Evernight Publishing
www.evernightpublishing.com
Copyright© 2013 Vanessa Devereaux
ISBN: 978-1-77130-531-0
Cover Artist: Sour Cherry Designs
Editor: JC Chute
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.
This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
DEDICATION
For everyone who’s following the Perfect Pairing Stories…
SEEING FOREVER
Perfect Pairing, 5
Vanessa Devereaux
Copyright © 2013
Chapter One
Luc heard the front door slam shut. The nurse had finally left for her hour-long lunch break. While she was gone he usually sat and listened to music, but not today. Sixty minutes would be ample time to make his way to the bathroom and get his hands on the pills, so he could free himself from his miserable existence.
He stood and felt for the edge of the couch, inching his way along. The door wasn’t far. Five steps, if he remembered what the nurse had told him. His knee caught something hard, tripping him and sending him face down on the floor. He’d forgotten that the coffee table was right in front of the couch. Maybe he should have paid more attention when she’d taught him the layout of the room.
Shit, he couldn’t even get a simple thing like walking out of his living room right. Proof that ending it all was best for everyone. A tear slid down his cheek as he struggled to get to his feet again.
One, two, three, four, five…this time, it was the door he ran into. The nurse had closed it on her way out. He opened it and stepped into the hallway, making his way to the kitchen where he had one more stop to make before he went upstairs. He felt along the wall and then the edge of the countertop. Here would be a good place to leave his goodbye note. Luc pulled it out of his back pocket. He hadn’t written anything since he’d lost his sight, and he imagined that it looked like a kid had penned it: the lines probably weren’t even straight.
Luc placed it on the countertop and then remembered he hadn’t put Josie’s name on it. He didn’t want anyone, except for his sister, to read it. He searched around for the handle on the drawer, knowing he’d always kept a Sharpie in there. He pulled it open and pushed his hand inside, suddenly feeling something sharp nip into his skin.
Fuck, he’d opened the wrong drawer. This wasn’t the junk drawer, like he’d thought, but the one containing the knives. Another tear sailed down his face as he felt along the counter for the right one. He pulled it open and slid his hand inside, finding what he hoped was the pen. He tapped the top of the counter until he found his note and scribbled his sister’s name across the front of it. His Braille watch hadn’t arrived yet, so he had no way of telling how much time he had before the nurse returned. Luc figured he’d better get a move on, because he couldn’t spend another day in this misery.
He slowly made his way down the hallway. He could still distinguish dark from light, and noticed the brightness as the sun shone through the glass in the front door. It meant the stairs were only a few steps away.
Luc grabbed the handrail and made his way up them, almost tripping over his own feet when he arrived at the top. If he kept in a straight line, the bathroom would be directly across from where he now stood. He made his way there, and once inside Luc felt for the sink, because he knew the medicine cabinet was directly above it.
He’d once loved this house and yard. Never in his wildest dreams would he have believed that he’d return from his tour of duty blind and no longer able to enjoy its beauty. The nurse had suggested he move into an assisted living residence, or to a one-level house, but he couldn’t do it. He loved this place too much ever to give it up. A deciding factor in purchasing it had been its wonderful views and the peace and quiet it offered him each time he came home.
Luc fingered the wall and felt the edge of the cabinet. He swung open its door and stood there thinking about his next move. The sleeping pills they’d given him when he’d been discharged from the hospital were on the third shelf. He remembered the top had a ribbed edge. He hadn’t taken any, because he’d never liked not being in control, and that was the main reason he hated living in this darkness. He reached in and soon his fingers were wrapped around the bottle. He grabbed it and made his way to his bedroom.
He’d planned all this so it would be the nurse who’d find him and not Josie, who stopped by every night, sometimes staying over when she sensed he was especially depressed––which had been quite often, in the last month or so. He knew she had better things to do with her own family, so what he was about to do would free her from any further obligation. She deserved that, because she’d always been a wonderful big sister to him.
Luc inched his way along the hall and fingered the door to his room. It was twelve paces from the door to the bed. Today it turned out to be eleven, but maybe he’d taken bigger strides in his haste to get this over and done with.
Josie would be heartbroken and he was sorry for that, but in his letter he’d explained that he wanted her forgiveness because he’d be free and happy again. He knew his sister wasn’t selfish enough to deny him those two things.
He sat down on the bed and popped open the top of the bottle. Next he felt for his bedside table, where he’d placed a bottle of water specifically for washing them down. He began placing them one by one on his tongue and then swallowing. He hadn’t been able to find out how long it would take for them to work, as he couldn’t look things up on the Internet any more. And he obviously couldn’t ask anyone, or they’d know what he was planning and more than likely stop him or have him locked up. He guessed he’d go into a coma and never wake up. Painless, or at least that’s what he hoped.
Luc swallowed the last of the pills and lay down on his bed. He tried to remember what everything in his room looked like, every nook and cranny, and wondered what would be the last thing he’d remember ‘seeing’ in his mind’s eye.
