Oblivion (32 page)

Marnie looked uncomfortable. “Do you believe in ghosts?”

“No, not really, but I would like to think so.”

“Oh.”

“Why, do you think Jace’s ghost is haunting us all?” she asked teasingly.

Marnie looked away. “I guess it’s ridiculous.”

“If he is; he probably just wants to make sure we’re all ok, knowing Jace.”

“If the baby were Cam’s; would you keep it?”

Lindsay forced herself not to show the disgust she felt to even think of carrying the psycho’s baby.

“It’s innocent of all this. I would do what my heart told me to do and not hold what the Father did against it.”

“You’re right,” Marnie agreed. “That’s what I’ve been doing. I know it’s wrong but I’ve prayed for it to be Jace’s.”

“So have I, for everyone’s sake,” she added and saw Marnie’s eyes widen. “We both know how difficult Cameron will make it for you to leave with my brother. I’m praying it all works out.”

“I don’t know what to say,” the girl began and looked down at her hands. “This must be so hard for you.”

Lindsay felt another pang of resentment and pushed it back. Marnie needed to be reassured. Her feelings would pass in time. For right now; she did this for Lance. Her brother loved this girl. She had to make an effort to forgive the past.

“Yeah it is, but we’ll get through it.”

“I’m scared, Lindsay.”

“So am I,” she said and meant it. “None of us knows what’s going to happen.”

“I mean about this test,” Marnie confided. “I have to know now, but I’m afraid to know.”

“Why worry for the next four months? At least you’ll know and it’ll give you some relief; either way.”

Lindsay fell asleep in the waiting room waiting for Marnie. The clinic was crowded with pregnant women and teens, crying babies, and rambunctious toddlers. Sleep was impossible, but so were the looks she was getting from the other patients.

She knew what they must be thinking; saw the pitying looks. Another irresponsible teenage Mom; their expressions said. It was with some pleasure when Marnie was escorted out with a nurse and they gestured for her.

“Are you her partner?” the nurse asked curiously and smiled with little judgment in her gaze.

“Uh, yeah, I guess so,” Lindsay said in confusion.

“Here’s a prescription for pain if she needs it,” the nurse told her. “Make sure she stays off her feet for forty eight hours. Your girlfriend needs rest and help at home.”

“I’ll make sure she gets it. Come on, Marnie.”

Lindsay nodded and drew Marnie’s arm in hers, seeing her pale features and growing worried. Seeing the interested looks in the waiting room made her cringe. She realized they now thought her and Marnie were a couple from the nurse’s words.

She was gnashing her teeth as she saw two of the moms whispering and eyeing them in amusement. Marnie didn’t seem to notice much. She was a little traumatized by the test.

Lindsay got her to the truck and she promptly lay down on the seat with her knees up to her chest, claiming she felt sick. She gazed at her worriedly on the ride back to Little Bend. She wanted to ask about the test, but figured she might need something to take her mind off it.

 “Lance told me he wants me to go with him to look at rings,” she told her. “Might help if I knew what kind of girl you are. Me, I’m a round cut all the way.”

Marnie looked up at her and seemed to rally a little. “I saw one I liked once. It wasn’t round. It was pointy at both ends.”

“That’s called a marquis. Good choice,” Lindsay went on to say. “I used to make a day of looking at rings. I wanted to know exactly what I wanted when Jace and I got married.”

“You just looked at rings all day?”

“Yep, till I found ‘the one’.”

Marnie sat up now; the interest in her gaze was obvious. “How do you know when you find ‘the one’?”

“You put it on your finger and you get butterflies,” Lindsay recalled and smiled and glanced over at her. “That might take a while.”

She could see there was no way Marnie was going to let Lance take her to pick out her ring and she was pleased. For a girl who was getting married; she didn’t act excited. She seemed to dread it.

“You had your whole wedding planned, I bet,” Marnie observed without batting an eyelash.

Lindsay smiled glad she was getting her mind off her troubles. “Yeah, our wedding was going to be at St. Bernard’s. Our reception was going to be at the Elks Club.”

“What color were the bridesmaid’s dresses?” Marnie asked with interest, now sitting up fully

Lindsay laughed. “Well, those changed about ten times. First they were cotton candy pink. Then I realized nobody but me liked that color, so I narrowed it down to my favorite color.”

