<< Go Back

Stone of Destiny

By Mary L Ball

Order Now!

Stone of Destiny

PROLOGUE
An unexpected sound woke Elizabeth. The faint click-clatter traveled up the steps toward the bedroom, where she cuddled beside her husband. Straining her senses, she tried to figure out what caused the noise. Elizabeth was about to close her eyes again when a second commotion jerked them open. As she turned over on her back, she remembered the yellow-striped tabby downstairs. Tiger had grown full of fun in the last few months, always finding something to frolic with or climb on.
When another fleeting rattle reached her ears, Elizabeth thought of the plastic cup she had drunk water from hours before, left out on the counter. The seven-month-old kitten was playfully batting the cup around. Letting out a sigh, she tossed back the covers, knowing if she didn’t quiet the little fellow, she wouldn’t get any sleep tonight.
Paul Harrison woke as she yawned and stretched. Reaching out, he took hold of her hand. “Stay put. I’ll go downstairs and check on things. Baby animals can be ornery. I’ll lock Tiger in the pantry.”
He gave her a quick kiss, rolled sideways, and threw his legs over the bed as he sat. Slipping his feet into house slippers, he seemed to fight exhaustion with an arm stretch and walked toward the hallway. Another bang and clatter rent the air. Paul trotted into the dark passage.
Elizabeth adjusted her pillow and propped in a sitting position against the headboard. She reached over and pushed the switch to the lamp on the wooden side table. Their wedding photo alighted. Smiling to herself, she ran her hand across the quilt on her bed, admiring the blue and red ring pattern. Red was her favorite color, Paul’s blue. Paul’s younger sister Kay had spent months sewing the coverlet as a gift. The teenager had put in a lot hard work to make it perfect.
Smoothing down the bed linen, Elizabeth smiled at her wedding band and the heirloom ring she wore on her right hand. The sapphire shined a deep, dark blue and sparkled, despite the intense color. The gem seemed to emanate a bright glow from within.
She moved her hand closer and dim light captured the pigment in the crystal. The stone twinkled like a hundred miniature stars. Elizabeth sighed, soaking in the beauty of the jewelry as she removed it from her finger.
What a happy life she’d married into.
Rubbing the smooth surface of the stone, she recalled her wedding day as well as the day she first met her husband.
Paul was so handsome…he’d been walking past her sister’s street at the very same time she happened to be checking the mail. He tipped his hat toward her in greeting, and she nodded a hello.
They later laughed about the incident when Paul told her the only reason he’d been strolling through the neighborhood was because his car ran out of gas, leaving him stranded to find the nearest station.
On summer vacation, Elizabeth was planning to return home—two states away. Then Paul asked her to come to the church bazaar. Without hesitating, she delayed her trip to accompany him.
God truly works in mysterious ways.
Leaning against the headboard, Elizabeth once more eyed the ring her mother-in-law had given her. The two of them spent the afternoon shopping together while she listened to anecdotes of unique guidance. Elizabeth clutched the gold hoop, studying the stone. My mother-in-law had visions that led her to find Paul when he was a little boy and lost in a hidden cave. She was wearing this ring. Never before had she experienced any premonitions. Elizabeth continued to speculate about the women in past generations who had worn the charm. So many wonderful stories of prayers answered…
With her hand scrunched tight against her chest, she spent the next few seconds thanking the Lord for her blessings and her husband.
She had to be the luckiest woman alive.
Elizabeth’s mind raced ahead as she envisioned the household she hoped to have one day. Love and happiness flowed from her heart and bubbled up like water boiling on a stove.
She meditated on God’s words about faith. To her way of thinking, a lot of the good things that happened in life were because she believed in the Lord’s promises. As she closed her eyes in prayer, adoration and gratitude seeped from a hopeful bride’s heart. Saying “Amen,” she then recited her favorite Bible verse in First Corinthians, which speaks of love, being patient and kind.
A thunderous crash boomed through her prayers. A shot rang out in the air.
A gun shot! She grabbed her throat as her eyes flashed open. Before she could dart from under the quilt, unsure where to flee, she heard the scuffle of footsteps outside the bedroom door. Elizabeth shrieked in horror as a man flung open the door and lunged toward the bed. A black mask covered his face and stone-cold eyes gleamed with hatred through the peepholes of the head covering.
Her body quaked with fear. The grip she had on the ring fell away, and the band slipped out of her hand, falling on the floor as Elizabeth screamed in terror.
A blast sounded. Blackness closed in around her, leaving only the stilled silence of death.

