by Unknown
“What kind of things did your father give you?”
Abigail rested her head on Nick’s shoulder and relaxed. “Twice a year he took me places I had only dreamed about. I think my favorite trip was when we went to Paris. He bought me a beautiful gown. All the girls at the school were jealous, but” —she frowned— “it didn’t make up for the time we didn’t spend together.” She paused for several seconds, then asked, “Remember when I told you about personal items of mine disappearing?”
“Yes.”
“This gown was one of them. It always hung in my closet, yet it was missing for two days. I found it in the greenhouse, if you can imagine that.”
“That doesn’t make much sense. Even if you were devastated with your father’s death, why would you put your gown there?”
“My thoughts exactly.”
“Do you think someone was playing with your mind?”
Abigail shrugged. “I don’t know. Why would they? The servants were like family. They didn’t want me to lose my mind, because then Uncle Alexander would get the inheritance.”
“Very true.”
“Why someone would take my gown and not my hat is beyond me.”
“I’m thinking your hat was too gaudy for anyone else to wear,” Nick said with a grimace. “I’m glad you decided to remove it.”
“Big hats were the popular thing in those days. Ladies didn’t leave the house without one. In fact, I competed with my friends as to who could wear the largest hat.”
“Oh, good grief. Who won?”
“I did, of course.” She laughed. “Then again, I was probably the silliest-looking woman of all.”
“Tell me about your friends.” Nick ran his fingers along the side of her face.
“I didn’t have a lot of close friends who were around my age, mainly because I spent most of my extra time at the newspaper to be closer to my father. Of course, that didn’t work as well as I’d liked, but it kept me busy. The girlfriends I did have lived in my neighborhood, and our friendships were mostly superficial— you know, all the rich men’s daughters getting together for social events.”
“Did you ever regret not having many close girlfriends?”
“Yes, a few times. Lily was always there for me, but she was more like an aunt. There were a few ladies who worked at the newspaper who were my friends, but only when I was at the office.”
“What about boyfriends? I bet you had a lot of young men lined up at your door.”
Abigail laughed and shook her head. “You would have lost your bet, then. My father kept a close eye on the boys who wanted to court me. Some were even afraid of him. Not only was my father threatening, but he had his friends and business partner watching out for me. They were so cautious. If I wanted to go out with a boy, I’d have to sneak away from the house to do it.”
Nick kissed her forehead. “Well, if I ever meet your father, remind me to thank him.”
“Why?”
“Because you might not have fallen in love with me if you had dated other men.”
She straightened and turned to face him. “Why would you say that? I was never attracted to the boys who wanted to court me. I knew what they were really after.”
He cocked his head. “What?”
“My father’s money.”
“Don’t sell yourself short, Abby. You’re a knockout.”
She gasped and stared at him. “What? You think I’m a . . . . a boxer?”
He chuckled. “‘Knockout’ is my way of saying you’re a very beautiful woman who is more passionate than I could have ever imagined.”
Abigail sighed and leaned against him again. “Why couldn’t I have met you before I died?”
“Probably because I wasn’t born yet.”
She laughed and kissed him. He held her head as he nibbled on her lips for a second before she pulled away. “Maybe it’s a good thing you were not alive in my time,” she said.
“Why?”
“Because all the girls would have flocked to you, and I would have never had the chance to catch your eye.”
Nick shook his head. “I don’t think so. You caught my eye when I first saw you in my office.”
“Only because I was dressed funny.”
“Well, that too, but the more you talked, the more mesmerized I became. There’s something about you that makes me want to be with you all the time.”
Relaxing against him, Abigail sighed. “Oh, Nick. You say the sweetest things.” She loved the way he made her feel more alive than when she was living. She also loved how he showed interest in her life. It’d been a while since she’d thought about those days. She’d wanted a beau so badly, but between her father and his manager at the newspaper, it was impossible.
Harry. Such a kind, endearing man. He was more like a favorite uncle or older brother than just a friend of her father. He watched out for her almost as much as her father did; he was almost too protective at times. She laughed and shook her head.
“What’s so funny?” Nick wondered.
“I was just thinking about Harry, my father’s good friend who helped manage the newspaper.”
He arched his brow. “Why would you think about him while we’re cuddling?”
She laughed. “It’s not like that at all.”
“Did you have a crush on him or something?”
She giggled. “Not likely. I never thought of him that way. He was a lot like my father, watching out for me, and wary of my friends.”
“So why were you thinking of him?”
“The day before I was killed, Harry proposed to me.”
Nick stiffened and stopped stroking her arm. “He asked you to marry him?”
“Yes. He was worried about me being alone, and he wanted to help. Apparently he thought marriage would make things better.”
“Maybe better for him, but what would you have gotten out of it?” Nick asked.
“Just his protection, I think. I didn’t love him in any romantic way, only like a good friend. He was much older than me. I think he was only ten years younger than my father.” Nick’s body relaxed and she cuddled close again. “I wonder what happened to him?” Abigail said. Then she noticed Nick’s clenched jaw. “Don’t worry about it. I’m certain he married and had a bunch of kids.”