“What was that?”

“It’s called periwinkle,” Lindsay said fondly and rolled her eyes. “Jace said there was no way he was wearing any matching bow tie or anything in periwinkle. Said it sounded like Rip Van Winkle and was bad luck.”

Marnie laughed at that. “Sounds like Jace.”

Lindsay smiled and nodded. “So I compromised with light blue.”

Marnie looked intrigued and the talk of wedding dresses dominated their conversation until they got back to town. On impulse they stopped at the drug store and bought the current issue of Brides. Lindsay left her leafing through it eagerly on the couch with her feet up and went to her bedroom to change.

Jace was there, grinning ear to ear when she arrived. Obviously he had been eavesdropping again.

 “You never compromised with light blue,” he said and chuckled.

“I would have,” she told him and shrugged. “I was leaning towards it. I guess I never thought about it until now. I definitely would go with the blue now.”

Jace eyed her knowingly. “I would have worn the Rip Van Winkle.”

“I know and that’s why I changed my mind to light blue,” she explained and knew it was ridiculous they have this conversation. There wouldn’t ever be a wedding for them now. Why did they talk about it?

“You did a nice thing back there,” he said and his brown eyes looked at her with admiration. “Marnie was scared during the test. I thought she was going to puke her guts out.”

“You were there?” Lacey asked in surprise.

“I felt like somebody needed to be in there with her,” he explained and avoided her eyes. “She could be having my kid, Lindsay.”

“I know. I’m just surprised you didn’t let on to me you were there.”

“I knew it was bothering you,” he said and met her gaze with regret. “You even went out of your way to make her feel better and I knew you were dying every minute back there.”

Lindsay looked away. “Was it that obvious?”

“Only to me, Linds,” he replied softly and approached, his ghostly hand fluttering around her face. “I know it wasn’t easy for you.”

“I have to accept the fact it could be yours. She’s marrying my brother,” Lindsay said and smiled. “Looks like I’m going to be the kid’s Aunt either way.”

Jace looked relieved. “I’m glad you’re taking this so well. I never thought you would.”

“I never thought you’d die, Jace,” she said and felt tears forming. “That changed everything. It changed me.”

Neither of them said the obvious but they both knew his death changed her for the better. She would have never given Marnie the time of day had he lived. The old Lindsay would have blown the matter sky high and left little doubt of her outrage. The new one let it go, seeing nothing could change the past.

“I like the changes but I like the old you too,” he said and stared into her eyes. “Just promise you’ll do everything you planned to do one day? Don’t let my dying change that for you.”

Lindsay stared at him. How could she tell him of the great void she saw ahead without him? He would get upset to know she wished to die every day just to be with him.

 “All I ever wanted to do was leave this town, Jace. Now I’m afraid to leave and never see you again.”

He grinned. “You’ll see me again. I’ll be the guy in that weird periwinkle tie waiting at the pearly gates for you.”

“I changed it to light blue,” she reminded him, gaze blurred to think of him waiting there one day for her. It was comforting knowing that, less frightening.

“Ok. I’ll be the guy with the light blue tie, leaning on the gate wondering what took you so long to get there,” he agreed readily and smiled.

“You better be there,” she warned. “I’ll be mad if I have to wait on you.”

Jace reached out and touched her cheek, making her quiver from the cold sensation. “I’ll be early this time; I promise.”

Lindsay closed her eyes, wishing he was back with her then. When she opened her eyes he was gone. She knew where he was going.

Chapter Nineteen

Jace walked through the wall into the Chase kitchen. Cameron was eating a sandwich at the island bar, watching a small TV on the counter. He was alone in the house. He had bruises and stitches on his face and neck.

That pleased Jace, knowing he inflicted that much pain on his murderer. It wasn’t close to what he endured the day Cameron murdered him. The feel of that blade slashing into him would haunt him for eternity, seeing his demented face over him stabbing him again and again.

Cameron would pay for that.

He focused his energy on the pots and pans hanging over his head and rattled them slightly, just to get his attention. Cameron stiffened and looked up, a look of fear in his eyes. He looked around the kitchen for a minute and went back to watching TV.

