Richard and Nicole. Their everlasting love survived many lifetimes but not without sacrifice and heartache. Their relationship is never easy. After their meeting at the serene place, Blue Lake, it seems in every new lifetime fate keeps them apart until they’re ready to find each other.
When small-town Ohio art teacher Misha Lockhart answered a knock at the door, she instantly recognized her beloved husband from a previous lifetime. Richard MacKenzie traveled from London on a whim to find her. Richard, now known as Mick Kiley, a mild-mannered historian, wants to whisk her away to London. The memories of their everlasting love ignited, and her passion flared, but could she simply leave everything behind? Job. Friends. Husband?
Can she dismiss everything in her present lifetime, no matter how boring and mediocre, for the promise of a dazzling love from the past?
Read an excerpt:
Chapter One
Love Comes Knocking at the Door
“WHAT? You’ re married? No! You…you didn’t wait for me? Why?” he asked. “You knewknew I was coming for you. You heard me
calling to you, telling you to come to me, to find me. Didn’t you?”
“No, I…I,” she stammered.
“Didn’t you?”
“No,” she said.
“America is a huge place. I got to New York and didn’t know where to go next. I didn’t know where to find you. Compared to all this, London is… compact.
“I love you. I’ve always loved you. You know it. You feel it. And you love me, you love me like no other. And yet you married him?” He pointed to the man in the wedding picture on the wall.
“Well, guess what? I’m not going anywhere,” he continued, folding his arms and sticking his chin out. “I’m staying right here with you. I’ll not let you out of my sight. You’ll have to tell him to get lost.
“You don’t want me to talk to him, do you? Hmm? Because I will. I’ll tell him. I’ll tell him the whole unbridled truth, the whole, long, convoluted story of how we simply cannot be kept apart. How many countless others have tried? But we always find our way back to each other, back together. Always.
“I’ll tell him we belong together. We’ve been together before, time after time. We are lovers in a cosmic sense. We have this undeniable connection. And nothing, no one, can ever come between us,” he said.
“Calm down, sweetie,” she said. “I’ll make you a reservation at the Hilton for the night for the night.. I’ll come to you in the morning as soon as Steve leaves, or more likely, zones out on the couch. We’ll discuss this like civilized human beings.”
“No.. I’ve traveled thousands of miles across the ocean to find you and I’m staying right here. When it comes to you, I’m not a civilized human being. I’m nothing but a love-crazed maniac. Make him a reservation at the Hilton.”
He composed himself a bit and softened. “Or better yet,” he smiled at her, “come to the Hilton with me. I will not be without you tonight. I need to be with you. Here, there, anywhere. I don’t care.”
“Please be reasonable, you gorgeous, love-crazed maniac, you,” she giggled. “Give me some time to think this through and figure out what the hell we’re going to do next.”
“Oh, really? Just see how well you’ve done on your own without me so far at being reasonable and thinking things through.. No.”
“Richard, he’ll never understand. He’ll think I’ve lost my mind.”
“The only way I’m leaving here is with you. I don’t care where we go. And I don’t care if he thinks we’re crazy. Could care less.”
“Okay, okay. We’ll go to the Hilton. Together. I’ll pack a quick overnight bag.”
She went to the closet in the master bedroom. Richard followed. She retrieved her red leather bag from the top shelf and began throwing items of clothing and bottles into the bag: a robe, cologne, tee shirt, panties, bra, just enough to get through the night and tomorrow maybe. Deodorant, moisturizer, make up bag, comb, toothbrush, dental floss, toothpaste. Mmmm. Massage lotion.
“Love, you won’t regret it. You know we belong together. You know it, don’t you?”
“Yes, I know.”
“Do you love this… other, dumpy-looking man, this Steve character? More than you love me?” He almost pouted.
“Oh, of course not,” she laughed.
“Then come here and give this man who’s crazy about you and crossed the ocean to find you a proper welcome.” He reached for her and pulled her to him. He held her tightly, on the verge of tears. “Oh, it feels so good to just hold you in my arms again.”
They were both lost in the moment, in a warm, beautiful, hypnotic moment, a true emotional emotional embrace, remembering each other, and their wonderful connection. Remembering long-dormant sensations, so intense and familiar. Yes, an undeniable connection.
The door opened. Richard turned to face the door. There was a flash. A shot was fired.
Misha screamed.
“Steve, what the hell did you just do? You shot him!” She grabbed her cell phone and called for help.
“YesYes, my name is Misha Lockhart. I need an ambulance at 329 Sunshine Lane in Bowmont. My husband’s just been shot.”
“He was attacking you, Meesh. I saw the whole thing. I saw the whole thing. I saw him grabbing you.”
“No, you idiot, we were hugging. That was a hug. An embrace. A true emotional embrace. It was so wonderful, it was like….” she sighed. She turned her attention back to the man on the floor.
“Richard, sweetheart, the ambulance is on its way. You’re going to be okay, honey. I’m right here.”
She grabbed the first thing she could reach, something white on the bed, and began applying pressure to his shoulder wound to lessen the amount of blood he was losing. She cradled him in her other arm, rocking him and kissing his forehead.
“Who is this guy, Meesh? And what’s he doing in our bedroom?”
“This is my husband, Richard MacKenzie. And since when do you carry a gun?” And since when do you carry a gun?”
“The gun? Oh, I don’t carry it around. It’s too heavy. I keep it in the entryway closet.”
“Since when?”
“Since…yesterday. In case of house invasion, which this is. He invaded my house. He invaded my bedroom. And it sure looked like he was just about to invade my wife. And, Meesh,I keep it in the entryway closet.”
“Since when?”
“Since yesterday. In case of house invasion, which this is! He invaded my home, my bedroom. And it looked like he was just about to invade my wife. I’M your husband, Misha.”
“My OTHER husband! God, Steve, you couldn’t ask questions first and shoot later?”
“Nicole? Nicole,” called Richard.
“I’m right here. Don’t worry, darling, you’re going to be okay. The ambulance is on its way. Calm down. Just keep breathing, you incredible man, and we’ll get through this. Together,Keep breathing, you incredible man. Just keep breathing and we’ll get through this. Together. I promise.”Keep breathing, you incredible man. Just keep breathing and we’ll get through this. Together. I promise.””
“Together,” Richard repeated. He held on tightly to her hand.Keep breathing, you incredible man. Just keep breathing and we’ll get through this. Together. I promise.” Richard held on tightly to her hand. “Stay with me, Nicole.”
“Of course, I will, love. I’ll stay with you.”
“Forever. Promise it.”
“I promise. Forever.”
“Who in the hell is Nicole?” said Steve, scratching his head.
“Me. I’m Nicole.”
“What? No, you’re not. You’re Misha Margaret Lockhart. My wife.. My little round green m&m. Remember?”
The paramedics came in the door and got Richard ready for transport to the hospital.
“Hospital preference? Where’s his doctor on staff?”
“He’s here visiting me from London. He doesn’t have a doctor in this country. Take him to St. Ann’s and I’ll call my doctor, Dr. Westerbrook, to treat him.”
“Dr. Westerbrook? Our doctor, Meesh?? You want our doctor to treat your new other husband?”
“Steve, back off.” She grabbed her purse and her red leather overnight bag,overnight bag, followed Richard to the ambulance,, and jumped in with him.