Yesterday's Kiss

by Fall, Carly

Maggie stared into her coffee cup. His words saddened her, but they were true. Sometimes the truth hurt. When she finished with her exploration of her past life, she would need to go back to reality and continue to work to find her happiness. She had no doubt that eventually she would.

  The waitress brought over her food, and Maggie dug in, a little self-conscious of eating in front of Joseph.

  “I love watching your delicate mouth as you eat,” Joseph murmured. “I remember your lips as if I just kissed them yesterday.”

  Maggie blushed and put down her fork. “Stop it,” she said, “you’re embarrassing me now.”

  Joseph threw his head back and laughed, and Maggie couldn’t help but giggle. She realized she must look absolutely ridiculous to anyone watching her. Even though the other patrons and staff could only see her back, they must be wondering why she was laughing.

  “Ah, Margaret,” Joseph said. “It was always so easy to bring a blush to your cheeks. I’m so happy to see that hasn’t changed.”

  Maggie took another sip of her coffee and picked up a piece of bacon. “I want to go to the church where we were married after I finish eating.”

  “And I shall be more than happy to accompany you.”

  Chapter 12

  Maggie stood in front of the small, red A-frame building. She felt unsteady as she stared up at the tall steeple. She climbed the steps and sweat broke out over her brow as she read the sign on the building: Bisbee Historic District, 1903, Presbyterian Church.

  A part of her wanted to get in her car and drive as far and as fast away from Bisbee as she could. That same part wished she had just stayed home. However, something within her had come alive at the cemetery, and now she was simply consumed with the need to know everything about her time with Joseph. Everything that she had learned in the past twenty-four hours rang as true, and she had to know the rest of their story.

  She took a deep breath and pulled open the large, wooden door.

  Maggie gasped at the familiarity she felt when she stepped inside. Old, wooden pews and a red carpet led up to the altar, where a large pipe organ stood, its tall cylinders reaching almost to the ceiling. The scene before her changed without warning, and she was immersed in another time.

  She watched herself standing at the alter wearing a lacey, long-sleeved off-white dress, her hair piled on top of her head in soft waves. She smiled at Joseph as he took Margaret’s hand, and a jolt of energy traveled through Maggie, forcing her to grab the pew.

  Slowly, she sat down, her breath coming in short spurts. The feelings of the moment washed over her. The love between her and Joseph was intense—almost an entity of its own. As the wedding ceremony went on, it built and encompassed the small space filled with observers.

  Her thoughts traveled back to her wedding to Jerry. It had been a huge, elaborate affair paid for by her father, costing over thirty thousand dollars. She knew very few of the guests at her wedding, and Maggie had always believed it was her father’s way of apologizing for walking out on her and her mother and showing all of his friends what a good dad he was. Their relationship had always been strained, and Maggie’s father tried to quell that strain with monetary gifts, not realizing the only thing she needed was his time. She would have preferred a smaller wedding with family and friends, but her father had insisted, and, in essence, bulldozed her into what he wanted.

  Just like with Jerry, she had been weak and didn’t stand up for herself.

  “These were our friends,” Joseph said from beside her. “Our wedding was very big news: the miner and the prostitute marrying. Things like that didn’t happen very often.”

  “I didn’t continue prostitution, did I?” Maggie asked.

  Joseph stared at her, obviously offended. “Of course not. How could you even ask that?”

  Maggie laughed. “Relax, Joseph. I was just asking. I didn’t think so, but I had to ask.”

  She returned her attention back to the ceremony.

  “I now pronounce you man and wife,” the minister said.

  Maggie watched as Joseph leaned down and kissed Margaret, then took her in his arms. The congregation gasped and happy laughter flitted through the air.

  “I considered myself the luckiest man in the world that day, and every day after our wedding day,” Joseph said. “You were the most interesting woman I’d ever met, and very intelligent. You loved talking about your books, and I loved listening to the stories you told. You had a wry sense of humor, and a kind heart.”

  Joseph and Margaret faced the congregation together. Applause filled the room as they walked down the aisle.

