by Claire Fogel
And just like that, my second year at the Barrett Institute of Art was over. It had been a good year, as far as I was concerned. I’d learned a lot, improved all my painting skills, and, best of all, no one had attacked me.
It had been a year without disasters. Yay, me!
And I had another birthday, my nineteenth. I was now legal plus one.
My “missing” bodyguard was still missing.
I was now convinced that he had no intention of returning, ever. And I was angry, very angry. If only he hadn’t kissed me . . . I might have been able to move on.
Despite those feelings simmering deep inside me, it was a pretty good summer. I spent my days with my parents, and with Kevin and Amy, who were at least willing to be in the same space at the same time now.
Kevin and I continued to practice archery and knife-throwing throughout the summer, getting our speed back to where it had been. Occasionally Gavin joined us, although he and Kevin didn’t have much to say to each other.
I wouldn’t be seeing Sean at all this summer. He’d gotten a well-paid construction job up in Vermont for the summer and would be staying up there until he returned to Penn State at the end of August. I’d miss him, but I had to admit it would be better for him to be away. He was emailing me every couple of weeks and he sounded good.
I rode Storm a couple times a week and visited my friends in Elvenwood, along with Rowenna who liked to join Jason and me in the old orchard while he played his flute.
One day I wandered out to the old orchard by myself with my drawing pad and a few pens. I was only humming the dragon’s song, but she heard me and joined me, landing on the ground close to me.
I’m glad you came alone today, Cara. I have news I want to share with you. Her rough voice sounded both worried and excited at the same time.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
Nothing is wrong. But I’m hoping the village won’t see it as a threat.
“Rowenna, the entire village knows you’re our friend. You have nothing to worry about.”
Cara, if the village sees two dragons in the sky, might they see that as a threat?
“Two dragons? Do you mean that your mate has returned?” She’d waited patiently for him for so very long.
No, my mate has not returned. But I think my egg may be ready to hatch! Although for dragons, the hatching can take many months.
“That’s wonderful! This is such exciting news. You must be very happy. I’m happy for you, Rowenna.”
Cara, please let your father know what is happening. I don’t want any of the Elves frightened when my offspring is big enough to fly.
“Okay, I’ll tell him. And I think he’ll be happy for you too.”
Thank you, my small friend. Will you sing for me before I have to leave?
As I sang the dragon’s song, I couldn’t help visualizing Rowenna flying in the skies above Blackthorne Forest with a small dragon by her side. The very thought made me smile.
When her song was finished, she took to the sky, wrapping her magic around me like a soft cloak. I watched her until she disappeared behind the purple mountains.
My father was in Elvenwood for the day, so I joined him for tea and told him about Rowenna’s hatchling-to-be.
“It was considerate of her to let us know, dear. Of course, I’m happy for her. No one, not even a dragon, should be alone for so long.”
When he realized what he’d said, he looked at me, then quickly added, “Rowenna was friendless for many years, dear. That’s all I meant.”
I snorted. Of course, he was correct. I’d never been “friendless.” Rowenna obviously had tons more patience than I had.
“Cara, please let Rowenna know that I will need to speak with her before her hatchling is born. I do have concerns about our village’s safety. I’ll need to know how long it will take to train a baby dragon to understand that we are friends, and that we’re not fireproof.”
The sky had turned gray, not a good day for any more drawing outdoors. Instead I walked over to Kathleen’s cottage. She had been busy all summer, so my visits with her had been brief.
She was sitting in front of her cottage, making notes in a journal, when I walked up.
She looked up with a big smile. “Cara, dear, it’s so nice to see you. It’s a slow day for me, so sit down and we can visit. I’ve had no broken bones or stitches to deal with today.” She laughed. “The youngsters must all be too tired to get into trouble!”
I smiled. She was always so cheerful; I really needed cheerful people around me today.
“Cara, I heard about your new studio, but I haven’t seen it yet. When are you going to invite me over?” she asked with a smile.