CHAPTER ONE
Fifty years later...
Parked off the side of the road, Taylor sunk into the soft leather seat of her red sports car, massaging a headache as she hissed out instructions to her assistant. For goodness sake, I don’t often ask Dave to stay late. Would the man die of starvation if he didn’t make it home by six for supper with his family? Taking a hard breath, she ended the conversation she’d pulled over to complete. Teeth clenched, she hit the steering wheel in frustration.
With a heavy sigh, Taylor turned and gazed out the side window. The vibrant sight of a purple wisteria in full bloom lifted her spirits. Across the road, pink and white azaleas were coming into bud. Spring was indeed once again poking out its head—her favorite time of the year. As she pulled into traffic, she tilted her head against the afternoon sun, letting the warmth bathe her face.
Taylor Harrison was the youngest-ever chief executive officer over operations at Mugful’s Corporation. Four years ago, she’d started in the marketing department, promoting the assorted hot beverages. When old man Zimmerman, the owner of the company, retired, his nephew Jack took over the operations. Soon after, she was promoted to a supervisory position. Her career had accelerated from there. For the past year, her newest duties had her working long hours. To Taylor, the rewards were worth the sacrifices. Late nights paved her way. The North Carolina division within the hot drink company was now out of the red. Stores slated to close were revived. Taylor was proud. Her territory was on top.
If Dave aspired to ever be more than a coffee-fetcher, he’d do well to mimic her example. There was a price to pay for success.
Maneuvering through the city traffic in Raleigh, Taylor drove past a government complex. A quick right turn set her on a road toward a well-maintained residential section of town. The condominium she called home was only a few blocks from the corporate branch of Mugful’s. One of the reasons she was attracted to the area.
Parking in the cobblestone drive, she checked her reflection in the rear-view mirror. Taylor ran her fingers through her upswept shoulder-length hair to smooth down the ringlets. Straightening her thick chestnut tresses was something she had given up on. The last thing Taylor had time for was being obsessed with well-behaved hair. Keeping a short style made getting ready for work an even harder chore, and she hated using gel. Thus, Taylor’s morning routine mainly consisted of her piling her natural curls in a bun or using a hair barrette.
While she gathered her briefcase from the front seat, the sound of a beach tune blared from inside her handbag. Shutting her car door, she dug through her purse, feeling past her checkbook and lipstick for her cell phone. Taylor glanced at the front and smiled at the name lit up on the screen. “Hi, Granny Kay.”
A gentle voice sounded from the other end and wrapped around Taylor like a blanket. Kay Harrison was the only person who could melt her heart in an instant. She had spent most of her younger years with her father’s mother. Dad’s job required him to travel a lot, and her mother chose to accompany him on most of his trips. Because her parents were away more often than not, she had built a close bond with her grandmother. The love she felt for the older woman was unconditional. She would do anything to please Granny Kay.
Taylor pictured her grandmother sitting in her chair, dressed in her usual attire of khakis and a button-up blouse. Endowed with the same kinky locks as Taylor, she wore her ringlets cut short.
After they exchanged pleasantries, there was an awkward pause. Taylor noted the silence, one of her grandmother’s mannerisms. The hesitation signified she wanted to ask a favor. For as long as Taylor could remember, her grandmother wavered when she was going to request something from someone.
“Taylor, I’m going to sell my house,” the older woman finally proclaimed in a no-nonsense tone.
“You are? Why?”
Granny Kay listed her reasons for shedding the extra burden the big house now caused.
“I see…uh-huh. True…” Listening attentively, Taylor juggled her briefcase and purse as she approached the front door of her condominium. “No, I can’t argue with you there.”
As her grandmother continued to speak, Taylor unlocked the big red door and walked inside. She tossed her black leather purse on the marble table and then laid the case holding her laptop on the granite bar separating her living room from the kitchen.
Strolling into the eating area, Taylor reached in the refrigerator for a bottle of water as she concentrated on the words flowing in the slow, southern draw her grandmother used.
Taylor sipped her water and then waited for her grandmother to exhaust her speech about the trials of the family house.
“But aren’t you staying at your friend’s only temporarily? What if you decide to move back home once the broken hip heals?”
“Hun, you know that since your grandpa died, it’s just me in that big ole place. I’m not the woman I used to be. Age has begun to take its toll. My fall down those stairs proves I need a change. No, the place is much too big for me to live in by myself anymore. I had always planned for you to have it as your home one day. We could live there together. I know we wouldn’t get in each other’s way.”
Taylor set her bottle on the counter and crossed her arm over her chest, rubbing her shoulder. She didn’t want the conversation to veer in this direction. Residing in Raleigh was a decision she’d made long ago. She preferred to be in a modern city and close to work.
