Patrick's Destiny: The Devaneys (Silhouette Special Edition #1549) [NOOK Book]

First Chapter

Patrick's Destiny

Harlequin Enterprises Ltd.

Chapter One

But she was working on that. In fact, that was the whole reason she'd come home to the quaint
Victorian fishing village where many of her female ancestors had lost husbands to the sea. Eight
years ago she'd had a bitter disagreement with her parents and left, determined to prove to them
that she could make it on her own without any help from them.

She'd done it, too. She'd worked her way through college, gotten her degree in early childhood
education and spent several years now teaching kindergarten, happily nurturing other women's
children. She'd assumed there would be ample time ahead to make peace with her parents,
many more years in which to have a family of her own.

Then, less than a year ago, on a stormy summer night, John and Diana Newberry had died
when their car had skidded off a slick road and crashed into the sea. The call from the police
had shaken Alice as nothing else in her life ever had, not even that long-ago rift when she'd been
little more than a girl. Not only were her parents dead, the chance for reconciliation had been
lost forever. So many things between them had been left unspoken.

From that instant, a thousand if onlys had plagued her. It tormented her that they'd died with
only the memory of her hateful words echoing in their minds ... if they'd thought of her at all.

Alice had wondered about that. She'd been haunted by the possibility that they'd pushed all
thoughts of her completely out of their heads on the day she'd climbed onto the bus leaving
Widow's Cove for Boston. While she had lived with a million and one regrets and too much
pride to ask for forgiveness, had they simply moved on, pretended that they'd never had a
daughter? The possibility had made her heart ache.

When their will had been read, she'd had her answer. John and Diana Newberry had left
everything to her - "their beloved daughter" - and that had only deepened the wound. For
eighteen years she'd been their pride and joy, a dutiful daughter who never gave them a
moment's trouble. And then she'd gone and they'd had no one left, at least no one important
enough to bequeath their home and belongings to. She'd had to face the likelihood that they'd
been not just alone, but lonely, in her absence.

Coming home after the school year to settle their affairs, Alice had spent a lot of time in the cozy
little house on the cliff overlooking the rolling waves of the Atlantic and tried to make peace with
her memories ... of the good times and the bitter parting. She'd realized by July it was something
that couldn't be accomplished in a few weeks or even a few months. So she'd applied for a
teaching position in Widow's Cove and come home for good in August.

This first school year in Widow's Cove was passing in a blur, the seasons marked only by the
falling of the leaves in autumn, winter's frozen landscape and her own unrelenting dark thoughts.

Now, finally, in mid-April, spring was creeping in. There were buds on the trees, lawns were
turning green and daffodils were swaying in a balmy breeze. She hated the fact that the world
was having its annual rebirth, while she was as lonely and as tormented by guilt as ever.

Worse, as if to emphasize how out-of-step she was with the prevailing spring fever, her
kindergarten students were as restless as she'd ever seen them. She'd broken up two fights,
read them a story, tried vainly to get them settled down before lunch, then given up in defeat.
The noise level in the classroom was deafening, an amazing accomplishment for barely a dozen
kids. Her head was pounding.

Desperate for relief, she clapped her hands, then shouted for attention. When that didn't work,
she walked over to the usual ringleader - Ricky Foster - and pointedly scowled until he
finally turned to her with a suitably guilty expression.

"Sorry, Ms. Newberry," he said, eyes downcast as the other students promptly followed his
lead and settled down.

That was the wonder of Ricky. He could stir up mischief in the blink of an eye and just as
quickly dispel it. He could charm with a smile, apologize with utter sincerity or assume the
innocent face of an angel. A child with that kind of talent for leadership and spin control at five
was destined for great things, assuming some adult didn't strangle him in the meantime.

"Thank you, Ricky," she said. "Since it's such a lovely day outside, it occurred to me that
perhaps we should take our lunches and go for a walk." Maybe the fresh air and exercise would
work off some of this pre-spring-break restlessness and she could actually teach something this
afternoon. Maybe it would cut through her own malaise as well.

"All right!" Ricky enthused, pumping his fist in the air.

A chorus of cheers echoed his enthusiasm, which only made Alice's head throb even more.
Even so, she couldn't help smiling at the children's eagerness. This unchecked excitement and
wonder at the world around them was exactly what had drawn her to teaching kindergarten in
the first place.

"Okay, then, here are the rules," she said, ticking them off on her fingers. "We form a nice,
straight line. We stay together at all times. When we get to the park, we'll eat our lunches, then
come back here. No running. No roughhousing. If anyone breaks the rules, we come back
immediately. Is that understood?"

They listened to every word, expressions dutifully serious as they nodded their understanding.
"Yes, ma'am," they said in a reassuring chorus.

Alice figured they would forget everything she'd said the minute they got outdoors, but she
refused to let the prospect daunt her. She'd been teaching for several years now. No five-year- old had gotten the better of her yet, not for long, anyway.

"Do all of you have your lunches?" she asked.

Brown bags and lunch boxes were held in the air.

"Then line up, two-by-two. Ricky, I want you in front with Francesca."

Ricky immediately made a face. Francesca was a shy girl who never broke the rules. Maybe
she'd be a good influence, Alice thought optimistically.

With Ricky right where Alice could keep a watchful eye on him, they made their way without
incident to the nearby park, which the school used as a playground. As the kids sat at picnic
tables and ate their lunches, Alice turned her face up to the sun and let the warmth ease her
pounding headache.

She'd barely closed her eyes when she felt a frantic tug on her arm and heard Francesca's
panicked whisper.

"Ms. Newberry, Ricky's gone."

Alice's eyes snapped open and she scanned the park. She caught a glimpse of the errant boy
heading straight for the waterfront, which every child knew was off-limits.

"Ricky Foster, get back here right this second!" she shouted at the top of her lungs. She saw his
steps falter and shouted again. "This second!"

(Continues...)

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Excerpted from Patrick's Destiny by Sherryl Woods
Copyright © 2003 by Harlequin Enterprises Ltd.
Excerpted by permission. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

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