Forever

by Lewis, Linda Cassidy

  Annie looked up to find Kate’s fork waving in front of her face, “Sorry. I was thinking about what you said. No. I don’t think Gary had the same soul as Maggie’s husband. Besides, Gary was nice at first. Something changed him. I think it’s just me and Tom who’ve come back.”

  “So, why? That’s what you’re supposed to find out, right?”

  Annie nodded. “I’d say we’ve come back here to love each other again, except there’s an obvious obstacle to that, isn’t there?”

  Kate ate a couple of bites in silence before asking another question. “What does Tom say about his marriage? You never said.”

  “I never asked.”

  “But he says he loves you, right? What does your heart tell you? Is he sincere, or is he just playing you along to get you in bed?”

  Annie’s eyes flashed. “Do you really think I’m that stupid?”

  “I think you’re in love, and from past experience we know that makes you act stupid.”

  “He’s not Gary. He’s not anything like Gary.”

  “All right.” Kate held up her hands in a gesture of surrender. “I’m sorry. That was a cheap shot. So … do you think Tom means it when he says he loves you?”

  Annie recalled the look in Tom’s eyes and the tenderness in his voice when he’d said those words to her on Friday. “He … yes, he loves me.”

  “Well then, he’ll do the right thing.” Kate smiled, confident the problem was already solved.

  Annie opened her mouth to respond but then froze. Her chair faced the entry of the restaurant where Tom now stood. As the hostess greeted him and that same blonde from the theater—his wife—he glanced toward their table. The shock of recognition shown on his face.

  Kate had followed Annie’s stare. “Omygawd, that’s Tom, isn’t it?”

  Annie responded with the barest of nods. Her heart raced. Blackness rimmed her field of vision. She wished she could be anywhere but here at this moment.

  The hostess led Tom and his wife in her direction. He passed within inches of her, and she feared, for a split second, that he would reach out to touch her, but he moved on without incident to be seated somewhere behind her. Unable to stand even the sight of food, now, she laid down her fork and pushed her plate away.

  Closing her eyes, Annie concentrated on her breathing. When her heart slowed, she opened her eyes and saw Kate staring in Tom’s direction.

  “Stop looking at them,” she ordered, through clenched teeth.

  “He’s facing away from us. And his wife—that is his wife, I assume—has her eyes on the menu. They don’t even know I’m looking at them.”

  With trembling hands, Annie grabbed money from her purse, and threw it on the table. She fled on legs that seemed attached to her body by rubber bands. Her lungs burned as though she’d been holding her breath since the moment Tom stepped into the restaurant. Wildly, she wondered if she might be dying. She collapsed on a bench outside the entrance, chest heaving, greedy for air. Her heartbeat began to slow, but the uncontrollable shaking persisted.

  Kate burst out the door, looking toward the car before she realized Annie was right there.

  “Annie! What are you doing sitting here crying?”

  Annie wiped away tears she hadn’t realized were running down her face.

  “Come on. Give me the keys; I’ll drive us home.” Kate practically pulled her to the car and pushed her into the passenger’s seat. They started for home, but then Kate detoured to the Coach House.

  When Annie realized where they were, she protested, “I’m not going in there, Kate. Take me home.”

  “You are going in there. And we’re going to get you drunk. You’ve had a shock. Alcohol’s the best cure.”

  Annie gaped at Kate. “That’s bull. Go ahead. You get drunk, but give me the keys, so I can go home.”

  Kate jumped out of the car, dropped the keys in her purse, and strolled into the pub. Annie sat in the car fuming for several minutes before she followed her sister inside.

  Annie found Kate sitting in a booth near the back. “Give me the damn keys, Kate.”

  “Sit down. I’ve ordered sandwiches for us.” She looked up at Annie with an innocent smile. “We barely tasted our supper, you know.”

  Although she had no intention of staying, Annie didn’t want to cause a scene, so she sat. “I don’t feel like being here, Kate, and I sure don’t want to get drunk. Just give me the keys to my car so I can go home.”

