Still, Forever, Promise

by D. L. Merritt

  It took longer to meet with Dr. Callahan than scheduled, and the first applicant for the esthetician position passed the doctor on his way out. For the next four hours, they conducted interviews—a painstaking process, but Brianna knew the importance of picking candidates with the right mindset to join the spa team. She anticipated at least two more days of interviewing to fill all the positions.

  Once the last applicant left, Brianna leaned back in her chair and expelled a sigh of relief.

  “That was difficult, almost painful. They all have the right credentials. Which ones do you like the best?” Charlene asked.

  “I’m going with my gut instinct. It’s always worked in the past.”

  “You’re right about that. That’s how you got me.”

  Brianna smiled at Charlene. The animosity of earlier disappeared as she thought about all the obstacles they had weathered together. She’d been under an enormous amount of stress since her parents’ death and taking it out on everyone around her. She would work harder on being more tolerant. Once she returned to Carmel, life would get back to normal, and she hoped her good temper would as well.

  Brianna gathered her notes, and pulled out the most impressive applications to review later. She checked the time on her cell phone—2:45 p.m. She excused herself to go upstairs to freshen up before meeting Riley.

  Charlene came up with her, collapsed on the sofa, and tossed her shoes across the room. “I’ve got blisters from walking up and down those stairs all day,” Charlene said, rubbing her feet.

  “Buy some better fitting shoes,” Brianna replied as she scurried into the bathroom to check her appearance. To her relief, the blue circles had diminished. Her pride dictated that Riley see her as a beautiful, talented woman. She wanted him to regret that he’d ever let her go. That would be sufficient retribution.

  Shame overshadowed her nervous anticipation, and a litany of adjectives ran rampant through her head—stupid, pathetic, dangerous. Why didn’t I refuse to meet him? What would Ben think? I’ll go, but only to explain to Riley we’re over. I’ve moved on. He needs do the same. I’m not sneaking off. It’s out in the open in broad daylight.

  Brianna knew she should tell Charlene, but she couldn’t take that chance. Charlene would make a big deal out of it and blab to Ben before she had a chance to explain. Meeting Riley went against her better judgment, but her relationship with him had changed since she first arrived in Fairmont. Old feelings had reawakened that were hard to ignore. They needed to be resolved if she wanted to continue with her plans to marry Ben. She had enough dark secrets. She didn’t need an old relationship to end up being her downfall.

  The phone rang. Brianna rushed into the bedroom to pick up the receiver before the answering machine clicked on.

  “Bree, it’s Connie. I got in touch with Mrs. Burke. She gave me permission to give you her number. I’d call today, though. She’s going out of town tomorrow for a week and doesn’t have a cell phone. She’s old-school. Feels modern technology has ruined society. People no longer write letters or sit down and talk like they used to. It’s all texting and email.”

  “She has a point. Thanks for arranging this, Connie. I’ll call right now.” Brianna wrote down the number and, after hanging up with Connie, immediately dialed Mrs. Burke.

  She introduced herself and explained the reason for her call, including the letters from Sarah and the other items they found in the attic. “I know your mother lived here when she was a child and came back as an adult. Did she ever mention a woman named Sarah Satterfield?”

  “By your question I’m guessing you’ve seen the ghosts?”

  “You knew—”

  “I wasn’t sure. I’d hoped it was my mother’s illness talking. You see, she moved back to Fairmont after my father died. The manor had been neglected for years. She wanted to repair her childhood home, but a month or two after she moved into that house, her health deteriorated. She became a recluse, which was not like her at all. She loved to socialize when she lived in Chicago. In fact, she was in charge of the gardening club and several local committees. She even met friends for lunch once a week, but not after moving there.”

  “Do you know why she changed?” Brianna asked.

  “She claimed the ghosts wouldn’t let her leave, not even to go outside and garden. Mom even had her groceries delivered to the house. Every time I called she seemed more frightened. That’s when I tried to get her to move back to Chicago. She said she couldn’t leave. She had to help Sarah. I knew something was wrong so I contacted her local physician. With his help and an attorney, I had her declared incompetent and moved her to a nursing home in my neighborhood where I could visit her every day. As her mental state continued to decline, she would ramble on and on about the ghosts and how they visited her as a child. The doctors told me it was dementia, but I wasn’t convinced.”

  “You said they.”

  “Mother said there were two spirits in the house—Sarah and the other one she called the dark one.”

  “What did she tell you about them?”

  “She said when she was a child Sarah would come to her room every night and play with her. Sarah loved children and had lost a child a long time before. That’s why she was so sad. Mom said Sarah would stand at her bedroom window and cry almost every night. Her parents thought Sarah was an imaginary friend. They told my mother not to talk about her to anyone outside of the family because no one would understand.”

  “You’re mother wasn’t afraid?”

  “Not of Sarah. She was as real to her as a living person.”

  That’s not surprising. Riley’s seen Sarah, but I’ve never seen her as anything but a mist. She must only show herself when she wants to.

