Dreamer (The Seeker Series Book 2)

by Amy Reece

  “Ooh, that sounds like an offer I can’t refuse,” I said as I pushed away from the doorway and sauntered across his bedroom to where he was standing. I stood in front of him, running my fingers up his chest naughtily. “Well? What have you got?”

  He captured my wandering hands and held them against his chest. “Let’s see,” he said, nipping my chin lightly. “I might have a little something here somewhere,” he continued along my jaw all the way to my earlobe, taking it gently between his teeth, then soothing it with his tongue.

  I groaned and he laughed, continuing his path toward my lips. “This boyfriend of yours sounds like a real tool. Why don’t you let me take his place?” He kissed each side of my mouth.

  “Okay. I like the way you kiss. I guess I’ll go out with you.” I turned fully into his kiss, opening my mouth under his. Not that I have a whole lot of previous experience to draw on, but Jack was an amazing kisser.

  “I’d say ‘get a room’, but you already have,” Mat drawled from the open doorway. “Jesus, you two. Don’t you have any sense of propriety? I was sent to find you. Mom will shit kittens if she finds you up here making out.”

  We broke apart and Jack leaned his forehead against mine, panting slightly. “Get lost, Mat. I’m kissing my girlfriend.”

  Mat laughed. “Yeah, I can see that. Fine, I’ll go, but I’m leaving this door open, kids. You two better be back downstairs in no more than five minutes. I assume it would take even you slightly more than five minutes to do anything really interesting, Jack.”

  “You stupid f—” Jack began, but I grabbed his face and pulled him back in for more kissing.

  “Let’s not waste our five minutes on him,” I said against his lips. I could hear Mat laughing all the way down the hall.

  ***

  Mrs. Hayes had finally scheduled a long-delayed funeral for Ashley. She had wanted to wait until Ashley’s remains were released to her, so we gathered on a bright, sunny Tuesday morning, a few days after graduation, to commit Ashley Hayes to the earth. It seemed disrespectful to bury her on such a beautiful day, but spring in Albuquerque rarely produced dismal, rainy weather, which would have better suited the occasion. Mrs. Hayes had opted for a simple graveside service rather than a church funeral and Jack and I stood together at the grave, solemn, but glad Ashley finally had justice. Brian stood next to us, looking grim. Mr. and Mrs. Graves were there, as well as Scott and his wife. He had tears running down his face as he held Anna close to his side. It was beautiful to see how he expressed his love for one woman while mourning another. I wasn’t sure I fully understood it, but I knew I was glimpsing true love at its deepest level.

  “Almighty God,” intoned the minister. “Into your hands we commend your daughter, Ashley Hayes and her child, in sure and certain hope of resurrection to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”

  “Amen,” we all echoed.

  “These bodies we commit to the elements,” he continued, “earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord. Yes, they will rest from their labors for their deeds follow them.”

  We lingered after the service to speak to Mrs. Hayes. I hoped to be able to speak privately to Scott, as well. He might think I was crazy for what I wanted to tell him, but it was a chance I was willing to take.

  “Oh, my dear,” Mrs. Hayes pulled me into a tight, perfumed hug. “I can’t ever begin to tell you how much it means to me to finally know what happened to her. Thank you so much.” She was crying, but then so was I.

  “It’s okay, Mrs. Hayes. I did it for Ashley. She deserved to be at rest. I’m glad I could help.” I hugged her again before she walked away to talk with Mrs. Graves.

  Jack pulled me into his arms and whispered against my hair, “Are you all right? Let me get you out of here.”

  I wiped my eyes and looked up at him, smiling weakly. “I’m okay. I really want to talk to Scott Alder, okay?”

  He looked at me, trying to judge whether or not I was up for it. “Fine, come on.” He took me by the hand over to where Scott and his wife were standing.

  “Ally,” Scott said. “Thanks for everything. The detective told me you believed in me the whole time, especially when he didn’t.”

  “I knew it wasn’t you, Scott. Um, is there any way we could talk privately for a minute? Please?” He looked at his wife and they seemed to have a silent conversation for a few seconds before he gently released her hand and led me a few feet away.