****
“But you said I could go with Jake.”
“We didn’t know that you had a math test coming up,” said Gen.
Nicky leaned against the counter and then crossed his arms over his chest. “They’ll let me take it some other time.”
Gen placed covers on the three casserole dishes as she listened to her son plead his case.
“He can’t drive all that way on his own with Willow,” said Nicky.
The dog chose that moment to stroll into the kitchen, obviously smelling the ground beef and chicken in the three meals Gen had made for Luc. She patted the German shepherd on the head. She was going to miss him, even if he had one day decided that her new sandals made ideal dog chews.
“He has Mitchell with him, so he’ll be fine,” said Gen.
She heard the two men talking as they headed toward the kitchen.
“Will you talk to your wife about letting me go to Boise with you?” said Nicky.
Where did her son get his stubbornness from? Yeah, she was pretty sure it was her and not his father.
“You have a math test, so maybe some other time,” said Jake. “You’re going to ace it, but if you delay it you might not remember as much.”
Gen saw Mitchell wink at Nicky. She didn’t want her son missing the test because since she’d married Jake and they’d settled into being a new family, her son’s grades had gone from C’s, to B’s and even some A’s too. She’d even overheard him
tell one of his buddies that he was thinking about becoming a vet one day so he could take care of the dogs his step-dad trained.
“There’s no changing anyone’s mind, I assume,” said Nicky, pouring milk on his cereal.
“Not a chance,” said Gen. “I’ve put three casseroles in here for Luc and some sandwiches for you guys if you get hungry on the way there,” she said, turning to Jake.
“Which reminds me, we should be getting a move on,” he said. “You ready, Mitchell?”
“Yep. I’ll just give Rachel a call to see how she’s doing and I’ll be right with you.”
Gen smiled. Rachel was expecting her first baby, hence the reason she hadn’t come along on the trip. Mitchell paced up and down in the hallway as he spoke to his wife. He was going to make a great dad, even if he was already on tender hooks about his wife’s morning sickness.
Jake kissed her on the cheek. “Thanks for the kind gesture of the meals for Luc.”
“I know it can’t be easy, and I hope Willow will be a big help to him.”
“Oh … a lifesaver, no doubt.”
“I’m going to miss you, you big silly thing,” said Gen. She knelt in front of the dog and threw her arms around his throat and hugged him. Jake had warned both her and Nicky about getting too attached to the dogs he brought into their home for training, because they’d only be with them three months and sometimes less. She’d listened, she’d understood what he meant, but nevertheless it was still going to be tough saying goodbye. He’d promised Nicky they’d get their own dog soon, but until then, or when Jake got the next canine to train, the house wasn’t going to feel the same.
She wiped a tear away before Jake saw her getting too emotional.
Mitchell saved her by choosing that moment to walk back into the kitchen.
“Rachel okay?” she asked.
“Yep, she’s eating toast and crackers and feels a lot better than when she first got up this morning.”
Gen had remembered morning sickness all too well and she was sorry that Rachel couldn’t make the trip. It would have been fun to spend time with her, especially while the guys were in Boise.
“Okay, are we all set? If so, I’ll put Willow in the truck and we can head out.”
Gen, with Nicky in tow, walked behind the two men and Willow as they made their way out to the driveway and began loading the dog’s kennel, food, and supplies, followed by the bag with Gen’s homemade goodies.
“Remember, one dish of cookies is for Katey. I remembered she liked the peanut butter ones when she was here. And the chocolate chip ones are for Sadie. I know how she loves them. And say hello to both of them for me,” said Gen.
“So you think Sadie will be working some of her magic again this time?” asked Mitchell.
“She’ll have her work cut out for her with Luc, but I don’t doubt she’ll pull it off somehow,” said Jake.
****
Sadie hung the picture frame on the wall. In it was a photo of the first official Perfect Pairing baby, courtesy of Evie and Kyle. A beautiful little girl named Sophie Elizabeth, who’d arrived just ten days ago in Los Angeles. Sadie was heading there at the end of the week to see her in person for the first time and she could hardly wait. And now Mitchell and Rachel were expecting a baby, too––exciting times for everyone at Perfect Pairing.
She stepped back admiring the photo one more time before she had to be on her way to Boise to meet with her two new clients, Katey and Luc. Yes, she was bending the rules yet again, but what the Department of Love didn’t know, couldn’t get Sadie in any trouble. She picked up the two forms they’d sign, thinking it was connected to the service dog that Katey would be working with, but what they would be really signing was an agreement to be matched by the Perfect Pairing agency. Yes, the Department of Love required signatures, with each and every i dotted and t crossed, and if they ever knew what she was really doing, well, she’d be spending all eternity in some far-off part of the other realm. Red tape, oh how she hated it, which reminded her that later this week the Department was sending Ted Grimsby, the most miserable warlock in the realm, but an ace accountant, to look over the books. And as business was booming, they were also in the process of selecting an assistant to work with her. It would probably be a witch doing penance for some wrongdoing, just like Sadie. However, what had started out as punishment was the best thing that had ever happened to her.
