by Dee Davis
One minute he was there, and the next, with a flash of the strobe, he was gone, leaving nothing but darkness and rain. Again the lightning lit the beach, but this time it was empty.
Horrifyingly empty.
The dock, the boat . . . Alex.
They were gone.
Kacy fought against the wind, its strength almost a physical blockade. Driven by fear, she pushed forward, finally reaching the edge of the water. She screamed his name over and over, certain that he was there, that the storm and the lightning were playing tricks on her. Her eyes searched the horizon, looking for something, anything.
For Alex.
Alex.
Oh, God. Alex.
She realized she was still screaming his name, and with a force of will honed from years of practice, she shut down her terror, forcing herself to find calm. Panicking wouldn't help him.
Nothing was going to help Alex, the little voice sang in her head.
She walked into the surf, feeling the powerful pull of the water, jumping to avoid the crashing waves. She stared into the pouring rain until her eyes ached, hoping for a sign— hoping for a miracle. Only when the waves threatened to swamp her did she retreat to the beach.
She shivered as much from horror as cold and wrapped her arms around her waist.
"Alex," she called again, this time knowing it was hopeless. He was gone. Forever.
She sank on the sand, sobs ripping through her, the sound of them adding to the cacophony of beating surf, rain, thunder, and wind. She pounded the ground with her fists until her fingers and palms were bloody, her hair whipping around her, tangling in the wild wind.
Everything she loved went away.
Everything.
And this time, as always, it was her fault.
All her fault.
The wind blew and the waves crashed, the water sucking at her, its greedy fingers carving a channel around her, until she was left totally alone on an island in the sand.
Chapter 1
Lindoon, County Clare, Ireland – two years later
KACY MACGRATH SAT on the stony promontory and stared out at the ocean. Sky, mist, and sea melded together, obliterating the horizon, the somber coloring reflecting her mood.
Gulls darted back and forth between land and water, their cries echoing off of the rocky cliffs. Mac chased each and every one, joyfully barking and leaping into the air, blissfully unaware that he was physically incapable of catching one of the darting birds.
Kacy sighed. Maybe Mac had the right idea. Perhaps ignorance was bliss. She stood up, brushed off her skirt, and whistled for the dog. Mac bounded over to her, pushing a cold nose against her leg. The wind whistled across the meadow, the sound melancholy in the half-light. She shivered, suddenly grateful for the enveloping warmth of her fisherman's sweater.
She turned to face the tumbled ruins of Dunbeg. The shape of the old ring fort was obscured by the mist, tendrils drifting in and out of the fallen stones. Centuries ago the fort had served its owners well, defending them from invaders and protecting them from the harsh Irish weather. There was something romantic about it. A sense of timelessness. She shook her head at her own fancy and turned her attention to Mac, scratching the dog behind his ears. Mac's liquid brown eyes smiled up at her.
Kacy smiled back. "I think it's time you and I were heading for home."
The dog wagged his tail in agreement and took off in the direction of Sidhean, a blur of black and white against the flat green and gray of the rocky meadow. The cottage wasn't visible over the rise, but Mac knew it was there. He stopped about fifty yards away and turned back, barking as if to say, "Where are you?"
"I'm coming. Just let me get the basket." She turned back to the edge of the cliff and bent to retrieve the remnants of their picnic. Mac barked again, but something in the tone sent a shiver of anxiety up her spine. She jerked upright and spun around, heart pounding, looking for something out of the ordinary in the shadows of the misty twilight. Nothing moved.
Mac arrived at her side, his teeth bared, a low growl issuing from deep in his throat. She laid a hand on his head, comforted by the silky feel of his fur. "What is it, Mac? What do you see?"
Her eyes darted around the clearing. In the far corner of the fort, against the stark contrast of the stone wall, something shifted, moved. She closed her eyes, stepping back involuntarily. Mac growled again.
She sucked in a breath and blew it out forcefully.
This was silly. There was no sense in jumping at shadows.
"Shadows," she repeated the word out loud, and opened her eyes, ready to face whoever was out there.
The fort was empty.
Nothing was there.
She stroked Mac's ears. "It was just our imagination, a trick of the mist." She spoke more for herself than the dog. Still, she could feel him relax. "Probably just a gull." She forced herself to sound positive. Mac wagged his tail.
"Come on, let's go home."
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Check out these books by Dee Davis:
Romantic Suspense:
Random Heroes Collection:
After Twilight
Just Breath
Dark of the Night
Midnight Rain
Dancing in the Dark
Liar's Game Series:
Lethal Intent
Eye of the Storm
Chain Reaction
Still of the Night
Last Chance Series:
Endgame
Enigma
Exposure
Escape
A-Tac Series:
Dark Deceptions
Dangerous Desires
Desperate Deeds
Daring
Deep Disclosure
Deadly Dance
Double Danger
Dire Distraction
Triad Series:
Fade to Gray
Women's Fiction:
The Matchmaker Chronicles:
A Match Made on Madison
Set Up in SoHo
Time Travel:
Time After Time Series:
Everything in its Time
Cottage in the Mist
Wild Highland Rose
The Promise
Paranormal:
Devil May Care Series:
Hell Fire (novella)
Hell Fury (novella)
About Dee Davis
Bestselling author Dee Davis worked in association management before turning her hand to writing. Her highly acclaimed first novel, Everything In Its Time, was published in July 2000. Since then, among others, she's won the Booksellers Best, Golden Leaf, Texas Gold and Prism awards, and been nominated for the National Readers Choice Award, the Holt and three RT Reviewers Choice Awards. To date, she is the author of over thirty books and novellas. When not sitting at the computer, Dee spends time in her 1802 farmhouse with her husband and cardigan welsh corgis.
Visit Dee at http://www.deedavis.com or catch up with her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/deedavisbooks or follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/deesdavis
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Photo: Marti Corn
Table of Contents
Also by Dee Davis:
/> CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 24
CHAPTER 25
CHAPTER 26
CHAPTER 27
CHAPTER 28
CHAPTER 29
CHAPTER 30
EPILOGUE
And now…an excerpt from Dee Davis’ After Twilight
Check out these books by Dee Davis:
About Dee Davis
