Fire and Ice: A Paranormal Romance (5 page)

              “I never thought about that,” said Billy.  “But, it certainly makes sense.”

              “I think he is alive,” said Sarah.  “I believe that he’s in some sort of peril.  You describe him as good-natured and jovial.  The man in my dreams is not.”

              “Did you ever write your dreams down?” asked Billy.

              “I did, actually,” said Sarah.  “I started to keep a record of them in a journal by my nightstand.  Let me go get it.”

              Sarah left the room and returned a few moments later with the brown, leather-bound journal in her hand.  She sat down next to Billy, opened it up, and started to read its contents.  “All of this contact with Jessie happened within the last nine months, right after I moved here,” she said.  She kept reading.  “The dreams about her dad began five months ago.  I just know that the key to this entire situation is the burgundy building.”

              “What did you write down about the building?” asked Billy.

              “Just the color, the wrought iron railing around the balconies, and the number on the address,” she replied.

              “That’s not a lot to go on,” said Billy.  “But, it’s all we’ve got at the moment.”

              “I know,” agreed Sarah.  “If she could have given us more information to narrow

down this haystack, that would surely help.”

              “Sarah, I have to tell you something,” said Billy.  “I feel like I have been very selfish.  You have gone out of your way for me in a manner that I have never experienced with anyone in my life.  I really appreciate it.”

              “It’s no problem,” Sarah assured him.  “I just wish that I could do more.”

              “You’ve already done a great deal,” said Billy.  “I think that you are the only person who really understands me and knows what I have been going through these past four years.  I was always hoping for a sign from Jessie, but it never came.  Then, you appeared and changed everything.  I have to apologize for kissing you last night.  I didn’t mean to overstep my bounds.”

              “No need to apologize,” said Sarah.  “I wanted it as much as you did.”

              “I don’t mean to say something that’s out of line, but have you dated anyone

special since you came to New Orleans?” he asked.

              “Not a soul,” said Sarah.  “I basically go to work and come home.  It’s not much more exciting than that.  When Dana invited me to the crawfish boil, I was thrilled.  I thought that I would get to know some new people.  But, then when she mentioned that she wanted to introduce me to you, that sounded really exciting, too.  She told me that you were a shrimper. I heard the name of your boat and there was no doubt in my mind that we needed to meet.  I just wasn’t sure why.”

              “Me, either,” admitted Billy.  “What if it’s personal?  I mean, what if we were supposed to meet for a different reason?”

              “It’s a possibility,” said Sarah.  “But, I’m not sure if you would even
consider
being with someone other than Jessie and she’s gone.”

              “Maybe I would,” Billy said looking into her eyes.

              “I don’t know,” Sarah turned away.  “I think that you’re only interested in being with me because you’ll hear from her through my dreams.”

              “That’s not the only reason,” said Billy.  “Jessie wasn’t the one who was on my mind when I woke up this morning. 
You
were.  I’ve never met anyone like you before.  I just don’t understand all this psychic stuff.  It’s difficult for me to wrap my brain around it.”

              “Believe me, this is weird for me, too,” admitted Sarah.  “I only went to eat crawfish and hang out with friends.  I got pulled into a drama the likes of which I’ve never seen in my life.”

              “It’s my fault that you did,” asserted Billy.

              “No, it’s not anyone’s fault,” Sarah assured him.  “I’m supposed to be involved or Jessie wouldn’t have come to me at all.”

              “I think that she wanted me to meet you,” said Billy.  “Jessie knows that I’ve avoided getting involved with anyone.”

              “Well, we all have free will,” replied Sarah.  “It’s up to you to make choices separate from her.”

              “I think I already did,” Billy smiled. 

              “I wish that we had this all behind us,” said Sarah.

              “Maybe tomorrow we will,” replied Billy.

