The Presence

by Charlene Neil

  As she pushed herself up on her elbows in her bed Kayleigh groaned. Her shoulders burned. Never again would she go to the beach without sunscreen. Guilt overwhelmed her when she thought about Sarah’s sunburn and for leaving her daughter alone for such a long time while she’d slept. It was a relief hearing Sarah’s voice drifting down the hallway. Wearing only panties and an oversized t-shirt, Kayleigh got out of bed and yawned as she sauntered toward Sarah’s room.

  The ceiling was leaking like a colander all over the floor, making her step over and slip in at least three puddles before she reached Sarah’s room. She opened the door and the voice trailed away. Kayleigh frowned—the room was completely dark. Confused, she flicked on the light switch, finding Sarah fast asleep in her bed.

  “Sarah?” She whispered, hoping her daughter would jump up and exclaim surprise!

  I’m sure I heard her talking.

  She shivered as she tiptoed to Sarah who was snoring softly. “I didn’t know you talk in your sleep.”

  Kayleigh pulled the blankets out from under Sarah and covered her sleeping body. Kayleigh’s gaze swept across the room and absorbed every inch of the room. The difference in temperature was uncanny. It was much colder here than in her bedroom, even with her window open.

  Chapter 5

  1896

  Joshua and Catherine had a small wedding in a tiny chapel in Ruigtevlei. A few hours later, he carried her over the threshold of their new home. The house, on their farm on top of a mountain in Hoekwil, overlooked the whole of Wilderness. The sea, about five miles away, was also visible. Joshua was a sheep farmer but also had a couple of cows, chickens, and a large vegetable patch to keep them and their farm workers well-nourished at all times.

  Catherine giggled when he dropped her down onto the bed and fell on top of her. He kissed her feverishly while he undressed her. She looked beautiful in her wedding gown, but now he seemed in a hurry to see the new Mrs. Botha, with her light brown hair and her brilliant green eyes, out of it. She kissed him back with so much passion that it made the hair stand up at the back of his neck. They made love for hours that night until, exhausted, Catherine begged him to stop.

  They lay in one another’s arms and talked through the night. When they finally managed to fall asleep, it was already dawn.

  “I’ve arranged for the staff to do all the farm work so I can spend a whole week making love to you,” Joshua told her later, when they awoke.

  Catherine only smiled and pulled him closer.

  “Are you happy, my love?” he asked Catherine on their fifth night.

  She leaned on her elbow to look down at him. Her hair spilled over her shoulder as she caressed his cheek. “I’m the happiest I’ve ever been.”

  “And your parents?”

  Catherine furrowed her brow. “Yes, I miss them. But here is where I belong. With you. I have no doubt about that.”

  He groaned with relief and pulled her into his arms.

  Chapter 6

  Present day

  Rebecca sipped a beer while she sat on her deck. She thought back to her trip to the Wilderness beach that morning. She’d closed her store and had planned to watch the whales but she’d changed her plans after seeing the familiar Jeep. Kayleigh and her daughter were easy to spot. They were both burnt red by the sun. Rebecca caught herself smiling at the thought of Kayleigh and immediately tried to put her out of her mind.

  Rebecca’s house was just down the road from Judy and Lindsay’s and she’d popped by earlier, after leaving the beach and visited for a few hours before returning home. Darkness crept up the ocean now as evening was settling in. She sighed in contentment, enjoying her own company and that of the Tsar’s hops.

  Her mind returned to Kayleigh who, with her wild, hungry green eyes and her damned straightness was nothing but trouble. She knew it and the very thought of her made Rebecca’s stomach twist in knots.

  “Rebecca, you don’t want to go down this road,” she mumbled.

  †

  Monday, back at work, business was hectic, which was excellent for Kayleigh’s finances. By midday, she’d made enough money to cover the entire month’s expenses. After closing the practice at lunchtime, she decided to visit Rebecca before fetching Sarah from school. Earlier she’d called Lindsay to find out the location of Rebecca’s CD store. To her surprise, the store was directly across from her own practice. When she spotted the small, earth-colored sign for the store, she knew why she hadn’t seen it before. Kayleigh made a mental note to look into neon signs for Rebecca as a welcoming gift.

