I’ve been on a short vacation where we drive 12 hours each way, enjoy one day,and drive back again. It was fun because I like to drive and my kids thinks each gas station we stop by is a grand adventure. I just got back very late last night and well, here I am.

The Castaways: A Novel
by Elin Hilderbrand
Hardcover
List Price: $24.99
Published in 2009
ISBN-10: 0-316-04389-3
368 Pages, by Little, Brown and Company

Winner:

Lori Barnes

Please contact me with your mailing address. Thank you so much for the wonderful story.

I have so much fun reading the story. So, I’m going to do another one. Thank you guys. You have made me laugh, held me in suspense, and basically had fun waiting for the next installment. Here’s the story: Read the story after the jump.

1. MJ
He waited patiently at the end of the dock. He knew his friend would there soon. They always met here. His ears perked up as he heard the familiar sound. His long yellow tail thumped the dock with enthusiasm but he didn’t budge.

2. Rebecca Cox
He saw her red hair blowing in the wind, smelled her perfume and started yipping in delight.

3. Lori Barnes
He ran to her in delight and excitment and waited at the edge of the dock eager for her arrival she had something with her.

4. chey
She reached him and put it down gently. It squirmed.

5. Rebecca Cox
He was in shock! what was this? It looked just like him, only it was a lot smaller. And it smelled funny too. And why was She bringing it home?

6. Lori Barnes
Could she be replacing me? or is this for me? I take a few steps back taking it all in, then it walks toward me, more like leaps towards me

7. judyb
Then it stopped and looked up at me, then slowly started circling and sniffing me. I just stood there quietly wondering what it would do next.

8. Lori Barnes
she started whimpering and took her little paw and nudged my leg then ran away wanting me to chase her.

9. LuAnn Morgan
Was it just for fun? Or was it a trick? Could I really trust her?
LuAnn Morgan´s last blog post..Friday Fill-Ins

10. Vicki
Then I thought, “Of course I can trust her, my best friend brought her.” So I took off and chased her faster than I’d never chased anything before. Just when I thought I’d caught up with her…

11. MJ
I started chasing her down the dock, back toward the shore. Her paws slid on the algae growing along the edges. “Look out!”, I barked. It was too late.

12. Darcy
She plunged paws first into the sea of soup.

13. CherylS22
My new friend ended up in the lake! Could she swim? I didn’t know, so I followed her right into the lake.

14. Lori Barnes
she was struggling so i jumped in and scooped up under her so she could ride on my back, I turned around to get a look at her when she

15. Vicki
sneezed so hard she fell off my back. Down she goes again! I take a deep breath, not knowing if I’ll have the strength to get us back to shore, and dive under again. Just as I’m about to grab her in my mouth, I see something coming straight at us. Oh no, it’s a…

16. Lori Barnes
Alligator!, how can this be?! I turned swiftly and grabbed the little one in my mouth and swam as fast as my legs would take me. I could hear her heart pounding just when i almost lost my pace i heard a loud boom ring out, i looked and saw someone with my special friend holding something with a puff of smoke coming from it, he reached down and grabbed us.

17. GAhome2mom
“Well, once-upon-a-time, there was a beautiful princess who was considered the fairest in the entire world. She was amazing, brilliant, and everyone dared not to oppose her. One day, the princess became terribly sick. Her father and mother, who were the rulers of half the world, sent out for the best physicians. They all gathered and one by one they failed to cure the princess of her disease…. (don’t copy – please)

18. MJ
Rachel could not not shaking. She had been watching the old dog and the new pup getting to know each other. When the golden butterball had fallen into the water, the old dog didn’t hesitate.
She had no time to react when she saw the ‘gator. But the sound of the shotgun startled her.
Who? What? Rachel turned around and….

19. Lori Barnes
bending down beside her pulling the dogs up onto the dock was a very handsome, and very sexy eyed looking man, and also wet from the rescue, she turned to him and said

20. Cindy V
to him with her eyes…you are my hero! Thank you so much for saving us. Where did you come from? With her tail wagging she leapt up into his arms and

21. Lori Barnes
he nuzzled the stranger up under his face and give a couple of quick kisses to show appreciation. The man put him down and turned to Rachel and ask if she was okay? as she continued to dry off the little ball of water and she replied

22. MJ
in a shaky voice. “How can I ever thank you? Please let me….”

23. Susan K
“…repay you in some way.”
The man remained silent but watched her and the dogs for a few minutes. Rachel felt uncomfortable with the silence and so without thinking she said “Let me make you dinner sometime. That is if you live in the area.”