Chapter Three

Searching for Answers

-

              On Monday afternoon, Billy and Sarah met outside of the Hall of Records.  They proceeded to look through every document they could find to see if Charla owned any of the buildings that they had seen the day before.  None of them were in her name.  It proved to be a fruitless effort on their part.  When they walked out, Sarah was completely discouraged.  “What can we do now?” she asked.

              “I don’t know,” said Billy.  “Maybe we could walk down more streets and try to locate it.  Are you sure that there wasn’t any other detail that you might have overlooked in your dreams?”

              “Not that I know of,” replied Sarah.  They walked over to Billy’s truck and got in it so that they could talk awhile.  “Maybe we should let go of this until Jessie gives me more information.”

              “Do you think that she will?” asked Billy.

              “I’m not sure.  I feel like time is of the essence, but I don’t know how to make the connection between her father and the building.  I worry that we don’t have time to wait for more messages.  I’m not sure what to do.  There’s something else that we could try.  Why don’t you follow me to my apartment?” asked Sarah.  “I’ll park my car and get into your truck.  We can drive around and see if there are any buildings that we might have missed.  I am sure that we didn’t locate them all.  Like you told me yesterday, the entire Quarter is less than a square mile big.  It probably wouldn’t take too long.”

              “Are you sure that you’re up to it?” asked Billy.  “I would rather meet you at your apartment and take you out to dinner.  You’ve had a long day at work and need a break.”

              “I know I do, but I feel badly about not getting on this right away,” said Sarah.  She reached over and gave him a hug.  “Dinner sure sounds good, though.  Maybe if we get away from all this for a while, an answer might appear.”

              An hour later, the two of them were sitting outdoors on the terrace of a beautiful restaurant overlooking Lake Pontchartrain.  “This is so special,” said Sarah.  “Thank you for bringing me here.”

              “I was hoping that you’d like it,” Billy smiled.

              “The view is amazing,” said Sarah.  “I love looking out at all the sailboats.  By the way, how did you ever come up with the name of your boat?”

              “Actually, I didn’t.  Eddie named it and it just stuck,” replied Billy. “It’s bad luck to rename a boat.  There are even special renaming ceremonies for those who are foolish enough to change them.  Life on the water is dangerous enough as it is without tempting Poseidon.”

              “I had no idea about that,” said Sarah.  “I spent my whole life landlocked in central Texas, except when I went on vacation—and of course, moved here.”

              “I don’t know if you have ever noticed, but when people name pleasure boats, they’re usually about a way of life, like ‘Takin’ It Easy.’  Of course, they get named when someone is really excited about buying a new one and do not realize how much upkeep it’s going to take,” Billy laughed.  “We shrimpers name ours after women or about the realities of life working on the water.  I never asked, but I assume that Eddie named his
Gotcha
, because he was telling the shrimp that they were his each time they were in his nets.”

              “I imagine that’s why,” said Sarah. 

              Just then, a young blond-haired waiter with a lively personality came and asked them what they would like to drink. 

              “Would you like a beer?” Billy asked Sarah.

              “I think I’d like a glass of white wine,” she answered.

              “Why don’t we order a bottle of it, then?” asked Billy. 

              The waiter suggested the house wine and went to get it for them.  “I will bring your wine in a moment and be back to take your order,” he told them.

              “What looks good to you?” Billy asked Sarah as he perused the menu.

              “I was thinking of ordering shrimp etouffee,” replied Sarah with a smile.

              “Let’s make it two of them, then,” said Billy. 

              When the waiter came back with their wine, he poured each of them a glass.  Then, he took their order and assured them that they had made an excellent choice, as it was one of the restaurant’s specialties.  He promised to return shortly with their dinner salads that accompanied their meals.  Then, he went back toward the kitchen. 

              Once Billy and Sarah were alone she said, “I can’t believe we’re here.”

              “Why not?” Billy asked looking at her from across the table.

              “Because I have been so caught up in this whole unfolding story that I forgot that you and I are the key players,” she answered.  “It’s nice to just spend time not thinking about it at all.”