“I’m wondering if we should include him on our suspect list,” Nick replied.
“No. He loved my father. He loved me and wanted only the best for me. He had no reason to kill me.”
A lazy smile played across Nick’s face. “So, you didn’t have any boyfriends, and you had only a few friends. What did you do for fun?”
She closed her eyes and rested her head back on his chest. “I didn’t do anything for fun. I didn’t know what fun was back then.”
“Now you do know?” he whispered against her neck.
“Hmm.” Abigail smiled. “I think so. Being with you has been an adventure.”
“You can say that again.”
The next day Nick met with several clients as Abby sat next to him. He didn’t have to look to know she was there—he could feel her warmth and smell the sweet scent of berries.
Once the last client left and the door closed, Nick pulled Abby onto his lap and kissed her. She fit against him so perfectly, and he knew they were meant to be together. Yet his mind argued with his heart. After all, she was dead to everybody but him.
Nick rested his forehead against hers. “I want this workday to be over.”
“Me too.”
“I want to cancel all my appointments and do nothing but hold and kiss you.”
She smiled. “That would be so nice.”
As he kissed her again, his cell phone rang. He pulled away from Abby with a groan, then grabbed the phone off his desk. The caller ID read “Ruby Marshal.”
His chest clenched. His mother usually only contacted him if she’d been injured, or if she wanted to deliver some news about his future. Of course, now he wanted to hear what she had to say, since he knew she’d
been right about his soul mate.
He kissed Abby again quickly. “Honey, I have to take this call.”
“All right.”
She jumped off his lap and he stood, flipping open the phone and bringing it to his ear. “Hello?”
“Hello, Nick. Am I calling at a bad time?”
“No, Mother.”
Abby’s eyes widened and her mouth formed an “O.”
“Good, because last night I had the urge to call you,” his mother continued. “I don’t know why, but the more I put it off, the greater the feeling became. I’m aware you think I’m crazy, but I need to see you today, Son.”
“Sure. What time?”
He heard his mother take a surprised breath on the other end of the phone. He hadn’t been close to her since his father took him away and convinced him she wasn’t a good parent. She’d been an embarrassment to him growing up, and most of the time he didn’t want anything to do with her.
Now Nick wondered if she could really see into the future.
“Can you come over after you get off work?” his mother asked.
“That’s good for me. I’ll see you around seven.”
“Thank you.” Her voice cracked as she said goodbye.
He closed the cell and walked to the window. He didn’t part the shades to look outside, just stared.
Soft hands trailed up his back. “Are you all right?”
“I think so. I don’t hear from my mother that much, and usually when I do, she has something to say about how I’m living my life.” He chuckled. “Then again, isn’t that what mothers are supposed to do?”
“My mother died when I was young,” Abby said, “so I don’t have firsthand knowledge of that.”
Nick closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “I grew up thinking she was crazy. My father influenced my opinion a great deal by constantly saying terrible things about her. I rarely visited her, and when I did, she embarrassed me.” He shook his head. “Now I actually believe she was only trying to help.”
Abby’s arms wound around Nick, linking together on his stomach as she rested her head on his back. “I’m sorry.”
He patted her hands. “Don’t be sorry. I feel this way about her now because of you.” He turned and wrapped her in his embrace, holding her against his chest. “You’ve opened my eyes to a lot of things, Abby.”
She smiled. “That means I have done something good in my life.”
“Yes, you have.” He kissed her forehead. “I’m going to see my mother tonight after work. I hope you don’t mind if I do it alone.” “I understand. Will you come back afterward?”
“Nothing can keep me away, honey. You’re going to be by my side as long as I can keep you there.”
“Oh, Nick.” Abby sighed and pressed her face against his chest. “How long do you think that will be? I’m so scared now. I don’t want to leave you. I don’t care who killed me, not really, especially if knowing the truth means it will take me away from you.”
He tightened his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. “Let’s not think about that right now.”
The truth was, Nick didn’t want to find her killer either, not if it would mean she would have to cross over. What would happen if he dropped the case? Would Abby remain in her ghostly but almost real state, or would they be punished for trying to alter her existence?
Twelve
Nick’s palms felt moist as he stood at his mother’s door. He’d never enjoyed their visits, but now he realized a lot of that had to do with his father’s anger and embarrassment. Nick wanted to see his mother this time, and he looked forward to what she had to tell him. Would it have anything to do with Abby? He still wondered how he could he have a future with a ghost who’d been dead since 1912, but he hadn’t given up hoping.
After taking a deep breath, he rang the doorbell. When the door opened, light from inside the house spilled onto the porch. His mother wore a yellow and green dress that covered her arms to her elbows, and most of her legs. White sandals laced across her stocking feet. The years had aged her, drawing lines around her mouth and eyes. Nick saw sadness in her eyes, and he felt guilty knowing he’d caused much of her heartache.
“Hello, Mom.”
Her lips quivered as she returned his smile. “Please come in,
Nick.”
