1718: Puritan Island, Royal Province of Massachusetts Bay"The villagers are coming. We must hurry, dear sister."Celeste Galloway, with a heavy heart, tore her gaze away from her one-day-old babe nursing at her breast to peer into the hearth's flames. Using strength from within, she pulled magick from her core and channeled the elements. Heat wrapped around her, teased the hair off her nape. Her sluggish, foggy mind parted and the vision became clear.The villagers were, indeed, afoot. However, they weren't yet at the forest edge or near her little stone cottage in the clearing. She had time to prepare, but not much.Gently, she swaddled the baby she'd named Hope, and rose to set her on the straw pallet by the fire. Her body ached from rigorous birthing, but she relished the pain. From agony came love, even though it had been love's betrayal that had set them on this course.With a kiss to her daughter's sleepy brow, Celeste chanted a protection spell and faced her sister, Mara.
Kaida Galloway stood at the edge of a cliff as a salty wind whipped her long blonde hair around her head. Barefoot, she dug her toes into dew-dampened grass as waves crashed into rock thirty stories below. The roar all but muted the cry of gulls circling the Atlantic in the distance. Sunlight streamed through the cloud cover and glittered off the gray-blue water. A short wave of vertigo hit her, but she didn't step back. Nothing could hurt her here, even though scenarios of plunging over the edge filled her head. She didn't have a clue how she knew no harm would come to her. It was just an awareness. An assurance, much like expecting the sun to set or the electric bill to come.Like in her other dreams, she wore whatever she fell asleep in the night before. Today's outfit sported a yellow shorts and tank combo with purple butterflies. And, exactly like in previous dreams, she waited. For him.She didn't know his name and she'd never met him while awake, which only served to remind
"Miss Galloway, this is the front desk with your requested wake-up call." The male voice on the other end sounded too darn chipper. Guess he'd had his caffeine shot already, the lucky jerk.Wake-up call? Right. She had booked a ticket on the ferry to take her to Six Fates Island this morning. "Thank you.""You're very welcome, miss. Have a great day.""You, too." She hung up and flung the covers off, then froze.She was wet. Soaking wet. With shaking hands, she ran her fingers through the stringy strands of her hair, and her heart pounded discovering it, too, was damp.Fumbling, she flew off the bed and glanced down at herself. Drenched pajamas. A quick glance at the sheets showed they were dry. The ceiling wasn't leaking, as the drywall was in place and there were no water marks. Besides, she wasn't on the top floor of this hotel. Nothing was wet but...her.Saltwater mingled with rain and freshly cut grass. The scents swirled around her and the dream flooded back. Flashes. Proje
Brady Meath shoved away from the desk in his small office in the public library and stood in front of the window facing Puritan Street. Pedestrians walked past and cars drove by. Cherry blossoms were in full bloom and buds beginning to open on the magnolia trees. The grass was finally turning a nice shade of green after a long winter. But the calming, familiar sights didn't appease his restless mind or abate the itch under his skin.As the town historian and head of the historical society, he had a busy week ahead. Budget plans had gone through for the Minister Bridge reconstruction, which meant he was required to go over the blueprints to ensure the architects had stayed true to original designs. Six Fates Courthouse was undergoing remodeling, so he'd have to pop by often to ensure the construction crew followed his instructions, down to every cornice piece and crown molding strip. And Galloway Lighthouse was in need of repairs. That meant sucking it up and visiting Fiona and Ceara t
Brady walked the block to Meath Hotel and strode through the expansive lobby. Rounding reception, he made his way down the employee hall to his brother's office. The space was twice the size of Brady's, but significantly less cluttered. Business degrees and pictures of family dotted the dark green wallpaper and crystal decorated the shelves in the form of bowls, a clock, and shamrocks. Somehow, only Tristan could make such a thing manly.Riley was relaxed in a chair, wearing his typical work attire of gray slacks and a polo, and Tristan stood behind his desk, glancing at a file. He closed the folder and sat, smoothing his blue tie. A black suit coat was tossed over the arm of the brown leather sofa and he had his white dress shirt rolled to the elbows. Both brothers made Brady feel underdressed in jeans and a navy tee, but he'd be visiting work sites today.Tristan picked up the desk phone. "Send in a carafe of coffee, please." Brady grunted. "Got any whiskey?""It's ten in the
Crammed into the passenger seat of an ancient Volkswagen Beetle, Kaida prayed for her life as Mara drove them east through town. Apparently, in her supposed aunt's world, stop signs were merely a pretty bauble, traffic lights a suggestion, and pedestrians just part of an obstacle course. Oh, and there was no such thing as a speed limit. Considering the car had left the showroom sometime around Woodstock, Kaida was shocked the thing ran at all, never mind got above crawling.Her head smacked the roof a third time when Mara flew over a speed bump and the front tire landed in a pothole. "I'm, uh, not in any hurry or anything. Don't feel the need to rush on my account.""I ain't rushin', dear. Any slower, we'd be going backward." Mara laid on the horn as a dog walker nearly missed the front bumper by an angel's whisper. She stuck her face out the window, white hair billowing. "Head out of yer arse first, then cross the street."The man grinned, kept going, and waved over his shoulder, n
The kitchen was light and airy. And big. Wainscoting held prints of herbs. Distressed white cabinets covered two walls. The appliances were stainless steel. A large blue tile island matched the countertops and had a bowl of red apples in the center. The bay window over the sink showed a view of the garden. A stained-glass round table sat in a corner and seated six. Bottles in multiple colors and sizes lined the tops of the cabinets."Have a seat. I'll brew a pot." Ceara moved to the stove and started a kettle, then set out mugs. She fished through jars on a counter rack, selected something, and put leaves in metal steepers. "How was the ferry ride? Did you just get in today?""Yes, and the trip was nice. It was fascinating to watch the island approaching." Kaida took a chair next to Fiona. "The hotel's very lovely also."Ceara's head whipped around, red coiled strands flying. "You checked into the Meath Hotel?" Her affronted tone set Kaida back. "I'm sorry. Of course, you did. You'r
Brady's knee bounced incessantly from his perch in Tristan's office while he waited for Riley's call with Fiona to connect. All week, he'd had this niggling sensation something was coming. Between the frequent dreams of Kaida and the restlessness in his gut, he was ready to bust his seams. And to learn she was not only real, but here on the island was an oh-shit of epic proportions. "Hey, Fi. It's Riley."Brady exchanged a worried glance with Tristan across the desk."Great, you?" Riley nodded. "Listen, I'm with my brothers. Can I put you on speaker? Thanks." He pulled the phone from his ear and tapped the screen. "Okay, Fi. You've got all three of us.""Hey, boys. How goes it?" Fiona Galloway's sultry voice slithered into the enclosed room like a fog. For as long as Brady could recall, she had a way of getting a man to stand at attention just by moving her lips.Tristan leaned forward, elbows on the desk. "We had a guest check in today. She has an interesting last name. Anythi