  “What is it?” he asked.

  “Scott, you might think I’m crazy for what I’m about to tell you, but I feel like you should know.” I took a deep breath. “I’m, well, I’m sort of psychic.” I winced as I saw the disbelief on his face. I pressed on. “You don’t have to believe me, but Ashley got in contact with me; that’s how I got involved in the investigation. I won’t bore you with all the details, but I saw her while I was unconscious in David Moore’s house. She appeared to me and helped me escape. She wanted you to know how happy she is for you, you know, with Anna and all. She’s really glad you finally found someone to love.” He was staring at me with wide eyes. “And you guys had a daughter. She’s with Ashley now. Ashley said she’s beautiful,” I ended on a hushed whisper as I saw tears slip down Scott’s cheeks. “That’s all.” I turned and walked back to Jack.

  ***

  We sat on my couch a little while later, holding each other, both of us thinking about how Ashley’s story had ended. “Jack, did you see how much Scott loved her? And yet he really loves Anna too. I’m so glad he found someone else to love.”

  “Yeah. Jesus, Ally, I don’t know what I’d do if you were taken from me. I don’t know how he managed to survive. I don’t think I would.” I could feel him swallow hard.

  I turned in his arms to take his face in my hands. “That is about the most amazing thing you could ever say to me, you know.” I rested my head against his chest and breathed in his essence.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  “Is this the promised end?”

  –Shakespeare –King Lear (5.3.265)

  The weekend after school let out for the summer was set for Mom and Brian’s wedding. I had hosted a bridal shower at our house two weeks ago, which turned out really well. Most of the guests were teachers from Mom’s school, and Tara and Grams had helped me put the whole thing together, finding those silly games always played at showers. Although I wasn’t too keen on all the wedding fuss, I wanted Mom to have the full-on wedding experience including bridal shower and bachelorette party. She was the greatest mom ever and I wanted her to have every single one of her dreams.

  We had one minor setback at the final dress fitting. Although Mom had picked a dress she thought would have plenty of room to allow for the pregnancy, and she had bought it a size bigger than she normally wore, her boobs didn’t cooperate. They just kept getting bigger. Mom stood there on the raised dais in the bridal boutique, crying hysterically because the dress was way too tight across the bust. It looked fine everywhere else since her baby bump was really quite small and confined to the front of her body.

  “Jen, it’s all right, darling,” Grams said. “We’ll figure something out. Ally, where is the seamstress?” She directed this last question to me, somewhat urgently.

  “I’ll find her, Grams.” I was glad to escape. I found her in the back of the dress shop, gathering her materials for the final fitting. “Maria, we need some help out there.” We both hurried out to find Mom sitting on the edge of the dais with her head in her hands, sobbing.

  “I’m too fat! I can’t wear this dress! I’m going to look terrible next Saturday! The wedding is off! I have to tell Brian the wedding is off, that’s all.” Maria tsked, ordered her to stand up, and examined the bodice of the gorgeous wedding dress. She clucked her tongue and told us she would go and get her mother, the only one she knew who could handle something like this. Long story short: Maria’s mother, an ancient woman who spoke absolutely no English, was a fabric miracle worker. She mana
ged to add extra panels to the front bodice of Mom’s dress, which didn’t take away from the beauty in any way. Mom’s newly enlarged breasts fit in perfectly and the finished product was stunning. She looked absolutely beautiful and I knew Brian would be bowled over. Crisis averted.

  Brian hosted the rehearsal dinner at Yanni’s, a local Greek restaurant. It was fun and very classy. Jack and I were the youngest there, but we had a great time anyway. I loved how comfortable he was with my family, able to enjoy himself and make sure I had a good time, as well. We all enjoyed meeting Brian’s parents and six brothers, a few of whom lived in Albuquerque. Yikes! I hoped Mom knew what she was getting into by marrying into such a fertile family. It seemed quite likely I would have more siblings down the road; Mom was only 36, after all.

