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Forget Me Never CAJUN SPICE II By Sable Hunter This is a work of fiction.

Names, characters, places and incidents are either th e product of the author s imagination or used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental. Copyright 2 012 Sable Hunter All rights reserved. www.sablehunter.com Glimpses Into The Past GEORGIA at 16 Savannah s Mother-to-be Rise and be healed! Elisha Renfro threw his arm in the air and shouted in a vibran t, mighty voice. In his hand he clutched a Bible which he waved in the air like a b anner. Georgia Renfro timidly stood with head bowed in front of her father. In the name of Jesus, I command the vile spirit of leprosy to vacate the body of this, thy maidservant! The words echoed in the small building. As the healer sing-songed th e name of the Savior, it seemed the very walls vibrated with power. He strained, red-faced as he tried to pour every ounce of faith in his soul into the words that would eradicate the an cient plague from his daughter s body. Elisha placed the handkerchief covered palm of his hand on th e top of her head and pressed hard, pushing her backward. She stumbled and would have fallen if Malcolm Waters hadn t caught her. Immediately he righted her, and then wiped his hands ove r and over again on his pants. Easy, preacher, Elisha s assistant cautioned the man of God, remember what we re dealing with here. Okay? It ll be all right, Georgia. He patted the air near the tr embling young girl s shoulder. He s just trying to help you; that s all. I know, she whispered. Check for the spots, her father demanded. Georgia hung her head in humiliation as Malcolm grabbed her arm and gingerly pus hed her sleeve up without coming into contact with her skin. They all looked, but th e white patchy lesions were still there. God Dammit! the pious evangelist bellowed. What s going to happen to me, Daddy? Georgia was scared out of her mind. You ll have to go to the hospital, Girl, Malcolm tried to comfort her without touchi ng her. Georgia wondered if anyone would ever touch her again. Take her away, Elisha sighed as he wiped the sweat from his brow. I can t do anything more for her. But, I don t want to go, Daddy, she pleaded. I want to stay with you. Malcolm led the crying sixteen year old from the room and returned after a few minutes. Sister Jones is getting her ready to leave. Everybody s scared to death, preacher. What now? Are we all infected? I pray to God He ll spare us. Elisha laid his Bible down and shoved his hands in his pockets. Georgia will have to go to Carville, it s the law. But I don t want my name

or the ministries name involved in any way. From this day on, I don t have a child. Sir? Malcolm Waters tried to understand. Don t you get it? Elisha paced across the wooden floor of the small country church where he was leading a charismatic revival. I am a faith healer! I am God s physici an! It can never be known that my child has come down with a disease that is the very expre ssion of sin and evil! It s beyond my understanding, but Georgia has come under divine judgment and I do not have the power to deliver her! By now his swollen face dripped sweat and his breath was coming in gasps. Sir, you need to calm down. You re going to have a stroke and then where will we be? I m sure the doctors will be able to help your daughter at Carville. I no longer have a daughter! Elisha bellowed. When you leave her at the leprosarium , give them another name for her. I ll pull some strings at the capitol and have the records sealed. I don t ever want her real name or my name connected in anyway ever again. In fact, her name is to never be spoken again. After I m finished, there will be no way for anyone to ever trace Georgia back to me. I wash my hands of the leper. Why? Malcolm couldn t believe the man that he followed as his spiritual leader could be so cold as to abandon his only child. Where was the compassion? Where was God s love in all of this? Don t you see? She would be the ruin of us all. I can t afford to acknowledge this travesty. If I cannot heal my own child, no one in the world would ever place th eir faith and trust in me again. My reputation would be in tatters. Our ministry would be over . Malcolm almost reminded him that it was God in whom people should place their fa ith and trust, but Elisha paid his salary the words went unspoken. Georgia and Miguel Push! The infirmary nurse stood about a foot away clothed in enough protective gea r to enable her to survive a nuclear meltdown. Georgia complied; she pushed as har d as she could and held her hand out to touch Miguel. Dr. Cheshire had allowed him in for the b irth, even though they both knew they wouldn t even get to touch the baby. It won t be long now. Good girl. The doctor stood back and looked at the couple who had created life in the midst of suffering and death. His heart went out to them . Miguel took her hand. It was as unmarked as his was. Their disease was under con trol, yet they still had to abide by rules that went beyond cruel and unusual punishme nt. They had to give up their baby. I love you, Georgia, that was the only words of comfort that h e could think of. He had come to Carville from a border town in West Texas. The doctor at the clin ic who had handed down the sentence of leprosy had told him that great strides were bei ng made in the treatment of Hansen s Disease and that it didn t have to be a death sentence. What h e hadn t

told him was how people would treat him, or how confining the leprosarium would be. If he hadn t found Georgia, he would have gone stark-raving mad. But sweet, beautiful Ge orgia had been his salvation. She had given him hope where there was none and a reason to live that went beyond just the instinct to survive. Come closer, she urged him. Georgia squeezed his hand hard. The pain was incredible. Will our baby be okay? She looked up at his dear face. When her father had sent her to Carville, she had felt as though she were being sent to the death chamber . No one would touch her; no one would even look her in the eye. But at Carville, she had found acceptance and love. She had found Miguel. Miguel looked at the doctor who had a smile on his face. How does it look, doctor ? It looks fine. The head is crowning; it s time for one more big push. Georgia clung to Miguel and pushed hard. She was fraught with emotion. For nine months she had carried this baby and she loved it to distraction. Everything wit hin her wanted to clasp it to her breast and love it forever. But that couldn t be. The doctor ha d told her that leprosy wasn t passed to a child during gestation or childbirth, but it could be p assed by close contact afterwards. So, she knew what she had to do. And it wasn t like she had a choice. God help me! she screamed as her child slid from her body. It s a girl! the doctor announced. Instinctively Georgia held out her arms for her child, but the nurse stepped up and took the squirming, wiggling, screaming infant from the doctor s arms. With tears strea ming down her face, she watched as they wrapped her little girl in a blanket and prepared her to leave. Bring her close, I want to look in her face just once, she pleaded. The nurse hesitated, but Miguel added his appeal. We just want a moment with her. We ll never see her again. Have mercy on us, please. Dr. Cheshire nodded his permission to the nurse who had looked to him for guidan ce, then moved a few steps nearer to the new mother and father who were about to say goodbye to their infant daughter before they had even said hello. Georgia s heart filled with love even as it broke with utter despair. She is so beautiful. Just look at our baby, Miguel. Together they stared at tiny fingers an d tiny toes, a button nose and a head full of curly black hair. Georgia gasped in magnificent a gony. I love you, Savannah. She didn t know if the name she chose would be given to her child or not, but she prayed it would be so. Mama will pray for you every day. In my heart, I will always be with you. You ll never be alone. And I will never, ever forget you. SAVANNAH At 12 years old Savannah edged just as close to the wall as she could. All she wanted to do was hide behind something, but there was nowhere to go. These nice people with their pres sed Sunday clothes and too-wide smiles weren t going to take her home with them. No one ever did. She

was unwanted. And it wasn t because she was too old; although, she was almost a te enager, it was because she was dirty. And it was the kind of dirty that you couldn t clean of f of you. With jerky movements, she scratched nubbins of grey paint off the sheetrock with her thumbnail. She d get in trouble for it, but she didn t care. The scars she put on th e wall could never be worse than the scars on her soul. Stop that, Girl! A hard slap upside her head caused Savannah to reel sideways and a sharp ringing started in her ears. A rough, gloved hand grabbed her by the colla r of her worn cotton dress and led her through the door of the Baton Rouge Humane Services Dep artment out into the stark sunlight of a hot summer day. This was a damn waste of time. Nobod y s ever going to adopt you! What her current foster father shouted came as no surprise to Savannah. She knew she wasn t going to be adopted. She had already been rejected twelve times. No one wan ted a child born at the leper hospital, no matter how healthy and polite she was. For a long time, the word leper had confused her. Why was being a leper bad? At first she had thought they were saying leopard hospital, and she had liked that. Later , Savannah had found out being a leper was shameful. Harlan Mosby, her foster parent s oldest son had taken great pleasure in explaining to her what a leper was and why she was tainted for ever. It was state law that the circumstances of Savannah s birth had to be disclosed to any couple who might consider bringing her into their family. But they wouldn t tell h er or anyone else who her real parents were. The details of Savannah s birth were sealed by req uest of the family and a court ruling. That worried Savannah. Why didn t they want her to know who she was? It couldn t have been to protect her, because she was not being protected by anyone. All she had been given from her real family was a tattered Bible. For years she thought there were no clues in it at all. But one day, she had been reading it and disco vered that two of the back pages were stuck together. When she had carefully separated them, what she found were just a few words scrawled in blue ink. They didn t make any sense to her: Forg ive me daughter. You are my greatest failure. May the Word bring you comfort. God save us both. And it was signed, the Prophet. One day, Savannah vowed, she would find out w hat that meant. Savannah wanted to find her mother and father, she didn t care if they were lepers or not. When we get to the house, I want you to get back to cleaning out the basement. If you want a room of your own, that s where it s going to be. Savannah didn t mind the work; it

gave her something to do. And it would be nice to have a real room and not have to sleep in the broom closet. There were three other foster kids, one boy and two girls, and the y had bedrooms. She wasn t allowed to mix with them or the family to any extent. Yes, sir. The differences between her and the other kids weren t obvious to Savannah , but apparently everyone else understood. They were clean and she wasn t. Savannah ate by herself, slept by herself and played by herself. She had her own plate, glass, f ork and spoon. No one wanted to eat after her. And she had to use a hospital portable po tty chair because no one wanted to share a bathroom with her. Mrs. Mosby had said keeping her was worth it, though. Apparently, the state paid them double for all the trouble she caused them. This confused Savannah. She had aske d if she was a leper, and they had told her no , so she didn t understand why she was dirty. Some ni ghts she washed her hands over and over trying to get clean, but no one ever treated her any differently, no matter how pruny her skin became. It didn t really matter, that s what she told herself. Savannah tried to be happy. S he sang and made up stories to entertain herself. And she read everything she could get her hands on. Her foster mother brought her books that the library was throwing away. Or a t least that s what she said, why the library was throwing away good books was a mystery to Sav annah. She liked to think that the librarian didn t mind her touching the books. That would b e nice. History was her favorite subject, so Mrs. Mosby took extra care to bring h er all types of biographies and text books. Savannah liked Mrs. Mosby. She talked to Savannah quite a bit and let her sit ne ar while she was ironing or mending clothes. Although, she didn t care much for some of the things she said. If her life was going to be as lonely as her foster mother tried to prepar e her for, she didn t really know if she wanted to grow up. As Savannah sat on a towel in the back seat of Mr. Mosby s sedan watching the flat landscape go by, she thought about what his wife had told her. You ll never be able to get married, Savannah. No self-respecting man is going to want to touch you. Savannah didn t really know why she would want a man to touch her other than to be held. Sometim es she dreamed about being held. The Mosby kids got hugged, even the other foster kids got hugged occasionally, especially the girls - but as far as Savannah could ever remember, no one had ever hugged her. Get out, Kid. We re home, her foster dad held open the door. Savannah hadn t even been aware the vehicle had stopped. As she climbed out and looked up at the ster n older man with his balding head and bad teeth, she wondered what her real dad was like. Sa vannah bet her

dad had a nose. Harlan said lepers didn t have noses or toes or fingers, that they rotted off and left holes in their face and stubs on their feet and hands. The thought of what her parents must have suffered through made Savannah s heart hurt. Despite the horrible picture Har lan painted, she longed to be with her real mom and dad. She longed to be happy. So right then and there, as she walked into the foster home where she wasn t wante d except for the money she brought into the household, Savannah vowed to find out who she was. Flipping the basement stairs light on, she looked down into the lonely gloo m, wondering what her life would be like. Would she ever have a home? Every night she prayed that God would give her a place to belong and someone to love. PATRICK At 13 years old All we want to do is look in the well, Patrick. Go ask your grandpa if it ll be all right, Izzy urged as she pushed him toward the gazebo. It was Halloween night and his Grandfather had decided to have people over. Than k God the night was winding down. All he could think about was getting rid of thes e girls so he could head out to Revel s. They were planning on wrapping some houses. Oh, all righ t. But that s the silliest thing I ve ever heard. I don t believe you ll see anything in that o ld well but water. My aunt said the well was dug by slaves before the Civil War and that it s magical, Gertrude crossed her arms in front of her and stuck her nose up in the air so hi gh that Patrick could have seen her brains if it hadn t been so dark. We want to see who we re going to marry. Marry? Who wants to get married? Patrick thought that he would never understand women if he lived to be a hundred. Do you wanna look, Patrick? There s no reason it can t work for boys. I bet you d see Mandy s face. She s in love with you. A chorus of giggles erupted from the two pint size females who lived to make his life a misery. Why his gramps insisted he entertain this pair of menaces while he visit ed with their aunt, he d never understand. Grandpa was supposed to love him. I ll ask him for you, but I don t believe that crap. And Mandy s face is the last one I d want to see. She s way too bossy! You need a boss, Izzy stuck her tongue out at him. Geez Louise! Wait here, I ll be right back. And don t get into any trouble while I m gone. They weren t going to drop it, so he made his way over to where the grownups were having drinks to ask permission. Evermore Plantation had seen its share of parti es over the years. Sometimes Patrick would peek in the windows of the main ballroom and imag ine the people in their grand costumes. He and his gramps lived in the caretaker cottage . And as far as Patrick was concerned, the whole place was entirely too creepy. During the day w hen tourists

came for tours, it was okay. But at night, when it was just the two of them, it was far too quiet. As he walked by the old slave cabins, a funny feeling wiggled down his sp ine. The moon had gone behind a cloud and it was dark. Patrick told himself that he didn t belie ve in ghosts, but this was one part of the property that he didn t like to walk through at night . He sped up a bit, breaking into a trot. Soon, the sound of music drifted to his ears. He was getting close. Strings of white lights in the trees lit up the area. This was a big place for j ust two people to live. Even though it was open to the public by day, the owners had cho sen not to make it into a bed and breakfast. People came and went, but it wasn t the same as havin g more family about. He knew Grandpa was lonely, that s why he was dating Izzy and Gertrude s aunt. Yuck! Bounding up the steps of the gazebo, he walked up on his grandfather with his arms around the woman! Crap! Excuse me, he stammered. Weren t they too old for stuff like this? Selma Smith backed up and giggled. Hello, Patrick. My, don t you look nice tonight. How old are you now? Thank you, Ma am. I was thirteen last month. What can I do for you, Boy? Grandpa was an ex-Marine or as he would say once a marine, always a marine . Patrick intended to join the Corp, too. Izzy and Gertrude want to look in the old slave well to see if they can see the f aces of their future husbands. Patrick put just as much disgust into the words as he coul d muster. Selma giggled again, Maybe I should go look. What do you say, Paddy? Paddy? He might be named for his grandfather, but he didn t ever want to be called Paddy . After the kids get through, we ll walk over there together, Shug, Grandpa placed his arm around Ms. Smith and hugged her. So, it s okay? Patrick was about to barf. Yes, it will be all right. Just be careful moving that old concrete cover, its he avy. Yes, sir, he was just about to make his escape when Selma stopped him with more chit-chat. I understand you re a pretty good little artist. Your grandfather tells me you won a prize at school the other day for a picture you drew. Hell! Did everybody know about that? It was just a picture of a horse, Ms. Smith. Great, everybody would think he was some sissy painter. That was all he ne eded. PATRICK!!! It was Gertrude. For the first time, Patrick was happy to hear her voice. Anything to get away from these two old lovebirds. Coming! Excuse me. He jumped down and struck a trot to join the girls down by the mill pond. Let s go. I got places to be and people to see. Wasting time with you gi rls is not my idea of fun. It wasn t far to the well. An old wooden structure covered the entire curb and opening. The whole thing had seen better days. Who do you think we ll see? Izzy aske d with giggly trepidation. If you see anybody, he ll be scrambling to get out of that well and away from you, h e grumbled as he struggled with the big stone disc. Patrick was a big boy for his age, but this was

heavy! With a great heave, he pushed it off to one side and stood by taking deep breaths. Gertrude pulled a flashlight out of her front dress pocket. Here goes nothing, she stepped closer, shone the light down into the water and peered down into the dar k depths. Scoot over, what do you see? The two girls got into a little pushing struggle. Move, Izzy! If we re both standing here, how will we know which guy belongs to who? Patrick almost snickered. The foolish girls were talking like they were actually gonna see something. He thought the whole thing was stupid. I don t see anything, Gertrude whined. Me either, but give it time, Izzy was more optimistic. Behind them, Patrick waited with hands on hips. Maybe it s not working because nobody will want to marry you. Shut-up, Patrick. Yes, you hush. You re gonna be our cousin; you have to be nice to us. That shut him up. Just the thought of having to see these two all the time was e nough to render him speechless. Look! The water s acting funny. It s like something is coming to the surface. I can t look. I m scared, Izzy grabbed Gertrude and pulled her away. This whole place is haunted. Aunt Selma said so. Good Lord, give me that light. There s nothing in that well but water. You two are nuts. Patrick took the light and stepped up to see for himself. Gazing down into the darkness, he was surprised to see the water was churning. He kept the high beam on the bla ck water and waited. It must be a pocket of gas. Soon it all went still and it became as clear as glass. Patrick looked closer, straining to see. What was that? What in the world? Patrick whisper ed. It was a face. He stared. It was a woman! A beautiful woman. She smiled and Patrick fel t funny warm and happy. Do you see anything, Patrick? Patrick didn t answer. Instead he shook his head disbelievingly, trying to clear h is vision. Closing his eyes he counted to five, and then he looked again. The image was still there. Was it real? She had long dark hair, dark eyes and the prettiest smile he had ever seen. Come on, Patrick, let s go. You re right, this is waste of time. For a few more seconds, he gazed. It was as if they had made eye contact. With a n artist s eye, Patrick committed her face to memory. When he got back to his room, he would draw her. What are you doing? Izzy tugged at his belt loop. We re ready to go and we don t want to walk by those creepy cabins by ourselves. All right, he knew he had to let her go. He didn t want to. Patrick didn t understand what had happened. He didn t know who she was; he only knew that it felt like they had connected, somehow. It was strange, but he had never felt more loved or at peace than when he was staring into her eyes. Hell, it had to be some kind of hallucination. There was one thing for sure, though. He would never, ever forget her. If he had his wish, she would be his destiny. Chapter One

2010 The Year the New Orleans Saints Won The Super Bowl I ll be back, Grandad, I promise. He hugged the old man. Don t forget me, okay? I won t, Paddy O Rourke wiped a tear from his eyes. I ll look at your picture every day. And you won t forget me, will you? Never gonna happen, Patrick promised. He hated Alzheimer s. It was stealing his grandfather s mind bit by bit. You ll bring me more genealogical information to work with? Since his short term memory began to fade, Paddy tended to focus more and more on the past. Tracing t heir family had become an obsession with him. I m headed to the Acadian Memorial right now. The next time I come I ll have you a whole new batch of stuff to go through. He didn t really have time, but he would do it anyway. It was important. God, he hated to head back overseas. Paddy needed him now. He had managed to get some emergency leave to arrange for him to be admitted to the home, but now he had to head back to the Middle East and dodge bullets and sidestep IED s. Okay, I look forward to it. I want to write something in my journal about each one. That way, they won t be lost in time. I don t think anybody should be forgotten . A sad look clouded over the old man s face. To not be remembered is the saddest thing in the world. As a Marine Special Ops, Patrick s future was highly uncertain. Sometimes he had t his crazy dream at night where he was lost and alone. He would wake up in a cold swe at sure that nobody was looking for him and that no one even remembered that he existed. It w as a horrible feeling. Dreams were just dreams, and he knew that, but he couldn t forget the nig ht before his parents had perished in that Amtrax accident; he had dreamed of two trains colli ding just like in those old movies when two people would kiss and they would compare the impact to two old steam engines barreling together. Hell, he was ready for some good dreams to come true. I don t want to be forgotten either, Pop. Paddy was the only family he had. There was no one else. His parents were gone, he had no brothers or sisters and he had never been fortunate enough to fi nd Destiny. Destiny. Now, that was a dream. Destiny was the name Patrick christened the vision of beauty he had seen in the dark waters of the old slave well. Oh, he knew she had just been a figment of his over-active imagination, sort of like a day-dream. But she had be come real to him. And it was Destiny that he fantasized about when the nights grew long and h e wanted to come home. If any of his dreams were going to come true, he voted for this one. ***** Savannah smiled. Some days it just paid to get up in the morning. Today was one of those days. For a few moments, she enjoyed the view and indulged in a harmless b it of day-dreaming. Now, that was a man. Oh, you are delicious, she thought. He had to b e an excellent lover. Images of tangled sheets filled her mind; she had no problem im agining him on top of her, holding her hands above her head. His big body would cover hers, whi

le his hard cock thrust between her thighs. Soon, her body was fully on board with her fanta sy. God, she was turned on. Her nipples were hard and swollen. And if she wasn t mistaken, ther e was a damp spot on her cotton panties right between her legs. The object of her lust s tood oblivious as she ogled him. She let her eyes slide up his strong legs, past a tight ass to shoulders that looked broad enough to hang onto through any storm. Turn around, Baby, she whispered. Let Savannah see how sexy you are. As if he could hear her, the man-candy began to move. Merciful Heavens, she breathed. He was gorgeous! His dark blonde hair was cut in typical military fash ion, but she would have given a crisp twenty to ruffle it a little bit. Bright blue eyes with flecks of gold met hers for one split second before they moved on to check out a tall redhead who w as also giving him the eye. Savannah wasn t surprised, she expected to be dismissed. It was all r ight, she had come to terms with her lot in life a long time ago. Still, she enjoyed looking a nd imagining what it would be like to be noticed by a man like him. He was probably as nice as he was handsome. Savannah sighed. Fate hadn t been kind to her. Even if she had been born in a norm al family, her looks were nothing to brag about. But what she was lacking in beauty , she was sure she could make up for in erotic enthusiasm if ever given a chance. Maybe. At lea st she d love to try. Oh well, that wasn t going to happen. Dang, her body was humming like a li ve wire. Ms. Doucet? Savannah? What? Savannah jumped as the sound of a male voice intruded into her private risqu reverie. Trying to be nonchalant, she crossed her arms over her breasts attempti ng to cover up the evidence of her arousal. I ve brought the group from the university for their tour. Oh, hello, she bit the inside of her lip and forced herself to be cordial. How nice to see you, Professor March. Savannah found it almost impossible to lie, but she did . It wasn t nice to see him. Shall I stay and help you? Perhaps afterwards we could go somewhere uh more private? I d like to take you over to Evangeline Park for a picnic. His oily tone s poke volumes. If she had turned him down once, she had turned him down a half dozen times. Fre d March was not a nice man. She was beginning to feel like he would love to pressu re her into dating him. Her boss said he had called the Culture Center and asked about her j ob qualifications. He seemed like the type that would do a little arm twisting to g et what he wanted. No Professor, thank you. I believe I can handle it and I have plans for l unch, she scrambled for an excuse, with that soldier over there. She pointed at the obliviou s Marine

who was still deep in his own thoughts. Oh, really, he had the audacity to look and sound skeptical which just peeved Sava nnah off. Yeah, it was a lie. But she could have a date with the soldier if she wante d one maybe. All right . . . probably not. But it was a nice thought. Either way, she refused to have anything more to do with Professor March. If you ll just wait over there, I ll take them around and return them to you shortly. You ca n accompany them out into the Meditation Gardens if you d like. Very well, Miss Doucet. A flash of anger in his eyes almost took her breath away. The man had a temper. How frustrating! Even under normal circumstances, sh e wouldn t want to date this man, but her circumstances were as far from normal as y ou can get. Savannah didn t date anyone ever. There was just no use. As soon as anyone found out about her past, they turned their back on her. If she told Professor March n ow, he would back away also. But she didn t want to do that. It hurt to have to confess the cir cumstances of her birth and watch people s face change from friendly to appalled. The couple of times she had attempted to begin a friendship with a man had been disastrous. Either she felt compelled to level with him about Carville or he found out from someone else. The end result was the same. So Savannah was condemned to a solitary life where she touched no one and no one touched her. Would she ever escape Carville? Did she need to? Since Savannah had grown up and chosen to study history and sociology, she had delved deeply into the history of Hansen s disease and the travesties that had been handed down to its unlucky victims. In fact thr ough her work at the Culture Center, she had worked on several papers to educate the public on th e history of the leprosarium and what had happened to its residents. Her efforts were partly self ish; she had hoped to solve her own mystery. But that hadn t happened. Not yet, anyway. But she had petitioned for an interview with the former Director and she had every intention of using her official capacity to get access to the patient records. Giving the soldier one last wistful glance, she checked the students in and bega n her presentation. As we look around, I want you to note how familiar the names of the refugees will be to you. Lisa, I saw on the register that your last name is Hebert. She pr onounced it the Cajun way a-bear . If you ve never seen your family crest, look for it. The sidewalks in the Meditation Gardens are covered with mosaic coats of arms and Hebert is one of th em. Several area colleges sent their history classes over for field trips to learn a bout the Acadian deportation. This particular group was made up mostly of sorority girls who were preoccupied with frivolous conversation. Hopefully once they listened to the aud io tour, the dramatic story of a culture s determination to rekindle itself would capture their

imaginations. Savannah truly enjoyed her work. It was her dream to open people s eyes to the ric hness of their past. Let s go check out the mural first, she instructed them as they congr egated near the door awaiting her instructions. Leading them to the display, she began her lecture. Measuring twelve by thirty feet, this mural was painted by Robert Daffor d. It portrays the arrival of the Acadians to Louisiana. The figures represent actual documente d refugees. Many of the models for the characters in the painting were direct desc endants of those whom they portrayed. A chorus of girlish giggles almost caused Savannah to forget her next point. She seemed to be losing the attention of the female class members. Their eyes were riveted on Savannah s marine who was now standing at the Wall of Names. He was checking his notes and seemed totally unaware of their whispers and glances. Ladies, listen to me, please. We d on t want to disturb the other guests. Savannah did her best to draw the girls back into her l ecture. For the most part she was successful as she related to them the tale of the Acadian peop le who were the first European settlers in North America. It always amazed her to relate that th e Cajuns had arrived fifteen years before the British landed at Plymouth Rock. Walking the group to the back of the memorial, she pointed out the deportation c ross and told them the horrors of the Acadian Holocaust when a whole race of people were forced to leave their homes and relocate just because the British feared anyone who spoke French would be treasonous. One of the saddest aspects of all of this was that families were sepa rated. The men and boys were called to the church meeting place, then forced aboard ships and t heir wives and daughters were placed on other ships. There was no guarantee that they were goin g to the same place or would ever even see one another again. Every time she told this part of the story, she thought of her own tragedy. A misunderstood disease had robbed her of her mother and left her an unwanted orphan. Life was full of unfairness. Savannah cleared her throat, put the sad thoughts behind her and continued. This is the inspiration for the tale of Evangeline. When you leave, be sure and walk through the park along the banks of Bayou Teche and see the great oak where legend says Evangeline was reunited with her long lost lover, Gabriel. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow s poem was an inspiration for many Cajun people. It had become ingrained in their history and now, many didn t r ealize it wasn t fact, but loosely based on the sad lives of another couple, Emmeline Labich e and Louis Arceneaux. Another bout of feminine groaning and sighing forced Savannah to glance at the s oldier

whose very presence was playing havoc with her presentation. Oh well, there were some things you just couldn t fight and one of them was animal magnetism. At least she could g et the group outside before they created a scene. Giving them over to Professor March with in structions to visit the eternal flame in the garden, she decided to see who else might need he r attention. Glancing around, she couldn t help but let her eyes wander to the Wall of Names where Gorgeous was still working away. Lord, she was as bad as the girls. Come on, Savannah. Take a chance. I dare you. Go over and ask him out to lunch. Savannah jumped for the second time in an hour. She was caught. I didn t know you were here, Tam. I figured after four margaritas and three wine coolers you d be in bed till tomorrow. No way. Nana Fontenot said today was the day you d meet - and I quote the warrior who will be your husband . And that alpha male in camouflage, my dear friend, is a warrior in anybody s book. If that marine isn t your destiny, I ll eat my Dooney and Bourke purse doused with Tobasco Sauce. You d better marinate it for a while. I m afraid it s gonna be a little chewy. Good grief, she had forgotten about the old soothsayer s prediction. As much respect as Savannah had for other people s beliefs, she didn t give much credence to the idea she would meet her future husband today. Although . . . if she had a choice, the man they were staring at would fulfill all of her dreams. I double-dog dare you. Tammany wasn t going to give up. Double-dog? Is the number of dogs involved supposed to make me want to do this more? No, it s supposed to shame you into doing it. Now, get over there and make him want you! She couldn t believe the other woman was suggesting that she just stroll over ther e and proposition him. As much as she wished she could pull it off, the whole idea was totally ridiculous. He would say no; that was a forgone conclusion. Even if she were a nor mal girl, she didn t have what it would take to attract a man like him. You must believe in m iracles. Yes, and I also believe in magic. Her friend sounded so certain. Of course, they were just work friends. Tammany h ad no idea about her past. So far, no one at the Center knew about Carville except her bosses. Mr. Randolph had acted sort of shocked, but he had kept it in strict confidence. And Mr. Davis, her main boss, had said it didn t matter one whit to him. He had a brother with AIDS s o he was sympathetic to such things and how such a devastating diagnosis could affect the family. In many ways, AIDS was the new leprosy; both were misunderstood diseases. A little tremble of apprehension washed over Savannah; the whole idea of asking a man for his attent ion sent her into nervous dithers. You know I respect Nana Fontenot. But in this case, she mus t have

gotten her magical wires crossed. Nana Fontenot is never wrong, Tammany insisted as she stretched her lithe body and yawned, causing one bespectacled gentleman to stump his toe on the concrete floo r as he appreciated her curvy body. That little hoodoo woman has predicted more marriages , births and deaths than the weather channel has rain storms. Hell, I wouldn t have missed this for the world. So, what are you waiting for? Go get him. He s yours Nana Fontenot said so. Closing her eyes, Savannah took a deep breath and calmed her nerves. Tammany onl y had her best interest at heart. Glancing at her friend, she was amused to realiz e that she had come to town in her sleeping clothes. The camisole and shorts were what she had worn to bed the night before. Of course, Tammany could get away with it. She looked sexy in anything. After their night at Mulate s, all three friends who had attended her bi rthday dinner capped off the evening with ice cream sundaes and cake on the Benoit s houseboat. It had turned into a slumber party, but Savannah had slipped away early because of her work schedule. They had all met through the Culture Center - either as volunteers, coworkers or benefactors. Tammany Benoit, Francesca Leger, and Cato Vincent were beautiful, p opular, and self-assured; everything that Savannah Doucet was not. But that hadn t seemed to m atter to them, they always treated her as if she were one of them and she was. Tammany ha d seen to that. Tammany had been her first real friend. Friends had been hard to come by for Savannah. No matter where she had lived or what school she had gone to, it hadn t been long before everyone would know and be talking about her stigma. The circumstances of her birth were recorded in her medical file and the fact that she was a Carville baby woul d leak out. Some teachers had even announced it in class as part of the education proce ss, or at least that s what they claimed. They would always explain that Savannah didn t have lepros y, but the look in their eye or the tone in their voice would always convey a little bit of fear. So, it had proved impossible for Savannah to ever fully escape her past. But Tammany had been good to her and that kindness had been a rare commodity in Savannah s life. So when Tammany asked her to do something, Savannah found it almo st impossible to tell her no . You just want to see me humiliate myself. She knew that w asn t true, but Savannah felt a little grumpy and a little hung-over. Thank goodness h er shift at the Acadian Memorial ended in fifteen minutes. Although if the gorgeous hunk of a so ldier they were eyeballing planned to be here all afternoon, it was going to be hard to tea r herself away. God! She had never seen a more perfect man! He was big really big. Standin g with his legs spread in a commanding stance, it was obvious he covered the ground he walked on and people trembled when he past by. Savannah licked her lips. What she wouldn t do to

get her hands on a guy like that! It s your birthday, Savannah. Be good to yourself. This man could be your soul mate. Think of him as a gift. Punching her in the side, she joked. I ll help you unwrap him. He looks busy; I don t want to disturb him. Savannah procrastinated. Are you kidding? His very presence is disturbing everyone else. I saw how those college girls were acting before you herded them outside. Besides, you re an exper t on this stuff, Miss. Doucet. Go over and offer your assistance. It s your job! Now! Tammany gave her a little push. Apparently he was doing research on the Acadian refugees. Why not offer her services? And while she was helping him, she could pretend to seduce him. She co uldn t help but laugh at herself a little. He does look like he needs help. Yea, she d like to h elp him with a lot of things like undressing, taking a shower, possibly even a back massage. Do it, Savannah. You re through here for the day, and I ll stay until tardy Tulah Bel le comes. This is your chance; you don t want to be the oldest virgin in St. Martin s P arish for another year! Oh, all right! She yelled so loud everyone turned and looked at her except sexy Rambo, of course. Tammany wasn t going to leave her alone until she at least tried to hook up with this guy. Savannah s dateless state was worrying Tammany to death. So, she ha d to at least make her friend think she had a date with the soldier. Yeah, that s what she would do. She could save face and the Marine could leave unencumbered. I ll still make a complete fool out of myself, Savannah grumbled as she took one step forward. To make matters worse, Fred March was watching her closely and he didn t look happy. The man scared her a litt le bit. Goodness gracious, now she was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Tammany jerked her back. Give me those glasses. But, I need them. Only to read. Savannah lost the battle, Tammany confiscated her spectacles and pushed her out of her safe zone into the scary world of sexual gamesmanship. Wal king as casually as she could with her heart in her throat, she stepped close to the mar ine. His height made her look up and up. Gee, he must be well over six feet. Of course, at five foot three she had to look up at almost everyone over the age of twelve. Clearing her throat, s he whispered. Excuse me, but I m in a pickle. I ll give you twenty dollars if you ll prete nd we re going out to lunch together. Patrick had been trying to find the surname LaVerdure on this vast list of names for about fifteen minutes, but he wasn t having any luck. All of the immigrants were recorde d by ship manifesto, so he had to look in several different places. Deep in concentration, it was a second or two before he realized someone was speaking to him. The unexpected words comi ng from

over his left shoulder irritated him a little bit. I m not the kind of man that can be bought, Honey. And if I could twenty dollars wouldn t touch me, Patrick drawled. Dang, it s just my luck to pick a man with principle. What would you say if I threw in a couple of dozen homemade chocolate chip cookies to sweeten the deal? She might no t be much of a temptation, but she could cook. That was one of the things Savannah mi ssed about not having a family. Cooking for oneself wasn t fun. Her quick comeback amused Patrick. If the woman was half as sexy as that husky l ittle voice, he was in for a better treat than cookies. Turning, slowly he let the ant icipation build. Oh, hell yeah! His day just got a helluva lot brighter. A curvy little honey wearing a demure, lacy dress stood looking up at him with h ope in her eyes. Well, hello Miss Prim and Proper. You look like you re in dire need of a good mussing up. Savannah ran her palms down the sides of her dress and smiled, sheepishly. Don t te ll anybody, but these are the clothes I wore yesterday. I didn t have time to go home and change. Really, did you have a good time last night? Patrick was enjoying this. I bet you made some guy a happy man. No, no, Savannah fanned her hands in denial. I went out with the girls. Knowing Tammany was taking all of this in not to mention Fred March, she repeated her request. Would you consider playing along with me? It ll save me some embarrassment. Should I make it twenty-five dollars? Patrick didn t have a clue what was going on. He had no idea what kind of game the little dove was proposing, but he definitely wanted to play. All right, I ll tell y ou what - I say forget the money. I ll take you to lunch, but I want a half dozen kisses plus the cookies. Deal? Kisses? Was he kidding? Are you saying you ll go to lunch with me? she asked in surprise. No, you don t understand. That s not necessary. Holding up one finger to pau se the conversation, she glanced over her shoulder to the blonde at the help desk w ho looked back at them and winked big. Lord, does she have to be so obvious? she muttered. Leanin g toward him with a conspiratorial air, she twisted her mouth into a cute little sideways knot and whispered. Actually, I m trying to bribe you. I know you don t really want to go out with me. Just pretend for a bit. Please? For a moment, Patrick didn t know what to say. Was she serious? Why wouldn t he want to go out with her? Who s pretending? I want food for lunch and you for dessert. Patrick loved to flirt and he needed it he was in for a long dry spell i n Afghanistan. A sweetheart like this would be good fantasy material for the long hot nights ahead with only his hand for company. He waited to see what she would do and what happened next made the earth move un der his feet. She smiled. Her whole face lit up with the sweetest smile he d ever seen . Patrick lost the ability to speak. He knew that smile. He had fallen in love with that smile on a Halloween

night seventeen long years ago. The drawing he had made of her beautiful face an d that incredible smile was in his duffle bag in his truck. He never went anywhere with out it. Even though he had doubted the experience, for years he had looked for her everywhere he went. Since joining the marines and seeing the horrors of war and the despair of humanity, he had laid down his dreams. But he couldn t seem to let go of the drawing or the mem ory. And now here she was, standing in front of him like a gift from above. His Destiny. Really? You d actually take a chance on me? For a brief moment Savannah let herself imagine what it would be like to go on a date. A thrill rose in her ches t almost making it impossible to breathe. She had missed so much in this life because of Carville. But there wasn t anything she could do about it. I m not a gambling man, Baby. But I can recognize the Queen of Hearts when I see her. Patrick was having a hard time keeping his hands off of her. They hadn t even exchanged names and he felt totally proprietary about her. It was like his heart recognize d her or something. No, chance didn t have a damn thing to do with this. Meeting Destiny wa s fate. No, you misunderstood me. All I want is a few minutes of your time. With a hand on one hip and a thoughtful expression on his face, he seemed to be deciding if he were wasting his time with her. I promise I ll make it worth your while. She blushed, realizing how t hat sounded. Lord, he looked even better up close. From across the room he had been the total package. Up close, he was absolutely stunning deep dimples and the bluest eyes t his side of heaven. What I mean is - I just noticed that you seem frustrated. My name is Sava nnah Doucet and I m something of an expert with this stuff, she pointed at the wall. Is t here some way I can help you? I m Patrick O Rourke. And it s very nice to meet you. Very nice. Feeling playful, he chose to deliberately misunderstand her. So, you re an expert at relieving frustrat ion? That might be interesting. Mouth-watering, that was what she was. Oh, my goodness, she put her hands over her warm cheeks. No, I m not an expert at that. I don t have any feminine wiles. Savannah was flustered. Taking a second to l ook around the Memorial, she was relieved to see they were alone except for Tammany who was on the phone and not paying them any attention at the moment. I beg to differ, he flirted, blatantly. Stepping back, he slowly took an inventory of her body from head to foot. His love was just a little bit of a thing: small bones, lush mouth, dark hair and huge black eyes no they weren t black. Are your eyes blue? He could lose h imself in those dark, haunting eyes. This woman was off-the-charts sexy. Frowning slightly, she answered him. Yes, they re a drab navy blue, I guess. The look he was giving her was so intense; it made her feel like tiny flames of fire was dancing over her skin. Savannah couldn t help but stare back. I don t think they re drab at all. I think they re beautiful and mysterious. What was

an even bigger turn-on was the intelligence that shone out of them. Patrick felt his heart pound as they engaged in a mutual eye-fuck. Damn, he had it bad! Savannah didn t know what to say. She was in unknown territory. This man seemed to be flirting with her. There had to be some mistake. Maybe she wasn t experienced e nough to tell when someone was serious or teasing her. It would be better to get the conv ersation back on a safe topic. Are you looking for a particular name on the wall? She was nervous. He could tell. Damn, she was cute; he couldn t wait to get his ha nds on her. Actually, I m looking for the LaVerdure family. But, I m not having any luck. A surge of courage welled up in Savannah. It was as if someone else was in charg e of her body. For once, she wanted to be normal and see how it felt to flirt with a man. Going for broke, she decided to see if she could get a reaction out of him. Well, today s you r lucky day. Because I m just what you ve been looking for. She took one small finger and dru g it down his bare arm from the bend of his elbow to his wrist. Hot damn, Baby. Patrick hissed as he closed his eyes. His whole body went into lus t mode. She didn t know how right she was. It was true, she was just who he had been looking for for what seemed like forever. You have my complete and utter attention. If I have your attention, then open your eyes, Patrick. Watch me. Like his heart would give him a choice? She didn t know it, but he was completely at her mercy. Yes, Ma am. He bet Savannah could get him to do most anything her heart desired. Mesmerized, Patrick watched her every move. She backed up about six inc hes, glanced around the room, and what she did next shocked the shit out of him. Firs t she graced him with a saucy little wink and proceeded to let her gaze slide down his body a nd swear-to-God - she got hung up on his manhood like it was a speed bump. Little h ot-stuff looked his bulge over really slowly; he didn t have to glance down to see what she could see, he could feet his dick rise as fast and hot as the temperature on a sultry Louisian a day. There was no doubt about it; his cock enjoyed being at the center of her attention. She didn t stop there. Oh, no. Sweet-doll checked out his thighs, his knees hell she even stared at his feet, probably wondering if his size twelve combat boots were any indication of the size of his cock. (It was, by the way.) Patrick couldn t help but chuckle a s she took the time to follow the same path back up. The little minx stared at his package unti l he was fully erect and throbbing. Did you get the response you were after? He couldn t help but laugh. Damn, he wanted to touch her so much. He was so happy. Again, she smiled. And he couldn t h elp it he grinned right back. Patrick wanted to pick her up, twirl her around and carry her off into the sunset. He was so glad to see her; it was like being reunited with a long lost f riend. Actually, I got a lot bigger response than I ever dreamed. I ve never done that

before. One of my girlfriends did that to a guy at Mulate s last night. Leaning clo se to him, she whispered. You are a lot more well-endowed than Leon. Give Leon my sympathies. Patrick was enchanted. Are you always so bold? It didn t matter if she was or not, he wanted her anyway. No, I m not bold at all. I m usually very shy. A look of guilt washed over her face. Gee, I guess I had better level with you. I hate to start any friendship out with half-truths. She took him by the arm and turned him so they both faced the wall. To quote an old Ronnie Milsap song, the simple touch of her hand on his arm was giving him d ay dreams about night things right dab in the middle of the afternoon. She stood on tiptoe to whisper in his ear. Do you see my friend over there? You mean the blonde with the mile-long legs? There was no way he could have missed the looks that she and Savannah had been exchanging. Was he attracted to the other woman? He might have been, if there had been no Savannah. But since laying eyes on his Destiny there was no other woman in the world. And by the way, don t be nervous. I think you re adorable. You don t have to be kind. She spoke so off-handedly that Patrick realized she wasn t taking anything he said seriously. Now why was that? He watched her glance over at the young woman behind the desk again who winked and gave them a thumb s up. Yes, that s my fri end Tammany. She s very beautiful. Damn, she was caressing his arm, petting him and Pat rick didn t think she was even aware of it. She wasn t going to leave me alone until I tri ed to ask you out. But I can t be mad at her; she only wants what is best for me. Teasing her was fast becoming his favorite sport. So, you don t really want to help me with my research? You just want me for my body? Of course I want your body, who wouldn t? But that s beside the point. The way she complimented him in such a frank manner confused Patrick. So what is the point? What I m trying to say, is that I ll be glad to help you with your research with no s trings attached. And you certainly don t have to be stuck with taking me to lunch, she rea ssured him with a smile. Let me get you some information and then we ll just walk out together and Tammany will never be the wiser, until I have to confess the truth later, of cou rse. I won t lie to her. I just don t want her to embarrass us or pressure you. She ll leave as soon as Tulah gets here and you can come back in and work and forget you ever met me. Her expression was so sweet and unassuming that he wanted to kiss her full on th e lips. He didn t understand why she was so doubtful of her allure. And if she thoug ht she was going to get rid of him that easily, she was sadly mistaken. Oh, I m never going to forget you. What if I want to take you to lunch? Don t I get a vote? As much as I d love to spend time with you, I know I m not your type. You are way out of my league, she whispered to him. Now just play along and this will be over soon. Come on. She grabbed him by the hand and pulled him over to the help desk w here she

began writing something down on a card. Patrick thought it was time to lodge some protests. If he didn t speak up, she was going to walk right out of his life and that would never do. I ll play with you anytime, Baby. And if I m not in your league, I want to join. We really need to go somewhere and talk, S avannah. It couldn t be that she was involved with anyone, or her girlfriend wouldn t be tryi ng to set her up. He stood close to her, enjoying the contact. But to his bewilderment , she chose to ignore what he said and continued to give him information he wanted but not near ly as much as he wanted her. LaVerdure, you say? That name doesn t sound familiar, but let me give you a website address that contains invaluable genealogical records. If the LaVerdures are rel ated to any of the original settlers, there s a chance you ll find something in this collection of work . Trying her best to ignore Tammany, who was edging closer to them by the second, she turned to the big Marine and handed him her business card. It s called Ensemble Encore. I think it wi ll help you in your quest. And if you want me to look for you, I ll be glad to. My email a ddress is on the card. All you have to do is ask. The soldier took the card and carefully put it in his back pocket. This informati on is important to my grandfather, so it s important to me. I ll email you for sure, but c onsider yourself asked. I don t intend to lose contact with you, and if this is the best w ay to do it, I m all for it. Before Savannah could stop him, Patrick stepped around her and offered hi s hand to Tammany. Hello, Savannah s friend. I m Patrick O Rourke. I m about to take this pretty lady to lunch. Great! I knew this was going to work out. The lithe blonde jumped up and down a little, making her breasts bounce. Patrick didn t react. But Savannah was doing he r best to shush the blonde up. It didn t work, she just kept on. You know it s her birthday, do n t you? She s twenty-six today. Did she tell you what the fortune teller said? Tammany, no! Savannah warned her with a hint of panic in her voice. A fortune teller? He turned to Savannah with a questioning look. No, she didn t mention the fortune teller. He wasn t surprised. This was Louisiana, home of hoodoo , voodoo and Anne Rice, where the supernatural is a perfectly acceptable form of normal. Wait till he told her about seeing her face in the well on that Halloween night so long ago. He wo ndered what she d think of that. Nana Fontenot is powerful and well-known in south Louisiana. She s never, ever wrong, Tammany stated flatly, fully convinced. What did she say? He couldn t wait to hear this. Behind him, cute grumbling from Savannah only increased his curiosity. You don t have to tell everything you know, Tammany. I can t believe this. She threw her litt le hands up in the air and huffed her consternation. This beats all I ve ever seen. I m going to get Nana to turn you into a nutria rat, Tammany, Savannah promised her friend with a glare.