  Brianna remembered reading that children were born with the ability to connect with the other side, because they hadn’t been conditioned to ignore what others thought was impossible until they grew up and became cynical and disbelieving of the unknown. She also read that children see in the UV spectrum. Adults cannot. Several paranormal experts believe ghosts hang out in the UV spectrum, and that would account for this phenomenon.

  “What about you grandparents? Do you know if they experienced anything of a paranormal nature when they lived here?”

  “I don’t think so. Mom said her parents would check on her once in a while because they would hear another person talking to her, but when they opened the door, she was alone in the room.”

  “How did they explain that?”

  “They assumed my mother used different voices when she talked to her imaginary friend.”

  Brianna sank to the mattress and glanced around the room. “Your mother never mentioned the dark one by name?”

  “All she would say was that one was evil. That’s why Sarah promised to watch over her and keep her safe.”

  “Did she ever tell you why the evil spirit wouldn’t let her leave?”

  “I never found out. When she died, I put the house on the market, but I should never have sold it. I’ll understand if you want to back out.”

  Brianna detected a quiver in Mrs. Burke’s voice. “I didn’t mean to upset you, Mrs. Burke. I have no intention of leaving here. I wanted to know what I’m dealing with, and you’ve managed to clear up some of my questions. I’m not afraid, but I am determined to find out why these two spirits are still here and help them move on.”

  Mrs. Burke expressed her relief and seemed happy that she had been able to help. She told Brianna to call her if she had any more questions.

  Brianna hung up and walked to the window. How many days did Sarah stand here waiting for a man who wouldn’t return? She gazed at the mountains, and a deep sadness engulfed her. Haunted images flooded her mind of a tragic love affair that had ended too soon. The sun was bright but its warmth couldn’t thaw the ice that slithered into her heart like a boa constrictor sneaking up on its prey. She was suddenly unable to breathe and stumbled away from the window. She clasped a hand around her throat and took deep breaths, forcing a
ir into her lungs. What had caused such an intense reaction?

  She willed her emotions to return to normal. Once she was in control again, she was ready to leave for her meeting with Riley. She headed toward the door, but froze when she spotted the ghostly apparition of a man floating at the foot of the bed. He was translucent but recognizable. James! She watched in astonishment as he raked a hand through his unruly hair and ran the tip of one finger around the collar of his shirt.

  Sarah wrote about the first night she’d met James. He’d been pacing in her room. Was she witnessing a residual haunting, a moment in time that had already passed?

  Her gaze remained fixed on the restless spirit until he gradually faded away. Was James’s spirit trapped here too? How much impact can a spirit have on the living or the dead? Mrs. Burke said her mother felt that she couldn’t leave the house because the spirit forced her to stay, but which one—Ms. Kennedy, Sarah, or James?

  Brianna was more than ready to leave the manor and the secrets it contained. But meeting Riley? Was that such a good idea? What was she getting herself into, and why was she willing to lie to her best friend to keep their meeting a secret? Those questions would have to go unanswered if she wanted to make it to the river on time.

  When Brianna entered her living room, Charlene hadn’t moved from her original spot on the sofa.

  “Char, I need to run a few errands.”

  “I’ll come with you. We can get a bite to eat in town.”

  “No!” she said, a bit more forceful than necessary. “You’ve already put in a full day and we have the party tonight. Stay here and go through my closet for something to wear. I won’t be gone long. I’ll help you cook when I get back.”

  She rushed toward the door before Charlene could wheedle her way into coming. The phone rang again.

  “You want me to get that?” Charlene asked.

  “Let the answering machine get it. I’ve talked to enough people today. I’ll check the messages when I get back.”

  “Are you sure?”

  Brianna nodded

  Charlene’s smile changed to a pout—her usual behavior when she heard the word no—but it was her narrowed eyes that had Brianna concerned.

  I know she’s suspicious, but I don’t have time to deal with her right now. I’ll have to handle her bad mood later.

  To throw Charlene off, Brianna left with a cheerful, “I’ll see you later,” and rushed toward the stairs.

  Chapter 32

  The car hugged the curves of the road heading to the river. The sun threatened to blind her, and Brianna flipped the sun visor down. It gave her a small measure of relief, but didn’t help to curb the flutter attacking her stomach.

  On any other day, she would have enjoyed the lush landscape. Today, the scenery whizzed past unnoticed as she sped toward her destination.

  When the turnoff was within sight, she slammed on the brakes and came to an abrupt stop. What’s wrong with me? I’ve lost my mind? That’s the only explanation. Otherwise, why would I agree to meet him alone? This is a huge mistake. I can’t do this.

  Her hands tightened on the steering wheel, ready to jerk the car around and head back to the manor. For some reason, she couldn’t. Her foot lifted off the brake, and the car coasted down the clay road. As she got closer to the river, and Riley, a wave of emotions washed over her, including an overwhelming sense of anticipation.

  She found a spot well hidden from the manor and parked the car. Angry with herself for even agreeing to meet Riley alone, she yanked the keys from the ignition and stuffed them in her pant pocket.

  The trees provided a canopy of shade making it feel several degrees cooler here than at the manor. She crossed her arms and slumped against the car. Would she be able to walk away from this meeting unscathed? Knowing she wouldn’t find the answer here, she shoved away from the car. Let’s get this over with, she thought.