  “You always wanted to help others. Many times you insisted we give shelter to girls who came through town looking for work. You had a smile for everyone. You were like ray of sunshine coming through the storm clouds on a rainy day.”

  As Margaret and Joseph passed by, Maggie could see the happiness radiating off her. There wasn’t any of the uncertainty she felt in the present day. Even though she had been a prostitute, Margaret was a confident, young woman. She glanced up at her new husband and smiled, her brown eyes glittering with happiness and love.

  Maggie closed her eyes for a moment, and when she opened them, she was back in reality again. The church was empty, and Joseph sat beside her.

  Maggie envied Margaret and hoped that one day she would regain her full confidence. She was close, but not quite there. She wanted to be self-assured as Margaret was, as Maggie used to be.

  “You were so strong, Margaret. I loved you and admired you. Even though I was the man of the house, you were the rock in our marriage.”

  Maggie felt pride at his words, and then realized she really wasn’t much different now. Yes, Jerry had beaten her down, but she had built herself back up. She was still strong and continued to get stronger every day.

  “How long did you court me before we were married?” she asked.

  “About four months. I knew after our first night together that you were the one for me.”

  “How old was I when we married?”

  “Nineteen.”

  “And you?”

  “Twenty.”

  Maggie nodded. They had been married six years. How odd to be so certain of something so monumental after such a short period of time, and at such a young age. Things were different in today’s world. People dated and lived together for years before getting married, and sometimes they opted not to. Even though many gave themselves more than enough time to get to know the other person, the divorce rate still hung at fifty percent.

  Maybe people just made more of an effort to stay married a century ago. Maybe they were happier, as they didn’t have the distractions of everyday life such as phones, computers, and television. Maybe they just concentrated on each other, and that’s what made it work.

  Or maybe she was just hoping that fairytales did exist. Perhaps she and Joseph hadn’t been as happy as he thought they were. She wished she had a way of finding out what had gone through Margaret’s mind once they said, “I do,” and if she was really as happy as she seemed.

  She looked over at him. “Were we happy together, Joseph? I mean, really happy?”

  “We were, Margaret. We argued every now and then about silly things like mud on my boots, but we could never stay angry for long. I loved you, and you loved me. It always came back to that.”

  They stared at each other for a moment. “We were very lucky then,” Maggie whispered. How she wished she could touch him.

  Joseph smiled sadly. “Yes. Yes, we were, Margaret.”

  Maggie wanted to pull her gaze away, but couldn’t. In the silence, the sexual tension between them slowly built, and her cheeks warmed while her stomach coiled.

  “I wish I could hold you again, to feel your body against mine,” Joseph whispered. “I wish I could hold your hand and kiss your lips.”

  Maggie’s breath hitched and her hands twisted in her lap. She tore her gaze away and looked around, feeling shy and awkward. The sincerity and passion of hi
s words both excited and frightened her. “I don’t know if this is the right place to be talking about . . . that stuff,” she said with a smile. She wanted to end the conversation because she wanted the same things as Joseph, but she didn’t want to think about it. She could never be with Joseph, the biggest problem being he was dead and she was very much alive.

  Joseph chuckled. “Perhaps you are right,” he said. “But I can tell you, when I touched you, it felt as though God was very much involved. I thanked him for you every day of my existence.”

  Maggie’s cheeks warmed further.

  “Judging by the color in your cheeks, I believe I’ve embarrassed you with my comments, and I’m sorry.”

  Maggie smiled and looked at him. “It’s okay.”

  Joseph tilted his head to the side. “Would you like to see our house? Where we lived as man and wife? It still stands today.”

  “I would like that, Joseph. Do you haunt it?”

  “Of course not,” Joseph said, a hint of indignation in his voice. After a moment he smiled, his eyes glinting with mischief. “Although, I admit that I’ve tried, but with no success.”

  Maggie laughed. She would have done the same in his shoes. They shared the same devilish streak.