  Why am I so nervous? Her heart pounded away in her chest, leaving her breathless as she pushed her way into the store. Holding onto the door, Kayleigh admired Rebecca’s slim features while watching her unpack a large box of CDs.

  Rebecca’s eyes shot up when she heard the door open and saw Kayleigh entering her store. She flashed Kayleigh a big grin. “Well, hello, neighbor.” Rebecca straightened her back and groaned, causing her breasts to press tight against her T-shirt.

  Kayleigh had to glance away at the sight and the orgasmic sound that Rebecca made while stretching.

  “I’m happy you came,” Rebecca said as she dusted her hands off by slapping them on her jeans. “I needed a break. Can I offer you some coffee?”

  “I have a better idea. Let’s go to Forest Lodge. I have the munchies today.”

  “It must be from all the sun this weekend. A severe overdose of Vitamin D.”

  Kayleigh laughed. “You could say that again.” She rubbed her shoulder, still feeling the effects of the sunburn.

  “I could actually use a bite to eat. I didn’t realize it until now, but I’m starving.”

  “Good, then you must try their eisbein. It’s massive, with lots of crispy fat.”

  “What? You figure that I look like I eat loads of saturated fat, huh?” Rebecca slid her hands along her narrow hips.

  Kayleigh laughed at the gesture. “Actually, you look like you need it.”

  †

  The Forest Lodge restaurant sat behind Rebecca’s store on the next street over.

  “Let’s see if we can get an inside table that’s by the window,” Kayleigh suggested as they walked up to the restaurant.

  “Sounds good to me,” Rebecca said as they walked inside. “I’ve never been here before.”

  “You’ll love it.”

  Once seated, they each ordered the famous eisbein and a salad. Kayleigh ordered an extra meal to take home for Sarah.

  After the waiter disappeared behind the doors marked No Entry, Rebecca looked across the table at Kayleigh. “How is the sunburn, by the way? I noticed you rubbing your shoulders in the store.”

  “Ugh. You don’t want to go there. My skin feels as though a cheese grater scraped against it all night.”

  “I’m sorry I didn’t get there sooner.” Rebecca glanced down, and Kayleigh noticed her gaze resting on her chest.

  “Me too. Look.” Kayleigh said as she unbuttoned two of the top buttons of her shirt. She shifted the material aside in order for Rebecca to see the damage.

  Rebecca inhaled. “Ouch. Painful.”

  “Then why are you smiling?” Kayleigh slapped Rebecca’s arm playfully before she buttoned up her shirt.

  “Didn’t know I was. Sorry.” Rebecca blushed.

  The waiter returned with their food.

  “Thank you,” Kayleigh said with a smile before they both started digging in to their meal.

  “You were right, this is delicious,” Rebecca said after she swallowed a mouthful.

  “I know, right? Sarah and I come here regularly. Their burgers are enormous. Next time we come here, I challenge you to finish one of those.”

  “Next time?” Rebecca stopped chewing for a short moment. “I’d like that.”

  Kayleigh warmed at the affectionate look Rebecca gave her. “Of course next time. Aren’t we friends?”

  “Well, I did give you sunscreen, so technically we qualify.”

  Just as they�
�d finished eating, the waiter brought Sarah’s take away meal. Kayleigh reached for the bill, but Rebecca was faster. She snatched it out of the air and shoved her credit card in the waiter’s hand.

  “On me,” Rebecca insisted.

  “Hey, come on. I invited you. Besides, I made enough money today to invite the whole of Sedgefield for lunch.”

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah. Don’t be such a show off.” Rebecca’s tone was playful as she waved Kayleigh’s hand off. “You don’t even have enough money to purchase yourself regular sunscreen, but you have enough for a big, fat eisbein?”

  “I’m never going to live this one down, am I?” Kayleigh leaned forward in her chair enjoying the easy way they talked to one another. “Next time I’m paying. But for now, I want to be your very first customer for the day. Take me to your store, and I’ll buy Sarah a CD.”

  Rebecca reached across the table and brushed Kayleigh’s hand with her fingertips. “Lunch was my pleasure.” She held Kayleigh’s hand briefly before quickly withdrawing it.

