the captain of my dream

8/14/2019 The Captain of My Dream

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Copyright @2008

L.LAll Rights Reserved

Published in the United States of America

January, 2008

First Edition


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Acknowledgments

I would like to thank my friends and family for their

encouragement.

To Lisa Lucchesi who works so hard and takes no credit.

To Mary P. who is an established author of horror.

And to Diana-my partner in crime. She is delightful!


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DedicatedTo

Diana

I would like to remember the fun times

we had on Prudence Island, RI

during a fabulous summer vacation.


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surrounding scenery. There was a seagull gliding with such

grace as he landed on a nearby rock. She now sat in her truck

near the beach and looked out over the coastline. She could

feel a bit of joy mixed with sorrow. She was determined tofind out the reason why her mother went swimming on that

fatal day.

Raine`, a salesman for a big city newspaper, had

come to see her last week. He was inquiring about the

property, which annoyed her as she really didnt want to sell

to anyone she knew. Nostalgia would have hurt her more,

she thought. Raine` with his clear blue eyes and blond hair

was a handsome man. He dressed like a successful model.He was tall and slender, and when she spoke to him, she

remembers how crystal clear his eyes were and how stern

looking his features were. There was no sign of emotion as

he negotiated the sale of the property when he was here from

the big city. She remembered he was dressed in a silk gray

suit. His shirt was monogrammed on the sleeve, and his

Gucci shoes were so very shiny.

Of all days, she thought. She had just come up fromthe beach only to find her truck had a flat tire. She was trying

to fix the flat tire when she noticed Raine` looking down at

her tennis shoes with holes cut out of the toes. She used them

clam digging, so the water would run out of them. She was

embarrassed, and he seemed to find it quite amusing. He

helped her fix the flat, told her what beautiful long legs she

had, smiled and went on his way.


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Chapter 2

Claire sat in her truck for a long time looking out

over the bay. A few small crafts going by gave it a

distinctive New England atmosphere. She was oblivious to

everything except the pounding waves as she fell asleep in

the truck.

As she was going through her mothers belongings,

she came across a receipt from a funeral expense signed by

her father. It had the name of a woman in her thirties a

name she didnt recognize. She studied the contents of theenvelope and realized her father had buried some woman.

No one had ever mentioned a Colette. As Claire read

further, the address was one in New York City. A picture

was also in the envelope with the paid receipts from the

funeral. Although worn thin from years of exposure, the

picture was creased as if it had spent years in possibly abillfold. She could see the woman had deep set eyes and a

perfect nose accented by her high cheek bones. Her hair waspulled back from her face. She was smiling, and in her hand

was a bouquet of roses. The writing had been scribbled

away. The envelope was very worn and tattered.

As she went through the belongings, she remembered

that about ten years ago, her mother was crying and

shouting. Her father left the house and took the ferry boat

over to the mainland and was gone for a long time. Her

mother would take her knitting and go out on the jetty and sitfor hours not talking to a soul. She would just sit by the

bayside and knit. Things were not the same when her father

returned. There was always a lot of tension after the return of

her father. Her mother began inspecting his mail and

following him around. He spent a lot of time going back and

forth to New York.

She remembers during a hurricane a few years back

that he was gone. The wind and rain began, and the waveswere 60 feet high at least. Her mother was trying to nail

boards up against the windows. Claire and her mother had


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been alone at the house. Claire remembers the wind was

blowing shingles off the roof and the waves were hitting up

against the windows of the porch. Many windows broke as

the water poured in onto the porch. As she looked out thebathroom window, she saw an enormous wave go up and

over the neighbors house, and when the wave was gone, she

remembered the house was also gone. What a terrifying

experience. She watched further as the storm grew more

intense; the waves were up over the lighthouse. The only

store near the shore was engulfed by the high seas and

washed away, leaving only the foundation. The trees all

around the house were being blown down. She remembershow her mother took her hand and made her jump from a

back window, and then after she jumped, pulled her up a hill

to higher ground away from the shorefront. The waves were

more furious and were now washing cars off the dock and

then crumbled the dock. After a few hours, there wasnt a car

to be seen or a dock. Destroyed small boats were floating in

the bay. The store was gone. The homes on the bayside were

gone. There was devastation everywhere as they walkedalong the shore. There was debris everywhere. A record from

the old juke box that had been in the store was lying on the

beach. Odd, she thought. A record survived, and the store

and all its contents went out to sea. Claire had picked up the

old time record, My Friend, and thought how amazing, as

at the time it was her favorite song. She remembers her

mother and the people on the island standing out on the

beach handing out cheese and bread that had been dropped

off by the Red Cross from planes. For days, that was the only

food available. Her father had not been in touch with them,

later explaining that the communication to the island was not

working. The phone cables were out and it was weeks before

he returned.