Jace glared at him and looked at the TV, just a hard push enough to send it sliding off the counter. That got Cam’s attention. He jumped up from the bar stool and backed away, looking around the kitchen wildly.

“Go away, Jace! I’m not afraid of you! You’re a ghost! A ghost! You can’t do nothin’ to me!” he raged and looked around.

Jace smiled without humor and stared at the block holding all the knives on the opposite counter. He pulled one free and sent it sailing at Cameron. The knife embedded itself into the wooden pantry door only inches from his former friend’s head. Cameron looked sick to see it, looking around and backing away slowly.

“You come after me anymore and I’ll kill Lindsay, Jace!” he threatened boldly and smiled as he looked around the kitchen. “You can’t protect her! You’re dead! I mean it! You leave me alone or I’ll cut her worse than I did you! Do you want that, buddy? Think about it!”

Jace did, and sent another knife careening through the air. This one stopped before it penetrated Cameron’s chest, poised in the air in front of him. He grinned to see a wet spot forming in Cameron’s jeans, knowing he wet himself.

He released his hold on the knife and it clattered to the ceramic tile noisily.

Cameron looked like he would throw up at that moment. Jace sent all the pots and pans hanging over his head flying, all of them slamming into walls and one hit Cameron in the shoulder.

He covered his head as the missiles flew, finally running out of the kitchen and locking himself into the hall bathroom. Jace followed and watched him crying on the commode, seeing how scared he was. For the first time since he was murdered, Jace felt powerful.

Cameron put his head down between his knees.

He used one mental push to turn on the water full blast. Cameron jumped and stood, wrenching open the door and running up to his room.

Jace let him go, satisfied he let his good buddy know he could give as he got if he had to. If he went after Lindsay, more than a knife would fly at him. He wasn’t done yet. He went outside. Artie the nerd and Sal and the others were there. They all grinned at him.

“Did ya scare the little creep to death?” Sal asked.

“Nah, just made him piss his pants.”

All the ghosts snickered at that.

Sal raised an eyebrow. “Is it our turn yet, Boss?”

Jace nodded. “Have at it, Guys.”

He watched the ghosts all pass him, each one walking through the walls of the Chase home in pursuit of his killer. After about two minutes he heard Cameron shrieking and screaming from his room, knowing Artie and Sal were giving him the treatment. He knew he left Cameron in good hands. The other ghosts were going to rock his whole world judging from his fearful cries within the house.

Jace found himself outside Hooligan’s, having put this off since he got here. He had to face his Dad now. It was funny how he hesitated outside the bar just as much as when he lived. He used to dread this part of his day; coming to collect Everett Turner from the bar.

He walked through the front door and saw the same regulars sitting there. Margene was toting ice from the back. The dark-haired barmaid was showing now. She still managed to look sexy, wearing shirts to cover her growing pregnancy while showing her other assets to their best advantage.

Jace saw his father and fought the wave of disgust, seeing Evie’s head down on the bar. Margene just scooped up the change and ignored him, used to his taking a nap this time of day. They all knew he would wake up and continue drinking until the evening rolled around.

Jace saw his father’s haggard, unshaven face and approached. Evie’s dark hair and beard looked greasy and unwashed. His clothes were whatever he picked up off the floor. The once powerful build was hunched over and gaunt.

He sat on the barstool next to his father and cringed to see how dirty and disheveled his father was. Evie snored softly, his hand still wrapped around his whiskey and water. Margene knew better than to pry the drink out of his hand or he’d wake up madder than a hornet.

Jace felt resentment and anger; pity and scorn, all at once. The wave of sorrow was a surprise and not welcome. All his life he tried to keep his pa on the straight and narrow so they wouldn’t wind up in state homes and it didn’t matter in the end. If not for Lindsay’s mom and Jack Miller; his siblings would have suffered that fate while Evie slept it off somewhere.

The helpless feeling he’d always had and the gnawing anxiety was gone. Death released him from that. All he could do is watch his father sleep it off and hope Lance showed up by six to get him home.

What would become of him when Lance and Marnie left for Georgia was anybody’s guess. Thoughts of his father passing out and freezing to death in an alley had always been one of his greatest fears. He couldn’t do anything for him now, anymore than he could have then.