Tammany didn t pay Savannah a bit of attention. Leaning over near Patrick, she whispered her delicious news. She said that Savannah would meet a warrior today, and that warrior would one day become her husband. She said the words slow with delicious emphasis. Oh, merciful Heavens, kill me now. Savannah seethed in embarrassment as her friend grinned and Patrick s eyes widened in surprise. I m sure Nana Fontenot is losing her touch, Patrick, Savannah reassured him. If it s any consolation, she also predicted the Sai nts would win the Super Bowl this year and we know there s no chance of that happening. Patrick cleared his throat, trying not to laugh out loud. Well, Honey, he placed a hand on the small of Savannah s back. I m a Saints fan, so I hope she s right. Don t you think we ought to go to lunch and talk about our engagement party? That s the spirit! Tammany announced happily. There s no fighting fate. It s stronger than all of us. Besides, you won t be sorry. Savannah is a wonderful girl . I ll make this up to you, I promise, she whispered to Patrick as he steered her to t he front entrance. God, I m embarrassed! I m twenty-six years old and I feel fourteen. I can t believe I put you through this. I am so, so sorry, Visions of how she could make it up to him were dancing through his head. Don t be sorry. You heard Tammany. There s no use fighting fate. You may very well be my de stiny. He might be speaking in a teasing tone, but he couldn t get the notion out of his head. What if he had missed her? What if he had decided not to come here today? The idea was unth inkable. Savannah gave him an exasperated look. Don t let her hear you say that. She doesn t need any encouragement. Stop worrying. There s no harm done. I m flattered to tell you the truth. I have to leave for the base in a couple of hours. My plane leaves for Afghanistan tomorro w and meeting you is exactly what I needed to take my mind off my worries. There, that sounded innocent enough. He didn t want to come on so strong that he scared the bejesus out of her. And it was true. As if fighting a war wasn t pressure enough, he had to deal with a commandin g officer that he didn t trust as far as he could throw. Patrick was collecting evidence on Lucas and as soon as he had exactly what he needed, the man was going down. A traitor was the lowest form of humanity. Everything about the man just reeked of arrogance, selfishness and gre ed. The way he constantly squeezed on a stress ball got on everyone s nerves. He was always ch allenging the others to arm wrestling matches, but Patrick wouldn t give him the time of day. Savannah s heart fell. You re shipping out tomorrow? She couldn t keep the dismay out of her voice. A sinking, sick feeling started in the pit of her stomach. I ha d no idea, and I ve been monopolizing your last few hours of freedom. A passing glance from a woma n who gave Patrick a long, hot look before smirking at Savannah was an unpleasant remi nder that the handsome marine was probably just being nice to her. There was no way he was rea

lly interested in her. They stepped out into the sunshine and turned toward the parking lot beneath the big Evangeline Oak. Stopping, she held out her hand. I ll pray for your safety, and I w ish you all the luck in the world. Don t forget, I ll be watching for your email. And thank you for playing along with me. I ll let you go now. You can consider your experience today to be a flirty type of catch and release . Patrick listened patiently while she made her speech. When she held out her litt le hand, he took it. When their fingers touched he halfway expected to feel a shock. Inst ead he was entranced by the softness of her skin and how right her hand felt in his. When s he tried to draw it back, Patrick wouldn t turn loose. Not so fast, Honey. After I m caught, I don t rel ease so easily. His playfulness caused a giggle to escape her lips. It felt good to laugh. So, ar e you saying that I ve caught something a little too large to handle? Again, she let her gaze dip below his belt buckle. What had gotten into her? Oh well, she d never see him again afte r this morning. With one swift move, Patrick pulled her against him. You have a wicked sense of humor. I think I ll enjoy the hell out of you. You re a living doll, did you know th at? Lord, her midnight blue eyes were wide with shock and excitement. As he stared down in to them, he swore he could see forever in their depths. I shouldn t do this, but God it feels good to be close to you, she closed her eyes a nd whispered as she moved not away - but a step closer to him. This was the very fi rst time she had been in a man s arms and it was wonderful. I m sorry; I can t seem to stop shaking. Don t be shy, he held her tenderly. She trembled like a small deer that wanted to be petted but was afraid to be still. I think you are just about the most beautiful thing I ve ever seen, Savannah. Savannah God, he loved that name. He couldn t get over how perfect she was. Her body was petite, but had the sweetest set of drool-worthy tits he had e ver been privileged to feel pressed up against him. When he had first seen her, he had te ased her about being prim and proper, but what she was was a lady. Savannah wasn t dressed to sho w off her shape, but when she moved in a certain way the soft cotton of her sundress would shift and he could see high, full breasts that just begged to be cupped and fondled. And how had he missed all that hair? When she had faced him, it had been caught up on the sides, so it wasn t till she had turned around that he could see the waterfall of lush curls that hung down t o the middle of her back. I want to spend my last few hours with you. Is that okay? Savannah was taken aback. What should she do? Everything within her wanted to spend time with this walking, talking dream. But what would be the use? It s not l

ike it could go anywhere, even if he were interested in her. What could she offer a man like this? It was obvious. So, she offered the only thing of value she had her help. We could discu ss your research over lunch, if you d like. And I ll keep the flirtatious stares to a minimu m, I promise, she whispered breathlessly. God, she sounded desperate. Patrick didn t really understand all of the unfamiliar feelings flooding his heart . But he did know that there was no way in hell he was going to let her walk out of his l ife, not after he had just found her. The fact that she had given him the hardest erection he had sported in many a day all without a touch was beside the point. But it did make him wonder what she could do if they were actually skin to skin. He knew he d give his right nut to find out. Time seemed to stand still as they held each other s gaze. Patrick could almost se nse an electric arc of awareness pass between them. I d love to have lunch with you, Savan nah. And please don t cut back on the flirting for my sake, I enjoyed it. In fact parts of me were giving you a standing ovation. Easing out of his arms, Savannah felt her cheeks flush. Thank you, you won t be sorry. I ll be good to you, I promise. Lunch is on me. No way. No, I ll buy lunch. You can be good to me in other ways, he teased her with a wink. Lord, he loved to see a woman blush. His suggestion earned him another s weet smile from those plump, pink lips. And this time his heart flopped over in his chest l ike a floundering fish out of water. Now that he knew her real name, he could say with confidence that Savannah s smile was his favorite thing in the whole world. Chapter Two Ow! Savannah whispered, as she lightly pinched her own arm. Yea, she was awake. Would wonders ever cease? She was going out to lunch with a man! And what a man! Trying to sound calm, she gathered her purse and followed him to the door. Okay, if you re sure. Savannah couldn t help but give him a final out. I m sure. Patrick checked his watch. It wouldn t be long before he had to leave, but he had intentions of making every moment count. The only other thing he had to d o was contact Hawke and let him know what he had found out from Corporal Durbin. If Lucas was taking money from the Taliban to leak their movements and positions, Patrick intended t o bring him down. With a possessive gesture, he placed his hand at Savannah s back. You smell good; i t reminds me of the wild honeysuckle that used to grow in the creek behind my hous e. Unused to compliments, Savannah just thanked him. She had seen him check the time. God, she hoped he wasn t already regretting this. They left the memorial, wa lked by the African-American museum and through the park. Determined to be happy despite her doubts, Savannah wanted to skip and jump. Thrilled was a tepid word for what she felt sh e was elated,

exhilarated and euphoric. Just walking beside him made her happy. Who did he look like? It was somebody famous and hot. But who? Patrick was blessed with a chiseled face, high cheekbones, a broad manly jaw and full, firm lips that she would walk over hot coals for the privilege to kiss. Now, she had it! He was a J ohn Cena look-alike the wrestler who made those action flicks. Only Patrick was better lo oking, a lot better looking. She could only imagine the perfection of his body. Fantasies of Patrick O Rourke would fill her dreams for many nights to come. She had never had sex, but she sure did have fantasies. Cinemax late night had given her enough examples so she knew what went on mostly. A graphic, explicit image of him on top of her all sweaty and intense muscles working as he pleasured her within an inch of her life came to mind. Oh yeah. Lord, help me get my mind out of the gutter she prayed as her whole body tingled with awareness. Let s go to the Boondocks down on the bayou. If we had time, we d just pic k up sandwiches and I d take you over to Evangeline Park. It s peaceful and I think you w ould ve enjoyed the atmosphere, but this will do. Savannah realized she was chattering li ke a squirrel. It was nerves. After all, this was her first date. Oh, she knew it rea lly wasn t a date, but it was as close as she was going to get. If you don t mind, I ll drive. There s a b ook in my car we might need. Yes, Ma am. Patrick followed her, enjoying her non-stop monologue as she made her way toward the parking lot. I ve been involved with this project and with the Acadian museum over in Erath. You wouldn t believe how many people are trying to trace their family tree. It s become a national hobby, I think. The sway of her backside almost made him miss the step down from the sidewalk to the parking lot. Savannah had one damn fine ass. In fact, he couldn t find one thing a bout her that he didn t think was damn near perfect. Truthfully, she didn t look twenty, much less twenty-six. Maybe it was her tiny frame. She seemed so fragile and feminine that he wanted to pick her up and put her in his pocket for safe-keeping. I m not just trying to find my ancestors, Savannah; I m trying to give my grandfather a measure of peace. He has Alzheimer s. The main reason I came home on special leave was to get him admitted to a nursing ho me. Three times last month he drove to the store and forgot how to get home. It s breaking m y heart. But tracing his family, detailing their names and histories is giving him a sense of perpetuity. But you know what scares me the most? What? Savannah was listening sympathetically and intently. I m afraid he s going to forget me. I don t want to lose him to death and I don t want to lose him to this damn stupid disease. Except for him, my best friend Revel Lee a nd my two buddies in the Corp, I m all alone. I don t have a family just Paddy. His admission sounded so sad. Savannah couldn t imagine a man like Patrick being

alone. She imagined he could have all the friends he wanted. Maybe he needed mor e than friendship, maybe Patrick needed to be loved. The very thought gave her pause an d what Nana Fontenot had said returned to haunt her. For a moment she allowed herself to ima gine what it would be like to be a part of this man s life. He was kind, he took care of his gr andfather, he served his country and he cared enough to rescue a damsel in distress namely her . To have someone like Patrick would be a blessing beyond her ability to comprehend. After several moments she stopped by her black Camaro that was parked under the shade of a large oak. I will be glad to use all my resources to help you and your grand dad find any family you might have. It will be my pleasure. Before he could accept or reject h er offer, she went on. Do you live around here, Patrick? Savannah made a place for him in the fr ont seat, moving her briefcase, a laptop and a couple of books to the back. Nice ride, he admired the sports car, trying to imagine this girly-girl behind the wheel. I grew up down around Wallace, but I rented an apartment in Lafayette to b e near the nursing home. Unfortunately, I won t get the chance to be here for a while. My car eer in the military keeps me away quite a bit. He had just gotten his seat belt fastened whe n she peeled out. Swear to God, he had to bite his tongue to keep from laughing. She drove li ke a little bat out of hell. Are we in a hurry, Savannah? He couldn t take his eyes off of her. Her hands were delicate and he couldn t stop from imagining how those long shapely fingers w ith those white French tips would feel moving softly over his skin. Her arms were tanned a nd toned; she even had a little beauty mark by her right elbow that he couldn t wait to kiss. Sm ooth shoulders and very large, hard nipples. Damn! Sorry, she let off on the gas a bit. I got a little excited. Yea, I can see that. Savannah took one look at Patrick and discovered that he was staring at her breasts. Crap, she tried to turn a little away from him in her seat. Dang it all. S orry. I can t help it. Don t be embarrassed. If that s because of me, I m damn flattered. A blush and a little gasp was all the response he got from her. Am I the reason you re excited, S avannah? Patrick, I think I m in over my head here, she gave him a hesitant glance. I m teasing you and we don t know one another at all. A contrite feeling filled Patrick s heart. He was a big guy and she was a small wo man who had graciously agreed to spend time alone with him. She had no idea that he felt like he had a vested interest in her safety and well-being. She had no idea that he felt like he had known her for years. No, it didn t matter that she had flirted outrageously with him. It was his job, first and foremost, to be a gentleman. Patrick smiled to himself that is, until she got to know him better, and then he could ravish her to his heart s content. Hey Honey, it s okay

. I wouldn t hurt you for anything. It s my job to protect you, not scare you. He wanted to reach out and touch her pretty face, but he kept his hands on his side of the car. No, no, she quickly took back water to reassure him. I didn t mean to infer that I m afraid of you. I m a pretty good judge of character, and besides, you re a Marine. I f you can t trust a Marine, who can you trust? So what did you mean? I meant that I gave you the wrong impression. I came on to you like I knew what I was doing, but I don t. Plus, there are a lot of things about me that you don t know. She looked so sad that Patrick wasted no time in laying her fears to rest. Pushi ng a strand of long silky hair behind one shell pink ear he whispered. I find you tota lly captivating, Savannah. And I can t wait to get to know you better. However experienced or inexp erienced you are is just right because it s you. Savannah didn t know what to say. Her heart was pounding so hard, she was afraid Patrick could hear it. Thank you, Patrick. What else could she say? He was probabl y just offering friendship, but being his friend would be the easiest thing she had eve r done. She just wished it could have been more. The Boondocks restaurant was located only a little over a mile from the memorial , so they were there before they knew it. When she pulled into the parking lot, Patri ck appreciatively noted the atmosphere and the scenery. It reminded him of home, of Evermore. The dark green, lazy waters of Bayou Teche moved slowly by the restaurant. Wooden docks had been built down to the water and people were standing at the edge tossing food into the wat er for the catfish, turtles and alligators. The whole town of St Martinville had a historic al ambience to it. There were ornate churches with large statues on their front lawns and sever al plantation style Bed and Breakfast hotels lined the streets. This is nice; I love to look at the water while I eat. Savannah liked it, too. She might not know who her people were, but Louisiana wa s definitely her home. I do, too. My patio has a view almost this good. I d like to see it sometime, he hinted, but she didn t hear him, she was already on th e move. Patrick had every intention of going around to open her car door, but she bounced out before he could get both feet on the ground. Reaching in the back seat, she took out a book almost as big as she was. Here, let me carry that serious tome for you. He held ou t his hands and she relinquished her burden with a polite thank you . What s good here? The fried whole catfish is wonderful. I love the spices they put in the batter. A nd if you like, we can sit on the patio and feed the resident alligator some hushpuppi es. That sounds good; I d love to feed the alligator. I grew up not too far from the Mississippi. Have you ever heard of Evermore Plantation? My grandfather was care

taker there when I was growing up. Of course, I have heard of Evermore. It s one of the most beautiful plantations in the South. How lucky you were! My job with the Culture Center gives me an opportunit y to help all the plantation owners with historical preservation efforts as well as touris m. I ve been to Evermore several times, the slave cabins that are still standing there are one o f our state treasures. Her face grew animated with her excitement and Patrick could see how m uch she loved her work. When I was a kid I played around those cabins even though I thought they were haunted. And there s an old well there that I ll have to tell you about sometimes. Wo uld she believe him about the night he saw her face in the dark waters? He hoped so. There was a line to get in the restaurant, so they had to wait for a few minutes on the front verandah. Patrick stood next to her. Every now and then his big body would nudge against hers and she would feel a hot and wild flush surge through her body that made her want to rub up against him so bad she could have cried with longing. Savannah missed being touched. Sometimes she ran her own hands over her own body and hugged herself ti ghtly, just to get the illusion of being held but it was a sad substitute for another human being, especially one that you loved. What s special about the well? His further implication that they d be communicating beyond today made Savannah s heart jump. It was dug in the early 1800 s by the slaves at Evermore. The story that has been passed down is that the lady of the house didn t want to drink river water, so the y had an old shaman slave use a dousing rod to find sweet well water. It s said that he put a s pell on the water. Many people still believe that old well is magical. He really wasn t making that up either. Since he had seen Savannah s face in the black depths, he had heard of fol ks traveling from New Orleans and even farther to draw water from the well to use for scrying . I d love to hear about the well and anything else like that you can think to share. We re always photographing and documenting historical places. In fact, I have two task force projects that will take me down close to Evermore in a few days. I m going to visit Ms. Sel ma Smith. She s helping me archive some original Cajun music recordings from the earl y nineteen thirties and she s going to introduce me to Mrs. Boudreaux who is almost a hundred years old. I m told that she can tell some fantastic stories and her memory is still as sharp as a tack. Selma Smith! He hadn t heard that name in ages. Would you believe that I know Ms. Smith? She and my grandfather used to date. How thankful he was that they had nev er married. It had been close for a while, but Patrick had stayed out of it. At lea

st he never had to live with Izzy and Gertrude. Wow, you ll have to tell me how to get on her good side. I hear she s a bit eccentric . They were almost to the door. Patrick was enjoying her so much; he wanted the ha nds of time to slow down so he could spend as much time with Savannah as possible. I ve li ved in south Louisiana all my life, except the time I have been in the military, so I k now a lot of the local characters and tall tales. I d be glad to help you; it seems maybe we could help each other. What do you think? Research and legends were interesting, no doubt about i t. But there were other things in which he was far more interested how her lips tasted, how she would feel under him and what sounds she would make as he made her cum. Yes, Savannah was fascinating. Their turn came to enter and Patrick fell into step with her, but a gain she foiled his gentlemanly manners by opening the door of the restaurant for him. Do you lead wh en you dance? he asked her, amused. I m not sure, she answered softly. I ve never danced with anyone. Well, that s a shame. A beautiful girl like you has every reason to dance. Is it ag ainst your religion? No, nothing like that. The waiter came to greet them, preventing her from having t o say more. We d like to sit outside on the patio if there s room, Patrick spoke up. As they were led to the rear of the building, he placed a protective hand on her shoulder. You look very pretty; I like that dress. He loved to see a woman in a dress. Jeans and pants ha d their place, but a feminine outfit just did something to his libido. She didn t flinch from his touch, but she did look at him with questions in her eyes. He pulled her chair out before the o ther man had a chance, ordered their food and drinks and gave the guy a dirty look for checking out Savannah s legs. I prefer dresses like this; they re cooler. Cotton is my favorite fabric, she answer ed simply. Cotton was her favorite fabric? Gracious! Savannah knew she was acting l ike a dork. Perhaps it would be safer to discuss his research. She cleared her throat, placed her napkin on her lap and pulled the big book in front of her. The Seven Ships contai ns the account of the Acadians arrival in Louisiana. It has a more complete list of the passenge rs on each ship than the memorial s Wall of Names does and it also tells where they settled. If an y of your relatives came here during the deportation, I can find record of them here. Heck, this was hard. Knowing he was probably confused at her behavior, she leaned near to him a nd confided. I m sorry, Patrick. This is unlike me. Usually, I act like I m at least hal fway

intelligent. He didn t know what was up, but she didn t have anything to apologize for and he sai d so. Sweetheart, there s nowhere I d rather be than here with you. You have nothing to be sorry for. Can you tell me what s wrong? She bit her lower lip, bowed her head and spoke softly. Nothing s wrong. I m just feeling a bit overwhelmed. I know this is, at the most, a business luncheon, but it s the first time I ve been out to eat with a man in a social setting. I m enjoying it very much. And I want to thank you for coming with me. It s very nice of you. Are you kidding me? You ve never been on a date? As soon as he said the words, he watched her face fall. Damn! He hadn t meant to embarrass her. No, I haven t. He had to bend close to hear what she was saying. It s a long story; one I d rather not go into. What the hell! It was every woman s birthright to be cherished and wooed, especial ly a beautiful woman like Savannah. And here she was thanking him for coming with her to a fried fish joint. He wanted to ask how that could be, but he could tell she regretted saying anything. I wish it could be more special for you. But I d be honored for this to b e your first date. It was a crying shame that she hadn t been courted like she deserved, but he was secretly pleased that he was the first to give her the experience. He couldn t help but won der how many other firsts he could give her. The waiter brought them some water and she grabbed it like she was dying of thir st. After taking a deliberate but dainty sip, she sat the glass down. No, this is perfect. We have good food, a nice atmosphere and I get to spend time with a handsome hero who rescued me from an awkward situation. I think getting to know you this way is very special. Oh, she was going to get to know him well, he was going to make sure of that. Wha t was your awkward situation? Does your friend try to fix you up often? Savannah cleared her throat. Tammany is a doll. She s been a good friend. I m just not as outgoing as she would like for me to be. And she tends to want to take me on as a project, I think. The waiter had brought some hushpuppies and she took one from it and chu nked it over the side and watched as a small alligator headed straight for the treat. While ou r little ploy will satisfy my friend s matchmaking needs for a little while, what I m really grateful f or was escaping Fred March s clutches. He scares me a little. Immediately Patrick s protective instincts went into high gear. There was someone bothering you at the Memorial? Why didn t you say so? That was one thing he wouldn t tolerate. Women should never have to put up with being threatened. He wasn t really bothering me. His name is Professor March and he makes me very nervous. I ve turned him down several times and he has made some veiled threats be cause of it. Remembering what she had told Patrick about being dateless, Savannah felt she had to elaborate. I know you wonder why I haven t taken advantage of his invitations. She c lasped her hands together, trying to force herself to stop shaking. Patrick was so atte

ntive. Savannah didn t know what to do with the way he made her feel. The need to be closer to him and the reality that she couldn t was almost too much to bear. No, I wasn t thinking that at all. He made himself very plain. A woman has every right to choose who she spends time with. I wish you had pointed this man out to me; I can guarantee he wouldn t be bothering you anymore. Just the idea of someone making Sav annah feel less than safe infuriated him. Patrick watched her tear another hushpuppy i nto smithereens. It was clear to him that she was beating around the bush and whatev er she wasn t telling him was the real problem. Damn, what he wouldn t give to put off his deplo yment. But he couldn t. The situation with Lucas had to be resolved one way or the other. Mee ting Savannah like this and then having to walk away from her so soon was tearing him up inside. You would have defended me? At that moment, he owned her. Oh, she knew he would never want to take possession of her but that didn t negate the fact that he had just earned the keys to her kingdom. The absolute amazement on her face and wonder in her voice made it hard for Patr ick to sit still. He wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms and show her how it felt to be cherished. They had just met and he knew it wasn t logical but he felt possessive of her. This woman was important to him, but he didn t feel like he could say all of that not just yet. But he damn sure could put her mind to rest. Hell yes, I would have defended you. Without thinking, she picked up her napkin and fanned herself with it. Then she laughed. Truthfully, she was having a hard time maintaining her composure. Savan nah was extremely attracted to this man. Her whole body was tingling from arousal and sh e had the most incredible urge to crawl over in his lap and kiss him silly. You say the most ama zing things, she sighed. Maybe it would be better if we talked about something else till I cal m down. She began to thumb through the book, heading for the table of contents that would li st the names. The name LaVerdure isn t familiar to me. But, I certainly don t have this volu me memorized. Savannah, I don t want you to calm down and I don t want to do research right now. Patrick took the heavy volume from her and sat it on the chair next to him. F rankly, I d rather get you alone and kiss you till you can t remember your name. After he had d eclared his intentions, they stared at one another for a long moment. Patrick was doing his best to re-memorize her face. During the long weeks ahead, he knew he would want to reme mber every beautiful detail and even though he had seen her in the well and drawn her liken ess, nothing compared to the stunning reality of Savannah. Savannah was dumbstruck. You want to kiss me? She was asking too many

questions, and she probably sounded like she didn t have a brain in her head - but this was important. More than you can ever imagine. Should she? Could she? She was clean, she knew she was. No doctor had ever found even one thing wrong with her. Savannah knew she was just like any other girl. H e deserved to know the full truth but, it was just a kiss. She wouldn t touch his lips, but she longed to experience kissing someone just once. Lean over the table, she commanded quickly. Dang, if she didn t bark orders as good as he did. Patrick found himself doing exa ctly as she demanded. Standing up she framed his face, looked longingly at his mouth, an d then kissed him tenderly on the cheek. Patrick was momentarily speechless. Savannah had just blown him away. And when she moved back, licked her lips and whispered, Thank you, I enjoyed that very muc h, he fell completely under her spell. That was sweet, Baby. But I want more. Not one to let an opportunity pass, he took her by the hand and pulled her over into his lap, fitted his mouth to hers and p roceeded to kiss her like there was no tomorrow. Savannah didn t know what to do! How did one find the strength to stop rapture? Sh e put her hands on his chest to push him away she had to! Turning her head to brea k the kiss, she whispered in anguish No, please no. Instantly, Patrick let her go. She was sti ll in his lap, but his arms fell to his sides. Sorry, my mistake, Patrick went instantly cold. And when she grabbed a napkin from the table, his guts twisted because he thought she was about to wipe his kiss fr om her lips. Instead, she turned to him and began to frantically wipe his mouth. I m sorry, so sorry. It s my fault; I shouldn t have kissed you on the mouth. Patrick was baffled. Shouldn t you be wiping your mouth instead of mine? No, I liked your kiss. Now, he was confused. You re not making sense. She looked so stricken that all he wanted to do was comfort her. Taking her hand, he kissed the knuckles. A jagged sigh escaped her lips as he turned her hand over, unfurled the fingers and tenderly kissed th e palm. Tell me what s going on, Savannah. I need to know. Titters and murmurs from the other patro ns of the restaurant tore his attention from her sweet face. God, Baby let s get out of here. The only thing I care about is you and this is too public of a place to talk. Savannah didn t argue. Actually, she didn t know what to say. The unbelievable event s of the day had her completely off balance. She stood by while Patrick got their food to go, paid for it and then escorted her back to the Camaro. I don t have a heck of a lot of ti me, but let s go to that park you told me about earlier. Do you have a blanket in the car that we can sit on? The historic site has picnic tables, but I have an afghan in the trunk. Her voice broke; she was just about to cry. You re in no shape to drive, let me. When he escorted her to the passenger side,

Savannah didn t say a word. If dreams could come true, Patrick would drive her car , have the keys to her front door and leave his shoes under her bed every night. I m sorry about everything. Don t be. How do I get to the park? Patrick followed the directions she gave him to the Evangeline State Historic Site which was just out of town on Highway 31, but his thoughts were just a tangled web of questions. Suddenly a wave of fear washed over him. Ar e you sick? Please, God, no don t let her be ill, he prayed. Savannah jerked in the seat next to him, but quickly and emphatically replied, No , I m not. Patrick let out a harsh breath of relief. All right. Then whatever it was was conquerable. He was a damn Marine Special Op and there was no enemy big or bad e nough that he couldn t kick its ass. So, he decided to woo her into smiling. He d get to the bo ttom of this eventually. It may not be today, but he wasn t about to give up. Are you a lesbian? I like lesbians. No, Savannah hiccupped a laugh. I like men. I m a man. He informed her solemnly. I know. Savannah sounded sort of wistful. I can tell. Hmmmmm, let s see. He pretended to ponder the quandary. Are you a man-eating alien from outer space who s on a diet? At that absurd suggestion, Savannah let out a little giggle so sexy it made his cock throb. No, I m just a plain ole girl. You aren t a plain ole anything, Baby. Patrick reached over and covered her hands with him. Savannah, I am so glad you walked into my world. Whatever is going on, whatever is bothering you, I d like to help you with it. Savannah stared down at their joined hands. There isn t anything you can do, Patrick. It s just something that I have to live with. But, thank you. When she met his gaze, he could see trails of tears down her cheeks. So, what doe s this mean to us? Us? What a wondrous, amazing concept us. I ll be glad to help you with your granddad s research. We can talk about that, if you d like. Friendship is a good place to start. Patrick couldn t watch the road for wanting to look at Savannah. Stopping at a red light, he took advantage of the few seconds to ma ke eye contact with her. Will you write me every day? Sure, if you d enjoy hearing from me. She couldn t imagine that to be true. Patrick was saying all the right things, but Savannah didn t have enough self-confidence t o believe any of it. If he knew the truth, he would reject her. Everyone always rejected her. It wasn t their fault; no one could get past millennia of misinformation. I could write you every evening. If he only knew how tempted she was to just throw caution to the wind and grab hold of him with both hands and never let him go. Noticing how far he had pushed back the car sea t, she asked, How tall are you? There was no doubt about it, the man was built - muscled to perfection. His thighs were as big around as her waist and there was no way she could reach around his biceps with both hands.

I m six-three, he made the turn into the park. So, you ll answer my emails and do videophone chats with me? As he waited for her answer, Patrick realized he was ho lding his breath. The thought of his leaving hurt her heart, anything could happen in a war-zone. And now that they had met and kissed - she couldn t stand the thought of something hap pening to him. Yea, we can be computer friendly, she smiled weakly. Not exactly what he had in mind. But for now, he d take what he could get. I am definitely feeling friendly with you, he cupped the back of her neck and gave it a little squeeze. To his great satisfaction, she leaned back in his hand as if his touch was more than welcome. What was your childhood like, Baby? Starting slowly, she told him what she thought she could. I never knew my real pa rents, so I grew up in foster care. In school, I was small and they called me Swamp Rat . She smiled when he frowned. That was one of the nicer things they called her, but she didn t go into that. It s okay, things got better. I won a scholarship in high school and now I ve g ot a pretty good job. It always amazed Patrick how cruel people could be. Taking in her delicate body and perfect features, he couldn t help but contradict the fools who had hurt her. If I would have been there, I would have called you my Bayou Baby and beat the shit out of anybo dy who said different. What he said and how he said it made her feel all warm inside. Patrick O Rourke wa s a hero. In her heart, Savannah had been holding out for a hero. Honestly, she had never expected to find one. And now that he was here and seemed to think he wanted her, quite f rankly, she didn t know what to do with him. Where were you when I was hung on the clothesline by my sundress straps? The memory of that prank always made her laugh. The older boys h adn t hurt her, but she had dangled there till her foster mom had finally heard her squeali ng. Park over close to the picnic tables, she pointed to the left. We don t need to buy tickets ju st to picnic. The Maison Olivier Plantation house is interesting, if you d like to take a tour after we eat. No, I don t want to take a tour. He got out of the car before she did this time, so he could help her with the food, the blanket and that monster size book she kept wa nting to wag around. We re going to eat our fish and get to know one another. I m also hoping that you ll let me kiss you again. Patrick, she murmured in exasperation. Savannah would have given everything she owned to kiss him one more time, but it wasn t right. Later, if she confided in hi m, he would remember that she had taken advantage of him and the situation. I am a little hun gry,

though. Patrick didn t answer, but she could almost swear she heard him make a low growling noise. Was that your stomach? Patrick chuckled. No, it wasn t my stomach. That was my sexy growl. Couldn t you tell? When he noticed her amazed, amused expression he laughed and tugged her close. Being with you is a delight. It s like seeing the world with a whole new pai r of eyes. He went on to explain. When you said you were hungry, I was hoping you were starv ing for me that s why I growled. Oh, his explanation made her quiver. I m not too experienced, she felt like she stated the obvious. She loved the way he walked close to her. Patrick made her f eel so feminine and protected. His forest green t-shirt was stretched so tight over his ripped body that she could see his abs, and she didn t pretend she wasn t looking either. You are in r eally good shape. Thank you, so are you. Patrick had been watching the way her tits moved when she walked. Damn, they were real. He loved real tits. So, why are we toting around th is encyclopedia size book? Research is not good for our digestion. Well, we don t have to talk about that, if you don t want to. I just didn t want to ass ume anything. After all, this is sort of a business luncheon. Patrick kissed the top of her head and her heart skipped a beat. No, this isn t a business luncheon. And I don t really want to do anymore research. He let his hand skate down her side and playfully goosed her, I was hopi ng you were planning on standing on this thick book to kiss me. I haven t got to smooch o n you nearly enough to do me till I get back from Afghanistan. You are as stubborn as Tammany, aren t you? What was she going to do with him? Savannah hadn t got to do near enough kissing either. Practicing on a pillow hadn t prepared her for the ecstasy of being kissed back. But - - - the notion that mos t people in her past had considered her to be somehow unclean and dirty was so deeply ingrained that she felt guilty for letting Patrick kiss her. I don t think that s a really good idea, but thank you. Here give me that stuff, he took everything from her and set it on a picnic table. Spreading out the blanket, he drew her down to the ground. I m going to get to the bottom of this, you know. Patrick searched her face for clues. Hanging her head, she avoided making eye contact. Please don t ask me for an explanation. But I shouldn t kiss you anymore, it just wouldn t be right. Damn, what if there was someone else? He hadn t thought of that till just now. Had he misread everything so completely? Should we go back, Savannah? He picked up the fo od. I don t encroach onto another man s territory. You should have said something sooner. J ust what the fuck would he do now? She was supposed to be his Destiny. Wait! She caught his hand. Pausing, she shut her eyes as if to gain strength. There is nobody else. I wouldn t have come if there was. I would never be unfaithful if I w ere fortunate enough to have someone. So, don t go. Let s stay and talk. Please? Patrick refused to let it go. It was just too damn important. I didn t turn you off

, did I? She sure as hell responded to his kiss, at least for a few moments. She tried to turn away but he gently took hold of her face. That s not it, is it? No, she whispered. There s something else. I m not playing a game with you. Really. She looked like she was about to cry and that was one thing that Patrick couldn t bear to do make a woman cry. Okay, Love. No more guessing. He couldn t resist rubbing the pa d of his thumb over her cheek. Although, I will warn you that I intend to do everyt hing in my power to change your mind. And I don t play fair. Is that okay? A small hitch of her breath was all that betrayed the hope that she couldn t dispe l from her heart. Yes, I guess so. I m not sure if that s wise, though. Actually, all she rea lly wanted to do was throw herself into his arms and cling to him for dear life. He was so sweet. You let me worry about what s wise or not. It s my job to battle the enemy, so all yo u have to do is tell me what s bothering you and I ll surround, besiege and conquer th at mother fu . . . he was going to say an ugly word, but he swallowed it. Patrick s face had a fierce look on it and Savannah was sure that enemies had retr eated from this scowl. But he didn t scare her. She felt safer with him than she had eve r felt with anyone in her life. So, Savannah sighed. You re so cute. Was she making a mistake? W hat if he could deal with her past? The words seemed to hang on the tip of her tongu e. Confessing to him would be such freedom. But it might also bring their friendship to a scre eching halt, too. And she wasn t ready for that. Savannah was greedy. She wanted to be around P atrick for just a little bit longer. So, she remained mum about Carville. With a gentle nudge, he pushed her backwards until she lay flat, then he got dow n there with her close. I told you I didn t play fair. Give me one more kiss. Please? For a soldier boy going off to war? Lord, he couldn t believe he was playing the sympathy card. H e must be desperate! Yea, okay he was. No, no, no. . . Savannah gasped as his lips slowly lowered to cover hers, . . . yes , yes. Ripples of sensation washed over her in waves as pleasure exploded through her b ody. Ye gods, she could become addicted to him. He was propped up on one elbow, lying next to her; part of his big body covered hers completely. She was trapped, surrounded one big hand k neaded the flesh of her waist and she gave in to temptation and wound her arms around his n eck and clung to him like a honeysuckle vine. He smelled so good! She ate at his mouth, rubbed her tongue against his and reveled in his taste. And to think just this morning, she hadn t e ven known the man existed! Ummm, I love this, she whispered as they broke for air. I love it, too, Baby. You taste like honey. Now, kiss me back.

I shouldn t. But, I want you so much. God forgive me, she whispered. Savannah wrapped her arms around his neck and let out the sexiest kitten sigh he had ever heard. My God! She didn t just kiss him she nibbled his upper lip, licked the seam of his mo uth and pushed her little tongue inside to tangle with his. In a matter of seconds, she had him ready, willing and able hard as a rock - again. As Patrick cradled her close, Savannah s world changed completely. She knew she d never be the same. A lifetime of starving for affection and never knowing the to uch of another human being had not prepared her for the ecstasy of being in Patrick O Rourke s arms . Need pulsed through Patrick like a drum. If he didn t get his hands on her soon, h e would go mad. Patrick raised up his head and looked around. Just making sure ther e s no one about. There wasn t. Can I touch you? Despite his challenge, he didn t want to do anyth ing she wasn t ready for. Savannah was special. If she demanded he stop, he would in a heartbeat. Savannah could only guess at what he meant, but the answer was going to be yes regardless. It might not be right, but this was a moment that might never come a gain. Yes, please do. She cupped the side of his face and he kissed her wrist. I wish you did n t have to leave so soon. I ll worry about you. Even if she never heard from Patrick again aft er today, she knew she would never forget him. Are you sure? God, he was sweet. He had to know that being caressed and kissed by him was shee r paradise for her. She just prayed it didn t blow up in her face later. Rubbing her hand over his chest, she encouraged him. Touch me, Patrick. Touch me anyway you want to. What an invitation! But he wasn t about to abuse his privileges. Savannah deserved consideration. They were out in the open and he didn t want anybody seeing what on e day might belong to him. But he didn t want her to feel unwanted either. I can t resist f inding out how soft you are. Moving his hand up her side, he filled his palm with soft woman flesh. The lace of her bra was thin, as was her dress, so he could feel her heat and mold t he tender fullness of her tit in his hand. And when she quivered at his touch, he felt his blood fl ame in response. God help me, I can t resist. He bent over and opened his mouth wide, fitti ng it over her nipple and he sucked a long, hard draw. God! Patrick! He was sucking her nipple through her clothes! Right now she would give her black Camaro to the first taker, if she could just feel his lips on her bare breast one time. Cupping the back of his head, she massaged the nape of his neck. As his li ps and teeth worked their magic, she felt her clit sparkle to life with zings of burning deli ght. She needed more. Raising her hips desperately, she offered herself to him. Patrick answered her wordless cry by slipping his hand between her legs and rubbing the top of her mound. Yes! More

please, she cried. When Savannah sounded her passionate outburst, Patrick felt himself tremble with a deep and intense desire. Everything within him wanted to part her legs, rip away her panties and plunge into her softness. Hell! Before he lost control he had to stop. Damn! I ca n t do this. It wasn t right. She deserved better than being fingered to orgasm in a publi c park. Pulling back, he sat up and dry-scrubbed his face trying to gain control. So close. She had been so close. Opening her eyes, she saw Patrick looking disgu sted and her whole body froze. How embarrassing! She had almost climaxed from a kiss and one touch. God, he must think she was pitiful. Pressing the heels of her hands in th e blanket she scooted her whole body back and out from under Patrick. Sorry Patrick, I guess I got carried away. With stiff moves she straightened her dress and began unpacking the food. Wo uld you like cole-slaw? What I d like is an ice pack, he grumbled. Hell, I should have known better. None of this was your fault. I knew it was a mistake. I apologize. Damn, she had known better. Better just to get this over with and go back to her solitary, saf e world. Savannah spread the food out and uncovered his glass of tea. Do you take sugar and lemon? It had taken a minute for him to put two and two together. Sometimes he was slow , especially when all of his blood flow was headed to his dick instead of his brain. Whoosh! Narrowly missing the plates of food, Patrick took her by the shou lders and gently but firmly eased her to the ground. You misunderstand, Flower. Damn, there was dampness at the corner of her eyes. Did you think I was fool enough to reject you ? He waited for an answer and when there was none, he crooned softly. Not in this life time, Baby. I have never shared a sweeter, hotter kiss. And when I touched your body - felt th at hard nipple under my tongue and caressed your sweet pussy, I wanted to tear off our clothes and push so deep into you that I touched your soul. He kissed her face, scattering kisses ove r her eyelids and cheeks. But not here I want to have privacy and hours to make you cum over an d over again. His complete focus on her was intoxicating. Nothing in her past had ever prepare d her for Patrick. Okay. He was weaving dreams with his words. Whether they would ever c ome true or not, she didn t know. But during that short time, while he had kissed and caressed her, she had flown beyond the stars. Looking at her face, he was relieved to see trust in her eyes. Savannah, I may no t have acted like it a few minutes ago, but I m a Southern gentleman. Your sexiness just went to my head. What I want most is to get to know you really get to know you. Do you unde rstand? Yea, that means I m not getting any today, doesn t it?

Savannah sounded amused, yet resigned. Patrick groaned and buried his face in he r neck. Damn, you are the sweetest thing. She pushed on his chest and he let her up. I was only joking. I didn t expect you t o make love to me here. You are a chivalrous man. And you re right, important things shouldn t be rushed. And some things just weren t meant to be that was the hard part. He couldn t tell if she was agreeing with him or hiding hurt from a rejection he d idn t intend. Look at me, he put a finger under her chin. She lifted her eyes to his. No, look down at me. Savannah let her gaze slide down to his cock and then smiled a little when she s aw he was swollen and hard. You do want me. The surprise in her voice warmed his heart. Yes, I do. Now, let s eat. They enjoyed the fish and fought over the last ear of corn. Come on; let s take a walk for just a few minutes before I have to go. I want to hold hands. He pulled her to her feet and they wal ked along the path toward the old Acadian homestead. The sun was shining, the birds were singi ng and the heat and horror of war was a world away. Look at how quaint it is, she pulled his hand over against her middle, just wantin g more contact with him. Friends held hands, after all. The farm house is a reproduction of what a typical single family dwelling would have been like around 1800. They walked up t o the outdoor kitchen where the bread oven was and both were amazed at how people used to live. Next they went to the tiny house and Patrick lifted her up on the porch so they could walk in and see the loom and the iron bedsteads. What s your degree in, and where did you get it? Patrick didn t have to ask if she had a secondary degree, he could tell this pretty woman was educated. I have a bachelor s in History and Louisiana studies from LSU, she answered hesitantly. It s not that big of a deal. I have a degree that I love, but I don t mak e any money to speak of. I don t even have health insurance. I m sorry, Baby, that sucks. Maybe someday our country will remedy that problem. They walked down by the slave quarters and the barn. Or you ll get married to a handsome military man who has good insurance. Patrick voiced that thought, and th en couldn t believe he had said it out loud. What would Savannah say? Savannah didn t react at all. In fact, she changed the subject. Tell me about your childhood. They had walked across a low bridge over a lily covered slough. Rustling in the bushes announced that a snake, an armadillo or a rabbit was only a few feet away. Savan nah stepped closer to him. He liked that. What he didn t like thinking about was how much his grandfather had changed and what life would be like without him. My grandfather raised me fro m the time I was five. His steps had slowed and they stood under a huge oak next to a splitrail fence. Patrick pulled her against him, her back to his front and kissed the top

of her head. My parents went on vacation to visit friends in Maryland in 1987 and never returned . What started out as a few days of vacation ended up being a permanent living arrangement. What do you mean? Savannah tried to turn in his arms, but he held her fast. Mom and Dad were killed in an Amtrak train wreck. He stated it flatly and without emotion, but Savannah could imagine how much it still hurt. Oh, Patrick, this time she wiggled out of his hold and held him tight, I m so sorry. She was kissing him on his chest over and over. I know how it is to not hav e a mom and dad. But it s worse for you because you had yours for a little while. It was e asier on me, because I never really knew what I was missing. It s never easy to be alone or to lose someone you love. Having just my granddad al l of those years has made me hungry for a family. I want it all a wife, children, a d og. Hell, I d love to find far-off cousins. Watching Paddy deteriorate has made me realize how awful it s going to feel to be alone. Rubbing her face against his chest, she promised him. If you ll tell me everything you know I ll turn the world upside down to find your family for you. Hearing his longi ng for a wife and kids just made her heart hurt she wanted a family, too. But that was a dream she d probably never attain. As they strolled through the village site admiring the glimpse into a time long past, Savannah encouraged him to talk. Their time together was fast drawing to a close . Tell me what drew you to the Acadian Memorial. Honestly? Up until a year or two ago, I didn t know the history of the Cajun people. But, I stumbled upon some of Paddy s papers and began reading them. His preoccupation with tracing our ancestry began when he found out that we were rel ated to the family that built Evermore. And the further he looked back, the more he found. B efore he got sick, he had located an old Bible in his grandmother s truck that contained the na me LaVerdure, and the date of 1785. I have read several books on the subject and discovered th at the Acadians actually came to Louisiana in waves; some from Nova Scotia, some from France and some from the American colonies. But that date doesn t match any of the information that I c ould find on the Grand Derangement. Isn t that what they called it? Savannah was impressed. Rarely did she talk to anyone who knew this much about t he history of the Acadians. The Grand Deportation, the Great Expulsion, the Great Up heaval, even the Acadian holocaust, all of those are common names for the sad event that forced tens of thousands from their home. Did you know that in 2003, the Queen of England issue d a royal proclamation of apology to the Acadian people? No, I had no idea about that. That makes it even more real. I know that down thro ugh history many people have been displaced and abused, but it s never easy to think a bout,

especially when you realize it was your own ancestors. Hearing what he said about people being displaced, Savannah though about Carvill e and how for almost a hundred years the residents hadn t had a choice about where they lived. Once they were diagnosed with leprosy, they were quarantined and transported to the h ospital in Louisiana, many in chains. Their right to vote was taken away and most of them n ever were able to leave or ever go home. All because the public didn t understand or want to understand the realities of the disease. She was just about to open her mouth to tell him e verything when he took her by the arm. Come on; let s start back toward the car. I need something els e to drink. How about we stop at the drugstore in town for some lemonade on the way back to t he Memorial? They have fresh squeezed. That sounds good. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and she just melted into him. God, she felt good next to him. Where do you live, Honey? He d get a specific a ddress later, because he intended to need it. I have a cottage over on Bayou Teche about ten minutes from here. Damn, if we had time, I d love to have seen where you live. I think you d like it. His comments left little doubt in her mind that he intended t o see her again. Savannah was torn about what to do. She wanted to believe all of this , she wanted to revel in the attention and the possibilities. But she was afraid. I live alone, b ut I keep busy. Besides my position with the Culture Center, I also spend time with childr en in a neighborhood after-school program. It s fun. I fix them supper and let them play g ames on my lawn and I teach them different things - sometimes its Louisiana folklore and so metimes it s a smattering of French dialect or a poem that I think they would enjoy. I bet they love you. Patrick was captivated. When she spoke of the children, her expression became dreamy. What do you do for fun? He wanted to know every detail h e could before he left. And he intended to find out more as they communicated onli ne. She caught her lower lip in small pearly-white teeth and looked down. I read and cook, but that s boring. Glancing up at him through thick, dark lashes she smiled. Then s he gave him a quick little wink and whispered. And I m about to venture into a new hobby. T he television show PROOF has contacted the Cultural Center and they re coming to inve stigate some of the plantations on the River Road and I m going to help. So, I m learning ev erything I can about ghost hunting. Of course, one of the focal points of our work is Louis iana folklore. I love to spend time talking to the old people and recording tales of hauntings an d unusual happenings. Ah, so you believe in things like fortune telling. What did the old woman say again? That you d meet a warrior? You have to admit, that s a bit unusual. Don t they usually

tell you that you ll meet someone tall, dark and handsome? A bit of mischievousness came over Savannah. I don t want to scare you, and I won t sue you for breach of promise, but this particular woman is rarely wrong. She co mes from a very powerful hoodoo family that is famous for their healing powers as well as t heir magical gifts. They came to their picnic spot and Patrick helped her gather up their gear and c arry it toward the car. Really? So, you think we should pick out china patterns? If we re g onna get married, I m really glad you reconsidered the ban on kissing. He was teasing and he wasn t. Yea, she had kissed him. That was one thing she wouldn t forget for many a day. Running a finger over her lips, she shivered at the memory. If the Saints wi n the Superbowl, we ll talk about it. Her quick come-back made him laugh. I enjoy being with you, Savannah. He opened her door, and then put the other items in the trunk before climbing behind the w heel. Do you plan on investigating Evermore Plantation? Many people that live around it say t hat it s haunted. I don t know. It depends on how the session with PROOF goes. Our first endeavor will be The Grove up close to Baton Rouge, I think. But if they schedule more se ssions, I will be sure and recommend Evermore. Those curved staircases on the front are so beau tiful. I can just imagine spectre ladies floating up and down them in their ball gowns. Did y ou ever sense anything when you lived there? Savannah loved a good ghost story. I did. We lived in the caretaker s cottage, of course. But sometimes, I would spend the night in one of the garconieries. They were two story buildings designed for the young unmarried men of the family to live in. There they could be typical boys and not be a bad influence on the younger children, especially the girls. Anyway, when I was abou t six, I was sleeping there one night and I woke up to see a little boy standing at the end o f my bed. But there were no other little boys there; it was just me and my grandfather. While h e talked, Patrick drove out of the park and hit the road back toward town. What was wild wa s that he followed me back to the caretaker s cottage. He would play with my toys. Sometimes he broke them and I got blamed for it. Were you afraid of him? At first, but I was so lonely that I started to look forward to his visits. He wa s a little shy, but friendly. Did he talk to you? A few times, Patrick admitted. Now where s that drug store? It was just down the street so Savannah helped him hunt a parking place. What did he say? She bombarded him with the question as soon as he opened her door. You like this stuff, don t you? He took her by the hand and helped her out. Before Savannah could answer yes , he pulled her into his embrace. Here s what I like sweet Savannah sugar. He kissed her hard and quick because the street was crowded and t

he sun was beating down on them. This time Savannah made no protest. Their time together was drawing to a close a nd she was hoarding every moment away in her treasure chest of memories. Yes, I like the ghost stories, but I like your kisses more. Her admission seemed to make him happy. Now, what did the little boy say? He said he didn t like the people at Evermore. He told me that they had hurt him. A nd he said his name was Felix. Wow, did you ever ask any questions about it or try to find out who Felix was? He stopped long enough to order and collect their lemonade, but he never turned loo se of Savannah. Leading her back to a booth, he let her sit down then scooted in right next to her. Lord, you re big, she playfully fussed as his pressed close to her. Parts of me are, he gave her a hot look and a devastating smile. No, as I got older , I saw him less and less. Until you started talking about ghosts, I hadn t really tho ught about him in a long time. Wouldn t it be wild to investigate the house and see if Felix is still there? Her enthusiasm was contagious. Yea, I guess it would be. Proving that we don t cease to exist when we die is an age-old life quest. I d like t o know if love survives beyond the grave. It would make life more meaningful. Don t you think? If something happens to me, I ll contact you. Okay? A cold splash of fear hit her right in the heart. Don t say that. I don t want anythi ng to happen to you. Savannah captured his hand in hers, as if she were trying to pull him back from the precipice. Patrick couldn t help but enjoy her holding on to him. The sight of their joined h ands did something to his breathing. Damn! When her thumb began moving caressingly over h is palm, he felt chills run over his body. God, the little doll sitting beside him was ma king him feel things he hadn t felt in a helluva long time, if ever. Neither do I, but what I do is always a risk. Swallowing hard, he made his play. I came home on special leave. So, when I ship out tomorrow, I won t be back for about a month. Will you wait for me? A surge of happiness filled her heart. She felt like she was starring in an oldtime romantic movie. Wait for you? She held her breath. Was he asking what she thought he was? I know it s a lot to ask, but would you not date anyone or get married before I get back. Patrick wasn t teasing. He knew it was too soon to say more, but he wanted to make her understand he intended to come back and pick up where he left off. Savannah let out a tiny exasperated giggle. I m not going anywhere, Patrick. Men aren t exactly beating down my door for a date anyway. They re fools. Patrick announced solemnly. You could have knocked Savannah over with a feather. How many times had she fantasized about meeting someone like Patrick O Rourke? How many times had she sat

down with a lit candle and wrote love poems and love letters to her longed-for lover? Too many to count. Looking at him, it was almost as if she had conjured him from thin air. I can t lie. I wish things were different, but there are obstacles to our being together that I don t think we could ever overcome. With one big hand, he cupped her chin, holding her face immobile. Give me a chanc e, that s all I ask. There are times in one s life when a moment crystallizes and you realize that some day you ll look back and know that this was it your one big chance. There were no guar antees . . . . God, she was such a coward. I would love to be your friend. She watched his face fall. Did she have power over this magnificent man? I m not giving up, Savannah. She had to ask. Patrick, I ve got to know, because I just don t understand. How can you be interested in me? We ve just met, and you re so handsome and . . . . I m so ord inary. Ordinary? Patrick leaned over and put his face against hers, foreheads touching an d he nuzzled his mouth against hers, stealing a small kiss. This time, he didn t really give a damn who was watching. You re far from ordinary, Savannah. In the little time we ve had to gether, you ve touched my heart like no one else ever has. We re connected. Don t you feel it? If you can say no , I ll let you off the hook. We ll go back to the Memorial and call it a day . You ll never hear from me again. No! a look of panic crossed her face. I do feel it, but I don t understand it. How ca n that be? Patrick kissed the end of her nose. Well, it s sort of a secret. But I ll make a deal with you. When you tell me your secret, the one that s stopping you from taking a chanc e with me I ll tell you mine. Oh, ratz. He chuckled, Oh, ratz! I could just eat you up, did you know that? She grabbed her lemonade, It s hot as the dickens in here. He leaned back to let her have some air. I ve got you all hot and bothered, don t I? Yea, a little bit, she admitted. Clearing her throat, she sat up straight and trie d to regain control of the conversation. Tell me what you can about your job in Special Ops, s he urged him. He wasn t the only one who wanted information. I m on a sniper team. No, please no, she whispered under her breath. Savannah knew what that was and the reality of the danger he put himself through sent cold chills up and down her sp ine. I m sure you re good at what you do, but that makes my heart hurt. It s not all covert missions. We do a lot of training of foreign troops and nation building, but sometimes we are called to do hard things, he didn t elaborate and Sa vannah knew better than to ask. It s not all war. Funny thing is, after we occupy a territory a

nd the fighting tears it up, we spend twice as long putting it back together. They both had stopp ed sipping their lemonade. Instead they just sat close and enjoyed their last few minutes t ogether. The hardest reality of my job is that my future is uncertain. And knowing I have no family except Grandad, it just makes me realize that if I died, it would be like I never exist ed. I have buddies in the unit, but they have their own lives and their own families. I have no one . Repeating what his grandfather had said, he told Savannah his greatest fear. I think the wo rst thing that can happen to someone is to be forgotten. I know you now, Patrick. I wouldn t ever forget you. Her simple words hit him like a freight train. And when she leaned down and kissed his hand, he almost came in h is shorts. When I get to Afghanistan, I ll contact you as soon as I can. And you ll respond right? This big gorgeous man seemed to need reassurance that only she could give. Savan nah wasn t going to argue with him anymore. She wanted whatever of Patrick O Rourke she could get. It would be a pleasure to keep in touch with you. I can update you on my pro gress and just entertain you a bit. I m a really great story-teller. Have you ever heard of Scheherazade? She told the King a different story every night to keep from getti ng her head chopped off. Watching her mouth form words, his imagination took over and he thought of how i t would feel when those pink lips were stretched over his cock. Lord, he couldn t wa it to make love with her - feel her little body give in to the strength of his demands. All in good time, he placated himself. The anticipation would make his homecoming even sweeter. I m fami liar with the story of the 1001 Arabian Nights. The King ended up falling in love wit h the little tale-weaver, didn t he? What he said caused her to blush; a beautiful pink hue wash ed up her shoulders, swept her neck and painted roses on her cheeks. Yes, he did. But, I m also quite sure she had qualities that attracted him other th an an entertaining bedside manner. Do you have an entertaining beside manner, Savannah? Patrick didn t know why he was picking at her, other than it was damn fun and she was as cute as a button. I hope so, but I couldn t swear to it. Surely he realized by now that he was experienced and she was - - not. As much as she hated to remind him, it was gett ing late. What time do you have to report to the base? Damn, you re right. I gotta go. He helped her from the booth and out to the car. Thi s time, she let him open her door and he couldn t help but enjoy the sight of her lo ng, shapely legs as she settled behind the wheel. Pull your dress in. I don t want to shut the door on the material. When she did, he rewarded her That s my girl. That s my girl, God, what she wouldn t give for that to be true. As they drove back to the memorial, Savannah had a serious talk with herself. Patrick was leaving; she

couldn t be sure she d ever see him again. Yet her heart was beating harder than she had ever felt. Her nipples had peaked, her clit was doing a happy dance, and all she could think wa s that this man had walked into her life for a reason. It probably wasn t the reason her body hung ered for, but her soul was strongly announcing that destiny had come calling. I ve enjoyed our ti me together very much. Can I send you care packages? I owe you cookies. Already she was think ing of other items she could send to brighten his days. I ll be back, Savannah. he promised. And yes, I d love anything you could send me. I ll email you the address. And don t forget this isn t over. While I m gone, we ll da te online. Okay? Okay, okay, she gave in with a laugh. You call it dating and I ll call it visiting. Either way, I ll look forward to it. She parked near the memorial and was relieved to see that Tammany s car was nowhere in sight. She wasn t ready to share her tender fe elings with anyone. Patrick came around and helped her out. Come walk with me under the oak for just a moment, I m not ready to say goodbye. He ran a finger down her cheek something he w anted to do over and over again. Can I hold your hand some more? Please. They clasped hands and her heart skipped a beat. What kind of flowers are those? Two beds full of small, unassuming blue flowers bedecked both sides of the gazebo. Those are forget-me-nots, Savannah answered. I think they are fitting. We should never forget what happened to these people. Patrick bent over and picked a small spray and handed them to her. Please don t for get me, Savannah. Promise? With trembling hand she took his offering. I won t forget you, Patrick. Stepping near, he bent close. Kiss me, Baby. In answer, Savannah rose on tiptoe and kissed him. Chastely. Sweetly. He rubbed his mouth across hers. And when he did, she whimpered a little sigh and opened her m outh to allow him inside. With a growl he hauled her close enough that they could feel one ano ther s heart beating. Her hands slipped around his waist and she nestled against him. A titte r of laughter from passing children broke the spell and Patrick rubbed his hands down her arms and dusted a few more kisses on her face. Damn, Baby. That s something I m not going to be able to forget while I m gone. Neither will I, Patrick. Savannah felt drugged from his passion. She looked into h is eyes, as if trying to read what the future might hold. When he stole one more ha rd kiss, she shuddered in absolute delight. I ve got to go. I ll get in touch with you the first chance I get. He pulled away and she had never wanted to run after anyone more than at that ve ry moment. But she couldn t follow the path he was destined to walk. All she could do was wait

for him to come home. I ll check my mail everyday. Forget me never, Savannah, he called out to her as he walked away. And she didn t. Not then, and not ever. Chapter Three A week later Afghanistan might get cold at night this time of year, but during the day it was damn hot. The temperature gauge might only show in the eighties, but the dry winds that ke pt the sand stirred up forced them to wear long sleeve shirts and keep the windows rolled up . And their damn air-conditioner was broke. Jayco, you re just like a bull moose. How did you b reak the window control? Patrick wiped the sweat from his brow. Now they couldn t let the wi ndow down even if the devil winds stopped whipping around. I don t know, O Rourke. Jayco s grin was as wide as his shoulders. It took a lot of crap before he got mad. Even tempers were a good thing since they were all TypeA personalities. Look, this isn t gonna be a bad set-up. We re here as force-multipliers. Every guy is expected to lead one company-size group, up to 100 guys each. It s our job to teac h them how to defend their own country. Hawke sat in the back with his feet propped up on th e seat between Patrick and Jayco. Morale is important. We have to build confidence in these men and at the same tim e establish our leadership role. We always want to give off an aura like we re the m asters of chaos and jacks of all trades. They expect a lot out of us and we have to give them wh at they expect. Patrick had been through this before. It could be worse. They could have been sent on a raid of some kind or be asked to locate and disarm IED s. All he wanted to do was get back to camp and contact Savannah. It had been a week since he got here and they hadn t had internet service until today. She probably thought he had changed his mind about corresponding with her and that worried the mess out of him. Is Lucas on to you? Does he suspect that you re checking him out? Hawke was the worrier in the group. I don t know, Patrick admitted. Several of the other units are going deep into Taliba n territory. I ve asked Rasib to be my eyes and ears. If their locations get leaked to the enemy, Rasib will let me know. He risks a lot to help us, doesn t he? Jayco slapped his cap on his leg chasing away one of the ever present biting flies. That he does, Patrick sighed. Too much. Just last week two men had their throats slashed and their heads cut off in the village square in Mirianshah for the very same thing that Rasib does for us. All of the men were quiet for a few minutes; the cruelty of co nflict was never far away from them. What are we gonna do tomorrow? How about a trip into Kabul? Jayco tried to lighten the mood. He always had women on his mind. You d better be careful. Messing with the local women is going to get you killed, Boy. Hawke had seen it happen. If you get hard up, there are some Russian women yo

u can hire to do your uh laundry. My advice is to make friends with your right hand, Buddy. Patrick had no intention of seeking out trouble. He d rather fantasize about Savannah. Pulling into camp, he h elped the guys unload the gear. I ll see you idiots in the morning. I ve got some correspondenc e to take care of. They didn t argue with him, each man had his own dreams to keep him company. The mud-wall compound wasn t a palace, but at least it was shelter. Taking out his lap -top, he settled down to spend a little time with Savannah. ***** It had been a week since she watched Patrick drive away from the Acadian Memoria l, and Savannah was still in a daze. She had gone about her daily work as if on auto-pilot. Committee meetings and fund raisers were second nature to her, but s he had to force herself to stay focused. All she really wanted to do was stay at the laptop on t he off chance he might try to contact her. At least while she was on the computer she could resea rch the LaVerdure name. If he did email her, she wanted to have something concrete to of fer him. It was funny, really. She was skipping around the house like a schoolgirl. Her l ittle cottage was a joy to her. It was a modern version of the Louisiana swamp house. There was a dogtrot down the center which meant that the front door and the back door were l ined up and could be opened to let the breeze blow from north to south or vice versa. In old en days, a dog trot house meant that the dogs could trot from one end to the other. The colors in her house were cool blues and white with Audubon prints and comfortable overstuffed furniture. Savannah loved to pad around barefoot in cool cotton clothes. And she let the TV play on the cooking or garden channel just for noise. Television or music was okay, but her first love was reading and research. So no w, here she sat, plopped down on the couch with her legs tucked up underneath her, surro unded by her laptop, volumes of records, diaries and research directories, combing through th em as if seeking for buried treasure. If there was anything to be found of Patrick s family, the La Verdures, she would find it. Oh, she tried to concentrate but it was hard. Savannah couldn t help but think abo ut Patrick O Rourke. Her lips tingled with the memory of the kiss they had shared. God , the man could kiss, she whispered to herself. Unable to help herself, she licked her lips , recalling how good he had tasted and the hunger he had awakened in her body. With a shiver, sh e bent over and pulled a pillow tightly to her face and let out a squeal of absolute delight . Would he contact her again? He said he would. Savannah had checked her email several times alread y today, but