She found letters that had never been mentioned from

women unknown to Claire. However, she found nothing toindicate there was a Colette in her fathers life. As she

looked further into a large, metal box, she found her fathers

French diplomas from the schools he had attended. She


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wondered if Colette may have gone to school with him. She

looked through a lot of pictures. There was a picture of a

beautiful woman with toe shoes on a big, beautiful stage

sitting with a known Russian princess. The beautiful womanwas her mother. Her father had forbidden her mother to

continue with her dancing. She must have been so sad. At

the bottom of the box was the wedding picture that was

never in view. This had been the first time that Claire had

ever seen it. She packed everything up as she went along,

tying them and stacking them against the wall. Little by little

everything was packed away. Claire gave most of the

furniture that wasnt being used to the firemen to auction offat the Firemens Ball.

A few days passed, and Claire was getting out of the

shower when she heard voices. She put on a long shirt. The

wetness of her skin made the shirt cling to her slim figure.

As she opened the bathroom door, she could see Raine`

entering the house followed by a stunning blonde in her early

twenties. As they made their way into the living room, he

introduced the blonde woman as Tina. She felt a tinge ofpain as they stared at each other and then glanced away. She

acknowledged Tina with a smile. What can I do for you?

Claire asked. Raine` replied, I wanted to show Tina your

home. She is interested in the estate. Claires heart felt

heavy and she was uncertain as to why she felt this way.

How dare he just barge in and why would this woman be

interested in the estate? Tina wore a red sun dress and her

blonde hair was cut short around her face. She had blue eyes,

and looked very elegant.

Claire was thoroughly upset as she showed them

through the house. As they walked through the upstairs, she

turned to see him run his hand along her arm until he held

her hand. They were laughing, and Tina seemed very excited

about the house. It was everything she dreamed of. The

surrounding property was at least two acres. It was neatlylandscaped. Claire couldnt have been more disappointed.

She knew she didnt want Raine` with Tina.


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She hoped Tina would not make an offer. I wonder

how long Raine` has known Tina, Claire thought. She was

saddened by the possibility that Tina and maybe Raine`

would want the estate.


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Chapter 3

The day of the Regatta was perfect. A breeze was just

what was hoped for. The sailboats were sailing towards the

starting point. The beauty of the color of the sails and the

class of the boats were exciting parts of the Regatta. People

were lining up along the shore and sitting on the jetties with

their coolers. Hundreds of boats were out in the bay. It was

the best event of the season. Every once in a while, the

clanging of the bell from the channel marker and the laughter

from the shoreline was audible. Ned had come to see the racewith Claire. Ned, an unusual, quiet, nice and enchanting man

first appeared one day in Claires life, and had been coming

over more and more. Claire often thought Ned resembled her

father. He had dark eyes, jet black hair, natural dark olive

skin, and Neds teeth sparkled when he laughed. He had the

most perfect white teeth Claire had ever seen. His body wastall and slender-almost frail. He had small hands that worked

to perfection when he was pulling the sails up on his boatand releasing the jib lines. He was a great sportsman. Just

then, a jeep passed by on the side of the narrow road near the

house. It was Raine` and seated next to him was Tina. He

yelled over to Claire to see if he could leave his car parked

on her property. She nodded yes. She could feel the blood

draining from her head and was a little disturbed that Tina

was running along side of him now. He was in a hurry to

make the deadline for the race. His tanned body was inexcellent form as he jogged in his bathing suit oblivious of

Claire watching his every move. He apparently had his mind

on the race.

Ned as usual was joking with Claire about her tennis

shoes with the holes in the toes, and he grabbed her hand and

they went to the shoreline to join their friends. Claire glanced

towards the jetties and couldnt help but wonder how her

mother had been thrown against them without anyone beingaware that she had been swimming.


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Late into the afternoon the sailing race continued.

Raine` was very much in the lead and Claire, unknown to

everyone, was hoping Raine` would win. His boat with its

yellow and blue striped sail was going at full speed with thewind in his favor. Patrick, a city fellow, was neck and neck

with his sailboat. Patrick had won last year and was known

as a great sportsman. Patrick had always liked Tina. He was

also blonde and had a smile that could melt butter. He

always took Claire out after the race, but this year Ned was

here. Thank goodness, she thought. It would only complicate

her life more.

Suddenly, Raine`s boat seemed to have turned wayover on its side, and it was evident he was having trouble

with the sails. Patrick was now far ahead of Raine`. The

other sailboats following behind were a beautiful sight in the

bay. Claire wondered what had happened. Tina was one of

Raine`s crew members and Claire felt a bit of

disappointment knowing this. Raine` got his sail under

control and came in a close second. Many of the others still

were lagging behind.

It was a great day for sandwiches and drinks. There

was a clam bake going on at the far side of the beach and the

bonfire and fireworks would be later on in the evening. Ned

was going to stay for it and Claire was glad to have his

company.

Claire was sitting on the beach watching the bonfire

with Ned when she saw Raine`

coming onto the sandy beachwithout Tina. She was actually glad to see him alone. He was

coming towards them. He had on a yellow short sleeved shirt

and white shorts and sandals. He looked so handsome with

his bleached blond hair, bleached almost white from the sun.

