David.
Each year a gift. A signed card. A birthday cake delivered by a local bakery. And balloons equal in number to her age. Since that first year when she had felt so alone, after her mother had sent her to live with Aunt Dixie and Lyle, she had never again dreaded a birthday. Because of David's generosity.
She longed to meet her benefactor, but after years of having her request to meet with him and thank him personally denied by his attorney, Caroline had finally accepted the fact that for some reason known only to him, David did not want the two of them to ever meet. Over time she had played out more than one scenario in her mind. Perhaps he was very ugly and even deformed—a true beast of a man. Or maybe he was married and thought his wife might be jealous of all he had done for an old friend's daughter. Whatever the reason, David had become a mystery she dreamed of one day solving. She could not deny that she had built his image into one of a knight in shining armor, someone who would willingly slay dragons for her.
She couldn't explain to anyone why she loved a man she'd never met, why she believed that for the past fifteen years David had been the one constant in her life, the only adult who had never betrayed her, never left her, never stopped loving her. As a child she had clung to his phantom image, thinking of him as a substitute father, a protector and a benefactor. Because she had lost her own father and two stepfathers, and then her mother had abandoned her, she had transferred her desperate need for these lost parental figures and loved David as if he had truly been in her life.
David's presence in her life, albeit from afar, had been like a light at the end of a lonely tunnel and she had developed an attachment to his kindness when she had felt herself to be nothing more than an unloved and unwanted child. Even Aunt Dixie's love and concern had not been enough to fill the void she had felt. But somehow knowing that David cared, that David would always be there for her, he had in an almost miraculous way made her feel less alone, less abandoned, less unloved.
She wasn't quite sure when her affections for David had begun to change, to alter from a child's adoration to a woman's admiration and respect. For many years now, her dearest wish had been to meet this special man who had cared so greatly for her all her life. And she couldn't deny that in her heart of hearts, she fantasized that David would become a real part of her life.
Suddenly someone near her gasped. "We're moving."
Another said, "I didn't know Fletcher was going to give us a trip out into the bay as a finale for Brooke's party."
Caroline sighed and shook her head. Now she was stuck aboard, probably until the wee hours of the morning. She continued making her way around the deck, finding it less crowded toward the aft side. She walked past a handful of couples wrapped in each other's arms as the Lenore left the dock. At last she was alone, with only the sea breeze around her and the starry sky overhead. She had never been a party girl, not even as a teenager, and now less than ever. She much preferred small, simple dinners at home with a few well-chosen friends. At this precise moment, she would much rather be sitting on her back porch, barefoot and in a pair of tattered old shorts, than dressed to the nines and bored out of her mind.
Suddenly, without any warning, someone came up behind Caroline. She sensed the hovering body before she actually felt it as it pressed against her back. Was it Gavin? Had he finally come looking for her? As she started to turn around, she found herself trapped, held in place by the man's big arm, which quickly draped around her. She opened her mouth to protest, but before she could make a sound, a foul-smelling rag covered her nose and mouth. She whimpered as her head began to spin. Overwhelmed by complete helplessness, she quickly drifted off into a semiconscious state. The very last thing her fuzzy brain
Each year a gift. A signed card. A birthday cake delivered by a local bakery. And balloons equal in number to her age. Since that first year when she had felt so alone, after her mother had sent her to live with Aunt Dixie and Lyle, she had never again dreaded a birthday. Because of David's generosity.
She longed to meet her benefactor, but after years of having her request to meet with him and thank him personally denied by his attorney, Caroline had finally accepted the fact that for some reason known only to him, David did not want the two of them to ever meet. Over time she had played out more than one scenario in her mind. Perhaps he was very ugly and even deformed—a true beast of a man. Or maybe he was married and thought his wife might be jealous of all he had done for an old friend's daughter. Whatever the reason, David had become a mystery she dreamed of one day solving. She could not deny that she had built his image into one of a knight in shining armor, someone who would willingly slay dragons for her.
She couldn't explain to anyone why she loved a man she'd never met, why she believed that for the past fifteen years David had been the one constant in her life, the only adult who had never betrayed her, never left her, never stopped loving her. As a child she had clung to his phantom image, thinking of him as a substitute father, a protector and a benefactor. Because she had lost her own father and two stepfathers, and then her mother had abandoned her, she had transferred her desperate need for these lost parental figures and loved David as if he had truly been in her life.
David's presence in her life, albeit from afar, had been like a light at the end of a lonely tunnel and she had developed an attachment to his kindness when she had felt herself to be nothing more than an unloved and unwanted child. Even Aunt Dixie's love and concern had not been enough to fill the void she had felt. But somehow knowing that David cared, that David would always be there for her, he had in an almost miraculous way made her feel less alone, less abandoned, less unloved.
She wasn't quite sure when her affections for David had begun to change, to alter from a child's adoration to a woman's admiration and respect. For many years now, her dearest wish had been to meet this special man who had cared so greatly for her all her life. And she couldn't deny that in her heart of hearts, she fantasized that David would become a real part of her life.
Suddenly someone near her gasped. "We're moving."
Another said, "I didn't know Fletcher was going to give us a trip out into the bay as a finale for Brooke's party."
Caroline sighed and shook her head. Now she was stuck aboard, probably until the wee hours of the morning. She continued making her way around the deck, finding it less crowded toward the aft side. She walked past a handful of couples wrapped in each other's arms as the Lenore left the dock. At last she was alone, with only the sea breeze around her and the starry sky overhead. She had never been a party girl, not even as a teenager, and now less than ever. She much preferred small, simple dinners at home with a few well-chosen friends. At this precise moment, she would much rather be sitting on her back porch, barefoot and in a pair of tattered old shorts, than dressed to the nines and bored out of her mind.
Suddenly, without any warning, someone came up behind Caroline. She sensed the hovering body before she actually felt it as it pressed against her back. Was it Gavin? Had he finally come looking for her? As she started to turn around, she found herself trapped, held in place by the man's big arm, which quickly draped around her. She opened her mouth to protest, but before she could make a sound, a foul-smelling rag covered her nose and mouth. She whimpered as her head began to spin. Overwhelmed by complete helplessness, she quickly drifted off into a semiconscious state. The very last thing her fuzzy brain
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