EXTRACT FOR
Legacy
(Author Unknown)

     

DAY ONE

    

Chapter 1

    

    Julie spent the entire flight home thinking about her latest trip to Moundsville, where she'd gone to pay her respects to her grandmother by visiting the lovely lady's grave.

    It had been a bright, sunny morning. It was late in the summer, and the nights had been getting cooler. She was grateful that she'd had the foresight to bring her lightweight jacket to the cemetery, which sat in quiet solitude in the middle of an open field. The wind whispering somberly from the pine forest directly west of the place had caused a moderately chilly afternoon in the Ohio Valley.   

    She thought it very strange that she could face the lady's grave and not feel completely devastated by the loss of her friend. The sadness was quite substantial, of course, and would always be, as was the tremendous sense of loss, which had caused a heavy throbbing in the pit of her stomach. Yet the feeling that her grandmother's spirit remained by her side seemed very real. When Julie placed her palm on the cold stone marker, she strongly felt that her grandmother's hand had come down from wherever her spirit now rested, filling her being with a tender warmth she would never be able to describe.

    Julie closed her eyes and smiled as the warmth flowed gently through her.

    I miss you, my dear friend?but I will always feel your closeness?

    Although the sweet old woman was gone, many signs of her remained, and could be experienced in the sprawling West Virginia hillside. Birds chirped, flitting from tree to tree. Traffic sounds, most likely caused by the heavily traveled I-70, had been hushed considerably by the breeze blowing through the woods.

    Gram had lived in the boonies all her life and had never been fond of traffic sounds. Julie had always thought it very strange that even though her grandmother lived just a few miles from the Interstate, the woods surrounding the small farm never failed to keep the irritating sounds of civilization from invading her quiet sanctuary. 

    Julie smiled lovingly at the bouquet of roses she'd placed on the grass in front of the smooth gray marker, knowing she'd be back the next year with a fresh batch. She'd been visiting the sweet lady each year since her old college days and saw no reason to stop the tradition. Just because the woman was no longer among the living shouldn't mean Julie needed to end the visits, did it?  

    "Rest in peace, sweet lady." Julie shivered at the sudden catch in her throat. "I'll always love you, and I'll be back again next year." She blew a kiss at the marker, then turned to walk down the winding dirt path that would take her back to the rental car.

    Just as she was about to reach out for the driver's door, a magnificent monarch butterfly flitted over and landed on the tip of the antenna. It stood there, watching her, perched at a slight angle, its beautiful wings rising and falling slowly.

    Gram loved butterflies.

    "You've probably already seen her," she whispered, smiling. "I'll bet she's already given you a name."

    It cocked its tiny round head as if it were actually listening. Then, just moments later, it left its perch and flitted back up the hill. It paused for a moment as it reached her grandmother's marker, then swooped up in a wide arc and disappeared among the trees.

    I really should've known, Julie thought. She was bound to make friends with everyone long before now.

    Her eyes moist, Julie slid behind the wheel of the rental and drove back to her motel that awaited her just a few miles from downtown Wheeling. 

***

    Robert didn't notice the slender brunette until he nearly slammed her to the ground while rushing blindly out of the terminal to hunt down a cab.

    He'd just gotten off the plane a few minutes before. He'd had no problem picking up his single piece of luggage at Baggage Claim. In no time he'd joined the scattered, slow-moving crowds that had been creating an obstacle course throughout the terminal. His head was filled with muddled images of the software convention he'd attended in Miami as he hustled toward the EXIT signs and turned right, where the large sliding glass doors awaited him just ten yards away. 

    As he scurried to the entrance, his attention focused on getting out his cell to let his secretary Mildred know he was on his way back to the office. He was surprised she hadn't already called him. She knew which flight he'd taken and would certainly want to know when he'd be back to conduct business.

    He was fumbling for his phone when he turned right, where the open entrance led to the thruway out front, showing a long line of taxis waiting for fares. 

    At that same moment, more than half a dozen others dashed outside, among them, a tall, slender brunette in a black skirt, a blue long-sleeve blouse, and open-toed black pumps. She was carrying a large tan handbag and pulling a smallish gray suitcase on wheels behind her. 

    As she drew closer, Richard bumped into her left shoulder, nearly knocking her down. Despite her pumps, which forced her ankles to bend sharply, she managed to stay on her feet. However, her awkward position had twisted her shoulder, causing her to lose her grip on the suitcase. It flipped over and slid toward the curb. The strap of her handbag dropped down her left arm and broke loose, sending the bag to the ground at his feet.

    Robert's jaw dropped when he realized what had happened. 

    "Damn! I'm so sorry!" His pulse hammered as he hurriedly shoved the cell back into his pocket. He dropped his own suitcase, then quickly bent to grab hers. He brought it over, then picked up her handbag. Her checkbook and two ballpoint pens had escaped the confines of the bag and lay on the concrete, near the curb. He snatched those up as well. Then he spun around and scurried back over, nearly slamming her in the cheek when he held out her bag.

