by K. J. Emrick
Darcy took the good luck coin out of her pocket. Flipping it through her fingers one last time, she handed it to the Police Chief. “Can you see that he gets this?” she said. “It’s not much, but maybe it will ease his pain a little.”
The Chief nodded, respect showing in his eyes for what she had just done.
Chapter Eleven
Darcy figured the whole conference was a loss at this point. Jon and she went back to the hotel room, deciding to spend one more night here and then head out in the morning to go home rather than drive in the dark.
Exhausted, they both fell asleep almost immediately. Jon was a comforting presence in the bed with her. Maybe that was why her dreams were so pleasant and forgettable. Smudge was in one, but as himself, a lovable ball of fluff who thought he was more human than cat.
In the morning, they showered together, and touching led to other things which led to them both missing the hotel’s continental breakfast. Love had always come before food for them.
Now, they were faced with a dilemma. Starve on the ride home, or get breakfast first. When her stomach growled it had decided it for them and Jon had offered to get them something. “My hero,” she whispered in his ear with a kiss.
Darcy spent the time while he was gone packing up her few things and getting ready to leave. She had already collected Marla’s stuff and set it by the door. She wasn’t sure what she was going to do with it all, but she would bring it home and sort through it there.
Her aunt’s book went into the top of one of her bags. She ran a hand across the front cover. “Thanks, Millie,” she whispered. “I know you’ll have to go on to your final rest sometime. Until then, it’s sure nice having you around.”
She turned and almost ran into Jeff’s spirit.
“Will you stop that!” she shouted. “Look, Jeff, we’re leaving. We’ve done everything we can do here. As soon as Jon gets back we’re having a little breakfast and then we’re getting in the car and we’re going. I don’t want you to follow us. Got it?”
He nodded, his eyes downcast. He shifted from foot to foot and there was obviously something else he wanted to say. If it was possible for a spirit to look pathetic, Jeff was managing it really well.
“You can go now,” she told him directly. “Seriously, go. You were a big help to us, pointing out Marla’s murderer and yes, even saving my life. So, thanks for that, but you’ve corrected everything that could possibly be holding you here. Your secret affair with Marla isn’t secret anymore, we found out about the scams you were doing to steal money from people, and we know why Marla got killed. What are you waiting for, a pat on the head?”
She hadn’t realized just how much anger she was still carrying around with her toward Jeff. It had all built up into that one little speech there, and now that she heard herself, she understood just how dark her mood was. He’d hurt her emotionally, hurt her badly, and it had been something she had never really gotten over. This trip had made it worse. Old and new wounds alike had been opened up. It was eating at her, and eventually it would do worse. It had already affected her relationship with Jon. She had to let him know she would always love him. She had to let all that other bad stuff go.
More than that, though, Jeff had to let go.
Darcy sighed. It was up to her. No one else that Jeff knew had the gift. Only her. So regardless of how much pain Jeff had brought into her life, and into the lives of others, she would have to be the one.
The one to help him cross over.
Sucking in a deep breath and letting it go slowly, she brought her hands up to the sides of his face. She could feel the tingle on her skin as his spirit touched her flesh. Physical contact was necessary to accomplish this. Without it, she couldn’t act as a conduit.
He smiled at her, his eyes growing brighter. “I’m sorry,” he repeated one more time.
“I know you are, Jeff. I know you did things you’re sorry for now. I know you did things to me you never told me about, and I know you feel bad about that. Now, at least.” She held her breath until it had built up enough pressure for her to force the words out. “Jeff, I forgive you. I no longer hold your bad acts against you. Go, now. Go in peace, and find your rest.”
He lifted a hand to touch her cheek, almost lovingly, and the prickly sensation became ice. Then his spirit began to fade, becoming fainter and fainter until it was gone for good, gone over to the other side.
Darcy clamped her mouth tightly shut. Even so, a tear trickled down her cheek.
The door to the hotel room opened and Jon came in. He hesitated when he saw her like that. “What’s wrong?”
Wiping at the tear, she went back to packing. “Nothing. Jeff’s gone, is all.”
“And that’s a bad thing?” he said.
She let that comment go. Her emotions were in too much of a tangle right then. “Are we ready to go?”
“Yes. We are. Darcy…” He came over to her and with a gentle grip pulled her into his arms. “Look, I’m sorry you had to go through all this. I know your gift gets you into trouble, or into situations that cause you trouble, and all that. This one was bad, though. Right?”
She nodded, and stopped trying to hold herself back from him. She laid her head down on his shoulder. “I’m glad you came out to be with me.”
“Me too. There’s no one I’d rather get hit in the head for than you.” He rubbed a hand around her back. “Are you okay?”
His warmth spread through her body and somehow, she found it easier to breathe. “I am now. Let’s just go home.”
“Agreed,” he said.
Still, they held each other that way for a long time.
***
On the ride home they fell into a comfortable mood that was almost like any other day for them. They talked, and joked about things they heard on the radio, and listened to music. By the time they made it back to their house, Darcy had put the events of Ryansburg behind her. At least for now.
As soon as she stepped through the door Smudge pounced on her, rubbing his face and body around and around her legs, meowing like he had incredibly important things to tell her. She laughed, stepping carefully around him to make it inside to the couch where she could put her bags down. She bent to pick her big tomcat up and hold him tight while she stroked the fur between his ears. His purring was loud and happy.
