Feehan ChristineLover Beware 01Feehan ChristineMagic in the Wind.docx

Feehan ChristineLover Beware 01Feehan ChristineMagic in the Wind.docx

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FeehanChristineLoverBeware01FeehanChristineMagicintheWind

MagicintheWind

CHRISTINEFEEHAN

Formysisters....Thankyouforthemagicandthelovethathasalwaysbeeninmylife.

Chapter1

"SARAH'SBACK.SARAH'Scomehome."Thewhisperwasoverlyloudandtingedwithsomethingclosetofear.Orrespect.DamonWildercouldn'tdecidewhich.He'dbeenhearingthesamesmall-towngossipforseveralhoursanditwasalwayssaidinthesamehushedtones.Hehatedtoadmittocuriosityandhewasn'tabouttostooptoasking,notafterhehadmadesuchapointofinsistingonabsoluteprivacysincehearrivedlastmonth.

Ashewalkeddownthequaintnarrowsidewalkmadeofwood,thewindseemedtowhisper,"Sarah'sback."HehearditashepassedthegasstationandburlyJeffDockinswavedtohim.Hehearditashelingeredinthesmallbakery.Sarah.Thenameshouldn'tcarrymystery,butitdid.

HehadnoideawhoSarahwas,butshecommandedsuchinterestandawefromthetownspeoplehefoundhimselftotallyintrigued.Heknewfromexperiencethepeopleinthesleepylittlecoastaltownwerenoteasilyimpressed.Noamountofmoney,fame,ortitleearnedonedeference.Everyonewastreatedthesame,fromthepooresttotherichest,andthereseemedtobenoprejudiceagainstreligionoranyotherpref-

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crences.Itwaswhyhehadchosenthetown.Amancouldbeanybodyhereandnoonecared.

Alldayhehadheardthewhispers.He'dneveroncecaughtaglimpseofthemysteriousSarah.Buthe'dheardshe'donceclimbedthesheercliffsabovetheseatorescueadog.Animpossibletask.He'dseenthosecrumblingcliffsandnoonecouldclimbthem.Hefoundhimselfsmilingattheideaofanyoneattemptingsuchanimpossiblefeat,andfewthingsamusedhimorintriguedhim.

Theonlygrocerystorewasinthecenteroftownandmostofthegossiporiginatedthereandthenspreadlikewildfire.Damondecidedheneededafewthingsbeforehewenthome.Hehadn'tbeeninthestoreformorethantwominuteswhenhehearditagain."Sarah'sback."Thesamehushedwhisper,thesameaweandrespect.

InezNelson,ownerofthegrocerystore,heldcourt,spillingoutgossipasshenormallydid,insteadofringingupthegroceriesonthecashregister.Itusuallydrovehimcrazytohavetowait,butthistimehelingeredbythebreadrackinthehopeoflearningmoreofthemysteriousSarahwhohadfinallyreturned.

"Areyousure,Inez?

"TrudyGarretasked,draggingherfour-year-oldclosertoherandnearlystranglingthechildwithherhug."Arehersistersback,too?

"

"Oh,I'mcertain,allright.Shecamerightintothestoreasrealasyoupleaseandboughtatonofgroceries.Shewasbackatthecliffhouse,shesaid.Shedidn'tsayanythingabouttheothers,butifoneshowsuptheothersaren'tfarbehind."

TrudyGarretlookedaround,loweredhervoiceanotheroctave."Wasshestill...Sarah?

"

Damonrolledhiseyes.Everyonealwaysannoyedthehelloutofhim.Hethoughtmovingtoasmalltownwouldallowhimtofindawaytogetalongtosomeextentbutpeoplewerejustplainidiots.OfcourseSarahwasstillSarah.Whothehellelsewouldshebe?

Sarahwasprobablytheonlyonewithabrainwithinafifty-mileradiussotheythoughtshewasdifferent.

"Whatcoulditmean?

"Trudyasked."Sarahonlycomesbackwhensomethingisgoingtohappen."

"Iaskedherifeverythingwasallrightandshejustsmiledinthatwayshehasandsaidyes.Youwouldn'twantmeto

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pryintoSarah'sbusiness,nowwouldyou,dear,"Inezsaidpiously.

Damonlethisbreathoutinahissingrushofimpatience.Inezmadeitherlife'sworktopryintoeveryone'sbusiness.WhyshouldtheabsentSarahbeexcluded?

"LasttimeshewashereDockinsnearlydied,doyourememberthat?

"Trudyasked."HefellfromhisroofandSarahjusthappenedtobewalkingbyand..."Shetrailedoffandglancedaroundthestoreandloweredhervoicetoaconspirator'swhisper."OldMarsatthefruitstandsaidPennytoldhimSarah..."

"Trudy,dear,youknowMarsistotallyunreliableinthethingshesays.He'sadear,sweetman,buthesometimesmakesthingsup,"Inezpointedout.

OldmanMarswascrotchety,mean,andknowntothrowfruitatcarsifhewasinafoulenoughmood.DamonwaitedforlightningtostrikeInezforherblatantlie,butnothinghappened.Theworstofitwas,DamonwantedtoknowwhatoldMarshadsaidaboutSarah,evenifitwasablatantlie.Andthatreallyirritatedhim.

Trudyleanedevencloser,lookedmelodramaticallytotherightandleftwithoutevennoticinghewasthere.Damonsighedheavily,wantingtoshakethewoman."DoyourememberthetimelittlePaulBailyfellintothatblowhole?

"

"Irememberthat,nowthatyousay.Hewaswedgedinsotightandnoonecouldgettohim,he'dslippeddownsofar.Thetidewascomingin."

