“I’m so sorry, William.”
“You needn’t be. The event happened a long time ago and is well behind me now. Anyway, after the review, this brilliant, iridescent light cut through the darkness. I marveled over the beauty and power of it. I couldn’t resist that power of light any more than what an enchanted sailor could who hears the deadly song of the siren. So I moved toward it and the man who waited for me at the end of it. Yet midway in my journey, the cries of pain and fear from the wounded soldiers on the ship captured my attention. Somehow I could take them all in with a single glance. Their suffering hit me hard and I wondered then about my boys back on the beach. Did they make it past the relentless hail of gunfire? Were they just as frightened as the casualties here on the ship? I had to know. Then, in the blink of an eye, there I was.”
“On the beach?”
He nodded. “Right in the middle of it. Amidst the devastation, and for miles on end I watched ocean waves as they lapped at the abandoned weapons of the dead. I saw empty, battered helmets and various canvas bags that had washed ashore. I spied pieces of clothing adrift on the surf—a sock here, the fragments of a shirt over there. I even watched a pair of broken glasses bob along the turbulent swell. Then there was this solitary boot that tumbled out of the water. The waves reclaimed it and then spat it back out again as if the sea found it distasteful. I wondered about the soldier it belonged to.”
For the picture he painted, Katie could see the awful scene herself, if even her version of it.
“Someone called out to me then—not by name, but by rank. I turned around and found a small group of disembodied soldiers walking toward me. They all looked lost, confused, and so very terrified. The young man at the forefront of the group told me the other soldiers didn’t wait for them—that they’d all gone ahead. He said they had lost their way and didn’t know where to go. All of them looked so young. Too young. Anyway, I told them to follow me and that I would lead them home.”
“Did they follow you then?”
He nodded. “Even though most of them weren’t ready to die, they followed me without any hesitation whatsoever.”
“Yes, but is any soldier on a field of battle ever ready to die?”
“Probably not. Even so, most individuals who enter the service accept the fact they might not come home. I still carry a vivid memory of the soldiers in my boat as we journeyed toward our assigned destination. Every one of them scribbled out their wills as we crossed the channel in a boat so crowded not another soldier could fit inside. Each of us prepared ourselves for such a need. I can tell you that does something to a man. Nonetheless, those that live through the horrors of war and go home are never quite the same either. Most, if not all of them, return to us bearing the same weight. They return carrying the same post-traumatic stress they lived with on a daily basis throughout their mortal life. This I’ve already mentioned.”
“Yes, I remember—it broke my heart.”
A small smile touched his face as he nodded. “That’s because you have such a loving and compassionate one.”
“I’m happy you think so.” She cleared her throat. “I must confess that after you left, I thought a lot about what you said. I discovered this burning need to help them if I could. So I decided I would change my major. I thought perhaps instead of pursuing a bachelor degree in history, I could become a counselor instead. That degree will take quite a bit longer to achieve though. Do you think I’ve waited too long to begin that kind of journey? After all, with the limited time I have for school, I’ll probably be in my mid-thirties before I can get my doctorate degree.”
“I not only think you’re a marvel, I think you’d be a natural at it.”
“That’s good, because I’ve already made a few class changes for the fall semester.”
He cocked his head to the side as a look of deep contemplation entered his eyes. All the while he didn’t say a word.
“What? Did I say something wrong?”
“No, quite the contrary. With this newfound desire of yours, how would you like to help one of my boys right now?”
Her mouth dropped as excitement filled her. “Yes, and I would love to! But how?”
“By doing a little bit of detective work.”
Not quite what she expected, but— “Okay. What do you need me to do?”
“I need a picture, if one exists, of a woman named Rachel Jameson. If possible, I would also like to find out if she’s still alive or if she has passed. If she’s alive, it would be helpful to know where she is now and maybe a little something about her life.”
“Does this woman have something to do with the soldier in question?”
“Yes, she does.”
“Something like you and me or altogether different?”
He chuckled. “In some ways very similar to you and me. In some ways not so much.”
“Now you’re confusing me.”
“Unlike you and me, they knew each other while in mortality.”
“I see. Well, I think I can help you with that. At least I hope so. I’ll need a little more to go on though. I’m sure there’s more than one woman in this world named Rachel Jameson.”
“What kind of information?”
“Her birthday if you have it. If not, something as close to it as you can get. To have any real hope of finding this lady, I’ll need a place of birth—or at the very least—know where she lived.”
“I don’t have an exact birth date, but more than likely she’s somewhere between sixty-one and maybe sixty-five years of age, give or take a few years either way.”
“Oh.” She paused for a moment. “This must mean your soldier served during the Vietnam War.”
William nodded. “In this case, yes, he did. But to keep things in perspective for the future, I dwell among soldiers from every age that died in service to our country. Many of them still search for their soul mates.”
“Of course. I guess I just didn’t think about that. Did he die in Vietnam?”
“Yes, in 1965.”
“I’m so sorry.” She took in a deep breath and let it go. “I think you were going to tell me where Rachel lived?”
