Naked in the Winter Wind

by Dani Haviland

  “Ah, my little friend,” she cooed to the bottle of McCallum whisky on the counter, and tipped a shot into the mug. She swished the cup, dipped her finger in it, and swirled the mix. She lifted the cup to her lips and sniffed. “Smells pretty good, but I bet it’d be better warmed.”

  She put the cup in the microwave, nuked it half a minute, then pulled it out and did the swish, finger dip, and swirl routine again to make sure the hot and cold spots were blended. “Ah, that’s too good,” she said as she sipped down half the concoction with her first taste. “That should take the edge off the hangover.”

  “Ding dong.” Leah took her cup of homemade crème liqueur to the table and sat down in front of the two phones. The notification tone wasn’t from hers; she had disabled the audio email and text message alerts long ago. She picked up her mother’s phone and slid her finger across the face of it. The little animated letter was dancing all over the screen. Her mother’s email address was still valid, although there hadn’t been any real activity on it for the last six months. The Alchemy spam blocker had virtually blocked all of the junk mail; this one must be legitimate. Leah took another sip of her liquid courage and double-clicked the letter.

  ‘Remember meeting me in that little café in Greensboro last Halloween? Did that strange little man—Simon was it?—ever figure out his map? Hopefully you were able to finish your Revolutionary War sightsee and had a safe journey home to Alaska. I will be returning to North Carolina August 5th. After I take care of some business, I would like to visit your state. Is your offer for a three-hour tour still open? Please let me know so I can schedule flights on this end. Regards, James Melbourne’

  “What the fu…” Leah looked at the properties of the email. The origination was a UK internet provider, and the name was ‘Lord’ James Melbourne, MP. Last Halloween—that was the last time she had heard from her mother. Maybe this man could shed some light on what happened.

  Leah quickly typed in her reply. ‘Please contact me as soon as possible. This is in regards to my mother, Dani Madigan. Thank you, Leah Madigan.’

  She hit send, then wondered if she should have included her phone number. “Nope, I doubt I’d be coherent over the phone. If he’s going to be here today, maybe we can meet face to face.” Leah touched her hair and realized she was a mess. She’d better clean up if she was going to meet the man, a British Lord no less, who might have a clue about what happened to her mother last year. She wouldn’t tell him about yesterday unless… No, don’t anticipate, she admonished herself. Just take a shower and go from there. One small step at a time: baby steps, lady, baby steps.

  Thank you for reading the complete version of Naked in the Winter Wind.

  Authors thrive on reviews. Would you please indulge me a few lines and leave a review? Please let others know what you liked most about the story. Amazon Review of Naked in the Winter Wind

  Be happy, safe, sane, and kind to others.

  Dani Haviland

  Thanks, in no particular order:

  Thank you, Elaine Boyle, editor, historian, and cultural counselor, for your invaluable advice and insight on life in North Carolina and for being the grammar queen.

  Thank you, Diana Gabaldon, for your words of encouragement to write, and for creating the Outlander series, the inspiration for the time travel saga Lost that is used in my stories.

  Thank you, Amazon, for all the tools you provide free of charge to help authors and artists bring their works to others.

  Thank you, Marty Haviland, for being a great guy who really does let me take charge and follow through in tough situations, and who trusts my judgment (and is gentle and discreet when I need a bit of redirection or correction). Oh, and being a wonderful husband, too!

  Thank you, Kim Killion, and Hot Damn Designs, for the wonderful cover.

  Thank you, Edye Rogers, for the picture on the cover. You didn’t know when you took the selfie that you were wearing your ‘other sister,’ Evie’s, coat!

  Thank you, Leatherman Tool Company, for having such great multi-tools, that they’re mentioned by brand name in my books. Everyone in my family has at least one of the tools, as do most of my 21st century characters.

  Thanks, Crocs, for producing the most comfortable footwear, and in enough styles, that I can wear them all year round here in Alaska.

  Thanks, Dr. Seuss, for your books that are so memorable, even two centuries and a tough case of amnesia can’t stifle your rhyming words and rhythms.