Though Taylor spent a lot of years growing up in the family house, it wasn’t what she wanted. No, as much as she loved her grandmother, living with her in a big, creaky Victorian was not an option she cared to entertain.
“Granny Kay, you know I work long hours most of the time. It’s dark before I get home. Liberty Cove is an hour’s drive. I’m afraid I wouldn’t be much help.” Taylor pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, guilt threatening. “I know you always wanted me to have the family house one day. But it’s not my style. The upkeep of a vintage home and the big yard would be too much. I enjoy simple condominium living.”
“I know you do, dear.”
In an attempt to lighten the mood, she changed her tone and added a slight chuckle, “Sometimes I think I use my apartment just to sleep in. With the hours I put in at the office, living here is more convenient.”
There was a momentarily silence before her grandmother cleared her throat. “You work all the time, hun. I wish you would slow down, maybe give some thought to a family.”
Taylor rubbed her mouth, her face twisted in discomfort. Biding time before she answered, she took a sip of water. “A husband isn’t what I want. Not right now. I have my career to think about.”
The clinking sound of ice came through the phone, causing Taylor to picture her grandmother holding a glass of sweetened tea. For as long as she could remember, the woman had been a true southern lady, with a passion for sugared tea. “Well, just don’t become a jetsetter like your parents. I don’t think they’ve stayed at their house more than a few months at a time in the past twenty years. I don’t believe I’ll ever understand the reason your father wanted a career in recruiting. When Jim retired, I figured at least then he would stay in one place.”
Taylor tossed her empty bottle in the recycling bin and strolled into her bedroom. Dropping down on the queen-size bed, she slid off her high heels. Even with her grandmother’s gentle nature, she often rehashed complaints Taylor grew tired of listening to. In fact, she could just about recite what would come out of her grandmother’s mouth next.
As the words rang in her ears, memories surfaced of growing up without her mom and dad close by.
Taylor used to resent her dad working so much. Since growing into an adult, she saw things differently. She now related to her father’s passion for the position he once held with the university.
What bothered her more than her dad’s absence was her mother’s. She chose to accompany her father every time he visited distant schools, leaving Taylor with her grandparents.
Thinking back, she mentally recounted the different states her father represented in his recruiting position. Now it wasn’t work keeping her parents away. It was friends and past connections. Taylor had resigned herself to the facts—they didn’t plan on changing. Traveling was their way of life. She accepted that. Granny didn’t.
“When I get tired of my career, then I’ll consider settling down. If I do have kids one day, I promise I will be there for them.”
Taylor sat on the bed and scrunched her toes in the white carpet while she waited for a response. “Well, enough about my son. Since you’re not moving in with me, I’ve decided to stay here at Louise’s house. We can help each other in our older years. Her quarters are all on one floor, so there are no steps for me to trip on. Since she’s a widow too, there’s plenty of room.”
Taylor smiled to herself, glad the conversation shifted. “I want you to be happy. I’ll support your decision. Do you need me to pack your personal things?”
* * *
Kay Harrison held the phone to her ear and grinned, her heart beating in anticipation and lifting her emotions like a flowing fountain. Of all the possibilities ahead, hopefully she could manage to help her granddaughter see life a little differently.
She rested on a decorative pillow as she sat in a black suede lounger. Kay pressed the lever to the chair and straightened the seat as she filled in her granddaughter on her plans to upgrade and prepare the house for sale. “I need you to send the things I want over here to Louise’s place. There is a lot of furniture and bric-a-brac to be carted off to the homeless shelter or a thrift shop.”
She paused to take a sip of tea.
“Taylor, I also want you to take anything you may want. I’ve spoken with your father. Jim wants the antique bedroom suite in the end room upstairs, as well as the china cabinet and silver tea set. Those items need to be shipped to your dad’s house.”
Fearing how her granddaughter would react, Kay rushed the last words. “I’ll also need you to supervise the renovations if I’m going to put my home on the market. I want it to be perfect.”
“Uh-huh…sure…” Taylor mumbled, then she snapped to attention. “Wait, what? Supervise? Granny Kay, I will pack your things and clear out the house, but I don’t see any reason I need to oversee the renovations. Why not just list your place for sale as it is? Let the new owners do the work. Some folks love a fixer-up.”
Disappointed, Kay placed her tumbler on the glass side table. She adored her granddaughter with all her heart and prayed each day Taylor would realize other things in life were more important than work. Kay’s one desire was for her granddaughter to find true happiness—the kind that included fun and other things that existed outside of a job. She also petitioned Jesus each day, asking for Taylor’s heart to desire a closer relationship with the Lord. “I wish matters could be handled so easily. I’m afraid my moving out of the home is a bit more complicated.” Kay fidgeted with her tumbler. “I can’t discuss the situation over the telephone. You need to hear everything in person. Come over Sunday, and we’ll have lunch. I will explain things then.”

Order Now!

<< Go Back