  Chapter 13

  The pink and green house sat on the hillside on the north end of town. As Maggie climbed up the steps, she tried to imagine what it would have looked like in the early 1900s. She was almost certain it wouldn’t have been pink and green.

  “As you know, this town was built before the invention of cars, so many of these houses still standing today don’t have road access,” Joseph said.

  She couldn’t imagine living in a house without road access. People who lived in these houses parked their cars down at street level and took a cement staircase built into the side of the mountain up to their homes. If she lived in Bisbee, she would definitely drop some weight from climbing all these stairs.

  She got to the final step and made a mental note to count how many there were on her way down. Hopefully going down wouldn’t make her feel like a walrus climbing Mount Everest.

  When they reached the top, Maggie bent over and put her hands on her knees, trying to get control of her breathing. She was a little embarrassed at all the huffing and puffing she was doing in front of Joseph, but it was what it was.

  “Are you okay, Margaret?” he asked, concerned.

  “Yes, just out of shape and carrying around a little too much weight.”

  “Nonsense. I think you’re perfect just the way you are. You are intelligent, funny and very attractive.”

  She glanced over at him and stood to her full height. If she was crazy and had pulled Joseph out of her subconscious, she’d sure done a hell of a job at making him damn near perfect for her. A man who preferred an intelligent woman with a little meat on her bones was just what she needed.

  “Let’s go look in the house,” she said.

  The “For Rent” sign hung from the front porch, and the stairs creaked with each step. She noted the chipped paint and the dirt and grime around the windows. Pressing her hand up to the glass, she tried to see inside, but the dirt was too thick. She rubbed the pane with her palm and tried again.

  She realized she was looking into a small, bare living room. The old hardwood floors were dusty, the walls painted white. To the left was a quaint kitchen area, the appliances also covered in a film of dirt, but Maggie could tell once the dust was cleared, they would be shiny white with steel trim. She took an immediate liking to the cozy space and wanted to go to the back of the house and peek in the rest of the windows.

  “Excuse me, miss?”

  Maggie whirled around, surprised to see a woman with short, spikey gray hair standing at the bottom of the porch stairs.

  “May I help you? Are you interested in seeing the house?”

  “You scared me!” Maggie said, trying to calm her heartbeat. She smiled at the woman and was about to tell her that no, she wasn’t interested in seeing the house, but then Joseph appeared behind the woman and nodded.

  And why not? Why shouldn’t she go into the house that a ghost said was theirs over a hundred years ago?

  She couldn’t help but smile. Now she was sounding like a lunatic, even to her own ears.

  “I’d like that,” she said. “Are you the owner?”

  “Yes,” the woman said. “I live a few houses down and come by to check on the property a few times a week. I was surprised to see you standing there. I’m Doris, by the way.”

  As she walked up the porch steps, Maggie noticed Doris favoring her left leg. Dressed in jeans and a white button-down shirt that strained at her bosom, Doris’s crinkled green eyes were kind as she smiled and stuck out her hand. Maggie shook it, and glanced over Doris’s shoulder at Joseph. “I’m Maggie.”

  “Margaret. Your proper name is Margaret,” Joseph said, smiling. “My Margaret.”

  Maggie gave him a quick glare, hoping that Doris hadn’t seen it as she turned to open the door with a set of keys she had fished out of her pocket.

  The door groaned as Doris pushed it open and stepped inside. “It’s a darling home with a lot of potential,” she said.

  Maggie followed her in, her sneakers making puffs of dust on the hardwood floor. She took in the room, the light filtering in from the dirty windows, and was about to ask Doris to tell her about the history of the house, but the room started spinning. Maggie put her hand up against the wall to steady herself and closed her eyes. Doris was talking about the features of the house such as the newer appliances and a washing machine hook-up, but her voice just faded into the background.

  A moment later, the movement stopped, and Maggie opened her eyes.

  The walls were still white, but shadows were cast over the room from the lit candles sitting on the tables, and the faint smell of smoke permeated the air. A blue sofa with spindly wooden legs hugged the wall, and a dark wooden table was pushed off to the side. A vase holding a bouquet of blue wildflowers sat on the table.