“You’re welcome anytime, Kathleen. You don’t need an invitation.”
“Well, I haven’t wanted to interrupt you when you’re at work. Francis has told me how well your artwork has been doing at all those shows. Still in school and already a success,” she said, shaking her head. “I would really love to go to one of your shows and see what it’s like. It must be exciting to see your artwork making so many people happy.”
I snorted. “I haven’t thought of it that way, Kathleen. But it definitely makes my agent happy.”
“Cara, I think you may be missing the most important point.”
I must have looked confused because she explained. “If someone loves one of your drawings or paintings so much, they’re willing to pay a lot of money for it, don’t you think seeing it hanging in their own home will make them happy every time they look at it?”
“Well, yeah, I guess so. That is a nice way to think about the artwork that’s been sold. I’ve been so focused on saving enough money to open an Art Gallery in town, I think I’ve been pretty mercenary lately.”
She nodded. “I understand. But it may bring you even more satisfaction when you think of your artwork hanging in someone’s home where it can be enjoyed every day.”
“Thank you, Kathleen. You’ve put things in a much better perspective.” I smiled. “I needed that.”
She poured a cup of tea for me from the teapot sitting on the bench next to her. “Cara dear, I’m very happy your art is going so well, but I’ve been wondering how you’ve been feeling in other ways. I couldn’t help noticing that you don’t smile as often as you used to. Are you still missing Adam?”
That question startled me. Was I that transparent?
“Yes, I still miss him. But I’m angry with him too. It’s been almost three years, Kathleen. For a while, I thought there was a chance he’d return when I grew up. But I’ve been “legal” in the human world since I turned eighteen. I’m nineteen now and there’s been no word from him. I don’t believe he’s coming back, and that still hurts.”
“You gave him your heart, didn’t you, dear?” There was a slight frown on her normally cheerful face.
I nodded. “It wasn’t a choice I made, Kathleen. It just happened, and it can’t be undone now.”
I felt my nose getting hot, a sure sign I was going to cry. Damn him!
“I’d like to move on. I really would. But I don’t think I have enough love left inside me to give to someone else.”
I could see the sympathy on her face.
She moved closer and put one arm around me, gently pulling my head to her shoulder.
“Cara dear, I know what you’re feeling. There was a time when I thought I’d given my heart to Kelly O’Rourke, but before I could find out if he felt the same, he was banished from Elvenwood. Yes, he’s back now, but we’re both so much older, I think we’ve both changed too much. Instead, I dedicated my life to healing those who are hurt.”
She sighed. “Like you, I don’t know if I have enough love left inside me to give to one man. So much of my love goes into healing others. And you’ve been putting your love into the beautiful pictures you draw and paint.”
Hugging me, she whispered, “The love is still there inside you, Cara. When the time is right, you will give it again.”
&nbs
p; I doubted that but I didn’t have the heart to argue.
My last night at home was spaghetti night with my parents and Kevin, who’d been joining us for dinner all summer. He’d be leaving in two days, and I’d miss him.
After we’d cleaned up the kitchen, Kevin and I went out on the back porch. The sun was already behind the trees, even though it hadn’t set yet. The peaceful forest was a lovely mixture of gold and green. All we heard were a few birds calling to each other before nesting for the night.
As we relaxed in Mom’s deck chairs, Kevin sighed. “I’m gonna miss this, short stuff. Once I’m back in school, I’ll have to say goodbye to the whole concept of relaxing. I knew college would be harder than high school, but I honestly had no idea how hard!”
I sympathized with him. The dark circles under his hazel eyes were proof how hard he’d been working. Even two months at home hadn’t erased them.
“I guess Art school has been a walk in the park by comparison, Kev. Probably because I really love my work. This is exactly what I’d want to be doing even if I wasn’t in school. This will be my last year, you know.”
He groaned. “Two more years for me. More if I decide to go for my Master’s.” He shook his head. “I think I may put that off for a year or two. It would be nice to have a life again.”