“The best I can do is tell you at one time they both lived somewhere in the county of Brazoria, Texas.”
“Did the soldier know Rachel well or were they just mere acquaintances?”
“I’d say he knew her pretty well.”
“Were they around the same age?”
“Fairly close, I’d say.”
“You know—you’re making me feel like I’m on a game show and we’re doing twenty questions.” She shook her head. “I mean, none of this is making any sense. Why does he need you to find her? Why can’t he find her himself like you found me? That goes double if he knew her. If for some strange, unearthly reason he needs help, why don’t you just ask him for the details I need—and what in the world is his name anyway? I’m already tired of referring to him as your soldier.”
The most charming grin she’d seen to date stole across his face.
“Let’s just say what I have planned is a surprise. So no, I don’t really want to ask Donald Raymond Martin for the details unless it becomes absolutely necessary.”
“Donald Raymond Martin—and a surprise is something I can understand. I’ll see what I can do. Keep in mind this might take me a while.”
“That’s not a problem. Time is something I have plenty of—at least where I’m at present anyway. Now enough of all that. How would you like to go for a horseback ride? If you have the time, that is.”
She gave him a sideways glance. “You can ride horses? I mean, in your current state?”
“Without any problem whatsoever.”
“Well—how do we do this? Do I need to get one of mine ready for you or—”
He laughed, rose from his seat, and tugged her to her feet. “Nah, I’ll go get my own while you get your mare ready. A ghost should ride a ghost horse, don’t you think? I’ll be back before you know it.”
T
he ride with William both thrilled and exhilarated her. He appeared in the pasture on top of the most gorgeous silver Morgan she’d ever seen. Never in her wildest imagination did she think a ghost would show up on her little acre, riding a ghost horse. In addition, he had somehow changed out of his combat fatigues. At least for now her cowboy knight wore a pair of faded blue jeans, navy blue western shirt, black boots, and a black cowboy hat.
Oh my.
Once again her blundering butterflies took flight without knowing where they should go or why they were even going. Stupid, pathetic bugs. Why couldn’t they stay put? The knowing grin on William’s face increased the commotion as well as the chaos.
Beyond flustered, Katie blurted out the question that weighed heavy on her mind. “William, how many ghosts would you say are in some stage of a relationship with mortals right now and vice-versa?”
“Sorry?”
“The question shouldn’t be that hard to understand, should it? From our various conversations, you’ve implied that you and I—and Rachel and Donald for that matter—are not the only such couples roaming the earth. So I wondered how common such a thing really is.”
“Far more common than you might think.”
“Would you say it’s in the hundreds, maybe even thousands?”
“I can’t put a number to that, Katie.” He shrugged. “I can only tell you that many men—and even women—within my realm, have soul mates that are alive right now.”
“Well, wouldn’t it make more sense for those who have passed on to form relationships with others who have passed? I mean, you said it yourself—countless young men and women have died in wars, plagues, and whatnot throughout the ages. Wouldn’t it make more sense if they found someone to love in their own realm?”
He shook his head. “That’s not how it works. Like I’ve told you before, we each have a special someone. Now it’s true that sometimes spirits find their special someone in my realm. Even so, I’d say the great majority find their special someone during their mortality. Your parents, as well as my own, are prime examples of that. However sometimes, like in the case of you and me, our individual destinies separated us. Now I suppose I could’ve waited until your earthly demise to stake my claim on your heart. However, my lack of patience, my need—as well as my desire to work on our future now—overrode all else. Given the vast number of other couples such as you and me, I guess I’m not alone in that desire.”
The notion brought a smile to her face. “I not only think that’s amazing, I think it’s beautiful. Kind of like a storybook fairytale.”
He reached out, grasped her hand, and gave it a gentle press. “That’s good, because whether you like it or not, you’re stuck with me now.”
“I am?”
He returned a firm nod. “Yes, ma’am, you are. Forever and ever onward.”
“Could I ask you another question along these same lines?”
“You know you can. What would you like to know?”
“Why did you enlist in the army? I mean, according to history, at the age of twenty-eight, you didn’t have to.”
“I don’t know. Just seemed the right thing to do at the time.”
“The photograph I have of you—the look in your eyes made me wonder.”
“Wonder what?”
“Did you know you wouldn’t come home from the war?”
“Yes, I did.”
“And still you went anyway.”
He shrugged. “Like I said, it seemed the right thing to do.”
****
After the ride he talked her into another dance. For the lack of anything resembling Sinatra, she chose Kris Kristofferson’s “A Moment of Forever.” Right now, the song seemed a fitting one.
As he took hold of her waist and gathered her into his arms, she gazed into his eyes. “I don’t know if this is such a good idea.”
“Why not?”
“Well, what if I step on your toes or something?”
He flashed a grin. “I promise I won’t feel a thing.”
“On top of that, I don’t know where to put my hands just yet,” she blurted out.
William chuckled. “Just close your eyes, Katie. Give your hands free rein. Relax, listen to the music, and follow my lead.”
