The Joining Tree

by Claire Fogel

  “He never said anything to me.”

  “Why would he? He never knew what you meant to me.”

  He was right.

  I looked up at him. “Where do you plan to go now?”

  “Nowhere, love. Where you are is where I’ll be. Always.”

  He gave me that swoon-worthy smile I remembered. “You’re not a teenager anymore.”

  I was totally lost in his eyes, in the love shining out of them.

  “I have a question to ask you, Cara.”

  I nodded, still lost in those cobalt eyes.

  “Will you marry me? Tonight, tomorrow, as soon as possible. I don’t ever want to leave you again. Not even for a day. I love you, Cara. You’re my mate.”

  I had obviously lost what was left of my mind.

  “You do? I am?”

  He raised one hand to stroke the side of my face. “I’ve been in love with you ever since you snatched an arrow out of the air and probably saved my life. Ever since that day, you’ve held my heart in your hands.”

  “Oh.” His soft touch had left me breathless.

  He put his other hand on the other side of my face and lowered his lips to mine.

  The world started spinning. Then he lifted his lips from mine and said, “Please say yes, love.”

  I was a little breathless. “Okay. Yes, I’ll marry you.”

  Smiling, he began kissing me again, deeper and deeper, until I totally forgot where we were.

  The ground was dropping away from under my feet, the world was spinning again.

  I whispered, “Earthquake?”

  He whispered back, “Tornado, I think.”

  I wrapped my arms around his waist and pulled him close.

  And he kissed me.

  And kissed me.

  And kissed me until we were both lost in another world, far, far away.

  The End

  (Epilogue follows)

  While Adam and I had our reunion on Main Street on my birthday, we weren’t aware we had a fascinated audience.

  Customers arriving at the Gallery stopped at the doorway to watch our confrontation with avid attention. Mr. Callahan stood watching too, with a satisfied smile on his face. We were completely unaware of them.

  We never heard passing motorists shouting, “Get a room!” as we were wrapped in each other’s arms. We heard about all of it later.

  Adam came home with me to see my parents. My father greeted him with a huge smile and open arms. “Welcome home, Adam.”

  Mom didn’t even try to get up. She simply smiled and said, “It’s about time, Adam.”

  He smiled and kissed her hand. “You look wonderful, Alicia.”

  Then he turned to my father and said, “We want to be married, as soon as possible. Do we have your blessing, Brian?”

  My father beamed at us. “Of course you do. Cara, Adam, we wish you every happiness. I assume you’d like two weddings, one in Elvenwood and one here.”

  I looked at Adam. He nodded, smiling.

  My father grinned. “Will tomorrow be too soon?”

  Adam looked down at me, his eyes dancing. “Do you think we can wait until tomorrow?”

  I looked up at him and whispered, “Tonight would be better.”

  I looked at my father. “Dad, do you think you could talk one of the Elders into marrying us tonight?”

  He arched an eyebrow. “We may have to wake up most of Elvenwood, but if you want to be married tonight, we’ll wake them up!”

  He helped my mother out of her chair. “Come, Alicia, we’re riding to Elvenwood tonight.”

  I suddenly felt terrible. Mom was too pregnant to ride, and the gateway to Elvenwood wouldn’t open for her. I really wanted my mother at my wedding.

  Mom saw the look on my face and squeezed my hand. “Don’t worry, dear. I can ride with your father, and Smoke is very careful to give me a smooth ride.”

  “But the gateway, Mom. It won’t open for you.”

  She smiled. “It will now.” She patted her rounded stomach. “There’s a little person with Elven blood in here, and the gateway recognizes him.”

  She winked at me. “Yes, him.”

  We walked to my father’s camp, collected Conor and the greys, and rode into Elvenwood slowly as the sun was going down.

  My father left us at his cottage and went to the dining hall to ring the bell there.

  Many of the Elves were still awake and those who weren’t got up and came out quickly. My father spoke to Henry Ferguson quietly, and I saw Mr. Ferguson nod and smile.

  We gathered under the Joining Tree at sunset on my twentieth birthday. We were married as the sun went down while the ancient tree cast its bewitching magic over us.

  There were tears in my eyes as Mr. Ferguson read the beautiful words of the Elven marriage ceremony. Adam held my hand throughout, never taking his eyes off me.

  “Adam and Cara, you stand before us today declaring that you are Mated and bound forever, by Elven custom.

  “Now you will feel no rain, for each will be shelter for the other.

  Now you will feel no cold, for each of you will be warmth to the other.

  Now there will be no loneliness, for each of you will be companion to the other.

  Now you are two persons, but there is only one life before you.

  May beauty surround you both in the journey ahead and through all the years.

  May happiness be your companion and your days together be good and long upon the earth.”

  The Elder looked at Adam and nodded. Adam said, “Forever, Cara.”

  Then he looked at me. I said, “Forever, Adam.”

  Mr. Ferguson smiled at us. Looking out at the gathered Elves, he said,

  “Please offer your warmest wishes to Adam and Cara Wolfe.”

  An impromptu party followed, and we were mobbed by our friends, all of whom were both surprised and delighted to be attending our unexpected wedding that night.

