Til We Meet Again (5 page)

“NO!” she cried.  “He can’t be, he just talked to me, he knew who I was,” she said.

“I saw that too Grace and I don’t know how.  He hasn’t woken since they found him.  Sometimes in the last few moments of life they become lucid for only a moment or two,” he tried to explain.

“I don’t care.  I want him back,” she said.  She placed her head back on his chest but heard no heartbeat.  She knew for sure then that he was gone.  He was really and truly gone.  Taken from her within hours of becoming her husband.  She hadn’t even told her parents.  What would she tell them now?  HOW would she tell them now?  Could she? Would she?   

She felt a hand on her arm and had no idea how long it had been.  “Come on Grace, come and stay with us for a little while,” Mrs. MacKay said.

Grace lifted her face away from Donald and realized that the hospital gown he had on was soaked from her tears.  She pressed her hands to his face and kissed him one last time.  “I love you Donald.  Now and forever I will always love you.”  She let Mrs. MacKay hug her as she continued to cry softly.  She couldn’t take her eyes off of Donald but Mrs. MacKay was leading her out of the room.  “I want to stay, I can’t leave him,” she said.

“Yes you can, you have to Grace,” Mrs. MacKay said. 

Mr. MacKay took her arm on the other side and led her out of the room.  They went to the waiting room where she lost consciousness.
 

Katie woke with a gasp and was trembling. 

Dean heard her and held her tighter.  “What’s wrong?  What happened?”

Katie told him that Donald had died.  “His father came to get Grace and took her to him, just like in the note.  She got the chance to say goodbye.  She hadn’t even had the chance to tell her parents about the marriage and she didn’t know if she would.”

Dean held her and listened.  “I had a dream too,” he told her quietly.

She fell silent.  “You did?  But why?” she asked.

“I don’t know.  I saw Donald after he dropped Grace off.  He hated having to take her home.  Then he had to pass a carriage full of drunks and they must have followed him back to the cottage,” he told her.

“So it was Grace’s fault.  Had she stayed and not had to go home, they would have been snug in their bed all night and would have gone on to live life happily,” she said.  She began to cry.

“It’s not like that, who knows what would have happened.  A little cottage and a gang of drunks, who knows, they may have broken in and killed them both,” Dean said.  “I found the marriage license.  It was in Donald’s jacket pocket all these years.  I put it on the dresser in the other room,” he told her.

Katie got up and went to look at it.  Tears filled her eyes when she saw the date and realized they hadn’t even been married twenty-four hours before he left her a widow.

Dean led her back to bed where Katie cried herself back to sleep and when Dean was sure that she had drifted off he too made himself comfortable and went back to sleep. 

The next week went by quickly and it was Friday morning when they again went to work together and Katie could tell there were a few that were starting to talk.  She didn’t care.  After the previous night, all she cared about was that the story was the right story.  When someone came to her and asked her about the relationship she didn’t get into details but she did say that they were in love.  At lunch time, she walked into Dean’s office and closed the door behind her.  She pressed her finger against the lock and smiled dangerously at Dean. 

“What’s up?” he asked as she crossed his office.

She slowly parted the slit in her skirt as she sat down on the desk in front of him.  “I might be asking you the same question,” she said as she ran her hands over him.  “I want you right now,” she whispered before she leaned forward and nibbled at his earlobe. 

“How about we do this later when we’re alone and people won’t start talking,” Dean whispered and kissed her.

“Let them,” she said.  “I love you.”

“I love you too.  But you better get back to work or I’m going to have other offers for extended lunches,” he teased.

“No way, not on my watch,” Katie replied getting up.  She used the mirror in the corner of Dean’s office to reapply her lipstick. 

Dean looked on and smiled and ran a hand through his hair.

“What?” she asked as she looked in the mirror at his reflection. 

“Just thinking, it’s a little warm in here,” he said.

She stuck her tongue out at him.

“You’re going to pay for that,” he told her.

She turned around and looked at him, her chin jutting out ever so subtly.  “Oh yeah?” she said.

“Yeah,” he replied stubbornly.

“How?” she asked just as stubbornly.

Dean rose out of his chair and was standing in front of her within seconds.  He bent down and placed tiny little kisses along her neck, up to her ear.  “I’m going to take you home later and I’m going to rid you of every piece of clothing you’re wearing and I am going to run my hands over your entire body, followed by my tongue and then I’m going to make love to you until you beg me to stop,” he whispered in her ear.  “But right now we really do need to get back to work.”

