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find a way to come back and see them from time to time.
She came home in early September with the proof of her and Alec's marriage, then spent the next four
months grieving and angry at the world. Thanksgiving had been hard, but Christmas had been unbearable.
She would have given ten years of her life to be spending the holidays curled in front of a fire with Alec, his
head in her lap as he spoke nonsense to their baby.
She swallowed hard and smoothed her hand over the growing mound so precious to her. She would
soon have to abandon her oversized clothes and move into bona fide maternity wear.
She wheeled the rental car into the parking lot of Cape Helm's quaint little inn. She'd very nearly
chosen to stay in Baton Rouge for New Year's Eve, but the heart of the story that had taken her to Alec to
begin with was the turning of the millennium in small-town America. She could hardly write the final
installment of the article without being there for the event.
After checking in, she slogged back through the snow to her car and headed north on Route 1. She had
decided on the plane ride to Portland that she would try to find Windward Cottage and, in one last-ditch
effort, see if she could trace the ring from there.
It took her longer than she'd anticipated, but she found the house at the end of a road that wound
toward the ocean through acres of dense trees.
The home loomed above the water, majestic as ever, its diamond-paned windows still glittering in the
sun, the view as magnificent as the last time she'd seen it, one hundred and sixty-nine years ago. A sign
swung from hooks in the front yard.
Windward Cottage Bed & Breakfast
Daniel and Bethany Hawthorne, proprietors
A wave of dizziness rocked Shaelyn to the core. Daniel Hawthorne. Was he a descendant of Charles?
Or had Alec remarried? She could not even let herself think about that.
She pulled the car to a stop in front of the house and sat there, staring at the home so dear to her heart.
She had to see it. She had to walk once more through the rooms that had been filled with her and
Alec's love.
A pretty, bright-eyed girl with flaming red hair answered her knock and invited her in.
"Would you like a room?" she asked, wiping her hands on a dish towel. "You'd pretty much have your
pick. We don't get a lot of traffic this time of year."
Shaelyn forced a smile and looked around, swallowing back tears at all that looked familiar, and all that
had been changed.
"I have a room at the inn in Cape Helm, but when I stumbled across this place, I thought I might stay
here instead." She looked back at the girl with eyes the color of violets, subconsciously thinking those had to
be contacts. "It's funny. I've spent summers here for years and never knew this place existed."
"Oh, we've only been in business a year, since my husband's father died. I'm Bethany Hawthorne, by
the way."
Shaelyn took the girl's hand and wondered if she was looking at a very distant niece.
"Shaelyn Sumner. Do you mind if I look around?''
Bethany waved her toward the parlor. "Feel free. You have the run of the house. I have some bread
baking that's about ready to come out of the oven, but I'll find you when I'm through and answer any
questions."
Shaelyn walked from room to room, fighting back tears and watching vignettes of her and Alec playing
in her mind. By the time Bethany found her, it was all Shaelyn could do to keep the tears at bay.
"How do you like our humble home?'' Bethany bustled into the bedroom Molly had used.
Shae smiled but bit hard on the inside of her cheek.
"I can tell it's had lots of happy memories."
"Oh, yes. Daniel grew up here. He loves the place, and so do I."
Shaelyn narrowed her eyes and gave her a curious look.
"Hawthorne. I researched the Hawthorne family in the area once. Did your husband descend from
Alec or Charles Hawthorne?''
Bethany visibly searched her mind, then shook her head.
"I couldn't really say. Probably. He could tell you, but he's in town, helping prepare for the festivities
tonight. They really plan to do this New Year's Eve up right."
Shaelyn nodded, not wanting to even think of any more holidays without Alec.
"Do you have any other rentals on the property?''
Bethany looked at her with surprise.
"As a matter of fact, there's a little cottage about an eighth of a mile up the shore. It used to be the
guest house. It's really popular with couples. Has a personality all its own. It just seems to breathe with a [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]