Calum

by Diane Darcy

  As was the woman at his side.

  He remembered his feelings of desolation when he left Scotland all those months ago, realizing that there was nothing there for him.

  And now, this girl had changed that, had changed everything, bringing him back to life far more than when he’d come to himself upon the moor. The sun had long since set, and he looked up at the sky to see stars, which he recognized, but which seemed slightly out of place.

  And only emphasized his new location in the world. His new situation.

  His completely new life.

  Where there had been none at all before.

  Impulsively, he stopped to gaze down at Mandy, wanting to tell her, to explain how much had changed for him.

  “What is it?” She gazed up at him, her features barely visible in the darkness.

  His desire to tell her everything transformed into a new type of need. “Mandy.”

  She bit her lip and it was his undoing.

  He bent his head to capture her lips with his own. One arm coming around her back to pull her close, the other, wrapping around her shoulders in a gentle, yet firm cage.

  Her stomach hard and round between them, was a reminder of the future that lay in front of them.

  Her mouth was warm and soft beneath his, but there was nothing tentative about her reaction. Her own arms crept up around his neck and held him close, as her mouth moved with his.

  His thoughts fled as they stood holding each other close. This was not something that he’d experienced in life, or in death, but he’d wondered about often.

  When she groaned against his mouth, the sound inflamed him and he responded in kind, the sound she drew from him unfamiliar enough that he ended the kiss, lifting his head to study her face.

  She looked as surprised as he felt.

  “Mandy …” He wasn’t sure what he wanted to say, or how to express his feelings. He lifted a hand to cup her face, running his thumb across her lips once, twice, and when she pressed her face more firmly into his hand, he caught his breath. “Mandy, if you knew —”

  The light flashed over the two of them, a car turning onto their long drive, and speeding along a little too fast, before pulling to a stop beside Mandy’s car.

  “Something is wrong,” Mandy said.

  Calum released her and took the lead back down the path toward the house.

  Joe jumped out of the car and headed for the side door when Calum called out to him. “Joe? What’s happened?”

  Joe stopped in his tracks and headed toward the two of them. “Mandy, it’s your grandfather. They think he’s had a heart attack.”

  Mandy gasped, her hand flying to her chest. “But we just saw him, he was fine.”

  Joe nodded. “He was at the bar when Peter called. I’m sorry, that’s all I know.”

  Mandy was already headed toward her car, her hand shaking as she reached for the handle.

  “I’ll drive,” Calum said firmly.

  Her face gone slack, she looked up at him and gave a quick nod. He escorted her around to the passenger side of the car and helped her inside.

  Before he could close the door, she held it open to call out, “Joe? He’s alive, isn’t he?”

  Joe took a breath, and then let it out. “I’m sorry, I told you all I know.”

  Calum rounded the car and got inside and Mandy was digging in her purse for her phone when he started the car.

  “Pete? What’s happening?”

  Calum could hear Pete’s clipped voice, but couldn’t tell what he was saying.

  “All right, we’ll head straight to the hospital.”

  She hung up and turned to look at Calum, her wide eyes filled with tears. “They’ve life-flighted him to Evanston.”

  “How do I get there?”

  “Just keep following this road.”

  Mandy felt she was in a dream, living someone else’s life.

  She couldn’t lose her grandfather; he was all she had.

  She glanced at Calum, and the realization that she had a husband, and that she wasn’t exactly alone, was as surreal as the situation.

  At some point she became aware that he was driving very competently, and was grateful for that fact.

  The last thing they needed was to get in an accident on their way to be with her grandfather.

  “Do you think he’s going to be okay?” she asked, and even her voice seemed detached, unreal, even as she asked the unanswerable question.

  Calum squeezing her hand made her realize he was holding it. “We’ll see when we get there, lass.”

  A part of her wanted to jerk her hand away as he hadn’t given her the answer she wanted, but another part was grateful. He wasn’t sugarcoating it, wasn’t making promises he couldn’t keep, and therefore seemed even more reliable.

  “Thank you, Calum, for being here with me.”

  “Always, lass.”

  It took him about thirty minutes to arrive at the hospital in Evanston, only to find out that her grandfather had been life-flighted to Salt Lake City.

  They were back in the car within ten minutes, headed back down the road.

  “Life-flighted?” Calum asked once they were on their way.

  “It means they flew him by helicopter to another hospital. It means something is seriously wrong.” The numbness that had encased her finally broke and she started to cry.

  He took her hand, which she held with both of hers, clasping tightly. She only let it go when she had to reach into the glove box to get some napkins to dab at her face.

  “I’m sure he’s going to be fine. He’s got to be, doesn’t he? He has a lot to live for: his friends, family, and a new grandson on the way.”

  Calum didn’t comment, or try to convince her, and once again she appreciated his restraint.

  “I can remember right after my parents died, how he used to come and sit beside me on the couch, and tell me stories about my father growing up on the farm.”

  She shot a glance at Calum. “I was only eight years old, and I missed my parents so much I thought I wanted to die too. But he was always funny, even back then, and he could always tell a story. He never pushed me to talk, you know? He’d just tell me silly stories about my dad, or about how my parents met, or about when I was little, or about people at the bar. It helped so much, you know?”