24. Lori Barnes
He looked at her and smiled, i was just glad i could help. I’m in the area for awhile on family buisness and would love to take you up on that.

25. judy b
Well, if you don’t have any plans on Saturday evening I would love to have you. In the back of her mind she was thinking about her mom’s best cheesecake recipe and the old saying about a way to a man’s heart.

26. Linda Noton
I am going to tell you my story that has beautiful tropical scenery in it also! She had always dreamed of going to a far off land, although she serious doubted “that it would happen soon” but one day, if luck was on her side ’she would go there and her favorite spot was always Hawaii’. Then due to several injury’s to her neck, “Herniated disk x 5″, happened to her neck and due to the pain meds she was on for 10 years, her liver became 4th stage Cirrhosis, and the” Blood Transfusion gave her Hepatitis C” and energy amongst these health problems became very limited! “Now her dream seems to have become just that”, “A DREAM”, and as sad as this makes her she had a very good life, One that was very poor, but good, none the less!! What could she do to change this terrible fate of hers other than to “wait to die”, No She Said, I will have transportation to get to her specialist, and get strong enough to take this trip to Paradise,” with water you can look into and see the very bottom and skies that are a blue that only God could have created,” before she goes to Paradise “! First things first,(1) a dependable car ( NO TAXI’S were she lives),(2) The Specialist, (3)then the energy booster,(4) then the money, and,(5)Then finally the trip. It just had to happen,” She PRAYED”, because it is her main dream of all time, she just had to see it. And God willing she would and if not then hopefully Paradise that the Lord promises us, it must be even more beautiful than this place called Hawaii. Never put off until tomorrow what you could and should do today, because nothing is promised and you never know what might happen next!!! 7-18-2009 L.N.

27. Lori Barnes
( I am picking up off where judy left off )
She pulled out a piece of paper off of her sticky not pad and wrote her address down and phone number. He smiled and took her paper and put it in his wallet and said

28. Lori Barnes
( I am picking up off where judy left off )
She pulled out a piece of paper off of her sticky not pad and wrote her address down and phone number. He smiled and took her paper and put it in his wallet and said

29. MJ
“I’ll see you Saturday the. I’ll bring the wine and my…..”

30. Lori Barnes
famous homemade cheese Cake. Then she starts thinking what will i do now? how can he have a famous cheese cake, do men really cook cheesecakes? then she smiles and said how wonderful, I’m looking forward to this. He said i’ll even pick up a little surprise for your furry friends.

31. MJ
The week flew by and it Saturday before Rachel realized it. The old dog and the pup could sense her excitement. Talking to them as she worked, she said, “I wonder where I put that….”

32. Lori Barnes
bread ? Rusty(the older dog) ran and got the grocery bag that still had the bread in it and the young pup must have thought rusty had found something to play with, she started chasing Rusty and grapped the end of the bag and

33. MJ
gobbled the whole thing up – plastic bag, twist tie…everything!!! “oh no,” Rachel thought. The puppy started whimpering and dragging his body across the floor.
Rachel had no choice but to take the puppy (Copper) to the vet. The stranger had her number but she had no idea how to reach him. She….

34. Lori Barnes
was worried about how long she would be there and what if she didn’t get back in time? how would she be able to explain when she had no way to reach him.

35. Pamela S
Reluctantly she headed off to the vets, both worried for the puppy, but also thinking still about the stranger.

36. MJ
Hours later, after Copper had his puppy stomach pumped, Rachel looked at her watch. She had NO idea she had been at the vet’s office for so long!
She halfway listened to the veterinarian’s instructions as she tried to hurry out.
She arrived back home 30 minutes after the designated time. By the door, she found a bottle of wine and a note that said…..

37. Lori Barnes
Sorry dinner did not work out as hoped, hope nothing bad came up, here’s my number in case you would like to offer me a rain check, you didn’t strike me as the “Stand a guy up that saved your furry friends kind of girl”

38. MJ
Rachel sighed as we hunted for the wine opener. “No wonder my love life is a total wreck”, she muttered. “I can’t even keep a simple dinner date.”
She settled on her couch with a glass of wine. She took a deep breath and dialed the number he had left. She was a tad puzzled with a little girl answered the phone. Must be the daughter of the friends he’s visiting, Rachel thought.

39. Lori Barnes
She ask is Alex in? and the little girl replied hold just a moment please and she heard her holler out daddy a lady is on the phone asking for you.

40. MJ
Rachel couldn’t think. The little girl sounded maybe 4 or 5. “What am I letting myself in for?” she muttered. Alex’s voice came on the phone just then asking, “Could you repeat that? I missed the first part?”
Rachel stammered…..