“Promise me you’ll do what you said,” Katie said before she went to the door.

“I look forward to it,” he replied.

With a quick hand to her hair, Katie left the office with a wave and went back to work.

“So what’s going on with you two?” Patty asked a little while later.  Patty was like the mother hen.  She had worked at the library forever and was close to retirement.

“We’re in love,” Katie told her.

“Really in love? Or just infatuated with each other?” Patty asked trying to snuff out Katie’s happiness.

“Really in love,” Katie reassured her. 
Is she jealous?
Katie wondered as she started to walk away.

“I don’t see it working out,” Patty called after her.

Like it’s any of your damn business anyway, battleaxe,
she thought as she rounded a column of shelves and stopped.  Suddenly she burst into tears. 
This must be what it felt like for Grace and Donald.  The disapproval.  But why do I care?  I haven’t known this person for very long and she’s nothing to me,
she thought.

“What’s wrong?” Dean asked startling her.

“What? Where did you come from?” she asked him.

“Someone partially overheard your conversation with Patty and came to get me,” he told her.  “What did she say?  And don’t deny it, she obviously upset you.”  He took her into his arms.

“She said she doesn’t think our relationship will last.  I think she’s just jealous,” Katie told him as she looked around to see if anyone was looking.  “But I don’t know why it’s bothering me so much.”

“Would you stop worrying about what other people think around here,” he said.

“Why?”

“You’re looking around like you’ve done something wrong.  I’m a single guy, you’re a single woman and I have fallen madly in love with you and I’d like to get on the loudspeaker right now and announce to everyone who will listen that I love Katie Davis but we don’t have a loudspeaker because this is a library,” he said and laughed.  “As for why it’s bothering you so much, I think you’re extra tired, and you’re extra stressed…”

“I’m…”

“You
are
stressed over the Grace and Donald thing and you know it.  The sooner we get to the bottom of that the better but obviously we’re a little busy,” he said and he kissed her.

Katie wanted him to take her home right now.  She wanted to open a bottle of wine, light a fire and cuddle until they could take it no more and then tear each others’ clothes off and make passionate love.  Her thoughts turned to Grace and Donald who’d had the chance to make love only twice before his life suddenly came to a violent end. 

“Penny for your thoughts before I go back to work,” Dean asked.

“I was thinking of Grace and Donald and how little time they had to be with each other and how much I want to go home right now, have some wine in front of the fire, get completely intoxicated and make mad, passionate love with you,” she told him.

“I’ll get my coat,” Dean told her.

“It will be even better if we wait,” she replied.

“You’re right and I don’t have any staff to call in at the moment,” he said.  “Besides, I have to go out this afternoon but I promise I’ll be back before you’re done.”  Before she could ask questions, he left her.

She went back to the desk.  “I’ll take these books and shelve them,” she said to the others who were staring at her.  “I’m fine, really,” she reassured them.

She pushed the cart from behind the desk and headed towards the Adult Non-Fiction section and began re-shelving the books.

She placed the first few on the shelves and went to pick up the next book. 
The Art of Reincarnation
the title almost screamed up at her.  She turned it over.

Do you ever have strange dreams?  Does something from the past haunt you?  Can’t figure out where that desire to cook, bake or anything else you just enjoy doing came from?  Perhaps it came from your past life. 

Katie held on to the book so tightly her knuckles turned white. 
Oh my God, this is it isn’t it?
She thought.  She flipped open the book to a chapter.

We are all souls who spend a short amount of time on earth in our bodies.  Our soul travels from lifetime to lifetime.  You could have been your uncle in your last life and his grandmother before that.  As long as that person has died before you’re conception, it could easily be the same soul.

Katie stopped reading and shut the book. 
This is it, this is why I’m having these dreams and this is why I found that stuff,
she thought.

She placed the book on the cart and left it there so she could sign it out later.  She would show it to Dean and see what he thought about it. 

She emptied the cart slowly and carefully as she still wasn’t great at this part of the job.  It took time to get down the routine of finding the exact place on the shelf.  It took her so long that she was surprised when she found Dean at the end of the aisle. 

“Are you ready to go home?” he asked.

She looked down at the cart and back up at him.  “Is it that time already?” she asked.

“Yep.  And you’re slow at this,” he said as he grabbed a handful of books and proceeded down the aisle to shelve them.

