Nora roberts the novels of nora roberts volume 2

The Novels of Nora Roberts, Volume Sanctuary Homeport The Reef River's End Carolina Moon Nora Roberts, Table of Contents Sanctuary Homeport The Reef River's End Carolina Moon THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP Published by the Penguin Group Penguin Group (USA) Inc 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.) Penguin Books Ltd., 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England Penguin Group Ireland, 25 St Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd.) Penguin Group (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty Ltd.) Penguin Books India Pvt Ltd., 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi—110 017, India Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, North Shore 0745, Auckland, New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.) Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty.) Ltd., 24 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England This is a work of fiction Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content Copyright © 1997 by Nora Roberts All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission Please not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights Purchase only authorized editions BERKLEY is a registered trademark of Penguin Group (USA) Inc The “B” design is a trademark belonging to Penguin Group (USA) Inc PRINTING HISTORY Jove mass-market edition / May 1998 Berkley trade paperback edition / July 2007 eISBN : 978-1-101-14612-5 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Roberts, Nora Sanctuary / Nora Roberts p cm eISBN : 978-1-101-14612-5 I Title PS3568.O243S-31986 CIP 813’.54—dc20 http://us.penguingroup.com To the Ladies of the Lounge Table of Contents Title Page Copyright Page Dedication PART ONE ONE TWO THREE FOUR FIVE SIX SEVEN EIGHT NINE TEN PART TWO ELEVEN TWELVE THIRTEEN FOURTEEN FIFTEEN SIXTEEN SEVENTEEN EIGHTEEN NINETEEN PART THREE TWENTY TWENTY-ONE TWENTY-TWO TWENTY-THREE TWENTY-FOUR TWENTY-FIVE TWENTY-SIX TWENTY-SEVEN TWENTY-EIGHT TWENTY-NINE THIRTY EPILOGUE PART ONE When weather-beaten I come back My body a sack of bones; broken within —John Donne ONE SHE dreamed of Sanctuary The great house gleamed bride-white in the moonlight, as majestic a force breasting the slope that reigned over eastern dunes and western marsh as a queen upon her throne The house stood as it had for more than a century, a grand tribute to man’s vanity and brilliance, near the dark shadows of the forest of live oaks, where the river flowed in murky silence Within the shelter of trees, fireflies blinked gold, and night creatures stirred, braced to hunt or be hunted Wild things bred there in shadows, in secret There were no lights to brighten the tall, narrow windows of Sanctuary No lights to spread welcome over its graceful porches, its grand doors Night was deep, and the breath of it moist from the sea The only sound to disturb it was of wind rustling through the leaves of the great oaks and the dry clicking—like bony fingers—of the palm fronds The white columns stood like soldiers guarding the wide veranda, but no one opened the enormous front door to greet her As she walked closer, she could hear the crunch of sand and shells on the road under her feet Wind chimes tinkled, little notes of song The porch swing creaked on its chain, but no one lazed upon it to enjoy the moon and the night The smell of jasmine and musk roses played on the air, underscored by the salty scent of the sea She began to hear that too, the low and steady thunder of water spilling over sand and sucking back into its own heart The beat of it, that steady and patient pulse, reminded all who inhabited the island of Lost Desire that the sea could reclaim the land and all on it at its whim Still, her mood lifted at the sound of it, the music of home and childhood Once she had run as free and wild through that forest as a deer, had scouted its marshes, raced along its sandy beaches with the careless privilege of youth Now, no longer a child, she was home again She walked quickly, hurrying up the steps, across the veranda, closing her hand over the big brass handle that glinted like a lost treasure The door was locked She twisted it right, then left, shoved against the thick mahogany panel Let me in, she thought as her heart began to thud in her chest I’ve come home I’ve come back But the door remained shut and locked When she pressed her face against the glass of the tall windows flanking it, she could see nothing but darkness within And was afraid She ran now, around the side of the house, over the terrace, where flowers streamed out of pots and lilies danced in chorus lines of bright color The music of the wind chimes became harsh and discordant, the fluttering of fronds was a hiss of warning She struggled with the next door, weeping as she beat her fists against it Please, please, don’t shut me out I want to come home She sobbed as she stumbled down the garden path She