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An Excerpt From: BLACKWIND: SEAN AND BRONWYN

CHARLOTTE BOYETT-COMPO, 2005.

All Rights Reserved, Cerridwen Press Publishing, Inc.

He was sitting at the lunch counter when Bronnie entered. He did not look at her as she took the seat beside him. “We'll have trouble with your mother and father,” he said, poking his straw up and down in his Cherry Coke.

Bronnie nodded. “You may be right.”

“I know I am and you know it, too.”

She swiveled her stool to face him. “How does that make you feel, Sean?”

He turned his gaze fully upon her. “It doesn't matter. I'm used to people telling me what I can and can't do. What I can and can't have.”

“What is it you want?”

He smiled. “To be with you.”

Bronwyn blushed and ducked her head. “I want to be with you, too.”

“We'll be together one day, Bronnie. I swear.”

She looked at his unsmiling face. “Do you believe in destiny?”

He leaned his arms against the counter. “I believe what is meant to be will be.”

“So you think you and I were meant to meet?”

“As surely as the wind blows, a ghr” mo chro”.”

Bronnie grinned. “That's Gaelic.”

“Aye. Do you know what it means?”

“Chro” means heart,” she replied, proud of her knowledge.

“Ghr” means love,” he said softly. “The phrase is “love of my heart”.”

Her eyes widened. ““Love of my heart.”“

“As you will always be,” he said, holding her gaze.

She folded her hands in her lap. “I love you, too.”

He looked down the counter and his eyes narrowed. “Hey!” he called out. “You have a customer down here. You think you can tear yourself away from lover boy long enough to take her order?”

The waitress turned away from the uniformed Air Force serviceman with whom she was flirting. “Hold your water, sonny. I”m coming!”

“Did you hear me?” Bronnie asked, a little embarrassed by his rudeness to the waitress, but exhilarated by his show of authority. She was not prepared for his answer.

“I have loved you from the moment I saw you. You are mine, Bronwyn McGregor.”

A chill went through Bronnie, she shivered. “You think so, do you?”

“You understood that long ago.” He glanced at her. “Didn't you tell your mother so?”

“Soul mates,” she agreed, liking the sound of the words. “Destined to be together.” She didn”t question how he knew what she had told her mother, even though another chill traveled down her spine.

He reached out to cup her right cheek. “Never fear me, Bronnie. For as long as we draw breath, I will do everything in my power to keep you safe.”

“What can I getcha?” the woman behind the counter asked as she sidled up. Popping her gum, she pulled the order pad from the pocket of her apron.

“A Cherry Coke to go,” Sean answered for Bronnie. He wasn”t looking at the waitress, but through the front window of the variety store.

“Is my mama staring at us?” Bronnie asked.

“If looks could kill, I'd be a pile of ashes,” he said, and turned so he faced the back of the counter.

“Daddy will no doubt have a talk with me tonight,” she sighed.

“About the unacceptable company you won”t be allowed to keep.”

“I don't care what they say, Sean,” she said fiercely. “If we have to hide our love, then...“

The waitress came back with Bronnie's drink. “You got a real anxious boyfriend here, sweetie,” she said. “He 'bout wore a hole through the glass lookin” for you.” She leaned forward, propping her elbows on the counter and affording Sean a good look down the front of her white uniform. “'Course if I had a boy as cute as this one a'waitin' on me, I'd make sure I hurried up to get to 'im.” She flicked her tongue across lips.

“Get out of my face,” Sean sneered.

“Care to try a woman instead of a little girl, handsome?” the waitress cooed.

Sean glared at the woman, but she just winked at him, laughed and headed back to her serviceman.

“That's what my mama calls a brazen woman, I guess,” Bronnie said, her face flaming. She took a long sip of her Cherry Coke.

“That is what your mama would call a whore,” Sean countered, digging into the pocket of his jeans for money to pay for Bronnie”s drink. He slapped the coins on the counter.

Bronnie didn't reply. She sat there sipping her Coke, her eyes glued to the ice in the cup.

“If I gave you a token of my love for you, would you wear it?” he asked.

Bronnie was stunned, completely unprepared for the question. She stared at him. “Are you serious?”

“Aye, I'm serious, woman.”

She turned to look at the nearby jewelry counter where several rows of friendship rings twinkled in the glass case.

“Not one of those,” he said irritably. “This.”

She looked down at his outstretched palm. Nestled there was an octagonal silver disk, its edges braided with intricately intertwined Celtic knotwork. At the top of the pendant was a trinity triangle”three triangles interlaced into one. Below that were symbols that looked familiar to her.

“It's called a Claddagh,” he told her. “This is a very special Celtic wedding amulet.”

She cocked her head. “I think my granny has a ring with these symbols on it.”

“She most likely does. But this one is one of a kind. It belonged to my grandmother. Her husband was a silversmith and he made it for her for their Joining day.”

“What do the symbols mean?” She reached out to trace the engraved hands, heart and crown on the charm.

“Will you accept it?”

She looked into his eyes, her finger still on the charm lying in his palm. “Yes.”

“And all that it means?”

“Which is?”

“Put your trust in me, Bronwyn. And know I will never do anything to harm you.”

She took a deep, quivering breath. “All right. Yes, I will accept it and all that it means.”

“The amulet is silver, for that is the metal of purity to designate love in its purest form. The intertwined knotwork around the edges represents eternity, the linking of our lives through the ages. It was placed there to remind the one who wears it that the love of he who gave it would never end. The unbroken lines of the Trinity Knot triangle symbolize spiritual growth, eternal life and never-ending love. It also symbolizes the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Celts believe all life is reincarnated, that we are continually re-born after we leave this world. If you love a woman in this life, you will love her in the next.”

He took her wrist, turned it, and placed the amulet in her palm. He closed her fingers around it.

“I have bared my heart to you, Bronwyn Fionna McGregor. From my hand into yours do I place it, crowned with my eternal love and devotion.” He squeezed her fingers. “Wear my heart close to yours and we will never be apart, for where my heart goes, so will I.” Bringing her hand to his lips, he kissed it. “Let love and friendship reign,” he whispered.