"Ah. My father simply had visions. He wasn't mad or deranged. He had the gift of seeing things before they happened. Of course in that time, you were labeled crazy and locked away. These days, those types of people get a business license, a 1-800 number and make a boatload of cash. But he was punished for his gift. In the most terrible ways."
A bumping noise from the next room made Will flinch. He still looked spooked, but had become interested enough to shed the ready to run look he'd had earlier.
A shaggy black dog ran into the room, nudging David's leg and then studying the guests intently.
"Ah, my companion." David's eyes lit up and he reached down to pet the dog. "Say hello to our guests." The dog let out a yelp and Will smiled.
"How old is he?"
"Not sure. He's been around forever. He just showed up one day after my father died and he chose to stay here ever since. We keep each other company in our old age."
"You never married?" Katie asked.
"No, never did. No children, either."
"May I ask why not?" He seemed like a kind, intelligent man, and based on his pictures when he was younger, one handsome devil. Surely women must have noticed him.
A dark shadow crossed his face.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry," Katie said.
"I never married because I am a believer in curses, Mrs. Johnson. And my family line is cursed. I don't know if it started with my grandmother and her first husband, or even before that. But whatever has afflicted my family, it ends with me."
"I don't understand," Katie said.
"I inherited my father's gift of sight. Only it doesn't come in trance like states with visions that need to be deciphered. His did, you see. I have a greater grasp of control. I can choose what to see and where to see it."
Will moved back to the edge of the couch.
"You mean future or past?" Katie asked.
"Yes."
"Amazing," she whispered. "You know, I always believed people had these gifts. But I've never met anyone with them."
She looked up suddenly, "Do you ever tell fortunes?"
He laughed. "No, my dear. Though I suppose I could make more money doing that than writing books."
"But if you were asked to, for instance…" She shifted in her seat with excitement. "If I were to ask you about something in my future, would you be able to tell me—"
"No, Katie," Will said. He looked at her sharply. "No."
She raised one eyebrow at him, shocked at his tone.
"I wouldn't anyway," David said. "No good has ever come out of it."
Something dark hung in the air between them and Katie decided to drop the subject.
"There is one other thing," David said. "I don't know if you'd be interested in reading it when it's finished, though."
"I'm sure I'd love to."
"I received a box of things from the hospital when my mother died. In it was a long transcription of her therapy sessions. The doctor was able to hypnotize her so she could speak freely and the others stayed in the background. It is a detailed recount of when and exactly how her mind split into three different personalities."
Katie's eyes were wide. "Are you going to publish it?"
"No, I've given permission for her doctor to publish it though, in the name of science. Jot down your address and I'll mail you a copy when it comes out."
"I'd love that, thank you."
She took the pad of paper he held out. "I really appreciate you taking the time to talk to us today."
"It's been nice having visitors. I rarely have them anymore."
Katie's heart went out to him. "If you'd like we could come back next month."
His smile didn't reach his eyes. "I won't be here next month, my dear."
They locked eyes and she understood his meaning. Her face softened. "It must be hard, knowing ahead of time."
"It is…a curse," he whispered.
Will drove away as fast as he could without leaving rubber marks on the road.
"Well, I think I've had my quota of weird for the year."
"You big chicken." Katie grinned. It quickly faded as she watched the house in the mirror disappear into the distance. "How sad, though. Sitting there all alone, knowing exactly when you are going to die."
"Suddenly you're a believer?" he asked, beckoning for her to come closer. She scooted over to the middle seat.
"I still don't believe in ghosts."
"But you do believe in fortune tellers?" He draped his arm over her shoulder.
"Yes. Say, why were you so insistent that he not tell me anything from my future? I was just going to ask him about the business."
"I don't know, Katie." He sighed heavily and let go of the steering wheel to run a hand through his hair. "There was something about it that just bothered me. I mean, what if he told you something bad, you'd be sitting here with that knowledge and helpless to do anything about it."
"Which is exactly what he is doing right now."
"And what if he told you something really good and ruined something special. I think life should be full of surprises," he said with a wink.
Katie was content to read while Will cooked dinner. Angus burgers and roasted corn on the cob was what he served and only the growling of her stomach could tear her away from the book.
"Did you bring something to drink?"
He smiled holding up a bottle of wine. "Of course." He jogged over to his truck and brought out two wine glasses wrapped in linen from the glove box.
"Waterford crystal and a thirty year old rust bucket," Katie said, smiling. "You are so confusing, Will Anderson."
"What's confusing? I love my simple life but I have my priorities and indulgences." His eyes inadvertently traveled over her as he sipped. She blushed and looked down.
"I hope you found out what you needed to today."
"I did, thank you for bringing me. I wish Samantha Emery had her happily ever after, but it doesn't look like she did."
"What about Elizabeth and Simon? They were happily ever after…sort of." His face scrunched up.
"I suppose. Poor girl. Could you imagine what life was like for her before Simon? Living with multiple personalities?"
"It's getting dark, let's not talk about it."