“Are you and Amy at least talking again?”
“Not really. Just ‘hello and how are you’. I guess she’s still wrapped up in Gavin. He’s a lucky guy/Elf/Halfling/whatever.” He snorted. “I’m such a shmuck.”
He turned and looked at me. “Cara, to be honest, I don’t think Amy and I ever had that ‘mate’ thing that you had with Adam. But it would be nice if we could be good friends again. I miss that.”
“Do you want me to put in a good word for you, Kev?”
“Yeah, why not. It’s been long enough, she shouldn’t still be mad at me. Should she?”
“I doubt it. She seems to be happy, and there’s no reason she wouldn’t want you to be happy too. I guess.”
He glanced over at me again, half a smile on his face. “Not sure about that, are you? Red does know how to carry a grudge.” I heard a deep sigh.
“I’ll talk to her, Kev.”
“Thanks, short stuff.”
The following morning I packed up my car for the return trip to Syracuse. For my birthday, Mom had gifted me with a new down-filled comforter for winter nights. Since she’d bought it in the summer, it had been on sale, half-price, which thrilled her bargain-happy heart. What thrilled me was the extra warmth I could look forward to!
My father had given me the gift I was now wearing. He’d had two small pieces of green jade cut into hearts and crafted into earrings for me. I’d decided I would never take them off. The first time I put them on, he grinned. “They match your eyes perfectly, Cara.”
“I love them, Dad. Thank you.”
Amy and Kevin had both given me new art supplies for my birthday, which I really needed. I’d been using up my supplies at a rapid pace.
After exchanging warm hugs from both my loving parents, I fastened Ralph into his harness in the back seat, and we drove out of Thornewood.
Just before we reached the highway, I had an uneasy feeling. I looked around, but there was no car behind me, and I decided I was letting old fears creep into my head again.
I shook my head, slipped an Ed Sheeran CD into my player, sped up and sang along all the way to Syracuse. I replayed my favorite, “Perfect,” at least five times. As I turned on Birch Street, “Hearts Don’t Break Around Here” began to play. I pulled up in front of the yellow house, glad to turn that one off.
After unleashing Ralph from the back seat, I watched as he made a mad dash for the nearest tree. Once that chore had been taken care of, he ran up to the front door and barked, obviously alerting Laurie that her favorite Boxer was back.
I had to laugh as I unloaded my car, setting everything on the sidewalk and watching my dog at the same time. Ralph sat in front of the door politely, his little tail wagging at top speed. When Laurie opened the door, he dashed in, ran circles around her, and when she bent down to pet him, he immediately licked her face. She was laughing too as she enjoyed all his doggy affection.
She finally was able to get through the door to help me bring all my stuff in. It still took us two trips, but once everything was back in my apartment, we went upstairs for tea and she made lunch for us.
When she sat down, she said, “Hard to believe this is your last year here, Cara. I’ll certainly miss you and Ralph.”
I grinned. “Well, you still have to put up with us for at least nine more months, Laurie. I’ll try to stay out of trouble until then, but there are no guarantees.”
She smiled, one eyebrow raised. “Well, you should know that a certain police lieutenant stopped by last week, asking when you’d be back. I know, I know, you’re ‘just friends,’ but I really think the handsome lieutenant has a bit of a crush on you.”
My smile disappeared. “Oh, I hope not. All I can give him is my friendship. And I don’t want to lose him as a friend.”
She looked surprised. “Cara, in the two years you’ve lived here, I don’t think you’ve had even one date, which I’ve always found puzzling.”
I looked down at my sandwich, shrugging. “Laurie, I’ll tell you the truth. My heart already belongs to someone who’s not around anymore. It’s not fair to anyone else for me to date when all I can offer anyone is friendship.”
“Oh no, Cara. I hope you don’t mean that he died?”
I shook my head. “No. He simply left town without even a goodbye. That was almost three years ago.”