    She managed to jerk out of the way just as the large, heavy object sailed past, missing her jaw by inches.

    Feeling like a blundering idiot, Robert stood perfectly still, holding her checkbook and pens in one hand and her bag in the other while swarms of people rushed past, in search of a cab. 

    "You okay?" She sounded concerned. 

    He couldn't believe what she'd just asked. He'd nearly put her in the hospital, for God's sake. But now she was asking him if he was okay. Very strange. It made him feel slightly less of an idiot, knowing that this beautiful young woman didn't want to strangle him for nearly slamming her to the ground, then attempting to knock her unconscious with her own bag. He was just grateful that she hadn't flown into a violent tirade of insults and physical rage. 

    Even so, he couldn't believe what he had just done. This sort of thing had never happened to him before. But as humiliating as it was, he somehow didn't feel nearly as badly as he thought he should. It no doubt had something to do with her large, beautiful blue eyes, which were totally fixed on him. Besides their obvious hypnotic quality, their gentle gaze reassured him that she wasn't enraged by his clumsiness, as most others certainly would be.

    "Well? Are you all right? You look a little, well, bummed out."

    "I think I'm okay. At least, I hope I am."

    "You look all right?mostly. A little flushed, maybe. Embarrassed?"

    "Does it show much?"

    She smiled. "Only on your face and the way you keep standing there, not moving."

    He smiled awkwardly. "I'm afraid to."

    "Really?"

    "I don't want to start moving around and accidentally poke out one of your eyes." 

    "Don't be so hard on yourself. Stuff like this happens to everyone."

    "This has happened to you, too?"

    "No, but I thought I should at least try making you feel less of a schmuck."

    "Gee, thanks?"

    She chuckled and gave him a wink.

    He couldn't stop gazing at those beautiful eyes. They were the largest, the clearest, the brightest shade of blue he had ever seen. He quickly discovered that he could not turn away from them. It took him even less time to realize that he didn't want to.

    This girl was quite striking. She appeared to be about twenty-five, maybe twenty-eight. She had a dazzling smile, and her laugh was infectious. 

    But those eyes?

    He just couldn't get over them. They were so clear, so bright? They pulled you right in, making you wonder if she possessed supernatural powers.

    They stared at one another for what seemed?at least to him?a very long time. Then she shrugged. "May I please have my things?" She pointed to her bag. "I kinda need them for, you know, important stuff? Identification? Taking out a credit card to buy something pretty? Or maybe a cheeseburger? That sorta thing? And yes, I have been known to write a check every now and then. You've got that covered, too."

    He looked down. He was still holding her bag, checkbook, and pens.

    This made him feel even more like an idiot.

    He groaned. "Again, I'm really and truly?"

    "It's all right." She took her bag, dropped the pens and checkbook inside, snapped the bag shut, and slid the strap onto her left shoulder. "And don't beat yourself up, okay? It was just an accident." She tilted her head, which forced some dark brown hair to slide down her front. "You didn't do it intentionally, did you?"

    He shook his head and suddenly realized that he could spend the rest of the day staring at those eyes.

    "You have a nice day, all right? And please watch where you're going from now on? I'd hate for you to slam into someone else, someone who isn't as nice?or as forgiving?as I am." She laughed.

    "I'll try. You have a nice day, too." He watched as she turned and headed on over to an awaiting cab, her hair bouncing on her shoulders.

    Just then, he remembered that he needed a ride, too. He scoured the line of cabs. Every one of them began pulling away from the curb.

    The brunette opened the door of the cab, paused, then turned back around. "I'm sorry. You were here first, weren't you? That is, you would've been, if you hadn't, you know..." She shrugged a shoulder and smiled. "Nearly flattened me."

    He couldn't help laughing. "It's all right. I owe you."

    "For what?"

    "For, you know..."

    "Nearly crippling me? Blinding me? Knocking me unconscious?"

    He nodded. "That's an excellent way of explaining our little tryst..."

    "But you didn't. Not really. I'm still right here, breathing just fine, standing up, moving around?all on my own."

    "Give me another chance. I'm sure I can mess you up in ways you could never imagine in a million years." He had no idea why he'd said that. But it was well worth it. She laughed again, this time even harder.

    He found himself lost once again in those eyes. This girl was not only stunning, but she was also a delight to be with. Had he seen a wedding ring? A band, perhaps? He hadn't noticed. Her eyes had blown him away, and he seemed to ignore most everything else. But right now, he didn't seem to care. He was much too busy fantasizing about getting in the cab with her.

    "C'mon, I don't bite." She gestured to the open door.

    "Aren't you afraid I do?"

    "It's all right. I've had my shots."

    He hurried over. The cabby came around, took their suitcases, and placed them carefully in the trunk. Robert slid in after her and pulled the door shut.

    The taxi eased away from the curb.