  The waitress brought their order, and Kate promised to give the keys to Annie if she would eat something first. By the time they ate the sandwiches and drank the beer, they’d started talking.

  Annie was crying again. “I feel like such a fool,” she sobbed.

  “You’re no more a fool than anyone else who’s in love—unless that was another girlfriend Tom was with.”

  “Oh, please don’t make me think that.” Annie knew Kate was teasing and was glad, now, they’d come here. “That was his wife. I didn’t look directly at her that first night, but I remember she had blonde hair like that. God. Blonds really mess up my life!”

  Together they laughed at Annie’s dark joke. She didn’t protest when Kate ordered them each another beer, and by the time they finished it, Annie knew she would live.

  14

  June 14, part three

  Under a sky tinted bronze by the early evening sun, Tom and Julie pulled into Delvecchio’s parking lot. He lucked out, finding a prime parking spot, and they walked hand in hand to the restaurant entrance. As soon as they entered, he felt a chill prickle his scalp and looked up expecting to see an air-conditioning vent stupidly installed above the door. He saw none, but the chill spread down his spine. Seconds later he understood why. The hostess greeted them and turned to lead them to their table. Tom glanced at the other diners and caught sight of Annie. A violent thud in his chest sucked his mouth dry.

  Annie saw him and quickly looked away, but the red-haired woman with her turned toward him. As he followed Julie and the hostess, he passed only inches from Annie. When he saw that Julie was taking the chair on the far side of the table, he let out the breath he’d been holding. At least he could sit with his back to Annie. He sat too far away to hear their conversation, but he imagined she was explaining to the other woman why she’d suddenly gone deathly pale.

  Tom struggled to slow his breathing, fearing Julie would notice and think he was having another anxiety attack—which he probably was. He pretended to focus on the menu. The words swam before his eyes, but not being able to read it didn’t matter. Nine times out of ten when they came here he ordered the lasagna, and the tenth time he usually wished he had.

  “Look,” Julie said. “Isn’t that the woman from the Cineplex?”

  He looked over his shoulder, scanning the tables behind him while avoiding looking directly at Annie. He turned back to Julie and infused his voice with all the indifference he could manage. “Is it?”

  “She certainly looks like the same woman.”

  “Could be,” he said. “The theater isn’t far from here.” He set the menu aside. “I guess I’ll have the usual. The appetizer’s your choice.” He was both amazed and dismayed that his voice sounded normal. When had deception become so easy for him? For a moment, he endured Julie’s scrutiny, but then she reached for her menu.

  “I haven’t even looked at today’s specials,” she said. “Will we order a bottle of wine?”

  A minute later, Tom heard a commotion behind him, followed by “Annie, wait …” It took all his self-control to keep from sliding out of his chair with relief.

  He gave the waitress their order for the Cabernet they both liked, and then gulped half of the glass of water she’d set before him. By the time she returned with the wine and took their orders, Tom’s heart rate had settled into normal range, but he predicted Annie would linger around the edges of his thoughts for the rest of the evening.

  As they sipped the wine, Julie reminded him it was time for Max’s vet check-up. Over salad,
she complained about Lindsay’s procrastination on her college preparation, and he assured her things were on track. Finally, as they started on their main courses, she got down to the meat of the conversation.

  “Patricia is going to partner with Eddie and open a larger office.”

  “That seems premature. I thought she just met the guy.”

  “Not exactly. He’s been around for a couple of months.”

  “That’s not long, Julie. And isn’t a small real estate business quite a comedown for Eddie the big wheeler dealer?”

  Julie shot him a look but said nothing.

  “Patricia has checked him out, I presume.”

  “Oh … I’m sure she has.”

  From the hesitation in that answer, Tom doubted Patricia had. So be it. Her business failure would be no loss to his net worth.

  “Tom?”

  Though his stomach tightened in warning, he took another bite of his lasagna. Julie damned well better not be about to tell him she wanted to invest in the Patricia-Eddie vanity venture.