she realized he had been traveling. It was a long way to Afghanistan and he migh t not have access to a computer right away. Did he have a phone so he could text or access the internet? God, she was just driving herself crazy wondering if and when she woul d hear from him. Ding! Out of the blue, her computer announced she had mail and Savannah s heart stopped beating. Reaching for her laptop, she opened her email and when she saw Patrick O Rourke on the message list, she couldn t have kept quiet to save her life. Thank yo u, God. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. With trembling fingers, she clicked on the message. Savannah. Did I tell you I love your name? I do. I have to confess that you are all I can think about. Does that scare you? I hope not. I won t ask you if you found o ut anything on the LaVerdures. I know you haven t had time, and besides, that s not wha t I m really interested in. If you find something, that s great. And if you don t, that s okay too. It s you I care about. I can t get those kisses we shared out of my mind. Your lips were so soft and sweet. I can t wait to get back home, see you again and kiss you some more. Yeah that s right and you had better get used to the idea. You do want to se e me, don t you? That will be awhile, I m afraid. We laid over in Germany for two days. It was snowing on the mountaintop. I ve attached a photo for you to see. I was thinki ng about you when they took the picture. Can you tell? Let me hear from you, please . I ll be waiting. And hoping. Take care of yourself. Patrick. Opening the attachment, she gazed at his picture. God, he was so good looking. Smack! She couldn t help it, she kissed his likeness, leaving an imprint of her lips right in the middle of her computer screen. Bouncing up, she let herself celebra te. He likes me! He really likes me! She ran to her phone, wanting to call someone and share, but Tammany was still at work, so she texted her instead - only two words. HE EMAILE D! She would understand. Tammany had taken great pride in the fact that Savannah had go ne on a near date . Besides, it didn t matter if she had anyone to celebrate with or not, she was still over the moon! Setting the phone back down, she ran and made a cup of coffee to calm her nerves and settled down to answer his email. Patrick. I like your name, too. It s strong . . . and sexy. Like you. No, the idea that you are thinking about me isn t scary but the fact that I can t get you off my mind is quite terrifying. I have relived every moment of the time we spent together over and over. No, I haven t found anything yet on the name you gave me. But I m about to start looking again as soon as I finish this email to you. And yes, I want to see you again. I d love to see you again. It might not be the

wisest thing for either of us, but I can t deny that it is what I want. I know it s a long time off, but if you ll call me when you arrive, I ll prepare a meal for you. Does that s ound ok? I have to admit that I want more of your kisses. Since we re talking in emails, I find that I m more inclined to share the whole truth with you. Okay? Here it goes; I ki ssed the photograph you sent me. You are an exceptionally good-looking man and very sweet and kind. Thank you for sending it to me. I ll cherish it. Would you like me to send a photograph of myself? If you want one, I ll send it. And I can t wait to hear from y ou again. I ll try to have information to share with you the next time we talk. Pleas e take care of yourself. I ll be praying for your safety. Savannah Hearing from him and being able to communicate with him made Savannah only want to please him more, so she began to pour through her resources to see what she coul d find. It wasn t long before she hit pay dirt. Yes! Here it was in black and white. Oh, it was just a start, but at least this clue would give her an idea of where to look next. (Pierre LaVerdure, a French Huguenot came to England and married an Englishwoman named Prescila Melanson. Pierre LaVerdure later moved to Acadia with Sir Thomas Temple during the occupation by the English. Two of LaVerdure s sons took their mother's name Melanson - and chose to remain in Acadia while the third son, John, kept the nam e LaVerdure and immigrated to Boston.) So, Patrick had been looking for the wrong name. LaVerdure wasn t familiar to Savannah, but Melanson or Melancon was as common a name in Louisiana as Smith or Jones in any other part of the country. Refusing to wait another moment, she shot off another email to Patrick to share with him her good news. And then she sat and waited and waited - for a response and when it didn t come she was so disappointed. ***** Look here, Patrick. Look what I found! Jayco walked around the jeep and held up a black lab puppy. She s half starved. What do you want me to do with her? You might as well shoot her, Hawke grimaced. It d be more humane. She ll just starve to death out here. Give me that dog, Patrick held his arms out. No one was going to shoot any puppies while he was around. He cradled the little dog to his chest. Poor little mite. Wh at s your name, Girl? You re Irish, why don t you name her an Irish name. Hawke drained a beer, and then stared at the dog as if deep in thought. Patrick didn t contradict him. He was only part Irish, the rest was English and Fr ench, but it didn t really matter. She doesn t look like a Colleen. He rubbed the small dog s head and thought about what he had to offer her to eat from his rations. Ciara means black in Gaelic, why don t you name her Ciara. Hawke raised his beer bottle and pointed to the small black dog. That s a good name, Philip. Patrick thought a lot of Phillip Hawke. He was as honest

and reliable as the day was long. The man was a rock, physically formidable and the kind of a marine that you wanted at your side. Hawke was his spotter and he trusted him wi th his life. Ciara it is. Where did you come up with that and how did you know Ciara means black? Jayco asked. Jayco was their flanker and there was no better man to watch your back th an the Texas good ole boy. It s them damn romance novels, Hawke is an avid reader of historical romance. Patrick couldn t resist hoorawing his buddy. Hey, don t knock it till you ve tried it. Those books are damn hot. One handed reading, if you know what I mean. He moved his fist up and down in a jacking off motion. Beats the hell out of getting the clap from the brothels in Kabul. Those Chinese lovelies they ve brought in are sweet, but I m picky. Hey, Patrick, Jayco grinned. Who s Savannah? What do you mean? Patrick put the small dog down and began walking, whistling to see if she would follow. She did. When you were napping in the jeep earlier, you were moaning her name. It sounded like a serious moan to me. Patrick didn t blush, but he did narrow his eyes and flash fire at his buddy. Savan nah is a beautiful woman that I met the day before I shipped out. And if anybody is moa n worthy, it s Savannah. I bet she s a Nordic beauty like Heidi. Right? Jayco thought he had Patrick figured out. Nope, Savannah is petite with dark hair, dark eyes and a smile so sweet it makes the birds sing. Damn Hawke, our Alpha has a lady. The flanker had no ridicule in his tone, if anything it was a hint of jealousy. That s right, and if you all will excuse Ciara and I we re going to go email my lady. She needs to know about this other woman in my life. Patrick, Hawke s voice stopped him in his tracks. I ve heard rumblings. We re about to be knee deep in trouble, aren t we? Yeah, don t get too comfortable. It looks like Lucas has done it again. I think we re about to get sent out on a reconnaissance mission. There s a raid coming down the pike and if you re a praying man now s the time. ***** It had been two days since she had heard from him and Savannah had convinced her self Patrick had experienced a change of heart. Logically she knew he was on a missio n, and being in a war zone was not conducive for opportunities to chat on the computer all th e time. But all the reasonable thinking in the world didn t prevent her from worrying. What Patric k did was dangerous, there was no denying that. Even though she would have liked to sit in her office and stare at the computer monitor, Savannah had several projects vying for her attention. PROOF had called and repo rted they had received final permission from the owners to investigate the grounds of The Grov e plantation near Baton Rouge. It had burned down in the 1960 s after it had been struck by lightning. Some of the ghost stories told about the place were fantastic, so Sav annah couldn t

wait. She had been asked to take part in the filming and had agreed to do so. So to get up to speed, she had begun to research the topic and get ready for her maiden voyage i nto the paranormal. After checking out a few websites, she had placed an order for some equipment and printed out all the protocol and tips she could find on how to have a successful ghost hunt. Just for fun, she was going to head to the local cemetery the first chance she got an d see if she could find anything on her own. And today was Wednesday the children would be at her h ouse in about an hour and a half, so she had some things to do to get ready for them. To day s project was cookie makings in a jar. But first, she was going to pick up the genealogical research she had ordered fo r Patrick from the South Louisiana Historical Society. As it turned out, there was much mo re available on the Melancon family that she could have imagined. He would have to look at it, h owever, and see if any of the names meant anything to him. In fact, she intended to go ahead and send it to him as soon as she got back to the house. Hopefully this would be information hi s grandfather could use. Heading to the parking lot she walked up on Fred March before she could make a m ove to evade him. What was he doing here? Hello, Savannah. Where are you off to in such a hurry? She always tried to be polite; Mrs. Mosby had ground southern manners into her v ery soul, but this man tried her patience. She didn t trust him one iota. There was ju st something about him that didn t ring true. I m on my way home, Mr. March. Have a good evening. Now wasn t a good time, she had no desire to fend him off. And what he was doing at the Cultural Center, she didn t even want to think of it. Don t be in such a hurry, Savannah. How about we go out for a drink? Fred was tall and thin. The suit coat he wore was rumpled and his shoes needed shining. Rivulets of revulsion skated over Savannah s skin. No, thank you. I apprec iate you asking, though. I don t know who you re saving yourself for, Savannah. It s not like there s a line of suitors waiting to take you out. You re lucky that I waste my time on you. If you think that soldier has any real interest in you, you re just fooling yourself. She didn t answer. What could she say? He began to walk toward her and Savannah wa s just about to panic when Mr. Davis called his name. She had never been more glad to see her boss. Professor, may I help you? I ve got an appointment with Randolph, March volunteered. As Fred made nice with Mr. Davis, Savannah made her escape. She d apologize to her boss later, but right now all she wanted to do was get in her car and away from that snake. What he said shouldn t have bothered her; after all, he was just a pervert. But it did. Flinging open the door of her car, she entered and hurriedly pushed the start bu tton and got the hell out of dodge. Seeing the center in her rear-view mirror made it a l

ittle easier to breathe. An email alert over her phone caused her heart to jump. Could it be Patrick? Lor d, she was tempted to check her mail while going down the road. But that was too danger ous. So, she refrained and waited until she had run her errands and driven the few miles to h er sanctuary. Today was the first time she wished for a security gate. Savannah cou ldn t imagine Fred following her home, but the possibility gave her pause. As soon as she was in her back door, Savannah put the safety latch on and breath ed a little easier. Perhaps she shouldn t sleep with the windows open tonight. Another ding caught her attention more mail! Making her way to the kitchen, she pulled her shoes off along the way and headed straight to the coffee pot. Recently she had given herself a gift , one of those coffeemakers that made one cup of fragrant brew at a time. Her favorite was pump kin spice, and right now she needed it. When she finally had the caffeine laden drink in hand, she sank down at the kitchen table and took her laptop from the carryall. Opening it up, she h eld her breath until she saw his name. Yay!! Patrick had emailed her. Hey Gorgeous! It was so good to hear from you. I m in the desert wasteland now and we don t always have the most perfect internet service. I sure do hope you get this email all right. I ll hold my breath till I hear back from you. The last one you s ent me made me smile. I can guarantee that I will give you all the kisses you want. So you think I m sexy? I must admit that made me hard. You ll have to tell me how far I can go in these emails. I don t want to offend you with my frank comments. As far as you cooking me dinner when I come home, I accept your invitation. I wish I could tell you exactly where I m going and what I m going to be doing, but I can t. When I leave base camp, I won t be able to contact you until I return. But yo u keep praying for me, I m counting on that. We didn t get to talk about a whole lot of things when we were together, so I thin k we should use this time to get to know one another better. Guess what? I have a dog. My teammate Jayco found her wondering outside base camp. I rescued her and named he r Ciara. I think we re going to be best pals. I m bringing her with me when I come home. Could I bring her to dinner? Would you mind? Let s see, what else can I tell you about myself? Oh yeah, I m thirty years old. My best friend s name is Revel Lee. He lives in Baton Rouge, not too far from you. Revel was in the Corp too, but he s ou t now. I can t wait for you to meet him. We ve been friends since elementary school. I love t o read and Homer is my weakness, the Illiad and the Odyssey are timeless. And my favori te music is jazz. Oh, and don t be shocked, but I m somewhat of an artist. I sketch and I weld metal sculptures. Someday I m going to try and get them in a gallery. I ve done mostly wildlife; full-size alligators, cranes, whitetail deer even a buffalo. An

d I ve done more abstract pieces, too. It makes me feel free when I create them and I know I m leaving something of myself behind. I would write more but I have a meeting to g o to. Wish me luck, there s some really screwy things going on over here. Let me hear from you soon. When you get ready to tell me that important secret, you know that I m waiting to hear it. I just want you to know that I can t even begi n to imagine you telling me anything that will make me feel any differently toward yo u than I do. And yes, God, yes, I want a picture of you. Patrick Savannah reread the email a dozen times. Finding out more about Patrick was wonderful. She couldn t wait to see some of his metal sculptures. He was smart, sw eet and kind. There wasn t a thing wrong with Patrick O Rourke that she could see. He was perfect. And she would tell him so. Now, to worry about something really importa nt - - which picture would she send? Immediately she began to wish for glamour shots, but she didn t have any. Finally she decided on a candid shot that Tammany had taken. It wasn t sexy, but her face and hair were decent and she didn t look too chubby. What she wouldn t give to be ta ller. And blonde. Oh well. How glad she was to have something concrete to send him about his research. But mostly, she just wanted to talk to him. Dear Patrick I loved all the insight you gave me into your life. You are a renaissance man! I can t wait to see your metal sculptures. They sound amazing, especially the cranes . Please send a photo of Ciara. I love dogs. And knowing that you rescued her just warms my heart. And of course you can bring her to my house; I look forward to m eeting an Iraqi puppy. What breed is she? Will you have trouble getting her back to the states? I hope not. Oh yeah - I have attached a photo. It s nothing special, but neither am I. I ve also attached what I ve found out about the LaVerdures. You may be related to the Melan con family. It was an unusual quirk in history where the sons took their mother s name and that is where the confusion occurred, I think. I enjoyed what you said about being hard. Knowing that about you made me wet. How is that for equal opportunity dirty talk? I have never participated in sexting or explicit conversation online, but I have to admit I find it exciting. What makes it exciting is because it s with you. I wouldn t be able to do it randomly, but I have touched y ou and shared with you and that makes all the difference to me. Please be careful on your mission. I am so scared for you. I ll be counting the da ys till you come home. There is so much I want to know about you. Thank you for the details about your life. Now it s my turn. My favorite ice cream is cheesecake. I love Elvis Presley and bubble baths. My favorite holiday is Halloween and I live to take walks in the rain. I collect po ttery from places I visit and if I had to pick a favorite author it would be Clive Cussler I just love Dirk Pitt and those adventures he goes on. Playing piano is the closest thing I

have to a talent, and it hasn t been developed. Lessons weren t available to me when I was gro wing up and all I have is a keyboard, but I can play something if I hear it. Who know s if I m doing it right or not, I just play what I feel. Your emails are becoming very important to me as are you. And about the secret - I m trying to work up the courage to tell you. Maybe someday. I m just not ready t o lose you, yet. So, I ll keep it a little longer. Take care of yourself, my friend. Savannah After hitting send, she set aside her laptop and got ready to greet the children . They would like the project today. She had bought glass jars and all the ingredients for chocolate chips cookies, plus a red gingham ribbon to tie around the lid. One of the older girls who had a computer had volunteered to make small recipe cards that they could attach to th e ribbon. All she needed to do now was get the batch she had already prepared in the oven. Fre sh homemade cookies would bring a smile to all of their faces. Cookies . . . that reminded h er, she d have to ask Patrick about sending him a care package. And she d do that just as soon as th e kids were gone. She had just barely got started when her email alert sounded. Unable to resist, she went and got her laptop and brought it to the kitchen. Clicking on her account, she w as thrilled to see Patrick s name. Savannah, Love I have an idea. I ve been able to download video chat. Would you try? The link is below. I d love to see your face and hear your voice. Let s say we meet here in thre e hours? You ll have to register and send me your info so I can place the call. I ll b e here, waiting I hope you join me. Love, Patrick ***** What exactly is your relationship with Miss Doucet, Fred? Carlyle Randolph had known Fred March for about ten years. He was an excellent teacher, but their gre ater bond was an appreciation of the female form. The professor had turned him on to some exce llent online porn sites. She won t give me the time of day. For some reason the little twit thinks she is to o good for me. And we both know that s not true. She s not paper bag ugly, but she s clo se. If it weren t for that fine ass and those magnificent tits she hides so well, I wouldn t b other. Randolph chuckled. He wasn t blind. I ve jerked off to the sight of those tits more than once. There s this one sundress that she wears to work and when she bends ove r, they hang down like lush ripe fruit. Leaning back in his desk chair, he ran his palm over h is dick. Later, as soon as March left, he would see to the problem. Damn. March wiped a bit of perspiration off his brow. Could you put a little pressure on her and get her to go out with me? A woman will do a lot of things i

f she thinks her job is in jeopardy. Carlyle Randolph looked to the right and to the left, making sure they were alon e. You really don t want to go out with her. Why not? March didn t understand. I m not interested in marrying her I just want to diddle with her a little. Leaning near, Randolph whispered. She was a Carville baby. A what? I don t know what that is. Lepers! Her parents were lepers up at Carville. Fred March began frantically wiping his hands on his pants. Shit! I ve touched her! His voice was carrying over the Cultural Center by now; March wasn t even tryi ng to be quiet. No! No! Randolph tried to hush him. I didn t say that. She s not sick. Savannah had to pass a physical to get this job. What I mean is that if word got out abou t her past and it was common knowledge that you had dipped your wick into questionable territory. . . he let his voice trail off. Most folks don t understand leprosy and they would lump you in the same unclean category that they put her. Working with her is one thing, socializing w ith her is something else entirely. But, Randolph, he sputtered, people know of my interest. I haven t tried to hide it. Damn! He got up and paced around. How many people know about this? I don t know, Randolph answered frankly. She told me and Davis when we interviewed her. And I would have recommended that we turn her down, but politic al correctness would have bit us in the ass. She doesn t offer the information freely , but I m sure there are others that know. She should have warned me. Fred March was seething. He was red faced and his fists were clenched at his sides. Savannah Doucet is going to pay for this. Now, take it easy. You don t want to do anything rash, Fred. Randolph wondered if he had said too much. Savannah didn t really bother anyone. She kept to herself an d did a good job for the Center. Don t worry, Carlyle. I m just going to give her a piece of my mind, he shouted as he stormed out. Great, Randolph muttered. In the state of mind you re in right now, I don t think you have any pieces to spare. ***** As soon as Savannah said the last goodbye to the neighborhood kids, she cleaned the kitchen and checked the clock. Gracious me! The time had flown! How was she goin g to get pretty in the next ten minutes? Giggling, she decided it was a lost cause, so sh e just brushed her hair, put on some lip gloss and settled down on the couch. She changed positions three times, just trying to get comfortable. Bottom line she was shaking like a leaf. Clicking on the link, she quickly registered and emailed Patrick the call inform ation and waited. And when the call came through, she jumped. Quickly she accepted the cal l and there he was. Already he was more dear to her than any other person ever had been. Hi, s he tremulously greeted him. I m so glad to see you. Hey, Baby, Patrick ate her up with his eyes. Lord, you re pretty. It never failed to

amaze him how she always looked surprised by his compliments. She was so unassum ing, yet so gorgeous and smart. Her intelligence was as arousing as her beauty. Thank you. How are you? I m fine. Things are heating up here a little so you say some extra prayers for me, okay? The quality of the video image wasn t the best, but she ran her finger over h is image, forgetting he could see her. He closed his eyes. God, I wish I could feel your ha nds on me for real. I ve dreamed about you, you know. It was so different, talking to him like this. She put her hand over her heart. It was pounding so hard, she felt like she had to hold it in place. This is happening so fast. I feel so overwhelmed. I m not used to this, I ve been alone for so long. Even when she had bee n surrounded by a foster family, Savannah had been alone. You aren t alone anymore. Bang! Bang! Bang! Patrick was saying something else, and she wanted to hear every word, but a hard persistent banging on her front door could not be ignored. Excuse me, Patrick. So meone s at the door. Do you want me to sign off? You aren t expecting anyone? No. Well, go see who it is. I ll wait. You may be able to come back. Okay, she carefully sat the computer on the coffee table and went to the front door. There was no one she wanted to see more than Patrick, so she was a bit ups et at the interruption. And she didn t think. Savannah opened the door without glancing through the peephole. There you are, you damn bitch! With a shove, Fresh March pushed past her and into the living room of her house. What do you want, Professor March? Oh God, oh God. She backed up away from him. He looked furious. Where was her cell phone? Maybe she could call the polic e. Why didn t you tell me what you were? Why did you let me make a fool of myself over you? With measured steps he started toward her and she kept just out of his reach. I don t know what you mean. Yes, you do. You know exactly what you are! You are unclean and filthy! Savannah! Savannah! Baby, are you in trouble? Oh God, Oh God, Oh God. Patrick could hear every word. She dashed for the computer, just wanting to shut the lid so he couldn t be witness to her great sham e. Who are you talking to? Fred March walked up and grabbed the laptop before she could touch it. Turning it around, he looked face to face with Patrick. Oh, you re the soldier from the memorial. I bet she didn t tell you either, did she? Please give me the laptop, Savannah begged. Patrick just disconnect the call, please! No, I don t think so. March held Savannah off, easily. Run, Savannah! Patrick ordered. Savannah tried, but March tripped her as she tried to run. Ow! she whimpered as she hit the floor hard. She wanted to scream, but there was no use. Her nearest neighbor was too far away to hear. You listen to me, Asshole, Patrick yelled. I m texting my friend right now, and he s going to call 9-1-1. And if you harm one hair on her head, I ll kill you myself.

Hell, where are you, Iraq? You re bluffing. Don t worry, I m not going to touch her, she s dirty. You re an idiot! Patrick growled at March. Savannah, Baby are you all right? Savannah was crying. I m okay. She tried to get to her feet, but March planted his foot in the middle of her back and held her down. Did you know, Soldier? Did you know her parents are lepers? I m not using the word figuratively her parents were sick with leprosy. They were rotting, stinking, di rty lepers. Do you know what that makes her? I m not sick! As Savannah defended herself, it seemed as if the words she said had been uttered a thousand times before. How many times would she have to say it? I m not a leper. Her admission seemed like a betrayal. How could the people who gave her li fe be something that everyone detested? It amazed her that a person s whole existence co uld be defined by something as happenstance as a disease. I ll tell you what that makes her unfit to be around decent people. She heard Patrick call her name once more and then March slammed the computer li d down. What do you want from me? Savannah asked in a desperate tone. He wouldn t rape her; that, she was sure of. But what if he meant to kill her? What had she done to warrant such hatred? I want to make you sorry you were ever born, he snarled at her. Too late. During her unhappy childhood, she had wished a thousand times that she had never been born. And now that Patrick knew the truth about her, she felt that sa me hopeless, grinding hurt in her heart. With a vicious push, he jabbed his booted foot betwe en her shoulder blades and Savannah felt the air whoosh from her lungs. Then, he kicked forward hard and the toe of his shoe connected painfully with the base of her skull. O God, please hel p me, she prayed. As if in answer to her prayer, she heard the sounds of sirens. Sirens? Even thro ugh her haze of pain and fear, Savannah realized that Patrick had called for help to com e to her. And that was all she knew, for he kicked her again and blackness engulfed her mind. Savannah? She didn t know the voice, but it sounded kind and very deep. Can you open your eyes for me? Savannah didn t really want to. She didn t really see any use in it. The state of be ing unaware was very pleasant. Please? Damn, he had to sound nice. It took a bit of effort, but she opened her eyes and saw a man a very large man standing next to her bed. Who are you? she managed to say des pite the cloud of painkillers fogging her brain. You re in the emergency room. But you won t have to stay too much longer. There s no sign of a concussion. How do you feel? Like a car ran over me, she put her hand to her head. My brain is pounding. I ll see about getting you something for the pain. Look at me, he instructed. How s your vision? It s okay. Are you a doctor? He didn t look like a doctor no white coat although he could have played one on TV, in one of those sexy medical shows. The man look

ing at her with concern in his eyes was a big guy, not as big as Patrick, but more strong a nd confident than most people she had seen in many a day. No, I m Revel Lee Jones, Patrick s best friend. He called me when that idiot was attacking you and I got here as fast as I could. Thank you very much, she held out her hand then remembered why all this happened and drew it back, bringing her fist over to cover her lips. Patrick knew. God, h e knew now. She hadn t had the guts to tell him and now he had found out in the worst way possible through the ridicule and venomous hatred of another. And the realization of losing him was l ike a knife had pierced her heart. As she was grieving, Savannah felt her hand being taken and Revel Lee held it in his warm grasp. It s an honor to meet you, Savannah. Patrick thinks the world and all o f you. Not any more. Nonsense. And you ll realize that as soon as you talk to him. Savannah didn t say anything about that. Instead, she gave Revel a smile. Thank you for coming to my rescue. Can you tell me what happened, I don t remember much. She glanced down at what she had on, and was relieved to see she wasn t in a hospital gown and she didn t have an IV, that was a good sign. The police got to you before I did, and they arrested the jackass. You ll have to g o down to the station and give them your statement. But I assured them that you wo uld be pressing charges. Oh God, Savannah squeezed her eyes shut. All this is going to do is start people talking about me again. Revel leaned on the side of the bed so he wouldn t be heard by whoever was on the other side of the dividing curtains that shielded her from prying eyes. Hold your head up. You don t have a damn thing to be ashamed of. Just wait till Patrick gets back; I bet he ll be able to convince you what I say is true. Savannah shook her head, I m not going to be talking to Patrick anymore. I just can t , I m too ashamed. As soon as I get home, I m going to email him and thank him for eve rything and say goodbye. It was obvious that Revel wanted to argue with her, but the nurse showed up with her release papers and instructions. So the next few minutes were spent checking out and loading up. Revel didn t leave her, however, and she didn t know what she would have done wi thout him. He treated her very well and frankly it hadn t happened to her often enough i n her life to take it for granted. As they were driving to her home, she told him so. Revel, I don t know how I will ever pay you back for your kindness to me. You may have saved my life . How do I say thank you for that? Stopping at a red-light, he turned a cheeky grin her way. You don t have to say a thing. Patrick thinks you re special, so that makes you special to me, too. We re go nna be best

friends; we might as well start now. What he said made her think. But it didn t change her mind. She knew what she had to do. When they got back to the cottage, Revel helped her in and made a place for her on the couch. You rest here and I m going to go raid your refrigerator. I m hungry and I kno w you have to be, too. There s plenty of leftovers, and she started naming over some choices. I ll have gumbo, if you don t mind warming it up and there s plenty for you, too. Sounds good. He went to the task and Savannah marveled at having the big handsome man waiting on her. Would wonders never cease? But as soon as she caught her bre ath and looked around, all she could see was Fred March railing at her. Someone had stra ightened the room, probably Revel, but the scene was burning in her mind s eye. Professor March had knocked her down and kicked her in the head! And Patrick . . . the sooner she go t that hard task over the better. Spotting her cell phone on the coffee table, she reached for it and opened her email and wrote a quick, short, hardest-thing-she d-ever-done message. Patrick I am so sorry that I lied to you. Quite simply, I dreaded telling you about my p ast because I knew when I did, it would be over between us. And I enjoyed you so muc h. I hate that you found out the way you did, I am so embarrassed that I could just d ie. But thank you for sending Revel Lee and the police to save me. I owe you so much, pe rhaps my life. You are wonderful and I will never, ever forget you. Take care of yourself, and I will continue to pray for you every day. Goodbye Savannah This time when she hit send, she knew it was for the last time and afterwards, s he doubled up in pain. She had only known him for a short time, but it felt like fo rever. Lying back, she pulled the afghan over herself and turned her face into the couch. She tried not to cry. Revel would return in a moment, and she didn t want him to be witness to her heartbreak. But she wasn t successful. The tears began to flow, unbidden. Savannah. Damn! Savannah bit her bottom lip and willed herself to calm down. Sitting up, s he swiped at her eyes and readied herself to take the bowl of gumbo. Instead, Revel sat the computer in her lap and she was face to face with Patrick. Hey, Baby. Savannah just wanted to hide. Picking the laptop up, she started to hand it back to Revel. I can t talk right now. Savannah! Patrick s voice was both commanding and pleading, it tore at her heart strings. Please, Baby. Just listen to me. If you ll excuse me, I ll be in the kitchen. Talk to him! Revel ordered and left. She sat the computer in her lap and let her eyes focus on Patrick. He looked so dear. But he also looked worried. Is something wrong? She couldn t help but ask. Yea, something s wrong, he answered. My best girl got attacked by some maniac and

I m all the way across the world from her. You saved me. His best girl? She hadn t missed that, but she couldn t see how it could be true. Why are you crying? Are you hurting somewhere? He put his hand up to the screen and she placed hers over it. My head hurts a little, but that s not why I m crying. Are you crying because of that email you just sent me? Patrick would have given anything to take her in his arms. Her pain just wrapped itself around his heart and squeezed it so hard he wanted to pound that idiot who hurt her into the ground. Yes, it was hard to tell you goodbye. It didn t work, did it? I m still here. And I m not going anywhere. She ducked her head and Patrick whispered, Baby, look at me. When she did, he leaned in closer. Savannah, why didn t you just tell me? Do you really think it would have ma de a difference to me? But, I m a Carville baby. It s always made a difference in how people treat me. Everyone is horrified of leprosy and knowing that I ve been exposed by birth j ust scares people. They re afraid I m contagious or contaminated. They don t understand. I do. Savannah stared at him. He could see the hope in her eyes. What do you mean? I m trained to deal with many different scenarios in the Marines. One of the things that I m prepared to do is deal with victims of disease. I know how they re contracted an d I know what the risks are. And you, my sweet baby, were in no way affected by the unfor tunate circumstances of your birth. Leprosy isn t passed from mother to child during gest ation or delivery. That s a proven scientific fact. And how many medical exams have you pas sed during your years in foster care? As many as I have in the military, I bet. He understood. So, you don t think I m dirty? Patrick blew out a hard breath. Savannah, my love, I think you re as pure as the dr iven snow. And I can t wait to kiss you and make love to you. His frankness caused a hot blush to bloom on her cheeks. Patrick how? How can we feel this way about each other so fast? He noticed that she didn t try and deny the attraction; she just wanted to hear hi s explanation. So he gave it to her. We re connected, Baby. Our lives are woven toget her in ways we can t even understand. You had the fortune teller s words, but I had somethi ng much more specific. What? She was hanging on his every word. Do you remember me telling you about that old well at Evermore? The one that was dug by the slaves? She nodded her head. When I was thirteen years old, on Hallowee n night, Selma Smith s nieces were insistent about looking down that old well to see the fa ce of their future husbands. I moved the cover for them and stood by while they peered into the well. They didn t see anything, but the waters became disturbed and it scared them . I stepped up to see what was going on and the waters stilled and when they did I saw you.

You looked at me and smiled and I lost my heart. I went back and sketched you and I ve been l ooking for you ever since. Can you imagine how I felt when I turned around and looked into your eyes? I recognized you as soon as you smiled. I ve always called you Destiny. Now that I k now your name, you re my Savannah, but you re still my Destiny. By the time he was through talking Savannah was crying in earnest. Oh Patrick, co me home! I need you so. It was all Patrick could do to stay seated. He wanted to crawl through the scree n and hold her. I ll be home as soon as I can. I promise. Now, I ve got to go, Baby. There are things I ve got to handle here, but you rest assured that you will never be out of my thoughts. Okay? Okay. She kissed her fingers and pressed them to his face. Savannah was in love. Chapter Four Over the course of the next few days, she found herself opening up more and more with Patrick. Sharing became a pleasurable game with them. Daily they revealed little things, taking turns answering questions, and discussing every topic under the sun. As they rev ealed to one another their hopes and dreams, they found out how much they had in common. What did change about their communications was the heat level. There was one ema il in particular that Savannah had reread a hundred times. It made her blood run hot. The night before, she had lain in her bed and touched herself as she read his words. They were beautiful. Savannah, Baby I m so lonely. Oh, I m not alone; there are plenty of people around. Jayco and Hawke are good people. And I got a letter from my best friend, Revel Lee. I can t wait for you to meet these guys. But the truth is, I m lonely for you. The last photo you sent me is beautiful. I ve stared at it so often; it s imprinted upon my memory. I ve fallen in love with your face. Every single feature is precio us to me. I dream of tracing your cheekbones with my fingers, staring into your eyes a nd kissing that sweet rosebud mouth of yours. From what you ve told me, you don t think you re sexy. Well, I beg to differ. I can t wait to hold you close. When we kissed and I held you to my body, I could fe el your breasts pressing against my chest. And when I sucked your nipple through your dr ess Damn! I ve thought about that over and over. I can t wait to peel off your clothes a nd touch you for real. I m sure you will feel like heaven in my arms. What color are your nipples? Not that it matters, but in my fantasies they are a deep rose color. Go d, I can t wait to suck them. When they got all hard and big because we had teased one anot her, Lord, Girl, I wanted to reach over and touch you so much. I want to give you pleasure, Savannah. If you ll let me, I ll love on you all night

long. Don t get upset with me, but I stroke myself when I think about you and me l ying naked in your bed while I thrust my cock deep inside of you. I can promise you t his, Sexy, your pleasure will be more important to me than my own. If you ll let me, I ll make you cum again and again. God baby, I can t wait to get my hands on you. Write me back. Tell me that you want me as much as I want you. Please. Patrick Savannah lived for those emails. She didn t hear from him every day, and when she didn t, the day wasn t complete. Her hours were busy, however. This morning she was rushing around like a chicken with its head cut off. First on the agenda was a visit wit h Mamaw Gracie Boudreaux who was going to let Savannah record her telling the story of how the sirens had saved her grandfather when he had been washed out to sea on a door during the gr eat hurricane of 1893. The old man had been rescued by a Portuguese trawler and when asked how he had survived he told that it was the sirens or mermaids who had saved him and kept h im from drowning until help could arrive. Even though Gracie s relative had lived to an ol d age, raised a family and bought land he had never changed his story. He had gone to his grave standing by his tale of the saving sirens in the midst of the storm. One of the goals of the Louisiana Culture Center was to preserve the music and t he oral history of the region. Inevitably, as time passed, a place would change. And Sav annah sought to keep intact the tales and memories of the old folks. Their organization wasn t the first to do this, but she was continuing the effort and trying to catalogue and link the arc hives of others, so a data base would exist that catalogued the richness of their oral traditions befo re they completely vanished. It was her dream to acquire as much of the original music of the area as she could. So, she combed the countryside buying old records and original recordings and making new digitized versions of the local musicians in order to keep intact a true renderi ng of Cajun and Creole music. Today, when she finished with Mamaw Boudreaux, she was headed to G rand lsle to pick up an original field recording of Wayne Perry from the 1930 s playing creo le blues on his fiddle. Before heading south, however, she was meeting the girls from work for lunch at Prejeans in Lafayette. They were worrying her to death about information on Patr ick. And she was a little selfish about handing any out. But she liked them, so she would go. Pulling a pink camisole over her head, she stepped into flat shoes, then buttoned her blue jean s and pulled her mess of long wavy hair into a ponytail. Foregoing make-up, she grabbed her purse and took off. The drive to the restaurant would take about a half hour so she put on Elvi s radio and tried to clear her mind. It was futile. Patrick s face was all she could think about.

In the last few weeks he had sent her more photographs and she had printed them out on photo paper. One she kept by her bed for viewing pleasure. Patrick had the kinde st face. The first time she had seen him at the Acadian Memorial, it hadn t looked kind. Patric k had glared at her, the very thought of it made her giggle now. He had looked so stern. His fac e was wide, his jaw was strong and his eyes could be piercing. But now he looked at her with lov e and there were crinkles of happiness around his mouth and eyes and Savannah couldn t wait to kiss each and every one of them. Elvis sang Don t Be Cruel and she sang along, a little off-key, at the top of her voice. Never had she been so happy. Why kismet had chosen to reward the nothing little swamp rat with someone as wonderful as Captain Patrick Heath O Rourke was a myster y to her. The miles whizzed by and she couldn t help but open the sun roof and let the late fall breeze blow through her tresses. Since the day of her attack, they had spoken on video chat as often as possible and Savannah believed they were growing closer day by day. In the past, she had always been skeptical of online emotional relationships. Ho w real could they be? And even though she and Patrick had physically met and had some u nusual connections, most of their attachment had developed via email and instant messag ing. Now all she could think about and plan for was his homecoming. He thought it would be af ter the first of the year. So sometimes between now and then, Savannah had to come to terms with her lack of sexual experience. Oh Patrick knew she was a virgin, he had to considering that she had lived her life as a pariah. But their emails had become so hot! They were having cyber sex, especially on private message where there was no time delay. And she was good at it! It ama zed her how intimate and emotional black words on a white line could be. Before meeting Patr ick and starting this computer affair, she had rarely ever masturbated. Now, Savannah wa s a near nympho. All it took was seeing Patrick O Rourke s name pop up and her clit popped up right along with it. Gee, she needed to think about something else she was turning herself on. Someth ing mundane, that s what she needed. But still about Patrick oh yeah. During the time she had been communicating with him, she had found out a little more about his childhood . He had given her a little insight into the history of Evermore Plantation and she had b egun gathering up anything else she could find. Little Felix worried her. She couldn t help but dwel l on what might have happened to him. The idea of a little lost soul trapped in space and time for eternity had stolen many hours of her sleep. She wondered if she could help him move on. . . Savannah

had gone online and ordered a half dozen books on ghost-hunting and communicatin g with the dead. It was fast becoming more than a hobby. So far she had visited the local cemetery three times. Once she had taken the gi rls from work with her, but that had been a horrible idea. It had quickly disintegrated f rom a paranormal investigation into a giggling, totally irreverent, grave-hopping shindig. She ha d spent most of the evening apologizing to the dead. Tammany, Cato and Fresca had probably offen ded the deceased with their attitude or maybe not. It s possible their joy had been infect ious. Either way, Savannah had tried to observe proper protocol, greet everyone and ask permi ssion to videotape and take photographs. But Fresca and Cato had started making up silly stories about the dearly departed and Tammany had proceeded to lay down on people s graves and t hen jump up and scare the other three when they would pass by. Suffice it to say, Savanna h had not gotten any evidence worth having. No self-respecting ghost would come near those three hedonistic heifers. Her next visit had been different, however. She had gone alone. Not really knowi ng what to expect, she had just started taking pictures. Walking through the old ce metery, weaving in and out of the tombstones, Savannah had spoke kindly to the dead and explaine d that she was searching for proof that they were still tethered to earth. She began snapping p hotos, constantly watching through the viewfinder. At first she got nothing no dust orbs, no possu m eyes nothing. And then they started to come. . . First there were two and then three and then three hundred. Before Savannah knew it she was surrounded by balls of light. The orbs were textured and incandescent, givin g off their own iridescent glow. The colors were magnificent: cobalt blues, vibrant greens, pink , gold, opalescent even a couple of blood red ones. What did the colors mean? She had no idea. It could be like auras, indicating personality traits or moods. And the closer she looked at some of the orbs, the more convinced she became that there were faces in some of them. S avannah was shocked, amazed and a little unnerved. She had left shortly thereafter. In fact she had trotted. When she had gotten home she had giggled like a child and immediately sent a few to Patrick. She shared everything with Patrick: happy news, sad thoughts, worries t he only thing she hadn t shared was how people were beginning to gossip about her again. The new s of her unfortunate past had leaked out around town and at the hospital. She only prayed that it didn t leak out at work, she needed her job. Mr. Davis knew, but if the other employees protested working with her, she didn t know what she d do. Being questioned by the police and

having to explain everything there hadn t helped, either. People loved to talk and a connect ion to leprosy was unusual enough to start lips moving. Savannah didn t want to upset Patrick, so she kept quiet. She knew he would worry. During the last few weeks, she had gone back to the cemetery several times and l earned more each time she went. In October PROOF had come to town and Savannah had been thrilled with the chance to work with experts. In fact, she had loved it. Playing hostess , she had made all the arrangements and traveled with the crew and investigators to the ruins o f the Grove, a plantation home that sat near a promontory on the river called Conrad Point. The Grove had been built around 1825 and became a very profitable sugar plantation. Everything changed during the War Between the States, of course. Har d times and death had overrun the beautiful plantation and it became a Union hospital for so ldiers with yellow fever. Many of the soldiers died there and were buried on the grounds. Accounts of ghostly activity had started early in its history and continued unti l it was struck by lightning and burned to the ground in 1960. And even then an apparitio n had been seen in the flames. Savannah had done more research before the trip and found ou t about a horrendous accident that occurred in the river adjacent to The Grove, but it was n t until the investigation had been underway that she had realized how relevant it really was . Honestly, Savannah had been skeptical of the whole process. It wasn t that she did n t believe in the supernatural she did she even had experienced things herself. But bringing in television cameras and expecting the unseen world to perform for them seemed hig hly unlikely to her. She was leery of putting her name on something that might taint the vali dity of her work. However shows like this were big business, and the financial gurus at the Cultural Center said that her participation and the show itself would be a big boon to Louisiana tourism and interest in the area. So, she didn t argue. Stopping at a red light, Savannah turned Elvis down. Memories of the night at th e Grove still caused goosebumps to cover her body. Jeremy Richardson and Garrison Keys h ad been very professional and easy to work with. They had treated her with respect and a nswered any questions that she had. Thankfully, Savannah observed that the program was on th e up and up. There were no staged noises, preplanned gotcha moments or any Photoshop comput er gymnastics. When it was over, Savannah had been allowed to see the actual raw fo otage in the control van and when it was aired there were no changes made. But what Savannah had seen and experienced that night had changed her life. It h ad all started out quietly. They had walked around the property, weaving their way in b

etween the ghostly columns that stood out so starkly in the moonlit night. It reminded Sava nnah of the setting of a Greek play and she half expected Pan to come skipping out of the wo ods playing his pipes. Cameramen followed their every step and Savannah swore to herself that no matter what happened, she wouldn t go running off screaming like some silly schoolgirl. Jeremy carried a video camera with night vision and Garrison had a new item they had told her about, something called a Frank s Box. It supposedly allowed investigator s to hear the answers to their questions from the spirits in real time. Savannah would have to experience this to believe it. They began talking to whatever spirit might listen. Is there anyone hear who woul d like to speak to us? Did you live at The Grove? Were you a slave here? Savannah had been given a digital camera and she was taking pictures - in no ran dom pattern, but in anyway that she felt led by her instincts. Just like at the ceme tery, at first there were no orbs, but soon the very atmosphere seemed alive with them. I have orb act ivity, she offered, lots of it. Good, we ll look at it closer on the laptop, Garrison paused to glance over her shoulder. Keep going, Savannah. We want more than orbs. More than orbs? She had figured her rendezvous at the cemetery to be a success if she got orbs. Were you here during the Civil War? The question was simple but the answer they received was extraordinary. The box in Garrison s hands crackled and an unearthly moaning and groaning was heard quite clearly. Shit! Jeremy croaked. I don t like the sounds of that. Savannah had made up her mind not to run, but it was tough. Her feet literally d anced on the ground, it was all she could do to keep still. What in the world was that? Somebody s not happy. They waited a few more minutes, but there was no more moaning. But the excitemen t wasn t over. Damn, look at this, Jeremy stopped in his tracks and stared down at the LED screen. Everyone gathered around and couldn t believe what they saw. Jeremy had th e camera pointed at the ruins and they could look up and see the columns and then look ba ck down at the image. Through the lens of the camera it was as if the air was vibrating. One mo ment they could see the stark, lonely columns and the next they could see the plantation h ouse as it had looked before it burned. Lord Bless my soul! I ve never seen anything like that. Sav annah shivered with excitement. She recognized the house. Photos and post cards of its likeness were common on the internet. She snapped some stills of the area and turned in a circle snapping more. Look at the clouds, she gasped. It was hard for the guys to tear themselves away from the gho stly spectre of the mansion but they turned to inspect what she was capturing. Is that ectoplasm? Garrison asked.

I don t think so, Jeremy. Savannah was intrigued. Unable to resist, she began to walk toward the shimmerin g fog. Savannah, wait! She heeded their warning, and then realized they weren t trying to halt her inspec tion, they wanted to be a part of it. Slowly, they stepped into the haze and Savannah was surprised that she could feel a substance settling on her face, hands and arms. And it had a smell. She retrieved a flashlight from her purse and shone the beam on her hand. There was a light dusting of fine powder on her skin. Where is it coming from? Garrison asked with wonder in his voice. It s not raining down from above, it s rising from the ground! Savanna touched her palm with her tongue. Flour, its white flour! It took a few minutes for the significance to dawn on her, but when it did, she was amazed. Th at night had been one she would never forget. At last when they had completed their filming, all three of them and the crew ha d sat before the control board and looked at all of the footage. Again they marveled a t the shadowy form of the old home that appeared out of nowhere and faded just as fast. I want to compare this to actual photos of the home, but it looks like it to me, Garrison chuckled. This is fuckin incredible. Our ratings are gonna go through the roof. Jeremy played back the moaning noise and this time they heard something else. Turn it up, Savannah leaned in. That s people singing, isn t it? She was excited. Hold o , let me show you something. Leaving her chair, she went after her bag and pulled o ut a binder where she had jotted some notes. Yeah, here it is, listen to this. She proceeded t o read to them accounts of the slaves at The Grove being asked to sing for the guests. Wow, we ll have to put it through a special filter and see if we can identify the s ong. Savannah kept reading and stood up in surprise when she found another tidbit of vital information. Oh, my God! Listen to this. In 1859, the steamboat Princess exploded off Conrad s point near Baton Rouge. It was traveling from Vicksburg to New Orleans fo r Mardi Gras and blew up with four hundred people on board, mostly women. At least two h undred were lost. Slaves from The Grove pulled many of the burned and scalded victims t o shore and they were laid on the lawn of the plantation on sheets covered with flour. Her vo ice had wound down and slowed until the last word came out almost as a whisper. Needless to say, the time with PROOF had gone a long way to convince Savannah th at ghost-hunting was something she wanted to pursue. Since word of their findings h ad hit the media, she had been inundated with requests to either join in investigations or conduct her own. Savannah wasn t sure how she felt about that. Really, her life was full of Pa trick

mostly. All she wanted to do was be with him or talk to him or think about him. He consumed her thoughts. But she had to work, she had bills to pay and now it seemed as if her job had morphed to include a bit of hands-on supernatural sleuthing. A car horn made her jump and she realized she had sat at the light too long. Tak ing her foot off the break, she put on her blinker and turned toward Prejeans. The award winning Cajun restaurant was one of their favorite noon hang-outs. Parking by Cato s jeep, Savan nah looked around to see if Fresca had driven her motorcycle. Yeah, there it was. No one co uld miss that cherry red Harley-Davidson. Climbing out of her Camaro, she straightened her hai r and bit her lip to keep from grinning. Today, she had a man to talk about. Usually, all she did was listen to the others talk about their love lives and dodge questions and avoid their effor ts to fix her up with some well meaning friend of theirs who probably wouldn t be interested in her anyway. As soon as she walked into the restaurant, she heard Cato. Her husky giggle was unmistakable. Their favorite table was off to the right side and Savannah smiled to see that all three of her friends were charming the chef. He had brought them out some cherri es jubilee and the flames eating up the alcohol were as festive as Christmas lights. Did you bring enough for four? So, they were eating dessert first. This didn t surpr ise her at all. There s plenty, Doucet. Get your bubble butt over here and taste this. Pierre is th e finest chef in South Louisiana. He made homemade ice cream and the best cookies in the world to go with this flaming nectar. Tammany had been born with a silver shrimp fork i n her mouth; she mainly volunteered at the center to be near the research material she needed for her doctoral thesis. Her greatest love was teaching. Savannah pushed in close and grabbed a spoon, dipping into the sweet treat. Cato, how is your mom? She knew that Mrs. Vincent had recently been diagnosed with breast cancer. Realizing her friend was looking down at the table, Savannah touched her arm and got her attention. Once Cato had looked up, she repeated it. How s your mother? Is she feeling better? Chemotherapy could be rough. She s much improved, thank you. Cato grabbed her hand. Did you bring any new pictures of your man? Savannah wanted to shush Cato, but it always embarrassed her friend to be told s he was talking a bit too loud, so Savannah just let it go. Yes, I did. Being partially de af hadn t slowed Cato Vincent down a bit. Her speech was a bit distorted, but Savannah tho ught it was endearing. Let s see, Fresca nearly crawled over the table to get a look. I love to look at him. I wonder if I could coerce him into modeling for me. Savannah pulled out the photo of Patrick. It had been taken recently. He was sta

nding in the sun with two of his buddies holding the puppy he had adopted. Fresca imme diately confiscated it, Holy Crap on a cracker! Ewwww Fresca, I m trying to eat over here, Tammany protested. Oh hush, Rich Girl. You d better toughen up if you plan on making it down in that third world country you re moving to. What? Savannah was confused. Where are you going, and why? Lord, was she completely out of the loop? It s a long story, Tammany brushed off her concern. I ll tell you in a minute. Let s gush over your Marine first. Damn! Cato was leaning over her shoulder. They all look good enough to eat. I want this one, Fresca touched one of the figures. Which one? Savannah teased. You d better keep your sticky fingers off my Patrick. Chief Frownsalot makes my pulse jump, she turned the photo around and pointed at h er choice. I want to walk down the aisle with him. That s Philip Hawke, and this one is Jayco and the handsome one in the middle is mi ne, of course. Damn, Vannah! Cato croaked. You re guy is ripped! I bet he s hung like a horse. Tammany covered Cato s mouth and laughed. We ve got to get her a muffler. I don t know, Cato. I haven t got to investigate his equipment, yet. Trying to change the subject a bit she focused on Fresca s comment. So, you think a man like Hawke c ould change your mind about marriage? Heck no, her friend quipped as she scraped the last bit of cherry juice from her bowl. I will never enter into the bonds of holy matrimony. But I will be one of y our bridesmaids and Hawke is who I want to be paired with. I bet he s good in bed. Give me that, Savannah took the photo back, a little unnerved. Nobody said we were getting married. I ve only had one date with him and that was just lunch. Ha! Nana Fontenot said you re getting married and that makes it gospel. Besides, you ve been talking to him nonstop on the computer. I bet you two know everything about one another by now. Maybe, Savannah mumbled. I want some crawfish. She waved her menu around hoping to catch the waiter s attention. Tammany pushed the menu down and snapped her fingers in Savannah s face. What s wrong? Has something happened to make you feel uncertain about Patrick? I though t everything was going great. It is, she looked from one friend to another. The problem is me. I m just not used to good things happening to me and I keep expecting something to happen to spoil it . Fresca and Cato hugged her on either side. Everything is going to be okay, Cato whispered in her charming lilt. I shall pray for you. Thank you, she kissed Cato on the cheek. Cato s prayers were pure and God probably gave them first priority. Looking at Tammany s somewhat distracted expression, Sav annah remembered the earlier puzzling reference. What third world country are you going to? Jamaica, I ve joined the Peace Corp. Really? Savannah stared at her with mouth agape. The last time you went to Jamaica was on a cruise. Where did this come from? I m tired of my life, Savannah. I want to do something real. Their server came to take their order about that time and everyone paused in the ir conversation, but as soon as possible, Savannah picked it back up. Tammany Benoit , what are

you talking about? Your life is meaningful. I think you are the best teacher a c hild could ever have. But I don t really teach, Savannah. That s the problem. I m a private tutor. That s as close as my family would let me get to actually working. And my dad only allows me to tutor certain people s children. She made quotation marks in the air. And your answer to that quandary is to up and move to Jamaica? Fresca asked as she waved a longneck beer bottle in the air. Yes, Tammany answered in a way that made them all realize the conversation was over. So, Cato patted Savannah s hand maternally. When is hot, hard and hung coming home? Savannah laughed all the way home at Cato s habit of getting them all in trouble. At the very moment she threw her 3H (hot, hard and hung) question out into the air, the restaurant s noise level had been at a lull. A few well I nevers! had been gasped from the Bapt ist ladies WMU group as they sat to the left and a few snickers had sounded from the colleg e group to the right, but Cato had not been fazed. To the delight of her companions and the cha grin of the staff - when Savannah hadn t answered, Cato had just repeated herself louder. But Savann ah didn t really have an answer to her question, all she knew was that it couldn t be soon e nough to suit her. ***** Fall changed to winter and Savannah and Patrick drew even closer. The days she d idn t hear from him were torture. She kept up with her work and ghost hunted fairly of ten, but the highlight of her life was the time she spent online with Patrick. Afghanistan an d the war meant something different to her now than it did before. It was much more real and muc h more important. She kept her TV on CNN now and anytime she heard that a Marine had be en killed, she was glued to the computer until she heard from him again. And during the tim es they couldn t contact one another, she consoled herself by reading their emails. A fold er labeled LOVE in her online mailbox was where she kept them stored, a modern day woman s lo ve letters. Soon, she promised herself, she would print them out just in case. Now she needed her Patrick fix, so she pulled up one that made her heart race ev ery time she read it. Hey, Baby. I know we talked earlier, but you ve been on my mind constantly. I m so damn lonely for home. Every time I sit still my mind wanders right back to yo u. Do you reread our emails? I do. Sometimes at night, I lay here and imagine you read ing them and touching yourself. I keep dreaming about what it s going to be like when I m with you again. In my favorite fantasy, you're lying on the couch when I come home. You re on your back, sleeping. I'm tired and sweaty and the only thing on my mind is washi ng the

war off and relaxing, but you look so damn good asleep on the couch in your sexy little blue and white dress. I sneak up beside you and you stir, but don't wake. I bend down to breathe you in. You move a little more, and the smell of your body causes a swel ling in my pants that I need to share with you. You make me hard, Savannah. I lean in and kiss you. You don't kiss back at first, but after a few seconds, y our lips part and you taste me. You run a hand around my neck and slide your fingers thro ugh my hair. We kiss more and as I pull my mouth from yours you bite at my bottom lip a nd moan in protest. "No." A second later my mouth is on your neck. I kiss my way down to your collarbone and you offer yourself, vulnerable, sealed with a sigh and an "Oh God ." You gently open your eyes, and enjoy the pleasure on my face. You buck your hips and I feel your perky tits rub against my shoulder, your nipples are hard and I must have t hem in my hand. I slip a greedy hand down the front of your dress and am rewarded with a h andful of the most perfect breasts I've ever felt. You cry out to me to run a fingertip over them. I'm eager to appease them, so I circle your perfect tits with that fingertip and you moan. "Oh God, Patrick." I'm so hard that it hurts and when I hear you breathe my name , I grab your hand and place it on my erection. You massage my hardness and I have to let you know how good it feels. "Good girl, Savannah. Just like that." I have greedy hands, Savannah, and with your sweet, sweet pussy within my reach, I can't hold out any longer. I trace a slow line down your stomach and slip a hand up under the hem of your dress. Your body twitches and your legs begin to grow hotter aro und my hand. "Open up, Sexy," I say. You give me only an inch more. "Wider," I command this time. "Yes, sir," you say, and part your legs for me. You re already damp. I give your swollen clit a rub through your underwear, but my hunger is too great. I want ac cess to you and I'm not willing to wait a second longer. "Patrick!" You moan my name when I slide one finger in. "Oh, Fu-" You catch yourself before you swear when I put a second finger in your dripping pussy. You render my pants from my body. "Please, Patrick," you sa y once my cock is out. I don't need to answer you, I know what you want and I slid e between your legs and thrust all of me inside of you. You wrap your legs around me and I pump into you as hard as I can. Your arms wrap around me as the ferocity of the love consumes you. We writhe in orgasm together and I fill you full of myself. I then collapse on top of you and you rub my back, peppering the top of my head with kisses.