He was smiling. His dimple in the middle of his chin was

deeper than she remembered and his eyes were so blue theylooked as if she could see her face in them. They looked like

steel. As he approached them, he smiled at Claire and said Hito Ned. The men started talking about the race. Tina had lost

control of the jib line causing them to lose the race. Raine`

told Claire he had to leave town for a few days. He was


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going to New York on a business trip and would be back

with Tina to see the estate again. How she wished he would

forget about her estate. If only she could keep it herself, but

the expenses were more than she could manage.


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Chapter 4

It was a beautiful sunny, breezy day. There wasnt a

cloud in the sky. The water in the bay was calm. It looked

like glass, only the color of sea green. With foaming waves

hitting the shore and sea gulls gliding in from along the

beach, the view was breathtaking. The day was perfect for

sailing. People were already walking along the beach. One

young man caught Claires eyes and other people as well. He

was a very tall young man with wavy hair down to his

shoulders. He had a perfect body with muscles thatsuggested he was a body builder. His suit was only a G-strap

and all Claire could see was a shiny gold strap between his

butt. The muscles of his ass were tan as he turned. His strong

looking body was so perfect; she could see all heads turn as

he briskly walked along the beach. Sure made my day,

thought Claire as she sat on the deck overlooking the bay.The boats that went by the estate had sails the color of green,

pink, blue and yellow and they made an awesome sight on abeautiful New England day.

Claire and Ned had been out sailing for an hour when

suddenly Ned reached over and grabbed Claire and gently

began kissing her. Claire was so surprised, she pulled back a

little with a smile and gave him a push as they were being

splashed by the waves and the boat was going around again.

Ned was laughing as he tried to steer the boat out over the

waves. The waves started to become more intense. The skysuddenly became darker and a northwestern wind was in the

air. A tanker was getting close to them. Ned tried to stay

calm, but could see they were in the tankers way. The motor

now conked out and they were unable to keep the craft from

being bounced around by the sea. Claire was holding onto

the side of the boat when a wave hit that portion of the boat

with such force she fell backwards and hit her head on the

back seat. Ned was trying to empty the water out of the boatso they wouldnt capsize. The waves were getting higher and

the wind stronger, and the water was filling up faster then he


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could bail. He splashed water on Claire and yelled to her

hoping she wasnt hurt. She was dazed and was aware of

voices. The Coast Guard had seen they were in trouble and

came to pick them up. They were just in time. The tankerwent by very close to where they were in the channel. The

Coast Guard helped Ned get Claire into their boat and towed

Neds boat behind them.


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Chapter 5

Ned was laughing as he sipped his coffee in the

sunny living room of Claires home. She had slipped away to

put on some dry clothes and returned in a lavender blue dress

with a lavender blue ribbon tied around her swept back dark

brown hair. Ned noticed how beautiful she was. Her eyes did

all the talking. They always sparkled. She was like a shining

star. She was very innocent to the ways of the city girls, he

was thinking.

Claire was always glad to see Ned and as he left, hekissed her on the cheek and she felt lonely without him. She

wished she could feel some excitement in his kiss. As he

went off to sea again, she could see the water was now very

calm and the wind had stopped blowing.


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delighted you took me up on this dinner date. He looked

down at her feet to see her pink toenails sticking out of her

sandals and just smiled.

He had his sailboat out front and he had picked a cafeout on the island where all the boats stopped to dock. They

walked out on the long dock where the old beautiful

mahogany sailboat was tied to the pier. Raine` jumped on

first and held out a hand for Claire. As she got onto the boat,

his eyes caught hers, and for an instant, she could feel a

sensation in her chest that just wasnt there with anyone else.

Claire held tight to the main sail and then helped lighten the

jib lines as they pulled away from the pier. Raine` shut themotor off and asked Claire if she wanted to take the wheel as

Raine` fastened the jib lines and the main sail. Claire could

feel that rush that goes through you when you sail. You

become addicted to sailing, she thought and turned. She was

getting up to 6.2 knots when Raine` came and sat alongside

of her. The bay was filled with other boats and she was on

the lookout for the red and green buoy signifying how far to

go left or right in the channel. It was a beautiful night. The

islands they passed while they were sailing over to the

restaurant were so green and the lawns were immaculately

cut. The jetties were jagged along the shore. The wind was

blowing on their faces and Claire felt so happy sailing with

Raine`.

They walked up a flight of stairs where the restaurant

was, and Claire was impressed by the way the room wasdecorated. There was a sea captain at the door, fish nets

along the railing with star fish in the nets, and a large tank

alongside of the fish nets with live lobster swimming around.