              Billy lifted up his wine glass and said, “I’d like to make a toast.”

              “Please do,” said Sarah lifting up hers, as well.

              “This is to knowing you better,” said Billy, as his glass touched hers.  Then, they both took a sip.

              “This is really good,” said Sarah.  “Somehow, I feel like this is our first moment of normalcy since we met.”

              “I think you’re right, except for when we danced by the water.”

              “Yes, I forgot about that,” she smiled.

              “Already?” Billy quipped.

              “Oh, that didn’t come out right,” Sarah explained.  “What I mean is that we’ve been on this quest and we haven’t been able to just enjoy our time together.  It has either been about the past or other people, but never us.”

              “That’s why I wanted to come here,” said Billy.  “Tonight is about us.  Is that a deal?”

              “Yes, it’s a deal,” smiled Sarah.

              “I actually have some good news,” he said.  “I got a call from David on my way to meet you in town.  He and Dana have a timeshare in Florida.  They are not using it this weekend and he offered it to us.”

              “Really?” asked Sarah.  “That is amazing.  I’d love to go.”

              “It’s in Destin,” said Billy.  “We could leave Friday afternoon and it only takes about four hours to get there.”

              “I’ve never been to Florida.”

              “You’ll love it,” said Billy.  “Their condo is right on the beach.”             

              “Are you sure that we’ll ever want to come back?” she giggled.

              “Probably, not,” said Billy smiling.

              “I think it would do us good to get away from everything and sort it out,” said Sarah.  “Who knows?  Maybe we will get some clarity when we’re not so close to the situation.”

              “I agree with you,” said Billy.  “But, there’s one more thing.  I want you to meet my parents.”

              “What?” asked Sarah.  “Do they live far from here?”

              “They live in Panama City, which is right near Destin,” he said.  “I know that they’d love to meet you.”

              “How did they end up in Florida?” asked Sarah.

              “My mama is from Louisiana.  Her parents moved to Panama City many years ago and opened an art gallery,” said Billy.  “My daddy’s family is from here, too.  He spent thirty years in the shrimping business.  My mama is an artist.  When her parents retired a couple of years ago, she decided to take over the gallery.  My daddy helps her.  That’s why they moved.  They really enjoy it.”

              “That is fantastic,” said Sarah.  “I can’t wait to meet them.”

              “They’ve got a whole new lease on life over there,” said Billy.

              “In what way?” asked Sarah.

              “My daddy spent a lifetime of being out on the water before sunrise,” said Billy.  “Sometimes he was gone for several days at a time out in the Gulf.  Now my parents have a chance to enjoy each other.”

              “Do you have any brothers or sisters?” asked Sarah.

              “My sister Gabriella is twenty-four.  She lives with them and just finished college last year.  She is a speech therapist.  If she is there this weekend, I know that you two would really hit it off,” he said.

              “It sounds like it,” said Sarah.

              “Oh, and I almost forgot,” cautioned Billy.  “Don’t call her Gabriella. She was named after my great-grandmother.  She just likes being called Gabby.”

              “I’ll try to remember that,” laughed Sarah.  “Gabby it is.”

Chapter Four

Destin

-

              On Friday afternoon, Billy picked Sarah up at her apartment and they headed to Florida.  “I heard that the weather is sunny and clear over there right now,” Sarah told him after she got into the truck.

              “It should be great,” Billy assured her.  “I even found the camera, so we can get pictures.  It’s in my duffle bag in the back.”

              “That’s perfect.  Hopefully, we’ll get some nice ones.”

              “You’ll love it down there,” Billy told her.  “It was one of Jessie’s favorite getaway spots.”

              Sarah felt uncomfortable hearing Jessie’s name right at that moment.  She was hoping for a break from everything, including her, for a few days.  Maybe she would not be so lucky, after all.  “So, you two really liked it there, huh?” she asked.