“And you haven’t gotten over him yet?”
I snorted. “I guess I’m what they call “a one-man woman.”
Now she was shaking her head. “Cara, you’re much too young to give up on serious relationships. Especially when it’s already been three years.” She chuckled. “You need to get back on the proverbial horse, dear.”
I tried to smile. I knew that wasn’t going to happen. That proverbial horse had taken my heart with him, wherever he’d gone.
After I thanked Laurie for lunch, Ralph and I went downstairs and I began to put my stuff away and get organized. Once my clothes and art supplies had been put away and I’d made my bed and put fresh towels in the bathroom, the cozy apartment looked like I’d never left. One thing was missing: Food.
I checked the cupboards and made a list. It was late afternoon by then, still partly sunny although some clouds had begun rolling in. I couldn’t procrastinate because I wouldn’t have any dinner, unless there was some way to turn mustard and crackers into dinner. Even I wasn’t that creative.
I stuck my list into my pocket, grabbed my purse and keys, and told Ralph I’d be back in under an hour. I was still in shorts, sandals and a t-shirt but I didn’t feel like changing my clothes just to go to the grocery store. Since I was only shopping for one, it wouldn’t take long.
By the time I got into my car, the sun was completely covered by clouds. Fortunately, they weren’t black, stormy clouds, so I figured I could cope with a few raindrops. I told myself storms didn’t scare me anymore.
The parking lot at Family Foods was almost full. I looked at the clock in the car and realized most people were probably on their way home from work at that time.
Oh well. I had to park all the way at the rear of the lot. I didn’t have the patience to drive around the lot until something closer opened up. Besides, it wasn’t raining yet.
I locked my car and jogged through the parking lot to the main entrance, grabbed a cart and started going up and down the aisles, tossing groceries into the cart. Since I still hadn’t learned to cook, my food choices were fairly simple: Cereal, milk, bread, cold cuts, bacon, bagels, tomatoes, microwave dinners, and a few condiments. I included a can of vanilla nut coffee. Couldn’t forget the coffee. On my way to the cashier, I grabbed a bag of Oreo’s and threw them into the cart too. As far as I was concerned, all the basi
c food groups had been covered.
I breezed through the cashier’s Express line quickly and headed for the door. Of course, it was now raining, and it was more than a drizzle. Everyone was rushing through the parking lot heading for their cars, and most of the cars moving through the lot had their lights on. The parking lot was a madhouse, and I was again getting that uncomfortable being watched feeling.
As I rushed through the crowded lot to the rear where my car was parked, I thought I saw a green van drive past the store slowly. Without thinking, I stuck one arm up and waved. Then, of course, I realized it could have been anybody. I laughed at myself as I unlocked the trunk of my car and started setting my grocery bags inside.
Thanks to the rain, which was coming down harder now, I hadn’t noticed the brown van parked next to me, its motor running.
I jumped into my car, wishing I had a towel, and noticed an envelope tucked under my windshield wiper. Irritated, I got out again and grabbed the envelope as the van next to me backed out of its space. I hoped I hadn’t got even more rained on just to learn about a sale on anti-freeze.
Starting my car and turning on my lights, I opened the heavy manila envelope to find a typewritten letter that was actually addressed to me. I suddenly felt cold, goose bumps up and down both arms.
I read: “Dear Miss Blackthorne, I was driving the car that hit you. Please don’t worry. I mean you no harm now. I never wanted to hurt you, and I was relieved when I learned that you weren’t seriously injured. I am not a criminal, just a foolish man who got into trouble and was trying to find a way out.
Even though I relocated and changed my name, I received a message from Nick Romanov recently. Apparently, there’s nowhere I can hide. He swears he’ll get even with me and with you. I thought you should be warned.
Signed: A Friend
I folded the letter and put it back in its envelope, my heart pounding. I closed my eyes for a few minutes, willing my heart to calm down. When I felt more in control, I grabbed my phone and called Lieutenant Fox.
