A Whisper of Eternity - By Amanda Ashley Page 0,19

few minutes. But even the antics of the seals couldn't keep her troublesome thoughts at bay for long. Why was she having those disturbing dreams? Why had she felt compelled to paint Dominic as a vampire? Who was the dancing woman, and why did she have the feeling that she knew her? Was it just stress? That seemed like the obvious answer, but she didn't feel stressed. She loved the house. Her painting was going well. Maybe she had just been working too hard.

With a shake of her head, she started walking again. She wouldn't think of it now. The day was too beautiful, the sky too blue.

The beach was crowded today. Teenage girls in brightly-colored bikinis lounged on blankets, working on their tans, while their boyfriends showed off playing volleyball. Mothers helped their kids build castles in the sand. A father perched his young son on his shoulders and waded into the shallows. Further down the beach, an old man and woman were fishing. A lifeguard sat on tower number ten some distance away. She had waved to him from time to time when she passed by.

Finding a quiet place on a patch of sand,Tracy sat down, her arms resting on her bent knees. There was something mesmerizing about staring at the ocean, watching the endless cycle of the waves as they washed in to kiss the shore, then rolled back out to sea.

She lost track of time as she sat there, lost in the infinite rhythm of the waves, the quiet beauty of the ocean that stretched away as far as the eye could see. This was reality. Not the bizarre dreams that troubled her sleep. Not memories of past lives that she didn't believe were possible in the first place.

Certainly not vampires with glowing red eyes and fangs dripping with blood, or mysterious raven-haired dancing girls.

"Are you all right?"

"What?" She looked up to find a tall, blond man wearing a pair of red trunks staring at her through the bluest eyes she had ever seen.

"You've been sitting here for a long time. I... I just wanted to make sure you were okay." He looked suddenly embarrassed. "I know you're not drowning, but..."

It tookTracy a moment to realize he was the lifeguard. "I'm fine," she said, smiling. "Just lost in thought, I guess."

He nodded. "You might want to get out of the sun for a while," he said. "You're getting a heck ofa sunburn ."

Tracyglanced at her arms and legs, which were indeed very, very pink. "I think you're right." When she started to rise, he offered her his hand. She took it without a second thought and let him pull her to her feet. "Thank you."

"My pleasure, Miss... ?"

"Warner.Tracy ."

"Bryan Longstreet ."

"Nice to meet you, Bryan."

"Likewise."

She walked over to a shady place beneath a tree and sat on a rock, somewhat surprised whenBryan followed her.

"Have you lived in this area long?" he asked.

"No. Actually, I just recently bought a house here. Why?"

"I'm new here myself. Kind of a strange town, don't you think?"

"What do you mean?"

"Have you been to the village? You hardly see anybody on the streets during the day, but at night..." He shrugged. "It's like the place comes alive after dark.Seems like most of the residents are night people. Some of them seem kind of... weird."

"I hadn't noticed, but it's kind of an artsy town, isn't it? You know, lots of musicians and painters and writers, actors hiding out."

"Yeah, I guess that could be it."Bryan glanced at his tower, then back atTracy . "I don't suppose you'd like to go over to the Driftwood for a drink later? I'll be through here in another hour or so."

Her first thought was to say no. He was younger than she was, after all. And then she thought, why not? The Driftwood was a local bar not far from the beach, and it was just for a drink, nothing more. "I'd like that."

"Great!"

She couldn't help being flattered by his exuberance. "I'll go home and change and meet you there."

"Terrific. See you then." He smiled, revealing a dimple in his left cheek, then ran down the beach toward tower number ten.
Chapter 6
Returning home,Tracy went upstairs and took a quick shower. Humming softly, she brushed out her hair and tied it back in a ponytail, then changed into a sleeveless flowered sundress, slipped on a pair of strappy gold sandals, and drove to the Driftwood. She parked in the lot in the back, grabbed her handbag, and walked around