A Rocky Path Page 11

  * * *

  As she slowly came awake, Emily realized that she was warm and comfortable. She gradually opened her eyes, wondering if she was dead or alive. She felt alive, but she didn’t really know what being dead was like, so there was no frame of reference.

  When her eyes were able to adjust to the low lighting, she realized that she was lying on blankets and was covered by another fluffy blanket. She sat up and looked around. She saw a fire burning nearby, explaining the warmth she was feeling in addition to the blankets. As she took in her surroundings, she saw that she was in some kind of cave. She couldn’t see the opening and she didn’t know how deep into the cave she was or where the cave was even located. She didn’t remember seeing any caves nearby. And who had brought her here?

  She realized with a start that she was naked under the blanket. She blushed slightly, then thought about how ridiculous it was to be embarrassed about something like that when someone had obviously saved her life. But who?

  “Hello? Is anyone here?” she called out. No one answered and she wondered if whoever it was had left her here alone.

  She looked around a little more closely than before. She saw her clothes laying out on a rock near the fire. They looked like they were completely dry. How long had she been here? She got up slowly, looking around to make sure no one was watching her. Then she hurried over to her clothes and put them on. They were nice and toasty from the fire. She walked around the cave, looking for the exit. She must have been pretty far back into the cave because she couldn’t see where she had come in.

  “I’m glad you are awake.”

  She whirled around and was standing face to face with Patrick. Her heart started beating wildly at the sight of him with his disheveled hair and his beautiful blue eyes.

  “Patrick!” she cried and flung her arms around him.

  He enfolded her into his arms and pressed his face against the top of her head. He kissed her forehead and her face, and then he pulled back a little bit so he could look into her eyes.

  “When I saw you out in the water, I thought you were dead. The way that made me feel…you just can’t imagine. I jumped into the water and pulled you out. You weren’t breathing. I felt like someone had punched me in the stomach. I turned you over and tried to push all the water out of your lungs. When you started coughing, I thought my heart would burst with joy. You started breathing regularly, but you didn’t wake up. I brought you in here so you could warm up.”

  “I thought I was going to die. I finally just gave up because I couldn’t fight anymore. The last thing I remember was going under one last time before everything just went away. Then I woke up here.”

  Patrick stroked her hair and her face. He kissed her on the forehead again, then her cheek, her nose, her chin. Then he took her face in both of his hands and slowly kissed her on the lips. His kiss was feather light, but it felt like paradise to her.

  “Emily, I love you so much. I’m sorry I didn’t come to you earlier. If I had, none of this would have happened. I put you in jeopardy by being stubborn, thinking I knew what was best for you. I’m so sorry, my love. Can you forgive me?”

  “There’s nothing to forgive. You did what you thought was right at the time. Even if it wasn’t.”

  He smiled wryly. “I have had 150 years to perfect my arrogance. In all those years, I never had a woman around to tell me when I was wrong.”

  Emily smiled at him. “I guess we all think we know what’s best for the people we love. The problem is that you didn’t trust me to be able to accept what you are.”

  “How did you figure it out? I knew you had figured out that I was a spirit being when you were calling to me tonight. If I had been a living man, you wouldn’t have just stayed out here trying to get me to come to you.”

  “You know that I saw the portrait of you. I didn’t realize at the time that it was you. I just thought it was an ancestor of yours and that you had inherited his looks. I did some research and talked to a historian about the house and your family. When he told me the name of a young man that drowned in the very place I met you, I knew the truth. I was stunned at first, but then I accepted it pretty quickly. I guess I have more of an open mind than I thought I did.”

  “And you can still love me, knowing what I am?”

  “Yes, I love you more than anything!”

  “Sweet Emily, you have such a beautiful heart. I don’t know how I could have ever left you. I just wanted you to be happy, and I knew we could never be together.”

  “You mean because you need to leave this world and go on to Heaven?”

  “No, it’s more complicated than that. We can’t be together…in the way I would like to be with you.”

  “You mean, we can’t….?” She blushed.

  “No, we can’t. I don’t want to talk about that right now, ok? I just want to enjoy being with you for just a little while.”

  He sat down on the blankets and she sat in his lap and snuggled up against him. He put his arms around her and held her close, then tilted her face up to look at him. He lowered his face to hers and kissed her slowly, his lips a little more insistent this time. Her lips parted to let his tongue into her mouth and his kiss became deeper as his arms tightened around her. She felt him grow rigid under her and she wondered why they couldn’t be together the way she wanted to. Obviously, he was aroused and wanted her as much as she wanted him.

  Suddenly he drew back from her, his eyes dark and stormy as he looked at her. Then he gently pushed her off his lap and stood up.

  “Patrick, did I do something wrong?”