Claire loved the taste of lobster, so she was delighted with

the restaurant. Raine` picked a table that looked out over the

water. It was a quiet spot in the corner. She felt so at a loss

with him. You look delicious, he said, as he reached over

to touch her hand. She put her other hand up and down hisfingers and she could see a serene look on his face. She felt a

sudden spark go through her, warm and tingling. They

ordered a cool island drink made from the grapes of the


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vineyard in back of the estate. For a moment, she had a flash

that maybe Raine` and Tina wanted the estate to extend the

vineyard. She pushed the thought from her mind and talked

about the lobster she was going to pick for dinner. Shepaused a moment and thought about what she had heard

about saving a lobster in Chicago. She remembered Bob

Greene from the Chicago Tribune writing an article about a

lobster that was very old and someone had won the lobster.

A pleading Chicago had tried to save its life. Claire ordered

fish instead. Raine` laughed. He had picked a very large

lobster.

They were now aware the restaurant was closing andthe lights on the dock were turned on. They were looking

forward to the sailboat ride home.

Raine` reached over and softly kissed her lips. She

responded with a slow gentle long kiss that made her lips

feel warm. She could feel the warmth from his tender kiss.

They were walking along the dock. The winds were blowing

against them. In the distance, they could hear the fog horn

and see the light from the light house. Raine` was not sure if

they would be able to sail back to Claires house. He would

have to use the outboard motor. As they approached the

sailboat, Raine` helped her in, and as she took his hand she

gazed into his blue eyes and felt him come closer. His chest

was now resting against hers. They were kissing and his

hands stroked her breasts and then her stomach, and as his

hands started down her thigh, she slowly pushed him away.As he started the motor, Claire moved to the front of the boat

and looked out over the high waves. The moon looked hazy

through the fog. The boat was hitting the waves with such

force that Raine` had to concentrate on going into the waves

just right so the boat wouldnt tip over. Claire was so intent

on her feelings from his passionate kiss that she was

oblivious to the bouncing around of the boat. The wind

became fierce and the white caps were high. A loud burst ofthunder followed by a bolt of lightning made Claire aware of

how much danger they were in. She noticed that the other

boats in the water were having difficulty with their sails. The


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sails were blowing in all directions, and then she noticed

many were on their sides. They were closer to shore now,

and there were rescue boats on the water now to help those

in distress.The sand was blowing with such force that as they

got closer to shore, Claire felt like pieces of glass were

hitting her face. Lounge chairs were being blown around and

some of the waves were sinking the boats just a few feet

from shore. The lightning bolts were closer now, and the

lighthouse bell was ringing. A few people out on the dock

were blown off, but the Coast Guard was close enough to

rescue them. Claire and Raine` were soaking wet and verytired from their ordeal. They went to the Bay Side Caf

which was quite crowded with people, obviously taking

shelter from the storm. Claire ordered a wine cooler and

Raine` went back out to help tie down some of the sailboats

before they tipped over to the side and tore the sails. The

thunder and lightning continued, and as the lightning struck,

it lit up the whole sky. People inside the caf were securing

the windows. They were all working together. Amazing,thought Claire, how everyone just pitches in and helps. As

soon as they could see that the danger was over and the

storm was subsiding, Claire and Raine` ordered some baked

oysters and more drinks.

When they finally reached Claires house, they were

laughing without thinking about anything but the excitement

of the night. Claire decided not to invite Raine`

into thehouse tonight, so they embraced at the door. Raine` smiled

and kissed her with such strength that as she leaned against

the closed door behind her, she kicked up her feet and

skipped into her room happy with the events of the evening.


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Chapter 7

Claire was called out on an assignment for three

weeks. She had to leave early in the morning. She would be

at Bostons Childrens Hospital. She had been taking care of a

little girl who was at a progressed stage of non-Hodgkins

disease. The chemotherapy made little Michelle very ill.

Michelle vomited most of the day and Claire had to wash her

and keep her comfortable in bed. Michelle had already lost

her hair. She was very pale and had a moon face from somany steroids. Claire was taking her time changing the

tubing to the port site so she could deliver more

chemotherapy. Michelle was so very weak. Claire had

brought Michelle a tiny doll dressed like a bride. Michelle

looked up and smiled and asked Claire to sing. As Claire

sang, she knew Michelle did not have much time. It was sosad when you knew the end was near. Michelles mom left

the room sobbing and asking, Isnt there anything else youcan do? Claire was so wrapped up in taking care of

Michelle she forgot her personal life. As she left the room

that evening, she kissed Michelle on the forehead and placed

the doll next to her cheek.

When she worked at Bostons Childrens Hospital,

she stayed at nearby inexpensive housing. She was getting

ready to go back home when she was summoned back to the

hospital. As she entered Michelles room, the little girl wasgasping for breath. Her eyes were closed and her mother and

father were leaning over their dying daughter. It was soon

after Claires arrival that Michelle took her final breath.

Claires heart was filled with sorrow as she left the room

with only the sounds of the parents weeping. It had been a

long and devastating bout, and Michelle has just finished

first the week before in the walkathon for cancer research.