"Looks like I woke you," I say. "It's okay," you respond. "I was expecting the mailman anyway." We both laugh. That's it, Savannah. I had to share. This scene has been playing in my head for so long now. I ve cum to it a hundred times. So . . . what are you wearing? Christmas flew past and she sent him extra care packages filled with everything she could think of, and he had sent her a little diamond necklace. It was the most beautif ul thing she had ever seen. The desire and affection they felt for one another didn t dissipate. Ev ery time they exchanged love notes, he teased her until she was so hot for him Savannah though t she would explode. Over time, they got braver with each other and more comfortable and the exchanges got even more explicit. What are you wearing? I need to know. . . Can you do me a favor? Read my words and follow my directions. Lay back, Savannah, and pretend I'm there with you. Put on a show for me. Preten d that I'm on the bed across from you, watching you, stroking my cock while you to uch yourself. Move your ass back and forth, now run a delicate finger up your side a nd grab those perfect tits of yours. (I know I haven t seen them, but I know they re perfect , and soon I ll have them in my mouth.) Let me hear you say my name, Savannah. Say, "Patrick. I need you." Spread your legs and swirl those hips for me, Savannah. I want to see those tits I've dreamt about so many times. Take them out for me, rub your n ipples, squeeze them hard. Good girl. Pull up your hem for me, enough so I can see your underwear. I can see a dark patch on your sexy little satin panties. Pull them to the side for me, Savannah, I want to see that tight little hole of yours, what I'm going to be li cking. Give that aching clit a little pet for me. Rub it for me, Savannah. Hard. Fast. Imagi ne it's my tongue on you, licking you up and down, back to front. Now slip a finger in, jus t the tip. Now, deeper. Slowly. Deeper. Imagine how much more I'd fill you up, stretch you. Good girl. Squeeze those ripe tits of yours while I slide in and out of your sweet pu ssy. That's it, Baby. Now work your clit again. Fast, Savannah. Cum for me, Honey. Cum for me li ke I was there inside of you right now. I'm gonna cum, Savannah. Cum with me inside o f you. Thanks, love. That was great. I hope you enjoyed it, because soon I m going to be enjoying you. Patrick had seduced her wooed her courted her with the hottest words she had eve r read. And she had returned the favor. At first she had been hesitant, not very g ood at it. But she had gotten better with practice. Today she wrote one and poured every ounce of lust she possessed into it. Hey, Sexy. I ve been thinking about you all day. I ve read your emails and I do what you ask. I touch myself and I cum so hard. Now, do the same for me. Imagine that

I m there with you. I kneel at your feet and you spread your legs to make room for me. I m brave, because this is a fantasy, right? Will you masturbate for me? Take your cock out and let me see it. You know I ll love it. Now, stroke it for me. I can t wa it to see your face while you pleasure yourself. If you don t mind, I ll touch myself at the s ame time. We can cum together. Does it feel good? Pump it slowly up and down. If we were together, I d lean over and kiss the tip lick it a bit. You ll have to teach me what you like. Maybe while you are sliding your hand up and down, I can help. I d love to touch your balls, roll them a little bit and learn your body. My favorite thing is going to be watching your face and hearing your voice. I ve enjoyed this so much, our sharing. But I want more. So cum for me, Patrick. Massage your cock and think of me. Say my name. Say, Savannah, Baby. I can t wait to hear you whisper my name. Cum for me, Patrick. If I were there with you I d fit my mouth over the tip and love you while you came. And I d swallow every drop. I hope this excites you as much as it does me. Thank you for playing like this w ith me, Patrick. I think you have the best of me here. My talent lies with the writt en word. When we re skin to skin, I won t be that impressive, I promise you. And she had hit send. It wasn t long before she had received this response. Sweet Savannah Damn! I loved that. I don t think I ve ever cum so hard. Thank you. Now, I have a question for you and I want you to answer me immediately. What the hell did yo u mean by that last comment? Savannah debated how to answer. Finally, she relented and told the truth, thinki ng it was better that he know what he was getting himself into. That way, he wouldn t be dis appointed later. The next email she sent had been short and to the point. You know I ve never had sex. And I can t imagine that I will be any good at it. I m going to disappoint you. There s no doubt about that. And letting you down j ust scares me to death. Patrick read the last email from Savannah and couldn t believe his eyes. Hell, no. He knew she was a virgin. She had made that fact very clear. What was unacceptable to him was her insecurity and the worry he could feel in her words. Hell, no, he thought. It was time to settle this, because Patrick Heath O Rourke was ready to go home to Savannah. Waiting for his reaction was nerve wracking, but it had come in a form she was n ot expecting. Her cell phone rang. Hello? Savannah, there is no way in hell you could ever disappoint me, he sounded adamant . Patrick! You called me! On the phone! she knew she sounded flustered. But she couldn t help it. I m so glad to hear from you. How are you? Even though she couldn t se e him, having his voice in her ear seemed extremely intimate. This must be costing you a fortune! It doesn t matter about the cost. This is too important. I didn t want to wait for th

at damn video chat to connect. Now, you listen to me. Okay? His voice had dropped to an intimate level, and he spoke softly, sexily telling her how much he wanted her. I m counting the hours before I can come home to you. I m going to show you just how desirable you are. I can t wait, Patrick. And I m so relieved to talk to you about this. We ve wrote such steamy detailed fantasies and I m just afraid that I won t be able to live up to the m. It would be sad if I m a better lover on paper than in your bed. Savannah poured all the emotio n in the world into her words. You re the only lover I want. We re going to be perfect together. I promise. Do you trust me? Do you want me, Savannah? She didn t make him wait a second longer. Come home to me, Patrick. I can t wait to hold you in my arms. Well Darling, you don t have to wait any longer; I m leaving for home in a few hours. Email me your address and leave the porch light on. Ciara and I will be a t your house for supper tomorrow. A thrilling feeling of near panic filled her. He was about to fly home! Chapter Five Patrick would be here soon! Savannah had cooked all day. She had prepared gumbo, jambalaya, etouffe, fried chicken, potato salad, chocolate cake, pecan pie every thing she could think of. And she had cleaned the house, vacuumed, mopped, dusted, and rearrange d the furniture. She had worn herself out making sure everything was just right. Sleep hadn t been an option, there just wasn t time. Now, she had to get herself ready. Standing in fro nt of her closet, she admitted to herself that she was scared to death. And tired. You ve got to get it together, Girl, she chided herself. This was the day she had be en dreaming of and here she was too pooped to pucker. Actually, she was afraid she had sabotaged herself. To keep from thinking about all of her insecurities, she had worked her self to a frazzle. Adrenaline would save her, though. She was running on pure nervous ener gy. One outfit was too conservative and another was too casual, finally she settled on a simple cotton dress. It was soft and feminine and hopefully Patrick would like i t. He hadn t been able to tell her the exact time he would arrive, other than it would be in the evening. So she did everything she could think of and sat down to wait. Despite all they had dis cussed and shared, Savannah couldn t help but begin to doubt he would come at all. What if th eir emails and love notes had just been a way for him to pass the time? So, here she was al l dressed up and nowhere to go. Maybe, if she sat down and rested for a few minutes, she could calm down. The fi rst thing she was going to do was hug Patrick tight, kiss him and let him know how a mazing he was. It still boggled her mind that he didn t care one whit who her parents were o r what disease

they had suffered from. Not that he didn t have sympathy for them, he did. Now the re were drugs to control Hansen s disease, but since time immemorial, leprosy had been fea red and associated with immorality and judgment for sin. Due to that age-old misconcepti on, Carville became one of the most mysterious and misunderstood places in the world. Minutes past, then an hour and soon it was all she could do to hold her eyes open. Maybe she could lie down and rest for just a few minutes. . . . ***** Patrick had been unavoidably detained. Rasib had asked for a meeting in Kabul, a nd he had decided it was too important to miss. He had been right. Now he had the evid ence in hand. Lucas had sold out mission details that had resulted in the deaths of a ha lf dozen Marines. Now all he had to do was get it into the right hands. It was going to b e tricky, however. Bringing down your commanding officer was not without risks. But the go od of the country and the safety of his fellow Marines demanded it. His intention had been to surprise Savannah, but now he was sorry that he hadn t k ept her informed all along the way. We re almost there, Girl. It s only nine o clock. She ll stil l be up. Ciara sat calmly beside him. She had grown into a beautiful dog, and she woul d die for him in a heartbeat of that he had no doubt. It had been necessary for Patrick to pul l a few strings to get her approved to bring stateside, but he had done it gladly. This dog was spe cial. He laid his hand on her front legs and she licked him. This part of St Martin parish was unfamiliar to him, but soon he found the farm to market road that led to Savannah s house. The night wasn t dark, a blue moon lit up the sky . And even though the trees were thick through this part of the state, every once in a whil e he could see a glimpse of the bayou gleaming through the underbrush. Savannah had said her home sat on the banks of the Teche. What looked to be a bat swept out of the night sky and danced in front of his headlights. For a microsecond, Patrick tensed, almost a knee-jerk reaction. Livi ng around flying shrapnel and enemy snipers had stolen his peace. God, he was glad to be b ack in the states. He couldn t say he was glad to be back home, because he hadn t lived in his apartment long enough to miss it. Since he had found Savannah, she had been his focus. Tru thfully, he had come home to her. Tomorrow he would head over to see his grandfather. Savann ah might want to go with him. He hoped so. His grandfather would love her. With a pounding heart, Patrick watched the odometer; he had to be getting close. It s right around here somewhere, Ciara. We ought to be coming up on her driveway. A p ale yellow mailbox shone in the distance. There it is. Turning off the road, he pulled through an open gate. Patrick couldn t help but appreciate the beauty of Savannah s home. It wa

sn t large at all, but it looked welcoming. The lights are on, Ciara. That s a good sign. Patrick got out of his Dodge truck and stretched his legs. Normally, the flight time plus the layovers would have him dead on his feet. This time, however, a combination of anticipation, lust and sheer excitement over reuniting with Savannah had his coc k semi-erect and his mind whirling with things he wanted to say to her. Later he would appreciate the view, but tonight there was something else he d rath er feast his eyes on. Come on, Girl. The lab jumped out and stood by him. She was always on guard for him. Taking the steps two at a time, they reached the door and he tapped lig htly. And waited. He tapped again, a little harder. Checking through the glass, Patrick co uld see that the interior lights were on, too. But Savannah wasn t coming to the door. Assured of h is welcome, he tested the door knob. It was open, so man and dog entered the strange new pla ce. Savannah! Honey? It s Patrick. God, something smelled good! The warmth and coziness of her home beckoned for him to sit down and rest, but he was more inte rested in finding its owner. Savannah! He wasn t yelling, but speaking in a normal tone of voice. Scaring her was not his intent. Walking into the living area, he saw a gr ouping of two couches flanking a small fireplace. A breathy little sigh caused him to look ove r the back of the sofa closest to him. There she was. She was lying on her side with her head on h er arm. Her dress was twisted under her and had ridden up so that he had an unobstructed vie w of the most beautiful pair of legs he had ever seen. They were smooth and tanned and imminen tly touchable. All Patrick could think about was the fantasy that he had penned for her the one she said had made her cum over and over again. Now was his chance to make it com e true. Shedding his jacket he laid it across a chair and knelt next to the couch. Lord, she was pretty. Tenderly, he pushed back a strand of hair off of her face. Poor baby was exhausted. With the back of his hand he grazed her cheek. Hmmm, she hummed a tiny moan of enjoyment and cuddled down in the cushions. Unable to resist, Patrick kissed her forehead and the corner of her eye. Wanting more, he nuzzled her neck and breathed in her fresh clean scent. Kiss me, she whispered as she turned toward him, wrapping her arms around h is neck. Hell yeah, he was all for that. Patrick was eager to taste more of her kisses. He had planned it all out, a slow, sweet seduction. But Savannah had other ideas. Takin g Patrick s breath away she sought his lips, blindly. And when she found them, she rocked hi s world. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she opened her mouth and welcomed him in seeking his tongue, eating at his lips, consuming him as if she were starving fo

r his touch. God, Baby, that s so good. This time, his voice penetrated her dream-state. Savannah went completely still. She pulled back a couple of inches and opened her eyes, her cheeks flushing a warm p ink. Oh my goodness you re not a dream. Licking her lips and closing her eyes as if to hide, s he groaned the sexiest little moan. I m so sorry. I was just so hungry for you; I didn t realize you were really here. Putting her hands on his shoulders, she attempted to push him back e nough so she could extricate herself from his embrace. Don t pull away from me please. He gathered her close once more. I loved your kiss. Now I don t have to wonder about your true feelings, you just showed me in t he sweetest way possible. Savannah couldn t breathe. He was here, she could touch him. Lifting one hand she cupped the side of his face and tenderly pressed her lips to his. I m so relieved y ou re safe and I m so glad you re here. That was all the invitation Patrick needed, he captured her lips, possessed them he literally consumed her. Savannah was swept away on a wave of p assion; she clung to him and returned his kiss with all the pent-up longing in her heart . Where s your room? Patrick asked as he picked her up like she weighed nothing. Upstairs, second door on your right, she answered. What about supper? I cooked everything I could think of for you. I m sure I ll love everything you ve prepared for me, but let s feed one hunger at a time. Sit, Ciara. We ll be back later. I didn t get to meet the dog. Savannah spoke trying to look over his shoulder. You two can get acquainted later. I need you now. He rubbed his cheek against hers as he walked. Every move he made he was trying to convey to her that he couldn t w ait to get closer to her skin to skin. Am I welcome in your bed, Savannah? Savannah was so torn; her whole body trembled with need, but doubts about her ab ility to please him prevented her from relaxing. Wait. Patrick felt her stiffen and he stopped in his tracks. What s wrong? You don t want me? She patted him on the chest, rubbing her hand up and down his camouflage shirt. O f course, I want you. I just needed to say that I ll try very hard, but you ll have to tell me what to do. I m a fast learner; it s just that I m unschooled in the ways to give you pleasure. Tentatively, she studied his face, looking at his eyes, his mouth and b ack to his eyes. What she saw amazed her. Her experience with men was non-existent, but she could see tenderness, concern and yes desire. Tonight will be perfect, because you and I are going to enjoy one another. With a quick kiss to her lips, he headed up the stairs, carrying her like a bride on he r wedding night. I m going to make love to you and all you have to do is respond to me howeve r you want to there is no right or wrong. All I want to do is be with you. It seems li ke I ve been waiting for this night all of my life. Savannah was still nervous, but Patrick had touched her heart and given her the

courage to take what she wanted. And Savannah wanted Patrick Heath O Rourke. She laid her head against his chest and just enjoyed being carried. God, he was big and strong. An d so handsome! The door was ajar, so he pushed through and sat her down by the bed. Framing her face, he caressed her cheeks with his thumbs. We ve talked more in the last month than most people do in their first whole year of marriage. Bending nea r, he rubbed his lips over her face, a light, tender caress, You can t imagine how I ve longed for this moment. I came home to you, Savannah. He lifted the heavy weight of her hair and kissed her neck. You don t have a thing in the world to worry about, I d never, ever hurt you. Ho lding his hands between them palm up, he smiled at her. Look, I m trembling. Why are you nervous? This big man walked through the fires of hell in war-torn countries; she couldn t imagine him being hesitant of anything. She placed her han ds palm up on his, offering him comfort. I m not nervous, Baby, he whispered. I m desperate for you. That amazed Savannah. All she could think to say was, I m yours. You won t be sorry. Let s get you out of these clothes. She started to unbutton her dress, No, let me. As he began to slip the buttons through their holes, she droppe d her arms to her sides. Do you know how long I ve waited to see you? That photo you finally sent me of you on this bed on all fours, your tits hanging down, that perky little ass of y ours tilted in the air I ve stared at it for hours. I know you were afraid I d show it to somebody else. Th at was why you let all of this beautiful hair hang down and cover your face, but you ve g ot to understand something you belong to me and I don t share what s mine. He pushed her dr ess off her shoulders and let it fall. God Almighty, he breathed. Just look at you. Savannah felt her nipples tighten. She had worn a lacy bra, one that was low cut and see-through and just about the sexiest thing he d ever seen. I m only a B cup. Patrick rubbed his thumbs across her nipples. You are perfect, that s what you are. Leaning over he licked the hard tip through the thin fabric then smiled as i t beaded and swelled. You like that, don t you? Very much, she admitted. It was hard to be still as he finished undressing her, th en as he ran his hands over her body, she found herself growing warm and wet. All she wanted to do was wrap her legs around his body and rub herself on him like a cat. Patrick couldn t touch her enough. You are so soft. I love the color of your skin; it s like warm honey. Smooth shoulders, suckable breasts, a waist he could almost reac h around and hips that were rounded and firm were just a few of the parts he wanted to ex plore intimately on her body. Thank you. You re darker; you ve been in the sun a lot. It makes your eyes look even more brilliant. She couldn t help but compliment him; Savannah wanted him to know h e was appreciated, too. And she would have said more how sexy his dimples looked, how she loved

the cadence of his voice but she couldn t think clearly because his hands were pla ying her body like a fine instrument. There was no part of her that he didn t caress. And when h e knelt in front of her to learn the shape of her legs, she was shaking so bad her knees ne arly gave way. It was a good thing he had broad shoulders to hang on to. You like my touch, don t you? She did. And it wasn t just his hands, Patrick was kissing a path up her thighs an d Savannah thought she might pass out from just the thought of where his lips migh t end up. Oral sex wasn t something she had been privileged to experience, of course. But it was certainly on her wish list. Oh yes, she sighed. A tiny landing strip adorned the treasure of her pussy. He could no more resist dipping his fingers into the slick folds than he could deny himself a breath of life-giv ing oxygen. God, Patrick! I love how you make me feel. What do you want to do? Watching her revel in his caresses was the biggest turn-on he had ever felt. I want to touch you the same way, Savannah confessed. And it was true; the need to run her palms over his body was a fever in her blood. Do it, Baby. He stood and offered himself to her and Savannah accepted the challenge. Never h ad she felt like this, her nipples were so hard they hurt. And she was panting God, she was panting with passion. I don t like buttons, she pouted her displeasure when her fingers fumb led at her task. You have on too many clothes! Want me to help? He didn t wait for her answer; he stripped except for his briefs. And she stood th ere and marveled at the hard, muscled body unveiled before her eyes. Holding her breath, she allowed herself to place her palms over his pecs and just feel. You are so sexy. Glancing up at his face, she was surprised to see that he had closed his eyes and was biting his lo wer lip as if her touch was bringing him pleasure. I have never seen shoulders as wide as yours. Yo u re built like a dream. Tracing his defined muscles, Savannah could feel dampness form betw een her legs. The little minx was driving him crazy. With a little sigh of satisfaction, Savan nah nestled against him and began kissing and licking his chest. What had she said a bout not knowing how to please a man? She damn sure pleased him. When she stood on tip-to e to nip his shoulder, her breasts rubbed against his chest. Patrick felt his cock swell even more. I want to kiss you. His announcement brought instant results, for she held her face up awaiting his kiss. Patrick gave it to her hot, slow and thorough. You were wrong, he growle d against her lips. Savannah backed up, confused. About what?

About being unschooled in the ways to please a man. You are a sensual, exciting, sexy woman and, Baby, he knelt in front of her once again. You bring me to my knees. Si t on the bed, I want to suck. The opportunity to sit down was not unwelcome. Savannah was shaking with a combination of anxiety and lust. Even on his knees, Patrick seemed massive. She couldn t take her eyes off of him. Letting her gaze wander down his body, she could see the ti p of his penis peeking out of his shorts. By the size of the bulge, she knew his cock would be proportional to the rest of his body. She couldn t wait to see it. The photo he had sent her had b een too dark to make anything out much, but she hadn t complained. Truthfully, she had wanted to w ait till now. Running the tip of a finger over the slick head, she massaged in the drop o f pre-cum. Will you let me suck you later? Let you? Patrick chuckled. I ll beg you to suck me. God, there was so much he wanted to share with this woman, but first things first. I want to lavish you wit h attention. Are your breasts sensitive? Savannah was embarrassed to say it, but she wanted to hold nothing back from him . I enjoy playing with my nipples. Sometimes at night, I ll use both hands and tease a nd pull my nipples until I m squirming on the bed. Damn! I want to see that sometime. Now, to fulfill another fantasy, I ve been dreaming of how your tits would feel in my mouth. Lifting her breasts, he allowed himself to look his fill. Her nipples were big and pouty, the color a beautiful coral pink. The areola was puffy and seemed to swell even bigger as he stared at them. You ve got baby-bottle nipples, Treasure. Weighing her tits in his hands, he began to caress and mold and shape t hem, loving the look of bliss on her face almost as much as he loved playing with them. Patrick, do something, Savannah urged. Pushing her breasts together, Patrick smooched across the tops, down her cleavag e and all around one nipple. Is that what you wanted? A frustrated little noise indicate d that he was not giving her exactly what she needed. Show me or ask me, Savannah, he demanded. Patrick might be greedy, but he wanted a wild Savannah. Asking for what she wanted had always been hard for her, but this urgent, desper ate need was also new. Patrick was here, she was touching him, and everything she had eve r wanted seemed to be within her grasp. All she had to do was take it. A surge of determi nation flashed within Savannah, she could do this. Using both hands, she grasped his head and t ried to move him toward her nipple. Please, I want you to kiss me. Where? Here? He nuzzled the underswell of her breast, licking the soft mound, rubbing his face over the silken flesh. No, suck me! My nipple aches, Patrick, she finally voiced her desire. That s right, Baby. Tell me what you need and I ll move heaven and earth to give it t o you.

Opening his mouth wide he latched on to her nipple and Savannah s whole body lit u p with pleasure. Oh my God! she groaned as he pulled and sucked, using his tongue an d teeth and enough draw that she felt it clear down to her toes. Savannah s clit was vibra ting with sympathetic pleasure and to ensure that he didn t stop, she held him tightly again st her. God, this was good. Patrick didn t rush, he didn t skimp the man seemed devoted to the task. And he wasn t silent, he groaned, he growled he praised her. You are so sweet. I could suc k on you for hours. He traveled from one breast to the other nibbling, laving, licking, su cking till Savannah was mad with the need for more. She kissed the top of his head, she mas saged his shoulders; she pumped her hips forward as much as she could and worked her pussy muscles in a rhythm that almost set her off like a Roman candle almost. Pushing against his s houlders, she sought more. What do you want, Baby? Tell me what you need. Hell, he knew what he needed but putting her first was his priority. My mouth on you, she gasped. Lay on the bed with me. As soon as he complied, Savannah covered him. If he had put in an order for the perfect, responsive woma n from whatever power granted such wishes, he couldn t have found better. Straddling his waist, she kissed his jaw, his neck, and scraped her teeth over his pecs. Swirling her tong ue around his nipple, she took it in her mouth and sucked. Patrick was amazed. He lifted her h air and held it back, mesmerized by the look on her face as she gave them both pleasure. What a picture she made! Her tits hung down, lush and ripe and reddened from his mouth and he could n t keep his hands off of them to save his life. Cupping one, he milked her nipple as she lic ked and loved on him. Savannah, I m dying, Baby. If his cock didn t get some attention soon, he was gonna burst. What can I do? she sat up. He almost lost his train of thought just watching her c hest rise and fall. Move over and let me get my boxers off. Understanding dawned in her eyes and she eagerly went to his side and began helping him by pulling and tugging his briefs . As Patrick lifted his hips, Savannah tugged. I m having such a good time, thank you. Her admission tugged at his heart and he sat up and kissed her hard. Clad only i n a cloud of air and darkness, there was no way he could hide his rampant desire for her. S ee what you ve done, he teased her. Let me look at you. Even though he was anxious to get this show on the road, Patrick lay back and le t Savannah make herself comfortable with his body. Patrick O Rourke was a big man everywhere. Savannah tossed his briefs aside and swallowed hard. Good gracious! She laid her palm over him and measured eight inche

s, maybe. You re beautiful, she had to admit it. But he was so thick! The head was huge and the stalk wasn t much smaller. Will it fit? Oh yeah, Patrick had no doubt. You were made for me. We ll fit together perfectly. His answer was exactly what she needed to hear. In repayment for his considerati on, Savannah wanted to show him exactly how much she valued him. Wrapping her hand a round his cock, she let out a delighted laugh when it jumped in her hand. I can t reach a round it. Planting a kiss on the tip, Patrick groaned at her efforts, which just made h er feel worse that she didn t have any experience. I wish I knew what to do to make it good for you. Patrick knew they d talk about this later, but now wasn t the time. I could buy experience, but what I want is you. He placed a finger under her chin. Anything yo u do to me or for me is going to feel incredible. Let me take your mind off your worries . Lay on top of me and let me kiss your pussy while you do whatever you want to with my cock. His suggestion made her quiver. Okay, but I probably won t be able to think, much l ess function. Patrick laughed, That s okay. We re playing, Savannah. We re enjoying one another. Sex between two people who care for one another is supposed to be joy p ure joy. He arranged her on top of him, opened her legs and smiled. You ve got a porn pu ssy! Good Lord! Savannah felt so exposed. Here she was splayed out on top of this gorgeous man with the most luscious cock standing at attention in front of her f ace and she was totally inadequate to the task. And he was looking at her! I m sorry, she buried her face in his groin and hid. Is that bad? Her answer from him was the most heavenly sensatio n she had ever experienced. Patrick licked her open, vulnerable slit from the tip of her c litoris to her tender opening. Ahhhh, she moaned. You are exquisite, Patrick breathed as he kissed her most private area. Truly, she was inclined to just hang on to his thighs and enjoy, but staring her in the face wa s a bigger temptation. Taking him in her mouth, she finally understood the term double deli ght. As she kissed and sucked Patrick s cock, he worked magic between her legs. Soon, she foun d her rhythm and as he plunged his tongue deep within her, she pumped and licked and k issed until his hips began to buck up, pushing him even deeper down her throat. Savannah didn t kn ow if it was the rapturous sensation of him giving her the most intimate of kisses or the knowledge that she was capable of making this big man quake, but the irresistible rush to orgas m overtook her. She tried she really tried to continue her blow-job mission, but it became too much. Patrick? It s okay, baby. I ve got you. Just enjoy. God, he loved this. Sweet cream was flowing from her like honey. Her whole little body was vibrating, she was about to fly apart in

his arms. Pride made his heart swell. He was pleasing his woman. Taking her clit between his lips, he sucked and when she did he felt it Savannah exploded. Patrick! God! Yes! He held her down and made it last as long as he could. Bless her heart, she kiss ed his cock, nuzzled him and attempted to start sucking again. Baby, I need you now, he d idn t think he could wait another second. Yes, please, she slid off his body, and he urged her to lie on her back, placing a pillow under her hips. Lifting her legs, he put them around his waist, pulling her hips up close enough so that his cock was nestled in her softness. She looked at him so trustingly, but he co uldn t resist telling her how he felt. I crave you, Savannah. I can t wait to make you mine. Reach ing between them, he massaged her pussy, pushing one finger and then two inside of h er. Does that feel good? Delicious, she arched up, wanting more. See, from this position, I can touch you all over, he slid one palm up her body an d rolled a nipple between his fingertips. Lord, give him strength. She was a virgi n; he had to be super gentle with her. Yea, and I can look in your eyes, she whispered as he continued to pet her, readyi ng her to accept him. It s going to hurt a little, Baby, I can t help that. But I will be as gentle as I ca n be. It s okay, I ve used feminine products. How embarrassing! Surely, he would know what she meant. Taking his aching cock in hand, he sheathed it with a condom from the pocket of his jeans and pushed into her tight warmth. God in heaven! She was so tight! Savannah didn t cry out, but she wanted to. She was overwhelmed simply and utterly overwhelmed. There was pain, but it was mixed with pleasure, pure want and achin g need. All she could do was look at him he was magnificent. His eyes were closed, his head was thrown back and he was moaning with every thrust. Patrick was a warrior, a conquering hero. Romance books were full of men like him, and most women could only read an d daydream. But Savannah had a hero of her own and he was laying claim to her hear t and soul. His hands held her hips, moving her body up and down on his cock. I dreamt of thi s, Savannah. I fantasized about you every single night. And as good as those dreams were, this is a thousand times better. Her legs were draped over his thighs and he could see wh ere they were connected. The sight of his cock moving in and out of her soft, pink pussy was s omething he would never forget. This is so good, Patrick so good. He was pumping into her churning his hips moving like a piston, stretching and filling her. Savannah arched as the sensati ons swept over her like a wildfire. God, it was happening again! She could feel the pleasure bu

ilding. It was like a white hot flame that radiated out from her clit and swept over her body. Reaching out for him, she held onto his wrists, looking deep into his eyes. At that moment, their souls connected all of the anticipation, the utter joy, the first tender touches this was their homecoming, the complete and total passion they shared. Savannah s muscles were beginning to spasm , her vagina was clenching tightly around his cock. She shuddered with ecstasy as an o rgasm overtook her, stealing the very breath from her body. She was lost Savannah was lost in Patrick. Through the daze of her pleasure, she heard him groan. He picked up her legs and bent them close to her body, and began to take her with hard pounding strokes. The wh ole bed shook, the headboard pounded against the wall. Cum for me again, Savannah. Milk m y cock. Show me that you belong to me only to me! At his demand, a lightning bolt climax made her claw at the sheets and she flash ed in hot eruptions of rapture. Patrick! His whole body jerked as he came. Hard tremors shook him and he threw his head b ack and bellowed his release. Savannah! My Savannah! As they came down from the incredible high of loving one another, Patrick held h er close. I came straight here. I m sorry I was late. There was a meeting I couldn t say no to. Savannah burrowed against him. I m just glad you re here. Sorry I was asleep when you arrived. That s okay. Are you cold? A little. Rearranging them, he pulled her on top of him and let her nestle down an d then he cradled her with both arms. How s that? Much better. You re better than an electric blanket. She let out a long, contented sigh. I can t believe I m lying here with you like this. You made love to me! To me! Savannah rubbed her face on his chest. Come here, he pulled her up until their faces were close. Yes, I made love to you a nd it was as wonderful as I knew it would be. Running his hands from her shoulders, down her sides to her perfect ass, he counted his blessings. You do know that you are ridi culously beautiful, don t you? She framed his face and stared into his eyes. Patrick, you are a miracle. You see me differently than anyone else ever has. All my life I have been told I was plain. Men who had no idea of my problem, passed over me because they saw nothing in me worthwhile. So , no. Being told I m beautiful is something I have never heard before. Get used to it, he squeezed her tight. I m going to be telling you that every chance I get. Can I ask you something? Sure. She couldn t think of a thing in her world that she would withhold from him. I just passed my physical before I flew back. I m clean. Would you consider making love to me without a condom?

She went completely still. Of course. I can t believe you d want to be that close to me. Holding her steady, he reversed their positions until he was blanketing her body completely. I thought I made myself clear. There is not one damn thing wrong with you. You are perfect. At that moment, his stomach growled. You re hungry. Let s go eat. She wiggled off of him and he groaned as his body reacted to her softness slidin g across his hardness. Damn, you re going to kill me. She held out her hand and he took it an d she proceeded to pull on him. There was no way she was going to lift him, but he ros e to follow her truth be known, he would have followed her anywhere. She picked up his clothes a nd handed them to him. Just the pants, I ll go commando. How am I supposed to eat when you re sitting across from me looking all hunky and handsome? She stood before him, gloriously nude with not a clue how hopelessly devoted to her he already had become. Savannah had him wrapped around her little finger. Look at yo u, Cupcake, he reached out and caressed one nipple. Desire engulfed him and he stepp ed close and nudged her head upward with his nose against her chin. You re mine, Savannah. Mine. He took her bottom lip between his teeth and nipped. Her response was to melt into him and - God in Heaven! she wrapped one leg around his and scrubbed her little pussy mound ri ght up against his leg. Immediately his cock awakened with a vengeance. Patrick, can I have a quickie? Her breathy little request just made him harder. Are you sure you re not sore? No, I m just needy. She pressed her body close and her nipples were as hard as crystals. An electric surge of arousal arced through his body and he knew he had to have her. Holding her upper arms, he walked her backwards until her back was against the wall. God, I ve always wanted to do this. Pounded against the wall. . . She stood on tipto e and he picked her up. His big body held her in place and she loved it God, she l oved the way he handled her. Not only did she feel precious, she felt wanted, desired, needed . Wrap your legs around my waist and put your arm around my neck, he instructed. Savannah mindlessly complied. Being with him like this was heaven. He licked her neck, scraping his teeth over her neck, sucking a bit. She would have a mark fro m his loving, she liked that. His focused, raw hunger made her quake with anticipation. I want you, Patrick. I want you so much, she whimpered. Her pussy was so swollen and ready. S he felt desperate. Waiting. But when his touch came, it wasn t his cock head she felt, but one of his big hands cupping her entire vulva and massaging it masterfully. Patrick! she moaned. T hat feels so good. The least little touch had her lighting up like a flare. Years of dreaming and

wanting and wishing coalesced into an arousal so powerful that she thought she w ould die without him. Put him in. Her request enflamed him. Bracing her firmly against the wall, he took cock in h and and rubbed the head up and down her slit, spreading the honey around. Shivers of ple asure made her body tremble against him. Purr for me, Baby. Patrick had no idea what she d do, but when she let out a little cry of passionate appeal, he almost went to his knees. Now? Please? Her big dark eyes were glazed over with pure eroticism. Who could resist such a sweet request? Not Patrick. Fisting his cock, he slid th e head right up to the gate of glory and pushed in. Savannah wiggled, trying to accommodate him. God, he was big so thick and the way he stretched her was exquisite. Teach me, she asked as she hid her face in his neck. I want to know everything about pleasing you. Being. . .inside. . .of. . .you. . . is incredible. His hips were bucking against her, stuffing himself a little deeper with each jab. Tell me, she asked again. To learn how to please him was paramount. Shit, Baby, he huffed. It s hard to think, all I can do is feel. But when she nipped his shoulder, he got inspired. Do you know how to squeeze with your pussy muscles ? Lord, he couldn t even think what to call it. I think so. She did what she thought he wanted. And when she did, it made her clit move and she could feel his girth perfectly. Oh, Lord. Her hands tightened on his shoulders and that sweet pussy of hers tightened arou nd him just right. And then she did it again. And again. Perfect damn perfect, he moaned. Now, rock your bottom just a little. She did. He groaned. Keep up the squeezing, Fuck! Go od girl, now undulate a little, he hissed a breath. That s it, Baby. Front to back and side to side. He was getting into the teaching and she was a most willing pupil. Could anythin g be more perfect? He held her up easily. She was free to move, to play, to pleasure her man. And the benefits were out of this world! As she worked on getting a rhythm, he threw his head back and growled. The cords on his neck stood out and his lip lifted in the sexiest s narl she had ever seen. She upped the ante by speeding up the routine and when she did she could f eel her clit and pussy begin to throb with that pre-orgasmic rush of ecstasy. Am I doing it right? Christ! he shouted as he lost control. Pinning her against the wall, he well and t ruly fucked her pounding into her with short, hard strokes that drove them both over the edge into the oblivion of rapture. At that moment, Patrick and Savannah became one. He bec ame the most important person in her life and she became his beloved. ***** Savannah, meet Ciara. Savannah knelt down by the dog and held her hand out. She had slipped on a short pink robe that hid all her parts but molded them so dearl y that Patrick couldn t keep from staring. Ciara sniffed her hand. She was polite, but unimpressed. Maybe she s a one-human

dog. Just pet her, she needs to get used to you. Savannah rubbed the lab s head. It was obvious that Patrick s canine buddy merely tolerated the other woman in his life. Hello, Ciara. I m glad you ve come to visit me . Speaking of visiting with you, did you intend for us to stay the night or do you want us to eat and head on back to Lafayette? At his question, Savannah rose quickly to h er feet with a semi-panicked look in her eye. Don t go. Please? Honestly, she hadn t considered that he wouldn t be staying with her. As far as she was concerned, he had come to stay. That is until he had to g o back. Giving in to her instincts, she walked up to him and wound her arms around his waist. I want you to stay with me. Good. That s what I was hoping you d say. Patrick kissed the top of her head. Now, let s eat. They went to the kitchen and she warmed up the food that needed it. How about Cia ra, does she eat people food? Just this once. I m trying to keep her on a healthy diet. I ordered her special foo d through the commissary. But a chicken breast will be a special treat for her. Pat rick watched as she moved gracefully around the kitchen. I ll cut it up for her. Here you sit down and rest. I ll take care of you both. Patrick wanted to push the issue; he believed that a man should do his part arou nd the house. But she looked so happy and, bottom line, he just enjoyed looking at her. I have a feeling you re going to spoil me. I d love to try. Cooking has always been enjoyable for me, but it s much more fun to have someone here with me. It dawned on him that she had spent most of her life alone. Little things like s haring a meal or celebrating Christmas with someone she loved was probably out of her rea lm of experience. Well, no more. He was in her life now and there were going to be som e changes made. Maybe, you are the one that needs spoiling. Can I apply for the job? As far as jobs go, I don t know if you d want it. The hours are good, but the pay is crappy. She wrinkled her nose at it and smiled. I like teasing you. It s fun. I wasn t teasing you. And I ll take my pay in kisses and those chocolate chip cookies you promised me. The kisses are free and the chocolate chip cookies are in the jar behind you. She had quickly cut up the chicken and put it in a bowl. Ciara was watching her intently . Kneeling down, Savannah offered the food to the dog. It amused Patrick that his lab glanced at him as if seeking his permission. Go ah ead, Girl. Now isn t that something. Savannah was amazed. She loves you; that s as plain as the nose on her face. All she wants to do is please you. Wrapping her arms around her legs, she sat next to the animal, enjoying being close. You please me, Savannah. Patrick s words made Savannah happy. She got up and kissed him on the cheek. I m glad. Do you take sugar in your tea?

Yes, and lemon if you have one. She prepared him a glass of iced tea, placed a nap kin on his lap and served him a plate of food fit for a king. Thank you. Savannah was taking care of him. It was the best feeling in the world. Without a doubt, he was completely enchanted. He wouldn t taste a bite until she joined him and then they ate together in compan ionable silence until Savannah laughed. What s so funny? Nothing, I m just happy. She handed him a canning jar full of pickles. You ought to try these, I made them myself. A woman who puts up her own pickles? I m in love! He accepted one and enjoyed the tangy crunch. Lord, I m glad to be home. I only have one more tour that I m oblig ated to make and then I think I ll see how civilian life suits me. A long sigh told him more clearly than her words how Savannah felt. That would ma ke me so happy. I ve been so scared for you. He picked up her hand and kissed it. Tomorrow s Sunday, do you know what we re going to do? Go see your grandfather? That touched Patrick s heart. He s going to love you. Yes, I d be thrilled for you to g o with me to the nursing home. And after that we re going to watch the game. Have yo u been following the playoffs? You mean football? No, not really. Savannah knew exactly what he was getting at and she knew the Saints had enjoyed a winning season unlike any other. But she d idn t want him to think that she was going to hold him to all of that nonsense. It was just a coincidence. That s all. Do you mean to tell me that our future nuptials were prophesied to go hand in han d with the result of the 2010 Super Bowl and you haven t been watching the Saints kick as s for the past couple of months? You aren t going to marry me because of who won some game. No, when we decide to get married, it will be because I can t imagine living my lif e without you. The words were said and just hung out in the air like a beautiful bubble of joy. She still didn t know if marriage would be best for them, but his attitude toward her was so wonderful she had to let him know. Savannah couldn t resist, she got up from her chair and crawl ed into his lap and hugged his neck. You re my knight in shining armor. You re my prince. You, Patrick, are my hero. She kissed his face over and over again, wetting his skin w ith her tears. What did I ever do to deserve someone like you? You smiled at me and my life made sense for the first time. His simple explanation floored her. Will you take a shower with me? Her eyes widened at the prospect. Yeah, I d like that. Will you let me wash your hair? That was a first. Of course, if you want to. I ll let you wash other parts of me to , if you d like. Okay. She bounced up. Just let me put these dishes in the dishwasher and put up thi

s food and we ll play. We ll play. The way she said it just seemed right. Savannah found happiness in the least little things. He had noticed that as they had corresponded with emails an d video chats. Appreciation that was the difference. She appreciated him and anything he said or did, Savannah appreciated life. Maybe it was because she had been dealt such a harsh hand. When things came easily to people, sometimes they take them for granted. Savannah did n t take him or anything for granted. And that made him love her all the more. And yes, he di d love her. It was too soon to push that issue, but it was true. I can t wait to play with you. He picked up Ciara s dish. In fact I just got hard at th e thought. I think I ll take the dog for a walk and cool off. But - - I ll be back. He pinched her on the butt and she squealed. Hey, you re gonna pay for that. She challenged him. We ll see. Her eyes followed his perfect form as he put a leash on his dog and sauntered ou t of her kitchen. Lord, what a difference he made in her life. His very presence in her h ome made it an entirely different place. Thinking about being naked with him in the shower made her nipples ache. Truly, she had never cleaned the kitchen so fast. From outside she heard a shout. It wasn t a cry of alarm. It was kids and Patrick. She stood still for a bit and conc entrated, then her curiosity got the best of her and she went to the door and looked out. There was a moonlight battle on her front lawn. Although it wasn t dark, the secur ity lights lit up the yard plain as day. Two of her regular Wednesday kids were here . Their bikes were laid over in the grass and they were in full battle mode with Patrick. Appa rently they had carried an extra weapon, for he was engaged in a gun fight with the two thirteen year olds and it was clear they were winning. Hey, how s an old guy supposed to keep up with you two? A bevy of laughter rang like bells over her way and all she could think about was what a wonderful father he would make. Ciara was bounding between the three of them, trying to ca tch the nerf bullets in her mouth. There s my girl. He had spotted her. Butterflies flew from her tummy to her throat. There was that my girl phrase again. Gotta go, Boys. I have to get cleaned up for bed. And it s time you guys went home. He handed back their toy guns and the expression on his face was so endeari ng that Savannah decided to pick up some toys herself the game she had in mind might be even more fun. Enjoy yourself? She held the door open for him and Ciara. And as he went by, she copped a feel. Yea, but not as much as I m about to. Quickly, he took the leash off Ciara and befor e she could dodge, he picked her up and hoisted her over his shoulder like a sack

of potatoes. Savannah found the view from where she stood pretty good and tempting. So tempti ng in fact that she couldn t resist, she began pulling his shirt out of his pants unt il she uncovered skin and then she licked him. A growl sounded from somewhere overhead. Savannah! And he proceeded to nip her on the thigh. She began to giggle and Patrick swung her up and around so fast th at her head spun. Don t drop me, she cautioned. Patrick bounced her up off his shoulder, pretending to drop her. Like this? he tea sed. Savannah thrust her hand out as the ground came closer. Patrick!!! She shrieked, Noooo!! He hoisted her back over his shoulder with ease, flipped up her skirt and spanke d her near bare ass. Don t worry, Savannah Banana. You know I d never drop you. Ouch! Savannah yelped, but secretly she enjoyed the slight sting. You forget how bi g you are. You just don t know your own strength, do you? Patrick kissed the pink handprint on her bottom. Sorry, Baby. She wasn t sorry. The heat was on. He carried her to her bedroom. They had left the bed unmade, but the tangle of warm-colored sheets just reminded him of all he had to look forward to. He was a bout to make love to his woman and afterwards he was going to hold her all night long. Now, t his was living. Patrick placed her on the ground and kissed her cheek softly. Savannah looked up at him with big doe eyes. I ve never showered with anyone before. This will be a new experience. Let me get some towels. Savannah opened th e linen closet and extracted two big bath towels. Sorry, all I have is generic bath gel, I don t have any sexy flavors or musky gels. Do you really think I care about towels and bath gel? All I want to do is tear yo ur clothes off and push you into the shower. Let s get you naked. I ll race you. She started peeling clothes off. Not exactly what he had in mind, but he joined in. Of course he only had to shuck one garment, and she had fully redress ed in a short, cotton dress with frilly little undergarments. So, he naturally won. But Savanna h was better at the stripping, however, definitely better. It was probably all instinctual, but she had some sensual moves. And when she crossed her arms and pulled her shirt over her head it got caught - Damn! - - all of that lush female breast flesh just hypnotized him. The pressu re in his chest mounted. I m stuck. Help me. Her muffled voice broke his staring match with her tits. But the idea of her helpless was a little too hard to pass up. Patrick s jaw fell open while she struggled. Savannah had the most gorgeous body h e had ever seen and it was affecting him greatly. She wriggled from side to side, trying to free herself from the dress s grip. It was little adorable things like this that made h er so sexy to him and she didn t even know it. Patrick watched, hypnotized as her hips swayed back a nd

forth. His cock twitched as he followed the curve of her hips up to the tight li nes of her stomach, all the way up to her perky tits. He didn t make a move to help her. Instead he slipped a finger into the top of her wee bikini panties, right at the top of her sweet mound, pulled her close to him, an d reached around her and flipped the clasp of her bra open. Oh my goodness, Savannah went absolutely still and waited. Patrick pushed the cups of the bra up so he could get his hands where he wanted them. You don t know how many nights I laid in my cot and dreamed about touching yo u like this. Christ! She had no idea how much he wanted her. You can touch, she spoke a little hoarsely. Just let me out so I can watch. Again, she pushed against the fabric. My hair s caught. The jiggle and bounce of her tits was a reward in itself. All right, if you must. He grinned to himself and helped her out of the mess she was in. Now sit here. He pic ked her up and put her on the vanity. I was just too sex-starved to go slow earlier. I ve coun ted the days till I could get here and love on you. Now, I want to take my time. Savannah shook a little. At this close range, with the overhead vanity lights on , she could look her fill and God, he looked good. There was a light dusting of hair o n his pecs and the ridges of his abs looked in dire need of a tongue bath. She couldn t have kept herself from touching him if her life depended on it. With a light touch, she soothed her han d down from his shoulder to his waist. Perfection. Ummmm, he moaned at her touch. I want your mouth. Take it, it s yours. Her admission made his pulse pound. Patrick stepped between her legs and bent his head. She opened her mouth with a sigh and he accepted the invitation. Sliding his tongue between her lips, he deepened the kiss. Closing her eyes, Savannah relished the pinpricks of sensation that danced over her flesh. His hands were gentle as they ran over her back, under her hair and over her shoulders. And when one came around and collared her throat, it didn t make her fe el threatened it made her feel treasured. Savannah kissed him back, sucking on his tongue, loving the give and take she was experiencing with this man who had become her w orld. Honey, you taste so good, he moaned in her mouth as he moved even closer, his cock brushing against her belly. Patrick was so tall, he had to bend over but he didn t seem to mind. To her delight, he covered her breasts and molded them. Savannah pushed closer, wanting more. Strong fingers with calloused tips began to toy with her nipples, teasing them and pulling at them until she felt the dew begin to gather between her legs. Sli ding her mouth from his, she had to tell him of her need. I ache for you. Soon, he promised. But he wasn t nearly through worshiping her with hands and mouth. Patrick kissed a trail down her neck and nuzzled the curve, nipping and s ucking, causing chills to cascade over her body. And merciful heavens! he milked her nipples, pi nching a

little, making her bottom move restlessly on the stone surface. Patrick, oh Baby, please. His left hand slipped down between her legs. Is this what you want? He brushed the tip of her swollen clit with his thumb and Savannah s entire body shuddered, knocking bottles of lotions and soaps over. She put her hands down on the cool vanity top to steady herself. Uh huh, she gasped. Savannah leaned forward with her mouth gaping for a kiss, but Patrick pulled awa y at the first contact; Savannah s only reward the feel of his warm breath on her lips. Come on, let s get in. I ve got a fantasy I want to bring to life. He lifted her off o f the vanity counter, took Savannah s tiny hand in his and led her to the shower. The water had continued to run, and it welcomed them. A rush of warmth flowed ov er her body, but it wasn t just from the water. It was Patrick. He touched and rubbed , he kissed and licked. And when he bent over and sucked at her breast, she would have sank to her knees if he hadn t been there to hold her up. His teeth and tongue tortured her, sucking an d swirling, until her nipples were as swollen as her clit. The degree of intimacy between th em amazed Savannah. I can t believe we re here like this. She caressed his shoulders and kissed his head a s he nursed and laved her nipple. There s no other place in the world I d rather be. Patrick turned her around till her back was leaning on his chest. I love to touch every inch of you. He ran his greed y hands over her body, finally covering her breasts with his palms and massaging them sensuously. The little sounds you make . . . as if on cue, Savannah whimpered, turn me inside out. She looked up at him over her shoulder and he kissed her hard. After sliding his lips from hers, he grazed his teeth over her cheek and squeezed her breasts with a fi rm yet gentle touch. Savannah s head dropped to watch him work her. I adore the look of wonder you get in your eyes when I make you feel good. She ground her ass back against Patrick s swollen shaft and his hands slid from he r tits to her hips to pull her tight. Still holding his gaze, Savannah s eyes smoldered back at him, his firm grip on her thighs fanning the embers between them. That s the look I was afte r, Patrick said with a smirk. He kissed the back of her neck and Savannah shook with desire. Ohhh. As she nestled back into him, he rubbed his stiff cock up and down the left chee k of Savannah s round bottom. Overcome by a need to touch it, Savannah reached back and grabbed for Patrick s manhood. It was smooth, wet and impossibly big. She stroked it with the palm of her hand turned upside down, working her way up from his balls to the top of its head. The tip surged with blood when Savannah squeezed Patrick s shaft. Feeling his response to her, a thrill shot through her body. This time when she looked back over her shoulder, sex was in her eyes, wild, animal sex. The reality of ho

lding the evidence of Patrick s desire for her in her hand awoke the tigress in Savannah. It s like your cock was molded with my hand in mind, she breathed. Patrick just smiled and spun her around. He reached for a bottle of shampoo and snapped the lid off. Wha . . . Savannah started to ask, but the words stopped when Patrick snatched one of her hands and squeezed shampoo into her palm. The water splashed onto Patrick s br oad shoulders, shooting tiny droplets of tepid water into Savannah s eyes. What was sh e supposed to do with the handful of shampoo? She started to ask him to bend down so she co uld wash his hair, but he had other ideas. This is what I want. Patrick moved her hand down to his rigid cock and she grabbed it. Oh, Savannah said with a smile. This is something new, isn t it? Patrick chuckled. Slowly, Savannah rubbed the slick liquid over Patrick s cock. He moaned as the sud s built up. The control she seemed to have over him at this moment was intoxicatin g. Feeling bold, she pushed him back against the mosaic tile. Patrick didn t protest. She stepped close to him again, stroking his thick rod up and down, pumping it i n her fist as the tip rubbed against her stomach. Savannah looked up into Patrick s eyes. No words were needed, she knew what he wanted her to do and the simple nod he offered was enou gh to set her in motion. Looking down at Patrick s lathered up prick in her hand, she teased. You don t mind, do you? He shook his head. Good, Savannah acknowledged his agreement. She released him from her grip, cupped her hands under the tap and rinsed off his throbbing cock. Kissing Patric k s chest, she worked her way down over his tight abs until she was on her knees, ready to wors hip. After offering him one last upward glance, she turned to face Patrick s swollen erection . It dangled in her face like silk covered steel. Savannah rubbed it with her palm until she tho ught it was time to take it. Opening her mouth, she passed her tongue lightly over the tip. Patri ck flinched at the first contact, his hands slapping the wet tile behind him. The faint essence of the sea breeze shampoo he had poured in her hand danced around Savannah s nose. Loving his reacti on to her touch, she flicked her tongue around the head of Patrick s dick again and his knee s nearly buckled. Enough with the tease already, he wanted her plump, pretty lips wrapped around h is shaft. Suck, Savannah, he commanded. With a tiny smile of triumph, Savannah opened her mouth and the first few inches of his fat cock disappeared into her mouth. Patrick was fascinated watching Savannah enjoy herself as she gave him pleasure. It was heady seeing her ass clench and release in tiny little bucking, clenching moves. If he wasn t

badly mistaken, she was working her pussy muscles in a sympathetic rhythm. Savan nah wanted to be fucked. And when she moaned, mmmmmm, the vibration felt damn good humming around his cock. Placing a firm hand on top of her wet head, he insisted, take it all, Baby, deep-throat me. Savannah unwrapped her lips from around his member. I don t know if I can, but I ll try. She looked at him and gave him that smile that drove him crazy. Slowly she w orked her way down Patrick s length, struggling when she was still a few inches from the bas e. I can t, Baby. Savannah apologized, disappointed in herself, but determined to make up for it in any way she could. You re doing great. An understatement, if he had ever spoken one. Taking Patrick back in her mouth, she sucked hard on the tip, swirling her tongue around and ar ound. Patrick had never felt this sensation before and he was up on his tip toes, trying to ma intain control while Savannah sucked him hard, swallowing as she did so. Damn! I need you, Patrick growled What? Savannah glanced up at him, a little dazed. Taking her by the shoulders, he pulled her to her feet. Bend over the bench, he instructed, using his big body to push her into position. All of the breath went out of Savannah s lungs, for a second she was almost scared by Patrick s intensity, but it also shot a surge of electricity to her clit that she couldn t fight. Savannah bent over and placed her hands on the cool tile in front of her. Oh God, she gasped as he grabbed her hip with one hand and slapped his thick manhood against her bottom. Hissing with pleasure, Patrick drug his cock over her ass cheeks, then rubbed up and down the glistening lips of her slit before bending down to kiss the center of h er back. He stepped closer in between her thighs, nudging her legs apart, Spread, em. She resi sted just a second then she surrendered. Good girl. Patrick! her whole body jerked as he passed his cock between her needy lips, brush ing it back and forth over her screaming, aching clit. Oh, my God! her words echoed in the tiled stall. She flashed a hand back and dug her nails into Patrick s left thigh. Please? That s right; I want to be the source of your pleasure. I want you to come to me wh en you re on fire. Popping her once on the bottom, he soothed his hand over her back, readying her. Wider, Baby. Open your legs up and give me room to work. Savannah widened her stance, pushing her ass back toward him. Patrick guided the tip of his cock into her as she gasped in relief. Clasping th e smooth round curve of Savannah s hips, he drove every inch he had deep within her. It feels so good, she groaned. I love this, God, you re tight. The curve of her back, her hair hanging down over her shoulder, t he heart shape of her delectable ass it was all a sight to behold. Patrick leaned o ver and licked a trail down her spine, moving his hips side to side, fully impaling her on his co ck. He knew she

could feel him on every side on every nerve. Harder, Patrick! I m dying here! Damn! His cock swelled even bigger at her demand. Yes, Ma am. Holding her hips he began to thrust. He closed his eyes and threw his head back in ecstasy. Her l ittle pussy was slick and soft and hot and clasped him so tight and it was Savannah, and that ma de all the difference. The friction was wonderful and already she could feel an approaching orgasm. Faster! Savannah pushed back on him and defiantly worked her pussy on his cock milking and undulating rejoicing in the reality of being full when she had been empty for so long. Holy Mother of God, Patrick growled. Never ever been this damn good. He lost control. Bending over, he slid his hands underneath her and cupped her tits , holding on to them, rolling the nipples between his fingers as he hammered in and out of her d eep, hard, long blissful thrusts. Savannah was jarred, taken, possessed shook to her very soul. The slap of their flesh colliding was the most erotic sound she d ever imagined to hear. Patrick, oh God, sh e screamed. Don t stop! she begged, never wanting it to end. When she said that, he sl id one hand down to her vulva, and began to work her pussy with his fingers, swirling a nd rubbing her clit. Simultaneously, he gave her nipple a pinch and the firestorm began. As he drove into her harder and harder, deeper and deeper, Patrick felt his ball s tighten; he felt a rush of fire flame through his blood. And when the release came, it wa s cataclysmic. All of the excitement and euphoria detonated in an explosion that s ent his seed shooting up deep inside of his Destiny. With the first sensation of Patrick s shooting off inside of her, Savannah s orgasm hit her like a tidal wave and she just let go. Her legs shook and the only thing keeping her upright was Patrick s grip on her hips as he pumped the last of his seed deep within her. Patrick fell forward. Pleasure pulsed for a seemingly endless time, while his hi ps jerked in erotic spasms. As he came down, he soothed his hands over her little body. Sh e was so precious to him. Already he had no idea how he could ever live without her. Are y ou all right, Baby? She was still resting on the bench with her head on her arms, and her vagin a was still caressing his cock in little fluttering aftershocks. Will you hold me now? I would love to be held. Such a sweet request. Of course, I ll hold you. Let s get you washed off first, and t hen I ll hold you all night long. He pulled her up and she nestled right into his body. Oh, you are so cuddly. Squirting some liquid soap in his hands, he began to wash her arms and back, kissing her face and neck as she sighed and purred for him. While his hands were soothing her, she lay her head on his chest and just relaxed fully and completely relaxed, per

haps for the first time in her life. Chapter Six Sleeping with Patrick was actually going to be more intimate than making love wi th him. Savannah was almost giddy at the idea. Never had she had someone to snuggle with or curl up against in bed. Sadly enough, she had no memory of being held as a child . So the prospect of lying in Patrick s arms was unfathomable. Which side can I have? I ll let you have either, she offered. Usually I end up on the floor anyway. What? he didn t understand. She shrugged her shoulders. It s nothing. Most of the time when I was in foster car e, I didn t have a bed. I slept on a pallet on the floor. Old habits are hard to break. Damn. She just broke his heart. Your days of sleeping on the floor are over, Missy. He crawled in the bed and Savannah had to hide a smile he looked like Achi lles or Thor lounging and waiting to be fed grapes. There really wasn t a whole lot of roo m left over. I think I need a bigger bed. Patrick chuckled. No you don t. Cause we re gonna sleep close. In fact, you can just lie on top of me. Now that sounded like a plan. Thank you for today, she couldn t hide a yawn. I had a really good time. I ll never forget any of it. Damn straight, you won t forget it. I m not going to give you a chance to forget me. When they had finished their shower, he had opted to sleep nude, but she had automatically put on night clothes. Lose the jammies, Cupcake. I want to sleep sk in on skin. Bless her heart, she gave him the sweetest smile and whisked the baby doll top off leaving her in a pair of very tiny panties. These too? Oh yeah, please. She pulled them off and threw the scrap of silk at him. Patrick caught them, handily. Are you naked under there? Patrick lifted the blankets and peered in. "Too dark under there to tell. Why do n't you come help me figure it out?" "Well," Savannah started. "I do enjoy helping people." Patrick grinned, not only was she sexy and sweet, but she was playful too and it drove him around the bend. He flipped the covers back. He was semi-erect, but she was tired, and if the tru th be known he was, too. But when she crawled on her hands and knees toward him with h er bouncy, luscious tits hanging down, he almost changed his mind. This is going to be great, she giggled as she came even with his knees. Patrick held his arms out and she came into them, and he carefully arranged her body on top of his. Now, you can rest. As sleep came and dreams unfolded, Savannah knew that somewhere, someone was looking out for her. She was alone no more. ***** Granddad? Savannah stood by Patrick at the bedside of an elderly man who bore a great resemblance to his grandson. The old gentleman opened faded blue eyes and smiled at them. Hello. Patrick walked over and hugged him. I am so glad to see you. Savannah, this is Pa

ddy O Rourke. Granddad, this is my Savannah. Savannah leaned over and kissed the paper thin cheek. It s wonderful to meet you. I ve heard so many good things about you from Patrick. She could barely talk f or the lump in her throat. I love to have company, Paddy stated simply. We brought that information you wanted. Patrick laid two folders on top of the bed covers. You ll have a good time with all of this. Yes, we discovered that you are related to the Melancons. That s a huge family here in Louisiana, we can locate many family members for you; I m sure. Patrick watched his granddad open the material and smile, touching the pages lovingly. Good. I am grateful. Then, he turned his gaze to Patrick. Do I know you? I can t place your face. Savannah watched Patrick s countenance fall. You don t remember me, Pop? I m Patrick, your namesake, your grandson. Oh no, the old man shook his head. My Patrick is a little fellow. I don t know you. Putting her arms around Patrick, she felt his big, powerful body tremble. That s okay. He patted the old man s hand. I love you and I ll never forget you. Sit down and talk to me for a while, I get lonely. Savannah gathered chairs and pu lled them over for her and Patrick. Then she sat down beside him as he reminisced wit h someone who could not recall the memories, but who smiled at the images his grandson painted. Savannah loved Patrick before but seeing him be so gentle and kind to t he man who had raised him, made her worship the ground he walked on. There was no else in t he whole world like him and, if she wasn t badly mistaken, he belonged to her. ***** What did you need to buy in the dollar store that was so secret? Savannah was glad Patrick could smile. She had been worried about him. When his grandfather hadn t recognized him, she knew it broke his heart. You ll know soon enou gh, it s a surprise. Hmmmm, let me see. Is it chocolate syrup that I can lick off your nipples? No, but that sounds interesting. I think I have some at home. Ha! You re so funny, Patrick pulled her across for a kiss. Is it some of those tubes of his-and-her lube that can make our orgasms more intense? No, if our orgasms get more intense, they ll kill us. Again, she made him laugh. Actually, it was nerf guns; she had decided to stage a play-day with him. When Patrick was happy and full of laughter, her world was perfect. So, she intended to bring just as much joy into his life as she possibly could. You ll just have to wait and see. They had spent the day in Lafayette shopping and picking up things from his apartment. For all intents and purposes, Patrick was going to be staying with he r full time. Savannah knew it was quick, but it seemed more right than anything else in her life had ever felt. Ciara had stayed at her house and she had offered to keep the dog when he had to ship out again. That was one day Savannah dreaded with all her heart. He had told her a little about his work and she knew that if she knew more, it would only worry her to death. So, do you think the Saints will win the Super Bowl tonight? Patrick winked at her