Sadie glanced at the clock. How had it gotten to be this late in the day without her noticing? Now she wouldn’t have time to get to Boise the conventional way, but what was another little case of her breaking the rules? She put on her coat, made sure no one was looking, and snapped her fingers.
Chapter Two
Katey took off the sweater and picked up the one she’d been wearing just before she’d tried on the one she’d just taken off. She shook her head, not quite believing she was being this indecisive.
She glanced in the mirror. This was black, whereas the other one had been red. Didn’t fashion experts say that dark colors were meant to be more slimming? In her case that wasn’t true. Still, she’d stick with the black one and keep her jacket on. It wasn’t as if she was going on a date or anything, and yes, she knew that Luc Frasier had lost his sight but Jake would be there, along with his buddy Mitchell, and also a lady named Sadie who Jake worked with, placing service dogs with people who needed help. Well, at least that’s what Jake had told her when he’d called and asked her to meet them at Luc’s house this afternoon.
She checked her watch. She was running late and didn’t want to give a bad first impression. She knew military guys insisted on punctuality. She headed downstairs where Ruth, her stepmother, was watching one of the daytime talk shows.
“You know your father isn’t happy about you taking this job,” she said as Katey reached for her car keys.
That wasn’t exactly true. He’d been supportive until Ruth had convinced him that Katey should retrain for something with a more solid future, and one that would provide her with enough money that she wouldn’t have to live under their roof forever.
Yeah, like she’d really wanted to return to the family home after she’d had her own place for two years. Like she really enjoyed it, along with Ruth’s constant criticism of all things Katey.
She wanted to give her a sarcastic answer, but knew she was walking a fine line.
“I’m sure he’ll come around to the idea, and he’s always told me it’s good to help people out.”
“The disabled can be tough to deal with. I’m warning you it won’t be easy.”
“He’s not disabled. He lost his sight serving his country. I think that’s very brave and admirable, to put your life on the line every day.”
“I’m not saying it isn’t, but I’m just forewarning you, that’s all. What your father never wanted to do was give you kids a sense of reality.”
But you’ve more than made up for that.
“I need to get going or I’ll be late. Don’t keep any supper for me, because I don’t know how long I’ll be.”
Katey walked out to the driveway and got into her car. Maybe she should think about retraining for a career with a solid future, like nursing or at least something in the medical field so she could get out from under Ruth’s roof. She backed out and headed down the road. That all made perfect sense, but somehow she got the feeling that she was going to love working with dogs and people who needed to get back on their feet.
She turned on the radio and started to sing. That had always helped her deal with all things Ruth.
****
So there really was an afterlife, and you felt just like you had in life.
Luc sat up.
And, shit … in the afterlife, he was still without his sight.
Son of a bitch. Who would have thought as much?
He felt around to see what he was lying on. Fuck, he hoped it wasn’t a stainless steel table in the mortuary, or even worse, the medical examiner’s office. Would they cut him open to see what
he’d actually died from? He hadn’t thought about that.
Everything seemed strangely familiar. If he wasn’t mistaken it was the quilt on his bed, the one his mother had made before she got sick. He knew it was that exact same one because it had a few loose threads at the top. He felt around some more. His pillows…the bedside table…the bottle of water that he’d just knocked onto the floor. Maybe he was a ghost floating around where he’d died until he went to his final resting spot.
And then the smell of perfume drifted his way. Only one woman wore that fragrance, and it was Josie. She had to be here too––either that, or afterlife smelled exactly like his sister.
“Yes, I’m here.”
Luc jumped when his sister spoke to him. One side of the bed tipped slightly lower and the perfume smell suddenly grew more intense. He’d hazard a guess she’d just parked her butt right beside him.
“Where am I, and what happened?” asked Luc. He pushed his hand around the bed and came in contact with a leg, which was probably Josie’s.
She grabbed his hand. “If you’re wondering if you’re dead? Sorry. No, you’re not.”
Luc guessed the nurse had gotten to him in time. Damn, he couldn’t even get something as simple as killing himself right. Had they pumped his stomach? He didn’t feel sore. He thought it would have hurt like hell, but maybe these days they had non-invasive ways. Wait a minute––if they hadn’t pumped his stomach, maybe they’d resorted to giving him an enema.
Josie took his hand between her own.
“If you’re wondering why you didn’t die, it’s because you downed a bunch of vitamin C tablets.”
Holy crap.
And had he heard her almost laughing when she’d told him that?
“Lucky thing I took all the other pills away, thinking you might accidentally take the wrong ones before you were taught how to tell one bottle from the other. Did you know that while overdosing on vitamin C isn’t recommended, it’s not deadly because it’s water-soluble and you pee it out of your system. Well, that’s according to the nurse.”
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