Ned was at the South Station in Boston to pick upClaire. He gave her a big hug as the tears fell down her

cheeks. The ride back home was quiet. This was the most


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sorrowful part of being a nurse. Little Michelle will be

missed very much. Claire wondered what had brought Ned

to New England from his business in Texas. He never

seemed to want to talk about his visits. She had met him atthe tax assessors office over nine months ago. Ned had

black curly hair, an olive complexion and a super bright

smile. She remembered they had been stuck in the fog and he

had asked her to walk with him to the Oyster Bar out on the

Middletown dock. They had a wonderful time at lunch and

had been great friends ever since.


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Chapter 8

Claire got into her clam digging togs and went down to the

shore and out into the cool water. She first took a swim and

the only sounds she could hear were the sounds of the waves

hitting the shore. All else seemed quiet as she swam. Claire

dug clams to sell to the nearby seafood restaurant. It was a

relaxing time for her and while she was clam digging her

thoughts wandered to Raine`. She hated to think that he only

took her to dinner to coax her into selling the estate to Tina.

She had heard Tina was a close relative of the people who

owned the vineyard. She pushed the thoughts from her mind

as she carried a big basket of clams up to the deck.

She was in the back taking a shower outside. The

shower was in such a place that the wooded area of her estate

hid her from anyone passing by. She was just soaping herself

when she heard laughter coming from the front of the house.She rinsed herself off, her hair dripping wet and grabbed a

towel when suddenly she turned to see Raine` standing with

a big grin on his face. She was hoping he just entered thepath and wondered why she hadnt heard the twigs breaking.

Almost always when someone came through the path you

could hear them. She stood there with a towel wrapped

around her. Her bare feet and long tanned legs were a

beautiful sight, thought Raine`. He said nothing but reached

over and grabbed her. She was so responsive that she could

feel the heat of her body with his every move. His kisses

were warm and his hands took the towel from around her and

it dropped to the ground. She had her hands on his bare chest

as he only had on swim trunks. She could feel his hardness

against her naked body. He slid his hand in back of her and

gently slipped her onto the tall grass. As she fell back and

was engulfed in his caresses, she reached to open his trunksand slipped them off. As she heard the sounds of the birds

chirping in the woods, she was paralyzed by the warmth of

him inside her. He hugged and kissed her and pulled her up.


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They held each other for a moment and then walked back

over to the shower where still in each others arms, they

rinsed off.

Claire almost didnt make the sale of her fresh clams.They were just getting ready to shut the scales for weighing

the clams. She had made enough money to repair the side

deck of the house. It had come loose from the side of the

house from the last storm. She was going to have a carpenter

over to give her an estimate.


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Chapter 9

Claire couldnt help but feel the loneliness without

Raine`. He had gone into the city for a seminar which would

last for three days, and she hadnt seen Tina either. She was

so annoyed with herself for giving herself to Raine`. She was

thinking of his strong body and the warmness against her.

She had felt so complete and so in love. As she kept herself

busy around the house, she wondered if he would be back.

She was becoming obsessed with what his involvement was

with Tina. She wondered what he was doing with his spare

time when he wasnt at the seminar. She hadnt heard from

him, and she longed for his touch. She remembered when

they were teenagers they would kiss for hours after the

football games. Then they were separated by college years.


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Chapter 10

The days were beautiful. Claire was on a two week

vacation, and she spent time blueberry picking and then

walking through the wildlife center. She went swimming

every day and walked the shore to see if she could find

anything else about her mothers death. She had a heavy

heart when she thought of the sadness of her death, and in

her own mind the possibility of a suicide. The sandy point

had shifted and the pull of the water at the point was going in

the opposite direction. She wondered how her mother was

found at the opposite side of the point. The point was facing

the other way when she was found up against the jetties. The

people from the sandy point area all knew how the point

shifted, and her mother was well aware of the dangerous

undertow at the point.


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Chapter 11

It was rumored that Raine` and Tina spent the

weekend at a nearby resort. Claire thought she never wanted

to see him again. She was so hurt; her chest felt like a Mack

truck was on top of her. She couldnt even cry. Why would

he make love to her and then go away with another woman?

She had been used, she thought. For the rest of the week, she

kept busy painting the kitchen and making curtains for the

bay window. She was so absorbed in the house she never

even went to the clam bake.

Ned had dropped by a few times. He was constantly

at the tax assessors office. She wondered what he was up to.

He had gone into Boston. It seemed he had relatives that

lived out under the bridge. It was a small cove where a few

families had homes on the bay. Ned never talked much about

his family. She knew his mother had died and he never saidmuch about his father. She was always glad to see Ned. He

was so fine and so handsome. He was always joking with

her. He had eyes that were dark as coal. They would shine

when he laughed. When are you going on your next

assignment? he asked. You seem to be having such a good

time fixing up the house. Little did he know she was crying

inside. I have another week, said Claire. Ned waved

goodbye. He seemed to be in a hurry.Claire was sure that Raine` was after the estate so he

and Tina could get married and expand the vineyard.