. I don t know, she answered carefully. As much as she longed for Patrick to want to b e with her, the idea of marrying him seemed to be an impossible dream. Something w ould stop it from happening, she was sure of it. It was like wishing for the moon you could w ish all you wanted, but the moon didn t just drop into your lap. She was so afraid to hope. An d if he proposed God help her, she really didn t know what she would do. Patrick had no id ea what he could be getting into if he chose to link his life to hers. Bringing him pain or shame was something she just couldn t bear to think of doing. I don t think we d better get too e xcited, they ve never won before. No, but this time is going to be different. He looked so excited; she was glad they had gone to the market and picked up foo d for their own Superbowl Party. She intended to make it as special for him as she cou ld. When they arrived at her house, he kissed her and told her he was going to call Revel and walk Ciara and that he would return soon. Savannah took advantage of the time he was gone and m ade hot wings, mini-pizzas, sub sandwiches and hot sausage cheese dip for them to enjoy during the game. When he returned, she had it all ready. The TV was on, the food was spread out a nd she had on as close to something sexy as she owned. Savannah had more on her mind th an football. Wow, this looks great! Patrick was a big eater, so she had fixed plenty. Did you have a good conversation with your friend? Yes, I did. We talked about you, mostly. He settled down on the couch just stretched out and left her a little spot in the corner. Come here, I want to cudd le. What did you say about me? She sat on her legs and looked him in the eye. You re a nosy little thing, aren t you? Patrick teased. A little bit. She fed him a bite of pizza. He took the bite, captured her hand and licked the remaining spot of sauce off her fingers. I just told him how I felt about you. And we discu ssed some business, that s all. There was more to it than that, but he wasn t ready to tell her everything not yet. Look, the game s starting. Typical male, he got into the game. Savannah had a good time watching him. He ye lled at the quarterback. He snarled at the referees, but mostly he looked disturbed b ecause the first half was almost over and the Colts were ahead of the Saints. It s okay. Patrick knew it was okay. But this game had come to mean more to him than just h is favorite team winning the big prize. It might be silly, but he had wound this al l up with his chances of being with Savannah. The game s not over. No, it s not. There were a few minutes left and then The Who were going to sing. Savannah was still hungry but not for food. Come on Brees! Do something! Patrick yelled at the Saints quarterback.

Savannah decided to make her own play. He was sitting about nine inches away fro m her. He had been closer, but he was eating and getting into the game and somehow he had moved away from her. That would never do. He wasn t paying any attention to her at all, so when she let her hand inch his way she waited to see what he would do. Patrick knew that Savannah thought he was oblivious to her advances. She was let ting her fingers do the walking literally. Her little hand was inching toward him, an d he couldn t wait to see what she was up to. He leaned forward just like he was engrossed in the game. Right now he was more interested in her, but he wasn t going to let on. She let her fingers touch his hard thigh just barely. First, she pushed her hand under his legs just a little bit, like it was cold and she was trying to get warm. He just grunted he wasn t taking the hint. Next, she let her fingers walk up his leg, like a little s pider still, nothing. Damn! Getting a mite bolder, she curled her hand over the top of his le g and rubbed her thumb up and down on the strong muscle. He had the audacity to pat her hand and say, Hey, Baby. How s it going? Patrick bit back a smile when she huffed and muttered under her breath. It was t he same little voice she had used the day they met in the memorial when her friend had b een embarrassing the heck out of her. Before Patrick, she would never have attempted something like this. But he had g iven her confidence in her attraction that no one ever had. So, she let her hand slid e upward upward toward his crotch, until she bumped into something rather large and hard. Uh-Oh, She looked up at Patrick. "I'm kinda trying to watch the game here, Baby," he said with a smirk, trying no t to laugh. The feel of Patrick's bulge had caused a stir in her sex that made her fe el naughty. She fixed Patrick with a vexed glare, but he ignored her eyes. She huffed, and withd rew her hand from the firm bulge that she'd wanted to explore further and folded her arms def ensively across her chest. Her first attempt at seduction, and Patrick had rejected her; this di dn t sit well with Savannah. Savannah sat on the couch as halftime drew closer and the Saints marched down th e field. Beside her, Patrick watched her out of the corner of his eye. The brazen way she had grabbed for his package had turned him on, but he wanted to see how she would handle his rej ection, see if she wanted him bad enough to make another move. Savannah was doing a horrible job of masking her displeasure and when she innoce ntly moved her hands up over her head for a stretch, something in the way her head ti lted to the side filled Patrick with a need to kiss her neck. Patrick shimmied a few inches closer to his Savannah and now it was her turn to

pretend she didn't notice what Patrick was doing. When Patrick shimmied a few more inches, Savannah picked up a magazine from the end table beside her; she wasn't going to make this easy on him. A few more inches and Patrick was close enough that his essence made her clit sq uirm. "Hey," Patrick said. He was right beside her now, his thickly muscled arm pressed against hers, their thighs touching. Savannah ignored him. "Whatcha readin'?" Patrick inquired, snatching the magazine from her hands. "Patrick!" Patrick held the magazine just out of Savannah's reach. She made one grab for it , but gave up, not wanting to give him the satisfaction. Savannah looked away from him. Not her best move if she hoped to remain cross wi th Patrick. That small patch of bare skin on Savannahs neck that had caused the tig htness in Patrick's jeans was now fully exposed and with Savannah looking the other way, P atrick seized the opportunity and leaned in to kiss it softly. Savannah flinched when she felt Patrick's gentle lips on her neck, then her shoulder. "Pa trick," she said, forgetting almost all of the annoyance he had insp ired in her so recently. "Stop," she offered weakly, but tilted her neck further to the side to grant him even greater access. "Stop?" Patrick kissed her neck, "Stop what?" He licked up to Savannah's ear, nibbling on the lobe lightly before moving back down to her collarbone. Savannah whimpered with appreciation. Gone now was any semblance of the frustrat ion and rejection she'd felt, in its place was nothing but bliss. The skin on her ne ck was dimpled with goosebumps; her chest beginning to flush. "You want me to go?" Patrick asked between kisses. His hand had found its way around to the front of her shirt, undoing first the t op button of her blouse and then the next one. Savannah placed her hand behind Patrick's head as he kissed her collarbone and s houlder. "I thought you wanted to watch the game?" The words barely came out of her mouth in an audible tone. "I'd rather watch you," Patrick whispered in her ear. Savannah's round bottom levitated from the couch when Patrick hit that magic spo t just behind her ear. I have to tell you, this is one of my favorite fantasies in the w hole world. Patrick s hand stilled. "What's that, Baby?" If she had a fantasy, he would do his damnedest to fulfill it. Having you with me like this, and sharing some-," she was stopped dead as Patrick undid the third button and grabbed her entire left tit in his mighty paw, squeez ing it firmly, "-thing as simple as a meal and TV, for starters. She hesitated and Patrick knew there was more. And? he prompted, urging her to go

on. "What else?" Savannah giggled nervously. Oh, God I m not used to being so blunt. Patrick pulled her loose shirt down off her shoulder and kissed her right over her heart. It s jus t that, uh, my nipples are so sensitive and thinking you might touch me and suck me just makes me shake. "Hmmm," Patrick pondered. Savannah's nipples were tight inside her bra and Patrick's tongue snaked overtop of the closest one. "Let's see what we can do about that," Patrick said and tore Savannah's shirt op en with a swift tug, stripping the rest of her buttons right off the garment in the proces s. Patrick looked her right in the eye and Savannah exhaled with excitement, unsure if she would ever get her breath back, unsure if she wanted it back. Patrick looked down at her heaving chest. A front clasp bra," he looked back into her eyes, "one of the finest inventions of mankind. He slipped a finger into the clasp and popped it open deftly. Savannah's beautif ul tits fell out and Patrick was on them in a flash, lapping at them like a thirsty tiger at a bowl of milk. The sensation was unbelievable. Wanting to experience it to the fullest, she ope ned her eyes and watched Patrick nurse at her breast. He seemed to be enjoying it as muc h as she was. Lord, she loved him. Bringing her arms up from her side, she cradled his he ad with one and pulled him closer with the other. She liked this, he could tell. But hell so did he. Opening his mouth wider, he t ook her whole sweet areola in his mouth and loved on it, licking it up and down, back an d forth with his hungry tongue. Savannah whimpered again, this time louder and Patrick was unable to let his cock stay in his pants for a moment longer. Savannah was lost in the ecstasy of Patrick's tongue, but not too lost to miss t he unmistakable sound of his zipper being undone. She looked down and saw Patrick w ork his glorious cock out the gaping hole that he now filled with his manly business. He stroked it slowly as he licked Savannah s nipples, squeezing her unattended breast with his f ree hand. The sight of Patrick working his big dick as he licked her was too much for Savannah to handle and when she saw him slather a drop of precum all over the head of his rod, she came . "Ohhhhhhh!!!!" Savannah gasped. Patrick pinned her to the couch with his weight and his cock got even harder in his hand. "Fuck!" Patrick thought. She had cum for him! Just from his lips on her breast, his baby had cum for him! He pulled his lips away and kissed a trail up to her throat, still stroking his cock slowly, but unaware that she had noticed him pleasuring himself. "You need some help with that?" Savannah said when she had regained her composur e.

Patrick looked her in the eye and smiled. "I thought you d never ask. Savannah moved down into position, her delicate little mouth hovering over Patri ck's engorged erection. She wasn't sure what to do, the last time she had tried to do this in the shower she hadn t had much luck. But she forced the doubt out of her mind, if Patr ick could pleasure her with nothing but his mouth on her tits, surely she could do the sam e thing to his cock. Savannah closed her eyes and let Patrick's fat sword slip into her mouth. The ti p was wet with precum and it rimmed her mouth like lip-gloss. Patrick's cock tasted so goo d to her, so natural as it slid in and out of her trembling lips. She moved up and down on it , pumping it into her mouth. She wanted to look up and see if he was enjoying it as much as he sou nded like he was, but she was terrified that they would make eye contact and she'd lose this moment, this exquisite moment. Savannah picked up her pace and Patrick responded. It s not gonna be long, Baby, he warned her. His whole body was tingling, she had no idea of the effect she had on him. And when she let out a dreamy little sigh, he knew his climax was unstoppable. I m cumming, Savannah! Patrick emptied his balls into her waiting m outh, his body convulsing as he did, a snatch of Savannah's thick, dark hair in his ha nd. Fuckin perfect! Her soft little moans were music to his ears. And she was getting into it using her lips and tongue to bring him pleasure as he emptied himself into he r mouth. Her eyes widened, but she swallowed every drop, giving his cock one or two more pump s that made him whisper an expletive. That was so good. You are the sweetest thing in the who le world. Patrick cupped her face as he slipped his cock from her mouth, then he pul led her down for a kiss. When they parted, she gave him one of those beautiful Savannah smiles and hugged his neck. I think the ball game is back on. Good, lay down by me. As interested as I am in the action on the field, I d rather hold you. So, Savannah gladly lay down in front of him and he spooned her from the bac k. The second half was totally different from the first. Pierre Thomas ran sixteen yards for a touchdown. Tracy Porter scored with a 74 yard interception return and Drew Bre es tied the Superbowl pass completion formerly held by the Patriot s Tom Brady. New Orleans wo n the Superbowl against the Indianapolis Colts 31 17. Every time they scored, Patrick squeezed her and when the final score was announced, he turned her face toward him and kissed her tenderly. Savannah, will you . . . . Stop, my Patrick. She put her hand over his mouth. Why? Patrick sounded stunned.

If I m misinterpreting, forgive my arrogance. But if you were about to ask me to ma rry you, I want you to wait. Wait? What the hell for? You just said it I m your Patrick. It s too quick. You need to spend more time with me, live in my world for a little while before you decide. I don t want a proposal from you because of some fortune teller or worse, from, she almost choked on the word, pity. All of this just makes me feel helpless . Patrick was strong and fast and before she knew it, Savannah was lying flat on t he couch and Patrick was on top. Oh he wasn t crushing her, he straddled her. But he was lo oming over her, big and formidable and totally lovable. Savannah, you don t ever have to feel helpless as long as I am alive and breathing. I ll be your strength. God, that sounds so perfect, but, No but - just hold on a second, we need to get a few things straight. First off, h e cupped her chin, making sure she was looking at him, I m not proposing to you becau se of that prediction or because I saw your face in the well years ago. It s true that I thin k we were meant to be, we were written in the stars or whatever but I assure you of this - I m pro posing to you because I can t imagine living my life with you. I want you. But . . . She started to speak and he kissed her quiet. I m not through. Your world has never appreciated you. Your world is not worthy of you. I m asking you to live in my world. He bent down and kissed her softly, tenderly, with all the passion in his heart. Come live with me and be my love. Savannah melted. No, don t say anything, Savannah not yet. We ll do as you ask, but instead of me taking the time to consider what I d be risking if I became part of your life I wa nt you to consider what you re risking if you choose not to become part of mine. ***** Everything Patrick said, Savannah pondered. Could he be right? She had work to d o, so she left him at home and headed to the Cultural Center. He was planning on visit ing his grandfather and raking leaves in her yard. The thought of him making himself at home at her place just made her want to hug herself tight and marvel at the changes in her l ife. As she pulled into the parking lot, she made some mental notes. On Wednesday, sh e would guest teach at LSU on Louisiana folk-life. The program that she was partic ipating in was six weeks long. It was only one day a week, but the opportunity to be involved a t the university was exciting. Part of her time would be spent winding up a lecture on Spanish mo ss. She loved to open the minds of the children. At first they would laugh at the topic, but w hen they began to realize how the plant had done so much to define, if not shape, the romance and mystery of Southern culture, they became interested. The oaks in front of her home were dra

ped in the moss and she loved it. But it always surprised people to find out that what they referred to as Spanish moss is neither Spanish nor moss. It also isn t a parasite in the host tre e like many have always believed. Actually it is an epiphyte, a plant which grows upon another wi thout harming it. This epiphyte draws its nourishment from the very air that surrounds it. Dur ing the early days it was used as mattress stuffing, furniture padding and even went to make blanke ts for the Confederate Calvary. So, Spanish moss was not only necessary for domestic comfor t, it was also a viable cash crop. Just recently the first preserved saddle blanket made f rom moss was unearthed in a trash pit twenty-one feet beneath the earth. Excavation for a mal l in downtown Nashville had resulted in the cleaning of this pit and the first remnant of a Sp anish moss saddle blanket was found. What had been a speculative footnote in history was now a ver ified fact. Late Thursday, she had a meeting with the Park Service officials to advise on th e creation of the Bayou Teche Paddle Trail. The Paddle Trail would be a joint effort of the parishes that were fortunate enough to have the Bayou flow through them. Plans were being impl emented to create low-impact foot and water trails to give more access to pirogue, kayak an d canoe traffic on the Teche. Tourism was a consideration, but also allowing a public appreciati on of the beauty of the region and the importance of the Bayou in history was a factor. Savannah parked her car and noticed that the girls were waiting for her at the f ront. They weren t smiling. Gathering her things, she exited the vehicle and walked to greet them. Hey Guys. How are you? The question is - how are you? Fresca looked serious. I m fine, Savannah didn t want to think what this may be about. Are you? Tammany asked, pointedly. Why didn t you tell us about the leprosy? Cato asked, as always, too loudly. Shhhh, Fresca poked her. Loud mouth. Cato didn t look contrite. Savannah thought she was going to be sick. How did you find out? One of the men overheard Randolph talking to the police after March was arrested for attacking you which you also neglected to tell us about. Tammany pushed a lock of Savannah s hair behind her ear. Did you really think we wouldn t understand? We re your friends, Savannah. Yes, Savannah admitted. Being misunderstood and feared has been my lot in life so far. Well, Mr. Randolph doesn t work here anymore and our sweet boss explained it all to us. We just can t believe you ve been carrying this burden alone so long. Fresca s voic e was kind, but there was hurt in her eyes. A group hug had not been what Savannah expected this morning but that was what s he got. Their acceptance went a long way toward making her believe that she could h ave the happiness that seemed to be just within her grasp. Wait till she told them that

Patrick had proposed and even more amazing that she was considering accepting. ***** The smell of fall was beginning to creep in the air. God, he didn t want to go bac k to the Middle East. He wanted to stay here. Hopefully he wouldn t be leaving anytime soon , but it didn t look good. Hawke had called and word was filtering down that one of the CIA s prime sources had been arrested in Pakistan. It just amazed Patrick how the web of inf ormation was woven between countries that barely tolerated one another except for the promise of protection or foreign aid. Raking leaves was therapeutic, that is if Ciara would quit scattering everything he had piled up. Excuse me, an irate voice drew his attention. Three women stood about si x feet in front of him. Shit, his sniper senses had gone to pot. If they had been an enemy he would have been dead by now. Is this Miss Doucet s home? I d like a word with her, please. We wa nt to speak with her about the negligence she s shown in dealing with our children. The rotund little woman s tone immediately got Patrick s back up. What was her problem? No, I m sorry. She s at work. I m her fianc, Captain Patrick O Rourke. May I help you? He didn t intend to come off as a hard-ass, but this was Savannah they we re talking about. His Savannah. Another lady, one that was taller, blonde and a little more athletic, spoke up. M y son has been coming over to Miss Doucet s home and eating her cookies and drinking out of her glasses. And now we ve heard that she has some horrible contagious disease like leprosy. The woman visibly shuddered. I want you to tell Miss Doucet that her neig hbors don t appreciate her exposing our children to her filth. Patrick counted to ten, and then he counted to ten again. Lady, Miss Doucet does not have leprosy. She is as healthy as anyone in fact, she s perfect in every way that I can see. There s no possibility that she would ever hurt one of your children. It s true that her parents were patients in Carville where they treat people for Hansen s disease, bu t that condition is not passed down to a child. Savannah is not sick, she has never been sick, an d anyone who is privileged to know her is damn lucky. The third woman, a pleasant looking brunette pushed her way in front of the othe r two. Look, we re sorry. We didn t understand. Someone over at the school told us that Miss Doucet was infected. If that s not true, we apologize. Her other two friends looked sheepish. My name is Patty Nolan, she stepped over to Patrick and offered her hand . And thank you for your service to our country. My brother is a Marine stationed in I raq. You re welcome, Miss Nolan. Savannah has a heart as big as all out of doors, and I don t want her to be the victim of a bunch of lies. I wouldn t want that, either. Patty looked at her friends. None of us do. We just

thought it would be wise to ask questions when our children are involved. Patrick mellowed somewhat. I can understand that. Yes, we didn t mean to upset you. The first woman gave him a shy smile. Miss Doucet has been good to our children. She s taught them a lot. It s okay. I just don t want to see Savannah hurt any more than she already has been. The blonde looked him over with unabashed appreciation. She s lucky to have you. No, I m lucky to have her, and if I have my way, she ll be wearing my ring very soon. ***** After work, Savannah went to Don s Meat market and picked up a couple of chickens stuffed with rice and crab dressing. She knew how good they were and it would be a fast and easy meal for her to fix for Patrick. The day had been crazy; she had gotten a l ot done, but knowing everybody knew about her past made her uneasy. Her friends had stuck clo se, however and Mr. Davis had gone out of his way to be nice to her. PROOF had called and th e show they had filmed at The Grove had been so successful that they wanted to come back to Louisiana and had requested that Savannah be a part of the project. In fact, they had asked he r opinion as to what would be their next location to investigate. Evermore Plantation was her fi rst choice, but she needed to talk to Patrick first and get his opinion. That thought made her s mile, she had a Patrick to talk to she was blessed beyond words. No one else had a man as wonder ful as she did. When she arrived at Don s, it was crowded. And rightly so. The locals all knew a g ood thing when they tasted it. While she was there, she picked up a stuffed roast an d some stuffed pork chops. Feeding Patrick was fun. With her arms full, she headed toward the c heck-out counter and ran straight into Patty Nolan. Well hello, Darren s mom. Darren Nolan wa s one of her favorites. At first Patty looked embarrassed to see her. Savannah couldn t understand. Is something wrong, Patty? Her neighbor pulled her to one side. I owe you an apology. Several of my friends heard about what happened to you and where you came from you know the leper s hosp ital. You mean that my parents were in Carville when I was born. All of a sudden Savannah lost her appetite. Yes, I had no idea what Carville was until the talk began and I decided to resear ch it on the internet. What I found floored me. I was raised here and I had no idea that the only in-patient hospital for the treatment of Hansen s disease in America was just down the road. I m not surprised; most people don t understand Hansen s disease at all. Well, you don t have to worry anymore. You have a champion. That man of yours is something else. What? Several of us decided to pay you a visit and find out what was going on. I m ashame d to say that it started out as something of a hanging party, but your Patrick set us straight. He defended you; he told us how lucky we were that you loved our children and that there was

nobody any better than you. Patty touched her arm and leaned closer to whisper. He also said you would soon be wearing his ring. Damn, you re lucky. He is one hot guy! And he seems to love you very much. Oh, my goodness, you talked to Patrick. She didn t know whether to be thrilled or embarrassed. She opted for thrilled. Yes, and like I said, he was amazing. And I m sorry that we jumped to conclusions, we were wrong. Thank you. Savannah slowly continued on her way. She had a lot to think about. ***** The more she considered what Patrick had done, the more she smiled. He loved her , he really loved her. She wasn t used to expecting good things in her life. Dreaming a bout a future filled with love and happiness was foreign to her. Now, it didn t seem so far-fetc hed. For the first time, happy-ever-after seemed to be within her reach. She danced around th e house and noted that he had straightened the living room, put a load of towels in the drye r and raked a pile of leaves outside. It thrilled her that his clothes hung in her closet, his shoe s sat beside her bed and his big ole black dog was sacked out on the couch. All of a sudden her house seemed like a home. Patrick had left her a note in his big, bold scrawl. Beside a trip to the nursin g home, he indicated that he was meeting Revel Lee for coffee. So, she had a little time to wait. The chicken was out of the oven, there was a banana pudding in the fridge and now sh e was going to get ready for some fun. Taking the nerf guns, she loaded both of them with bulle ts. This would surprise him. Right by the door, where he couldn t miss them, she placed his toy g un and a note. Then she waited. ***** Whistling as he walked, Patrick was glad to be home. Savannah s house was almost a s welcoming as she was. Ciara heard him arrive and padded over to meet him. Where s y our mama? he asked. Then he noticed that a table had been pulled over in the path and there was a note and a gun, a toy gun. Strange. But when he picked up the note, he smiled. T here was a lop-sided skull and cross bones drawn on it. Obviously, he was going to be the a rtist in the family. And written on it were these words: The gun is loaded. I have one, too. And you are under attack As of NOW!!! A wave of love for her almost knocked him down. Could she be more perfect? Now h e knew she was his dream girl. His baby wanted to play. Patrick grabbed the gun an d cocked it. And no sooner had he become alert to what was around him Savannah stepped ou t from behind the kitchen door, grinned, aimed and shot a nerf bullet right slap dab at

his crotch. It landed with a good little thump right on his dick. Gottcha! Bullseye! Why, you little rascal. He fired back and she dodged, let out the cutest bubble of giggles he had ever heard and dashed up the stairs. Patrick took off after her. She stopped at the top and fired again, this time it bounced off of his abs. He returned fire a nd he connected with one of her tits. Ow! Surrender, and I ll kiss and make it better. Never! She took off again. He heard her footsteps falling and then heard her slide across the floor. Bump! Thump! What in the world? You realize that your ass is mine, Baby. I m a United States by-God Marine. Are you ready to give up? Silence. Oh, that couldn t be good. He grinned like an idiot. This was a side of h er he hadn t seen. And he loved it. Patrick went into stealth mode. He walked silently, making every move precise. W here had she gone? He wanted to laugh out loud, but he didn t want to give away his pos ition. The hall ahead of him was empty and all the doors were shut. Ah, the closet, she was probably in the linen closet. Edging up to the door, he turned the knob slowly threw it open and aimed. It was empty. Maybe she was in the bedroom; that would be convenient. Once he captu red her, he could ravish her. Savannah waited until just the right moment. She had been holding the bathroom d oor closed with the door knob tight in her hand so when she heard him go by, she cou ld pounce. A stool was at hand and when she opened the door, she wasn t going to be peering aro und it he was going to be attacked from above! Oh, the man was good. She could barely hear him moving around. Savannah had excellent hearing. The gift had been both a blessing and a curse, because someti mes she had heard things that she d have been better off not knowing. Conversations still rang in her mind, Keep the little leper away from the kitchen. We don t want her germs everywhere. It s bad enough she has to be in the house. If I had my way, we d chain her in the back wit h the dog. Shaking her head, she pushed those thoughts out of her mind. Times had chang ed. And she owed it all to the man that she was just about to - - - - attack! Patrick heard the door squeak right behind him and he wheeled around to fire and there was nothing! Put your hands over your head, I think I ve got you cornered, Marine. He looked up and his little doll was hanging over the top of the door. She held the gun pointed right between his eyes. You think you ve got me, don t you? She had him, no doubt about it. Savannah had him wrapped around her cute little pinky finger. Yea, I ve got you. You re mine now. Truer words had never been spoken. But he couldn t let her think she was in charge

here. No, I think you re mine. And he reached up quickly, slipped his hands under he r arms and pulled her to him. Now, I ve got you! Hey, no fair! You re gonna hurt yourself. I m chubby! All s fair, Love, this is WAR. He got amused. The only thing chubby about you are those luscious breasts and I wouldn t have them any other way. Not giving his littl e POW any chance to escape, he carried her to the bedroom and tossed her on the bed. She l anded with a bounce and a giggle. But she didn t giggle long. He started undressing and she slid right into heat mod e. My God! The man was hot, hard, and ripped. And this man belonged to her? Or he coul d. If she was brave enough to reach out and take him. In a symbolic gesture that wasn t lost on either of them, she held out her arms. I want you. I surrender. Damn, Baby. He joined her on the bed and made fast work of her clothes. She was kissing him everywhere she could reach and he was so hard and swollen he thought he would burst. There would be no time for preliminaries today. I wouldn t trade you for any thing in the whole world. Nothing compares to your embrace. Savannah opened herself to him not only did she open her arms to him, she opened her thighs and gave him her vulnerability and she opened her heart and gave him her love. I can t wait. Come to me, now. Patrick was careful with her, testing her wetness for hims elf before he sank deep. But she was warm, wet and willing and wanted him desperately. I want to make this good for you, but you ve got me too excited. There was more he wanted to say, but he couldn t find the words. Savannah s tight sheath clenched him so tight he saw stars. God, it felt good. He wanted to thrust and pump and take her hard, bu t she was so damn little that he held himself back. Savannah could tell he was being careful with her. But that wasn t what she wanted . He was her man and she wanted him just the way he was. Don t hold back. Lose control. I want to feel what it s like to belong to you completely. I want all of you. I would nev er survive if I lost you, Patrick. You are the light of my life. Her permission released something inside of him. One more second, he hesitated, just waiting for her body to accept him completely. And when he felt her relax he bur ied his head in her neck and gave in to the extreme pleasure of fuckin Savannah. Oh, God Oh, God Oh, God, she chanted as he moved powerfully in and out of her. She wrapped her legs around his waist and dug her heels into his bottom and held on for dear life. Waves of relief and joy and arousal whipped through her body like spa rklers. There was nowhere else in the world for her than with this man. He was home. She was killing him. Her whole little body was quivering and her pussy was milki ng him with one passionate pulse after another. All he could do was react and pisto n inside of her, loving the feel of being enveloped in paradise. Awareness of all else fled; Savannah s focus was only on the perfect in and out gl

ide of his cock moving in flawless harmony with her body. And she couldn t keep still; ev ery time she pressed down on him with her pussy walls his cock would jump and he would make t he sexiest sounds. I never knew it could feel so good, she panted as he pleasured her within an inch of her life. You are mine, Savannah. He lifted up enough to take both of her hands and raise th em over her head. Then he locked his gaze with hers and thrust even faster. He rocked her world. She levitated into his arms as the pressure in her clit exp loded, the pleasure so intense that it took her breath away. As she bowed upward, her breas ts were thrust up and Patrick claimed a nipple and began to suck voraciously. I love you, she cried. Her cry was all it took - Patrick groaned harshly, his climax overtaking him. Hi s cock convulsed in ecstasy and he shot his life-giving essence deep within her. One da y, he promised himself, he would plant a child in her womb. Building a life with this woman was his dearest dream. Honey, I love you, too. And I promise you one thing - there is nothing in this world or the next that is going to keep us apart. ***** Do you think we ll see anything? Patrick teased her as they walked through the cemetery. Not with our naked eyes, but we will through the camera lens. Naked eyes, huh? He grabbed her for a kiss. I like for more of you to be naked than just your eyes. Be serious, she cautioned him. We re in the presence of the dead. Then she bumped him with her hip. Come on, I ll show you where I took the picture of the glo wing tombstone. Patrick held her hand. Glowing tombstone? Are you sure it just wasn t a reflection? No, I tested it with a myriad of scientific methods, she stuck her tongue out at him. No, seriously. I checked. It s not a reflective surface. Leaning closer to him, she whispered. It s because it s the grave of a mad-man, and then she laughed in a way tha t he knew she thought was menacing. But it was just cute. Okay, I ll bite. What kind of a madman is buried here? Actually, it s a whole family of mad-men. She led up to a line of stark white tombstones. They were so old the names were faded and barely distinguishable. The se are the Kilcreases. And there name is apt. They killed one another right and left. She po inted at the first headstone. This is Abe Kilcrease and he pushed his brother Silas here in th e well and broke his neck. And this is Henry and he killed his other brother Lawrence with an axe. And lastly, this is Frank. He was just nuts, which is understandable when you live w ith a family like this. He was the last to die and toward the end of his life, he just walked the streets mumbling. They say he came to the graveyard every day and would visit his relati ves here. Then he would stumble home and if he passed anyone on the street he would

tell them, Well, I went to the cemetery and they were all still there. Patrick couldn t help but get amused at her tale. Okay, what next. Let s turn out the flashlight and just stand here in the dark and take pictures and video. I ll take the photos and you turn on the camera to take the movie, and here you hold the digital recorder. It s a good thing I came, he commented dryly. Yes, it is. I knew you d come in handy eventually. I ll show you how handy I can be as soon as I get you naked. Promises. Promises. He made a grab for her, but she evaded him. Behave, Patrick. You re scaring away my spooks. Okay. He watched her work. She took this stuff quite seriously. And by all account s she was good at it. Hello, we ve come here out of respect and love. We are attempting to make contact with you just to prove to ourselves that life exists beyond the grave and that y ou re not really gone. If you would like to say something or send a message, we would be honored to hear it. Dang, she was sweet even to the ghosts, she was sweet. He held the recorder and the video camera while Savannah asked more questions and took more photos. Patrick f ound himself focusing the lens on her damn, she was lovely. Out of the blue there came a huge CRRRAAACCCCKKKK! Honestly, it was as loud as a gunshot, but that wasn t what it was. Patrick immediately went into defense mode . He laid the equipment down and made a grab for Savannah, but she was nowhere to be seen. Panic hit him and then he realized that she had taken off like a ruptured redbug. His litt le ghost-buster had turned tail and ran. He flipped on the flashlight and all he could see was h er little white sweater as she dashed between headstones and over graves. He shone the light on her till she reached his truck and then he decided to look around and see what had caused the racket. Savannah was out of breath and embarrassed. She had ran! Like a little girl! Lay ing her head on her arm, she tried to calm down. Why had that scared her so badly? S he had seen things, heard things but this had been different. And Patrick had been there. Lo rd, what he must have thought. After a few moments, she looked to see why Patrick hadn t returned. The glow of hi s flashlight was dancing around on the ground near where they had been standing. T here was enough illumination that she could see him bending over and examining something on the ground. He stood up and swung the light around as if checking out the area in al l directions. Had he pulled a gun? It seemed she saw a glint of metal in the moonl ight. Surely, not. Where on that incredible body would he have hidden a gun? The only bulge sh e had been aware of was the one behind his zipper. At first Patrick had thought one of Savannah s ghosts had come calling. There was a

good size hickory limb lying on the ground that had been snapped in half. The pi ece of wood was too big for most to have broken it. But when Patrick saw the stress ball in the dirt beside the green branch, he knew that there had been nothing supernatural about their visit or. Evil, yes. So, Lucas was following him. That meant he was wise to Patrick s efforts to a ccumulate enough documentation to bring charges against his superior officer. Damn, the ma n was dangerous. He d have to make sure Savannah was protected. As long as he was home, that would be no problem. Tomorrow, he d call Revel Lee and bring him up to speed. But for now, he had to comfort his little ghost hunter. At least he couldn t argue with her ins tincts, Lucas was definitely a reason to run. When he came walking up to her, she wouldn t look at him. Savannah. He spun her around. Are you all right? Yes, just mortified, that s all. No, your response was a good one. There was someone in the dark with us. He opted not to tell her about Lucas at this point, the less she knew the better at least until he could get a handle on it. The only thing you did wrong was the direction you chose to run. He was standing so close to her that she could feel the erotic magnetic pull of his body. But he wasn t making sense. What do you mean? The gate was over here, if I ha d run another direction, I would have just ended up at the fence with no way out. Putting one hand at her waist, he tugged her up against his body. The next time y ou feel the urge to run, and I m anywhere near you run to me. Run to my arms, that s the saf est place in the world for you. He was right, about everything. And at that moment Savannah surrendered. She surrendered her heart to him, completely. She surrendered her love to him, unconditionally. And she placed her happiness in his hands for all eternity. The next time he proposed, she would accept. Chapter Seven If she could have designed a dream proposal from the man she loved, Savannah cou ld not have conceived of a more perfect moment. They had returned from ghost hunting, t ook care of the dog and had some chicken and dumplings from the crock pot. Patrick had helpe d her clean the kitchen, and then he had walked with her to the living room. She had wondere d what he was up to when he turned off the television but then he gave her that look and took her breath away. Savannah Doucet, you are my whole world. Will you marry me? Patrick knelt in front of her on one knee. For the first time in her life, Savannah knew total and complete happiness. Patr ick loved her. He really loved her. She had no doubt of that. Still, just hearing the word s stole the very breath from her body. His beloved face looked up at her expectantly, awaiting he r answer. Patrick Heath O Rourke could have any woman in the world. Why he would choose to s

ettle for a little brown wren when he could have a peacock was a mystery to her. Still, Sa vannah was nobody s fool. There was so much she wanted to say to him, but nothing was more im portant than this - Yes, Patrick, yes, I ll marry you! She threw her arms around his neck an d he pulled her over on top of him. God, you ve made me happy, Sunshine. He strained to keep his balance, but Savannah was kissing him so much and so hard that they both toppled back onto the rug wit h joyous laughter. For a little thing, you sure can pack a wallop. He lay flat on his back and she made herself at home on top of him. You re a big bo y. I think you can take anything I dish out. Thank you for wanting me. You think I want you? He exhaled a sigh and a laugh, combined. I more than want you hell, I need you. You re everything to me. Resting her head on his chest, she could hear the strong beat of his heart. He w as so alive, so vibrant, and so very precious to her. It s a good thing, because I plan o n keeping you for a long, long time. I ve got something for you. I bet you do. Let me help you get it out. When she slid down his body and started unbuckling his belt, he couldn t help but laugh. You re not going to get any argument from me, but there s a ring in my pocket if you want it. A ring? Savannah bounced up, making him grunt as she squirmed up to give him a kiss. Hey, watch the package, Doll, or we won t be making any babies. Oh, sorry, she soothed a palm over his prominent erection. Nothing looks broken. Besides you made deposits down at the sperm bank, I think we re covered, sh e teased him with a smile. Those frozen swimmers are for emergencies, just in case I get exposed to some che mical or something that damages my sperm. It s a military safe-guard. I want to father o ur children the old-fashioned way. He slipped his hand into his side pocket, smiled and held out the ring. Give me your hand. Savannah choked down tears as he pushed a beautiful diamond onto her finger. I lo ve you, Patrick. The circlet of white gold set with a precious stone was beautiful, and she loved itbut what she felt for him surpassed anything else. I ll never, ever take it off. I prom ise. Thank you. She kissed the ring and then she kissed him. As always, the passion began to flare, but a large cold nose nudging its way in between them made Savannah convulse in a fit of giggles. Ciara! Patrick s black lab pushed her way into the huddle. Patrick tugged on his tight pants and repositioned his erection before standing and offering his hand. That's better," he said and gave Savannah a wink. You make me s well with happiness. Let s sit on the couch, I want to hold you. Ciara won t jump up here with us, she knows how to behave.

I hope you don t behave, Patrick." From the floor Savannah stared at the substantia l bulge that strained the faded denim jeans. "I like it when you re bad. He pulled her to her feet with ease and they moved to the sofa. I must admit you bring out the worst in me. Savannah eased closer, anxious to get her hands on any part of him that she coul d. He placed a finger under her chin, and she moved up to kiss him, climbing on his la p and straddling him. In my opinion, I bring out the best in you especially this part, she let her p ussy grind into his cock, a slow methodical grind. He felt hot and hard and so damned good between her legs. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she rocked back and forth, letting the friction between them build. Patrick closed his eyes with a sigh. God, that feels incredible." He rubbed his h and over the skin of her upper arm and squeezed gently. I m so glad to be here with you. I d g ive you the world if I could. Do you want a big wedding, my Savannah? No, all I want is you. "All you want is me? God, I like the sound of that. Kiss me, Baby, he whispered. She kissed his cheek, the corner of his mouth and the stubble on his chin before he took control. And when he did, she moaned, she couldn t help it. Patrick reached behind her back, wrapped her long hair around his hand and pulle d her head back gently, exposing her neck to his lips. Savannah gave in willingly to h is demands and when he ran his rough, raspy tongue over her overheated skin, she literally purr ed. That s it, Baby. I love those little sounds you make. I can t help it; I love your kiss. And she did. Patrick kissed her like she mattered to him. He was the best lover in the whole world. She loved how he controlled her i n bed. Patrick owned her pleasure. When he made love to her, he did it with his whole heart, mi nd and soul. Come here and let me love you. He pulled Savannah down till their mouths touched. Sliding his tongue over her lips, he tasted her, seduced her - wooed he r into opening her mouth and letting him take what he wanted. Straining against him, she kneade d the muscles of his shoulders and back, pressing her nipples into his chest and loving how go od it felt to drag the hungry little buds over his hard muscles. Cupping her bottom, he tugged her closer to his groin; the pressure on her clit was at the same time an incredible turn-on and a n exquisite relief. As he kissed her hard and deep she slipped her hands to his waist and began pull ing his shirt from the waistband of his jeans. When she could get to him, she caressed his ski n, sliding her hands up his chest to caress his nipples. You are driving me crazy, Baby. Holding her tight against him, Patrick kissed her neck, her collarbone and the upper swell of her breasts. I need you, now. He lifte d her with one arm around her waist and laid her down on the couch, turning with her till h

e was on top. Their kisses turned heated. Savannah cupped the back of his head, wishing his ha ir was long enough to grab onto. When his tour of duty was over, she was putting in a r equest for long hair. She d never get enough of this man. Covering her body, he bucked against her , grinding his cock into her softness, letting her know the extent of his desperation. Patrick, please, she moaned. In answer to her plea, he sat up, pulled the shirt she wore over her hea d so he could kiss her breasts right through the bra, squeezing them gently with his free hand . The man knew what he was doing; he released the front hook with one deft move and began fever ishly tonguing her nipples. I want. . . to get . . . to you, she panted as she wiggled her finger s in between their bodies and began working on his belt and pants. "Not so fast," Patrick offered, hovering over her, his cock no longer giving Sav annah the pressure she lusted after. "Patrick," Savannah whimpered. "Please." She vibrated under him, reached behind him, grabbed his back and tried to pull him down to her again. He ran a finger down her chest, across her stomach, smiling at her the entire ti me, but not saying a word. Savannah bucked and Patrick quieted her with a firm hand on her l ower abdomen. Her clit cried out to be touched and when Patrick forced his hand down her pants and grazed the throbbing spot with a soft fingertip over her wet silk underwear, Savannah almos t fainted. Her body convulsed and twitched. Patrick rubbed the swollen button again, this time with more pressure and Savannah tossed her head back and forth uncontrollably. She was alw ays amazed how much he could control her body with something so tiny as his fingertip. "Please," Savannah begged. "Patrick. Please. I need you inside me." God, yes, he stripped quickly, then lifted her legs and slipped her pants and unde rwear up slowly, enjoying the unwrapping of her body. They caught on the back of her k nees and when he tugged, he almost flipped her delicate frame off the couch. Hey, come bac k here, he made a grab for her. Clutching his arm, Savannah gasped a startled laugh. Don t lose me. Baby, we re not going to lose one another, I promise. Her heart was pounding. He had that look on his face that sensual, intense look that told her she was about to be treated to multiple orgasms. She couldn t take her ey es off of him as he raised her leg and let his palm glide from ankle to thigh. I just get lost in the smoothness of your skin. You re so soft, he whispered as he placed a kiss on her calf. Savannah s whole body shook with shivers of delight. An d when he repeated the process on the other leg, kissing her behind the knee, she lifted h er hips begging for more. What can I do for you, Sunshine? Love me, please. Gladly. He spread her legs and she reached down and took his cock in her hand,

stroking it. Lifting her hips, Savannah rubbed the tip of it up and down her sli t, covering it with cream. They both groaned. Entranced, she watched the look of pure enjoyment on P atrick s face as she worked the pulsing head back and forth over her clit. Oh, God," Patrick exclaimed. Put me in, Honey, I need to be inside of you. Keeping her eyes locked with his, Savannah canted her hips and guided him to the opening. I love this, she gasped. I love that first moment when you push in. I know, it s like coming home, he hissed as he pressed into her waiting heat. Patric k began to pump in and out slowly. Yeah, that s it. God it feels good! Her pussy always ached for him, all she had to d o was think about him and it would flower and open, begging to be filled. With smo oth strokes, he drew it all the way out, then pushed it all the way back in. Put your arms around me, I want to feel every inch of your skin against mine, With out hesitation, she complied, wrapping her arms and legs around his body. That s it, Ho ney Girl. Patrick thrust deeper and harder causing Savannah to dig her nails into his back. You are mine, Savannah Doucet. Don t ever forget it. You are mine, forever. Savannah didn t know if it was from the pleasure he gave or the words he whispered , but she came hard, her whole body exploding with bliss. Baby, Patrick Baby, I love yo u so. I ll love you forever. As she kissed his neck and chest, she felt him cum his body jer ked and shook with its release. Exhausted from the intensity of their joining, he lay on top of her and she trac ed her nails over his back. I love you, Savannah. I love you so much. ***** During the night, as they lay entwined, his cell rang. It was the one sound that Savannah had been dreading above all others. She watched as he rose from the bed, took th e phone from the nightstand and went out of the room to find out what was going on. His leave time was short anyway, why did they have to call him back early? It would be important, it was always important a mission whose purpose he couldn t share with her and if he did, it wou ld scare her to death. So, she wouldn t get to know the details, but what she did know was that he put his life on the line, over and over. Savannah held her breath till he returned. He stood silhouetted in the door; the light of the moon gave just enough illumination so she could make out his features. God, he was good-looking. And he was hers! If something ever happened to him, how could she go on living? I have to go, Savannah-mine. He slowly walked toward her. No! Not so soon, she pleaded. Holding her arms out for him, she welcomed him back into her embrace. He came to the bed and held her tight. Savannah tried to sit u p, but he pulled her back until she lay nestled against him. Not yet, I need you with me. She felt sick.