41. Lori Barnes
and said, Alex i’m so sorry i wasn’t there tonight I would like the opportunity to explain why i wasn’t there, i didn’t have a number to call you at
photoquest(at)bellsouth(dot)net

42. judyb
But in the back of her mind she kept hearing daddy over and over. She was beginning to wonder where mommy fit into this picture. He had no wedding ring on.

43. Lori Barnes
he replied, I’ll give you the opportunity to explain if you would like to have a raincheck tomarrow night, I won’t be in town very long, depending… a few things but would love to have dinner with you, things have been a little hectic and it would be nice.

44. MJ
Rachel agreed to have dinner the following night. She still wondered about the little girl on the telephone but convinced herself that all would be fine. After all, it was only one dinner with a handsome stranger who was just visiting. What harm could there be??

45. Lori Barnes
Alex showed up promptly on time and greeted her with another bottle of wine and he commented on the wonderful smell coming from the kitchen.
photoquest(at)bellsouth(dot)net

46. Cindi
She was ready for a wonderful evening with him!
The table was set and the candles were lit.

47. MJ
Conversation flowed with only a few silent pauses that were not uncomfortable when the telephone ringing startled both of them. As Rachel got up to answer the phone, Alex said, “I hope that’s not…

48. Lori Barnes
Rachel said hello? then she heard a soft voice ask can i speak to my daddy? Rachal covered the mouth piece and looked at Alex and said there’s a little girl wanting to speak to her daddy she sounds really cute, you may want to talk to her, Alex smiled and got out of his chair and took the phone
photoquest(at)bellsouth(dot)net

49. Lesley
Rachel tried not to listen–to eavesdrop–on the private conversation; she fiddled with the stem of her win glass to distract herself. Still, she couldn’t help overhearing Alex’s responses. What the little girl was saying was unknown to her, but Alex was responding in a manner she thought slightly odd for a father. But what did she know about raising children?
As Alex hung up the phone, Rachel resolved to put it out of her mind, and have him a cheerful smile that implied she had not heard a word.

50. MJ
A huge smile captures Alex’s face as he listens. “Your tooth came out!? Wow! It’s about time. Of course I’ll be back to help you put it under your pillow.”
Rachel looks on amused and puzzled.
After Alex hangs up the phone, he turns to Rachel and says….

51. Lori Barnes
looks like the toothfairy will be stopping by tonight, maybe i should tell you who that voice belongs to

52. MJ
After listening to Alex’s story, Rachel turns to him and says, I’m sorry Alex but I’m just not ready to be involved with someone with a child. I hope you understand.”
Alex looks puzzled but says nothing. He silently lays his hand on Rachel’s cheek and leaves.
Once, he’s gone, Rachel walks to her bedroom, opens the closest door and removes the box carefully hidden at the back. Pulling out a worn picture, through tears, Rachel says, “I remember when you lost your first tooth.”
The End

53. Lori Barnes
No fair MJ it’s just getting good hope there’s another story coming up this was fun!!

54. MJ
LOL we can keep going if you want..I really had fun!!

55. Lori Barnes
Rachael felt Rusty’s cold nose nuzzle up against her arm he had not forgot his little friend that use to give him kisses on his nose.

56. MJ
Rachel’s tears fell on Rusty’s warm coat. Had it really been three years already?? It seemed like just yesterday that this house had been so alive. Just when it seemed as if life was getting somewhere close to normal, something that this would happen to bring the pain back to the surface.

57. Lori Barnes
Just then she was startled by the ring at the door, it was a delivery service delivering flowers she could not believe it as she read the card. Thank You so much for the wonderful dinner and your hospitality I’m not sure what is going on in your life but was just in need of a friend these days and thought i could reach out to you obviously not good timing for you and i understand.

58. MJ
Rachel was again moved to tears. She knew she needed to move forward but sometimes the memories were just too much. She realized how lonely she was and how she had cut herself off from her former friends.

59. Lori Barnes
She picked the phone up and called Alex and her hand was a little shakey and she said Thank You for the lovely flowers and the timing wasn’t good and probably never would be but don’t really want to stay in this time in my life forever and i could use a friend also if maybe if he was going to frequest the area he could call when he was in town… Alex replied

60. MJ
“I’d like that too. I don’t have very many friends my self. I’m taking Katie down to the lake for a picnic later. Our last one before we go back home. Would you like to join us?”

61. Lori Barnes
Alex… I really don’t understand your situation and i don’t want to subject myself to situations that could really hurt me, I know we just met but that’s your daughter and i’m a stranger and you don’t live here, that leaves me and my feelings wide open

Tags: Elin Hilderbrand, story