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„That’s the woman who mysteriously showed up just before my plane went down.“
„You mean she resembles the woman in this photo.“
„I know what I saw, Grace.“ He snatched the photograph from her hand to study it more carefully. „It doesn’t just look like her. It was this woman. This hair. Even this dress. She was all in white. Dazzling as the sun.“
Grace was instantly on her feet, backing away from him. „Why are you saying this?“
„Do you think I’m making it up? I’d never do that. I’m telling you that my passenger was this woman.“
Though Grace tried to reject it, her heart knew. She felt it give a sudden hard bounce as her eyes filled with tears. „Did she say anything?“
He struggled to recall the words. „She said don’t worry, Josh. I won’t let anything bad happen to you.“
„You said you’d never seen her before. How did she know your name?“
He shook his head. „I figured she was a groupie, hoping to get her fifteen minutes of fame by stowing aboard a celebrity’s plane.“ His voice lowered. „I never dreamed…“ His voice took on a more practical tone as he began to wrap his mind around the reality of it all. „Now we know why her remains were never found.“
„I don’t under…“
„She was already dead, Grace. Like Wyatt. And for some reason, they both made themselves known to us.“
Grace turned away and buried her face in her hands. „None of this makes any sense.“
He went to her and gathered her close. „I know what you’re thinking. I’m thinking it, too. But we’re not crazy, Grace. And it’s not some sort of contagious mass hysteria. We’re sane, sensible people. But we both know what we saw and heard. Wyatt was here. We both saw him and listened to his tale.“
„But why? What possible reason could he have for… coming back?“
„I don’t know. Maybe to explain about the legend of the lake.“ Josh began to pace. He turned suddenly. „Didn’t Wyatt say his name meant ‘guide’? Was he guiding us toward something?“
Grace sighed. „I have to admit that hearing about the legend gave me insight into what my mother and father may have gone through. But what about Barnaby?“ She glanced over at the dog, whose head came up at the very mention of his name. „How do you explain him?“
„I can’t. Maybe he’s been surviving alone in these woods and needed a home.“
Grace mulled that. „Wyatt said that Barnaby loved the forest and that he’d make a fine companion.“
„And he seemed pleased when we both took to the dog.“ Josh knelt and Barnaby hurried over to lick his hand. In a softer tone he added, „He’s the very dog I wanted as a kid. Right down to his color. Maybe that has something to do with his being here.“
„All right. So we found some things we’ve both been searching for. You’ve got your dog, and I’ve got my mother, but that still doesn’t explain…“
He stood and framed her face with his hands. „You’re forgetting about the most important thing we both found.“ He leaned close. „Love. I love you, Grace. You’re exactly what I’ve wanted in my life. The part that’s been missing all these years.“
At his words, she blinked back the tears that threatened. „I love you, too, Josh. I don’t know how it happened. I certainly never expected anything like this, but here it is.“
„Here it is.“ He lowered his mouth to hers. „So what are we going to do about it?“
„We could hide out here for the rest of our lives.“
He nibbled her lower lip. „It’s tempting. We could shut out the world and create our own little paradise.“
Bamaby suddenly raced to the door and began barking.
Grace and Josh stepped apart. With his finger to his lips he shoved her behind him and picked up the fish knife before opening the door.
Barnaby rushed out and began racing along the dock, barking furiously.
When Josh stepped outside, Grace hurried to catch up. „Whatever is out here, you’re not facing it alone. We’re together now, remember?“
„I don’t want you hurt, Grace.“
„I’m not going back inside without you.“ She took hold of his hand.
When they reached the end of the dock, they paused beside Barnaby. The dog had gone eerily silent and was staring at the lake.
And then they saw the light, dancing across the dark waters, heading directly toward them.
Grace’s hand tightened on Josh’s as the light began to shimmer and glow, before it assumed the figure of a woman. As she drew closer, they could see her gown, dazzling white, and her hair, a glorious cascade of red-gold curls.
„Oh, I have waited so long for you. So long.“ Her musical voice was as clear as a bell. „I could not take my rest until I fulfilled my heart’s desire to see you happy.“
„Mother?“ Grace said the word haltingly and wondered why it sounded so right. So perfect. It was the first time she’d ever said it aloud. She took a deep breath and said it again. „Mother.“
The woman smiled. „I have waited a lifetime to hear my daughter say that word. It is the sweetest sound ever created.“
„How long have you been… gone?“ Grace couldn’t bring herself to speak of death.
„In the world it would be a year or more. It is a mere moment in this place, where time is of no consequence. My love for you burns brighter than the sun, Grace. Far too bright to be dimmed even by death.“
Grace was so moved by those words, she couldn’t find her voice. She stood, tears streaming down her cheeks, drinking in the vision that was her beloved mother.
Beside her, Josh draped an arm around Grace’s shoulder to offer his strength. „How does Wyatt Eagle fit into this?“
„Wyatt is my guide to the Great Beyond. It was he who taught me that great love can wield great power.“
„And so you went through all this elaborate scheme“ – Grace’s hand swung to include Josh and the dog at their feet – „just to make me happy?“
„Your happiness has been my greatest concern. It was necessary for you to know how deeply you are loved, Grace. Without that knowledge, you would be incapable of fully giving love.“
„But why Josh? How did he happen to get caught up in this?“
The woman turned to Josh. „Your father was… dear to my heart.“
Grace turned to Josh, and knew, by the stu
„He was here once, wasn’t he? That’s his army blanket I found in the shed.“
The woman nodded. „He and I were here together once, in that long ago time. And then, all too soon, he was gone.“
„Why can’t I see him? Why isn’t he here, too?“ Josh’s voice rose in anguish.
„As much as he wanted to show himself to you, he ceded his power to me. My need was greater, because my daughter never knew me. You know your father, Josh. So well, in fact, that you have striven to emulate him all the days of your life. And he remains with you forever.“
Her smile grew radiant. „He and I hoped, by bringing the two of you together in an idyllic setting, you would open yourselves to the love that is possible. Now mat you have found it, the rest is up to you. But remember this. Love so easily found in paradise can be lost or squandered when the realities of the world intrude. Only the two of you can decide the final outcome.“
Before the last word was spoken, the woman’s image began to shimmer and fade.
„Wait. There’s so much more I need to know.“ Grace reached out a hand, but like wisps of fog, the image dissipated and began drifting back across the dark waves until it was nothing more than a distant light.
As they continued to watch, the light flickered, then faded as it disappeared beneath the waves.
Before they could say a word they heard the sound of a plane coming in hard and fast.
The sky lightened, and they were startled to see the sun hanging low on the horizon. It was no longer nighttime, but late afternoon.
Grace was the first to speak. „That isn’t my supply plane.“