“Did you miss me?” she asked. “Did Lilly take good care of you?”
Smudge gave her a look that Darcy read as, “The kid has promise but no one feeds me like you.”
She laughed and set Smudge down again. Lilly was the daughter of her new next door neighbor, Izzy. Jon had asked her to watch out for Smudge while he was gone. Apparently she’d done a good job, because Smudge certainly didn’t look like he was starving.
Jon came in from parking the car and Darcy watched as he and Smudge stopped and faced each other. Reluctantly, it seemed to Darcy, Smudge went over and rubbed against Jon’s leg. It was a lot less enthusiastic than what the cat had done with Darcy, but it was a grudging show of affection for the new man in Darcy’s life.
Then Smudge jetted across the room and Darcy could hear him running upstairs. Men, she thought, with a little laugh.
Jon watched her from the doorway between the kitchen and the living room. Then he smiled and turned away. “So. I should call your sister at the police station and see what I’ve missed. I should catch her up on how Marla’s murder investigation turned out, too.”
“Jon, wait,” Darcy heard herself say. He did, turning back to her without a word.
Darcy knew she had been all over the map these past few days, what with Marla’s murder and Jeff’s ghost and all the rest of it. She had been on an emotional roller coaster ride and only now was she finally able to get off and settle herself.
The thing of it was, she knew what she wanted out of life now. If she was being honest with herself, she’d known all along, but she’d been too scared to say it. Her marriage to Jeff had ended in divorce. Now she knew that had only been
the tip of the iceberg. She didn’t want that for her and Jon. She didn’t want to ruin what they had right here, right now, in this house.
And while she’d been afraid of losing that before, she wasn’t afraid of it any longer.
She went over and took him by the hand, leading him to sit with her on the couch. Clearing her throat and feeling suddenly very nervous, she looked up at him, but not quite into his eyes.
“So, I want to ask you something.” She took his hands in hers and studied his fingers. Especially his ring finger. “I know I was hard on you in Ryansburg. I don’t want you to think that I don’t want to be with you. I really, really do.”
He sat there, not saying anything, while she gathered her nerve. “So here’s the deal. I have never loved another man the way I love you. I know that what Jeff and I had was wrong for us. But that was him and me. I won’t project that onto what we have. So, tell me Mister Jon Tinker.” She couldn’t believe how hard her heart was hammering. She took another deep breath, and went for it. “Will you marry me?”
He didn’t say anything, but a smile slowly spread across his lips and his eyes lit up. Darcy knew what his answer would be. It had been obvious that he wanted to marry her for a long time. Maybe she was reversing things by being the one to ask him, but that was the kind of girl she was. Unconventional.
Then his smile slipped a notch. “Darcy,” he said, hesitating.
Oh, no. Oh no, oh no, oh no, she thought to herself. Don’t hesitate. Don’t do that!
He saw her look of panic and took his hand away to cup the side of her face. “Don’t worry, it’s not like that. I love you. I love you with all my heart for who you are and the things you do. You’re brave and honest and beautiful.”
“Thank you,” she said, preening under the list of compliments. “And you want to spend the rest of your life with me, right?”
“I do,” he said quickly, “but we need to talk.”
“Talk?” She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Talk about what?”
As he was about to answer her, his cell phone rang from his pocket. Rolling his eyes he took it out and looked at the screen. “It’s the office,” he told her.
“Let it go to voicemail,” she said, but he had already thumbed the answer button.
“Hello.” He listened to the voice on the other end of the line. “Yes. Now? This isn’t a good…no, I understand that.” He sighed, heavily, and rubbed his forehead. “I’ll be right in.”
He stood up, putting the phone back in his pocket. “I swear that place will fall apart one day when I’m not there. Darcy, I have to go in. Something came up that I need to be there for. Actually, I think you should come along too. I know we just got back, and we still need to burn our mattress and buy a new bed and all, but this is really important.”
Darcy was confused. She didn’t know what was going on. She stood up and tried to read his face. “Of course I’ll come with you, Jon, if you need me. But…what about my question? You kind of need to answer me, right?”
His smile was distracted. Whatever he’d heard just now on that phone call must really have been serious. When he took her in his arms and leaned down to whisper in her ear, she wasn’t sure what he was going to tell her.
Later, if anyone asked her what he had said, she could honestly answer it wasn’t what she had expected at all.
But then, her life was like that. Unconventional.
***
Hi everyone. This is Darcy Sweet.
I hope you enjoyed this story, as well as the other stories in my series. My life might be complicated, but it sure is fun!
Just so you know, the e-mail address I gave Goddard really does belong to me. I love getting e-mails, too. Drop me a note sometime. I always answer back. Write me about anything. Men, books, or even the care of cranky cats who think they're human. Or, write me your ghost stories or questions about the hereafter.
There's more adventures to come here in my sleepy little town of Misty Hollow. Hope to see you again soon!
[email protected]
--End--
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About the Author
Strongly influenced by authors like James Patterson, Dick Francis, and Nora Roberts, Kathrine Emrick is an up and coming talent in the writing world. She is a new Kindle author/publisher and brings a variety of experiences and observations to her writing.
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