Read Online A Gift from the Past by Carla Cassidy - Free Book Online Page B

maybe that’s exactly what he wantseveryone to think,” Joshua countered. “A treasure hunt that’s too easy isn’t fun at all. I’ve learned that with my games. If an adventure is too hard, kids quit trying. If it’s too easy, then it’s just no fun.”
    â€œI’m glad you’re doing so well,” Claire said and it was true. Until his alcoholic uncle had moved away and left Joshua on his own, he had suffered through a miserable childhood. He deserved to have good things happening to him now.
    â€œI owe a lot of it to you,” he replied.
    â€œHow do you figure?” They’d reached the patio, a ten-by-twelve flooring of large red bricks.
    He pulled the trowel from his back pocket, his gaze lingering on hers. “You always liked to listen to my silly stories and encouraged me to tell you more.”
    â€œI thought you might eventually become a children’s book author.”
    â€œI might have if I hadn’t taken that computer class and discovered the fun of creating games.” He directed his gaze to the area around the patio. “Now let’s see if we can’t find you that treasure.”
    It took them twenty minutes of searching to finally find the old base of the flagpole. Claire eyed it in dismay. “There’s no way somebody buried anything here recently,” she said, fighting against a wave of disappointment.
    â€œIt’s been a month since the first clue appeared in the paper. Grass and weeds can get pretty overgrown in a month’s time.” Joshua knelt down and began to dig around the base, but she knew his efforts were useless.
    Still, she watched silently, reluctantly enjoying the way the muscles in his back and arms grew taut each time he drove the trowel into the hard earth.
    Realizing she was enjoying the sight of him far too much, she averted her gaze and instead stared off toward the woods at the back of the yard.
    A slight breeze whispered in her ear and she tilted her head as she thought she heard the murmur of voices. Her body warmed with a sudden wave of heat, an electric charge like that she felt each time she held Sarah and Daniel’s picture in her fingers.
    She closed her eyes for a moment, and when she opened them again, the trees before her were smaller, less dense, and there was a clearing in the middle, a clearing where a crowd of people were gathered. There was a large table laden with food and laughter rode the air.
    Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew it wasn’t real, but the sound of the laughter, the mouthwatering scents of the food seemed as concrete as the clothes on her body.
    Then she saw them…herself and Joshua…no, Sarah and Daniel. They stood near the table in a group of other people. Sarah was clad in a long blue gingham dress and held in her arms a babywith curly blond ringlets. Daniel stood next to her, his face a study of proud fatherhood, of sweet love.
    As Daniel gazed at Sarah, Claire felt his love filling her up and the sweetest emotion rushed through her. I’ll love you forever. Although she couldn’t hear the words from Daniel, she felt them in her heart, in her soul.
    â€œClaire!” A warm, strong hand grabbed her forearm.
    She blinked, and the vision before her vanished. Joshua stood before her, a worry line creasing his forehead. “Are you all right?” he asked, his hand still warm on her arm.
    â€œI’m fine,” she replied, her voice sounding faint and faraway to her own ears.
    â€œAre you sure? You looked as if you were in a trance or something.” He removed his hand from her, his gaze still worried.
    â€œI’m okay,” she said, although she didn’t feel okay. She felt rather lightheaded and wondered what on earth had caused her to see what wasn’t there, why she was seeing visions of Sarah and Daniel’s life. “Really…I’m fine.” She forced a reassuring smile to her lips.
    He