  The wedding day dawned bright and clear. The three of us girls spent the morning at the Mark Pardo salon, getting our hair done as well as facials and a mani/pedi apiece. It was fun and I could hardly wait until Jack saw me, primped and polished, with an elegant updo and wearing the great bridesmaid dress Mom had found for me. I know: nobody ever really likes the bridesmaid dress, but this one was different. I’m not saying I had deluded myself into believing I could ever wear it again, but I still felt great in it today. Jack would not see me until I was walking down the aisle, and I well knew how much he appreciated a sexy dress.

  The wedding was set for four o’clock, but we arrived at the winery by two. It was a wonderful venue, with beautiful grounds I imagined Jack and I getting lost in later in the evening. I helped Mom get ready, making sure her dress hung perfectly. “You look absolutely stunning, Mom. Brian is not going to know what hit him.”

  “Thank you, sweetie. I know it’s ridiculous, but I’m nervous,” she said as she smoothed her dress. “I’m thrilled to be pregnant, you know, but I have to admit I wish I wasn’t showing quite so much at my wedding.”

  “Don’t worry about it, Mom. Your little baby bump is adorable,” I rubbed her tummy as I said this. “Besides, everyone is going to be so busy staring at your giant rack they won’t even notice.” She laughed and hugged me.

  “Ally, sweetheart. I love Brian and I’m so happy to be having his baby, but I wish we had done things in the proper order. I wish I had been a better role model for you. I’m sorry.”

  “Oh, Mom,” I choked out. “You are an amazing role model. You have taught me how to be a strong, independent woman, and that’s what is truly important. Now stop making me cry! My mascara is going to run.”

  “Okay, I’ll stop. I just want you and Jack to be more careful than Brian and I were. Please promise me,” she urged.

  What was it with adults assuming teens were automatically having sex because we were dating? “Mom, Jack and I are not sleeping together. I promise. We are planning to wait quite a while before we take such a big step.”

  “Really?” she asked.

  “Really. Now let’s get you out there and married, okay?”

  “Okay.” She nodded.

  The appointed time finally arrived and I gave my mom a final kiss on the cheek before I turned to head up the aisle. Jack was sitting on the near end about halfway up the bride’s side, and his jaw dropped in a gratifying manner when he saw me. I winked at him as I walked by. I reached the front of the chapel and took my place as my mother and Grams began their approach. The look on Brian’s face as he watched my mom walk toward him was awe-inspiring. You could see the love shining out of his eyes and I felt really good about this marriage. They exchanged traditional vows and wedding rings, were pronounced man and wife in a shockingly short amount of time and then Brian pulled her close for the bridal kiss, which went on and on until we all started clapping and wolf-whistling. They broke apart, Mom blushing and Brian looking disgustedly smug. I sighed and realized I now had a stepdad. This was going to change things.

  Mom had eschewed the traditional bridal party table, opting for a more modern family table so Grams could sit with us as well. Mom had thoughtfully included Jack as my dinner partner, probably figuring I would have deserted otherwise. Brian’s brother, the best man, gave his toast and then it was the maid-of-honor’s turn. I had been working on it for several days, but I was incredibly nervous as I stood up to take the microphone from the best man. Jack gave me a wink and a slight push when I hesitated.

  “Okay, um, hi everyone. I’m Ally. I’m the maid-of-honor. Um, obviously.” I gave an embarrassed chuckle and looked around, panicked. I met Jack’s steady gaze and he nodded his encouragement. I could do this. “So, Jen is my mom and I want to say how proud I am of her. I mean, she bagged herself a great guy.” There was light laughter following this. “But seriously, I am really happy to welcome Brian into our family. Mom was pretty cagey about him at first, but she finally brought him around to meet my grandmother and me. We didn’t manage to scare him off, which speaks to his determination. He must really love her to put up with us.” Grams and Mom both smiled at me, while Brian put his arm around his new wife and pulled her in for a kiss. I smiled at them; they were really sweet together. “I’ve had an opportunity to get to know Brian pretty well over the last few months as we worked on a, um, project together.” He raised his eyebrows at me knowingly. “I know first-hand Brian is an honest, hardworking cop and will make my mom a great husband. I couldn’t bear to give her to anyone else.” I was horrified to realize a tear had slipped out without my express permission. I wiped it away and must have looked surprised at its appearance, because many people chuckled in sympathy. “Anyway, let’s raise our glasses to Jen and Brian, or as I call them: Mom and Dad.”