would go to the back, in through the screened porch It was never locked—Mama said a kitchen should always be open to company But she couldn’t find it The trees sprang up, thick and close, the branches and draping moss barred her way She was lost, tripping over roots in her confusion, fighting to see through the dark as the canopy of trees closed out the moon The wind rose up and howled and slapped at her in flat-handed, punishing blows Spears of saw palms struck out like swords She turned, but where the path had been was now rain “Lissy wanted to come, but I made her stay home.” “I’m glad you did It wouldn’t be good for her to be out in this weather today It was kind of you to come, Dwight.” “We’ve known each other a long time And Wade, he’s one of my two closest friends Tory, is there anything I can for you?” “No, but thank you I’m going to walk over and visit Hope’s grave before I leave You should go on back to Lissy.” “I will Take this.” He brought her hand up to the handle of the umbrella “No, I’ll be fine.” “Take it,” he insisted “And don’t stay out in the wet too long.” He left her to walk back to Wade Grateful for the shelter, Tory turned away from her mother’s grave to walk through the grass, through the stones, to Hope’s Rain ran down the angel’s face like tears and beat at the fairy roses Inside the globe, the winged horse flew “It’s all over now It doesn’t feel settled yet,” Tory said with a sigh “I have this heaviness inside me Well, it’s so much to take in at once I wish I could … there are too many things to wish for.” “I never bring flowers here,” Faith said from behind her “I don’t know why.” “She has the roses.” “That’s not it They’re not my roses, not mine to bring her.” Tory looked behind her, then shifted so they were standing together “I can’t feel her here Maybe you can’t, either.” “I don’t want to go in the ground when my time comes I want my ashes spread somewhere The sea, I think, as that’s where I plan to have Wade ask me to marry him By the sea She might have felt the same, only hers would have been for the river, or near it in the marsh That was her place.” “Yes, it was It is.” It seemed important, and natural, to reach out a hand and clasp Faith’s “There are flowers at Beaux Reves, that was her place, too I could cut some when the storm passes, take them to the marsh To the river Put them there for Hope Maybe it would be the right way, laying flowers on the water instead of letting them die on the ground Would you that with me?” “I hated sharing her with you.” Faith paused, closed her eyes “Now I don’t It’ll be clear this afternoon I’ll tell Wade.” She started to walk away, stopped “Tory, if you get there first—” “I’ll wait for you.” Tory watched her go, looked back over the gentle slope, the curtaining rain, the gathering ground fog There was her grandmother with Cecil strong at her back, Rosie in her veil and Lilah holding an umbrella over her J.R and Boots still by the grave of the sister he had loved more than he might have realized And there was Cade, with his friends, waiting As she walked to him, the rain began to thin and the first hint of sun shimmered watery light through the gloom “You understand why I want to this?” “I understand you want to.” Tory smiled a little as she shook rain from the spears of lavender she’d cut “And you’re annoyed, just a little, that I’m not asking you to come with me.” “A little It’s counterbalanced by the fact that you and Faith are becoming friends And all of that is overpowered by the sheer terror of knowing I’m going to be at Aunt Rosie’s mercy until you return She has a gift for me, and I’ve seen it It’s a moldy top hat, which she expects I will wear for our wedding.” “It’ll go well with the moth-eaten dress she’s giving me I tell you what You wear the hat, I’ll wear the dress, and we’ll have Lilah take our picture We’ll put it in a nice frame for Miss Rosie, then we’ll pack them away someplace dark and safe before the wedding.” “That’s brilliant I’m marrying a very wise woman But we’ll have to take the picture tonight We’re getting married tomorrow.” “Tomorrow? But—” “Here,” he said, as he turned her into his arm “Quietly, in the garden I’ve taken care of most of the details, and will get to the rest this afternoon.” “But my grandmother—” “I spoke with her She and Cecil will be staying another night They’ll be here.” “I haven’t had time to buy a dress or—” “Your grandmother mentioned that, and hoped you’d be receptive to wearing the one she wore when she married your grandfather She’s running up to Florence to get it this afternoon She said it would mean a lot to her.” “Thought of everything, didn’t you?” “Yes Do you have a problem with that?” “We’re going to have lots of problems with that over the next fifty or sixty years, but just now? No.” “Good Lilah’s baking a cake J.R.’s bringing a case of champagne The idea brightened him considerably.” “Thank you.” “Since you’re grateful, I’ll just add, Aunt Rosie plans to sing.” “Don’t tell me.” She drew back “Let’s not spoil the moment Well, since everyone has approved the schedule and the details, who am I to object? Have you arranged for the honeymoon, too?” She saw him wince and rolled her eyes “Cade, really.” “You’re not going to argue about a trip to Paris, are you? Of course not.” He gave her a quick kiss before she could “You might want to close the shop for a few days, but Boots really liked the idea of running it for you, and Faith had some ideas.” “Oh God.” “But that’s up to you.” “Thank you very much.” She pushed a hand through her hair “My head’s spinning We’ll discuss all this when I get back.” “Sure I’m flexible.” “The hell you are,” she muttered “You just pretend to be.” She shifted the basket of flowers, handed him the shears “Don’t start naming the children while I’m gone.” Exasperating man, she thought, as she slid into her car and set the basket of flowers on the seat Planning their wedding behind her back Planning exactly the sort of wedding she wanted, too How irritating, and how lovely, to be known that well So why wasn’t she relaxed? As she turned onto the road, she shifted her shoulders She just couldn’t quite break through the tension Understandable, she reminded herself She’d been through a hideous ordeal She couldn’t imagine getting married within twenty-four hours with so much still tied up inside her But she wanted to begin She wanted to close this door and open the next She glanced at the flowers beside her Maybe she was about to She pulled off onto the side of the road, where Hope had once parked her bike And climbing out, she crossed the little bridge where tiger lilies burst into storybook bloom, then took the path she knew her friend had taken that night Hope Lavelle, girl spy The rain had turned to steam, and the steam rose out of the ground in curling fingers that broke apart, then twined together again around her ankles The air was thick with wet, with green, with rot Mysteries waiting to be solved As she approached the clearing, she wished she’d thought to bring some wood Everything would be too damp to start a fire, and perhaps it was foolish to want to in all the heat But she wished she’d thought of it, and could have laid one, the way Hope had Just thinking of it, remembering it, she caught a drift of smoke There was the fire, small and carefully built to burn low, a little circle of flame with long, sharpened sticks beside it waiting for marshmallows She blinked once, to clear the vision But the fire simmered, and the smoke puffed sluggishly in the mist Dazed, Tory stepped into the clearing, the basket tipping to spill out flowers at her feet “Hope?” She pressed a hand to her heart, almost to make sure it continued to beat But the marble child who’d been her friend stood in her pool of flowers and said nothing With a trembling hand, she picked up one of the sticks and saw that the cuts to sharpen it were fresh Not a dream, not a flashback But here and now Real Not Hope Never again Hope The pressure rose up in her, a hot gush of fear, and of knowledge In the brush came a rustling, wet and sly She whirled toward it Password She thought it, heard it sound in her head But she wasn’t Hope She wasn’t eight And dear God, it wasn’t over after all Cade was in the garden deciding where they should set up tables for the wedding reception when Chief Russ pulled in “Glad you’re here I just got news I thought you should know.” “Come on inside where it’s cool.” “No, I gotta get back, but I wanted to tell you in person We got ballistic reports on Sarabeth Bodeen The gun she was killed with wasn’t the same one Bodeen had with him Not even the same caliber.” Cade felt one quick knock of dread “I’m not sure I understand.” “Turns out the one Bodeen had when he broke in on Tory and your sister was stolen from a house about fifteen miles south of here, on the morning Tory’s mother was killed House was broken into between nine and ten A.M that same day.” “How can that be?” “Only way it could be is if Bodeen spouted wings and flew down here from Darlington County or if somebody else put those bullets in Miz Bodeen.” Carl D cupped a hand over his chin, rubbed it hard His eyes burned with fatigue “I’ve been in touch with those federals, and I’m piecing it together The phone records show Miz Bodeen got a call just after two that morning, from the pay phone outside the Winn-Dixie north of town here Now, we were figuring that would’ve been Bodeen calling her from here, telling her he was coming for her That’s fine as far as it goes But it don’t fit when you add the rest.” “It had to be Bodeen calling her Why else would she have packed up?” “I can’t say But you’ve got him calling from here at ‘round about two in the morning, getting up there, doing the shooting between five and five-thirty, then heading back here and moving south another fifteen miles, breaking into a house and stealing a gun, a bottle, and some leftover supper Now, why would the man be zigzagging back and forth thataway?” “He was crazy.” “I won’t