  Her next words came in a rush. “I’ve been thinking about working full time.”

  He put down his fork, more out of surprise than readiness to comment. He didn’t know what to say. Not that it mattered; she was still speaking.

  “… not exactly true. Actually, I’ve already made the commitment to manage Patricia and Eddie’s new office. That’s why I’ve been going over there so much, lately.”

  “I wish you’d told me the truth.”

  (Like you told her the truth about your secret activities?)

  “I know.” She averted her eyes for a moment. “So what do you think about the idea?”

  “Well, I … is this your idea, Julie?”

  “You mean did I let Patricia talk me into it?”

  He shook his head, though that was exactly what he’d meant. “I’ve just never heard you mention wanting to work full time. That’s all.”

  “I know we don’t need the money, and I know you’ve always worked hard so I could stay at home.” She took a deep breath before continuing. “But now that Lindsay’s going away to school. I think I’d like to have something more to occupy my time.”

  Tom wanted to remind her that she still had a husband to occupy her time. Instead, he said, “This will give you something constructive to do, especially since Patricia will be working more hours expanding the business, and the two of you won’t be able to take the craft classes and … other things you do together. You’d be bored sitting around the house, and you’ve enjoyed doing the part-time office work—all that organizing and filing and data entry. Running the office sounds perfect for you.”

  “I do think it will be perfect for me. Thank you for understanding.”

  He only nodded. What he understood was that this was Julie’s plan to take care of herself if need be. If the construction business bottomed out. If he keeled over with a heart attack. If she decided she’d be better off not married to him.

  *

  After dinner, Julie asked Tom to drop her off at Patricia’s house. He’d offered to drive home and let her take the car, but she insisted that Patricia wouldn’t mind giving her a ride home. So he did as she asked and headed toward home alone. Less than a minute later, his phone rang. Assuming Julie had changed her mind, he answered without bothering to check the caller I.D.

  The voice on the other end spoke only three words—“plaaay, tom, plaaay”

  Tom laid down his phone and kept driving, but he changed direction. Minutes later, from his car in the Coach House parking lot, he dialed Annie’s number.

  “I’m really sorry about what happened tonight,” he said when the call went to voicemail. “I need to talk to you, so I guess I’ll call you later.”

  He went inside, ordered a Scotch at the bar, and downed it. A flash of red hair caught his eye. Heady with relief, he recognized the redhead immediately, and with a flick of his eyes to the left he confirmed the woman sitting across from her had long, dark hair.

  The two women had been sharing a joke, but as he slid into the booth beside the redhead, their laughter died. Annie’s eyes flashed with anger.

  “Go home to your wife, Tom.”

  “No.” He turned to the redhead beside him and held out his hand. “Hello. I’m Tom.”

  Kate smiled and shook his hand. “I’m Kate, Annie’s sister.”

  “Don’t smile at him, Kate.” Annie glared at Tom. “You are not welcome here. Leave.”

  “Annie—”

  “Do you know how humiliated I felt at the restaurant?”

  “I’m here with you now.”

  He took her hand in his. A sensation like low-voltage electricity flowed through his hand. When the steeliness in her eyes melted away, he knew she felt it too. He stood and pulled her up and away from the table, toward the door.

  Tom stopped outside the entrance, momentarily confused. Out of habit, he’d looked for his truck. Now, he remembered he’d driven the car, and he was glad the only parking spot he’d found was in the darker back lot. As they walked toward it in the soft, summer breeze, he slipped an arm around Annie’s waist and leaned down to kiss her. Before he could get his keys out of his pocket, she swung around to lean back against the side of the car and pulled him to her. He grasped her by the waist and felt her body trembling. Her pulse-warmed scent maddened him more with each deep, shuddering breath he took.

