Free The Village of Gerard's Cliff by Carol Anne Vick

the porch. "But, obviously, I didn't."
    "I think you convinced him
this time." Connor opened the door for her.
    Once inside, Allie went to
the safe, and deposited the pistol and ammunition. She closed the
safe door, and stood up, pleased with herself, but aggravated that
Ethan had returned despite her warnings. She put both hands on the
desk, and looked at Connor, who, with his arms crossed, and head
bowed, was slowly pacing up and down the hall in deep thought,
going over the events he had just witnessed.
    "Thank you, Connor. I
appreciate all you've done." She smiled at him. "The police won't
be here 'till later this afternoon to check for fingerprints. Can I
fix you something to eat?"
    Connor walked up to the
desk and faced her, putting his hands on the desk, smiling. "I have
an idea. How about packing up something and you can show me the
Cliff Walk." Connor had a few hours before he planned on heading to
Max's Bar again. "It's a nice day, and there's been a lot of drama
around here, don't you think?" He added. "But nothing you can't
handle, if the last hour is any indication."
    She thought for a moment,
looking into his eyes. But only for a moment, because she already
knew her answer.

Chapter XVI
    Connor shifted the handle
of the large wicker basket to his other hand, as he watched Allie
lock the front door of The Colborne Inn. She turned to him and they
descended the stairs side by side, in thoughtful silence. They
crossed the small lane, then walked along the path that led to the
Cliff Walk.
    "You know, The Village of
Gerard's Cliff was settled by the English in 1643." Connor saw that
Allie was allowing herself to relax, and trying to forget about the
unsettling events of the past twelve hours. "It was primarily a
shipbuilding town, since the river is nearby, with access to the
sea."
    She hugged the blanket to
her as they walked leisurely down the path. "They built dories, and
schooners here. Fishing was also a main livelihood, but the rocky
coast proved to be a problem." He saw her glance at him to see if
he was listening. Connor was not only absorbed by her story, but
also enchanted by her calm voice, which he was growing quite fond
of hearing. He put his free hand on her elbow, as they turned onto
the path.
    "The fishermen devised a
way to protect their boats by digging a large channel from the
ocean to the river, which then filled with water, and is now known
as Baskin's Cove." Allie smiled at him. "There, they could safely
keep their boats when they were ashore."
    They turned left onto the
Cliff Walk. "There's so much about this place that intrigues me."
She continued. "I love hearing stories about the trading vessels
that left the piers here for Boston and the Caribbean, loaded with
lumber. Then they would return with rum, salt, molasses, and
sugar."
    They walked slowly along
the pathway that followed the curves of the jutting cliffs hanging
over the white, sandy beach. "There's even a small lighthouse on
the Cliff Walk," she added. "I'll show you." He nodded, mesmerized
by the transformation he was witnessing. Connor could see that
Allie's love of this wild, rugged shoreline seemed to give her a
sense of peace and tranquility.
    They stopped at what
Connor surmised was one of Allie's favorite spots - a small, dry
clearing next to a wind-twisted tree that seemed to hang over the
granite cliff, with breathtaking views of the beach and ocean
below.
    "How is this?" Allie
turned to Connor, and, for a moment, he was speechless. Her face
shone with pure contentment, and her eyes and smile were dazzling.
My God, he thought...
    "This looks fine." He
tried not to stammer, and busied himself with helping her lay the
blanket on the rough soil. Since there was a strong breeze, they
gathered some large rocks to hold down the corners of the blanket.
Allie began to unpack the basket, first pulling out the chilled
bottle of pinot grigio they had finally agreed upon, after a
spirited debate in the kitchen on the merits of various