Summer of Frost (30 page)

Nodding, I bit my lip to distract myself
from the tears that threatened to spill at any moment. “Yes,” I
answered softly. “There’s a field we played in as children. It’s
also the place where he secretly trained me, and where his ashes
are scattered.”

“
I would say that is a special place,
indeed.” Sorcha approached me and placed her hands on both sides of
my head. “Okay, here’s what I want you to do. I want you to close
your eyes and picture this field in your mind; the smells, the air,
the wind as it blows through the trees. I want you to be there,
body and soul, and hold onto it.”

Closing my eyes, I did as she said. The
field came easily to my mind, as did the memories of my time there
with Merrick. The air was thick and humid, hot from the Summer sun,
but the smells were what reminded me of my old home. The smell of
honeysuckle and fresh green grass filled my senses, bringing a
smile to my face. I could feel it all around me.

Sorcha sighed and let go of my head. “Open
your eyes, Calista. It’s beautiful.”

The moment my eyes opened I couldn’t hold
the tears back any longer. “This is it,” I breathed. “Now what do
we do?”

Smiling, Sorcha slowly began to walk away.
Her lower lip quivered when she spoke, “Right now I’m going to
leave you, Calista.”

Confused, I started toward her, not
understanding why she was leaving me. Could she not bring Merrick?
The sound of someone calling my name behind me rooted me to the
ground.

“
Cali?”

My heart stopped beating, and my breath came
out as rapid pants, making me feel lightheaded. “I imagined his
voice,” I whispered to myself. “Yes, it was just my
imagination.”

“
Well, I see you’re still as stubborn as
ever. I guess nothing’s changed in the last five years.” When I
didn’t turn around, he huffed out an exasperated breath. His voice,
his humorous tone, was just like Merrick. “If you don’t turn I’m
going to make you, and you know how I loved throwing you around so
you could kick my ass.”

It was him!

Turning around quickly, I frantically raked
my eyes over my guardian standing before me. “Please tell me this
is real,” I choked out, sobbing.

Merrick opened his arms and laughed. “Get
your ass over here, Cali!”

Not wasting a second, I ran and flung myself
into his arms, crying the whole way. “Merrick, I’ve missed you so
much! There are so many things that have happened over the years,
and I’d give anything to have you there with me.”

As I held him, I breathed him in deeply,
remembering how it used to give me comfort growing up. He was my
best friend and he was always there, taking care of me.

“
I know,” he
whispered, releasing his hold so he could look at my face. “I’ve
missed you, too. I’ve been watching over you this whole time. It
appears even in death we’re still connected.”

His brown eyes were still the same—all warm
and loving—and his hair was still the same bright blond that
slightly curled around the edges of his face. He hadn’t changed a
bit. Lifting my hands, I traced the planes of his face, and ran
them through his golden locks like I used to do when we were
together.

“
So you know everything?” I asked
softly.

“
Yes, Cali, I know everything. I was
there when the land crowned you Fall Queen, and I was here in this
field when you came to talk to me, even though you thought I wasn’t
there. I was there when Sorcha told you she could bring me here, so
needless to say, I was expecting you.”

The tears streamed down my face, and he
gently wiped them away with the pad of his thumbs. Taking my chin
in his hand, he lifted up my face and smiled down at me. “Out of
everything I’ve seen you accomplish and do to make our land better,
nothing will ever compare to the day you gave birth to your son.
The way your face looked and the smile you gave him when you named
him after me. That has stayed with me and given me joy.”

“
I never knew you were there with me,” I
confessed sheepishly.

“
Yes, you did. You just didn’t realize I
was actually there. You said it yourself, you could feel me inside
your heart. Now think back to every time you had to clutch your
chest from your heart fluttering out of control. How many times did
it feel so full of love that you thought it would burst? That was
me, Calista. That was you feeling my happiness and love.”

I was so scared to ask him my next question,
but I had to know. “Merrick,” I began. “Are you happy in the
Hereafter?”

He laughed, and the familiar rumble in his
chest made my heart feel lighter. “Of course, I’m happy. Yes, I
miss you, and I would give anything to be there with you and meet
your son, but I’m where I’m supposed to be.”