The crickets and owls had begun singing for the night. Joining them was the lonesome cry of a wolf in the distance.
Katie grinned. "Supposed to be a full moon tonight," she teased. "You don't believe in werewolves, too, do you?" He shook his head. "But you brought your gun anyway, didn't you."
"Of course," he said. "But I always bring it when I'm camping."
"This is really good," she said, taking a bite of the burger and easing up on the teasing for the moment.
"Thank you. I make great pancakes, too."
"I look forward to them." She caught his eyes, sultry and suggesting, and a hint of question. She’d let him keep wondering a while longer.
Later, beneath the stars, Katie sat against Will's chest. Looking beyond the fire at the darkness of the forest she felt more relaxed than she ever had. With Will's arm wrapped around her shoulders, the soft blanket covering their laps and a wine glass close by, she reached up and put her hand on the side of Will's face.
"What are you thinking about?"
"You." He kissed her palm.
She smiled. "What about me?"
"I'm thinking about the fact that I love everything about you. And I'm hoping that I'm enough for you."
"Enough for me? Will, I've never been so happy in all my life."
"Then, if I ask you something do you promise not to get up and run away?"
"Into the dark woods? Doubtful. I'd wait till morning," she teased. Twisting her head around to look at him, she saw he was serious. "I promise not to run away." He hesitated and she pushed her fingers deeper into his hair, encouraging him to look at her. "There is nothing you could say to me that would make me run away. I promise. I love you, remember?"
A smile broke out across h
is lips. "I remember. But sometimes, things change…we've both experienced that."
"I will love you forever, no matter what." She kissed him gently on the lips. "I promise."
His eyes flickered from her eyes to her lips and he looked tempted to lean in for more. Katie turned around and snuggled up against him again.
After a deep breath of resolve, he asked, "What do you think about you and Jacob moving in with me?"
Crickets in the distance filled the air around them.
"I think…we could talk about it," she said slowly. It wasn't that she didn't want to, necessarily. She wasn't sure exactly what made her pause.
"You think we're moving too fast."
"Possibly." Though it wasn't quite that.
"What else, then?"
Now was as good a time as any, she supposed. She turned around in his arms. "It just seems like there is something about you that I don't understand. You're like a little mystery. I know you, but then there are parts of you that you keep secret and hidden."
"It's true, I'm a private person. But I'll tell you anything you want to know. You just have to ask."
"You said you were engaged once before. Why did you call it off?"
"Because I couldn't be myself with her. I can with you."
"How couldn't you be yourself?"
"She was in it for selfish reasons. In high school I had a huge crush on her and she never gave me the time of day. When my father died and I got the farm, she tried to…cash in, I guess you'd say. First she shows up giving her condolences, then she finds reasons to come over and next thing you know, we're dating and she's pressuring me to put a ring on her finger and trying to redecorate. I was going along with it until I overheard her talking to one of her friends on the phone. She didn't care a fig for me. She wanted the inheritance."
"And that's when you left?"
He nodded. "Sold the farm and took off."
"Your sister didn't want it?"
"No, she was starting her own business. I split the profits with her and we went on about our lives."
"How did you end it with whatever-her-name-was?"
"Here's where you think I'm a heel. I just disappeared one day. Loaded my bags and my dog in my truck and started driving until I happened across Cedar Hollow."
"And you liked it enough to stay?"
"I thought it might have what I was looking for."
"And what was that?"
"You," he said softly. She felt flushed as she smiled, aware of every inch of him behind her. His solid chest rose and fell quietly. His breath was soft in her ear and his thighs, which she dropped one hand down to touch, cradled her possessively. "I'd ask you for more, if I thought you were ready to say yes."
Chapter 31
Surprisingly, the thought of marriage didn't frighten her. If and when Will did ask her, she knew she would say yes, the same as she knew to breathe. Regardless of how fast things were moving, he felt right…made for her. For the first time in her life, she looked forward to her future.
"I need some time to think about moving in with you," she said. "But I will think about it."
He nodded and kissed her neck. "Take whatever time you need."
The fire was beginning to dim and he shifted, reaching for a log to add to it. She stopped him, laying a hand on his arm.
"Let it go out," she said and slid her hand up his arm to his shoulder. She turned her head and kissed him. His lips were soft and tasted of sweet wine. Turning in his arms, she sat sideways in his lap. Feeling the heat of his hand traveling over her thigh, to her waist and nimbly slipping under her shirt to rest on the soft skin of her back, she shivered.
"Cold?" he asked, breaking the kiss briefly.
"No, not at all." She smiled, playing with the buttons of his shirt. Once it was opened, there was no going back—for her anyway—and she made her final decision.
She tortured him, she worked so slowly and after pushing his shirt back over his shoulders, unwrapping him like a present, she planted a kiss in the center of his chest, working her way up to his neck.
He groaned and his fingers dug into her hip. When she reached his mouth she teased him with her tongue, while working much faster to unfasten her own blouse. When the fabric fell back against his hands, he broke the kiss.
