling brightly, he greeted them, “Welcome Mr. and Mrs. Moore.”
Schooner and Mia walked into the building hand-in-hand. Off to their right was guest check-in, but Schooner kept walking straight and led them to the dockside back door.
Out on the promenade they walked along a dock lined with boats and yachts of all sizes that gently swayed with the tide in their berths. When Schooner steered her right onto one of the walkways off the main dock, it finally hit her.
“True Compass is here?” It was as if she’d finally solved a game of Clue.
Smiling, he nodded, “She is.”
“Where are we going?” They were at the very tip of Long Island, perched on the Atlantic Ocean, the possibilities were endless, north was Block Island, The Cape, Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket. South was Cape May, Delaware, the Chesapeake Bay, the Outer Banks.
“Yellow, orange, red and green.”
“Is that a hint?” They continued down the walkway.
“It is.” he smiled, knowingly.
They stopped as they reached the slip where their boat was moored.
“Yellow, orange and red. Fall foliage in New England?” she guessed.
“Very good. Now what about the green?”
Mia thought for a second, “Acadia National Park?”
“Ehhh,” he made a buzzer sound, “good answer, but wrong. Here’s a hint,” and he pointed up.
“North of Maine?” she questioned. “Canada?” and then it dawned on her. The time of year was perfect, not just for foliage in New England, but if they were very lucky, “Northern lights in Nova Scotia,” she blurted out.
Smiling, he nodded.
“Please tell me all my camera equipment is on that boat.”
“You’re in luck,” he laughed.
“So, what are we waiting for,” Mia began to move toward True Compass.
“Whoa, where are you going?”
Stopping, she turned around, her nose scrunching up with a questioning look. Scooping her up in his arms, Schooner Moore was not letting his bride walk across the threshold.
Mia laughed, “I forgot.”
“There are some things I never forget.”
The look in his eyes was melting her, “Oh really, what else haven’t you forgotten.”
“A promise I made to myself when you were just sixteen.”
Reaching out to lay a hand on his cheek, “And what was that promise?” she whispered.
With a look that summed up twenty-five years of love, heartbreak, loss and utter bliss, as he carried her over the threshold onto their boat, he whispered back, “Your first and your last, Baby Girl. Your first and your last.”
Author’s Note:
Thank you for joining me on Schooner and Mia’s journey. I’m going to miss them. Big time! And I didn’t do anything evil to you in this book. I know, hard to believe. But after over a quarter of a million words, this completes their saga.
Over the course of writing these books, I have reached out to many people for their expertise, as well as to pick their brains about minutiae and I’d like to thank everyone who has been so selfless and forthcoming with information. During the writing of Moore than Forever:
Ellie Biegel, R.N. thank you for your time and expertise. We don’t spend nearly enough time together.
Brendan Raisbeck of Lilayi — I appreciate your prompt responses to my need for minute details. You helped me paint a picture that would have otherwise had blank sections on the canvas.
Rosalind Malfense-Fierro bet you didn’t think that wonderful little tidbit of language you shared with me would be such a significant part of the storyline. Thank you!
Stephanie Carr at ADollopOfInspiration.com for creating Schooner and Mia’s Wedding Invitation. (yes, they have a wedding invitation)
John Brinkley … where do I even begin? You have been an unknowing godsend in our lives from the day we met you. Our once a year conversations have been integral to inspiring this trilogy. These books exist because I was able to open my eyes to signs and you were both an inspiration and a messenger. Right from the start, I felt that this was so much bigger than me and you absolutely confirmed that. I love your faith.
Mom … for the hours of listening to me unravel these tales and for cleaning up my commas (and everything else).
Karen Harper and Deena Schoenfeldt for all your help in getting manuscripts into book form.
And to the readers, bloggers and authors who have all become part of my “community” (you know who you are, so if you’re wondering, “Am I included?” The answer is yes!) — it truly does take a village and I could not do what I love to do - write - without all of you. Thank you for all your support and endless hours of banter and laughter.
To friends old and new … Tramps like us … love you! I know as you read these pages you picked up on the little gifts I sprinkled in.
In my research, there were a lot of things that I came across that really touched me deeply, especially throughout the Zambia storyline. Whether it be the story of a patient awaiting a limb, a tale of an orphan’s nightmarish beginnings or an abandoned elephant calf axed in the spine by a human, I hope that I was able to convey the everyday struggles encountered by others and the resilience of spirit.
The Lilayi Elephant Orphanage that Schooner and Mia visit in Zambia is a real facility. The elephant calves mentioned in the book are real and their stories are heartbreaking. If you are a fellow animal lover, please check out this link to learn more about the elephants, the orphanage and to find out how you can help.
http://www.gamerangersinternational.org/ourprojects/elephant-orphanage-project/the-lilayi-elephant-nursery
Till we meet again …
JAR
For The Reader
Thank you for purchasing and reading this ebook. If you enjoyed it please leave a short review on book-related sites such as Amazon and Goodreads. Readers rely on reviews, as do authors.
About The Author
Author Julie A. Richman is a native New Yorker living deep in the heart of Texas. A creative writing major in college, reading and writing fiction has always been a passion. Julie began her corporate career in publishing in NYC and writing played a major role throughout her career as she created and wrote marketing, advertising, direct mail and fundraising materials for Fortune 500 corporations, advertising agencies and non-profit organizations. She is an award winning nature photographer plagued with insatiable wanderlust. Julie and her husband have one son and a white German Shepherd named Juneau.
Contact Julie
Twitter @JulieARichman
or
Website www.juliearichman.com
or
Facebook www.facebook.com/AuthorJulieARichman
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Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapte
r Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-one
Chapter Twenty-two
Chapter Twenty-three
Chapter Twenty-four
Chapter Twenty-five
Chapter Twenty-six
Chapter Twenty-seven
Chapter Twenty-eight
Chapter Twenty-nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-one
Chapter Thirty-two
Chapter Thirty-three
Chapter Thirty-four
Chapter Thirty-five
Chapter Thirty-six
Chapter Thirty-seven
Chapter Thirty-eight
Chapter Thirty-nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-one
Chapter Forty-two
Chapter Forty-three
Chapter Forty-four
Chapter Forty-five
Chapter Forty-six
Chapter Forty-seven
Chapter Forty-eight
Chapter Forty-nine
Chapter Fifty
Chapter Fifty-one
Chapter Fifty-two
Chapter Fifty-three
Chapter Fifty-four
Chapter Fifty-five
Chapter Fifty-six
Chapter Fifty-seven
Chapter Fifty-eight
Chapter Fifty-nine
Chapter Sixty
Chapter Sixty-one
Chapter Sixty-two
Author’s Note:
For The Reader
About The Author
Contact Julie
Moore than Forever Page 24