“All right, if you insist. I’ll give it a try.”
At first they merely swayed to the slow tempo of the music. With her eyes still closed he guided her forward, back, and side-to-side before their steps grew a little more complex. She mastered them with unexpected ease. Magic. Nothing else could explain this enchanted moment, nestled in William’s arms. For the way they danced, they may as well have been partners forever.
All too soon the song ended. He released her from his arms and as he stepped back, he grinned. “Now, that wasn’t so bad, was it?”
“I’ve endured far worse. So if you’re ever game to try it again—” She gave him an “I dare you smile” and let the sentence hang.
He took hold of her hand and tugged her a bit closer. “Oh, I’m game all right and to prove it—how about one more before I go?”
After several dances, William finally bid her goodnight with the promise of seeing her sometime tomorrow evening. For the way he looked at her after he said it, she could do nothing more than suck in a breath and nod. In that moment he made her feel far more cherished than any other man ever had.
Once he disappeared from her living room—and the pace of her heart returned to normal—her thoughts turned toward the mysterious Rachel Jameson. Katie headed for her computer and turned it on. After she sat down she grabbed a notebook and pencil.
“All right,” she said aloud. “Let’s see if I can find our mystery lady for William.”
What she thought would take several days took no more than a couple of hours—if she had the right Rachel Jameson. This one came from a very wealthy, well-known family. They had settled near West Columbia during the early part of the nineteenth century. A great deal of historical information could be found on her ancestors. The bulk of the information centered on the sugar cane plantation they owned and operated for well over one hundred and fifty years. Rachel’s parents were Gustavus and Thalia Clark Jameson. She had one brother named Quinn, who died in a freak accident at the age of seventeen. His death made Rachel the sole heir of the Jameson fortune. The family estate, a beautiful, historic home, still existed. According to the information she found online, Rachel still owned the property, which she kept private. No tours or tourists were allowed on site. She didn’t find anything that indicated she had died or that gave her current whereabouts. Did that mean she lived at the mansion? What about a husband? Did she ever get married? After all, a lot of women kept their maiden names, especially those from high society. Perhaps she could find out more if she went through the various newspaper archives of Brazoria County.
As far as a photograph, so far she had only found one. About fifteen years ago, someone had taken a group picture at a social gala hosted by the Texas State Historical Association. Rachel, a lovely, middle-aged, brown-eyed brunette, stood in the center. Everyone smiled for the camera, but the smile didn’t quite reach Rachel’s eyes. Katie gazed at those eyes for several minutes and couldn’t see any emotion of any kind. They just looked—empty. Then again, maybe her tired, befuddled mind saw things that didn’t exist.
Katie hid a yawn behind her hand as she glanced up at the clock. The midnight hour had come and gone long ago. She needed some sleep if she had any hope of feeling half-way human come tomorrow. At least now she had something to show William. Would it be enough?
Chapter Eight
Katie swung around in her chair. As her hand flew to her shoulder, she met William’s playful gaze. “Oh, it’s you! I thought for a split-second there some hideous spider had crawled up my arm and for one reason or another gave me a hug.”
“Really? That would be some huge spider with pretty impressive skills if you ask me.”
She waved the comment aside. “No matter, you’re just the man I
’ve wanted to see all day.”
William straddled the wooden table chair beside her. Once he sat down, he rested his arms on top the back of it and grinned. “I hope I’m the only man you’ve wanted to see all day.”
Her lips twitched as she dropped her napkin onto her empty dinner plate. “Well, for the moment you are.”
“Now that cuts to the quick, Katie. But—if that’s the best you can do, I guess I’ll have to take it. After I lick my wounds, of course.”
Her nonchalant shrug accompanied the snooty lift of her nose. “I don’t see where you have much choice in the matter.”
For the next couple of seconds he did nothing more than gaze into her eyes. All the while his eyes sparkled with amusement. “Nice to see the lightning strike didn’t take away any of your sauciness. Since I haven’t seen more than a smidgen of it here of late, I mourned the loss.”
“Did you now?”
“Yes, I did.”
“Well, you shouldn’t have. Didn’t you know? The trait is a genetic defect inherited by all those who carry even a drop of Adelton blood. Therefore, it’s impossible to root it out. Many have tried and I assure you, many have failed.”
“I can’t tell you how much that eases my mind. So tell me, did I make such an extraordinary impression on you with my abundant charm and good looks that you just couldn’t wait to see me again or what?”
She laughed. “Oh, I don’t know—that might’ve had something to do with it. Not to mention, I’ve a pitiful weakness for men in uniform. All that aside though, I wanted to show you what I unearthed about the Jameson family.”
“You found something already?”
Katie rose from her chair and headed toward her computer. With a wave of her fingers, she beckoned him along. “Well, I found a Rachel Jameson in the area you mentioned. To be certain she’s the one you’re looking for, I’ll need a little more proof than what I have right now. That means you can’t get too excited just yet.”
Love Letters from Heaven Page 9