  Calum nodded. “Aye, lass. He’s a good man. I knew it the moment I met him.”

  “He was good with my grandma, too, you know? She was kind of strict, but he’d make her laugh, like it was his mission in life. Sometimes, she’d hold out, and I could see that she was amused, but he’d just keep going until he got her to crack up.”

  She stared at the lit-up road, and beyond into the darkness. “He was so broken up when she died. I could tell he wanted to die too, so I came back home. He didn’t want me to, felt like I needed to be out living my life, but what’s more important than family?”

  She made a scoffing noise. “It wasn’t like I had much of a life anyway. This was after I had broken up with Noah. Or rather, I should say he broke up with me. I found out he was dating another girl, and confronted him, and that was that.”

  “So, he was a worm, was he?” his tone was sour.

  Mandy was startled by the question. He’d been so quiet, letting her ramble on and on. When she realized what he’d said, it made her smile. “Yes, that is a wonderful description. He was only attractive on the outside. Pure worm on the inside.”

  Calum’s hand tensed within her own, and she realized that she’d just told her husband she found another man attractive.

  She was losing it.

  “Though, I have to admit, in retrospect, he wasn’t actually as good-looking as I thought he was. Nowhere near as attractive as you are.”

  Calum chuckled. “Ye’ve no need tae flatter me. I’m well aware I’m not the bonniest of lads.” He shot her a quick glance. “But I’m strong, true, and loyal tae the bone.”

  She sat in her seat, gaping at him for a moment, trying to d
ecide if he was telling the truth or not. “Whatever,” she finally said. “You’re only the most attractive man I’ve ever met in my entire life. But I’ll gladly latch onto those other qualities of yours as well. I’ve never had a boyfriend who is true and loyal, or had anything coming close to good character. So even if you lost your good looks, you’re not getting rid of me.”

  Now it was his turn to gape at her for a moment before he quickly looked back at the road. He finally shook his head. “I’m starting tae doubt the strength of yer vision, but I’ve no complaints about it, mind ye.”

  She was smiling, shaking her head, and very glad for the change in subject.

  Worry for her grandfather wasn’t going away, but to have Calum here by her side, pulling her away from her dire thoughts was exactly what she needed.

  “Now you’re just fishing for compliments. I wasn’t going to tell you this, but you caught me in a weak moment. When I first met you, I thought you were the father of my child,” she said in a rush.

  “What?”

  “I mean,” she was breathless, regretting saying anything. “They showed me a picture of the father. And when I saw you, I thought you were him. I chose him because I thought he was so good looking. I wanted to pass those genes onto my baby.”

  He quickly glanced at her stomach, and then back at the road, the steering wheel wobbling the slightest bit, causing them to swerve before he got them back on track again.

  “The babe is mine?” he asked.

  She swallowed, her mind quickly running back through their conversation, before the absurd thought that she might have to teach him about the birds and the bees popped into her head.

  She opened her mouth to deny paternity, and then finally just shrugged. For all intents and purposes, he was the father of this child now. If he wanted to make that sort of leap in logic, why not let him? “Yes.”

  They drove down the road in silence for a long while, passing the occasional car, but staying within the speed limit.

  “I’ve told ye my grandfather raised me?”

  “You did.”

  “He was an upright, moral man, so it was hard for him to have a daughter such as my mother.”

  She didn’t say anything, just waited for him to continue.

  “He felt he hadn’t taught her well, that the lessons might have taken had he been stricter, so with me, he didnae wish tae make that mistake. I knew he loved me, but he was stern, and perhaps whipped me more than was called for, and I eventually stopped trying to please him.”

  She was shocked by the statement. “I’m so sorry.”

  “It was a long time ago.”

  “How old were you When you started your military service?”

  “I was but ten and seven.”

  “Seventeen? That’s awfully young.”

  “There were younger still. The Jacobites needed an army, and they didn’t much care where it came from.”

  “That must’ve been difficult.”

  “I was but a skinny lad when I joined, and did most of my growing into a man while I was there.”

  “I can’t believe they still force people into the Army. That sounds medieval. Scotland sounds a lot different than I’d imagined it.”

  He looked at her, like he wanted to say something, and then changed his mind.

  “It looks like you’re a pretty good driver.”

  “Thank ye. I seem tae have taken tae it quite well.”

  “Are you going to tell my grandfather that I let you drive?”

  He seemed to think about it for a minute, and then smiled. “Perhaps we can keep that bit of information tae ourselves.”

  After a long while, in which she held his hand tight, she finally said, “Thank you.”

  “Aye? What are ye thinking me for?”

  “For being here, distracting me, marrying me, I don’t know, for everything. I haven’t known you for very long, but in some ways, it feels like I’ve known you forever.”

  He glanced at her again, something fierce in his gaze before he looked away. “I’m now yer husband, lass. And ye’re my wife. For every day I’m on this earth, I shall be at yer side and have yer best interests at heart.”

  She squeezed his hand tight, wishing she could throw herself at him and hug him close.