  Kayleigh slowly pulled her hand off the table and looked at her watch before gasping. It was nearly three and time to collect Sarah from school. She would only have a few minutes to find a CD.

  After she followed Rebecca to her store, Kayleigh quickly browsed the CDs. She was sure there was some sort of a virus brooding somewhere inside her body since her hand still tingled from where Rebecca held it. She felt feverish as she scanned the shelves. She finally picked out a CD that was one of Sarah’s favorite groups along with another one for her Jeep.

  Rebecca smiled as she rung up the purchase. “Thank you,” she said handing Kayleigh the bag.

  “You’re welcome. I’ve got to run or I’ll be late picking Sarah up.”

  Kayleigh left the store and headed toward her Jeep. She hopped in, inserted one disk into the shuttle, started the engine, and then drove off to school to fetch her ultimate reason for living—Sarah.

  †

  Kayleigh smiled at her daughter and gave her a quick hug after she hopped in the Jeep. “How was school?” she asked.

  “It was okay.”

  “Here, I picked this up for you.” She handed Sarah the CD.

  “Wow, can I listen to it now?”

  “I have to go back to the clinic and order some stock. You can listen to it there.”

  Once they arrived back at the clinic, Sarah immediately popped her new CD into the stereo system that piped into the rooms. She sat at the counter and settled down to eat her meal. Ordering stock took Kayleigh two hours. Now that her practice was picking up pace, she needed to think again about hiring an assistant soon.

  Kayleigh kept glancing at the door, trying to convince herself that she was waiting for more clients—she knew better. She was hoping for a visit from Rebecca. Something about this new friend of hers was very real and very different from all the other friends Kayleigh had ever had.

  She couldn’t stop thinking about lunch and the way Rebecca’s eyes intrigued her. Kayleigh shook her head. It wasn’t her eyes, but rather her friendly personality and the intelligent conversation that drew Kayleigh to her.

  “Mom, please can I go and look at some of the other CDs?” Sarah whined after a while. “I’m bored to death just sitting here.”

  “Sure, sweetie. Just give me a second. I have to walk with you.” Kayleigh swiftly counted her supplies in the fridge while marking down which stock she needed to order, then she closed the fridge, grabbed one of her business cards from the counter, and accompanied Sarah to Rebecca’s store. During the short distance to the CD store, Kayleigh’s heart rapidly picked up pace. She took a sharp intake of breath before entering the store.

  †

  “Hi, Sarah,” Rebecca said as they entered the store.

  “Hi,” Sarah said. “May I look at your CDs?”

  “Of course you may.”

  “Do you mind?” Kayleigh asked Rebecca. “You can just give me a missed call when she’s done, so I can come fetch her.” Kayleigh handed Rebecca her business card. Their fingers brushed as Rebecca took the card. Kayleigh steadied herself as she felt her knees weakening at the slightest touch.

  “Absolutely. Sarah can stay for as long as she wants. Not a problem at all.”

  “Thanks. She’s got nothing to do, and it would really help if she could kill some time here.” She felt scrutinized as she spoke, and blushed.

  †

  Once Kayleigh returned to her practice, she continued with getting the order together. She had hardly started counting when the doorbell chimed. Kayleigh turned around quickly, only to find Kenneth Berkley, a cop from the K9 Unit, walking in with his German shepherd. He brought his dog, Diesel, in every now and again for a check-up, always asking her out on a date before he left. Because she had no real feelings for him, she always declined his offers. He, on the other hand, never gave up. She disliked men who couldn’t accept no for an answer. Nevertheless, he was a client, and she adored Diesel.

  “Hi, Doc.” Kenneth grinned at her as he entered. His brown moustache was so long that it was lower than his top lip. It looked like it must be taking jabs at his tongue every time he licked his lips. He had a nice body, probably kept fit from all the running around with his dog.

  Has no-one ever told you how unsexy that moustache is? She thought to herself. Trim it, at least, for heaven’s sake. You can see yesterday’s eggs for breakfast stuck between those hard facial hairs.