  Thank you, Lee Greenwood, for the powerful words and music of ‘God Bless the USA.’ I still think it’s the perfect national anthem, and it brings tears to my eyes every time I hear it. It was also a great tune to stymie the British back in the Revolutionary War…at least in my story.

  Thank you, Jimi Hendrix, master musician and former US Paratrooper, for your skilled guitar playing. You left us a great gift with your music. Rest in peace.

  Other books in The Fairies Saga series

  Ha’penny Jenny, book one and a half. Learn more about newly adopted Jenny, her past, and her talent (or curse) of being able to see the future.

  Aye, I am a Fairy, book two. Leah, Evie’s daughter in the 21st century, has a new friend, but he’s not who she thinks he is.

  Dances Naked, book three. 21st century British Lord Marty Melbourne is found by the Cherokees in 1781.

  The Great Big Fairy, book four. Back and forth between the 21st century and 1781 for our favorite 6’7” time traveler.

  Also available as three large print format books:

  Home Again (part one),

  The Bartered Woman (part two), and

  Future Tensed (part three).

  Little Bear and the Ladies (novella) book three and a half in the timeline. Stand alone story. Find out more about the friendly trapper first encountered in Naked in the Winter Wind.

  Fairies Down Under, book five. In development.

  Check out www.danihaviland.com for information about the latest releases, excerpts, and lots of pictures! While there, join Time Travelers Anonymous for freebies and sneak peeks at new books.

  Follow us on Facebook: The Fairies Saga Fans

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  Follow on Twitter: @dani_haviland

  Copyright 2011 by Dani Haviland

  Published by Chill Out!

  All rights reserved

  Naked in the Winter Wind and The Fairies Saga are works of fiction. Names, places, characters, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously for the reader’s entertainment. Any resemblance to persons living, dead, or fictional, events, business establishments, or locales, is entirely coincidental.

  Previously released as three separate books:

  *Amnesia: Naked in the Winter Wind, I,

  **Abandoned: Naked in the Winter Wind, II, and

  ***Adoptions: Naked in the Winter Wind, III

  Cast of Characters

  Abe ~ 18th century backwoodsman

  Big Bill Leuga ~ friendly acquaintance, 18th century

  Captain Atholl MacLeod ~ evil, phony Redcoat officer, 18th c.

  Clayton ~ degenerate 18th century man

  Clyde ~ Clayton’s degenerate brother, 18th century.

  Curly ~ rogue British soldier

  Evie ~ 20th century born older woman, transported back to 18th century, has amnesia, now in young body due to an overdose of Fountain of Youth Water.

  Frankie ~ 21st century waitress

  Gibson ~ store owner, 18th century

  Gimpy ~ bad guy with a limp, 18th century

  Hannah Althouse ~ helpful teenager, 18th century

  Ian Kincaid ~ 18th century backwoodsman, aka Starwalker

  James Melbourne ~ young British Lord, 21st century

  Jenny ~ preadolescent girl, 18th century

  Jody Pomeroy ~ 18th century patriarch, Wallace’s father

  Jose’ ~ Spanish emigrant, 18th century

  Julian Hart ~ Britis
h Lord, 18th century

  Lady ~ cougar (the feline type), semi-tame

  Leah ~ 21st century daughter of Evie

  Leonardo da Vinci Sr. ~ time traveler, 18th and 21st centuries

  Little Bear ~ white trader, dresses like Indian, 18th century

  Ma ~ 18th century backwoods woman

  Mac Donaldson ~ 18th century farmer, father, patriot

  Master Simon ~ strange man, time traveler 18th & 21st centuries

  Mrs. Donaldson ~ 18th century homemaker

  Richard Short ~ local troublemaker, 18th century

  Sarah Pomeroy ~ Jody’s wife, 20th century-born time traveler, healer, living in 18th century

  Skinny ~ rogue British soldier, 18th century

  ‘The Fireman’ ~ bad guy, 18th century

  Wallace ~ 18th century British soldier, Julian’s stepson

  Wee Ian ~ also known as Scout, about 11 yrs old, 18th c.