I know, Sweet Baby, he kissed the side of her face. Savannah lay in his arms with her head on his chest. I don t want to go, but it s my job. What I have to do this time i s important. Patrick whispered against her hair. But you re more important. I ll be back soon, I promise. We have a future together. There s nothing in this world that wil l keep me from returning to you. She knew what he was going to say next she could just feel it and it literally b roke her heart. Tears were running down her face. But if I don t, if something happens, I ve taken care of you. Revel Lee has my will a nd I ve left instructions for it to be changed to make you the beneficiary. While I m g one, if you need anything call him. As she shook her head, denying the possibility that somet hing could happen, he kissed her tears away. All I ask is that you remember me. Please. Forg et me never. Didn t he realize what he did to her when he said that? I could never forget you, sh e assured him between sobs. Being forgotten was something that haunted Patrick. He would wake up in a sweat from a dream where his very existence had been lost in the se a of memory. You are a part of me, Patrick Heath O Rourke. I could as easily forget myse lf as forget you. After he dressed, they held one another till it was time for him to go. And when he left, she and Ciara stood at the window and watched till the taillights faded into not hingness. He was gone. ***** Patrick doesn t see too much green over here. There are a few drops of color outsi de the city of Kabul, but the beige sand on the horizon is like a hospital wall without the thought that wellness is being made. The sand in the air used to make Patrick squint. He didn 't know if it is possible to become callused to such a thing but it doesn t burn today like it used to. It was probably the other wars Patrick was fighting. It was hell to be pulled from Sava nnah exactly when he was. She had just become his. His Destiny had agreed to be his future. H e fought every second to not desert his comrades and rejoin his lover across the sea. Patrick spit into the desert. The sun dried it before it dampened the sand. It i s best to not worry about that, now. There is another war. Lucas doesn t deserve his rank. Major Asshole is more like it. He joked about it sometime with the men. Patrick didn t think of him as his commanding officer. And if he had anything to do with it, he wouldn t be a Marine much longer. Damn! He placed the call again. Fuck! He couldn t get through. All he could get was some stupid fast busy signal that told him all the circuits were busy. Patri ck would be

making no overseas calls today. Could things be more shitty? He had no cell phon e service, no internet service, he couldn t get a hold of Revel Lee to tell him where he had sta shed the evidence to bring the bastard down, and he had left the woman he loved crying. L ucas was a traitor. He could prove it, too. Patrick had left the thumb drive, the biggest g un in his battle with Lucas, where he left his heart, in Savannah s home. Nobody would look there. It s time for your briefing, O Rourke. When I finish, you can get your gear, and load your men up. Without a shred of emotion, Lucas stood in the door of Patrick s tent. Over and over again, he threw that stress ball in the air, squeezing it in between tosses . Aadil Mahmoud is being held in The Pit about thirty miles outside of Kabul, deep in the desert . He aided our allies in pinpointing two Sheiks that have funded dozens of terrorist activities . The way he carried out his mission was by traveling from village to village and offering in oculations. We possessed the DNA of Sheik Abdul brother and Sheik Adrees s uncle, so Mahmoud coul d swab the mouth of each person and compare the results to what he already knew and let us know where our targets were hiding out. Because wherever their families were located they would not be far away. Lucas droned on and on. Not that the information wasn t important, but all Patrick could think about was that he was dealing with the devil himself. Maybe it was that ps ychic streak he possessed, but every bone in his body was telling him that this was a trap. But if he disobeyed a direct order, he d do nobody any good in the brig certainly not Savannah. So, he h ad to think of something else, some other way. It s your job to get Mahmoud out. Whatever it takes. The blueprints and a reconnaissance report has been given to your spotter. He usually does that sort of thing doesn t he? I know he isn t white, but I m sure he can read. Rage just flashed through Patrick. Hawke is a fine man, Sir! He spit the words out. We ll rescue the doctor. You see that you do, O Rourke. I ll be in constant radio contact. I ll be watching you. Somehow that was no comfort whatsoever. Patrick, Jayco and Hawke drove the distance to the Tangi Valley. He had decided not to explain things to his men until they got where they were going. They weren t going to like what he had to say but that was tough shit. They were his men, and they would obey hi s orders. They arrived at their target destination or near it and decided to set up base c amp and wait till just before daybreak to make their move. Hey O Rourke! Hawke called out into the stiff air. Yes, Lieutenant? Did you enjoy your leave with little Savannah? Now s not the time, Lieutenant. Oh no. This can t be good, Hawke thought. Although Patrick did indeed outrank Jayc o and Hawke, they were brothers-in-arms. Their missions went smoothly and the frie

ndship forged in this hell left them as close as family. Patrick wasn t formal unless they were in trouble, being watched, or both. Of course, Captain. We await your orders, Sir. The curious desire to pick his frie nd s mind had been replaced by the red tape of militancy. The Major, venom dripped from his voice as he spoke the word, has given us our next assignment and I want you to listen carefully. Patrick turned away from his frien d. Sir. . . Do not interrupt again, Soldier. Sir, yes sir, Captain. Hawke grew nervous. His friend must have something terribly worrisome in mind to be so cold and distant. He wondered what he saw on the hori zon that captivated him so. Jayco and Hawke listened as their Captain, and friend, relayed their orders to t hem without an ounce of warmth. What could he be so worried about? They had stormed hundreds of buildings. Usually, Hawke, the darkest-skinned member of the team, splintered first for reconnaissance, Jayco then flanked and took out targets marked by Hawke and fina lly Patrick bursts in with guns a-blazing to clear the area. This time, Patrick had ordered the men to cover him and let him enter first, alone. The doctor had been feeding us information on the terrorists for months. The Majo r told us he is locked in a cell beneath the ground of the prison known as the pit. Our o rders are to infiltrate the prison with as few casualties as possible, preferably undetected, retrieve the good doctor and escort him personally back to the Land of the Free. I will be going i n alone, Men. Keep me covered. Find your cover, install your silencers and ensure my safe entr ance. Give me ten minutes, if I don t come out, you are to return to your post in Kabul and awai t further instruction. Those are your orders. Have I made myself perfectly clear? Sir, yes Sir, the men exclaimed in unison. For the first time since being deployed to Afghanistan, Patrick did not feel saf e. He was flawlessly trained, impeccably skilled and his body had been finely tuned to han dle whatever a battle might throw at him. However, this time his enemy had more power over him than any combatant. His enemy hid under the guise of an American Major and Patrick did no t know what Lucas had planned for him. Patrick could feel things sometimes. He wouldn t say he was exactly psychic or any thing. Maybe, he just had good intuition. But sometimes, he just had a little more insi ght than other folks did. The face he had seen in the well was Savannah, indeed. The nightmare he had dreamed about his parents had come true. And now, recalling the top secret mission passed to him by the Major, a feeling of dread and danger swamped his senses. Something wa s terribly,

terribly wrong. He was about to walk into The Pit willingly, and that was enough , but it wasn t the worst to come he could just feel it. The Pit was infamous. For years, most of the western world thought that it was legend. Unfortunately, it wasn t. Once you were put in this hell-hole, rarely did the unfortunate prisoner ever see the light of day again. The Pit sneaks up on you. Its gates ar e made of rock, the same color of the sand whirling in the wind around them. For his men, findin g vantage to cover him will be easy. The sand rolls into hills and dunes for miles. Patrick i s the one who will be walking into the valley of death. Go, Men. Get into position. Keep me covered until I enter the fortress and then l et the timer begin. Remember, ten minutes and you leave. Sir, yes Sir. The men wanted to say something else, ask him what s wrong, beg him to stay, accompany him into the prison, but their orders are solid. And Fellas, Jayco, Hawke, it has been a pleasure to serve with you. With a salute, Patrick marched away. Reality slowed down to a crawl as Patrick neared the gates. There were no sounds , no visuals, no sign that there were any living things in the prison at all, not eve n a prisoner. The thought crossed Patrick s mind to go back. Everything screamed trap. However, if t he doctor died, or gave any information while under pressure, it would be Patrick s fault and the Stockade would keep him farther from Savannah than the War did. Besides, he coul dn t handle the death of an innocent man on his conscience. The courtyard held nothing. There were no guards or cameras. The wind danced aro und the prison and the eeriness of its song chilled Patrick to the bone. Patrick s eye s glazed over, a military trick to detect motion. He lost detail as his approached the door. Ther e was no lock. Was he expected here? The door squeaked easily open and revealed an empty room. Patrick took a deep br eath. No ambush. He was too paranoid. This would be a good story to tell Sav. . . As he thought, he took a step forward and heard, click. First he saw a white light , and then he heard a wailing whistle. And when the blast hit, it was like being swept away by the winds of hell. Patrick had one thought Savannah but he didn t have time to scream. PATRICK! Hawke bellowed when he saw the explosion. Was this a trap? Faulty intel? The building still stood but smoke billowed out of the door Patrick had just ent ered. He dropped his rifle and began to run to The Pit. Jayco grabbed him around his shoulders an d held him. No, Hawke. It might not be safe. Fuck safe, Jake, that s our fucking captain in there! And our friend! At that moment, a hissing voice erupted from their walkie-talkies. Eyes in the sk y saw an explosion. Please advise. Over. There was an explosion in the pit, Patri err, the Captain was inside. No sign of him, Sir. Over. Jayco wanted no trouble. You two report back to Kabul for debriefing. Stay safe. We don t want any more

casualties. Over. More casualties?!?! Hawke burst, How do you know Patrick is dead?!!? Don t question me, Lieutenant. The explosion looked bad from up here. For the safet y of you and the men, and to keep me from slapping your maggot-ass with a section 8, you get your asses back to base and away from that fucking prison! Patrick was right. Lucas is a Major Asshole. Hawke agreed with Jayco. ***** He was gone. Her world was empty. The house that had been full of love and laugh ter was now silent as a tomb. Savannah had checked her computer hourly, walked aroun d with the cellphone in her hand but there had been no word. Patrick had not given her any indication as to this mission or his destinationhe couldn t it wasn t allowed. But there had been something in his eyes that told her that thi s time was different. Danger was a given. The reality that her beloved was in harm s way just ate at her heart and lungs like a cancer. Savannah found it hard to breathe without him. Ciara paced the floor. She wasn t satisfied. The dog s restlessness made Savannah nervous. Neither one of them had any appetite, but to keep their strength up, sh e had boiled Ciara a chicken breast and made herself a salad. Taking it to the couch, Savanna h curled up in the corner next to her laptop and phone the only tenuous connection she had with Patrick. Evening fell slowly and Savannah just sat there dwelling on the happiness she ha d enjoyed while Patrick had been home. How amazing it was to be loved! As she pray ed for his safety, she thanked God for the blessing of Patrick. No one had ever loved her b efore. Oh her mother might have loved her or her father but she had been torn from their lives before a memory could take root. So only Patrick only Patrick had ever seen anything in h er worth loving. And Savannah loved him back beyond reason. Finally, Savannah realized her food was gone and darkness had settled on the lan d. She was about to get up and put away her dish and walk Ciara when a knock sounded on the door. For a moment joy flared Patrick! But that was impossible. He was in Afghan istan righting some wrong or battling some faceless enemy. Setting down her plate, she went to the door. Who could it be? Remembering March , she thought to look through the peep hole. It was Revel Lee. With a smile she op ened the door. Well hello, Revel. But the moment she looked in his face, she knew something was wrong. Anguish was written on every feature. Revel, what s wrong? Savannah. . . His voice broke. No, please, no. Savannah, Sweetheart. . . Her world began to crumble. Revel? Patrick? Oh, God. . . Savannah felt the life drain from her limbs. She grew weak with fear. I m sorry, Savannah. I just got word. Patrick was killed. . .

Patrick was killed. Patrick was killed. The words exploded in her heart and mind. NOOOOOO! she screamed as she went to her knees. No, please God, not my Patrick. Revel caught her, then blackness engulfed her, and blessedly, she knew no more. ***** I can t do this, she told Revel as if she had a choice. How do you expect me to say goodbye? One moment she had everything. The next moment she had nothing. Sitting down in a corner of the couch, Savannah curled herself into a tight ball. She wanted to ma ke herself small, so small that she just disappeared. That s what she wanted to not be here at the f uneral home. Savannah wanted to not be anywhere. She wanted to not be. Revel knelt in front of her. I know. I m hurting, too. But we ve got to get through t his for Patrick. I want you to help me plan the service. At one end of the big viewing room, the flag draped casket already stood. Four h onor guards stood at attention, two on each side. They won t let me see him? No, Revel shook his head. How did he tell her that there was nothing to see? The report he had been given said that Patrick had been incinerated in the blast. How do I know that it s him, if I don t see him? How can I say goodbye? Her voice broke. Savannah didn t know if she could go on or if she wanted to go on. Revel didn t know what to say. Her throat hurt. Her mouth was dry. She had cried so much that there was no mois ture left in her body. Trying to stand up, she swayed. What do you need? Are you hungry? Hungry? No. I couldn t eat. Where s the water fountain, I m thirsty, though. Revel helped her sit back down. I ll go get you some water. He hurried from the room. Savannah couldn t sit still. Pushing up, she stood for a moment, gathering strengt h, then walked over to where Patrick lay in a closed box. All of her dreams were in that box. She had been loved. For a few precious months, she had known what it was like to be impo rtant to someone, to be cherished. With a shaking, trembling hand, she touched the casket . What now, my Love? Why did you leave me? I can t go on without you. I don t want to live one d ay on this earth without you. The men standing near weren t supposed to move, but hearing her pain caused them t o shift in sympathy. It s over. You are everything I ever wanted. What reason do I have to go on? What would Patrick want you to do? Revel asked her softly as he handed her the water. Savannah sipped it gratefully and returned the empty paper cup to him lik e a child. His words reverberated through Savannah s mind. Patrick didn t want to be forgotten. But I would never do that. Live for him, that s what he would have wanted. Come on now, we have some work to do. Flowers to order and we need to go tell Paddy. I want to bring Ciara back here. Will that be okay? And I want to stay here with him tonight. I ll sit here beside him. I want to be with him every second that I can. Her simple little requests just broke Revel s heart. I ll make it happen, don t worry. Savannah walked through the day in a daze. Agony and total, utter despair squeez

ed at her heart like a vice. To think that she would never look into his eyes again, n ever hear his voice whisper in her ear, never hold his hand never feel his touch again just ate at h er soul like acid. Of course, Savannah had no legal status. They were only engaged. Revel was the executor of the will, but he made no move without consulting her. He let her cho ose the flowers. When she made her request, the florist balked. But with Revel s special b rand of persuasion and an additional fee, a spray of blue forget-me-nots were ordered. S avannah chose the songs. Patrick had left no specific instructions, nor was he deeply religiou s, so she chose songs for herself more than anything. Bridge Over Troubled Water perfectly describ ed what he was for her. Patrick had stepped into her life and walked with her through th e storm, he had held her hand until they had passed through the turmoil and he had given her gli mpse of the life they could have shared together. Danny Boy almost brought her to her knees. She di dn t know how she would sit and listen to these two songs and maintain any sort of de corum, but she would try. Revel had suggested that he and Jayco and Hawke speak instead of bringing in som e preacher than none of them knew to say words of comfort where no comfort could b e had. But Savannah had asked for that privilege herself. It would be hard but he was her P atrick and she wanted to do it. All of the events of the past months when she had been traipsin g through cemeteries and calling out to the dead, now seemed almost blasphemous. Every one of those dead had been precious to somebody. The next time she approached an investigation, it would be with a completely different attitude. And she would because now she had the g reatest reason in the world, for the one that she loved best now resided beyond her touc h. So tomorrow, when she spoke at the service, she would be speaking to Patrick. Because she was convinced he would hear every word she was saying. When she went to the nursing home, Paddy didn t remember her. And when she tried t o tell him that Patrick had been killed in the war, he only smiled and told her th at his Patrick was sitting in the chair beside him. Savannah stared at the empty chair and hoped he was. In fact she ran a shaking finger over the back of the cushion, longing for just one touc h. Savannah told Ciara like she was telling a close relative. She had no idea if an ything she said sunk in how could it? But she told her. And Revel had cleared it with the f uneral home that the lab could be brought in to be near her master. Mechanically, Savannah got ready to go be with Patrick. Walking through her hous e

was impossible. He was everywhere. She wasn t crying anymore Savannah was frozen. She had shut down. If it wasn t for the promises she had made to him, she would have g one to say goodbye to him, then come home and shut her doors. But Revel was right; there we re things she could do. The grief was so overwhelming that thinking about doing something for Patrick seemed to help. Are you two girls ready to go? Revel s voice caused her to jump. She had gladly put him in her guest room and she would have thought hearing a man moving around the house would have given her co mfort but it didn t. Revel was a good man, but not the right man. Yes, we re ready. She wasn t ready. How could she ever be ready to let Patrick go? She placed a leash on Ciara and walked with Revel to the car. You do know that Patrick left instructions for me to give you all of his insuranc e and savings. He told me. I d say that I don t want it, that all I want is him but that would be in sulting him. Besides, I think I may have an idea. She wiped her eyes and took a deep brea th. I want Patrick to be remembered. I m going to try and think of ways to do that. Maybe I c ould use his money to start a scholarship or a memorial for those lost in service in Afghanis tan. Savannah, those are beautiful ideas. But I think he would have wanted you to use the money for yourself. There s nothing I want, she whispered softly. Just Patrick. I would never put in; it will be your money. But there s quite a bit of it and the one thing he told me, the last time we talked was that he wanted to make sure you we re taken care of. With that revelation, Savannah broke down and cried. When they arrived at the funeral home there were a few other people there. Not many. Two of them she recognized from photos that Patrick had sent. They were st anding at the casket, deep in conversation, but Revel took her over to introduce her to th em. Hey, Guys. This is Patrick s Savannah. Her heart broke anew. Savannah, this is Philip Haw ke and Jayco Johnson. Savannah held out her hand, but Jayco didn t take it. Instead he pulled her close and hugged her. Patrick was right. You are absolutely lovely. She hiccupped a sob. Hawke hugged her next. I bet you don t have any idea how much he loved you. Yes, I do. He had told me countless times and he shows me in more ways than I can count. I have no doubt about Patrick s love. There was no way she could speak in th e past tense not yet. Ciara recognized the men and she wagged her tail in greeting. Savannah watched h er carefully knowing how sensitive animals were. She fully expected the lab to reac t to Patrick s presence in the casket. Several times she had seen photographs of dogs who were allowed to come say goodbye to their soldier Masters at their funeral, so she knew what to

expect. But as much as the dog loved Patrick, she made no sign. This confused Savannah. Would you like to sit down? Revel asked, noting how pale she was. No, I want to stay close. Realizing that she needed privacy, Patrick s three friends left to mingle with the few others that had come to pay their respects. She released her hold on the leash and Ciara moved to the side of the room and sat down, facing the door. How odd. It was as if she were watching for the one person that was missing. Patrick. I know how you feel, Girl. Savannah moved two steps closer to the coffin and laid her head down on the flag . It might not be respectful, but right now patriotism wasn t her focus. I love you, she whispered. I will never, ever forget you. You are the only person in this world w ho ever loved me. Thank you for showing me how perfect life could be. She started to just sink down by the casket and huddle close to him, but she didn t want to embarrass his friends. So, she made her way to the nearest couch and curled up in the corner. And there she sat, because there was no where else in the world for her. Everything she possessed was here. ***** Hawke and Jayco sipped coffee. Should we say anything? Jayco asked. Hell, no. We don t know anything. All we have are suspicions. I don t want to even say anything to Revel. There s no use getting their hopes up if we re wrong. We can t just drop it. What if we re right? Hawke glared at his friend. I don t have any intentions of dropping it. But we don t want to end up like Patrick. Let me do some digging. I just wish I knew where he stashed that evidence he was talking about. What if we can t find it? I m not giving up, Jayco. Congressman Jeffers is a former Marine. I m going to take my theory to him and see what he can do about it. ***** The hour grew late. Revel had brought Savannah a sandwich and taken Ciara for a walk and fed her. Are you sure you don t want to go home? No, I want to stay here. Revel didn t argue with her. Instead he walked to the hall and pulled a twin size blow up mattress into the room. Savannah almost cried. Come on, Sweetie. You are tired. C ome lay next to Patrick. The honor guard had switched out several times, only she had rem ained steadfast. Again, he went out in the hall and this time he returned with a pillow and a blanket. Thank you, Revel. You are a good friend. She went to him and hugged his neck. I ll be very comfortable here by him. I couldn t have stood leaving him and goi ng home. It just wouldn t have been right. In the morning, I ll come after you bright and early so you can shower and change f or the service. But for tonight, you stay here with him. These officers will watch over you while you sleep. I don t think I can sleep, she murmured as she lay down. Ciara was reclining, also. But her eyes were still on the door.

Try, Patrick would have wanted you to rest. But this is my last few hours with him; I don t want to miss a second of it. Revel marveled at the love Savannah had for his best friend. How wonderful it mu st be to have a woman feel that way about you. Harper s face was never far from his memo ry. What he wouldn t give to be able to hold her. Death hadn t separated them, but the chasm that existed was almost as wide and deep. But he d never love another woman Harper was it for him. And that was sad, because she wouldn t see him and she wouldn t take his calls. He had lost her and he had lost his heart at the same time. And so he left Patrick s beloved lying on the floor next to the flag covered caske t that held all of her hopes and dreams. Savannah spent the next few hours in the quiet, in the near dark, being watched over by men who had done this same thing far too many times. But this was the first time they watched over both the Marine and the one he had left behind. ***** Thank you for coming, today. Patrick would be so pleased. My name is Savannah Doucet and I am Patrick s fianc. She held up her hand to show the ring as if it vind icated her right to speak. Patrick Heath O Rourke was born on May 14th 1980. He was the only child of Amanda and Stephen O Rourke. He is survived by his grandfather Patrick Seamus O Rourke. There are others that loved him. She nodded toward Revel, Hawke and Jayco. His best friend, Revel. The brave men he served with. Even the dog whose l ife he saved. And me. Patrick was raised by his grandfather after losing his parents at a young age. He graduated from Tulane University with honors. And he entered the Marines Officer s Program and rose to the rank of Captain. I have here in my hand a letter that details th e many acts of valor and heroism that Patrick performed for his country and those who were in n eed of being saved. Swallowing hard, Savannah sought to fight back tears. I was one of those people w ho needed saving. Patrick came to me like an answer to a prayer. For years I have h idden my past, but today in honor of Patrick, I want to tell you who I am. Because of Patrick s rank and the way he died, the media had come to the funeral. What a change. What once she would have hidden, now she openly confessed. And it was because what she valued had changed. No longer did she really care what people thought. The person she cared most about in the world was gone. No one else really mattered. I was bo rn in the Hansen s Disease Center at Carville, Louisiana. Both of my parents had contracted leprosy. From the very moment of my birth I was placed in foster care and I neve r knew who my parents were. As I was growing up, the facts of my birth always preceded me. And I was tried and judged and convicted of being unclean and unfit for decent people to a ssociate with. This was my life. Oh, I grew up and went to school and got a job, but alwa

ys this information would eventually leak out and the people I was around everyday would look at me differently and refuse to sit with me at lunch or walk beside me down the hall. Until Patrick. She laughed and smiled. He was convinced that I was his destiny. We actually both had a strange experience that substantiated that belief. The night before we met , a fortune teller told me that the next day I would meet the warrior who would become my husband a nd Patrick had taken part in a childish game when he was thirteen, helping some little girl s look in a deep well of water at midnight in the hope of seeing the face of their future husband . They didn t see anything, but when he looked he saw me. Despite every effort, she began to cry. An d he was my destiny. We might not have had very long together, but he was the first p erson that ever loved me. He was the first person who ever held me and told me that I was worthw hile and beautiful. Patrick O Rourke loved me with all his heart and I will love him, despe rately, till the day I die. Revel got up to stand beside her. He was prepared to walk her back to the front so the service could proceed. But Savannah wasn t through. Just another second, please. He stepped aside. Patrick s life wasn t nearly long enough, but that doesn t negate the fa ct that he made a difference in this world. He fought for freedom, he saved lives, he took care of his grandfather, he was a good friend to many of you and he was my all in all. I did n t have him very long, but I will never, ever forget him. It is my plan to establish a Patri ck O Rourke Freedom Scholarship at the high school and put funds aside to build a memorial t o fallen Marines who have served in Afghanistan and Iraq. Patrick O Rourke did not die in v ain. He mattered to me and I will miss him every day of my life. With that, Revel helped her to the chair and he sat beside her while bagpipes pl ayed Amazing Grace and the guards ceremoniously folded the flag. They brought it to R evel, but he indicated that she should have it. When Savannah touched the cloth, the finality of it all just slapped her in the face. A searing, tearing agony tore through her insides and s he was left feeling raw and completely desolate. Trembling, she stood while the casket was r olled out and Revel, Jayco and Hawke walked with her to the family car. Ciara calmly walked be side them. It wasn t far to the cemetery and before long they were standing next to the O Rourke family vault. Burials in southern Louisiana were all above ground due to the hig h water table. The bleached white crypts and mausoleums created rows like streets so the cemeteries were often called cities of the dead . Stoically she stood while Patrick s casket was slipped into the stone enclosure. When the door shut, she felt a knife-like pain slice throug

h her heart. Over and over again she kept hoping that she was asleep and any moment she would wake up and find Patrick lying beside her. But it wasn t going to happen, she knew that. Revel went over to talk to Jayco and Hawke and for a few seconds she was alone. Stepping over to the flower spray she had chosen, she broke off a sprig o f the forget-me-nots. Patrick, I miss you so much. I refuse to give you up. Please don t leave me. I want to talk with you. I want to see you, again. Come to me. The words she spoke were whispered like a prayer. When she turned around, the three men who were imp ortant to Patrick stood nearby. Hawke and Jayco had come to say goodbye. She waited for th em to say something about what she had said, but they didn t. Perhaps they hadn t heard or may be they were too polite to say so. Call us if you need anything, Jayco took her hand and s queezed it. Hawke was bolder. He kissed her on the cheek. Revel here is going to take good ca re of you. I ll be back in the states in a few months, but if you ll take my calls, I d l ove to see how you re doing every once in a while. Thank you, I would love to keep up with all of you. She tried to put a smile on he r face, but it was hard. Come on, it s time to get you home. There s nothing else we can do here. Revel put a hand on her elbow to lead her away. Savannah let her fingers trail over the plac e where Patrick lay. This wasn t goodbye. This was merely farewell, for just a little while. In the car, on the way home, it came to her the perfect way she could keep her p romise to Patrick. There was one thing she could do that would insure his name lived on . Revel, Patrick made me his beneficiary, correct? Yes, he did. And that covers everything he owns, right? Yes, it does. Revel didn t know what she was getting at. You are to receive all of hi s possessions none are held back. Good, she felt a small measure of peace. I want access to his sperm deposit. I want to get pregnant with Patrick s baby. Chapter Eight The long white curtains billowed into the room as they caught the breeze from of f the bayou. Savannah sighed in her sleep, rolled over and pulled the covers up tighte r under her chin. A small smile played upon her lips. She was happy. Savannah, I m home! Savannah threw back the covers and bounded from the bed. Patrick didn t even make it through the door before she launched herself in his arms. Thank God! I ve missed yo u so! Their kiss was inevitable; Savannah couldn t get close enough to him to satisfy he r longing. His tongue swept across her lips, teasing and probing until she sighed with longing which parted her lips and he slipped inside. It was a gentle kiss a sweet kiss, but one that held

a promise of ecstasy to come. Come to bed with me. I need you. I knew it. You only want me for my body. You d better believe it. I m starved for you. With abandon, she began tearing at his clothes. It began with Savannah taking the lead, but Patrick exerted his dominan ce in a heartbeat. I m all you need. No one will ever love you like I do. She didn t argue with him. He pulled her toward him, fitting her body flush against his. There was no missing his desire for her; it was hard and thick against her middle. I want you in my bed, forever. Forc ing her to walk backwards with his body, Savannah landed on the bed with a little bounce. Patrick! The lab turned her head to look at the woman who had called out in her sleep. Sh e watched a moment, but when her mistress giggled softly, and relaxed, Ciara went back to her constant vigil. She stood at the window and watched the road waiting. He leaned over her, an unmistakable burning hunger in his eyes. Take off that gown. Now. Yes, Sir. God, she loved it when he took control. With one movement, she whisked i t over her head, bearing her body to his gaze and hands. The anticipation of his t ouch made her quiver. She wanted him more than oxygen. Leaning over, he put his hand between her legs and slowly rubbed her tender opening. Is this where you want me? Yes. She reached up to pull him closer, needing more kisses, more touches more contact. I want you to make love to me. I want you inside me. Strip. Who s in charge here? he chuckled. Me. Do you have a problem with that? As he shed his shirt, Savannah almost salivated with lust. Hell, no! Do I look crazy to you? No, When he took his pants off, Savannah sighed. You look scrumptious. Scrumptious? I think it s you who looks good enough to eat. He began kissing her face her nose, her forehead, her eyelids, each cheek. Little moans of need escap ed Savannah s lips. Moving on to her neck, he nibbled and sucked and kissed, biting at the ten der flesh she realized he intended to leave his mark on her. I m going to love you like no other woman has been loved. I m going to worship your body. You ll never ever want another man but m e. Savannah clutched the bottom sheet, writhing in ecstasy. Turning toward his side of the bed, she clutched his pillow to her face and whispered his name. Patrick. No, I ll never want anyone but you. Arching her back, she fed him her breasts. With mind-blowing technique, he loved on her breasts kissing and licking and sucking until she was begging. Please, I m crazy with wanting you. Love me, Patrick. He spread her legs an d came closer, but he didn t enter her not yet, and she was panting with desire. I do love you. Always will. Always. With the most erotic gesture she could imagine , he licked a path from the center of her cleavage south south over her midsection , down past her belly button almost to the place where she needed him the most. Oh my God! Savannah wailed. If he didn t touch her clit soon she would just expire from desperate lust. Be patient, Love, he smiled at her with that patented cocky Patrick grin.

But then everything changed a drawing, cold, harsh tornadic wind pulled Patrick from the bed and ripped him from her arms. Patrick! she screamed, reaching out for him. Savannah! I m sorry. Forget me never, Savannah! Remember me! Savannah sat up with a gasp. In her confusion, she looked around for Patrick. No! she wailed. Ciara padded over to the bed with big sad eyes. He was gone. God, he was gone. Patrick her Patrick was dead. He had never come home. With a broken-hearte d cry, Savanna curled into a small ball and wept her heart out. She was alone. ***** Time passed. Savannah learned how to be alone, again. She moved his picture from her bedside table, but she hadn t moved it very far. It was in the nightstand drawer and she still looked at it every night before going to sle ep. That move typified everything in her existence she had moved Patrick from the fore-front o f her life, but she hadn t moved him very far. He was still very much with her. Sleep was a precious commodity. Because when she slept, she dreamed. At first th e dreams had just been reliving the precious moments they had shared. Later her su bconscious began creating new memories of how things should have turned out. Once she dream ed about going with him to Galveston. They had never discussed it, but she had always fan tasized about renting one of the beach cabins. It would have been an incredible place for a ho neymoon. As her loneliness increased and reality set in - the phantasms changed. No longe r were they happy or comforting, instead she began to hear and see and feel Patrick suf fering. Savannah would wake up in a cold sweat, trembling, because Patrick was screaming her name . He seemed to be in pain. Savannah! God, Baby, I m holding on. Don t forget me, Savannah, don t fo rget me! I won t never, I ll forget you never! she would cry. Four or five nights a week, she would toss and turn seeing images of him tied up , hands over his head as someone whipped him or beat him. Why was she torturing herself like this? Savannah could find no explanation for the nocturnal visions she was having. But every night, it was more of the same. Sometimes she d hear other voices yelling his name, and she d see a dark, dank place that made her think of a dungeon. God, she didn t know how she would en dure this if Patrick couldn t be in this world, she wanted him to be in heaven. Since the nightmare of his funeral, everything had changed, and even though her world was irreparably broken, a few good things did emerge from the sorrow. The statem ent she had made in front of the reports about her parents and the disease they had suffered from had spawned surprising results. In the ensuing months, she had been interviewed a do zen times. In some ways she had become a spokesman for Hansen s disease. Several documentaries h ad been

made and because of the publicity, she had been called on to take part. The dire ctor of the museum located at Carville had finally responded to her request and invited her to come and visit, and she had every intention of going. Maybe she would find out informatio n on her parents, plus she felt compelled to perform a paranormal investigation while she was there. The plans she had set into motion to fulfill her promises to Patrick were beginn ing to take shape. The local high school had accepted her donation to set up a scholarship i n his name and each year one student would be selected who had a desire to further his educatio n, but not the means. The city council of St Martinville had agreed to erect a memorial for Pat rick and other fallen Marines, but no location had been chosen yet. And as for her other idea w ell, that had taken some effort and a lot of money and a lot of time. But after three and a ha lf years, she finally had what she had fought for, for so long. A whine from Patrick s lab caused her to jump a bit. What do you hear, Girl? Is it the mailman? Ciara answered her with a soft bark. Well, let s go see. She bounced up at h er normal speed and quickly put a hand to her head. Oh, I can t do that anymore. Yuck. I feel a little dizzy and nauseous. Morning sickness sucks! Maybe she needed to eat more. Food had little appeal to her now, but she knew ea ting healthy for the baby was paramount. Her baby. Lord, she loved him so much alread y. A cold nose was pushed into her palm and Savannah gave the lab a reassuring pat. I m okay. Just give me a minute. How strange. For three years, Patrick s dog had all but ignored h er. No matter what she had tried, the animal had given her only cursory attention. Inst ead, Ciara had stood vigilant at the front door and watched for a master who never came home. Something about Ciara had changed. In the past month, Patrick s faithful companion had mellowed toward her big time. Seldom now did she leave Savannah s side except to gaze down the lonely road toward town. A thought struck Savannah that brought her up short. Could Ciara sense that she was pregnant? With Patrick s child? Surely not. Do you think our package came today? Gracious! If anyone was eavesdropping they would think she was losing her mind. Other than work, the only conversations she had nowadays were to a dog and to whatever spirit she could coerce into listening to her. That was okay, though. Frankly, she was tired of having to try and explain her decisions to Tammany and the girls. They thought she was nuts. And Revel hadn t been too happy with her, ei ther. Yes, she realized she had spent every dime she had. And yes, she knew that her health was probably damaged from enduring thee pregnancies and three miscarriages but God had been m erciful and the last chance effort had paid off. She was going to be a mother. If the new ghost hunting equipment came today, we ll try it out tonight. I ll take yo

u with me to the cemetery and maybe we ll capture that one voice we ve both longed to hear. Another wave of sadness swamped her. She paused for a second, fighting for composure. When she thought she could go on without crying she set off again. Ta king one step, Savannah caught her toe on a large book, almost tripping. Foot! Looking down , she saw one of her reference texts had slid off the shelf underneath her desk and la nded in her path. That was strange. It was the one book that she hadn t had the courage to ope n in a long time. With careful moves due to her queasy stomach, she bent down to pick up the large volume. The Seven Ships oh, Lord the memories! Perhaps it was time to start incl uding the Acadian Memorial in her volunteer schedule again. It would be hard, but she coul dn t avoid every place that held memories of Patrick. The last time she had used this book was to help him find information on his possible ancestors. Savannah should have used both hands, but one was holding on to her rebellious abdomen that seemed to be trying to imitate the rocking of a boat on water. So w hen she grasped the book and lifted it, the weighty text slipped from her fingers and la nded at her feet and a dried sprig of Forget-Me-Not flowers fell out. Oh, Patrick! A sob tore from her throat and she sank to the floor retrieving the pressed flowers he had given her the fi rst time they met. For a few minutes, she just knelt there and let the memories wash over her. Would it ever get any easier? Savannah wrapped her arms around herself tightly and made her way to the front door. I m okay, she assured the dog who walked so closely to her that it seemed to S avannah that Ciara was trying to support both of their weights. That s the only way I can b e with him now, I have to remember. She had become a master at reliving the moments they had shared. And since her nights were filled with confusing and horrifying images of him, she made sure she preserved his memory every way she could. During their time together, P atrick had told her what he had been thinking and how he had felt so now her dreams were two-dimensional, she could experience their love and closeness over and over aga in. God, a psychiatrist would have a field day with her. Opening the front door, she stepped out onto her front sidewalk. The lab bounded out into the yard and scattered a small flock of black birds. It was a crisp autumn day for Louisiana which meant the humidity and heat were finally dissipating and the pro mise of cooler weather was on its way. Patrick had loved her house and as she walked to the mailbox, she could still see him throwing a Frisbee to his dog, cutting her grass and cha sing her around the yard they had played like children. God, she missed him. It s here! She pulled the small package from the collection of mail and waved it at the dog. I can t wait to try this out, Ciara. We might even get Harley to let us come b

ack to Willowbend and see what more we can learn from her spirits. When Savannah had met Harley Montoya, she had made a friend. Making her way back into the house, she hurriedl y unwrapped the contraption and sat down to inspect it. Oh, this is going to be fun. She read the small brochure about how the box had been used and what to expect. This is what she had needed at Evermore. Investigating Patrick s former home had b een hard. At first she had been reluctant to do so. But Jeremy and Garrison had conv inced her. It was a night she wasn t likely to forget. She could still remember ever detail . . . . When they had first contacted her about the filming, Jeremy and Garrison, they h ad appealed to her ego. Are you kidding? Of course we want you with us. You re a regul ar spirit magnet. None of our other episodes have even come close to having the rat ings that we ve had when Southern Belle Savannah was with us. Jeremy was quite persuasive. The Grove episode and the Broussard house you helped us with were actually nominated for awards. And the evidence we recorded was out of this world! Where will we be investigating? Just exactly where you wanted it to be, we aim to please. Evermore? Exactly. Savannah knew then that she couldn t turn it down Evermore. The chance to contact Felix, and even Patrick, was just too important to pass up. They had requested t hat she send them some information and she had. Evermore was a fascinating place. The PROOF a udience was going to love it. It was the most intact plantation in the South with thirty -seven buildings including twenty two slave cabins still standing from when Evermore was a workin g sugar cane plantation. Savannah thought it was the most beautiful of all the plantations. The Doric col umns, the wide double galleries, and the two huge winding double stairways reminded he r of a palace fit for Cinderella to leave her glass slipper. She so regretted that she didn t ge t the chance to dress up and go somewhere with Patrick. Oh how handsome he would have looked in his dress uniform or a tux. He would have put her to shame, but she would have tried to lo ok her best and she would have been as proud as punch of him. They had arrived before dark on Halloween night. And all Savannah could think ab out was that she was walking where Patrick had grown up. She could see him everywher e. He had talked lovingly about exploring the pegionniers or dovecotes where the original owners had housed pigeons which had been available for ready-made meals and they produced g ood fertilizer for their flower gardens. We need to really check out the garconieries . They were built as dwellings for a family s young boys lots of risqu activities, I understand .

Jeremy got a laugh out of that. You mean they had a special house for that? Well, I don t know about that, but my fianc grew up here in the caretaker s house and he spent the night in one of these and he encountered the spirit of a little boy named Felix. Damn! A full body apparition? That s better than sex. Savannah didn t think so, but she could see his point. Yes, and he talked to Patrick. He said the people who lived in the plantation house were mean to him. A mystery! Garrison was excited at the news. I d like to help him if we could. Even after the heartbreak of losing Patrick, she n ever had forgotten the lonely little boy of Evermore. PROOF had brought their equipment trucks, vans and a crew of five in addition to Garrison and Jeremy. When they headed down to the slave cabins, she had asked curiously. What s going on? She had expected for them to set up near the main house. We re spending the night in the cabins. We ll start out in the main house, but we ll end up here. Tell us what you ve found out and where you think we should concentrate in addition to the garconieries. Savannah had her information ready. She had talked to some of the locals and rea d a few diaries at the Cultural Center. There are a few things we can watch for. One is the apparition of a young school teacher who died here. She played the piano and som e have heard music coming from the empty house. Others have heard weird laughter emanating fr om the second floor balcony. Well, that gives us something to focus on. They began gathering up their gear. Swarms of mosquitoes made them stop and apply some spray and a squeal from one of the female crew members had them all running to her. What s wrong, Shelley? Do you see something? Yes, a snake! One man stopped another from killing it. Don t, it s not poisonous. That s a king snake. I d rather face a ghost any day than a snake. Shelley was still unnerved. I know how you feel. Savannah agreed. The slave cabins were amazing. She could almost feel the weight of yesterdays an d the despair of being a captive of circumstances. In some ways, she could relate. But there was one place she wanted to see more than any other. The well. Should she tell the crew? She considered it for a moment. No, she couldn t. It was just too private. There was n o way she would want to share her grief with the world. But she couldn t resist seeing it. I think I ll take a walk. How much time do we have before we start filming? About half an hour, Jeremy was checking the batteries in his thermal camera. I ll go with you, Shelley grabbed a flashlight. You don t mind do you? I just hope we don t run into anymore snakes. Savannah wanted to tell her that she d rather be alone, but she couldn t do it. It j ust wasn t in her to be rude. Sure, let s go. They walked on down the road between the great rows of oak trees. Don t you just lo ve these trees? It makes the most magical alleyway. Shelley followed about two steps behind. Yes, I do love them. Very much. Savannah had her mind on other things like would tonight be the night she d make contact with Patrick? She turned left at the mill pond.

You have a destination in mind, don t you? Yes, I had a friend who used to live here. He told me about a well dug by slaves. I wanted to see it. That explanation seemed to satisfy the other girl. Wow, look at that! They came upon the brick structure standing starkly in the moonlight. It is kind of impressive, isn t it? Patrick told me an old shaman blessed the water. She walked u p to it and laid a hand on the bricks. They were still warm from the day s sunlight. Do you know what we ought to do? There was a mischievous excitement in Shelley s voice. It s Halloween! Have you ever heard the old wife s tale about looking in a wel l and seeing the face of your future husband? You ve heard about that? An odd feeling of dj vu washed over Savannah. I sure have, the other way is to hold up a hand mirror and look into another mirr or behind you. Of course that has to be done in the dark, lit by a candle and like this way, it must be done on All Hallows Eve. All very scientific, I assure you. Savannah had to laugh, even though the familiar tender ache was still there. I am familiar with the one about looking in the well. Let s do it. She went to the curb and began to push. Help me. Savannah stepped up. Be careful. Let s aim it at that shelf behind it; I think that s where it s supposed to go. It took some huffing and puffing, but they managed to do it. Now what? She couldn t muster up any enthusiasm; after all, she had lost her soul mate. Savannah had no intention of ever marrying anyone. I ll go first. Shelley hung over the side so far that Savannah grabbed onto her belt buckle. Ooohh, it s dark down here. But I can see the moon over my shoulder. Listen to this, cause you re gonna want to say it to. My grandmother saw granddad in the well and this is what she said. Love of my life show your face. Let me see you at this magical tim e and place. May the future come to light while the moon shines bright. Shelley giggled Or something like that. I forget the exact words. At least it rhymed. Both girls went quiet and Shelley stared into the waters. Look! Her voice was quavering with emotion. Do you see what I see? Savannah looked over into the water. At first she didn t see anything. Gradually h er eyes adjusted and it seemed she could see something reflected in the dark surfac e. What am I seeing? You re seeing my childhood friend, Chris Evans, that s who you re seeing. Shelley strained to lean further over, holding herself up on her forearms. What are you d oing in my well-spell, Chris? I presume you were expecting someone else. That s putting it mildly. Chris made my childhood miserable, grumbled. And if you think I m going to marry you, you ve got another think coming, Mister! Savannah held the other girl around the waist. Be careful. If you fall in, you wo n t be marrying anybody. She stared down in the water, but the reflection that she saw w as unsteady and wavy. It could have been anybody. Yet, the longer she stared, the clearer it became. What in the world?

Savannah blinked and looked again. A wedge of tears formed in her throat. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, she was staring into Patrick s face. Her Patrick. Why? Balling up her fists, she wanted to rail at whatever malicious power was playing tricks with he r mind. Dashing the tears from her eyes to clear her vision, she couldn t tear her eyes away. Just look at his smirky expression, like I would ever even consider going out wit h you. Obviously they weren t seeing the same image. But Patrick s face was becoming clearer. It was him yet different. He was thinner and had a scar on his right cheek. Surely, it was her imagination. Hey, what are you two doing? Garrison leaned over the well and his reflection obscured Patrick s face. Nothing, just a silly game, she answered before Shelley could say anything. Well, it s time let s go ghost-hunting. With one last look, she pulled herself away, not sure of what she d seen in the da rk waters of the well. The night had been one of the best PROOF had ever had. Several unexplainable thi ngs happened. A candle was thrown across the floor of one of the bedrooms and they w ere lucky enough to get it on film. Jeremy also recorded a couple of really good EVP s and o ne of the voices even called Garrison by name. But Savannah did not record any type of ima ge or voice that could be construed as Patrick. Where was he? Despair made her just want to run and keep on running. But there was one highlight of the evening. Felix. At her request, they had allo wed Savannah to be alone in one of the graconieries. She had a digital recorder, a t hermal camera and a video camera sat up to record her efforts. And she was nervous, she couldn t deny that. PROOF did these types of segments in the black dark. The only light she had was from the cameras. Can anyone hear me? Is there anyone here? Felix? Patrick? She hoped n o one asked her an explanation. Of course, they knew about Patrick but she didn t ta lk about it with them. For several long minutes there was no noise other than the click of the camera a nd the loud beating of her heart. Are you lonely? Are you afraid? A bump over in the corner made Savannah jump. Hello? She aimed the thermal camera in that direction and a soft blue glow took her bre ath away. Patrick? No. A small child s voice sent goosebumps skittering across her skin. Felix? The glow moved toward her mere inches, but it moved. My name is Savannah. I have heard about you. Patrick, the little boy that used to live here he told me about you. Patrick? Yes. I want my mama. Savannah s heart broke for the little boy. Felix, Honey you don t have to stay

here. Your mama is waiting for you. No, she s gone. The mean man in the big house, he sent her away. She s waiting for you Felix. Do you see a light? Your light? That confused her until she realized he could see her equipment. No, a big light. How could she describe something she had never seen and didn t even know if she believed existed. If you see a light that makes you feel good to look at it, walk toward it. I m afraid of the light. Don t be. I think your mama may be in the light. Please help him, she prayed. She didn t know what she was asking for but if there was a benevolent God, surely he never intended for a little lost soul to wander all alone for eternity. Felix, Honey. Can you hear me? Yes. Look at the light and tell me what you see. There was silence. A man. A man? What man? She wanted to cry out for Patrick, but she didn t want to scare the little boy. Funny. She didn t want to scare the ghost. What had her world beco me? Daddy! Such joy she had never heard! In one word, Felix told her everything she needed to hear. And then he was gone. Savannah sat there for a few moments before she got up to go outside. She was in shock and happy all at the same time. One of the crew met her and she had to ask. Did y ou get all of that? His answer flabbergasted her. No, we heard your voice but there wasn t anything els e at all. No light? No voice? Nothing. Savannah wondered at her sanity. Maybe her constant grief over Patrick had pushe d her too far. A small dinging of a bell made her jump. She had an email. Instantly, she felt a n echo of the thrill she would get when she would hear that sound and know that it coul d be from Patrick. Laying her head back on the couch, she allowed herself to be transporte d back to that magical time of discovery when they had fallen in love online. How they had enjo yed one another! And the secrets they had shared! When he had finally returned on leave, their romance had been a whirlwind because they had laid the foundation daily in email s and texts. And the times they had made love!! She would never know that joy again. I mages from a happier day filled her mind. Sometimes it had been almost impossible to look him in the eye. The intensity an d desire she would see and all of it aimed at her could be overwhelming. You re insanely beautiful. He edge closer. "Hey, Savannah, look at me. Savannah couldn t help it; she bounced a little with excitement. "I m looking, you j ust make me nervous, that s all." She reached her hand out for him.

Damn, I just have no control when it comes to you. He took her much smaller hand i n his. Come here, Baby." The smile on her face waned and for one moment, Savannah knew she must look like a deer in the headlights. Patrick jerked her towards him. His lips came down hard on hers, smooching and sucking at her lips. You are so soft and sweet, so kissable. I want more than kisses. Savannah was feeling brave. How much more? Everything you ve got. "Fuck! Savannah backed up to the wall and Patrick kicked the door shut behind him. He stood, towering over her, her palms against the wall. There's a single i nch between their tense bodies and nothing more. Savannah looked up at him wordlessly; her c hest expanding and collapsing in deep breaths. Give me your hands. She took them off the wall and he took both of them in one of his and brought them over her head pinning them to the wa ll. She breathed his name in a hushed tone. "Patrick." Patrick held her hip. I love to touch this perfect stomach of yours. Savannah shuddered as he let the ti p of his fingers glide from the top of her mound to her breast. You re smooth, soft, per fect. Patrick, Savannah purred. "Shhhhh." Another shudder and she looked down at the light grasp he had on her right breas t. She filled her lungs, which pushed her tit into his hand; he rewarded her effort wit h a thumb rub over her nipple. There was no more purring, Savannah was full on panting and she buck ed her hips off the wall to meet Patrick s crotch and the growing erection imprisoned inside h is jeans. He squeezed her wrists tighter and moved them up the wall, lifting her up even h igher then her high heels already had. Damn, you re hot. You could cook a potato between us with the heat we generate. He looked down at her body and saw the slit in her dress. Go d, I can t resist you. His free hand wandered there and settled in nicely on the bulge of he r mound. I'm gonna make you feel so good. Savannah felt the heat radiate off her pussy in waves. She was already wet. Damn, Patrick." He laughed, as if he couldn t help it. Anytime you cuss at me, I know you re so turne d on you can t stand it. He kissed her pouting lips. Now, shhhhh. Quiet my Savannah," he said, not bothering to look back up at her. Patrick s words silenced her, but she began to vibrate. He flipped the skirt aside and spread her legs apart a few more inches. Purr. Savannah bucked her hips one more time and her mound made contact with his hand. He glanced back up at her and fit his mouth over hers. Her tongue split his lips an d swirled around

his. The kiss was slow, but forceful, telling him how bad she wanted him inside of her. When he opened his eyes she was staring at him. Still playing with her beneath her dress, he felt the garter belt she had on and slipped a finger behind it. You re so unbelievably sexy; I should have known you d have on some thing like this. I bought it for you. Never owned anything like it before. Patrick groaned. My cock just went to a whole other level of hardness. Shit, I ma y pop the button on my pants. He nudged his erection into her softness. I can't take it anymore; I need to feel your pussy. He pulled back from the kiss, but Savannah bit his botto m lip gently and he went back in for more. Hooking a finger into her underwear to pull it asi de, he grazed her swollen clit in the process. Oh, fuck," she said again, and Patrick took the opportunity to pull his face back. He rubbed the wet lips between her legs and she whimpered, t ossed her head to the side and bit the air. "Oh, fuck is right, Savannah Baby. I want to tear every article of clothing from your body, lift you up and impale you on my dick, but I've lusted after a taste of yo ur sweet pussy all day and that has to come first. His words made her shiver. Patrick pulled her off the wall and scooped her up into his arms. You re so tiny; it s like you re not even here. I m here, she assured him. Thank God. The bed was entirely too far away so he opted for the desk. Just let me put your perfect ass down right here. She reached for his belt. Patrick took her hand off if it. Not yet, Savannah." He pushed her back until she was lying down and he went to his knees. Anticipati on made her shake and she gripped the side of the desk so hard her knuckles were white. I m so glad I m the only one who has ever done this to you. It makes this pussy all mine. He flip ped up her skirt and planted a kiss on her inner thigh. "Ohhhh," she moaned softly and slapped the desktop. Patrick kissed his way up to her satin covered treasure and licked the moist fab ric of her underwear, she smelled like the sweetest candy he licked her again. Savannah bucked again and he had to place a firm hand on her tummy just to keep her still. "Take me, Patrick," she begged. He ignored her pleas and tore her underwear in two like wet paper. A second late r his tongue was on her pussy. Cream for me, Baby. I could lap at you for days and stil l want more. He flicked her clit a few times just to make her squirm and the sexy landin g strip she had tickled his nose. Savannah squirmed and he moved further south licking every inch of her lips on the way down. Your slit is so tiny that I have to force my tongue into yo u. That s why my cock loves you so much. She clamped down on his tongue and he swirled it insid e her.

"Oh God, Patrick!" "Cum for me, Savannah." "Yes. Yes." She climbing the mountain fast and released his tongue from her grasp. Patrick l icked back up her clit and wrapped both hands around her thighs and pulled her tight t o him. She reached down between her legs and tried to grab his hair, but it was too short f or her to get a grip. "Oh God!!" Savannah came hard, grinding her pussy into his face. It was a struggle for Patr ick to keep her pinned to the desk she thrashed around so hard. "Ohhhhhhhhh God!! Yesss sssssss!!!" He held her tight, peppering her inner thigh with soft kisses while she came dow n, using the time to free his hard cock from his pants. Savannah looked down at him, skin glowing, struggling to regain her breath. I could lick you again right now, but I need to be inside you. He pulled her up off the desk. She wrapped her arms and legs around him and he carried her to the bed. As he wa lked with her, she could feel his stiff cock rubbing in the wetness between her legs. The sensation made her moan and she kissed his neck with abandon. Patrick put her down on the floor and she stood there looking at him just waiting. He bent over kissed her neck, then instructed. "Bend over." Not waiting for her to obey, he turned her around and pushed her onto all fours on the bed. You have the most perfect ass. I could cum just from looking at your ass. "What are you waiting for, Baby?" she asked, looking back over her shoulder at him. Patrick stepped in behind her and grasped his cock. He rubbed the tip over her lips and she arched her back for him. "I will never tire of doing this. You are my woman. Right?" "Lord, yes. Now fuck me, Patrick. Give me every inch." He spanked his cock against her ass before putting the tip inside and she drove back against him forcefully, accepting every inch deep inside of her. "Oh, God!!!" he bellowed. I wanted to tease you so more, but I can t. It feels too good. She slammed back against him one more time and then put her pussy to work. "Shit, Savannah. He exhaled in ecstasy. She buried her face in the pillow and wig gled her hips back and forth. Grabbing her hips, he pounded away at her furiously. She screamed into the open air. "Oh, God!!!" Feel good? Positioning his cock, he pushed in, letting it slide slowly in all the way then out then in. He did this about five times before he groaned, I m gonna cum! iving to maintain control, he kept the same slow methodical pace until he couldn t. The force of his orgasm ripped through his body like a tornado and Patrick lost control of his bo dy, violently convulsing. Savannah! he bellowed. He pulled out, collapsing forward on her back, too weak-kneed to keep his balance, amazed that tiny Savannah could hold his weight. She lifted her head up off the pillow and turned her head to kiss him.

