Forty-Four Box Set, Books 1-10 (44) (21 page)

But Claire couldn’t find Jesse. She was asking her guides for help and calling out to him across the frozen land of the dead, as she put it. She told me not to give up hope, that there was still time and that maybe there was a reason he hadn’t been in contact with me.

But she also said something else.

Claire warned me to prepare myself. Jesse may have moved on.

I entered her site. She always had a new message on her homepage. Today’s message was about how we were all eternal beings and we would one day be reunited with our loved ones who had died.

I typed out a quick note telling her about my encounters with the ghost and what she looked like. I also wrote about how she scared me and asked how I could get her to leave me alone.

I didn’t know how long it would take for Claire to write back. She was usually pretty fast, but she did have a full time job and two little kids. And then there was the time difference between Oregon and the UK.

I closed my laptop and sat back, checking the clock. I had a few hours before the concert. I yawned and realized I was exhausted. I dried my hair and got into bed, falling fast into a deep sleep.

CHAPTER 11

By the time I left for the concert, I felt better. I hadn’t heard back from Claire, but that was okay. That dark feeling that had followed me home from the park was gone and I was looking forward to getting outside and being with people.

Ty was waiting by Red Robin for me. It was funny to see him in his regular clothes because they were exactly the same as his guide clothes. River sandals, a T-shirt, and shorts. The only change was his hair. It seemed fluffier or something.

“Hi,” he said, smiling. “Good to see you. You look really nice.”

I was dressed casually, but I had on capris and a tank top with dressier shoes. I put on a little mascara and lip gloss, so I must have looked different.

“Good to see you too.”

Swarms of people passed us carrying bags and blankets, heading to the amphitheater.

“Please, allow me,” Ty said, wrapping his arm around the strap of my beach chair.

“Thanks.”

We followed the crowd and headed to the concert. I loved this venue. It was a great place to listen to music. There was a large, grassy area with a big stage up front. I had seen Lyle Lovett here with Kate a few years back and Death Cab for Cutie with my high school soccer team before my accident.

We walked through the gates and handed over our tickets. The river slid by on the right. There were already two canoes and a few kayakers anchored to the little sand island in the middle, waiting to hear the concert for free.

Most of the lawn was filled up with people and blankets and chairs.

“Amber got us a spot up front,” Ty said. “She got here hours ago.”

I had that fluttery nervous feeling but couldn’t figure out why. It wasn’t the same feeling I had with the ghost. It was something else. Then it came to me. Ty had asked me out to dinner a while ago, and I had never answered. With everything that was going on, I had forgotten.

“Want some ice cream?” he asked. “My treat.”

“Yeah, that would be great,” I said.

He nodded and got in line. When he returned, he held up an ice cream sandwich and a drumstick.

“Pick your poison.”

“I’ll take the sandwich.”

We stood by the fence, eating, staring up at the stage. A few roadies were setting up for the opening act and testing the equipment.

“So what did you do today, Craig?” Ty said.

I liked that he called me that. It seemed informal but not too personal like using a first name. It made me feel like we could just be friends.

I finished chewing and thought about the ghost.

“Not too much,” I said. “Went for a run. Had a nap. You?”

“Smith Rock. I’m learning how to rock climb.”

“Wow,” I said. “That sounds fun.”

“Yeah, I’ve always wanted to do it. It’s beautiful out there. Have you been?”

I nodded.

Smith Rock was about 30 miles northeast of Bend and had amazing sheer cliffs, rock walls, and deep river canyons. It was a popular area with climbers from all over the country. There were hiking trails as well, along the Crooked River. Kate and I had gone with Mom when we were kids.

“Yeah, I’ve been once, but it was a long time ago. We did the hike to the top. I remember my legs burning. It was really steep. We saw a rattlesnake, too.”

“They don’t call it Misery Ridge for nothing,” he said.

We tossed out the wrappers.

“Let’s go find the gang,” he said.

I tried to summon my courage. I didn’t want to just not say anything. I didn’t want to hurt his feelings.