  Margaret and Joseph danced around the small space, both grinning at each other. She wore a high-collared white nightgown that flowed to her ankles, her hair cascading down to her shoulder blades. Joseph’s thick chest was covered in a blue, long-sleeved undershirt and he wore long gray underwear. As they swayed side-to-side, Joseph hummed a song Maggie didn’t recognize.

  “I always fancied myself a singer,” he said from behind her. “But honestly, I’m not very talented.”

  Maggie listened to the notes and begged to differ. The song was slow and sexy, his voice just a little raspy. Heat coiled in her belly as she listened and watched them.

  The humming stopped, and Joseph leaned over and kissed Margaret. At first, the kiss was tender, but then he brought his hands to the sides of her face, his fingers lacing through her hair, and his lips moved urgently over hers. Margaret snaked her arms around his waist and pulled him closer, her hands roaming up and down his back. After a moment, Joseph pulled away, smiled and took her hand. They disappeared around the corner, and Maggie trailed them.

  As she turned the corner, she realized she had followed them to the bedroom.

  They stood in the middle of the room, locked in a passionate embrace. Joseph kissed Margaret as he slowly pulled up her nightgown revealing her calves, her thighs, and then her bottom. He kneaded her flesh, and Maggie’s breath caught as he brought the nightgown over her head.

  Margaret stood naked, looking exactly the same as Maggie did in present day. But Margaret was not the least bit apprehensive about her body. She smiled at Joseph as she pushed up his shirt and kissed his chest. Joseph groaned, and pulled the shirt over his head, the muscles in his back rippling. He then quickly stepped out of his long underwear, revealing a very nice backside.

  Margaret sat down on the bed and scooted backward. Maggie noticed it was made perfectly and would bet ten dollars the sheets were tucked in just as she liked them—as both of them preferred. Joseph lay down on top of Maggie. Their mouth
s met again, and Margaret laced her hands behind his neck, spread her legs, and Joseph’s hips pushed forward.

  “I’ve seen enough,” Maggie said. The room began to spin again, and she steadied herself against the wall.

  “But you haven’t seen the kitchen,” Doris said. “Are you feeling okay, honey?”

  Maggie opened her eyes and looked at the woman. No, she wasn’t feeling okay. She was disoriented, upset, and sad. She wanted what Margaret had. Margaret had obviously been loved for who she was, just the way she was. Joseph loved every curve, every dimple she had. He loved her body and her mind, and it made Maggie mad that she’d had put up with Jerry for so long.

  Joseph appeared behind Doris looking concerned. As Maggie stared at him, she knew he was everything she could ever hope for in a man, except for the fact that he was dead.

  “I’m fine,” Maggie said as tears burned her eyes. As she swiped at them, she said, “The dust has got my allergies into an uproar.”

  Doris nodded. “I hear you. I have them, too. Let’s go see the kitchen.”

  Maggie followed her, and Joseph trailed after her. “Are you okay, Margaret?”

  Maggie nodded.

  “We were beautiful together, weren’t we?” Joseph said. “When I made love to you, it was as if time stopped. It was as if we left this earth and were on our own plane, and nothing else mattered except the meeting of our bodies. It was a glorious experience.”

  Maggie’s cheeks burned at his words. She tried to focus on what Doris was saying about the cabinets, but she couldn’t as she remembered how Margaret had stood before Joseph in the nude, not caring about the little bit of cellulite on the back of her legs or her tummy paunch. She had looked confident, happy, and, obviously, Joseph found her terribly sexy.

  Maggie would kill for that kind of confidence.

  Doris finished her speech on the house and turned to Maggie. “What do you think?”

  “I love it,” Maggie whispered, taking in the space again. Peace and comfort overcame her, a feeling that signaled she was right where she belonged as she stood in the middle of the dirty, little house. Looking around the kitchen again, Joseph appeared in the far corner by the stove and smiled.