  He laughed bitterly. “No, my love, you did everything right. That’s the problem. I want you so badly, but we can’t. I can’t go into details about it right now. The next time I see you, and we are both calm and rational, I will explain a lot of things about my world to you. For right now, you probably should get back to the house. There are going to be people worried about you and you are going to have to explain some things.”

  “I wonder what time it is.”

  He smiled. “Any timepiece that I might have had has long since stopped working. Let me walk you out.”

  She put on her coat, which was also dry by now, and they walked out of the cave together. When they reached the outside, she saw that the storm had passed, but it was pitch black.

  “Where are we?” she asked.

  “Not as far away as you think. The cave is well hidden, and you can’t see it unless you look for it. See, there is the place where we always meet. Now you can see the light of the house. Let me walk you as far as the garden.”

  They walked up to the house. All the lights were on inside. She wondered how late it really was.

  “I have to leave you now. Emily, will you meet me tomorrow? Sometime after dinner?”

  “Yes, of course I will. But I expect a lot of answers then. Promise?”

  “I promise.”

  He took her in his arms and kissed her long and deeply. He looked at her and smiled. Then he turned around and started walking back down the path. And for the first time, she saw him slowly fade, then disappear from sight.

  Chapter Twenty One

  When Emily walked into the house, every member of the household was pacing, all of them with worried expressions on their faces. When they saw Emily, they all rushed to her at once.

  “Emily, where have you been?” cried Rebecca. “We were so worried! We knew you didn’t take the car and no one heard you leave. What happened to you?”

  Emily decided to tell a slightly skewed version of the truth.

  “I decided to take a walk like I often do down by the shore….”

  Sam exclaimed. “But a storm was coming and it was freezing out there! Whatever possessed you to do such a thing?”

  “I just like to go down there! Anyway, I fell into the water and this man came along and rescued me. I must have passed out because when I woke up, he had brought me home with him and dried my clothes. I must have been out for awhile. As soon as I
woke up, I came back here.”

  “What was this man’s name?” demanded Sam.

  “Um, I was so disoriented that I didn’t think to ask.”

  Jamie looked skeptical. “So how did you get home?”

  “He, uh, drove me home.”

  “I didn’t hear a care drive up,” Jamie said. “Where does this man live?”

  “Look,” said Emily, “I am tired, sleepy and stressed out. I want to go to bed. I’m tired of getting the third degree. I want everyone to just leave me alone and let me get some sleep. What time is it anyway?”

  Rebecca looked at her watch. “It’s 12:30 am. You’ve been gone for hours.”

  “I’m sorry I worried everybody. But I’m alright. So please let me just go get some sleep.”

  Sam reached out and grabbed her and hugged her tightly. “Just don’t scare us like that again, ok? We are all getting very fond of you and we don’t want anything to happen to you. Now, we are going to let you go upstairs and we won’t interrogate you anymore.”

  “Thank you!” she said.

  Emily walked slowly up the stairs, weary but full of happiness because she had found the love of her life again.

  * * * * *

  Emily was awakened at 3:00 by a light tapping at her window. That was odd. She was sleeping on the second floor. A little apprehensively, she slipped out of bed and went over to the window. With trembling fingers, she slowly drew the curtains back. There, on the window sill was a raven. In his beak was a folded piece of cloth, tied with a black ribbon. This was the oddest thing she had ever seen. It was like the raven was expecting her to open the window and take his offering.

  She opened the window, careful not to frighten the bird away. She reached out her hand, afraid that the bird might peck her. But her curiosity outweighed her fear. With a shaking hand, she took the cloth from the bird’s beak. He cocked his head at her, and then he flew away. She closed the window and drew the curtains back together. She untied the ribbon and opened up the cloth, revealing the treasure inside. There, in the folds of the cloth, was the little silver ring that she had lost in the water. With a cry of delight, she slipped the ring back onto her finger. Then she realized that there was also a piece of paper in the cloth. She unfolded the paper and recognized the writing as being the same as on the note she had found with the painting. It was from Patrick!

  My dearest Emily,

  I found this ring where it had washed back up onto the rocks. I knew you would be happy to have it back, so I couldn’t wait to give it back to you. So I sent a friend to bring it to you. I hope he didn’t startle you too badly. I miss you so much already and am looking forward to seeing you this evening. I’m sorry that my friend had to wake you. I hope that you can go back to sleep and rest undisturbed until morning. I don’t know how I could have hurt you and myself so badly by staying away from you. Now that I have been with you again, I don’t know how I can ever let you go again. Sleep easy, my love, and dream of me as you slumber. I will see you soon and look forward to holding you in my arms again.