“Hey, Ty, about that dinner,” I said, sounding a little too rehearsed.

He paused for a moment looking at the ground before meeting my eyes.

“I was wondering if you’d forgotten. You know, that I asked. Then I thought maybe you were still mad at me about the river thing, when I threw you in.”

“Oh, no, it’s nothing like that,” I said. “I’ve just been busy lately. And I had to think about it.”

That sounded stupid. I felt my cheeks getting prickly hot, no doubt turning six shades of red. This was ridiculous. My heart was fluttering like hummingbird wings, quivering strangely in my chest.

“It’s just, well, I was involved with someone for a long time. A real long time. And now I’m not, but I still really care for him. I guess it feels a little too soon. But I wanted you to know, if it wasn’t for that, I’d love to go to dinner with you. I mean, I think you’re great. Really.”

I looked away for a moment, breathing in the soft evening air and trying to relax. Ty smiled, his bright energy dancing around like fireflies captured in a jar.

“Sure, I understand.”

We started walking over toward the stage.

“But, you know, I was just thinking it would be dinner,” he said. “Just as friends. Can’t we do that?”

We went up the grassy aisle and over to our group.

“At least think about it,” he said. “And if you decide to come out with me, I promise to leave the engagement ring at home.”

He laughed and I punched him lightly in the arm.

“Hey, there they are,” Amber yelled when she saw us.

It was a great spot on the lawn, just a few rows back from the stage. People from work were there, plus a few others I didn’t recognize.

Ty set up our chairs and I sat down, waiting for my heartbeat to settle back into a normal rhythm and for the music to take me away.

CHAPTER 12

I slid off my sandals and let my bare feet sink into the grass. The opening band took the stage and hammered out their set as a few gray-haired adults and little kids danced up in the open areas in the front. The sun was still pretty high in the sky, but not for long. I was glad I brought a hoodie. I knew that once the sun fell behind Mt. Bachelor, the temperature would drop substantially.

As I sat looking around, I thought how weird it was. Somehow being out in big, noisy crowds comforted me in a way. I didn’t like to get too close to people, but for some reason I found it soothing to sit anonymously in large groups. I liked being around happy strangers.

“Hey, Ty, Black Butte Porter is on tap,” Amber said. “I know you’re not a wine guy. It’s up over there at the booth.”

“Awesome!” he said, standing up. “Be right back.”

He left and I sat listening to the music while Amber told a story about one of her rafting groups. I didn’t know her very well, but she seemed friendly and outgoing. I was usually quiet and it appeared to make her uncomfortable.

Ty returned and sat down with a plastic cup of beer.

“Man, this is pure liquid gold. Dark gold! Deschutes rocks. That’s why I moved here.”

“What?”  I said.

“Yep. I drank it back in Montana, so when I was looking for a new place to move to, I checked out Bend, Oregon, the home of Deschutes Brewery. And the rest is history.”

“That’s the craziest story I’ve ever heard,” Amber said. “Moving somewhere ‘cause you love their beer.”

“I’ve heard crazier,” Jake said. “I came here for a girl.”

Ty smiled, his energy bright as he looked over at me.

“Yeah, but it’s true. That beer is the best,” Amber said. “You should go get a job at the plant, Ty. Complete your fantasy.”

Everybody laughed. I smiled while I studied the crowd.

“Nature calls,” I said. “I’ll be back.”

“Want me to go with you?” Ty asked.

“No, but thanks. I got it. Drink your gold.”

I walked around the blankets and got to the main path that led to the bathrooms. Nature didn’t really call, but I needed a chance to think. That white energy moving rapidly around Ty made me nervous. I had seen it before, around Kate and Dr. Mortimer.

I headed over to the back and looked at the T-shirts for sale. Then I looked around for a moment. Just in case. There were a lot of tall guys in baseball caps, but none of them were Jesse.

As I walked back, I caught sight of Jack Martin in the beer line. I walked up and said hello.

“Hey, AC. What are you doing here?”

He seemed a little off, not quite himself. Of course, he wasn’t playing soccer. It was hard to imagine Jack doing anything else.