"Katie—" His voice was low and husky. "If we're going to stop at all, it has to be now."
"No," she said, shaking her head slowly. "There's no stopping," she said with a seductive grin. He kissed her urgently, pressing into her until she leaned far back and finally lay on the soft earth near the fire. His hands and mouth were everywhere; kissing every newly exposed part of her. A heavy knot grew in the pit of her stomach and her heart beat light and fast. She was aware of everything and nothing and felt as if the forest was spinning above her. His hands left scorched paths along her thighs and every touch of his tongue was like lightning. Just when she thought she couldn't stand another moment, he moved over her, pausing and becoming very still. She opened her eyes.
"Go slowly, it's been awhile," she whispered.
He laughed, low and desperate, stroking her hair. "Katie, that's like telling a man to leisurely dive off a cliff."
With one graceful move, all coherent thought was driven from her mind and she gripped his shoulders, trembling.
She felt his absence before she opened her eyes. With the first light of dawn she peeked out and saw a good fire with a coffee pot keeping warm, hanging from a tripod. She slipped on jeans, a sweater and her shoes, poured a cup of coffee and sipped it. She spotted Will then, sitting on the bank of the river with a fishing pole between his knees. A memory of her father rose up; he loved to fish. She hadn't thought of him in so long she should have felt guilty, but she didn't. If he were alive, he'd approve of Will, she was sure. Smiling, she poured a second cup and tiptoed through the wet grass to him.
"You're up early," she said, navigating her way down and sitting next to him.
"Best time to fish," he said and wrapped an arm around her, drawing her close. "Did you sleep okay?"
"Like a rock," she said, grinning.
"Me, too."
"What are we doing today?"
"I thought we'd go hiking. There's a lake a couple miles away. I thought we'd go swimming."
"Sounds like fun."
"Then, we'll come back here, I'll make you a nice dinner and then we should probably turn in early…catch up on our sleep." He turned to her with a teasing wink.
"I guess we didn't get much last night, did we." She blushed and looked down, taking a sip of coffee.
"I'll lose sleep for you any night," he said, not at all teasing. "I know it might be awkward to ask, but…we're you…you know, satisfied?"
She sputtered into her cup of coffee and looked at him incredulously. "You have to ask?"
"Well…" He shrugged his shoulders sheepishly. "Guys need a little reassurance, too. Just that I was doing everything right."
"After the third, ah hem…you know, you think you'd know you were doing it right."
His eyebrows went up with a cocky smirk. "Three?"
She pursed her lips to suppress a smile. "Three."
"I didn't know that was possible."
Katie's eyes bulged. "Me neither."
"Well, I'm glad I lived up to your expectations." He kissed her briefly.
"That and then some, Sir."
His fishing pole wriggled and the line pulled taut.
"Looks like you got something there."
"Yep, dinner." He smiled.
After hiking for two hours, Katie was more than ready to take a break. Her back and feet ached but all that disappeared when she caught sight of the lake, nestled between two foothills and appearing to have never been touched by humans.
"It's so beautiful!"
"I've been here a couple times before. I really wanted to bring you." He dropped his back pack and peeled off his shirt. Her eyes moved from the lake, magnetically drawn to his chest. "C'mon, don't you want to swim?"
Chapter 32
Katie didn't wait for Will to open her door. As soon as they pulled up to her mother's house, she jumped out and fairly jogged to the front door. Vicky opened it with Jacob on her hip; both were grinning.
"Oh, sweetheart, I missed you!" She scooped him out of Vicky's arms and hugged him tight. Jacob gurgled and cooed and pulled at her hair. "Did you miss me, too?" Katie laughed when he gave her a slobbery open mouthed kiss on the cheek.
"I guess so," she giggled.
"I told you everything would be fine," Vicky said. "We had a lot of fun while you were gone."
Will stepped up onto the porch holding Katie's bags. "Where do you want these?"
"Oh, thank you, Will. The living room is fine. Come in. Can you stay for a cup of coffee?"
"Sure, that'd be nice."
He set the bags in next to the couch and then turned toward Katie and Jacob, joining them at the table. He sipped his heavily sugared coffee while Katie filled her mother in on visiting with David, getting her up to speed on her research.
The phone rang and Vicky jumped up like a teenage girl waiting for a boy to call. She spoke in hushed tones and her smile told Katie it had to be the Judge.
"I have a surprise for you," Will said, taking her hand across the table. "I knew you wanted to get home to see Jacob first, but I'd like to show you something."
"A surprise?"
He nodded, his eyes gleaming. "But you have to promise not to be mad."
Her smile dropped. "Why would I be mad? What did you do?"
"Just get Jacob's car seat and I'll show you."
Jacob rattled his toy keys as they drove down the narrow two lane road. Katie looked over at Will several times, opened her mouth with question, just to have him hold up his hand and say, "No, I'm not telling you. You'll just have to wait and see."
She crossed her arms, loving and hating the suspense. She was surprised when he pulled into her driveway and even more surprised when she saw a few trucks parked in her yard.
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