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"I love you, Patrick." "I love you too, baby." Patrick kissed the side of her mouth, then rolled off of her and collapsed on th e bed. "That was amazing," he told her. "You are amazing." She smiled at him tenderly a nd then rested her head on his chest like it had been there a thousand times before and would be there a thousand times in the future. ***** Gradually, Savannah came out of her trance like state. She wasn t unaware of the danger. It wasn t healthy for her to exist so much in the past. Years of lonelines s and grief had left her but a shell of who she used to be. If it wasn t for the baby and her prom ise to Patrick, she would rather just drift off into the sea of forgetfulness. Another email ale rt made her rouse from the couch, put down her new ghost hunting equipment and move to get her lap top. Ciara was back at her post, looking out the door. Really, they were two of a kind. Bot h of them clung to yesterday and refused to face tomorrow. Why don t you come sit with me awhile, Girl? All her invitation garnered her was a sideways doggy glance of patient disr egard. Oh, well. Settling back into the corner of the sofa, Savannah opened the computer and clic ked on her account. And what she saw literally made her heart stop beating in her chest . She had mail, but who it was from was totally shocking and totally impossible. It was from Patrick. With trembling hands, Savannah clicked the email open and read it as her whole w orld screeched to a complete and utter standstill. My Savannah How I have longed for you. Do you still love me? Am I welcome? I will come to you if heaven permits. Forget me never, Savannah. I love you. Patrick Patrick? she whispered as tears rolled down her cheeks. She didn t know what to think. Was this some cruel joke? Was someone playing a horrible trick on her? Wh y now? Why wait three years? Savannah got up and paced the floor. Amazing, confusi ng thoughts were pounding through her head like a herd of wild horses. A rush of na usea had her running for the restroom. Barely making it, she sank down in front of the toilet and dry-heaved until her tears were splashing into the bowl below. A whimper from Ciara made he r raise her head. It s okay. I m okay, Girl. That s wasn t exactly true. The pain of loss knifed throu gh her afresh, she hadn t hurt like this since the day word came that Patrick had bee n killed in Afghanistan. Resting her head on the crook of her arm, Savannah wiped the moisture from her eyes. Thinking hard, she tried to come up with a logical explanation. There were internet email services that allowed you to leave messages for your friends to be released afte r death but it had been three years! Besides, Patrick was not the type of person that would hav

e done something like that. He would have known how much a gesture like that would have hurt her. And he never wanted to hurt her. Patrick O Rourke had loved her with all his heart. She never, ever doubted that. A harsh breath escaped her lungs, a sob that ended with a whispered prayer. Oh, Patrick. I miss you so. Steadying herself by holding the seat, Savannah stood. An other thought barreled into her consciousness followed by yet another. What if it were supernatural? What if Patrick was finally contacting her just like she had beggi ng him to for years? In her paranormal research there were records of communication from beyond the g rave by haunting telephone calls or voices caught in the night on digital recorder. E ven the Frank s box that she had left haphazardly on the couch was a way of luring the dead to s peak a final word to the living. Could an email be any more miraculous than those things? All of t hese ways were spirit communications using some type of energy electrical or otherwise. Wa s a computer any different? But the most miraculous possibility of all was the one she clung to with every f iber of her being. Could Patrick be alive? Honestly, she was afraid to hope. She needed her friend. Making her way to the telephone, she placed a call to the one person tha t she knew would understand. Harley, this is Savannah. Do you think I could come over tonigh t? I really need to talk to somebody. Of course you can, I ll put on a pot of coffee. Ever since she had been called to investigate the haunting at Willowbend Plantat ion, she and Harley had been fast friends. Ciara, let s go. Shaking literally shaking with ne rves, Savannah loaded the black lab in the car and drove the few miles to Breaux Bridg e. Almost afraid to consider what was going on, she made her mind think of other things. Both her cottage and Harley s refurbished plantation home set on the banks of the Teche. And today, she needed to sit by its soothing waters more than ever. Harle y s home was called Willowbend. It was a showplace and very haunted. The spirits that resided there were left over from pre-civil war times. A slave mistress and her children had been m urdered for no reason other than being who they were. What fascinated Savannah was that it was an intelligent haunting; the spirits actually communicated with those who attempted to reach th em. Some hauntings were just stains on a location left over from some traumatic event tha t forever warped the very essence of a place. She had been lucky enough to see a residual hauntin g, as it was called. When she had been trying to run from Patrick s memory, she had taken a tri p to the East Coast and found herself drawn to go to Gettysburg. There, on a misty spring morn ing, she had witnessed something few ever have. She had been alone with no camera so it wasn t

something she could even tout as proof, but she had seen it and it had changed h er life forever. Back in those days, grieving for Patrick had stolen her ability to slee p. So, she had been at the park early, before any of the normal tourist traffic had begun to fl ow. Meandering through the park, she had stopped at the wheat field. The Wheatfield. This one l ittle spot of ground had seen one of the bloodiest battles of the war. Gettysburg itself was a cataclysmic event where fifty thousand died in three days and the wheatfield had been change d from a plot of golden grain to a tangled bloodsoaked piece of ground that would forever bear th e mark of death and agony and grief at the extinguishment of so many young lives who would never know what it was like to breathe or love or live again. She had been standing beside her c ar, drinking a cup of coffee when off to her right a shout had echoed out of the silence. From out of the woods a group of soldiers on horses had emerged. She could see the insects that took fli ght out of the grass from the stomping of the horse hoofs. Savannah could hear their voices as they made conversation, she could see their dusty uniforms of grey. One had even looked ov er at her and she had half expected him to lift his hand in salute. At first she had thought t o be seeing re-enactors, it happened fairly often on special days she had been told. Lifting her hand in greeting, she presumed she was speaking to a business executive or a lawyer or a mechanic who laid aside his everyday life to take part in a time of immersion in a day and wa y of life that was long gone. Until they disappeared right in front of her eyes. One moment they we re there, she could hear the horses snorting and see the wheat part as they rode through i t and the next moment they were gone. Completely. She hadn t run or fainted or screamed in terror. Savannah had felt a peace and assurance that death was not the end, that those who lived and loved and died survived somewhere just beyond where our eyes could see. God, she longed to find that place. And that was the reason she so desperately sought answers in the hunt for sprits. Because she was hunting one in particular. Savannah was always trying to contact Patrick. She just wanted to tell him that she loved him one more time. As she parked, she saw Beau and Harley walking hand and hand toward her from dow n near the bayou. Getting out to join them, she brought in her totebag that contai ned her laptop and the Frank s box. Ciara stayed close. If it was up to the dog, they would never leave the safety of the house. Savannah, it s good to see you! Savannah had to smile. They looked so happy together. She knew they had gone through a tough time. Harley had been the target of a madman and Beau had moved heaven and earth to protect her. Now she had semi-retired from her EOD firm and was serving as a

consultant only this made Beau a happy man. Beau whistled for Ciara and the dog ran to him. Animals loved Beau. I m glad you both are outside. Let s sit down by the water, if you don t mind. They stopped where they were and let her catch up so they could head back to a bench under a big oak nea r the edge of the bayou. The dog dashed down to the edge of the water and began barking. Good Lord, is that an alligator? Come back here, Girl! Ciara! Beau called, also. It s just Amos Moses. He s as gentle as a lamb and doesn t have a tooth in his head, but he might slap at her with his tale if she makes hi m mad. Good gracious, Beau. I never know what to expect from you. You re right. Believe me, Harley agreed. I m never surprised at what creature Beau brings home. We have baby possums in the garage! A gator got their mama; I couldn t leave the little mites to starve. Beau explained as Harley winked at him. Clearly he could do no wrong in her eyes. Savannah-Banana, I ve been needing to talk to you. At Beau s use of the absurd nick-name, Savannah s heart almost stopped. This was wha t Patrick had called her. Fighting for control she forced herself not to react. Sh e didn t want to make him feel bad. What about? She sat her bag down, wishing she could lay her bur dens down just as easy. Indy and I got called over to De Quincy to look at a Civil War Cannon. I was skep tical but I went. Original cannons in decent condition are hard to find. When I got ov er there, he had it in a barn down in the woods. Beau laughed a little, I don t mind telling you that the place gave me the willies. Savannah was intrigued. She knew Beau and what he did for a living. He not only owned a top-notch weapons business, but he wrangled alligators on the side. If s omething gave him the willies, then it had to be harrowing indeed. I can t imagine what would unn erve you. Tell me, she urged. Beau squatted down in front of the girls and seemed to enjoy regaling them with the tale. The barn was at least a mile down in the pine forest and even in the broad daylight, it was dark and overcast. There was an ominous feeling in the air; honestly, I ve never e xperienced this before. The spooks in our house seem friendly enough, but whatever is down in that thicket is another story. Savannah wanted to tell him to get on with the tale, but she di dn t want to be rude. The cannon was real and worth about a quarter of a million dollars. After w e had inspected it, he looked at me funny and asked me if I believed in ghosts. I said that I wasn t a skeptic, but I was cautious. So, he grabbed a sharpshooter and led me and Indy d own an overgrown path. We came to this clearing and there was a small mound that looked like it could have been an Indian burial place, but it was miniature. He whistled and shook his head. Hell, I don t like to mess with stuff like this. He told me that there was a legend of l

ost gold, a mine that the Indians had found and some of them had been killed over. And by dern if he didn t say watch this and he rammed that sharpshooter down in the dirt. About forty-five seco nds later a big black horse comes huffing out of the woods and just charged us, raring up, hoofs flashing. I m not going to lie to you; I didn t linger there to greet him. After we high-tailed it, it hit me that I hadn t heard any hoof beats. It had been dead, eerie quiet. Beau seem ed to pause for effect. When we caught up with Glen, I asked him what the hell had happened. And he said that anytime you stuck a shovel in that ground, that horse would show up. W hat do you think about that? Savannah looked at Harley who was smiling indulgently at her man. Both of these people were exceptionally brave and that they were asking her advice sort of hum bled her. They didn t realize it but she wasn t nearly as confident as she let on. I ll tell you what I think, based on folklore and legend. Buried treasure requires a sacrifice to protect it. Pira tes would kill one of their men and bury the treasure under his body. The ghost of the murdered man would protect the gold. Animal sacrifices to protect treasure were common place. So I can t be sure but maybe that horse was killed to guard whatever treasure was buried there. Onc e I heard about some loggers who were trying to cut down a big oak and every time they wou ld set the saw to it a bobcat in chains would come fighting out of the tree, snarling and b iting so fiercely that they would back off. Supposedly there was gold buried in the hollow trunk. Dang, that gives me cold chills, Harley rubbed her arms. Do you think Glen would let us visit the spot and do an investigation? After I tell him I found a buyer for that artillery of his, I m sure he d let us do w hatever we want, Beau rubbed Ciara s head as the dog lounged in the grass at his side. I wis h you d look at Harley s hand, she keeps shifting it around trying to let the sun reflect off that big rock she s trying to get you to notice. Beau! Harley protested. Congratulations! Savannah threw her arms around her friend s neck. You re engaged! Yes, we are, Harley held the ring out for inspection. It s beautiful, as Savannah held her friend s hand to get a closer look, she couldn t he lp but gaze at her own engagement ring. She still wore it. She never intended to ta ke it off. I m so happy for the two of you. Have you set a date? Not yet, Beau explained. We re going to Texas to Aron McCoy s wedding to Libby Fontaine. I plan on talking to his brother Joseph while I m there. Joseph is going to be my best man and I want all of the McCoys here if they can make it. While we re over there, we re going to look at the calendar and see what we can come up with. I don t care when it is, just so it s soon, Harley sighed with happiness. I want you to be happy, too, Savannah.

How about we invite Indy over for supper one night and you join us? He sure would like to spend some time with you. She couldn t get mad at her friend. Beau was cont ent in Harley s love and wanted everybody to be as happy as he was. No, I appreciate what you want to do for me. But there are a couple of things you don t know. I m pregnant for one. Savannah dropped her bombshell. I knew it! squealed Harley. I just knew it! That don t count, Beau grumbled. You re psychic. You always know stuff before I do. Now who is deserving of congratulations, Harley was just about to cry with joy. Can I ask who the father is? Both of them looked at her steadily. It s Patrick s Savannah pronounced the truth, waiting to see the same looks of disappointment that she had seen on friend s faces. I had to go to court to be allo wed to use his sperm deposit. Since we weren t married, I had to get a special ruling. Thank good ness Patrick had left a will with his friend Revel Lee. Without proof of our bond, I would ne ver have gained the rights to use his sperm. Well, I think it s wonderful. Harley spoke right up. Now, you ll always have Patrick with you. Congratulations, Savannah. Beau got up and hugged her. I m so happy for you. This area is getting a little heavy on the estrogen for me, I think I ll leave you two alone. He leaned over to kiss his fianc. Remember, I m going in to the office this afternoon for a bi t. You two girls have fun. I won t be too late, I promise. Bye, Darling. She returned his kiss. Bye, Beau. And thanks. Beau kissed Savannah on the forehead. If you two go anywhere, make sure and call me. Okay? Worrier, Harley fussed, but Savannah could tell she was glad he cared. Tell me about the baby. I know you have to be over the moon about it. Harley turne d sideways on the bench and took Savannah s hands in her own. Savannah sighed and took a deep breath. I am very happy about it. I already love the baby so much. But you know -, she looked up into Harley s face, I expected the excit ement over the baby to quell some of the grief and loneliness I feel over Patrick. It didn t. Unbidden, tears began to flow. Pulling one hand from Harley s she laid it over her own stoma ch. All I can think about is how much I wish I could see his face when I tell him I m pregna nt. And how much this baby is going to miss never knowing his daddy. Breaking down into sobs, Savannah laid her head in Harley s lap and cried. Harley and Beau had found out about her p ast and Carville after Patrick s funeral and they had never let it make a bit of differenc e in the world. Harley soothed Savannah s hair. Oh, Sweetie. I think those are absolutely normal feelings. It ll get better, with time, I promise. Savannah sat up. That s not all. I have to show you something. Digging in her bag, she took out her laptop. Does your wi-fi reach out this far? I have no idea, Harley admitted, but she scooted over nearer to Savannah to see wh at she was doing. This is the reason I came over. I need help processing this. She was able to get o nline

and pull up her email. Look, she handed Harley the laptop. Harley read and blinked and reread. My God! Savannah! What does this mean? Harley ran her fingers over the email as if she were trying to absorb the i nformation through her fingers. I don t know. I don t know what to think. Is it a hoax? It s his account, it s not a different one, I checked. How is this possible? Harley breathed in wonder. I thought about the possibility of it being one of those services you sign up for and leave messages to your friends and family to be sent after death, but I don t think this is the case. It doesn t sound like a goodbye message and Patrick wouldn t leave me something like th is to just torture me. What are the other possibilities? Harley spoke slowly and carefully. Considering what I do the ghost hunting you know I have to consider that this is something paranormal. In fact, it wasn t long ago that I read two news articles ab out this very thing. A woman received an email from her husband and it turned out to be one of those programs that I told you about a second ago. Actually, I think it s a silly idea. But the other article was even wilder. It was about a family who began to receive emails from their father and he told them that he was in the attic and it needed cleaning. Savannah couldn t hel p but hiccup a laugh. I thought that was sort of funny. Have you considered. . . . Harley let her voice trail off. That he s still alive? God, yes. But I m afraid to hope. Then, as if remembering who she was talking to - - Do you feel anything? Like Beau said, you re psychic. Tell me , please. Harley hung her head and pursed her mouth as if deep in thought. I can t be sure, Savannah. This isn t the way I m used to working. There s nothing here for me to touch , but a machine. But I will tell you this. I sense that it s not a trick. This email origi nated from Patrick one way or the other. And I feel like it s recent. I don t know if he s dead o r alive but he is trying to communicate with you. Wow, Savannah let a harsh breath. I was hoping you d say that. My instincts told me the same thing, but I m not sensitive like you. And wishful thinking will only take me so far. Jesus, Savannah, I am so sorry that this has all happened to you. Beau and I will support you. I want you to know that. You are not alone. If you ever need to tal k or if we can do anything for you all you have to do is ask. Thank you, Harley. I appreciate that, so much. What will you do? Do you have any plans to check this email out? Savannah got up and walked closer to the water. Bayou Teche moved slowly. Its wa ters were deep, dark and full of secrets. Believe me; I ve racked my brain to come up wi th some way to solve this mystery. Contacting someone in Congress or the military is an option, but I don t really know where to start. Is there anyone who would have had knowledge of Patrick s last mission? Anyone you trust? It s been three years, maybe the information isn t as classified as it once w as. What

about the freedom of information act? Would that apply? Harley was talking fast a nd Savannah was listening. All good ideas, thank you. I ll get in touch with Revel tomorrow. He ll know how to contact Jayco and Hawke. If anyone knows anything it s them. Whirling around to fac e her friend, she confessed. I should have talked to them long ago, but it just hurt so badly. Seeing that her friend needed a break, Harley rose. Are you ready for that coffee , now? I sure am. The two women walked arm in arm to the kitchen door. Big pots of mums made bright spots of color on the patio. Have you had any more excitement with yo ur resident ghosts? Sometimes it bothered Savannah to speak so lightly of the dead. She had h eard other ghost hunters refer to them in such generic and impersonal terms. What she alway s wanted to remember was that they were all real people who had been important to someone at some time. Each of them deserved respect. Since losing Patrick, everything had change d for Savannah, even how she viewed death and dying. Actually, I have. Harley opened the screen door and allowed Savannah to enter first. The aroma of homemade banana bread and freshly brewed coffee filled the air. Heck, it smells g ood in here. She didn t even wait to be invited. Savannah walked right up to the coffeepot and poured herself a cup. I want a big slice of that yummy concoction. Beau must love your cooking. So what s been going on? It s been fun spoiling Beau. Harley sliced them both thick pieces and laid out some creamy butter to spread over them. Nothing scary has happened. In fact, Beau is c onvinced that the spirits were trying to warn us that Fox Crocker was hanging around the house. He thinks that was the whole reason the vanity chair moved and we picked up that vo ice telling me that I was in danger. We believe the spirits of Willowbend are nice. After what happened yesterday, we re convinced they are. Savannah s mood brightened a bit. Tell me. I can t wait to hear this. It was silly, really. Beau and I locked ourselves out of the house. We had gone i nto town for dinner and he left his set of house keys in his other pants and I had d ecided not to carry a purse. The security alarm was set and every window in the place was locked. Us ually, I can crawl through the bathroom window; I keep it cracked for that express purpose. A ll my life I have been notorious for locking myself out. We literally checked every window th at we could reach. Beau was about to break a window, which would have set off the alarm. It was going to be a hassle. While he was debating the best way to go about it, I stood at the f ront door and appealed to my spectral roommates to let us in. Now, we had checked that door at least three times you know how it is you just keep wishing it would open. I leaned my face a gainst the

glass and said, Come on guys, let us in. I know you can do it. I ll bake more choco late chip cookies! and I swear to God, I tried the door knob one more time and it opened. Savannah laughed at Harley s incredulity. Ask and ye shall receive. Did you pee you r pants? No, but I sure did look around really good when I walked in. I kept expecting one of them to tap me on the shoulder. Harley stopped smiling and grew serious. Savannah, I know you have been longing to receive a word from Patrick. I remember what you told m e the day we met how that his voice was the one voice you listened for but it never came. Now that you may have heard from him, how do you feel about it? Sipping her coffee, Savannah sought how to answer. I feel absolutely torn. If I h ad heard from him via EVP on my digital recorder, I would have been ecstatic. Let m e explain something to you. When one begins to ghost hunt, at first the results you get wi ll be very limited. It s like someone who opens a store. Publicity about your business has to get around. The longer you ghost hunt, the more attention you gain from the spirit w orld. It s like the word gets around beyond the pale. I went on a ghost hunting trip in Kansas. There was a cemetery there that I just had to visit. A preacher s daughter had been killed in a car wreck and her ultra-religious father was convinced that she had missed heaven. He didn t liv e long; I suppose he died of grief. Savannah could understand how that would happen. There had been days when she had thought death would be very preferable over facing another day alone. Several trustworthy witnesses have heard him crying, Doreen is lost! She s lost! One group who reported the haunting was a surveying crew and the other was all the attendees at a funeral. So, I just had to go. Harley was getting into the tale. Did you hear the voice? I have to admit, that w ould creep me out. At least my little spectral family seems to be happy. No, I didn t hear anything. I saw no orbs, no apparition nothing. However, it got interesting that night. Savannah got amused when Harley actually wiggled in her s eat as if settling in for a good story. I was staying in a motel a short distance away and was anxious to get into the cool and out of the heat. For a few hours, I just did some research on the laptop and ordered a hamburger from room service. When I finally lay down to sleep, I was a bit restless. I turned out the lights and TV and shut my eyes to try and settle my b rain. After only a few moments in bed, out of nowhere, something or someone slapped the crap out of my foot. It wasn t a vicious slap, it was more like a Hey you! Look at me! slap. Of course my fi rst instinct was to think that someone was in the room. So I jumped up and looked un der the bed, in the closet and in the bathroom. There was no one there. Did you run screaming out into the night with just your pajamas on? That s what I

would have done. Harley s eyes were big. No, I didn t run. Actually, I sat down and talked to myself and to the spirit. Afte r all, I hunt ghosts. Why should I be surprised when I actually find one? That was one thi ng that always confused Savannah. She loved to watch the paranormal documentaries but wa s always frustrated with the investigators when they were shocked to actually find some t ype of evidence. Did you find out anything about who whacked you on the foot? No, I didn t. Savannah admitted. Early that morning I got a phone call that I had permission to have Patrick s sperm implanted, so I left. One thing did surprise me though. What was that? When I was packing the car to leave, I noticed that my motel was right next to a funeral home. At Harley s confused expression, Savannah went on to explain. My whole point i s that ghost hunters attract spirits who want to communicate. So, what about Patrick? Savannah sighed. I suppose I said all of that to say that it s possible the email i s supernatural in origin and that Patrick isn t alive. As much as I pray I m wrong, I can t forget that they sent him home in a casket. It was a closed casket, Harley interjected. Yes, it was, Savannah admitted. But if Patrick were alive, he d move heaven and earth to come back to me. I still think you ought to check this out. Savannah laughed, You don t have to convince me. I m still totally, completely, irrevocably in love with him. Of course, I ll check it out. Monday will see me tur ning over every rock to see if I can unearth any news of him anywhere. But tonight, I want you to help me eliminate the possibility that I can contact him with this new gizmo I have. Of course. You know I ll do whatever you need me to. There was so much concern on Harley s face that Savannah almost broke down again. All right, Savannah threw up her hands in surrender, I ll admit it. I m scared to death. I want Patrick to be alive so much that I m going crazy trying to make sure I don t get my hopes up too high. Harley, I don t think I can stand to lose him twice. With that Harley rose and put her arms around Savannah. I know, Honey. I know. They finished their coffee and cake, Harley called Beau and they gathered f lashlights before they set off for the cemetery. Night was falling fast. Tell me about your new toy. It s the newest thing in ghost hunting. Created by Frank Sumption, it s called a Fran k s Box or a ghost box. By using white noise and radio waves, it actually gives the spirits a voice. You can ask questions and the device scans the band. The entities can man ipulate the audio remnants to create words and even entire sentences. My Lord! I can t wait to see what tonight brings! I just wish we had brought my lar ge, macho, hunky husband along. We ll be okay. They parked underneath a weeping willow and walked carefully to the ornate wrought iron gates. Saint Michael s in St Martinville was a typical South L

ouisiana cemetery spooky at night. Ciara set out through the maze of mausoleums as if on a scavenger hunt for squirrel and mice. Not once had she ever shown any interest where Patri ck was laid to rest. Savannah had often wondered about that. Down through the ages, there were true accounts of dogs who had guarded the graves of their masters for years. Yet, Cia ra stared down the driveway for hours a day just like she expected him to drive back up at any moment. Savannah could have made the trek in the black dark. She had walked it often eno ugh. This is beautiful, Savannah. I love the bench and the flowers. How did you get th ese Forget Me Not s to bloom so late in the year? I grow them from seed in the green house and I keep new plants coming in all duri ng the year. There are only a few months in the dead of winter that we don t have green p lants. For just a moment she stood there and stared at the ornate sarcophagus with the carv ed lettering that broke her heart every time she saw it. Patrick Heath O Rourke Beloved Fianc and Grandson You Will Never Be Forgotten Paddy was with him now; the old man had died in his sleep a few months after she had lost Patrick. Savannah sank to the bench and Harley joined her. How are we going to do this? she whispered. You can talk in your normal voice, Savannah teased. Yea, but uh they are listening to us. Aren t they? I hope so. To tell you the truth, I m nervous. Why are you nervous? Harley rubbed Savannah s shoulder. I ve done this before, but so much hinges on what happens tonight. She was so close to crying. Desperately, Savannah tried to hold it together. Before, I just wanted to hear his voice. I wanted to know he still existed somewhere. Now, I m hoping I won t hear his voice, because I hope he s still alive out there. Harley looked around nervously. It s getting dark, Savannah. Don t you think we ought to get started? Yea, okay. She turned on the Frank s box and walked to the edge of Patrick s grave. Ciara wandered up and flopped down at her feet, hassling happily. Patrick, Darling, I love you. Did you send me an email? Are you here? Static from the box caused them to both jump. Then silence. They waited a few mo re minutes until, finally a one word response broke through the silence like an explosion. Stephanie! Stephanie? Dang! Harley grabbed her arm. I almost jumped out of my skin! Her friend bent over at the waist and tried to breathe. Who s Stephanie? Should you be jealous? Before she could react or comment, a whole phrase sounded out, one that shook Savannah to her very core. There is no Patrick here. O, my God, Savannah! Harley clutched her arm. I didn t know if this would work or not, but I m convinced now. What does it mean? I don t know, tears were welling in Savannah s eyes. Let s get out of here. I m not in the right frame of mind to continue this. But before she left, Savannah didn t i

gnore her protocol. Thank you for telling me. If your name is Stephanie, it s nice to meet yo u. I will come back and talk to you again, I promise. Turning off the box, she put it back in her bag. Harley handed her a flashlight. For just a moment they stood and looked at Patri ck s grave. What about Patrick? Does this mean he s alive? Savannah had to give Harley credit, she didn t hold back. She forced Savannah to think. Maybe I ve also considered that his spirit stayed where he died. There s so mu ch we don t know about life after death and what s possible. Actually, it s just a guessing game. Let s go. Carefully they made their way through the cemetery, letting the narrow beams of light illuminate the way. Abruptly Harley stopped walking, Damn, look at that. She aimed her light at the name plate on a grave just two down from Patrick s. The name on it read Ste phanie Corley and she had only been dead for a few months. Savannah walked up and placed her hand on the side of the mausoleum. Stephanie, I l l be back and if there s a message you need to give someone, I ll help you, I promise. ***** Come on, I ll feed you. Savannah put her bag down and headed for the kitchen. We both need to eat. Ciara stood next to her as she doled out a good portion of gour met, organic dog food. A grilled cheese sandwich sounded good. She would add some ham for the baby. Protein was important. Going through the motions almost automatically, she fixed herself a plate of food and sat down to eat. What had happened tonight? And what did it mean? Forcing down the food, she realized how tired she was. Perhaps everything would make sense in the morning. Making her way to the bedroom, she shed her clothes and went to take a shower. Grrumph, Ciara rumbled as she fell over on the bath mat. Are you tired? She adjusted the shower spray and shed her clothes. A tiny baby bum p reminded her that soon it wouldn t be just the two of them it would be three. I ve go t to get a handle on this and make plans. For three years she had dwelt on her loss of Patri ck and trying to come to terms with the grief. She had also sought to fulfill her promise to h im and to make their child a reality. Now, she had to build a life for her and her child. There was a nursery to furnish and decisions to make on child care. Thinking about it all made her a bi t scared. Single parenthood was going to be a daunting task. Routines had been a comfort to her. At times she could get lost in them and forg et how lonely she was. Gracious, I need a new hair style, Ciara. What do you think? Her h air was too long. It hung past her waist and took forever to dry. Patrick had loved it, though. He used to say that it was a good handle. God, she could still remember how he would wra p it around his fist and hold her steady as he took her from behind. What that man didn t know abo

ut sex wasn t worth knowing. Putting her hair on top of her head, she proceeded to clean her face, brush her teeth and put on moisturizer. Funny, she didn t look any different. Plain old Savannah Douce t still stared back at her. Who would have ever known that she had been loved by such a man as Patrick? Sometimes, she didn t believe it herself. That magical time of her life s eemed like a faraway dream. Stepping over the dog, she walked into the shower and shut the gl ass door behind her. Oh yeah, this shower had seen some erotic action. Holding her face u p to the spray, she enjoyed the slight sting. It made her feel alive. What she wouldn t give to be held again, to be touched to be loved and possessed by her lover. Closing her eyes, she pretend ed. Patrick was standing behind her and he was running his hands up and down her arms. She l eaned back into him as he kissed her neck. God, Baby, I ve missed you, so. Her dream lover was perfect. She laid her head back on his shoulder as he fondle d and lifted her tits, rubbing the nipples, making them hard between his fingers. Oh, t hat feels so good. More, please more, she demanded. Spreading her legs in anticipation, she wa ited ah, there it was just what she needed. His hand parted her folds and began to caress . Savannah stood on tiptoe and rode his hand. Please Patrick I need you. Fingers swirled arou nd her clit while others pulled at her nipple. Baby! she cried as pleasure coursed throug h her. Patrick! The orgasm was good, but not what she needed. Savannah needed Patrick. Fantasies fell short and her hands on her body were a poor substitute f or his. At least maybe she could sleep. The orgasm had lessened some of the tension in h er body. Drying off with a towel around Ciara was always a game. It started out wit h playful snaps and tussles and ended up with a full fledge tug of war. Hey! You re feeling g ood, aren t you? Naked, she padded into her room and found a t-shirt to wear to bed. A buzzin g from her purse startled both her and the dog. Making a dive for it, she wondered if it wa s Harley or Tammany or one of the other girls. They were the only ones who ever called excep t Revel. He checked oh her regularly. Not taking time to check the caller ID, she just answered. Hello? Static. Hello? Savannah? She would have recognized his voice anywhere. After all, she had heard it often enough in her dreams. Patrick? she whispered hoarsely. She strained to hear more. Patrick, Honey where are you? Savannah, Baby. It s been so long. I m coming home, Savannah. Am I welcome? Yes, of course. I want you home. The connection was so poor. Patrick can you hear me? Where are you? She was almost shouting. Answer me, she pleased. And there was nothing. The line went dead. Pulling the phone away from her ear, she stared at

it. Was this real? Was she going crazy? Chapter Nine Savannah was completely unnerved by the email and the phone call. The only thing she could think to do was call Revel. And she would. And he would come to see her. S he had no doubt of that. Revel had been so attentive and so faithful. Since she had become pregnant, he had proposed three times. There were even flowers sitting on her hall table and the card next to them said, Marry me. You don t have to do this alone. The first time he had asked her to marry him; she had just sat at him and stared . He loved her because he loved Patrick, she knew that. But marry her? I know you don t have insurance, and you ve used all of Patrick s money and your money trying to get pregn ant. Let me take care of you. Patrick charged me with the task of caring for the most pre cious thing in his world and I take that seriously. But you don t love me, she had protested. I do love you, as a friend, he had qualified. The woman who owns my heart doesn t want me. I don t know if she ever will. So for now, let me take care of you and Pa trick s baby. He had almost persuaded her, but she couldn t do it. She loved Patrick for always and forever and she could never wear someone else s name not even to make it easier on herself. But she did need to talk to him. Today, however, she had something else to take care of. She was going to Carville. Carville was located on the banks of the Mississippi about sixteen mil es south of Baton Rouge. Through the years she had read countless accounts of those who had lived their lives behind the gates of the only leper colony in the continental United States . It had begun in 1894 when a New Orleans physician and several Sisters of Charity had smuggled a few patients with leprosy down the river on a coal barge to the rundo wn Indian Camp Plantation. Local residents would have been vehemently opposed to the idea, but the nuns had purchased the property and spread the word that they had plans to start an ostrich farm. When they had climbed ashore, they found the main house falling down and home to snakes and rats and weeds. It was in no shape to house patients, so they and the staff lived in former slave quarters until extensive repairs could be completed. The Daughters of Charity stayed on and devoted their lives to care for people with a disease so misunders tood and feared that nobody knew the cause, how to treat it or if there would ever be a cure. An d they did this for only a hundred dollars a year. In 1916, Congress passed a law that put Carville under the US Public Health Depa rtment, but the Daughters of Charity stayed on. Savannah couldn t help but wonder what kin d of life her mother and father had there and today, perhaps she would find out. So many p

ossible stories had come to mind. Were they dead? Were they buried there? Did she have a ny living relatives? Lord, she even wondered what her last name was. Savannah, she had bee n told, was given to her by her mother. But Doucet had been chosen arbitrarily by her first foster parent when she was only weeks old. She had made up stories in her mind about how they had lived, what they ate, wha t they had looked like and how much they had missed her after she had been given away. Not too long ago she had found out something that had given her pause. She had known that mar riages between patients had been discouraged, but still it happened. And she knew that children born to these patients had to be placed in foster care. What she hadn t known was that it could have been possible for her to visit her parents. Some children, even though they were in orphanages or foster care, were allowed to come on Sundays and visit through the fence. So why hadn t she been allowed to do that? Something else had kept them apart unless they just had n t wanted her, but Savannah had rejected that idea. She wanted to be wanted even by parent s she would never meet. Patrick had wanted her and for that she would always be thankful. For over a hundred years, it was the place of last resort and little hope for th ose that suffered with the disease. Things were different now, after the drugs had been p erfected that would hold the disease at bay, the hospital was closed and the patients were tak en care of in Baton Rouge. Those who didn t want to leave the only home they had ever known were allowed to remain and live out the remainder of their days beneath the massive oaks. When she drove through the gates, she was met by a soldier. Savannah had to give him her driver s license and be cleared to enter. The Coast Guard owned the property n ow and ran a military type school for at-risk youngsters. All of the buildings were still the re and being used it was really an impressive place with beautiful grounds. There was a power plan t that had met all of their needs. All of the staff had lived in small cypress cottages and the hospital and treatment center had been large and filled with light due to the many windows an d open hallways. She had been surprised to find out that there had been a rec hall, a b allroom, a post office and a movie theatre. There had even been a golf course, a lake for fishin g and boating, a swimming pool everything they needed to be happy. This had been their world. Sev eral of the nuns chose to be buried here at Carville where they had lived and the cemete ry was one place she fully intended to visit before her visit was over. Once she had been cleared to enter, Savannah bypassed the museum and drove aroun d until she found the cemetery. Her penchant for ghost-hunting made her more sensi

tive to the eternal resting places of people, so she always at least drove by to give them a nod of greeting. Behind the cemetery she spotted the Armadillo building and everything she had read about it drew her near. Over the years many of the patients had volunteered to b e guinea pigs in hope that a cure could be found. But it had been the lowly armadillo that had gi ven the most to the cause. The building s exterior has the texture and the appearance of the armad illo shell and pays homage to one of the four other creatures in the world who can contract the dreaded disease of leprosy. Much research was done on the animal and she knew that a special sec tion in the museum was dedicated to the armored mammal. Carville Leprosarium sat on the Great River Road surrounded by centuries-old liv e oaks dripping with Spanish moss and resurrection fern. Savannah was entranced. This i s where she began. As she walked up to the museum, she was assaulted by a symphony of feelin gs sorrow, hope and a haunting sense of fate walking beside her. Something was about to hap pen she didn t know if it was about Patrick or her parents, but she could feel the winds o f destiny blowing. Knocking, she waited. It seemed like forever before a tall thin woman with light brown hair stood before her. This was the person who had held the secrets of her life in the palm of her hand? A curiosity and anxiety unlike any she had experienced before almost cause d her to lose her southern gentility. Come in, Miss Doucet. I m Barbara Hodges. How are you? I am well, just hunting answers. Do you think you can help me? Your lawyer has contacted me, and I think I have good news for you. A rush of reli ef made Savannah weak-kneed. Let me show you around; then, we ll talk. She wanted to demand answers right off, but Mrs. Hodges clearly intended for her to get the fu ll dose of information. The waiting was torture. Inside the museum was a bit depressing. Ev ery square inch was filled with memorabilia. Items that would have been of no interest to a nyone were saved and marveled at simply because they had belonged to a leper. Baseball bats , sewing machines, shoes the array of items was endless. There was a special section devo ted to the armadillo, just like she had read and a room arranged to depict how a patient ha d lived. Another room was dedicated to the Daughters of Charity. But what got to Savannah the mos t was the simple things the toys, the shoes, the clothes they spoke of the real people who had spent their days behind these walls. She stopped to read the account of the 1937 World Series game found recorded in the diary of one of the Sisters. According to her, the patients had gathered around the radio to enjoy the play-by-play account. It was a time when they could put aside their aches an

d pains and worries and be somewhat normal. Toward the end of the game, the jovial voice of the announcer had come across the airwaves, You know the umpire he s the leper of the game. Everybody despises him, but nobody touches him. Sister Hillary s faithful rec ording told how their faces had fallen and all of the joy had gone out of the occasion. They had turned off the radio and silently left the room. Another equally intriguing part of the tour for her was the account of the man w ho had published a newspaper from behind Carville s walls. His real name had been Sydney Maurice Levyson and when Savannah had begun to read of his life, she had asked Mrs. Hodg es for a place to sit quietly and read the entire account. Such a heart-wrenching, yet tr iumphant tale, she had never read. Obviously it was because of her own relationship to the disease, but Sydney s story just made her weep. He had been born in 1899 in Gonzales, Texas and raised in Borne, Texas just outside of San Antonio. His parents had been Jewish and had owned a l ittle drug store. Sydney s future was bright, he graduated from the University of Texas with a pharmacology degree and had big plans until he came down with a skin disease. Hi s local physician was smart enough to diagnose him and astute enough to know that lepros y was not nearly as contagious and dangerous as it had always been feared. Dr. McGlasson h ad been able to control Sydney s leprosy until he had died. The local rabbi had strongly sugges ted that Sydney seek treatment in New York City and there he found doctors with much less sympathy and understanding. They had reported Sydney and in just hours, he found himself swept away by the police and swiftly and secretly shipped off to the swamps of Louisiana to Carville. One of the first things Sydney noticed was the high fence topped by three strands of barbwire and he knew he was in the place he had always feared the most a concentration camp. Sydney found himself being examined naked by the Carville physicians and pronoun ced infected. He had just minutes to assume a name no longer was he Sydney Levyson, now he was patient #746 or Stanley Stein, the name he chose for himself. Stanley could have given up, but he didn t. He decided to make as much of his life within the walls of Carville as he could. Stanley started a newspaper one that would eventually be sent out worldwi de. And the purpose of the paper was to educate people about the truths of leprosy. He longe d to remind the world that the patients were people people with hopes and dreams and families an d abilities to do great things. Stanley drew the attention of Tallulah Bankhead, the movie star . And they began an unlikely association. She became an advocate of Hansen s disease. By this time

Stanley was blind and Tallulah commissioned a bust be made of herself because St anley hungered to know what she looked like. When Stanley died, it was the first time he had been allowed to go home and he was buried alongside his family with his real name on his tombstone. In many ways, Stanley was lucky. Sensing she was being watched, Savannah came to the point. Can you tell me about my parents? Walking the few steps into the room with her, Mrs. Hodges sat down and took a fi le out of the desk. This is highly irregular. We do not normally go against a sealed req uest. But since all parties involved are dead, including the one that requested the docume nt be sealed the court has relented. Mrs. Hodges didn t even notice what her words had done to Savan nah. Oh, she had known in her heart that her family was dead it wasn t a surprise, but to hear the final verdict spoken so off-handedly Savannah nearly doubled over with pain. The folder was handed to her and she slowly opened it as Mrs. Hodges continued to talk. It w as your grandfather, Pastor Elisha Renfro who requested that no one ever know your true identity. Why? A lifetime of anguish came out in the one word she spoke. He was a televangelist a faith-healer. If it had become known that his only daugh ter had come down with leprosy and that he had been unable to make her whole again h is whole kingdom would have toppled. Savannah didn t miss the censure she heard in the director s voice. It seemed her st ory was not news to the woman. So, my mother s condition and my birth were hidden. Especially your birth. A harsh laugh echoed in the room. I was here when he visited , right after Georgia had gotten pregnant. Georgia? Your mother was named Georgia and your father was named Miguel Cardova, but their Carville names were Genevieve and Michael Casey. So that explained her skin coloring. At last, Savannah could make sense of what she saw in the mirror. She was half Mexican. Tell me about them. Your mother was a sweet, beautiful girl. She adapted quite easily to the lifestyl e here. But she was lonely. Your father was a charmer a poet. He met your mother i n the infirmary and after that they were apart only as little as possible. We didn t enc ourage that the residents get married, but no one could deny those two much of anything. They we re sweet. We all cheered them on. Did they die of leprosy? No, they died in a car crash trying to get to you. ***** The cemetery was deserted. She was the only living person there. But she wasn t alone. Savannah could feel the presence of the dead. Mrs. Hodges had told her th e approximate location of her parents graves. That they were coming after her was wondrous and

amazing, but that they died doing it was equally horrible. Setting her bag down, she pull ed out the Frank s box and turned it on. A roar of white noise assaulted the night air, but a few seconds later there was a cacophony of voices. Some were shouting, some were screaming a nd some were crying Savannah held the instrument out as if it contained a poisonous spid er. She didn t have to be told what she was hearing it was the voices of the dead of Carville a nd all of them were vying to get her attention. Excuse me, she began. I hear you. And I wish I could help all of you. Maybe I can get some friends of mine to come back and talk to you. Every time she turned the box back on, the same jumbled up racket of cries assailed her ears. Then above all the uproar , one voice stood out. As it grew louder, the others faded away. Savannah! Savannah! It s your mother , Savannah. I love you! Savannah almost dropped the box. Mama? Again, I love you, Savannah! There was no way she could stay on her feet, Savannah sank to her knees. Oh, Mama! I have longed for you all of my life. She bowed her head and just sobbed her relief. When she raised her eyes what she saw made her gasp. There was a col umn of light directly in front of her. It was a warm, beautiful light. Savannah held out a ha nd toward it. The more she stared, the more she saw. Slowly the column began to take shape and a human form emerged a woman. Savannah rose to her feet. The woman looked like her excep t she was a thousand times more beautiful. I can see you! I can see you, too, my lovely daughter. I m so sorry that we have been apart. I would have come sooner if I had known you were here. Do not cry; I cannot stay. I am here only because I knew you would come. You can t stay? But I just found you. Savannah wanted to draw closer, but she was so afraid that this miraculous event would stop that the hologram type vision of her mother would pop like a beautiful bubble if she didn t stay a respectful distance away. Listen to me; I have something important to tell you. I have so much to tell you, too, Mother. I lost my Patrick! And I m going to have a baby. Those two things defined her life and she felt compelled to share them. Savannah, listen. You will be reunited with Patrick. A love like yours does not die. Her mother s words made Savannah cry all the more. She knew she would meet Pat rick one day in heaven, she was counting on it. I know, Mother. And I ll be with you and my Father, too. Miguel loves you so much. Don t ever doubt that. I won t. One more thing my time is short. Savannah grew still, knowing this was important. No disease will ever have power over you. You will live a long and happy life. Do you hear me, Savannah? This was a gift to me by our Heavenly Father. You will have t he blessings that I missed. It is all that I asked. I have prayed for you and your baby. All will be well. And then she began to fade. The light dimmed. I love you, Savannah. The voice

grew fainter. Savannah walked into its fading mist and felt enveloped by a complete and perfec t love. ***** By the time Savannah got home, she was exhausted. What had happened? She had received the answers she had sought. She now knew who her mother and father were and she intended to find out just as much about them as she could. And her mother had gi ven her assurances that she didn t really understand. She would be with Patrick again some day she got that. But the promise that no disease would conquer her that was odd. She wasn t s ick. But she was tired. Her every emotion was completely wrung out and all she wanted to do was sleep for a week, but her nerves were jangled and her thoughts racing a mile a minute. Glancing at her phone, she saw that Revel had called, but she wasn t able to carry on a coherent conversation right now. She did check her email, however if Patrick had contacted her, she wanted to know. But there was nothing there. After what her mother had said she was even more confused. I need to be held, she whispered. Patrick, I need you so. But what she needed right then was sleep, she needed to rest, so she did somethi ng she hadn t often done she took a sleep aid. Sleep came and so did the dreams. But they were good dreams this time. Savannah curled into a small ball and gave herself over to the memories . . . Of being held. . . Of being loved. . . Of being with Patrick. . . The bed gave and she felt her body give to the pressure, moving toward it instinctively. Automatically her hands reached out for him. He was here. She had waited so long. Patrick. Joy. Pure joy. Her body recognized him. His hands moved over her skin like life giving water over the desert. With a sigh of unadulterated happiness she nestled close to him. His body was warm and so familiar to her. Give me your kiss, Savannah. She opened her arms and he was there. In the moonlight she could see him so dear , so real, so hers. Open your mouth, Baby. The words were whispered against her lips and she opened to him helplessly. Savannah ran her hands over his shoulders he was thinner and there were ridges o n his body. Scars? Are you okay? I am, now. She grasped his wrists, needing to ensure that he didn t fade away. He was here. H e was here. He was here. Pleasure overtook her. Patrick s lips slanted over hers too k her kiss, and she was lost. She held his face and let him take what he needed. His kiss wa s desperate and intense and Savannah s world righted itself after being storm-tossed for so long. Their tongues slid together, mating and tasting. Their moans of satisfaction and relief harmon ized as they

kissed their bodies straining to get just as close to one another as possible. You want me, don t you, Savannah? Always, she answered. She could feel him next to her, on top of her surrounding her. He was here with her, his cheek rubbing against her face. His breath was hot on her neck. She could sm ell him Lord, the wonder of inhaling his scent. How she had missed this! He pressed her into the mattress. She could feel his weight, see the dark shadow of his big body looming over her feel the throb of his erection between them. Her own body answered by going soft and wet readying itself for an occupation she never thought she d be privileged to know ag ain. Take me, Patrick. I m yours. Do you know how perfect you are? Dreams of you kept me alive, Savannah. The rasp of his beard on her face and neck enflamed her. She opened her legs, arched her back and thrust her breasts up for his kiss. Her body, as well as her soul, welcomed him. You re here. You came to me. She held him to her as he sucked at her breast. The sting of his teeth on her nipple assured her of his presence. I need you, so. Good, cause I can t wait. I ve wanted you for so long. His kiss returned to her lips hard and hungry. She wrapped her arms around him and held him close. It had been so long! Without any preamble, he surged within her and Savannah s body protested. Sh e groaned. Did I hurt you? he asked, a hint of panic in his voice. No, she whispered. It was a precious hurt a welcome hurt. Her body had not known possession such as this in years and she wanted to feel it now. It feels wonderfu l. It felt wonderful because she could feel him his hardness, his heat, the reality of him with her over her in her. Patrick was making love to her and it was the answer to a thousand p rayers the fulfillment of a million dreams. She kissed him licked him, bit at his neck, nipped his chin. Savannah wanted to consume him. Pumping between her thighs, a blessed pounding taking, God yes fuck ing Patrick rode her unmercifully and she welcomed every thrust. The bed jarred; her body quivered and convulsed. She wrapped her legs and arms around him, every move in made, she answered with a whimper or plea for more. Yes, Patrick more! Her hips lifted, she writhed b eneath him as they both flew apart with groans of ecstasy. Savannah could feel him give himself to her. She could feel the rush of warmth shoot deep within her as her body accepte d his seed. Patrick was home and she never intended to let him go again. ***** Savannah held on to the dreams and Patrick for as long as she could. It was as i f he held her during the night. Strong arms cradled her. She nestled into his broad hard c hest and rested her head on his shoulder. His lips kissed her temple. He whispered words of love into her ear. I ll be back, Savannah. I ve got to go now, but I ll be back as soon as I can. She held on to him No. Don t leave. But when dawn came, her dream was gone.

Opening her eyes to the morning light, Savannah stretched and yawned. Wait! Why did she feel differently? And then the amazing dream she had came rushing back. It h ad seemed so real! She had dreamed of making love with Patrick before, but never had it be so detailed or so fulfilling. She had cum so hard that her body still tingled. Savannah sat up, shaking her head in confusion. Laying there in her bed, Savannah looked around at the familiar room. Despite th e disappointment of finding herself alone, she couldn t help but appreciate how good she felt. For the first time in years she felt well-loved and peaceful. But it had been a dream, only a dream. Getting up, she was surprised to feel dampness between her thighs quite a bit of dampness. And her body was a little sore like she had actually had sex. Strange. And even stranger was that her bedroom door was closed. How had that happened? She went t o open it and found Ciara waiting on the other side. Did you close the door? Of course she d idn t answer, but she was in a mood. Ciara was spinning in circles, jumping up and dow n in ecstatic excitement. She would bound from the bed to the window to the front door woofing and baying. Never had she acted this way. You need to calm down, Girl. When she went to the bathroom, the mystery deepened. If she wasn t mistaken, there were marks on her body that hadn t been there the night before - abrasions and eve n a few tiny bruises just the size of Patrick s fingertips on her upper arms. She couldn t believ e her eyes! What was going on? Had she wanted him so much that her body had just manif ested the evidence? Had she been visited by Patrick s spirit? After all, she had begged him to come to her time and time again? But no she believed in the paranormal but supernatural sex was not something she could embrace. Ha! She giggled a little. Now she was amusing herse lf. She was sorta pitiful. After showering, she was still trying to make sense of what had happened. It mus t have been just an extremely vivid dream brought about by the sleeping pill she had ta ken. Who knew she would be so sensitive? Maybe she shouldn t take anything like that again but t hen she had enjoyed the dream. Ach!!! Putting a hand to her head she sought calm. Returning to the bed, she noticed a damp spot where she had lay goodness, she ha d really messed up the bed in her sleep. Stripping the sheets, she pulled them off and something bounced to the floor. Savannah stopped - shocked. Bending over she picked up a s prig of the little blue flower, the Forget-Me-Not. He had been here? Patrick had really been here!?! Surely this wasn t a visit from a spectral lover? Her mind rejected that possibility. Hope and joy burst upon her

heart before she could rein it in. All of this had been real?! Elation and bubbling bliss erupted within her! Patrick was alive! She ran through the house looking for him. Where was he? Patrick! she screamed. Surely he hadn t left? Patrick! The dog ran with her, barking joyously. Bu t he was nowhere to be found. Collapsing at the kitchen table, she tried to think. Something was going on she didn t know what, exactly. But there was one thing she was fairly certain of Patrick ha d been here. He was reaching out to her with the email, the phone call, the flower not to mention the visit to her bed. Holding her arm out, she touched the marks of his fingers on h er body. Yes, he had been here and everything within her told her that he d be back. And this time, she d be ready for him. If she had to drink a gallon of coffee, she d stay awake. The next time Patrick O Rourke came calling in the wee hours of the night, he wouldn t get away. This was one mystery she intended to solve her happiness depended on it. ***** Patrick O Rourke felt better than he had in years. He was home. Oh, he wasn t where he intended to be in a few days at Savannah s side, but he was home. Last night he had been in her bed, and leaving her before daybreak was one of the hardest things he had ever done. But, surely she would understand. He had to protect her until he found out what was g oing to go down with Lucas. Sipping the bottle of water, he waited for his contact from the base to show up. That had been the only way Patrick could think of to set the ball rolling. A fter retrieving the flash drive from Savannah s last night he had placed an early morning call to Commander Edge at Barksdale Air Force base. It had taken him four calls before he was put through. At first the Commander had been skeptical, but Patrick had served with his son a nd after he had reminded him that that had met and what they had talked about, Commander Edge had listened. The accusations Patrick was making against a superior officer were ver y serious, but so was treason. Probably what was most compelling was that Edge s son had been at Pat rick s funeral and now Patrick himself was telling the old man how he had been betrayed and turned over to an enemy POW camp. Edge had insisted that Patrick come in and make a statement, but he had also agr eed that someone needed to stand guard over Savannah without frightening her to death. So , he was sending an MP to watch her from a safe distance until Patrick could return. He w ould take the man to where Savannah worked and give him her schedule there was no way he was l etting her go unguarded as long as that fiend, Lucas, was on the loose. So he waited. And while he waited, he couldn t help but marvel at how incredible i

t had been to make love with Savannah again. There was nothing in the entire world like being buried in her velvet-soft, sweet warmth nothing. Only thoughts of her had kept h im sane while he had been in The Pit. The Pit had almost been the end of him. Torture unlike anything Patrick had ever dreamed had been his lot. They had water-boarded him, stretched him on the rack, deprived him of sleep and several other things he was trying to black out of his memory. But Patrick had refused to talk. Many times he thought he was going to die. They played Russian roulette with him so often that he eventually stopped flinching when they would pull the trigg er. He might still be there, but Lucas himself had given him the strength to escape. Just over a month ago, the bastard had come to visit him. Patrick had known that Lucas kne w where he was and that his commanding officer was the reason he was there the guards had e njoyed reminding him daily that he had been betrayed by one of his own an American. But, the absolute gall of the man was mind-boggling. With his own eyes, Patrick had witnessed him taking money for information. Several days later, he had heard the guards laughing about the two helicopters that had been brought down because the traito r had revealed their mission. But the straw that had broken the camel s back was what had happene d when Lucas had paid him a private visit and goaded him, The mistake you made was going after me, O Rourke. You re never getting out of here. You d better hope I don t, Lucas. Because, if I ever do escape, you re a dead man. Where s the evidence you have on me? I want it. If you give it to me, if you tell m e where I can find it maybe I ll ask them to kill you quick. Wouldn t you rather be pu t out of your misery than stay in this hell for three more years or longer? The questions had come out of nowhere and chilled Patrick to the bone. What evidence? He played dumb, buying himself time to think. Why do you think you re here? I knew you were gathering evidence against me. I m not stupid. Lucas spat on the floor. That s debatable. How much did he know? Every cell in Patrick s body went on high alert as he waited for the verdict. How much did he know about Savannah? God, he hoped he hadn t heard too much before Patrick noticed he had been at the cemetery with them that night. I took your possessions apart before I sent them home to your friend. It wasn t in your belongings. Patrick said nothing. I ve kept an eye on your buddies. That didn t worry Patrick. If Jayco and Hawke had been up to something they would be smart enough to hide it from Lucas. Is it at your little slut s house? What s her name? Savannah? She was with you at the cemetery. Patrick lunged across the room and if Lucas hadn t backed up, he would have seized

him through the bars. You stay away from Savannah! Lucas had the audacity to laugh. Ah, did I hit a nerve? The shithead narrowed his eyes and looked at him. Either you re just highly protective or I m right. Which is i t? You ve never been right about anything in your life! Patrick knew he wasn t being convincing, but he was furious and scared shitless for Savannah. It was bad enou gh being in some damn hell-hole, but having to worry about his beloved would be impossible t o bear. Well, we ll see. In a few weeks, I ll be going stateside and guess who I ll be visiting. The taunting tone in Lucas s voice ramped up Patrick s rage. You come within a hundred miles of her and I ll blow you to the very gates of hell. The most evil laugh he had ever heard emanated from Lucas s lips. What do you think you can do about it? I ll do anything the hell I want to her. Does she have a swee t pussy, O Rourke? I bet she s been missing good cock. She thinks you re dead, you know. He grabbed his crotch and made obscene thrusting motions with his hips. Dead? They had told Savannah he was dead? Patrick had never considered that he presumed he would have been reported MIA. Dead? You reported me killed in action! You total bastard! Lucas didn t know it, but right then he sealed his fate. He had just given Patrick the incentive to move heaven and earth to get out of that prison. When Lucas came af ter Savannah, he d get the surprise of his life because Patrick would be waiting on him. Desperation coupled with fury had made all the difference. He only had one thing worth trading for aid and now was the time to use it. In the last few weeks, he had ob tained a piece of information from a fellow prisoner. The poor fellow didn t make it, he was half-de ad when he had been thrown in The Pit, but what he had told Patrick was valuable indeed. He whispered to Patrick the location of buried Afghan emeralds seized in Khenj, mined from the P anjashir Valley. The man s dying confession told of a trip to a village for information on Taliban troop movements by allied forces that went terribly wrong due to too much alcohol and an inbred mistrust. An Afghan family was killed for nothing and their possessions ransacke d. Sylvan Marceau had later been shot, captured and accused of murder. He felt his fate wa s just, but he had no qualms about passing on the location of the treasure to Patrick. In a way , he had been bragging. Funny the knowledge of the valuable jewels had held no fascination for him until the possibility of a threat to Savannah had come into play. Now, he was thinking cle arly for the first time in years. Today, he stood on a rise near Savannah s house where he could watch and wait for anyone that would threaten his woman. For all extents and purposes, Patrick was still a dead man. Except for Jayco and Hawke, no one knew he was still alive other than the C

ommander at Barksdale and the one Military Policeman he was waiting for. And Rasib, of cours e. Patrick wondered what Savannah had thought when he emailed her and phoned her. Had he sc ared her? It had occurred to him that she might think it was supernatural. After all, she was deeply involved in paranormal investigations. But last night, when she had welcomed him into his bed that would have convinced her he was real. And tonight when he went back to her, they could talk. His cell phone buzzed. It was Rasib. Hey, Buddy. I m good. Yeah, I ve talked to the Commander and someone s on their way to watch Savannah while I go and tell them al l I know. She s good. Yea, I was with her last night, but it was late when I got there and I had to get busy this morning, so I left before daybreak. I m not sure she fully understoo d what was going on. She might have thought she dreamed me up, he laughed. I will. I ll call soon. Thanks. Rasib had been his salvation. His faithful friend had come when the guard from T he Pit had summoned him. Patrick had needed him to follow Marceau s directions and grease the wheels for him to get out of Afghanistan. The temptation of a fortune in emeralds made the Afghan guards allegiance a comm odity to be purchased and so Patrick had bought it. It had been a tricky deal. He had to give out only enough information to the keepers of the prison in order to prove the truth of his claim. The plan was that after the guards had made his departure possible, Patri ck and Rasib would lead them to the rest of the treasure. Rasib had been overjoyed to see him. Like everyone else, he had assumed that Pat rick had been reduced to ashes blowing on the wind. The guard had slipped Rasib into The Pit clothed in a woman s robe. Patrick had to smile. No woman had sported a finer bear d. He hadn t thought it was so funny when he had left the same way. And thank God, he ha d access to enough treasure to pay off all the guards, or at least to buy himself some time before Lucas would discover Patrick was out of The Pit. Luckily, Marceau had hid the emeralds in several places so there was enough for the lure, the pay-offs, a portion for Rasib and e nough for him to have to ensure safe passage home. As far as he was concerned, it was a steal. No thing was more valuable than Savannah. Her price was far above rubies or emeralds. Keeping her safe was paramount. Rasib had brought weapons and a jeep and information on ways out of the country. The quickest way out was a rattletrap plant that Patrick hadn t expected to be able to use to climb over the mountains, but he could. The rest of the journey hadn t been easy, either . Without his

government ID, he had been on his own. But it was amazing what an emerald would buy. Now, here he was in Louisiana and trying to come to terms with all the changes. His Paddy had passed away. When he had called the nursing home, the woman who had an swered didn t even know the name. Apparently he had died not long after Patrick had been captured. There was no doubt in his mind that Savannah and Revel had taken care of things. Sorrow weighed heavily in his chest, but Patrick knew his grandfather wa s much better off. He hadn t been surprised to learn that Jayco and Hawke hadn t given up on him. They had been overjoyed to hear his voice and assured him that they had been working against Lucas in their own way. It had taken some time, because they hadn t had all of the evide nce that Patrick had collected. However, they had turned over all of their findings to Da ve Pate, the U. S. Congressman who was a former SEAL. Today, he d try to get Pate involved in the proceedings. Hawke had also relayed to the Congressman about their suspicions that Patrick was still alive, and he had list ened and promised to do what he could - but the wheels of justice never rolled swiftly. Of course, his friends had been thankful that Patrick had found another way out. Now, they were just waitin g for Lucas to be arrested so they could all testify against him. Patrick was living for that d ay, too. He hated to stay a ghost one moment longer than necessary, but the longer Lucas or any sp ies of his thought he was dead the better. Now, his main concern was to protect Savannah. The realization that she had been told he was dead cut him to the very core. How she must have suffered! Savannah had l oved him of that he had no doubt. He doubled his fist up and slammed it down on the hood of his rental car. After the lifetime of rejection she had endured, he had never wanted her to know another moment of pain. And even though he hadn t intended to, he brought her more. Last night she had responded to him so sweetly. He wondered if she had dreamed o f him as often as he had dreamed of her. One thing was certain he intended to make it up to her. Just as soon as Lucas was in custody and there was no chance she could be h urt, he was going to claim her that is, if she still wanted him. God please let her still wa nt him. When she had left this morning, he had followed her, just to make sure she got t o work all right. And when it was time for her to get off the MP would be there to make sure she got home okay. He didn t intend for her to be exposed to that idiot for even one momen t. And tonight, he d be back in her bed again. Soon, he d be more than just a sweet dream f or her. Soon, if it were up to him - he d be her husband. *****