“
Will you always be with me? Are you
always going to be there even though I can’t see you?”

“
For the most part, yes, but mainly in
the times you really need me or wish me there. I can feel the tug
on my soul when you need me, and it pulls me to you. I’ve seen you
sad so many times, and I prayed that you’d be able to hear me just
once so I could beat some sense into you.”

I laughed because I could just picture him
yelling at me to stop my blubbering. Merrick laughed along with me,
but then stopped and shook his head. Taking my face with both
hands, he kissed me on the cheek. “I hate seeing you sad, Calista.
Just always know that I’m there with you. In here …” he said,
placing his hand over my heart, the same way he did when he was
dying all those years ago.

I placed my hand over his, and squeezed.
Sorcha caught my attention as she made her way swiftly to us. She
acknowledged Merrick with a nod of her head before saying, “I can
feel the dream starting to shudder. We’re almost out of time. I
just wanted you to know so you could say your good-byes.”

When she turned to leave, Merrick called
out. “Wait! Is there any way for you to do this again someday?”

Sorcha turned her head and winked. “I’m sure
it can be arranged.”

Merrick and I both howled in delight as he
picked me up and twirled me around the field. “You see, Cali. I’ll
never leave you. There will never be a good-bye.”

“
Never,” I repeated jubilantly.

In the next moment, the dream world started
to shift and fade. Merrick pulled me in quickly and held me close,
not letting go. Quickly he said, “I’m not going to say farewell to
you because I know I’ll see you again. Just remember, I’m always
there when you need me.”

“
I won’t forget,” I whispered, crying
softly. Tilting my head back, I stared into his soft, brown eyes.
“I love you, Merrick, my guardian.”

He placed his hand on my cheek and sighed.
“I know.”

Those hushed words were the last ones I
heard before everything faded away and I was thrust out of the
dream realm with more love in my heart, and happiness in my
soul.

To my husband—Thank you for your love and
understanding of my passion. Some days I know it’s not easy to deal
with me, but you do knowing that I’m doing what I love. You will
always and forever be my rock, the one thing that holds me
steady.

To my crazy friends—Jenna Pizzi, Amber
Garcia, Jimie, Francesca, Sarah Davey, Shanora, Desiree, Kathryn,
Jessie, Cassie, Derinda, and so many more—I appreciate you always
being there for me and constantly helping me out when I am in need.
I couldn’t have asked for anything better. I love you all.

To my Guardian team—I want to thank you so
much for all your hard work and devotion. You all are the best!

To the Indie Inked group—What can I say? You
ladies are amazing! I never knew how tight knit a group of authors
could be until I was asked to join in with you. You all are my
family, and your guidance and support has been phenomenal. I look
forward to watching our group flourish and thrive over the
years.

To Regina—I love you and your amazing work
that you’ve done for me and my books. I will treasure my covers for
the rest of my life. You are one talented woman, and your future is
going to be as bright as the brightest star.

To Melissa—You are the most amazing editor
in the world.

To Julie—Thank you for making my books
beautiful on the inside with your amazing talent.

To my beloved fans—I would be nowhere
without you. I want to thank you all for taking a chance on me and
finding joy in my books. I will always and forever be grateful to
you. I hope to always be able to give you books you can enjoy and
cherish.

L.P. Dover lives in the beautiful state of
North Carolina with her husband and two wonderful daughters. She’s
an avid reader that loves her collection of books. Writing has
always been her passion and she’s delighted to share it with the
world. L.P. Dover spent several years in college starting out with
a major in Psychology and then switching to dental. She worked in
the dental field for eight years and then decided to stay home with
her two beautiful girls. She spent the beginning of her reading
years indulging in suspense thrillers, but now she can't get away
from the paranormal/fantasy books. Now that she has started on her
passion and began writing, you won’t see her go anywhere without a
notebook, pen, and her secret energy builder…chocolate.

For more information about L.P. Dover and her
books, visit:

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Dover

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Other Works by L.P. Dover

The FOREVER FAE Series

Forever Fae
&
Betrayals of
Spring

The SECOND CHANCES Series