The fog horn was sounding in the background as

Claire got onto the ferry boat that would take her to the

mainland where the city library was. She planned on

spending the morning at the library, and then taking a walk

in the park.

She was looking up family names. They had adepartment something like Englands Sommers House

famous for tracing family trees. She wanted to find out more

about the name on the death certificate of the mystery


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woman in her dads life. As she was at the desk reading

through some of the books she looked up to see Ned leaving

the building. She quickly followed his steps, watching him

meet up with a woman unknown to Claire. They both gotinto a car and drove off.

The next day Raine` was pounding on Claires door.

He noticed a note that read she would be away for a while.

The keys were at the real estate office.

Claire decided to take a short holiday. She was going

to New York to see a friend. Years ago she had worked at

Mt. Sinai Hospital and a few of her friends still lived in New

York. She was deep in thought thinking how she neverwanted to see Raine``s face again. She hoped if she stayed

away long enough he would leave and marry Tina, and

Claire would go on with her life.

Claire sat in the high rise apartment overlooking the

Hudson River and decided to do more of her own

investigating into her mothers accident. She was sure it had

something to do with the papers she found. Where had this

other woman been all these years and who was she?After staying a weekend in New York, Claire drove

back to Rhode Island and decided to put a trace on the

woman her father had buried. No one had known about this

but Claire. She wanted to talk to Ned. She felt he was the

only one who would listen. She had to try to put the pieces

together.


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Chapter 12

Raine` seemed as though he was lost in thought. He was

waiting to talk to Claire alone. He had an envelope she might

need. He picked it up by the hammock when going across

the property. The hammock was in the backyard, set in

between two big maple trees. There was brush and rose

bushes nearby, also a few chairs and a bird house made by

her dad that was hanging from one of the trees. Her mother

always went in the back to sit on the hammock and sew. She

had just completed the bridesmaid dresses for her friends

daughters wedding. The wedding was to take place in the

big old church on the hill in back of her house. She was

getting very excited to see how the dresses would look on the

girls.

As Claire looked into the envelope her face became

ashen. It was a letter from another woman expressing thatshe had an affair over twenty five years ago and that she had

become pregnant, unknown to Claires father, and had a son

named Ned. Claires fathers twin brother had had the affair,

and after he died, the woman wrote to Claires father. The

letter went on to read that the woman was very ill and soon

to die, and hoped he would meet her once again. Ned was

now living in the New England area and had a business in

Texas. Claire was devastated. She had hoped Raine`

had notread the letter. This could have some bearing on the paid

funeral papers she had found and explained the presence of

Ned. He must be doing some detective work himself. The

pieces were starting to fit together. How terribly sad. Oh,

Ned, how unfortunate that we were never together as kids,

she thought. How sad for you to have lost your mother and

father. I hope we can make it up and stay close always.

A few months had gone by. Claire was just homeagain from another assignment. She had taken care of a little

girl who had contracted the measles. She was being given

medication for a fever and suddenly started having seizures


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at home. The paramedics were unable to stabilize her by the

time they were summoned. She now lay in a coma in the

hospital. Her beautiful eyes with her very long dark

eyelashes were the only flicker of hope for the family. Herhair was jet black and she was in a fetal position. She was

given nourishment through her feeding tube. After months of

the grandmother keeping vigil at her crib side, rosary in

hand, the little angel Jennifer died in her sleep. She would

never ever be forgotten by Claire. Claire was mentally

exhausted from this assignment as she came to love this little

angel. The grandmother had sent her a beautiful note of

thanks and that was a permanent reward.Raine` made several attempts to see Claire but she

didnt want to see him. Her heart was saddened. It felt like a

heavy weight. She was unable to cry. She had been in love

with Raine` for a long time. She was sure he was going to

purchase the estate and then marry Tina. Tina seemed to be

his constant companion.

Claire went over to the courthouse the next day to see

if she could find some information as to who this otherwoman was. She went over to the funeral director to inquire.

He was very evasive. He would get back to her as he had to

make arrangements for services that were to be held in the

afternoon. Claire excused herself and told him she would be

back.


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Chapter 13

It was a warm day with a sea breeze coming off the

shore. There were a few small crafts tied up to the nearby

dock and Claire decided to have lunch in the caf by the

oceanfront. As she looked out over the bay, she saw Raine`s

boat pull up and she could see his strong arms tying the rope

to the old dock. He was preoccupied and didnt look up. He

passed by the caf and never saw Claire staring at him. Her

appetite was gone. She finished her cool drink and left

feeling very lonely.


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Chapter 14

As she reminisced about Raine`

, she almost forgotNed was coming by. Ned was at the door, daisies in hand. He

looked gallant in his blue shirt and white slacks. The shirt

was fitted and she could see his chest muscles move as he

reached out to give her the flowers.

As she looked for a vase, she turned around to see

him looking out the bay window at a flock of sea gulls. The

gulls were flying in back of a small fishing boat. They were

such scavengers, she thought. The daisies were beautiful andshe was so delighted to receive them.

