I should probably tell you how Julia and Joel, or J&J, as we often call them now, came to fall in love. It was not all-smooth sailing at first. In fact, I think that they rather got on each other’s nerves initially, occasionally bickering over trivial things. Living together in the same house, can either bring people together, or tear them apart. Outwardly, they were the unlikeliest of couples. Julia with her affluent New York society roots; and Joel, like my David, was the quintessential Montana cowboy.
What they did have in common though, was the fact that they had both lost the first great loves of their lives, and often discussed their feelings in that regard. Julia learned of Joel’s torment at the steady decline of his wife’s health. From that, she had taken solace in the fact that, no matter how hard the death of a loved one was; Paul and Emily’s had been mercifully quick, with little suffering.
From the start, their love wasn’t the incendiary and all-consuming love, that David and I shared from the start. It was more, what I like to call; the slow burn. One day I just noticed them spending more time together, sitting on our front porch swing, and talking for hours, sometimes late into the evening. She was laughing more now. Later they would go for drives together, at first to go into town for supplies, then longer trips with no specific destination or purpose in mind. Actually, I remember thinking how cute it was. Then one day, unexpectedly, they returned from an outing, and announced that they had gotten married. I was totally blown away! I admit, to being a bit annoyed with them, for not letting me plan a great big wedding, but they insisted that they had already had that, and they just wanted to get on with the business of living life to the fullest.
Alicia asked me if I missed New York, and truthfully, sometimes I do. But, as David once said, "It's less about the place, than the people." Sometimes, I miss the sense of a micro-community of people, within one of the greatest cities in the world. The neighborhood, with all of its people, good and bad, just trying to survive, live their lives, and be happy.
David said he wanted to join the army for the educational benefits, to help pay for college when he came home. I offered to pay for his college, but he is a proud man, and wouldn't hear of it. I really didn't want him to go, but he told me that he felt it was his duty to his country. I begged him to marry me before he left, but he said no. He said he didn't know what the future held, but if he couldn't come home, he wasn't going to make a widow of me. Then I begged him to make love to me on the night of his departure for combat duty. I was so fearful for him, and me. Again, he said, no. I asked him if he ever wanted to marry me. He said, he would never marry anyone else. So on this, my wedding day, despite having slept with him for more than a year, I walked down the aisle, a virgin. However, that was not to be for long. Nine months to the day, I gave birth to my daughter. She plays with Julia's daughter in the studio we share, as we work, and often accompanies David and I on horseback, for picnics in the wildflower meadow. Life could not be any better!
I never saw Emily in my dreams again, but I don't mind. Sometimes, I imagine her walking among the wildflowers where the wild mustangs run. I like to think that she passed her test as my guardian angel, and got her wings, or whatever it is, that guardian angels get. Like Julia, I believe that she has passed on to the next place, like my mother, and we will all be reunited one day.
In the end, home is truly, where the heart is, and Montana has become my home. The sights, the sounds, the feeling; are all a part of me now. Admittedly, it wouldn't be home without David. He is my life, my love, and my reason for living. Of all the girls in the world, he picked me. I don't think I'm special, but he does. When someone invests all of their being into you, and you feel the same way back; well, that's magic. That is a miracle!
THE END
About the Author
D. Allen Wright, AKA, David Wright lives in the Pacific Northwest, in the garden spot of the Inland Empire; the city of Spokane, Washington, where he has been a long-time resident.
He has plied many trades in his lifetime, among them; helicopter pilot, commercial tuna fisherman, bouncer, videographer, photographer, graphic artist, network administrator, and mostly recently, a writer of fiction. In other words, at age 61, this guy, still does not know what he wants to be, when he grows up. (Or for that matter, if he even wants to).
In his spare time, he enjoys reading, travel, scuba diving, sailing, music, long walks on the beach, hanging out with friends, and dating significantly younger women.
Starting in the Navy, he has travelled much of the world. He has visited many of the fifty states, at least once, been to Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Costa Rica, The Philippines, Panama, Belize, Mexico, Kiribati, (Christmas Island), Fiji, and lived a year in Western Samoa, but, (amazingly), still thinks he has places he wants to see. Rio & Buenos Aires are high on his list.
He is currently working on his second book, a novel, and welcomes your comments, but not necessarily, your criticisms. At this stage in his life, they most likely, won’t affect significant change anyway. Besides, that’s what ex-wives are for, isn’t it?
I hope that you have enjoyed this novel and that you will recommend it for purchase to your friends, family, acquaintances, the babysitter, your mechanic, the guy who does your taxes, or even relative strangers. Keep in mind, the more copies I sell, the more books I will write! If your perception is that it is easy to write a novel, or any book, for that matter, please feel free to try. Trust me, it is nowhere near as easy as one might imagine.
If you purchased this book at your online retailer, I say, bravo, good for you! If you pirated it, you at least owe me the courtesy of recommending it to at least two people who will actually pay for the bloody thing, or in lieu of that, posting a positive review anywhere online. If your retailer provides the apparatus for customer reviews, please do go to the trouble of writing your impressions. It will be much appreciated, and again, much easier than writing your own book!
A cheap T-shirt with a picture of this book’s cover, for the first Five star reviews on my retailers websites. Oh hell, the first 100 five-star reviews. If you did not enjoy it, well you only paid a few bucks, quid, pesos, krona, rubles, etc., for the experience, so better luck next time. Lesson learned on your part. If your conclusion is, that guy can’t write his way out of a wet paper bag, I have proven that to be a patently false assumption, time and again. In any case, I promise to do better with the next book and take my time.
A blog, website and Facebook page, are in the works, so please come visit me, if they have not gone “live”, by the time you read this, try again later. A google search with this book title and author name should find me.
Thanks for reading.
Dedication
This book is dedicated to all the self-published authors out there, who decided to be the masters of their own fate, and who, like me, ask you, the reader, to determine, what, if any value, there may be in our writings. You are the sole arbiters of taste, when the newer forms of online publishing are taken up. Therefore, this book is also dedicated, to you, the reader, because ultimately, yours is the only opinion that truly matters!
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 – The Crash
Chapter 2 – A Locket Found
Chapter 3 – Julia’s Sadness
Chapter 4 – Kit Meets The Ghost
Chapter 5 – Julia Remembers
Chapter 6 – The Beatdown
Chapter 7 – Hail the Heros
Chapter 8 – New Friends
Chapter 9 – Bad News
Chapter 10 – The Dinner Guest
Chapter 11 – Field Trip to The Met
Chapter 12 – The Challenge
Chapter 13 – Kit’s Artwork
Chapter 14 – First Payday
Chapter 15 – Share the Wealth
Chapter 16 – The Bad News
Chapter 17 – Wrist-Rocket Cowboy
Chapter 18 – Graduation & David
Chapter 19 – First Kiss
Chapter 20 – A Horse Race
Chapter 21 – Nothing Like Riding A Bike
Chapter 22 – The Interview
Chapter 23 – Vendetta
Chapter 24 – The Unexpected Gift
Chapter 25 – Mad Skills
Chapter 26 – Murder at The Gallery
Chapter 27 – Saying Goodbye
Chapter 28 – Laying Low
Chapter 29 - $178,500, less 10%
Chapter 30 – The Sleepover
Chapter 31 – Kidnapped!
Chapter 32 – Ghost Coma
Chapter 33 – Shootout in the ICU
Chapter 34 – Montana
Chapter 35 – Riding Camels & Elephants
Epilogue – A Celebration of Life
About the Author
Dedication
The Ghost Locket Page 23