  How could someone that she’d known for such a short time have come to mean so much to her?

  As they drove down the canyon, and finally into the Salt Lake Valley, something cemented between the two of them.

  She wouldn’t call it love, at least not to him so soon, but that was what she felt.

  Love, connection, eternity. The feeling so strong that while she was praying for her grandfather’s life, she included her thanks to the Almighty for sending her this man.

  If someone was watching out for her to this extent, perhaps a bit more luck could be spared for her grandfather.

  Chapter 16

  With Mandy navigating, they finally rushed to the hospital, ran inside, and were ushered into a waiting room on the third floor.

  A nurse came out to talk to them. “Your grandfather’s had a heart attack. He’s with the doctors now. When I have any new information, I’ll come out and talk to you.”

  “Is he going to be all right?” Mandy asked.

  “I told you all that I can for now,” her words were sympathetic enough, but didn’t inspire confidence.

  “Can we go back and be with him?”

  The nurse was already shaking her head. “I’m sorry, that’s not possible. As I said, if you’ll wait here, I’ll let you know as soon as I have any news.”

  Mandy paced over to the dark windows to look outside at the lights, small area of grass, and the parking lot below.

  Calum came up to stand behind her placing his hands on her shoulders.

  Her vision shifted to the two of them reflected in the glass and she placed her hand over one of his. “I’m glad you’re here.”

  A woman came out and offered them drinks, which they accepted, and it wasn’t long until Pete, Frank, and their wives arrived. “Any news?” Pete asked.

  “Nothing yet.”

  They all took turns pacing, chatting, getting drinks, and going to the restroom.

  Mandy was once again seated in one of the barely cushioned chairs when Calum straightened from his position against the wall and said, “Red! What are ye doin’ here, man?”

  All eyes in the room turned to look at him, only to see him staring at the doors the nurse had come through earlier.

  “Calum?” Mandy asked, her voice hesitant.

  Red gave Calum a jaunty smile. “Good to see everyone is here waiting on me. I’d hate to think I was alone at the end.”

  Calum’s heart sank. He’d been a ghost for almost three hundred years, so there was no way he’d mistake Red for anything else at this moment.

  “Ye didnae make it then?”

  Red waved a hand in the air “I think those doctors are still giving it a shot, so we’ll see, won’t we? In the meantime, I thought I’d just take a peek out here and see how everyone’s doing.”

  Calum looked behind him to see Mandy looking at him with concern.

  “Everyone is fine, they simply have been worried about ye.”

  Red waved at Mandy and his friends. “They flew me out here in a helicopter, can you believe that? I haven’t been in one of those things since Vietnam.”

  Calum did a slow sweep of the room, saw the blank looks on everyone’s face as they stared directly at him, and then turned back to Red.

  “I doonae think they see ye. Tis just me.”

  Red moved around the room, waving his hands in front of his friend’s faces. “Pete? Frank? Connie? Barbara?” He turned back to look at Calum his grin widening. “This is amazing! You’re the only one that can see me! Why can you see me?”

  Red was looking at him expectantly, but the others in the room were looking at him with worry, and he considered not answering.

  “Well, speak up? What’s so special about
you that you can see me?”

  As Calum hesitated, Red patted his chest on down to his thighs. “Oh, good Lord, this means I’m dead, doesn’t it?” Red looked around the room, and then back at Calum. “Where’s my white light? Where’s my wife?”

  Calum did not know how to answer.

  “Is this because we’re Scottish?” Red asked, sudden wonder in his tone. “I knew it! I knew my Scot’s blood had to count for something. What are we, brownies, or selkies, or changelings or something? We’re banshees, aren’t we? My gosh, that would explain a lot!”

  Calum had no idea what he was talking about. “Ye’re a ghost, man.”

  Red seemed to mull that over, before finally looking to be pleased with the information. He looked at his two friends. “A ghost. I always told them I’d haunt them if I went first.”

  “I doonae believe it works that way,” Calum said, more aware than ever of the looks he was receiving.

  “Calum, honey, are you all right?”

  The first endearment that she’d used for him caught him by surprise and he felt a flutter of pleasure run through him. “I’m fine, lass,” he’d promised her honesty, and decided that he’d better start as he meant to go on. “’Tis just that yer grandfather is here, asking questions and such.”

  Mandy’s hand flew to her chest, and he realized that perhaps he ought to have softened his honesty with a bit of tact.

  “That is to say, his ghost is here, and he’s a bit startled by that fact.”

  “I’m not startled, just a bit confused is all.”

  He moved forward and tried to knock Frank’s hat off his head, to no avail, and he glanced over at Calum.

  “I’m sorry, it doesnae work that way.”

  “And how would you know?” Next, he tried to knock Pete’s magazine out of his hand, to no better effect.

  “What’s the fun in this?” He sounded grumpy all of the sudden, and Calum remembered his first time waking up as a ghost, the confusion before the acceptance.

  Mandy’s eyes were filling with tears. “You’re saying my grandfather’s gone?”

  “Aye, lass,” he hated to be the one to offer the bad news. “His ghost is still here, but it looks as if he might’ve passed on.”