  “Diesel!” Kayleigh called as she bent down to scratch him right behind the ears where he loved it so much. Diesel’s tail was a blur as he leaned into her legs.

  “I just wanted you to check his hips again, Doc. He’s struggling to get up in the mornings.”

  “Okay.” She gave him a quick glance, avoiding too much eye contact, before giving Diesel all her attention again. “Come, boy. Let’s see.” She led him to the exam room.

  Kayleigh palpated Diesel’s hips, poked and felt them from every single angle and Diesel didn’t show any sign of distress whatsoever. She turned to collect his x-rays from the cupboard and put them up against the x-ray light. She couldn’t see any abnormalities.

  “Do you want me to take more x-rays, Kenneth? This is the third time I’ve taken them and I find nothing unusual.”

  She wondered, seriously, if the poor dog would grow an extra eye if he endured any further radiation exposure. Kayleigh wasn’t sure but wondered if he was lying about the dog having difficulties with his hips in order to get her attention. Her experience with men was that they would spin any crap story just to get into a woman’s panties.

  “Actually, I was hoping I could take you out for a steak or something,” Kenneth confessed, finally.

  As if she didn’t see that one coming.

  She suppressed herself from rolling her eyes. “Kenneth, you shouldn’t use Diesel to pick up chicks, you know. You’ll confuse him, and he’s a dog of the law.”

  “Come on, just one date, and you’ll see I’m quite a catch.”

  Kayleigh tossed the thought about inside her head for a second or two. She had thought she was done with men, but maybe going out on a date would be a good idea after all. Maybe she was just sexually frustrated. Casual sex was something she never indulged in, but it was possible that this was exactly what she needed. The thought of having it with Kenneth was nauseating, though. Nope, not in this lifetime.

  “Can I call you on that? I have your number.” She pointed toward the computer on her desk before leaving the exam room and leading them to the reception area. She needed to think this through thoroughly before she made the wrong decision. Imagine how hard it would be to get rid of him after a date.

  He stepped closer and took both of her hands in his own, while Diesel wagged his tail. There was a minute of awkward silence as they stood there looking at one another. Kayleigh breathed a sigh of relief when the bell rang. Sarah came rushing in. Kayleigh let go of Kenneth’s hands and turned toward her daughter. For a brief second, she caught a glimpse of Rebecca, who must have ac
companied Sarah, through the glass door. When she looked again, Rebecca was gone and a feeling of disappointment filled Kayleigh.

  “Mom!” Sarah exclaimed as she ran toward her, “There are so many cool CDs there. Please can we go there some time with your wallet?”

  Sarah shot Kenneth a quick glance before she crouched by Diesel. “Hey, boy, I missed you.” Sarah scratched him behind the ears. Diesel closed his eyes as his tongue bungee jumped from his open mouth.

  “We’ll go in just a moment, sweetie.”

  Kenneth’s face dropped as he put Diesel’s leash back on. “I guess I’ll wait by the phone for your call then.”

  Kayleigh watched him walk out of the office with his shoulders slumped. Men.

  “Can we go now, Mommy? Please?” Sarah bounced up and down.

  “As soon as I’m done, baby. I have stock to order, remember? Otherwise, I’ll have to use a pan to anaesthetize the animals next week. You know the bang over the head method?”

  Sarah giggled. “You wouldn’t.”

  “Here, let me show you how it’s done.” Kayleigh took her cup and chased Sarah around the counter. Sarah laughed and ran into the examination room. By the time Kayleigh had finished ordering stock, it was dark. She called Sarah from the back, who had kept herself busy drawing pictures of Diesel, and locked up shop. She took a deep breath and then headed off to the CD store with Sarah by her side. Much to her disappointment, the doors were already locked, the lights were off, and Rebecca was nowhere in sight.

  Without saying goodbye, Kayleigh thought miserably. Disappointment crawled through her veins, although she knew she had no right to feel that way.

  Embarrassed by her own reaction, she turned to Sarah. “I’m so sorry, sweetie. We should’ve come earlier.” They walked to the Jeep and as Kayleigh unlocked the doors, Graham approached on his scooter. He slowed down to a stop and lifted the visor of his helmet.