  She came into the clearing where their tree loomed in the distance. Riley leaned with one foot propped against the mottled bark, a Yankees baseball cap bent at a rakish angle. It had always surprised her how he managed to appear calm and easygoing when she knew how much nervous energy oozed from every pore in his body.

  He looked at her and smiled. “This is a good omen. I half-expected you to stand me up.”

  “I told you I’d come. Now what did you want to tell me that was so important that I had to sneak out of the house?”

  His grin widened. “You snuck out?”

  “What else could I do with Charlene there? I can only imagine what she’d think if she knew the truth.”

  “You never cared what anyone thought before.” He scrutinized her as if she was a model in front of his camera. “You’ve changed.”

  “It’s called growing up. You might want to try it sometime. Of course it helps when you stop living in the past.”

  “If you feel that way, why’d you come?”

  She shrugged.

  “It’s because you know we’re not over.”

  “Yes, we are.”

  Riley stepped closer, his voice infused with regret, tenderness, resolve. “You can’t deny we have a connection. Sparks fly every time we’re in the same room. I know you feel it, but you’re too damn stubborn to admit it.”

  Engulfed in the scent of his sandalwood aftershave, she fought the urge to step closer. She remained aloof, hoping to hide the emotional turmoil churning underneath her calm façade. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” But which one of them was she trying to convince?

  He took her hand, lightly stroking the tattoo on her wrist. “We’re meant to be together, Anya. It’s destiny.”

  She wrenched her hand away. “That’s a bunch of bull. Ever heard of free will? We decide our fate, not some mysterious superpower. No one is laying down ground rules we have to follow to find purpose and happiness in life.”

  Riley’s green eyes met hers. “Please, sit down. We need to talk.”

  She remained where she was. “I can talk standing up. Besides, we have nothing left to say to each other. You made it pretty clear how you felt the night you broke up with me.”

  Riley clasped her by the shoulders and looked into her eyes. “I did that for your own good.”

  “Stop lying!” she shouted, yanking herself out of his grasp. “You did that for you, so you could be free to date other women without feeling guilty.” She turned away and looked out across the river.

  Riley grabbed her arm and spun her around. “That’s not true. You know how far away New York is? With my class schedule and workload, I knew I couldn’t come back to Fairmont as much as I’d want to. I didn’t want you to put your life on hold for me. I wanted you to make sure I wasn’t a crush. You know as well as I do that long distance relationships rarely work.”

  Brianna took a deep breath and counted to ten, a practice her father had taught her to curb her fiery temper. “Rarely work, but it could have. You didn’t even give us a chance. You decided our future without even discussing it with me. Did you think I was so immature that I didn’t know the difference between real love and a crush?”

  “I didn’t say that.”

  “Then what are you saying?”

  “I knew you wanted a career in interior design, and I supported your dream, but I had my own dream. My scholarship didn’t pay all my expenses. I had to work, sometimes two jobs at a time, to support myself. What did you want me to do?”

  “We could have stayed together. I would have waited for you, if you’d given me the chance.” All the dashed hope she’d felt as a teenager came crashing in. She felt his eyes watching her as she paced along the riverbank, but she didn’t look up. Riddled with doubt, she fell silent. Nothing good will come out of rehashing the past. I’m engaged to Ben now. I should leave.

  “I planned to come back for you,” he admitted.

  She stopped pacing and faced him with her hands on her hips. “And that makes everything all right? Did you think I’d be here pining away until you decided you wanted me a
gain?”

  “I‘ve always wanted you. That hasn’t changed.” He ran his hand around the back of his neck. “I thought when I came back, if you still loved me, we’d pick up where we left off. If not, then I knew I’d made the right decision to let you go.”

  “You’re so conceited. You never considered the possibility I’d find someone else and move on?”

  “I hoped you wouldn’t.”

  “But you were willing to take the risk. You know . . .” She paused, making him wait as she had waited. “I had the right to make my own decisions. You took that away from me. And your plan didn’t work.”

  “Wh-what do you mean?”

  Hurt flashed across her face, and with her voice hoarse with emotion, she answered, “You never came back to find out how I felt.”

  “I know,” he whispered. Riley picked up a handful of rocks and threw them one by one across the river. “Once I graduated and was hired by the agency, I was so busy I sometimes didn’t even know what country I was in. My life became a blur. I was in Afghanistan, chasing another story and sitting alone in a sidewalk café when a couple walked by, hanging all over each other. That’s when I realized life would pass me by if I didn’t do something. I’d screwed up. I wanted the life we planned under this tree,” he said, patting the trunk. “I wanted you.”

  “A little slow aren’t you? It took you eight years to decide you loved me?”

  He threw another rock. “I’ve never stopped loving you.”

  “You loved me so much that you could find the time to call my dad, but not me?”

  “Your father and I decided it was better that way. He wanted you to finish college first.”

  “Did my dad know you were going to break up with me before I did?”

  “Yes.”

  “And you planned my life together without even asking me what I wanted?”