  “You did great, sweetheart,” Jack said, kissing my temple as I sat back down. I had to get back up a few minutes later for the bouquet toss. Mom was very funny about looking back to be sure to not aim it anywhere in my direction. Tara ended up with it and the horrified look on her face was priceless. I saw Jack punch Mat playfully on the shoulder as Mat looked embarrassed. I tried not to cringe as Brian kneeled in front of Mom to pull off her garter, accompanied by “Hot for Teacher” by Van Halen. I had to look away when he started to use his teeth.

  “Hey, are you all right, querida?” Jack asked, reaching over to wipe away yet another darned tear as I watched my mom and Brian dance their first dance as man and wife to Tom Odell’s “Grow Old With Me.”

  “Oh, I’m fine, just a bit weepy and sentimental tonight. My mom looks beautiful, doesn’t she?”

  “It runs in the family,” Jack answered.

  I smiled at him. “You are really sweet, Jack. I’ll be fine.” The DJ was starting the general dance music. “Dance with me?” He smiled and stood, holding out his hand. He led me to the dance floor and pulled me into his arms, my favorite place in the entire world. We danced until the end of “I Was Made for You” by She & Him. As it ended, Jack bent to kiss me sweetly.

  “I love you, Ally.”

  “I know.”

  ***

  I got up very early the next morning to go with Jack to the airport as he left for basic training at Ft. Leonard Wood in Missouri where future Army Corps of Engineers trained. He had been accepted into the ROTC program and had been informed he would actually be gone for ten weeks of training. I was devastated when I heard this; it was nearly the entire summer! I’d managed to keep my opinion to myself and I was rather proud of this newfound maturity. I was scheduled to leave the next morning for a month in Ireland, which would definitely help pass the time, but once I got back, I knew the time would crawl by until Jack returned.

  He had said his farewells to his family the night before so I could drive him to the airport, a sweet gesture I appreciated. I picked him up with plenty of time to spare and helped him load his duffel bag into the backseat of my VW. “You want me to drive, querida?” he offered. I shook my head, unable to speak, so he simply nodded and climbed in the passenger seat. I drove around the block and pulled into a church parking lot and turned off the car. “Ally?” he asked. I clenched the steering wheel tightly, trying to control my emotio
ns, but unable to hold in a sob.

  “I’m sorry, Jack. I was trying to be so mature and in control about all this, really I was. But I’m going to miss you so much,” I ended on a whisper.

  “God, Ally. Come here.” I leaned over the gearshift and he pulled me into his arms. I kissed him with all the love I could possibly instill in a kiss, mixing it liberally with the salt of my tears. He pulled back and wiped my cheeks with his thumbs. “It’s okay, babe, it’s okay. I’ll be back before you know it.” He kissed me again. I nodded and collected my wits to finish driving him to the airport.

  Our farewell scene, right before the security check, was fairly calm and collected, all things considered. He turned and flashed me a beautiful smile before he entered the security area.

  I drove home, making it all the way to my driveway before falling apart.

  ***

  Grams dropped me off at the airport the next morning since Mom was on her honeymoon in Hawaii. Cassie was also on her honeymoon, having married Gregory the week before my mother’s wedding, so I would be flying to Ireland on my own. I assured Grams she did not need to come in with me and could simply drop me off at the departures curb. I hugged her goodbye, promising her I would miss her desperately, and wheeled my suitcase to the Delta counter. After checking my bag and clearing security, I headed to one of the eating areas to get a bite of breakfast. It was very crowded and I had to share a table with a gentleman reading a newspaper.

  I sat down with my breakfast burrito and asked, “Find anything news-worthy?”

  Rémy folded down the page of the Albuquerque Journal. “In this rag? No. I prefer to read Le Monde for a more European perspective, but they don’t carry it here,” he smirked his old familiar smirk. “Are you ready?”

  “Yes. Let’s go.”

  “Oui. Let’s go,” he agreed.