Savannah was shaking. She had been practically useless at work. Thankfully all s he had been responsible for was cataloguing some items for the museum at Erath that had been left to them by a little old ninety year old Cajun woman whose fondest dream was to know her family history would live on. What had interested Savannah most was the tapes she had made of the little old l ady telling her version of the legend of Loup garou the oyster culling monster. She had always been familiar with the Louisiana version of the werewolf, but his connection to the oyster industry was particularly intriguing to her since this was not the first referen ce she had heard. One day soon, she would do her own research. One day when her world start ed to make sense again. Today she had left work early, needing to go get her prenatal vitamins filled at the pharmacy. Keeping this baby healthy was so very important to her. She was in suc h a tizzy that she had left her cell phone - somewhere. She wasn t sure if she had left it in her bedroom or the car or at work. It probably wasn t important, but she was so afraid she would miss another call from Patrick. Honestly she felt as if she was living in the twilight zone. When she let herself in the house, the first thing she did was take care of Ciar a. The dog was still excited and when they went for a walk, it was obvious she was looking behind every tree and brush for Patrick. She turned the lab loose, just to see where she d go a nd it didn t surprise her that she walked a trail around the house and when she stopped at a pair of footprints under her window, Savannah wanted to laugh out loud but she had this sneaky susp icion she was being watched. So, all she could do was smile. Savannah didn t know what his g ame was all she knew was that she wanted to play. Lord, she wanted to play. It was all she could do to get Ciara back in the house, but she did it finally. There were always things to do, but today she was a little preoccupied. She did take a vita min and cleaned herself up a bit. After all, she might have company in her bed tonight, and she wanted to be fresh as a daisy. Savannah didn t know where he had been or why he hadn t returned t o her until now so she was willing to listen. But if he tried to leave her again this time, she d kill him herself. Not really but it was tempting. ***** It was late a lot later than he had figured. After he had answered a thousand qu estions, he had answered a thousand more. Lucas had friends in high places, so this wasn t going to be a cake walk. Several times he had tried to call Savannah, but there had been no an swer. And that scared the hell out of him, but he had talked to the MP and had been assured tha t she had gotten

home and was safely ensconced within the sanctuary of her home. But he was here now. Last night he had arrived with the intention of waiting til l morning to see her, but he was weak he couldn t stay away from her. He had tapped on the d oor a few times, but she hadn t answered. So he had decided to let himself in. She wouldn t mi nd this was his home - more of a home than he had ever had anywhere. Patrick looked unde r the doormat first, that was where she used to keep the spare key and he was relieved when he couldn't locate it. He worried about protecting her from intruders ever since Ma rch had broken in on her, but now he was glad she was taking the initiative to help safeguard hers elf. "You re such a smart girl," Patrick had mumbled to himself, proud of his little Sa vannah for being so vigilant. Truly, he had just wanted to be close to her, just get a glimpse of her sweet face, but he had been too tempted to touch and one thing had led to another. Ton ight would be different. So, what had she thought about last night? Did she think it was a dream? Did she remember it happening at all or had she awoke with no memory of their lovemaking ? While he was in prison he had fantasized daily about her detailed fantasies. And they weren t all sexual. Sometimes he would just think about her in the kitchen. How she must loo k as she went about her daily work. In his mind s eye he could see the longing for him in h er face when she stood in front of the butcher's block where they had chopped up vegetables. And when the pain would get too great, he would think about how she would wiggle her tight, l ittle bottom when he'd sneak up behind her, surround her with his large frame and pin her to the edge of the block with his hard-on. He even imagined her humming some Elvis tune. She wiggle d when she sang with Elvis. Another thing he had loved to fantasize about was what she had on. When they had been apart before, he had always asked her what she was wearing. Once when they had b een whipping him with a cat of nine tails, he escaped into his own mind and gone ove r every little outfit she had ever worn to bed. As the cruel stripes lashed into his skin, he p retended to watch her through the sheer curtains of their bedroom as she changed into her familiar tank-top and a pair of yellow, smiley face boxer shorts he'd bought for her that first week the y d been together. Other times, she would favor a pair of black silk panties or a white t hong that made him groan from something other than pain. She d never know how often he thought ab out her just picturing her opening the window to let the breeze in lingering a moment, c ocking her head to one side, smiling just enough so that she looked like she had a secret. In his daydreams,

she would turn away and walk slowly, swaying her hips from side to side seductiv ely, almost as if she were inviting Patrick to come and take what belonged to him. Damn, he was tired. After the MP had relinquished his post to him, Patrick had t aken a walk around the property, surveying the area, making sure he hadn't been followe d by Lucas. He jogged a half mile perimeter around the property, checking parked cars and anyth ing that looked suspicious to him. A half hour later he was back at the house, standing at the s ide door, anxious to be with her again. Okay, Savannah ready or not here I come. If she was asleep, he wouldn t wake her but he couldn t resist just being close. ***** Savannah lay in the dark waiting. He was here, she could feel him. God, he was alive! He was alive and well and she was the happiest person who had ever been b orn! Why was he making her wait? No matter. He was alive Wondrously, gloriously alive. To night, she was going to go along with him - to a degree. Savannah was going to play pos sum. Yes, she was going to play possum until she turned into a wildcat. Patrick O Rourke was in for a surprise. ***** "I should just check on her and let her sleep, he told himself as he picked the l ock. A flash memory of Savannah's beautiful naked body raced across his mind and the tu mbler in the lock pushed aside, granting Patrick access to the place that held all of his hop es and dreams. "Who am I kidding? I want to crawl in the bed and hold her tight. He hadn t had a decent hour s sleep since they had been apart. Savannah belonged to him and he was back to lay claim before someone else did. H is woman was beautiful and the idea that she had gone unnoticed all of this time wa s far-fetched. After all, she had thought he was dead. Yet she hadn t made love to h im like a woman who was in love with someone else. And no one else was in her bed tonight, but him. Ciara met him and there was no way he could ignore her. Hey, Girl, he knelt by her. It s so good to see you, too. You ve grown up so big and pretty. Have you been t aking good care of our Savannah? Tonight, she was calmer. Last night she had been almos t uncontrollable. It really was true, a dog loved unconditionally. But so did Sava nnah of that he had no doubt. Now, you go sit down and let me go see about Savannah. I ll talk t o you before I leave. She obeyed; she was such a good dog. Last night he had been in too much of a rush to look around. He hadn't been priv ileged to touch her in years and the need to be inside of her had pushed all rational t hought from his head. Tonight, if she wanted him - he was going to take his time with everything . The house looked the same as when he'd left that night. Some of the furniture ha

d been replaced, and there were now pictures of him on the fireplace mantle. That had t o be a good sign. The first step up to their bedroom creaked like he knew it would, but he d idn t care. He moved up the stairs swiftly and was soon standing outside their bedroom door. Cl osing his eyes, he thanked God that he was home. She always slept with the door partially closed and when Patrick pushed it open slowly, it squeaked. Frozen in place with the door all the way open, Patrick caught a glimp se of Savannah sprawled out on the bed. She was on her left side just like she always was the s econd her head hit the pillow. In her arms she held a pillow, snuggling it like she used to snuggle his arm that he kept wrapped around her at night. The blankets were bunched up at her feet and t he moonlight that shone through the window landed perfectly on Savannah's perfect heart-shape d ass. Patrick stepped closer to the bed, quiet on his feet for a big man. He stood ove r Savannah's tiny body and when he reached a hand slowly down to touch her shoulde r, she stirred and rolled over onto her back, her shirt coming up in the front exposing smooth, creamy skin. His cock stiffened, his considerable length testing the stitching of his j eans. Patrick looked away, trying to regain control, and when he saw that his picture had been removed from her night table, his hard-on was forced down with that familiar dre adful feeling of being forgotten. "Patrick," Savannah moaned in her sleep. When he looked back down at her, he was sure he'd see her looking back up at him , but her eyes were still shut. I m here, Love. "Come here, Baby," Savannah breathed, calling out to him from slumberland. She wiggled her ass on the bed. He was a bit amused, she must be dreaming about him right now. The blood rushed back into Patrick's cock. Kneeling down, he slowly traced a finger over the soft, defined lines of Savanna h s stomach. She bucked her hips ever so slightly. The moonlight now shone on the fr ont of Savannah's panties and Patrick watched her pussy move back and forth while she h ad her way with him in her dream. But a soft finger across her stomach wasn't going to be enough to satiate Patric k's hunger, so his hand wandered further south, over Savannah's soft mound and found the fro nt of her panties. Are you awake, Savannah? he whispered. She was moist, slick, ready. He ru bbed the damp bulge of her clit with two fingers and Savannah moaned, but didn't wake . Slowly and almost silently, Patrick undid the fly of his jeans with his free han d and his fat, swollen cock forced the zipper all the way down. There was already a dark s pot in his

underwear from the precum he was leaking. He wasn't sure if he could recall an e rection this firm before and he slipped a finger into the side of Savannah's panties and massaged her wet lips, sliding all the way up then back down. She was wet, just like he liked her. You f eel so good. "Patrick." Savannah breathed his name again, this time louder. I want you. He buried his entire finger deep inside of her and bent over to kiss her stomach while he stroked his cock with his other hand. "I ve got to have you, Baby, he whispered. He slid his fingertip in and out, slowly , enjoying her velvety folds with every nerve-ending in his fingers. Savannah grou nd down on his hand and he again thrust deep inside of her. Another moan and Patrick kissed her stomach again, kissed it right above her panty line. He was close enough to smell her an d it was driving him wild. She had to be awake there was no way she could react like this and sti ll be asleep. He rubbed the soft head of his cock with the palm of his hand, igniting all the feelings in his body and moved into position with his head near her pussy. He gently pushed her legs open a few inches. He smiled when she gave willingly. "Good girl." He kissed her inner thigh first, his tongue dancing across her smooth, soft skin until it found the damp fabric of her panties. But this wasn't enough, so Patrick hooked a finger into the soft scrap of silk, pulled them aside and let his tongue slice all the way up fr om the bottom of Savannah's slit, to the top. She bucked again and Patrick licked her clit. He co uld have stayed there for hours, but he wanted to be inside of her more. He had missed her so mu ch. So Patrick pulled his pants off and moved into position between her legs. He held himself u p with powerful, strained arms. I need you, Savannah. Am I welcome? In seeming answer, she parted her legs and lifted her hips. Patrick felt Savanna h's heat when he drew close, it radiated off of her and the tip of his dick twitched. Rea ching down between her legs, Patrick moved Savannah's panties aside and guided his thick co ck into her wet, warm pussy. "Mmmm," Savannah groaned again. He slid the tip of his dick into her , letting her honey coat every inch. Smoothly, he slid it all the way out again and then all t he way back in. Savannah thrust her hips up, meeting Patrick's strokes. It was just too much. He was so aroused that he came right away, biting his bottom lip to keep from crying out and strug gled to keep himself upright while his seed pumped out of his balls and into Savannah. For a few moments more, he enjoyed the feeling of being inside of her then he pulled out and caref ully got off the bed. From outside, Patrick heard a noise, a rustling in the bushes outside Savannah's window. He watched Savannah stir and rolled back over onto her left side. What if it was

Lucas? Patrick pulled his pants back on and raced out of the room as quietly as he could withou t even being able to give Savannah a kiss goodbye. He stalked through the kitchen, checking outsid e to see what was there. Ciara followed at his heels, barking. The bushes rustled again and Pa trick burst out the side door, ready to take on Lucas but all he found was a coon. And when he turned around, he was facing a very beautiful but very pissed off lo oking woman. Chapter Ten Going somewhere? Her eyes were big, her bottom lip was trembling and she was not smiling. Savannah! You re awake! He reached for her, but she backed up. Of course I was awake! Were you leaving me again? Without saying a goddamn word? I no I was coming back. That wasn t exactly true; he hadn t been planning on going back in. After hearing the noise, he was a little unnerved. He would have felt better checking the area out if there was a battle to be fought, he wanted to do it as far away from her as possible. But he had never heard her curse before either so discretion was th e better part of valor. You re lying to me. Why? Where have you been? Did you know they told me you were dead? I ve lived for three years thinking you were dead! Her tone was almost accusatory and that tore at Patrick s heart. I didn t know until a few weeks ago that you thought I was dead. I ve been in an Afghan prison, Savannah . I was betrayed, ambushed and abandoned by my own superior officer. Both of them stood their ground, their eyes locked. He watched her tremble then she threw herself at him, arms winding around his neck, sobbing uncontrollably. I lov e you. I love you so much. I thought you were dead. For three years, I thought you were dead. This was his baby. Patrick wrapped his arms around her and cradled her close whi le she cried her eyes out. I m so sorry, Sweetheart. You ve come back to me. Did you know how many times I prayed for you to come back? I searched for you so hard. Patrick realized that she was talking about her ghost hunting. I m real, Savannah. Hiccupping one sob after another, she slapped him on the shoulder. I know you re alive. I can feel you. She began kissing him feverishly, covering his face with k isses. With her lips, she felt the scar, just like she d seen on the image in the well. You ve be en hurt, but you re so beautiful. I m so glad to see you. I didn t want to live without you. Patrick picked her up and carried her back in the house. Ciara followed every st ep. He rubbed his cheek on her hair. You ll never know how much I missed you. I thought ab out you every moment. Your love your memory kept me alive. He placed her on the bed and she rose up on her knees. You re hurt, I felt scars. Savannah ran her hands over his body, kissing every blemish she could see. Turn around, he did and she doctored the other side in her own sweet way. Why didn t you tell me you were coming? Why did you just sneak in on me?

The day I had to leave, I intended to get hold of Revel and tell him that I had l eft a flash drive here with evidence to bring down a traitor. That traitor was my superior o fficer. But I didn t get to talk to him before I was sent on a mission that I was not supposed t o survive. Why didn t you tell me? I would have taken care of it for you. Patrick didn t have a good answer for her. It wasn t that he hadn t trusted her; it re ally never crossed his mind. Women were supposed to be protected not drug into the pa th of trouble. But that is exactly what had happened. You re right. I made a mistake. But this man Lucas he came to see me a few weeks ago and he made a comment that he bet you ha d the evidence and he thought he would pay you a visit. That s when you escaped? Yes, I couldn t allow anything to happen to you. Why didn t you come to me sooner? Her heart was in her eyes. Oh Baby, he kissed her right over her heart. I didn t have the means, before. A man was thrown into The Pit with me and just before he died, he told me about a stas h of stolen emeralds. I used them to buy my way out so I could come home to you. She picked up his hand and turned it over, kissing the palm. I am so glad you are here. There is nothing in this world that I want more than you. And your baby, sh e thought. Savannah couldn t wait to tell him, but that time would come. Right now i t was time for them to rejoice and celebrate the miracle of their reunion. I understand want. The last two times they had made love were wonderful, but he wanted more. The last two times were tender this time he wanted more, he wanted to forget the last three years and celebrate that he was alive. He wanted raw. Patrick cra ved passion. I want you. Patrick stripped off her clothes and his no finesse, no folding he slun g them to one side and growled. Back lay back. She did. Savannah was weak with need. Patrick was ravenous. He rose over her and kissed her hard, nipping her lip. Savannah was wet instantly. He went to her neck and licked a spot sucked on it and bit her again. Patrick! Her cry wasn t pain, it was pure excitement. The realization that she was right there with him only excited Patrick before. He wanted to take her he wante d to hold on to her neck like an animal and pound her till she screamed for more. Maybe being so near death had brought out the savage in him, but he wanted to rut. And he wanted to control her. He wanted to dominate. He wanted to fuck. Your nipples are hard. Your cock is hard. Patrick laughed. No shit, Sherlock. I have had sex twice in the last three years, tonight and last night and I have a helluva lot to make up for. As if to illustrate his p oint, he licked her nipple with the broad flat of his tongue. Her body arched and followed his m outh, wanting more. The heat rising between them was scorching in its intensity. God, I ve missed this. I ve missed you. Patrick swirled his tongue around her nipple and then sucked it deep. Savannah b it her

bottom lip and moaned. Don t leave me anymore. Promise? Promise. Now touch me, Savannah. I need to feel your touch. His wish was her command. She echoed him. Back lay back. With a sweet Savannah smile, she straddled him and showed him what she d learned. Leaning over she nipped his chest, kissed a trail up his neck, nipped his chin then got down to business. Spreading her palms on his pecs she began to kiss and lick on his nipp les first one and then the other, drawing the flat brown discs into her mouth and sucking on t hem. Damn, Baby. You ve never done that before. All the while, he rubbed her back while she lo ved on his body. Reaching between them, he milked on her tits pulling at the nipples ma king her wet until he could feel the cream from her pussy coating his groin. Helplessly h is hips jerked, grinding against her. My turn. He was about to flip her over so he could bury himself deep within her tight pus sy, but Savannah had other ideas. Yea, it s your turn, she said with an almost feminine litt le growl. I m gonna make you beg. There was something in her voice that was different something they both had in common an understanding. He and Savannah had been to hell and back, so they now knew how to appreciate what they thought they had lost forever. That s right, my Savanna h. Get wild for me. She had missed him, thank God. And she still wanted him. She slid do wn his body and he watched in fascination as she licked and laved the shaft teased him with a few little sucks on the head drove him crazy as she massaged his cock in her hands. Wrapping her long hair around his hand, he guided her in position so that she straddled one l eg, but still had access to his cock. Take all of me, Savannah. I ve dreamed of fucking your mouth, Pa trick practically snarled the words. Pushing her down, he tangled her hair in his hand controlling. Savannah loved ev ery second of it. She felt so alive, more alive than she had felt in years. Pleasing Patrick was the most erotic thing she could imagine. She took the throbbing shaft in her hand, pumping it once and looked up at him w ith an expression that he d never forget. In his dreams, she had been eager to please but now he saw a look of pure lust and hunger. Are you mine, Savannah? Take me, if you want me, her answer was sassy and challenging and he understood exactly what she needed. Grasping his cock in one hand, he stroked it up and down never taking his eyes f rom her. So, you wanna play? he pushed her head down and rubbed the seam of her lips w ith his cock spreading precum on the soft pink surface like lip gloss. Open. She parted he r lips. Wider. He teased her mouth tapping the lower lip with his cock. She lashed out her tong ue, taking a lick. Patrick pulled back an inch, instead rubbing the tip on her cheek

. Savannah tried to turn her head to capture the prize, but he held her head fast. Ummm, she growled and he laughed. She had actually growled her displeasure. You little wildcat! He gave her what she wanted. Opening her lips, she took him in to her velvety mouth, her tongue bathing and twirling the suction she applied was a bsolute heaven. God! he shouted. Savannah loved this. She was drunk on lust. He flexed his leg and a pleasurable sensation shot through her clit. Jesus! She could pleasure herself at the same t ime so she did grinding her pussy against his hard muscle, enjoying the rasp of her clit agains t his hair-roughened skin. Patrick worked his cock in and out of her mouth. She loved how it felt how it tasted. He was all male. And there was no give his shaft was hard as stee l, yet pulsed with life. Holding it still, she speared her tongue down in the slit, sipping at the bulbous tip, licking beneath the head all moves designed to enflame the animal within him. Sa vannah was playing with fire. Hell, yes! Savannah smiled around his cock. A secret feminine power rose up in her. So, he liked that part, did he? Okay so she d do it again. And again. As she licked the sweet s ecret spot over and over, Patrick s whole body tightened, his legs stiffened his hips bucked. Deeper! Christ! She tried to obey, but he took over. And she gloried in it! Tightening hi s fist in her hair, he fucked in and out of her mouth. Savannah accommodated him, giving him f ree rein. She tried to suck her cheeks in, but he was so big she really couldn t. It w as overwhelming. Helplessly, she rode his leg as he moved between her lips deeper a nd harder with every thrust. I can t last, he groaned with a shout. Savannah s pleasure mounted, ramped up as he went wild. She tried to make it as go od for him as she could, caressing the tender glans with her tongue lashing and ras ping. Look at me! he demanded. There was nowhere else she d rather look. She loved him. The way he felt the ecsta sy was all over his face. Tipping his head back, the muscles of his neck corded and she felt the first rush of cum flow into her mouth. Her reaction to his pleasure surprised he r she came she scrubbed her pussy against him as hard as she could. And as he jetted his pa ssion down her throat, she exploded in quivers of rapture. As his heart hammered, she slipped h er lips from his body and kissed the shaft. She could feel his heartbeat in the warm male flesh. C ome here, Savannah. He held his arms out and she stretched down on him satisfied and comple tely happy for the first time in years. *****

Patrick slept for a while, but a gruff bark from Ciara made him open his eyes wide. Sliding out from under Savannah he grabbed his pants. But when he got to t he kitchen, his dog was playing paws against the glass with the coon from earlier. Found a friend? Feeling thirsty, he made his way to the kitchen. Home Sweet Home. Flipping on the light, he padded to the cabinet and got a glass and filled it with water. As he sipped, he looked down and saw a prescription bottle. Curiosity got the best of him and he picked it up. Prenatal vitamins prescribed to Savannah Doucet. Patric k s heart stopped. Prenatal vitamins? Savannah was pregnant? His head swam with dismay. Hi s guts wrenched with pain. Leaning on the cabinet, he tried to catch his breath. God! H e didn t know what to think? Turning around, a big bouquet of fading red roses caught his eye. Walking over to them, he couldn t help but see the card lying beside them. MARRY ME YOU DON T HAVE TO DO THIS ALONE. REVEL A pain-filled groan tore raggedly from his throat. Grief rolled off from him in waves. He couldn t think, he could only feel. He had been dead for three years. Wh at did he expect? The reasoning clamoring in his brain did nothing for the shaft of agony in his heart. Can t sleep? Patrick turned and saw her standing there in a pink robe tiny, rubbing her eyes, yawning sweetly. All he wanted to do was grab her up and hold her tight, never letting h er go. But she wasn t his. Why didn t you tell me? He picked up the medicine bottle and held it out t o her. Why did you let me touch you? It s not what you think . . . Savannah started toward him. No? he motioned toward the roses. I think I get the picture. You and my best friend have been carrying on. You and my best friend have made a baby! He wheeled around. Ciara! Let s go. I ll get my things later. No, Patrick. You don t understand. I can explain. I don t want to hear it. He started for the door and Savannah ran to him, catching him by the arm. Please? Listen to me, Patrick. I love you. He pulled out of her grasp, walked out the door and out of her life. Patrick didn t stop he didn t slow down. No matter how hard she cried and screamed, he drove away from her. She ran down the driveway behind the car, but he kept go ing. Tears were blinding her, and her throat was raw from screaming. Come back! Please. The baby is yours! But he couldn t hear her, he was gone. She stood in the early morning light alone. The mists were rising and the lonely wind whistled through the tops of the tress. What had happened? She had held him in h er arms! Turning, she stumbled back toward the house. Surely, he would listen. When he calmed down, he d be back; she reasoned with herself. Patrick knew how much she loved him. They were meant to be together. Fa te decreed it to be so. The walls seemed to be closing in on her. She couldn t be still. Maybe if she took a

shower, she d feel better. Everywhere she looked, Patrick was there. For three years she had longed for him and he had returned. Now he was gone again. It was almost more than she could bear. Stripping off the robe, she turned on the water. The evidence of his lovemaking and her cl imax was still on her body. Quickly and efficiently, Savannah showered. Picking up her hair, she let the war m water run down her back. God, she was stiff! Running a hand up her neck, she kneaded a tired muscle. Her finger encountered a rough spot. She felt again. Odd. Crawling out of the shower, she went to the mirror and what she saw devastated her. There was a rough, raised spot a blemish on her neck. It was about the size of a quarter and pink with paler spots in it. She touched it and the sensation was dulled. Oh, God no! Savannah knew what it was her greatest nightmare. No, please no. ***** Jayco was at Barksdale, just a few hours away. Get over here, I need you to come and guard Savannah. Rousing himself from sleep, Jayco wiped his eyes. What the hell are you talking about? I need you to come relieve me. I can t stay. Why the hell not? You ve been away from her for three years. Why would you want to leave her now? Just get over here. Patrick wasn t being polite. He was talking like a superior officer instead of a friend. But his mind was a mess. All he could see was that card Revel had signed asking Savannah to marry him. He tried to think straight. Apparently, she hadn t said yes . She was still wearing his ring, wasn t she? He thought it was his. Perhaps it was Revel s. W hy? Why would she hesitate to marry him if she was pregnant with his child? Damn, he did n t know. But he was going to find out. Just as soon as Jayco got here, Patrick was going to p ay his best friend a little visit. ***** I need to make an appointment, Savannah s hand shook as she held the receiver. My gynecologist referred you to me. I need to come in pretty quick. I m scared, she whispered. How pitiful? This woman wouldn t care if she was scared. Tomorrow? Okay. How would she wait twenty four hours to find out if she had leprosy or not? And how was she going to go to work and act like her world hadn t come to an end? ***** Jayco had come and told him he was an idiot. Right now, he felt like one. Why di d he feel betrayed? He had no right. Whipping into Revel s driveway, he contradicted hi mself. He had every right! Savannah was his! Or she used to be. Throwing open the truck door, he didn t even bother to shut it. Revel s motorcycle w as in the drive. Good! Pounding on the door, he waited. Keep your shirt on! It s damn early, this had better be good! Revel opened the door and stared. Patrick! A smile of stun

ned, surprised happiness covered his friends face and Revel reached to pull him into a hug. Bastard! Patrick drew his fist back and threw a punch. It connected but barely. Revel wasn t quite as big as Patrick, but he was fast. What in the hell are you doing? Get your ass in here. Revel pulled him in. Are you drunk? Why did you do it, Man? Couldn t you find your own woman? You had to steal mine? Goddamn you! You know I love her! Revel was reeling from the shock of seeing Patrick alive. Where have you been? What s been going on? Hawke and Jayco told me they had suspicions about how you died but I hadn t dare hope you were alive! It s a long story, but that s not what I want to talk about! Answer my question! How could you do that to Savannah? Do what? Propose to her? Revel looked affronted. I asked her to marry me because she s pregnant. She needed me. Patrick lunged at him again. You slept with my woman! You gave my woman a baby! Revel didn t back down, but he didn t fight. Idiot. He sneered at his best friend. Did you lose your mind while you were in prison? And I want to know all t he details once you come to your senses. All I want to know is how this happened? Why aren t you with her? If that were my baby, I d never leave her side. Revel looked at him like he was crazy. And then he smiled. Hothead. You didn t let her explain did you? Patrick looked puzzled. It is your baby. She spent every dime she had, and went through three miscarriages to get pregnant with your child. And that s no t all; she worked to get a memorial put up in the park for fallen Marines for you. There s al so a scholarship in your name at the local high school. All she kept saying was that she had made you a promise. She wanted you to be remembered. She wanted your name to live on. Savannah hasn t rested, she s been busy creating your legacy because she loved y our sorry ass. Revel could see that his words were sinking in. She s pregnant with my child? Yes, and I proposed because she didn t have insurance for proper medical care. You asked me to take care of her. That s what I was trying to do. Patrick dry-scrubbed his face. You were going to marry her to help with the baby. You know where my heart lies. I don t know if I ll ever get the chance to be with Harper, but I could see that your child got a good start in this world. I could have given it my name. But you know what? What? She turned me down. Because of you. Patrick felt like a fool. I need to get back to Savannah. You re smarter than you look. Revel hugged him tight. I m glad you re back. I missed you. ***** Don t move or I ll gut you where you stand. Lucas held a knife under Jayco s throat. Why aren t you in custody? Jake ground out as the sharp knife nicked his skin. I m not an easy man to take down. They re going to have to catch me and I m leaving the country just as soon as I get me a hostage. With that announcement, Lucas cra cked Jayco over the head with the butt of a pistol and he crumbled at Lucas s feet. Gazing do wn the hill, Lucas saw Savannah getting in her car. Wait up, Bitch. I m on my way.

By the time he got in the car, Lucas had lost her. But he made two blocks, hit t he main highway and spotted her Camaro. Debating his next course of action, he decided h e couldn t wait till she arrived at her destination. The farm-to-market- road was deserted except for the two of them so he sped up and got right on her tail. Savannah was on automatic. When she got to work, she d try his cell phone number, but she had no way of knowing if the old number was still good or not. If she couldn t reach him that way, she d go by his apartment after work. Another thing she could do was cal l Revel to see if he had heard from him. The bottom line was that she needed Patrick now more than ever. The implications of her situation were just beginning to sink in. If she had Hansen s Disease everythi ng would change. Patrick would be thrilled about the baby. She had no doubt about that. A nd he would understand about Revel. She hadn t betrayed his memory and Revel would make him li sten. In fact, he probably already knew. He would call her today, she was sure of that. B ut if she had Hansen s . . . she couldn t have her family. Horror plagued her mind and heart. I love you, she put her hand over her stomach. A thin wail rose in her throat. Now , she knew how her mother must have felt. There was no way she could care for this child if she was sick. Leprosy wasn t that contagious, but the relationship between a mother an d child was so close she couldn t risk it. Patrick would have to take him and they would have to live apart from her. Savannah would be alone, again. God! Please don t let this be true. How wa s she going to live with this uncertainty till tomorrow? And what would she tell Patri ck if he contacted her today? Maybe it would be better if he didn t. Don t you worry. Your Dad dy will come around. When he finds out the truth, he ll be so happy he has you. BAM! A ll of a sudden, Savannah s car lurched forward. She had been hit from behind! Looking in her rear view mirror, she saw a large pickup right on her tail. Maybe if she moved over, he d go by. There wasn t much of a shoulder, but she gave him all the ro om she could. CRASH! He did it again! For just a second she met the eyes of the man beh ind her and she saw maniacal glee. The man was smiling. Fear clutched her heart. Savanna h pressed down on the gas and sped up. But that did no good. The pick-up whipped out and c ame along-side her and turned the wheel to the right. SCRAPE! He was forcing her off the road! Savannah fought for her and her baby. But she failed. Her car hit the ditch and the uneven ground made her car flop and lurch. Valiantly she sought to control it to slow it down. Patrick! She prayed. She begged. But there was no way she could avoid the tr ee.

***** Patrick drove hard. He needed to get back home before Savannah left for work. Wh at an idiot he was! Every second he had spent in her bed came back to haunt him. Sh e had told him she loved him. Savannah had shown him that she loved him. And how had he rep ayed her? With jealousy and suspicion with doubt and an unwillingness to listen. Patr ick was ashamed. He tried to call her, but there was still no answer. Ciara was still wi th him; she had sat on Revel s porch and patiently waited. You must think I ve lost my mind, don t you, Girl? Why didn t you stop me this morning? His dog just looked at him with wise, sa d eyes. Arriving at Savannah s he realized she was already gone. Great. He couldn t believe he had done her this way. She ought to just tell him where to get off he deserved i t. But she wouldn t do it, she loved him. Patrick didn t do anything but turn around and head for town. He d go to where she worked. This was too important to put off. At his hip, his cell phone buzzed. It was Commander Edge. Yes sir? O Rourke, we have a problem. Sir? What s up? Lucas has gone rogue. I have no doubt that he is the traitor you claim him to be. Unfortunately, before we could take him into custody, he disappeared. He ll come here, Patrick s blood ran cold. It was happening dread slid through his veins like poison. He s already there, the Commander s voice dropped. We just received a phone call from him. We have a hostage situation. He s demanding that we give him passage out of the country or he ll kill the hostage. Fear, pure fear took Patrick s breath away. He didn t have to ask but he did. Who s the hostage? Your Savannah. He s holed up at the Cajun Inn just off the interstate south of Lafayette. We have a team on the way. I ll be there first. You know what I do, Commander. Do I have permission to take th is guy out? All I ask is that you coordinate your efforts with my team. We don t want any civil ian casualties. There will only be one casualty. Lucas is already dead. He just doesn t know it yet . ***** Savannah was tied to a chair. Her arms hurt. She kept her eyes closed and tried to assess her situation. Was she all right? Was her baby all right? What had happen ed? Opening her eyes a crack, she tried to look around without alerting her captor. Lucas it has to be. Patrick had known he was coming. POP! Savannah s head jerked back and light exploded behind her eyes. The slap stun g like hell, but in a way it gave Savannah a bit of courage. What could you possibl y want with me? The evidence has already been turned in. I don t have it anymore. Shut up, Bitch! You re my ticket out of this shittin country. I m moving somewhere that will appreciate me.

Hell? Another resounding slap almost knocked both Savannah and the chair completely over. Blood trickled down the corner of her mouth. For the first time she looked her attacker in the face. He was a big man not as big as Patrick, but the sneer on his thin, mus tached face was chilling. A big pistol was pointing right at her. She had never looked down the barrel of a gun before. It made her look at her world with a whole new perspective. Was this going to be it? Will she pass away before she gets to tell Patrick she loves him and the baby is his? Will her poor baby never see the life she fought so hard to give him? The moments felt so long. Years went by as her eyes acclimated to the sight of t he pistol in front of her, although it was probably just seconds. The reality began to sin k down upon her and all the old familiar thoughts of despair and loneliness made their way back to the front of her mind. Even if she conquered the air of Carville and felt the warmth of a man s lov e, she had not escaped Leprosy; she had lost Patrick, again; and she failed her baby. It s ok. She can die, now. She would probably be doing everyone a favor. The sound of engines traveling down the interstate reminded Savannah of the day she met Patrick. She had driven her Camaro so fast. She was excited and nervous. Patrick reached out to her and reminded her. He wanted her to feel safe. The world can t be that bad if t here are people like that in the world, can it? And then it all came rushing back to her. Patrick loved her. He fought and beat death, itself, to come back to her. The baby is his. He would go to Revel and they woul d straighten everything out, and then he would come to her. He would come. Her warrior would come. Nana Fontenot said so. The Saints won. The Saints won. He has to. There it is. Hope. She has hope. She has something to live for. She has something to fight for. The fear is back. The fight is back. This can t happen. She needs to live, for the baby, for Patrick. Now that all was in perspective and love had stricken her heart with fe ar, she realized how much danger her life and love was in. And when Lucas began to unbutton his p ants, she had to swallow the panic. I told O Rourke what I was going to do with you. You ain t no looker, but your tits a re nice and I bet your pussy s warm. Sometimes we have to play the hand we re dealt. I wouldn t do that if I were you. Who s going to stop me? By this time he had his cock out. It was small, but erect. Savannah almost laughed. Almost. She couldn t believe she was going to say this but here goes. . . My parents were lepers. I was born at the Carville Leprosarium. She tilted her hea d to show him the spot on her neck. I found this spot last night. Wanna risk it? She watched his dick go limp. This time when he drew back to slap her she looked at him defi antly and he

lowered his hand. I wouldn t touch you with a ten foot pole. Savannah had to admit that some clouds did have silver linings. Maybe everything does happen for a reason. Do you actually think that Patrick is going to let you live? He s outside right now with a gun. And I bet he has a bullet with your name on it. The window directly behind him was covered by a curtain, but there was about a three inch gap right in the middle. Do you think he ll come to rescue you, Leper? A moment of doubt shadowed her face. He doesn t know about the spot. Why was she being honest with this guy? But he does know about our baby. At least she hope d he did. How many more breaths do you think he s going to let you take? Lucas drew back to hit her again right before he dropped dead at her feet. The b ullet had gone through the glass so quickly that he had hit the floor before she had h eard the CRACK! The door burst open and Patrick was there. Savannah? Are you all right, Baby? He hugged her chair and all. She had to tell him. Stop, Patrick. He paid her no attention whatsoever. With great care, he untied her. What did he do to you? He was kissing her bruised cheek kissing the corners of her eyes. He slapped me a few times, that s all. Several others came into the room and Patrick led her around the still body that lay on the floor. Picking her up, he stepped over the bloody mass that used to be the back of Lucas s head. She shouldn t do it but she couldn t resist. Savannah laid her head on Patrick s shoulder and just enjoyed being this close to him one final time. When they reached his truck, he shifted her so he could open her door and he sat her down. They were far enough away from the others that he felt like he could talk. Sava . . . he began and then he stopped. Going to his knees, he laid his head down in her lap and that was when Savannah realized that Patrick was crying. Placing her hand on the top of his head, she sought to comfort him. Everything is okay, Patrick. She soothed his hair and kissed him. I m so sorry. The baby is yours. I know. I should have never jumped to conclusions. I should have listened. He kissed her stomach. You were keeping your promise to me. My child would have been my legacy. Yes, you should have listened, she let out a small laugh despite her worry. And I never slept with Revel, I never even thought about it. He s in love with someone e lse and I m in love with you. At that her voice broke. You are my life, Savannah. You and our baby, I love him already. Patrick gathered her close. It was just the idea of another man taking what was mine I couldn t hand le it. Patrick, you need to not touch me so much. What? The surprise in his voice was evident. Touching you is the greatest joy of my life. She put her hands on his shoulders and pushed. I found a spot on my neck this

morning. And most people are immune, but we know my folks were susceptible . . . her voice trailed off. What are you talking about? She moved her hair and pointed. I think I have Hansen s. I have an appointment with a specialist in the morning. Patrick examined the spot. Why wasn t he more worried? Now, when do you think you would have been exposed to leprosy? I don t know. I visited Carville while you were gone. It s a museum, Savannah. There are no lepers there anymore. I know, she didn t have answers. Come here, let me get you in the light and look at this spot. He pulled her out in to the sunshine. Savannah knew that Patrick had been trained, but she didn t think he cou ld make a diagnosis. Patrick thought differently. We should definitely get this looked at, but it s not Hansen s. And he kissed the spot for good measure. Patrick! Don t! She fussed. And he kissed it again. And then he pulled her close and he devoured her mouth. I love you. I love you more than anything in the world and there is nothing that is going to keep us apart any longer. No madman is going to intimidate us, no disease is going to conquer us not even death itself is going to separate us. Patrick s conviction healed the wounds in her heart and his words reminded her of the promise she had received only days before. Someone else I love very much told me almost the same thing just a couple of days ago. Oh yeah? He refused to be jealous, again. He had no reason to be. Instead he cuddled her close and kissed the spot she was so worried about again. If kisses could heal, it would soon be gone. And who would that be? My mom. He stepped back. Really? Was she alive or . . . .? Patrick knew her well. She s in heaven. Of that, Savannah was certain. I think I need to hear this story. You will, she promised, and I can t wait to tell you about Felix, too. Rubbing her hand across his broad strong chest, she whispered. I looked for you, you know. I searched and called and begged for you to hear me. I wanted you to know that I hadn t forgotten you. I heard you, Savannah. In my dreams, I heard you calling me. You re my miracle, Patrick. She hugged him close. And you re my Destiny. ***** They sat in the doctor s office holding hands and waiting. Everything is going to be fine, he assured her. It s going to be something simple and very treatable like psoriasis. Savannah laughed. Psoriasis? The heartbreak of psoriasis? That sounds awful. It could be cancer. I ve thought of that. Hush, he kissed her lips. Don t even say that out loud. Cancer is a respectable disease, she explained softly. There s nothing respectable about anything that could cause you one minute s pain not to me. About that time, the doctor returned. Well, Miss Doucet, it seems like you had a little visitor in your bed, maybe. You ve been bitten by a spider. Nothing dangerous, a l

ittle ointment and you ll be right as rain. Savannah almost collapsed from relief. Patrick squeezed her hand and said, Let s go home. We ve got a wedding to plan. ***** Elope? Are you sure you are okay with eloping? She was packing fast. What about your friends? We ll have a party for them later. I don t want to wait another day to be your husband. Most of his stuff was still packed, so he was trying to help her. Savannah wanted to laugh at him, but he was so sincere. He was in her underwear drawer, just digging. Panties and bras were flying through the air and she was c atching them one after the other. We have to get a marriage license and the waiting time is like s eventy-two hours, I think. Not if you get special permission from the Justice of the Peace. He sounded very s ure of himself like always. But he stopped mid undie-toss and stared at her. Do you w ant a traditional wedding? Do you want to get married in a church with the girls as br idesmaids? He put his hand on his hips and looked disgusted with himself. Of course you want a real wedding you re a girl. No, she wrapped her arms around his waist. I want to be your wife more than anything. But I do have a request. Patrick pulled her in front of him so he could look her in the face. Name it it s y ours. Savannah smiled and his heart thumped in his chest. Can we go to Galveston for our honeymoon? While you were gone, I would go there i n my mind with you. We could rent a beach cabin and make love while the tide roars outside. Make the reservations and I ll load the car and alert our witnesses where to meet u s. Witnesses? It was a good thing that Patrick was in charge; she was too excited to think straight. Yes, I want this marriage ceremony to be legal, binding, permanent and short. The sooner I get my ring on your finger, the better. Stepping closer, she embraced the big Marine. I never took your ring off, Baby. I know, but I have another one to add to it or I will have as soon as my best man arrives. I picked it out when I bought your engagement ring, but I never got a c hance to go back and get it. Revel picked it up for me. God, I love you. I can t believe I m holding you again. I ll hold you as long as you want to be held. Do we have time for a kiss? I need one. Everything has happened so fast and we ve made love, but I need to kiss you. He knew exactly what she meant, but he lived for her smile. And where would you l ike this kiss to be? My mouth is lonely. Well, we can t have that. As she gazed at him, she saw his eyes darken with passion. During my time in The Pit, you ll never know how many hours I kissed you in my hear t, Savannah. I would close my eyes and leave that hell-hole I was in and lose mysel f in your arms. I would kiss you till I ached with longing for it to be real. Show me.

Come up here to me. He cupped her bottom and lifted her and she wrapped her legs and arms around him . He was hers. Then he kissed her like he d been dreaming of. He kissed her like she had never been kissed before. Soft kisses, rubbing, tasti ng then they turned hot and deep and all of the pent-up desperation and days of starving for her touch poured out into the melding of their mouths. And she accepted his passion and returned it with such fervor that he had no dou bt she had missed him and ached for him every single second he was gone. Savannah dug her fingers into his shoulders, holding on to him with everything s he had. Patrick was making love with her it wasn t just a kiss, it was a commitment. When they drew apart, she pressed her head into the curve of his neck. He could feel tears on his skin. Don t ever leave me again, please. He hadn t told her yet, but he wasn t leaving not anymore. His time in the Marines w as over. Okay, baby. You re stuck with me. She half sobbed, half laughed. I m ready to say I do now. ***** Not a moment was wasted. Savannah was lucky to have had time to change into a pr oper dress for the ceremony. He wore black slacks and a black dress shirt and looked so sexy she could barely breathe. Tammany and Revel had met them at the courthouse and it mi ght not have been the most glamorous wedding, but it was perfect for them. We re having a party the night you come home, so call me, I ll have everything ready. Tammany promised hugging her friend. You look so pretty, this lacy little dress i s perfect. Thanks, Tam, she looked over her friend s shoulder at Patrick who was talking to Revel Lee. I want to thank you. If you had never pushed me that day at the Memori al, I would have let him walk out of my life and I d never have known what I was missing. No, I can t take credit, Tammany was wiping her eyes. You and Patrick were destined for one another. Too many wonderful, powerful things have happened for it to be mere chance. Are you ready to go? Patrick grabbed her hand, but Revel stopped their progress to steal a kiss. I m so happy for you, he whispered in her ear. I would have come to you r rescue at any time, but I know where your heart lies. Savannah kissed him on the cheek. I ll pray that you find the same happiness that I do. Why don t you go find her, Revel? Go find Harper. He sighed and smiled. You know, after witnessing the miracle of Patrick and Savan nah, I just might do that. Do you think Harper and I could find a miracle of our own? If there s a chance, Revel don t waste it. Go after her. True love is too hard to fin d to let anything go to chance. Okay, Revel shook Patrick s hand. I ll get the guys together for your party. Miss Tammany here will keep me informed, I m sure. Savannah and Patrick waved at their friends and started down the steps, but Patr ick didn t let her get far. He swept her off her feet and carried her to his truck it was t ime for the

honeymoon. ***** Excitement and hunger pounded inside of them as hard as the waves pounded agains t the shore. It was dark. Patrick had lit candles and put them all over the bedroom an d opened the windows so the night breeze and sounds of the ocean would serenade them as they loved. We re here it s real. Savannah licked his chest, nipping and kissing, trying to get ju st as close to him as she possibly could. You re my husband. She stated the fact like i t was the most amazing revelation in the world. Forever, he grasped both of her hands and held them as his mouth moved over her neck, across her shoulder and down over the upper swell of her breast. Another h eartbeat later, she cried out in ecstasy as he suckled, pulling at the nipple and swirling the t ip with his tongue. You taste like sunshine, he moaned as his lips left her breast and skated down her middle. Open for me. I want to look at you. Savannah lay back on the bed and opened her legs, letting him see. Patrick knelt between her knees. He held her thighs open and gazed at her tender, pink vagina. Any time I want you, you re always wet for me. How is that? Cause I always want you, she whispered. Her breasts bounced a little as she breathed and Patrick didn t know what part of her to enjoy first. This is how I would touch myself when I would think of you, she dipped her fingers between her folds, spreading the honey and swirling the pad of one finger around her swollen clit. Patrick moaned and fist pumped his cock. Would you cum like that? Thinking of me? Oh yeah, but I ve got to tell you having you here with me is a billion times better . Lie down and let me get on top. I want to ride you. She held her hand out to him and he took it, licking her juices off of her finge r. More sunshine. Like a big tiger, he crawled over the top of her kissing and licking. Yo u want to be on top? Yes, although she could be persuaded to negotiate. Actually she would take him anyway she could get him. I saw a video at Tammany s that made me want to try it. Jesus! he moaned as he lay down for her, offering himself to her will. I want to wa tch you watch porn. Did you get excited? She giggled as she moved closer to him. A little, Wow, her eyes moved over him. He was spread out before her like a feast. I think I m going to like this. With slow sm ooth movements, Savannah began to stroke his calves his thighs running her hands over his hard muscles. Higher, he growled. Problem? I think I see a spanking in your future. You re looking into the future? How? You don t have crystal balls, she purred. But I do see two balls in my future that seem to require attention, Savannah followed u p her

observation with special treatment tiny licks and sucks to the side of one ball and then the other Fuck! he groaned. She played with his sac until his hips began to jerk, then she m ade him arch with exquisite agony as she took his cock deep in her throat. Now! Take me, Savannah. I need to be inside of you. Okay, she held herself over him, holding his cock steady with one hand while she impaled herself slowly. Lord Have Mercy that feels good. Patrick couldn t say another word he was too busy caressing her legs and watching as his engorged shaft disappeared up inside her hot, tight canal. Damn! The sensati on was incredible. She took an inch or two, raised up, then lowered herself once more r epeating the blissful process. Placing a hand on either of his pecs, Savannah gave herself over to the pleasure . The control she had was intoxicating and the burn of her pussy stretching to take hi m was addictive. Every downward stroke allowed her clit to nudge against his hard pelvic muscle a nd she wanted more more more. He wanted to freeze this moment. He wanted to remember it forever how it felt an d how she looked. Savannah was losing herself in the rapture, riding him, lifting and falling taking him deep. Patrick helped all he could, raising his hips in the same sweet rhythm. Unable to resist, he covered her tits with his hands and massaged them, feeling her bod y tighten around him, watching the flush of an impending orgasm rise up her chest, coloring her s kin. Cum for me, Baby. Squeeze me. Rubbing his thumbs over her nipples, he felt her shatter. H er whole little body jerked and he felt her sheathe flutter around his cock, squeezing an d caressing. There was no way he could hold it back the sight of her, the sexy little moans and gas ps she was making the sure knowledge that he was home and married to the one woman created just for him all of that together caused him to shatter. He felt the sudden blissful rele ase of tension as his seed jettisoned up inside of her. Love you, she sighed as he pulled her down on top of him for a kiss. Patrick was stunned by the perfect rightness of the moment. Savannah was nestled in his arms in perfect contentment. How much more blessed could they be? Both had known the ravages of pain and sorrow, now they both knew joy and the promise of tomorrow. I love you, Baby, more than you ll ever know. Epilogue It s a girl s night out, and I ve been working like a dog! Cato sang completely off-key, and off-lyric, too. This was the first time Savannah had hosted a party at her h ome. Patrick had encouraged her and so far so good. It was just her friends but it was special. S he had prepared chicken salad and cheese dip and brownies rich enough to choke them. An d three pitchers of margaritas!

You ve got two songs mixed up, Girlfriend. Tammany started to explain the difference between the Beatles and the Judds, but decided it wasn t worth it. They all lay stretched out on Savannah s bed. It was an odd place for a party, but they had gra vitated here so they could ooh and ahh over the baby clothes and items for the nursery that Sava nnah had bought. Where s Harley? Fresca asked. Since the wedding, all of their friends had become close. Harley and Beau had become friends with Hawke and Jayco and Revel. And Fr esca and Hawke were dating. Tonight, Savannah intended to work Cato and Tammany into the mix. She had a phone call. I can t believe the two of you eloped, Cato fussed. You just deprived us of a high-heel good time. We had a party when we came back from our honeymoon. That was fun. Yea, I bet the honeymoon was fun. Is he as good in bed as he looks like he is? Fre sca never beat around the bush. Yes, he is. Savannah answered plainly and the three girls giggled like school girl s. Harley came back in with a funny look on her face. I have to leave. What s wrong? Savannah rose and went to her friend. You won t believe it. Last weekend we traveled to Texas to attend Aron and Libby s wedding. They went to the Cayman Islands and Cancun on their honeymoon and while they were snorkeling Aron disappeared. Oh my God! Tammany and Fresca sat up. They had never met the McCoys but hearing Beau and Harley talk about them had given them the all the feeling that they knew them. Is he dead? Savannah couldn t help but ask. No, one knows. A search was launched. The brothers all went down there. Noah is still there, but they ve brought Libby home. She s had health problem and she s about to give birth. This is just terrible. Harley looked worried. Savannah hugged her. What can I do? Pray, I guess. Joseph and Beau are close, so we re going back to Tebow. I ll call you as soon as I know anything. The party broke up then and she walked everyone out. Patrick was driving in as t he girls were leaving and she ran to him, throwing herself into his arms. Hey, what s this for? I love you and I missed you and I m glad you re home. Remind me to leave more often. No. I need you. She kissed him on her favorite comfort spot right in the middle of his chest mainly because that s as high as she could reach without him bending dow n. Harley got a call and Beau said that Aron McCoy went missing on his honeymoon. They wer e snorkeling and when Libby came up he was gone. Shit! He held her even tighter. I know how she feels. It hurts. Ciara nudged in between them demanding equal time but this time Savannah refused to budge. Let s hope they have as happy of an ending to their bad situation as we did ours. Patrick tilted up her face and kissed her. How do you feel, Mrs. O Rourke? Savannah smiled. She would pray for the McCoys, but right now she was going to g ive thanks and enjoy her husband. I feel perfect.

Yes, you do, he agreed as he ran his hands over her luscious little body. Where have you been? I ve been taking care of business. What kind? He knew this would make her happy. When I went to give my final statement on Luca s, I resigned my commission. Really? Savannah jumped in his arms, sobs of joy pouring from her. You get to stay with me? Yes, I do. And on the way home, I put flowers on Paddy s grave and stopped by the courthouse to pay a visit to Fred March. He gets out of jail today and I told hi m how wise it would be if he never came within a mile of you again. What did he say? she swallowed her tears and smiled at Patrick. He said he swore to God that he d never harm you again and I said No, Swear to Me! . He was lucky I didn t beat the shit out of him, but with all those cops watching, I couldn t. But I put the fear of God in him. It sounds like you put the fear of Patrick O Rourke in him, instead. You re my hero, Patrick. And she wasn t teasing, she meant every word he was her hero. Would you tak e me to bed and hold me? A tightness rose in his chest and it was nothing more than the sweet ache of pur e love. Sure, I d love to hold you. And maybe something more? he hinted broadly. Always I always want more of you, she pressed herself against him in promise. Always? Unashamedly Patrick sought assurance. Always and forever, she promised. And she sealed it with a kiss. Available from Secret Cravings Publishing TROUBLE - Texas Heat I My Aliyah - Heart In Chains - Texas Heat II A Wishing Moon - Moon Magick I Sweet Evangeline - Moon Magick II Unchained Melody - Hill Country Heart I Scarlet Fever Hill Country Heart II Five Hearts - Valentine Anthology - A Hot And Spicy Valentine Bobby Does Dallas - Hill Country Heart III on Amazon Hell Yeah Series Cowboy Heat - Aron's Story - Hell Yeah I Hot on Her Trail - Jacob's Story - Hell Yeah II Her Magic Touch - Joseph's Story - Hell Yeah III Badass Isaac s Story Hell Yeah IV Coming Soon I ll See You In My Dreams Zane s story - Hell Yeah V Skye Blue - Noah's Story - Hell Yeah VI Spinoff Series of Hell Yeah Cajun Spice Burning Love - Cajun Spice I Forget Me Never Cajun Spice II Free Read On Secret Cravings A Brown Eyed Handsome Man Kane s story Hell Yeah Universe For more info check out www.sablehunter.com

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