Knick-knacks decorated her front room, lining shelf upon shelf. Larger items sat on the floor next to a small television, and the worn sofas were covered with colorful afghans. Several rugs were scattered across the hardwood floor.
“Would you like to sit?” she asked.
Nick nodded and sat on the sofa he remembered hating as a boy. There was never anything for him to do when he visited his mother, just sit and read. Now he wished he had talked to her and gotten to know her better.
She paced the floor, squeezing one hand with the other. “It’s good to see you. You’ve changed a little since I saw you in Hollywood.”
“Yes, I think a lot about me has changed, Mom. I realize now that I should have taken your advice about Leslie Blake. If I had, maybe my life wouldn’t have been so hard.”
“You wouldn’t have learned so much if you’d listened,” his mother said matter-of-factly as she sat next to him. “But I see something else in your eyes. You’ve suffered a lot, but I detect a bit of happiness. Am I correct?”
He grinned. “Yes, I’m happy now. I’m satisfied with the way I’m living.” He grasped her hand and her eyes widened. “I’ve also found my soul mate, just as you told me I would.”
She gasped. “You have?”
“Yes, Mom. This woman traveled a long way to find me, just like you said.”
“What’s her name?”
“Abigail Carlisle.”
“Tell me about her. What does she do? Where does she come from?”
Nick wanted to laugh. What did Abigail do besides hang around in a ghostly state and make him happy beyond measure? He definitely couldn’t tell her that Abigail came from 1912. “Well, her father owns a newspaper, so she is an heiress in her own right.”
“I’d love to meet her one day,” Nick’s mother said.
“I’d love for you to see her too.”
“If you care deeply for her, then I’m sure I’ll love her.”
“So, Mom,” he said before taking a deep breath, “what do you need to tell me? Your phone call sounded urgent.”
She stood and paced the floor again. “I know you’ve always thought of me as insane, but I’m not. I have a gift, and I want to use it in helping people.” She stopped by a shelf and straightened a row of figurines. “Lately, you have been on my mind, more now than usual.” She turned and faced him. “I cannot see your future, which worries me a bit, but I can sense how happy you are, so it eases my fear slightly.”
Nick nodded, his throat growing tight with emotion. “I am happy.”
His mother sat on the couch beside him again, took his hands, and stared deeply into his eyes. In the past when she’d done this, it had made him uncomfortable. Now, more than anything, he wanted her to look into his soul. Would she be able to read his mind, feel what was in his heart? He wanted to talk about Abby, but he didn’t dare.
She nodded and smiled. “I feel this woman is indeed your soul mate.”
“I know she is.”
Tears formed in his mother’s eyes, and then she hugged him. Nick put his arms around her, realizing he couldn’t remember the last time they’d embraced. Suddenly, he wished he hadn’t been without her all those years. He pulled away and gazed into her eyes. “Mother, I want—” He swallowed the lump in his throat. “Please forgive me for all the mean things I’ve said to you in the past. For the first time in my life, I see clearly. I feel terrible for the way I’ve behaved, and I promise never to hurt you again.”
Tears streamed down her face. “There is nothing to forgive, my dear. Your father had a lot of influence on you. In a way that’s good, because it made you successful.”
Nick shook his head. �
�But it also kept me away from a loving mother.”
She cupped his face in her hand and smiled. “Thank you, Nick. I’ve always loved you, and I couldn’t be more proud of you.”
She kissed him, then hugged him again. “Before you leave, I must tell you what I’ve seen in your future.”
Nick held his breath. Earlier, she’d said that everything she had seen was good. What was she holding back?
She closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead. “I haven’t been able to make sense of anything.” She looked at him and grasped his hands. “Nothing is as it seems.”
“What does that mean?”
His mother shrugged. “Like I said, I can’t figure it out. All I know is that it’s not right. You have to make it right. Don’t set your mind on thinking things are going a certain way, because they’re not. Nothing is as it seems.”
Confusion filled Nick’s head as he kissed his mother goodbye and left. Her “sights” had always been a bit disoriented, yet she’d always been correct somehow. So what did her vision mean this time?
Abigail walked the floor, praying Nick and his mother could talk things out. He seemed to long for a good relationship with her, and it tore at Abigail’s heart to think he was raised without her.
Abigail didn’t remember much about her mother, but her father kept miniatures and paintings of her around the house. He’d told Abigail that her mother often took her on picnics while he was at the office, and she wished she could remember those times.
Although she had loved her father dearly, Abigail had spent much more time with the servants than with him. They knew her heartaches. They knew about her frustration when her father or Harry had chased away another beau.
Thinking about the past upset her, so she walked behind Nick’s desk and sat, looking for something to keep her mind occupied until he returned. The computer on his desk was still on. Since she’d been watching him for a while, she knew the miracles this contraption could do.
Abigail rested her hand on the object that fit in the curve of her palm. Why in the world they called this a mouse, she’d never understand! She moved the arrow around until she found the picture of a blue “e.” Nick had called this the Internet, whatever that meant.