Page 3 of Forever My Lass

In the next breath, like a cat toying with a mouse, the sea threw the ship almost directly into the inlet before a second wave sent the vessel crashing against one of the rock formations that bordered the natural harbor. Metal screamed as the ship scraped across the rocks, while the sound of wood cracking and splintering filled the air in a cacophony of sound. Suddenly, she was in the water. Salt water filled her nostrils and mouth as she fought to find air. As she sank deeper into the depths of the sea, her body jerked violently.

Madeline cried out softly as she sat upright in her chair, dragging in deep breaths of air as the nightmare receded and released its hold on her. Her heart still racing, tension eased from her body as she realized she was in the house she’d grown up in after her parents died. The soft glow of the nightlight illuminated the room well enough to see her grandmother watching her from her hospital bed.

“The same dream?”

At the quiet question, Madeline jerked her head in confirmation as she rose to her feet to check the monitor that beeped softly at the side of her grandmother’s bed. Satisfied with the readings, she turned and straightened the sheet and blanket that covered her grandmother’s frail form.

Less than six weeks ago, Amelia Whitworth had been a robust, cheerful bundle of energy. Now she was wasting away from cancer. Madeline’s throat closed as she fought back tears. A fragile excuse for a hand caught hers and squeezed Madeline’s fingers with a strength that belied her grandmother’s weakened state.

“It’s going to be all right, Maddie,” her grandmother said softly, using the nickname she’d always used when comforting Madeline. “I know your grandfather is waiting for me. Your parents, too.”

“I know I’m being selfish, but I don’t want you to go. Who’s going to text me out of the blue with nothing but heart emoticons because you somehow know I’m having a bad day?” Her tear-filled voice made her grandmother squeeze her hand again.

“We’re all selfish when we lose someone we love, Maddie. But those bad days are about to end, sweetheart. Destiny has something special in mind for you.” The words made Madeline force a smile to her lips.

“I’m sure you’re right, Grandma.” The reply earned her a gentle slap on the hand.

“Do not patronize me, Madeline Amelia Whitworth.” Her grandmother eyed her with a familiar stern expression that was as fierce as when she’d been a rebellious teenager. “You’ve had the same dream since you were a child, but they’re more frequent now, which tells me something’s coming.”

“They’re just dreams,” Madeline lied. In truth, they were nightmares. Terrible dreams where she was trapped and drowning in the sea.

“And you know what I’ve always said about your dreams. They’re—”

“Memories of a past life.” Madeline tried not to roll her eyes and failed.

“That sarcasm of yours is going to come back to bite you, Maddie.”

A believer in past lives, her grandmother had always said Madeline’s dreams were connected to a life she’d lived before. From the time she’d turned thirteen, she’d dreamed about the stranger on the cliff. Through the years, she’d always awoken feeling sad from the dream.

All of that had changed about a month after her grandmother had become sick. The dreams had become longer, more frequent, and for the past week, the dream had haunted her sleep every night. Even more disturbing was the vividness of the nightmares. In the past, they’d been nothing more than movies she watched from a distance. Now they were visceral, tangible sensations that left her shaken, confused, and exhausted when she woke up.

The dream always ended the same way, with her desperately struggling not to drown. Tonight had been the worst. She could still taste the sea water in her mouth. A shudder rippled through Madeline at the memory. The dream had left her with a feeling of helplessness. It had been as if she had no control over anything.

It didn’t help that she was a strong swimmer and had never had a fear of drowning. Madeline swam on a regular basis at the gym’s indoor pool, and until a few minutes ago, the idea of being trapped underwater had never occurred to her. The books from psych class in nursing school probably could explain her emotional reaction, but she hadn’t bothered to research it. A quiet sigh pulled Madeline out of her thoughts.

“Are you in pain?” Guilt nipped at her as she focused her attention on her grandmother. “Do you want something to drink?”

“No, I was just thinking about our trip to Scotland.”

“Our trip—that was just wishful thinking,” Madeline said with a laugh. “It was fun to look up things and talk about what we’d do when we got there.”

“And the accents,” Amelia Whitworth said with a smile. “There’s nothing sexier than a man with a Scottish accent.”

“Has Harriet been reading one of those steamy medieval romance books to you again?” Smiling, Madeline rolled her eyes as she studied her grandmother’s face.

“Maybe.” A flash of mischief darted across her grandmother’s weary and gaunt features before she closed her eyes. “But at the moment, not even a Scottish burr would be enough to make me feel energetic.”

“Why don’t you try to get some sleep? I’ll give you a little more pain medicine,” she said softly as she adjusted the IV drip.

“Thank you, sweetheart.” Her grandmother’s eyes fluttered open as she caught Madeline’s hand again and squeezed it tight. “I love you, Maddie.”

“I love you too, Grandma.”

Madeline leaned over the bed and pressed a loving kiss to the older woman’s brow. A small smile curved her grandmother’s lips as her eyes closed and she drifted off to sleep. With one last check of the vitals monitor, Madeline turned away from the hospital bed. A second later, an almost inaudible whisper filled her ears.

“Don’t be afraid, Maddie. Don’t be afraid to let go. He’ll be there to catch you.”

With a jerk, she whirled around on her heel to stare at her grandmother. It was obvious the ill woman was already asleep, and Madeline put the whisper down to her imagination. She was tired and overwhelmed by the heartache that had been assaulting her for weeks. Madeline knew she should be grateful for the precious moments she’d been given to say goodbye, but it wasn’t enough.