argue with that, but being crazy doesn’t make him able to all but break land and speed records in one morning ‘Specially since it doesn’t look like he had any kind of vehicle Now, I’m not saying it couldn’t be done I’m saying it don’t make sense.” “What kind of sense does it make otherwise? Who else would have killed Tory’s mother?” “I can’t answer that I gotta work with facts here He had the wrong gun, we got nothing to show the man had a car Now, could be we’ll find one yet, and the gun that he used on his wife That could be.” He took his handkerchief out of his pocket, wiped the back of his neck “But it appears to me, if Bodeen didn’t those murders up in Darlington County, maybe he didn’t kill anyone That means whoever did is still walking free I was hoping to have a talk with Tory.” “She’s not here She’s—” White hot fear burned through his belly “She’s gone to Hope.” Tory opened herself, tried to feel him, gauge him But all she saw was dark Cold, blank dark The rustling moved in a circle, a taunting She turned with it, even as the saliva dried up in her mouth, she turned to face it head-on “Which of us did you want that night? Or did it matter?” “It was never you Why would I want you? She was beautiful.” “She was a child.” “True.” Dwight stepped out in the clearing “But so was I.” It broke her heart One quick snap “You were Cade’s friend.” “Sure Cade and Wade, like twins themselves Rich and privileged and handsome And I was their chubby little token Dwight the Dweeb Well, I fooled them all, didn’t I?” He’d have been twelve, she thought, staring at the easy smile on his face No more than twelve years old “Why?” “Call it a rite of passage They were always first One or the other of them, always first in everything I was going to be the first one to have a girl.” Amusement—it couldn’t be anything but amusement—danced in his eyes “Not that I could brag on it Kinda like being Batman.” “Oh God, Dwight.” “Hard for you to see that, you being a female We’ll call it a guy thing I had a bad itch Why shouldn’t it have been my good friend Cade’s precious sister I used to scratch it?” He spoke so calmly, so casually, that the birds continued to sing, liquid notes that ran like tears “I didn’t know I was going to kill her That just … happened I’d snuck some of my daddy’s whiskey Drink like a man, you know? My mind was a little fuzzy.” “You were only twelve How could you want such a thing?” He circled the clearing, not really coming closer, just stalking, a patient, anticipatory cat and mouse “I used to watch the two of you, skinny-dipping, or sprawled out here on your bellies telling secrets So’d your old man,” he said with a grin “You might say I was inspired by him He wanted you Your old man wanted to fuck you, all right, but he didn’t have the guts I was better than him, better than any of them I proved it that night I was a man that night.” Town mayor, proud father, devoted husband, loyal friend What kind of madness could hide so well? “You raped and murdered a child That made you a man?” “All my life I heard, ‘Be a man, Dwight.’” The amusement died out of his eyes so they turned cold and blank “For Christ’s sake, be a man Can’t be a man if you’re a virgin, can you? And no girl would look twice at me I fixed that That night changed my life Look at me now.” He spread his arms, stepped closer, watching her “I got confidence, got myself in shape, and didn’t I end up with the prettiest girl in Progress? I got respect A beautiful wife, a son I got position It all started that night.” “All those other girls.” “Why not? You can’t imagine what it’s like—or maybe you can Yeah, maybe you can You know how to feel it, don’t you? Their fear While it’s happening I’m the most important person in the world to them I am the world to them There’s a hell of a kick to that.” She thought of running The idea whipped in and out of her mind And she saw the gleam in his eyes, saw he was waiting for her to just that Deliberately she slowed her breathing, opened herself There was the blankness again, like a pit, but around the edges was a kind of ugly hunger Recognizing it, anticipating it, was the only weapon she had “You didn’t even know them Dwight, they were strangers to you.” “I just imagine they’re Hope, and it’s that first night all over again They’re nothing but tramps and losers until I make them into her.” “It wasn’t the same with Sherry.” “I didn’t want to wait.” He shrugged “Lissy isn’t much on sex these days Can’t blame her And that sexy little teacher, she wanted it Wanted it from Wade though, stupid bitch Well, she got it from me She wasn’t quite right though Not quite Faith’s perfect.” He saw Tory jolt “Yeah, you’ve gotten pretty tight with Faith, haven’t you? I plan to be pretty tight with her myself I was going to wait till August for her, got my little ritual, you know But I’ll have to move things up Oh, she’ll be late, by the way I talked Lissy into going over to see her, and I know my girl She’ll keep Faith occupied just long enough.” “They’ll