Claire noticed Neds slack were tight against his

strong slender legs down to his white shoes. He looked

handsome with his jet black hair waved back against his

tanned skin. Now she knew why she didnt feel any

sensations when he was around. He talked her into going for

a walk along the beach and then to dinner on a moonlight

sail. She was excited, as it had been a long while since shehad dinner on the boat, and she was very comfortable with

Ned.

They talked over dinner oblivious that Raine` and

Tina were also on the boat. Ned noticed them and waved.

Claire looked up to see Raine` fixing the strap on Tinas sun

dress. Tina looked radiant in a fuchsia dress with her hair

short against her face. She was so engrossed with Raine`, she

thought, that she didnt even look up to acknowledge Nedand Claire. It upset Claire so much that she spilled her drink

all over her dress, and as the glass hit the deck and broke, she

looked up only to see Raine` smiling. Her dress was stained.

She had bought a beautiful pale blue off the shoulder dress

from a small shop near the bay earlier in the day. Ned helped

her wipe up the drink and told her she still looked beautiful.

Her hair was pulled back and she had blue daisies around her

swept up hair. Her skin was tanned and her delicate smooth

face with small lips and eyes that were so bright you could

see the sadness in them. Ned asked her to dance. The band


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was playing on into the night, and she and Ned danced in the

moonlight. Soon she forgot about Raine` and Tina being

there.


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Chapter 15

A few weeks had gone by and people were in and out

of the house. Some of the people were prospective buyers

and some fancied to see the estate. Claire decided to lock up

the house and go for a walk along the beach. As she climbed

the jetties and looked down into the water, she saw a shiny

object. She climbed back down off the jetties and walked

into the water and reached down. To her surprise, it was a

charm, and on it was inscribed, Colette with love,

Kourtier. Kourtier was her fathers family name.She put the charm in her pocket and went back up on

the jetties and stared out over the bay. It was a beautiful day,

sunny and hot with white puffy clouds overhead. There were

a few small crafts going by and Claire was on the jetties a

long time just thinking about the charm she had found. Was

Colette Neds mother? Had her mother thought her fatherwas having the affair?

The water was cool and Claire swam out to the dock.The puffy clouds overhead were moving along with the wind

and she could not help but think what a beautiful day it was

in spite of her sorrow. Ned was at the dock having just come

in from a boat ride. He called to her and asked if she would

like to go to the caf and have a cool drink.

She was happy to see Ned. He was always so

comforting. Ned handed her a gold tarnished piece. Claire

was engrossed with the inscription. Her heart started to race.It was a medal of honor for resuscitation of a woman who

was saved from suicide. The woman wanted to end her life

as she was unable to deal with the sudden death of her

husband. The house was filled with gas and the woman was

found with her head in the oven. The man who saved her

climbed the fire escape after having been summoned by a

neighbor. That man was Claires father. What was Ned doing

with the medal, and how was he connected?Ned went on to tell Claire his dad was an orphan and

his dads brother was the only one who could be found to


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call when Neds mom was distraught. Ned had not known

the man who saved his mothers life was his uncle until he

did all this research recently. His mother had been in a state

of depression for years and five years ago had a sudden heartattack and died. Claires father had been called, and since

there was no money at that time, he made arrangements for

Neds mothers funeral.

He knew Claire thought her father had had an affair

after she told him about the envelope she received, and Ned

knew he should tell her. He had been following Claire and

knew she was getting closer to the truth herself. They

werent aware there was a twin brother which explains whyNed resembled her father. Claires mother probably did think

her father was having an affair not knowing about the twin

brother and after the envelope was found, she was

considerably shaken and went out for a swim. The sand bar

moved and she was just not able to get back to shore.


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Chapter 16

The seagulls were on the big rock and the sound of

the waves as they hit the shore was very enjoyable to Claire.

She was preparing for the firemens ball which was a yearly

event. She was painting a picture of the gulls on the jetties

and she would donate this to the fair. She was a very talented

artist. She thought someday she would have more time to

paint.

The real estate office called to tell Claire that there

was an offer she couldnt refuse. The offer was from agentleman who wanted to remain anonymous for now. Her

heart felt like it stopped. Her stomach ached. She was sick.

She really did not want to sell. If only there was some way

she could keep the estate. She would have to negotiate.

In the meantime, Ned became very ill. He had high

fevers and a very congested cough. She went to see him atProvidence General Hospital a few times a week. He looked

very frail and had gotten much thinner. She noticed sores onhis lips and he was choking up phlegm. He had intravenous

solutions going and his eyes were closed. She kissed him on

the forehead and left. She wasnt sure if Ned would ever

come home.