“I had no idea it was this late.  I was kind of taking my time on purpose,” she told him.

“I had a feeling you might have been,” he said.

“You did?” 

He nodded as he came back for more books.  Then he noticed the one she’d set back.  He picked it up and looked at the spine.  “This doesn’t go over here,” he told her.

“I know, I’m signing it out,” she told him.

“Why?” he asked.  He turned it over and started reading the back.  He nodded as he finished.  “Do you think…” he trailed off.

Katie nodded.  “It makes some sense.  She was my great-grandmother after all and she did die before I was born.”

Dean set the book back down and grabbed as many books as he could handle and went around the corner to the next aisle.  He shelved the books as fast as he could.  He just wanted to get her out of here and into the warmth of her house. 
I really need to stop off at my place and pick up a few things,
he thought.  He patted his pocket and smiled.

They shelved the last of the books together and Dean wheeled the cart back to the desk for her.  “Good night ladies and gentlemen,” he said.  “Have a good evening.”

He went back to his office to gather his things and wait for Katie who had gone to the staffroom to get her own things. 

“I’m all set,” she said quietly from the doorway.

“Me too,” he replied.  “Do you mind if we make a couple of stops on the way?” he asked her.

“Not at all.  There’s nothing pressing at home,” she replied. 

He crossed the office and pressed her against the doorframe as he bent to kiss her.  “There is something pressing at home, but I thought of a few things that are probably important,” he told her.

She stepped back so he could turn out the lights and close his door.  She slid an arm into his when he offered and they slipped out the back door with no further confrontations from the rest of the staff.

“So where to first?” she asked when he slid in behind the wheel.

“My place.  I know this isn’t the right time or place to say this, but is it okay if I leave a few things at your place?  I’m really going to need to change my clothes at least once or twice a week,” he teased.

“Not at all.  If you want to bring your closet over, feel free,” she offered. 
I just said that?
She thought. 
Out loud?

“Thanks,” he said.  “Are you okay?  You look funny.”

“I’m fine.  I just can’t believe I said that,” she said honestly.

“I don’t have to if it makes you uncomfortable,” he replied.

“No, I’m not uncomfortable at all,” she said.  “That’s why it was such a shock to me when it just popped out.”

“Then I will move in
half
my closet,” he said.

Katie giggled.  It had been a long time since she’d been able to be so open with someone.

He started the car and pulled out of the lot.  It wasn’t long before they were at his place gathering up quite a large amount of his things.  They made a few trips to the car and when it was full, he locked up.

They got back in the car and Dean pulled out of his driveway in the opposite direction of her place.

“Where to next?” she asked.

“Somewhere special,” he replied noncommittally.

A few moments later he pulled into the lot of the best restaurant they had in town. 

“What are we doing here?” she asked.

“We have to eat don’t we?” he asked her back.

“Well, yes, but…”

“No ‘buts’,” he replied as he got out of the car.  He rounded the front quickly and opened her door for her.  He offered her a hand and waited while she hesitantly placed hers in his.  He smiled at her and led her to the door.  “After you.”

She went inside and looked around.  “It looks so cozy,” she said.

“I hear it is quite cozy,” he replied as he gave his name to the gentleman waiting patiently behind what appeared to be a podium.

“Right this way sir,” he said as he picked up two menus and led them between the tables to one near the back right next to a huge fireplace.

Dean held Katie’s chair for her and asked for a wine list before he sat down and accepted his own menu.  “Thank you.”

“You wanted wine in front of a roaring fire,” he told her when she kept looking at him.

“It’s beautiful,” she told him. 

They turned their attention to the menu and discussed a number of items.  A waiter walked up to their table.  “Good evening, I’m your waiter, my name is Paul,” he said.  “Here is your wine list, sir.”  He handed Dean a little card and stood by waiting as Dean read down the list. 

“A bottle of, uh, ‘Number 3’,” he said.  He didn’t want Katie to know what he had ordered it until she had tasted it.

“Very good, sir,” Paul said and walked away.

“So have you decided yet?” Dean asked Katie.

“Yes, I have,” she said and closed her menu briefly to look at him.

“What’s it going to be?  The lobster?” he teased.

“No, it’s going to be the chicken, it sounds delicious” she told him.

The waiter returned quickly with the wine and poured a small amount which he handed to Dean.  He waited for Dean’s nod and proceeded to fill both glasses.

“Thank you,” Katie said when he’d finished filling her glass.