know this time, Dwight You won’t be able to pass it off on someone else.” “Your father sure did cooperate, didn’t he? Did I mention I was the one who killed your mother? Gave her a call, told her I was a friend and her loving husband was on his way to get her It just seemed like a nice touch, one that kept the cops on his ass and let me sit back and watch with my concerned-mayor attitude.” “She was nothing to you.” “None of them was Except Hope And don’t you worry about me Nobody’ll look to me I’m an upstanding citizen, and right now I’m out at the mall buying a teddy bear for my unborn child A big yellow bear Lissy’s just going to love it.” “I could never really feel you,” she murmured “Because there’s nothing there to feel You’re almost blank inside.” “I wondered about that Gave me some bad moments I took your hand today, a kind of test, just to see You got nothing from me But you’re going to feel me, before we’re done Why don’t you run, the way she did? You know how she ran, and called out I’ll give you a chance.” “No I’ll give myself one.” Without an instant’s hesitation, she stabbed out with the stick, aiming for his eye When he screamed, she ran as Hope had done The moss tangled in her hair, slithering spider legs, and the ground sucked greedily at her feet Her shoes slithered, tearing through soaked ferns as she batted viciously at branches She saw as Hope had seen, the two images blending into one Hot summer night merging with steamy afternoon And felt as Hope had felt, with her own fear and rage leaping just ahead of the childhood terror She heard as Hope had heard, the footsteps pounding behind her, the thrashing through the brush It was the rage that stopped her, that made her turn before the intent was clear in her mind It seared through her, black as pitch, as she charged him with teeth and claws Stunned by the sudden attack, half blind from the blood, he went down beneath her, howling as she sank her teeth into his shoulder He struck out, felt the blow connect, but she clung like a burr, raking her nails down his face None of the others had been able to fight him, but she would God, she would I am Tory The words were a battle cry ringing in her ears She was Tory, and she would fight Even when his hands closed around her throat, she tore at him When her vision grayed, when she was gasping for air, she used her fists Someone was shouting her name, wild, desperate calls that echoed inside the roar of blood in her head She clawed at the hands around her throat, choking when the grip loosened “I feel you now Fear and pain Now you know Now you know, you bastard.” She was being lifted away, and she fought mindlessly, her gaze locked on Dwight’s face Blood ran from his eye, and his cheeks were ripped from her hands “Now you know Now you know.” “Tory Stop Stop Look at me.” His face white and running with sweat, Cade held hers until her eyes cleared “He killed her It was always him I never saw it He’s hated you his whole life He’s hated all of you.” “You’re hurt.” “No, I’m not It’s his blood.” “Cade My God, she went crazy.” Coughing, Dwight rolled to his side, struggled up to hands and knees It felt as if he were bleeding from a thousand wounds His right eye was a burning coal But his mind worked, and worked fast and cool “She thought I was her father.” “Liar!” Rage bloomed again and had her struggling wildly against Cade “He killed Hope He was waiting here for me.” “Killed Hope?” Blood dripped from his torn mouth as Dwight sank back on his knees “That was almost twenty years ago She’s sick, Cade Anybody could see she’s sick Jesus, my eye You have to help me.” He tried to get to his feet and was genuinely shocked when his legs wouldn’t hold him “For God’s sake, Cade, call an ambulance I’m going to lose my fucking eye.” “You knew they came here.” Cade kept Tory’s arms pinned as he studied the ravaged face of his old friend “You knew they snuck out at night to come in here I told you myself We laughed about it.” “What does that have to with anything?” Dwight’s good eye wheeled as he heard the slash of wet branches Carl D., panting with the effort, pushed through the brush “Thank Christ Chief, call an ambulance Tory had some kind of breakdown Look what she did to me.” “Sweet Jesus Christ,” Carl D muttered, as he hurried forward to Dwight’s side “He wanted me to run But I’ve stopped running.” Tory stopped struggling and lay a hand over Cade’s as Carl D crouched to tie his handkerchief over Dwight’s ruined eye “He killed Hope, and the others He killed my mother.” “I tell you, she’s crazy,” Dwight shouted He couldn’t see Goddamn it, he couldn’t see His teeth began to chatter “She can’t face what her father did.” “We’ll get you to the hospital, Dwight, then we’ll sort this all out.” Carl D looked over at Tory “Are you hurt?” “No, I’m not hurt You don’t want to believe me You don’t want to believe what he is has been living side by side with you all these years But it has It found a way.” She shifted, met Cade’s eyes “I’m sorry.” “I don’t want to believe you, either But I do.” “I know it.” And drawing on that, she got to her feet “The gun he killed my mother with is in the attic of his house, up in the rafters on the south side.” Gently, she rubbed a hand over her throat where the violence of his fingers left their mark “You made a mistake, Dwight, letting me in that far, getting that close Should’ve been more careful with your thoughts.” “She’s lying She planted it there herself She’s crazy.” He stumbled as Carl D pulled him to his feet “Cade, we’ve been friends all our lives You have to believe me.” “There’s something you have to believe,” Cade told him “If I’d gotten here sooner, you’d be dead now You believe that And you remember it.” “You gotta come on with me now, Dwight.” Carl D snapped cuffs over his wrists “What’re you doing? What the hell are you doing? You’re taking the word of a crazy woman over mine?” “That gun isn’t where she said, or it doesn’t match what was used to kill a young police officer and a helpless woman, I’ll give you a big apology Come on with me Miss Tory, you best go on to the hospital yourself.” “No.” She wiped the blood off her mouth with the back of her hand “I haven’t done what I came to do.” “You go ahead,” Carl D told them “I’ll take care of this Miss Tory, I’ll be by later to see you.” “She’s crazy.” Dwight screamed it, kept screaming it as Carl D pulled him away “He’s insulted.” With a shaky laugh, Tory pressed her fingers to her eyes “That’s the primary emotion running through him right now Insult, that he would be treated like a criminal It’s even bigger than the hate and the hunger.” “Step back from him,” Cade demanded “Don’t look at him.” “You’re right, Cade You’re right.” “Second time I almost lost you I’ll be damned if it’ll ever happen again.” “You believed me,” Tory murmured “I could feel how it hurt you, but you believed me I can’t tell you what that means.” She put her arms around him, held tight “You loved him I’m so sorry.” “I didn’t even know him.” And still, Cade grieved “If I could go back—” “We can’t I’ve spent a lot of time learning that.” “Your face is bruised.” He turned his lips to it “His is worse.” She leaned her head against his shoulder as they began to walk “I was running, and I was going to keep on running, then, all at once there was this life inside me This rage of life He wasn’t going to win, he wasn’t going to chase me like a fox after a rabbit For once, he was going to know what it was like He was going to know.” He would never get the picture completely out of his head, Cade knew Of Tory, her face bruised and bloody, tearing like a cat at Dwight And his hands around her throat “He’ll keep denying,” Cade said “He’ll hire lawyers But it won’t matter In the end, it won’t matter what he does.” “No I think you can depend on Agent Williams to tie it all up Poor Lissy.” She sighed “What will she do?” Tory stopped in the clearing to gather the fallen flowers The fire had burned down to sputters, and the light, watery streams of it, slanted through the trees “I’ll come back and this another time with Faith This time is for you and me.” Together they walked to the banks of the river “We loved her, and we’ll always remember her.” Tory tossed flowers on the water “But it’s over now Finally I’ve waited so long to say good-bye.” She had tears in her yet, but they were quiet, and they were healing They glimmered on her cheeks as she turned to Cade “I’d like to marry you in the garden tomorrow, and wear my grandmother’s dress.” He took her hand, kissed it “Would you?” “Yes, I would Yes, I very much would And I’d like to go to Paris with you, and sit at a table in the sunlight and drink wine, make love with you when the sun’s coming up Then I want to come back here and build a life with you.” “We’re already building one.” He drew her close The sun shimmered in thin beams, and moss dripped with rain Flowers, bright blossoms, floated silently down the river NORA ROBERTS is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than one hundred novels, including The Villa, Tears of the Moon, and River’s End She is also the author of the bestselling futuristic suspense series written under the pen name J D Robb With more than eighty-five million copies of her books in print and more than forty New York times bestsellers to date Nora Roberts is indisputably the most celebrated and beloved women’s fiction writer today .. .The Novels of Nora Roberts, Volume Sanctuary Homeport The Reef River's End Carolina Moon Nora Roberts, Table of Contents Sanctuary Homeport The Reef River's End Carolina Moon THE BERKLEY... the breath of it moist from the sea The only sound to disturb it was of wind rustling through the leaves of the great oaks and the dry clicking—like bony fingers of the palm fronds The white columns... the other bank It was then she knew she was dead JO fought her way out of the dream, all but felt the sharp edges of it scraping her skin as she dragged herself to the surface of the tunnel of