  I was still in my red dress with Adam in his jeans and blue denim shirt. No one minded, least of all us.

  I took a few minutes to sing Rowenna’s song and we watched her fly over the village, her hatchling at her side, as she mentally sent us her love.

  Throughout all of the hugs and good wishes being bestowed on us, Adam never let go of my hand.

  Two days later we went to City Hall for our marriage license, and the next day Judge Stone married us in his office. There was just a small group for this second wedding. My parents, of course, Mr. Callahan, Amy, Gavin, Jason, Conor, and Arlynn were with us.

  Adam asked me to wear my pink and ivory dress, the one I wore for my parents’ wedding. His eyes lit up when I came downstairs in it.

  Somewhere my father found a dark blue suit for Adam. He looked incredible.

  When Judge Stone said, “I now pronounce you husband and wife,” I thought I heard a muttered “Hallelujah” from Amy, which made both of us grin.

  Amy reported that Adam and I both had stars in our eyes that day. But she was slightly annoyed that we only gave her two days to cater our second wedding!

  Nevertheless, we had a lovely party at my mother’s house, spilling out onto the back porch and backyard. Amy had prepared several trays of the little sandwiches everyone loved, there was champagne on ice, and the wedding cake she made for us was, of course, exquisite.

  Word had traveled to my father’s camp, and we had several unexpected but very welcome guests. Ryan, Gabriel, and Patrick took frequent turns congratulating us and hugging me, much to Adam’s amusement.

  Adam and I settled happily into my studio’s new larger living area, and Adam was building the additional furniture we needed. We were together every day and every night. He vowed that we would never be separated again.

  I had never been so happy in my life.

  And then, on July sixteenth, my little brother finally joined us. Christopher Blackthorne came into the world, weighing seven and a half pounds. He had Mom’s auburn hair, my father’s green eyes and a very healthy se
t of lungs.

  We didn’t think life could get any better.

  But a few years later, it did!

  Where to start? Writing The Blackthorne Forest series has been a labor of love for the past four years. And now that I’ve typed “The End,” I’m sad that it’s finished!

  There are so many people to thank. I couldn’t have done it without any of them.

  My first two Editors, Michelle Browne and Laurie A. Will, were my first writing teachers, breaking me of so many bad habits. I learned a great deal from each of them, and I’ll always be grateful for everything they taught me.

  I turned the editing of this fourth book over to my “Idea Man,” Neil Fogel, who made me work harder than I ever had before, as I rewrote whole chapters because he thought it would make the story better. I hope we succeeded.

  All of my beautiful covers were designed by Alexandre Rito, who was able to give them the mystical, romantic look I wanted. I still love every single cover he designed for the Blackthorne Forest series.

  My main character, Cara Connelly Blackthorne, is a gifted artist. Unfortunately, I can’t draw a straight line, so I needed professional advice on the how-to’s of watercolor and oil painting so that in writing about art, I wouldn’t sound like an idiot. Luckily, I live in a small town that’s full of artists. I have to thank Juanita Niemeyer, a talented artist and teacher of watercolor painting, who was my first source for painting insight. She was extremely patient with all my questions and very generous with her time. For additional research I used the excellent Encyclopedia of Oil Painting Techniques, which is full of beautiful oil paintings and clear explanations of how they were created. Any mistakes in this book are mine alone.

  Once again, I “borrowed” a portion of a traditional Native American (Apache) wedding vow for my Elven wedding vows because I found it so beautiful.

  I have to thank my talented daughter, Paula Hightower, (winkletwebdesign.com) who designed my website, www.clairefogel.com/ where my readers have a place to contact me, and occasionally find out what I’m working on next. I’ve appreciated – and answered – every message I received from my readers, who have made this journey so rewarding and so much fun!

  I’m a confirmed bookworm. Have been all my life, beginning with the backs of cereal boxes and graduating to real books. I especially love fiction. Over the years, I’ve found reading to be the best kind of therapy, taking me away from my problems and into another world because that was all I really needed to cope with life.

  I especially love novels in series, which is why I wrote a series. When I find characters I really like and can relate to, I enjoy the opportunity to know them better until they begin to feel like friends. I want to know what happens to them! As I think my readers can tell, I am completely addicted to happy endings, which are the most satisfying parts, both to read and to write!

  I grew up in a small town in New Jersey, very much like the fictitious town of Thornewood. Of course, I placed Thornewood in upstate New York, not New Jersey. Although I spent a few years working in New York City, I always returned to the more peaceful suburbs, which is where I’ve spent most of my life, first on the East Coast and now on the West Coast.

  My husband and I live in the central California mountains with our lovable Boxer, Roscoe, who appears in several of my books. When I’m not washing dishes or picking dry dog food out of the carpet, I’m trying to decide which of Thornewood’s residents to write about next! I don’t think I’m ready to leave the Elves of Blackthorne Forest just yet.

  Readers can contact me on my website, www.clairefogel.com. I love hearing from my readers and will always answer questions and respond to comments.

  Leaving a review on Amazon always makes my day!