  He was no longer aware of anything but this burning, urgent need to touch her, feel her, possess her. His hands slid up to her breasts and, through the thin cotton of her dress, he teased the hard nubs of her nipples with his thumbs, forcing soft moans from her. In frantic response, her hungry mouth sought his, and she darted the tip of her tongue between his lips and teeth. He took a step backwards pulling her with him. His hands slid down, cupping her ass, and he lifted her onto the hood of the car with no effort. Her skirt slid up around her waist as she wrapped her legs around him. He stroked the length of her thighs. He crushed her to him, and her gasp told him she felt his erection pressed against her. As he patterned kisses down her throat, she arched her back, raising her breasts to his mouth. He took them eagerly, sucking and nibbling through the taut fabric. She moaned again, louder this time, as she rocked her hips against him slowly.

  He responded with a groan from deep within, and she quickened her pace, her fingers entwined in his hair and her breath coming in fast little pants close to his ear. He wanted the barrier of their clothing gone, he wanted to reach down and feel her slick warmth, he wanted to taste her, but the movement of her body against his now seemed involuntary, impelled by her own need. He felt the urgency of his own desire fast reaching the critical point and tried to pull away, but she held him tight. Then she stiffened, a cry of ecstasy rose from her, and he held back no longer.

  They stayed entwined, touching and kissing until the heat of the moment faded away. With the cooling of their passion, they parted. Annie slid off the car and began to straighten her clothing. Tom busied himself lighting a cigarette. As she stood wiping her hands down her skirt, he had the bizarre impression she was wiping off his cooties.

  “I’m sorry,” he said and laughed nervously. “I … don’t normally do things like that in public.”

  No response.

  He smoked his cigarette, glancing at her every few seconds, hoping she’d stopped staring at the ground and wiping at her skirt. Just as the silence approached the unbearable level, she lifted her head and looked at him.

  “Yes,” she said with a smile, “I think we should try for a bit more privacy next time when we almost have sex.”

  He grinned in relief. “Nothing happened when I touched you.”

  “Nothing happened?” She flipped her hair behind her shoulders. “I don’t know what you expected, but something sure happened to me.”

  “I wasn’t talking about that. I meant, when we touched, there was no blast from the past.”

  “Oh. You’re right. It was just you and me.” She sounded distracted. “I ne
ed to tell you something. Can we sit in the car?”

  While Annie told Tom about her visit to the psychic he sat facing her and holding her hand. He listened without comment. Then he lit a cigarette and sat silently smoking, looking straight ahead. She’d been unable to read anything from his face as she talked. In spite of the fact that he’d experienced the visions himself, she feared he thought she was out of her mind.

  “Will you say something … please?”

  “Well,” he said, “I guess you’ve already started verifying some of this like that woman told you to do.”

  “Yes.” She sighed with relief. He believed what the psychic had said.

  He turned to her. “I suppose Maggie’s husband claimed hers and the baby’s deaths were accidental, so there’s probably no court record.”

  “What about probate, like Jacob’s?”

  “Maybe,” he said, “but she most likely owned nothing in the eyes of the law. How old was the baby when it died?”

  “He was tiny. A few weeks, I think.”

  “A son,” he murmured.

  She’d left out the part where the psychic told her that Kate was the baby reborn. And she wondered if it was true that she knew more than she consciously let herself remember.

  “Tom, if I know all of this, if it’s in my soul like Donna DeLuca said, does that mean you know it all too?”

  “I don’t know. I don’t feel like I know anything about any of this.” Taking her hand in his again he looked down at them clasped together. “For instance, why didn’t we have a vision earlier and why aren’t we having a vision right now?”

  “Maybe …”—she let out a sigh that deflated her—“I have no idea why.”

  They sat in silence for a minute. Then Annie asked, “Why did you ask how old the baby was?”

  “I was thinking that since this baby was born after Jacob died, then Maggie’s husband must not have been convicted of murdering Jacob … or even if he was, he wasn’t hanged for it or imprisoned for long.”

  “Donna said his name was Ben, but if we had his last name we could look for Maggie’s death record and the birth record for her son too.”