  Your love forever,

  Patrick

  Emily smiled as she thought of Patrick. He was the most beautiful man she had ever seen. She could get lost in his eyes, which could one moment be clear as a sapphire gem and the next moment be the stormy blue of the sea. She wished there was a way for the two of them to be happy together. But she knew they had to discuss the fact that he needed to rest in Heaven after having roamed the earth for 150 years. In fairness to him, she had to find a way to send him away, even though it would break her heart. But Sarah had done it. She had loved John with her whole heart and yet when she had found a way to send him home, she hadn’t hesitated. She had done what was right and noble. The question that burned in Emily’s mind was whether or not she and Patrick would be happy together when she died. When Patrick leaves this world, how long would it be until she, too, would die and go to Heaven? Would he know her there? Would they be reunited? And if she constantly thought about that for the rest of her life, how could she be happy? Would she go through her whole life waiting to die so she could be with Patrick? That would be no way to live. She needed to talk to Sarah and see what she thought and how she handled it.

  She finally fell asleep. And she dreamed about Patrick. It was a happy dream where they lived in a beautiful little house and they were married with two kids and a dog. It was a nice dream…so different from the reality she was living. But it was nice to dream for just a little while….

  Chapter Twenty Two

  The next morning, Emily awoke with a feeling of anticipation. She was going to see Patrick again! And yet she was a little apprehensive, not knowing what the future would bring. But at least now she knew that he really loved her and that’s all that mattered right now. Whatever times she had with him would be precious and she would have to be content with it.

  She went down to the basement for her workout. Jamie was there, just finishing up his routine.

  “Hi Emily,” he said as she came down the stairs.

  “Good morning. Already finished?”

  “Yep. I got up early this morning. I could tell that I hadn’t been working out lately. I hope I don’t take off from working out that long ever again!”

  “Jamie, why did you stop working out?”

  He sighed. “I was trying to give you some space. After what happened, I know that you’re uncomfortable around me. I just didn’t want to invade your privacy.”

  “That’s ok, Jamie. You’ve lived in this house a lot longer than I have. You shouldn’t have to abandon your workout just because of me. I appreciate the thought, but I have to get over it.”

  Jamie looked at her with regret. “Emily, I can’t tell you how sorry I am for what happened. I know that I’ve already apologized and you said you forgave me, but I still feel like a jerk. There’s nothing in this world I wouldn’t do to make it up to you, but I know that I can’t. I just hope I haven’t ruined any chance of friendship between us.”

  “It will take time to completely forget about what happened. I guess I’ll never really forget it completely. But we have to move on. I don’t want you to feel miserable the rest of your life for what you did. I do want you to promise me something, though”

  “Anything,” he said, sincerely.

  “Promise me that you will never take a drink again as long as you live. You know what it does to you, and something worse could happen the next time.”

  “Emily, I promise. I don’t want to even be around the stuff anymore. If it made me do what I did to you, I don’t want to have anything to do with alcohol ever again!”

  “Good. That’s the best thing you can do for yourself. And I won’t ever have to be afraid of you anymore.”

  Jamie winced. “I can’t believe I did something that would make you afraid of me. I’m not really that kind of guy.”

  “I know that. Alcohol makes you someone else completely. Ok, let’s not talk about this anymore. I have a workout to do before I get to work.”

  Work was light that day and she was antsy. She couldn’t wait to see Patrick.

  “Let’s only work half a day. I’m restless, you’re restless, and there’s not that much to do,” said Rebecca.

  “That suits me just fine. I think I’ll go see Sarah Stone again.”

  Rebecca laughed. “That crazy woman? Why in the world do you keep wanting to go see her?”

  “I like her. And she’s not crazy. She’s one of the most interesting people I have ever met.”

  “Whatever you say. Well, enjoy your day.”

  Emily called Sarah and asked if she could come over. Sarah was full of questions, but Emily told her she would tell her everything when she got there.

  When she arrived at Sarah’s house, the door was opened as soon as she started walking up the path to the house.

  “Come in, come in. I can’t wait to find out what happened with Patrick!’

  Emily walked into the living room and saw that Sarah had lunch laid out
on a small table. There were little sandwiches, cakes and the inevitable tea.

  “Wow, you sure whipped this up fast. I just called you about a half hour ago!”

  Sarah smiled. “I want my guests to feel welcome. Besides, if I ply you with food, you may be more willing to talk.”

  Emily laughed at that. “You don’t have to worry. I’ll tell you everything.”

  Over lunch, Emily related all the events of the previous night. She didn’t leave out any detail. When she was finished, Sarah was smiling.

  “That’s an incredible story. I’m sorry that you were in danger, but it all turned out alright. I’m glad you got to be with Patrick again.”

  “Sarah, I don’t understand why a ghost and a human can’t have a physical relationship. I guess I was dreaming of marriage and a little house and a normal life. The part of me that wants Patrick to stay is warring with the part that wants him to go to Heaven where he belongs. I was hoping that maybe we could get married, even if it was just for a short while. That maybe he would stay with me for a little while.”