"Iwasthere,Inez,Isawhergethimout."Trudystraightenedup."Pennysaidshe'dheardfromherhairdresserthatSarahwasworkingforasecretagencyandshewassenttosomeforeigncountryundercovertoassassinatetheleaderofaterroristgroup."

"Oh,Idon'tthinkso,Trudy.Sarahwouldn'tkillanything."Thestoreowner'shandsflutteredtoherthroatinprotest."Ijustcan'timagine."

Damonhadhadenoughofgossip.Iftheyweren'tgoingtosayanythingworthhearing,hewasgoingtogetthehelloutoftherebeforeInezturnedherspotlightonhim.Heplunkedhisgroceriesdownonthecounterandlookedasboredashecouldmanage."I'minahurry,Inez,"hesaid,hopingtofa-

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cilitatemattersandavoidInez'susualattemptsatmatchmaking.

"Why,DamonWilder,howlovelytosecyou.HaveyoumetTrudyGarret?

Trudyisawonderfulwoman,anativeofourtown.SheworksoverattheSaltBarandGrill.Haveyoubeentheretoeatyet?

Thesalmonisverygood."

"SoI'veheard,"hemuttered,barelyglancingatTrudytoacknowledgetheintroduction.Itdidn'tmatter.They'dallmadeuptheirmindsabouthim,makingupthehistoryherefusedtoprovide.HefeltalittlesorryforthereturningSarah.Theyweremakingupthingsaboutheraswell."Youmighttellmeaboutthatbeautifuloldhouseonthecliffs,"hesaid,shockinghimself.ShockingInez.Henevergaveanyoneanopeningforconversation.Hewantedtobeleftalone.DamnSarahforbeingsomysterious.

Inezlookedasifshemightfaintandforonceshewasspeechless.

"YoumustknowtheoneI'mtalkingabout,"Damonpersisted,inspiteofhimself."Threestories,balconieseverywhere,aroundturret.It'sgrownoverquitewildaroundthehouse,butthere'sapathleadingtotheoldlighthouse.Iwaswalkingupthereandwithallthewildgrowth,Iexpectedthehousetobeinbadshape,dilapidatedlikemostoftheabandonedhomesaroundhere,butitwasinbeautifulcondition.I'dliketoknowwhatpreservativeswereused."

“That'sprivateproperty,Mr.Wilder,"Inezsaid.“Thehousehasbeeninthesamefamilyforwelloverahundredyears.Idon'tknowwhattheyuseinthepaint,butitdoesweatherwell.Noonelurksaroundthathouse."Inezwasdefinitelyissuingareprimandtohim.

"Iwashardlylurking,Inez,"hesaid,exasperated."Asyouwellknow,theseasaltishardonthepaintandwoodofthehouses.Thathouseisinremarkablecondition.Infact,itlooksnewlybuilt.I'mcuriousastowhatwasused.I'dliketopreservemyhouseinthesameway."Hemadeanefforttosoundreasonableinsteadofannoyed."I'mabitofachemistandIcan'tfigureoutwhatwouldkeepahousesopristineovertheyears.There'snosignofdamagefromthesea,fromage,oreveninsects.Remarkable."

Inezpursedherlips,alwaysabadsign."Well,I'mcertainIhavenoidea."Hervoicewasstiff,asifshewerehighly

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offended.Sheranguphisgroceriesinremarkabletimewithoutsayinganotherword.

Damongatheredthebagsintoonearm,hisexpressiondaringIneztoaskhimifheneededhelp.Leaningheavilyonhiscane,heturnedtoTrudy.“Thehairdresser'sdogwalkertoldthestreetcleanerthathesawSarahwalkonwater."

Trudy'seyeswidenedinshock,buttherewasbeliefonherface.Inezmadesomekindofnoisehecouldn'tidentify.Disgusted,Damonturnedonhisheelandstalkedout.EversincethefirstwhisperofSarah'snamehehadbeenunsettled.Disturbed.Agitated.Therewassomethingunfamiliargrowinginsideofhim.Anticipation?

Excitement?

Thatwasridiculous.HemutteredacurseunderhisbreathattheabsentSarah.

Hewantedtobeleftalone,didn'the?

Hehadnointerestinthewomanthetownspeoplegossipedabout.Sarahmightnotwalkonwaterbutherhousewasamystery.Hesawnoreasonwhyheshouldn'tpayheraneighborlyvisitandaskwhatpreservativeswereusedinthewoodtoachievethenearlyimpossibleresults.

DamonWilderwasamandriventotheedgeofsanity.Movingtothistinytownonthecoastwashislastefforttohangontolife.Hehadnoideahowhewasgoingtodoit,orwhyhehadchosenthisparticulartownwithallitsresidenteccentrics,buthehadbeendrawnhere.Nothingelsewoulddo.Hehadsteppedontherichsoilandkneweitherthisplacewouldbehomeorhehadnone.Itwashelltryingtofitin,buttheseasoothedhimandthelongwalksovermillion-year-oldrocksandcliffsoccupiedhismind.

Damontookhistimeputtinghisgroceriesaway.Theknowledgethatthistown,thisplace,washislaststandhadbeensostronghehadactuallypurchasedahouse.Hishomewasoneofthefewthingsthatgavehimpleasure.Helovedworkingonit.Helovedthewood.Hecouldlosehimselfintheartistryofreshapingaroomtosuithisexactneeds.Forhoursatatimetheworkoccupiedhimsuchthatnothingelsecouldinvadehisbrainandhewasatpeaceforatime.

Hesta