“I almost didn’t recognize you without a jersey on,” I said.

His energy was gray and wobbly. He ordered his beer and walked with me. I pointed out where we were sitting.

“We’re all the way at the back,” he said.

“Are you with some of the team?” I asked.

I figured I should go say hello. It was the summer of making friends, I reminded myself.

“Oh, no,” he said. “I wish. I’m with my cousin. He’s visiting from back East and he’s driving me insane. Seriously insane.”

I smiled. That explained his mood.

“I don’t even like this singer,” he said, sipping from his cup. “But I’m trying to fill up the hours.”

I nodded.

“Okay then, see you Tuesday at the game,” I said. “Hang in there.”

He smiled and downed more of his beer.

“This should help.”

At about eight Ray LaMontagne took the stage, thanking the cheering fans for coming out and listening to him play. He started the set with “Hold You in My Arms,” one of my favorite songs.

It was a good night.

CHAPTER 13

After the concert, we all hung out for a little while longer, finding some seats in the courtyard in between restaurants on the other side of the river. Everybody started talking about where they were from. I was surprised that none of them were from Bend, or even Oregon for that matter. Amber was from Washington, Jake and Desmond from California, and Dylan was from Tennessee. And then there was Ty, who was born and raised in Montana.

After about an hour, we meandered over to the parking lot. They were all going on to the clubs downtown. I said goodbye. Ty walked me to the Jeep.

“See you Monday,” he said.

“Yeah, see ya. Have fun tonight.”

“Oh, I’m heading home. It was a long day climbing and I’m beat,” he said, smiling as he backed away.

“Okay. Get some good sleep then.”

I couldn’t stop thinking about him as I drove. Maybe I needed to take the advice I’d given to Kate. Maybe going out to dinner with him just wasn’t the biggest deal I was making it out to be. Ty was a friend and it was nice. I really missed having a good friend.

The house was dark and empty. Kate wasn’t home yet and I had again forgotten to leave some lights on. I hated walking into a dark house. It always gave me the creeps. After I opened the door and entered the alarm code, I ran from room to room turning on all the lights.

I went to my laptop and logged on, hoping Claire had written back. As I waited for the computer to start, I did the math. It must be too soon. It was only eight in the morning over in London now. She probably hadn’t even had a chance to read my email.

But I saw a message from her in my inbox. I opened it.

Abby,

I think she needs your help. I think she’s a strong spirit and won’t be going away anytime soon. There is something she needs.

Maybe if you help her, she can help you. With finding Jesse, I mean.

Cheers,

Claire

I closed the computer, leaned back in the chair, and suddenly felt like crying.

I had been such an idiot.

Why hadn’t I thought of this sooner?

The ghost.

Maybe Jesse had sent her.

CHAPTER 14

Things were different now. I was the one who would be stalking her, finding out what she wanted. And what she knew.

The next morning I drove back over to the park and walked down the path that led into the forest.

I had made a mistake. In my desperation and fear maybe I had ruined my chances of seeing Jesse again. Maybe Jesse needed me. Maybe the ghost was trying to tell me something about him. Why had I acted like such a frightened fool?

I was so busy trying to ignore her that I had stopped thinking clearly.

But not anymore. I would push down my fear and bring up my courage. I would find her again, see what she wanted, and find Jesse.

I was alone on the path as I headed into the shadows of the forest. I walked slowly, looking behind the trees and shrubs. I came to the spot where I saw her the last time when I was running, but she wasn’t there now.

“I’m here,” I said out loud. “I’m ready to talk.”

But nothing answered back. It was dead quiet.

I stayed for over an hour, walking around and thinking. Two runners ran by and then a group of women from the boot camp thundered through. But no ghost.

I wasn’t discouraged though.

I had a pretty good idea where I could find her.

CHAPTER 15

It was during the third run through the rapids when I saw her. Across the river from the take-out, pacing back and forth in white, high up on the lava rock cliff. I watched her out of the corner of my eye as we said goodbye to the tourists.