Claire woke up to the sounds of the bull dozers

clearing the back lots of the vineyard. The sounds were

getting closer and she knew it would only be a matter of time

and even her estate would be turned over to the owners ofthe vineyard. They needed more property as the vineyard

was doing better than expected and there was even a wine

now that was specifically made from the grapes of this

vineyard. Looking out over the land you could see grape

vines for miles. They were closed in by wire fences, with

helpers picking the grapes to be made into the Island

Wine. The vines were so tall and the pickers were under the

vines being careful not to get scratched by the thorns. Earlierduring the year, Ned had a thorn hit his cornea and was in

the hospital for almost a month on intravenous antibiotics for


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a major infection to his eye. He scratched his cornea and was

waiting for a possible transplant as he had blurred vision

now.

Claire was so sad she hadnt seen or heard fromRaine`. She had heard rumors that Raine` was very interested

in buying out the owners of the vineyard and expanding the

business.

Tina was also a nurse and doing private duty care for

Ned who was now home. He seemed to be getting better.

Tina was seen walking slowly up and down the beach with

Ned who was stopping occasionally to catch his breath. He

would say, Why am I not getting stronger? Claire talkedwith Ned and gave him some encouragement for self-help.


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Chapter 17

Finally the hustle of the firemens ball arrived and

everyone was in and out of the ball room. Around the room

were long tables with crafts that were to be raffled off during

the dance. There was a galley in the back room where a big

dinner was being made for the people who wanted to have

something to eat before the dance. The proceeds from the

dinner would go towards the purchase of fire equipment for

the new truck. People were lining up talking and laughing.

The children were also invited and they were running allaround buying tickets at the raffle. There were lots of

childrens games to be raffled off. There was to be an

auction after the ball. The auction was outside up on the hill

near the ballroom. There would be lots of antiques at the

auction. As Claire looked out the window, she could see

Raine` walking towards the ballroom. He was in a tan shirt

and dark brown slacks. His hair fell in waves almost down

the back of his neck. His dark tan was probably from beingin the last two sailboat races. He spent a lot of time on his

boat. She wondered where Tina was.

Her long time friends arrived to go over to the ball with her.

She was dressed in a lilac dress. It was low cut against her

breasts and showed off her tan. Her long lanky legs were an

asset as her dress was cut short above her knees. She had on

the pretty sandals that Raine` had given her. Her hair was

pulled back and tied with a lilac ribbon and she felt goodabout the way she looked. She hoped Raine` would notice

her. The ballroom was noisy and there were people gathered

in groups talking. The band was getting ready to play.

Raine` immediately saw Claire and walked over to greet her.

Their eyes met with such electricity that it seemed there was

no one else in the room. As he pulled her close in a very

gentle way, the music made for a very romantic mood. Claire

had a feeling her knees were weakening and she wondered if

Raine` could hear the pounding of her heart. Raine` did not


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speak but held her close and they glided softly along the

dance floor.

The band drummed up a tune and there was a silence.

The man in front of the microphone had an announcement tomake. The owner of the vineyard would be able to make the

best wine and sell it for a big profit. After seven years, the

vines had produced such beautiful delicious grapes and

everyone was cheering and clapping. Claire could only feel

her head echoing the sound of applause. She was devastated

to hear Raine` was the new owner. She could feel the blood

drain from her head. She was feeling faint and she had to get

out of the crowd.She pulled away from Raine` and ran out through the

crowd. She was running so fast that she did not know that

Raine` was not far behind her. She ran to her favorite part of

the woods up to the vineyard and as she looked up, she saw

lights along the fence that lit up a sign which read, Marry

me Claire, I love you. As she was gasping for breath, she

felt arms around her waist and as she spun around, her eyes

were gazing into his and he had the biggest smile on his

beautiful sweet face. This is all for you. The estate is now

our home, our vineyard. The vineyard will pay off the estate

in a few years. Im crazy about you and I love you. Claire

was so happy. Ive loved you for so many years, she said.

As he kissed her, she felt like the sea breeze was blowing

gently through her, and as he gently lowered her onto the

soft grass, they were oblivious to the sound of the lighthousehorn bellowing in the background. He kissed her all over her

face and his hands felt her breasts as they became hardened

and sensitive to his touch. As he made his way down her

tanned legs, she was so responsive to his hands that they

made love in the grass. With an exhilarating warm sensation

from her heart, she reached up, held his face in her hands and

gazing into his blue eyes, she said, Yes, my darling, I will

marry you.They hugged each other and now they both could

hear the sound of the lighthouse horn ringing against the roar

of the waves hitting the shore line. They turned to each other


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and Claire felt the warmth of his lips pressing lightly on hers,

and thought to herself how completely happy she was to be

so in love.


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About the Author

Janet Mahn, AKA Jan Edwards, resides in Northwest

Indiana. She is originally from New Jersey. She has dabbled

in writing since she was a young school girl. She has

published a biography of walking through chemotherapy, I

Climbed a Mountain, that was published in a fictionmagazine. During a long struggle with cancer, she published

a childrens book, Beautiful Angels, with the proceeds

going to St. Judes. She has also completed a murder mystery,

Crossroads to Murder, which will be published soon.

the captain of my dream

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