Ghost of a Chance Book 1 in Above the Grave Trilogy (18 page)

“Amen.” He said then Liza and Drew followed.

Drew wiped the tears from
her
eyes.
That
very
moment, that very prayer, had reminded her that her time with
Brendan, the way that he was now, could be very brief. She
had a lot to settle on, and she was pretty sure that she already
knew the answer. She wanted to be with him. Even if it was
just for one night, she wanted him to be hers.

Brendan moaned and closed his eyes with every bite.
The girls giggled at him. She realized that Brendan was right.
One of the simple pleasures of life was eating, and her simple
pleasure at the moment was watching him really enjoy himself,
as she knew that he hadn’t gotten to do in such a very long
time.

Drew couldn’t help but watch his every mo
ve.
The
man of her dreams was right before her and she was soaking
every moment of it up. She remembered how he kissed her,
how they danced, how they made love in her dreams and at one
point was so deep into thought that she dropped her fork when
Liza cleared her throat to get her attention.
She had been
staring, and possibly drooling. She wasn’t sure for how long.

She knew that she had to get herself together. She felt
like a love struck teenager who had just met their boy band
idol. She felt giddy. She felt drugged. She felt like she was
going to be sick from the nerves.

When Brendan had finished his third bowl of pasta and
felt as if he was going to have to unbutton his britches, Liza
stood up to clear the table.

“Let me help you.” Drew said as
she rose from the
table, fumbling everything that she touched. She grabbed her
plate and Brendan’s in a death lock so as not to drop it and
followed Liza to the kitchen.

“Liza?” Drew said almost in tears.

Liza dropped the bowl and plate that she was carrying
into the sink and took Drew in her arms. “Sweetheart, I know
that you have feelings for him. I can see it in your eyes. Not to
mention your body language.
Whatever is going on here,
follow your heart!” She said as she pushed Drew away and
shook her shoulders at arm’s length.

“What happens when he leaves? Because you know
that he can’t stay, Liza. Whatever I have been given with him
is only temporary, I know it in my heart and it hurts so much!”
Drew wept.

“Is everything ok?” Brendan said as
he walked into the
kitchen. He saw the tears streaming down Drew’s face and
rushed to her.

“Are ye hurt, woman?” He asked taking Drew out of
Liza’s hands and into his own.

Liza just stared at them. She was so caught up in the
emotions that were so obviously stirring between her friend and
this very gorgeous man. The only emotion she had ever seen
Drew show was annoyance.

Drew just stared up at him in silence. She had no idea
what to say or do. She was so new to the feelings that she was
having and was completely lost for words.

“You know what, Drew? I am really feeling quite tired
all of a sudden. Would you mind if I went ahead and used that
shower? I think I will be heading to bed soon.”

Drew looked at Liza one last time. She had known her
more than half of her life and thought that she could tell
whatever was going on in her brain just by looking in her eyes.
When she looked in her eyes this time she saw hope, love, and
somehow pride.

Liza was the most important person in Drew’s life.
She had a mother that she loved very much no matter what the
circumstances had been. Liza was her best friend, her soul
sister. No matter what happened in her life, she would always
know that Liza would be the one to stand by her side. She
knew now what she wanted more than anything and the fact
that Liza wanted the same thing for her, made it that much
more special.

Drew straightened up her shoulders, let out a breath
that she felt like she must have been holding in her whole life
and gave her friend a hug. “I love you.” She said to Liza.

She felt Liza’s shoulders shake underneath her arms
and thought that she must have made her cry. When she pulled
away she saw that her friend was laughing.

“I love you too.” and with a kiss on the cheek she
strolled away with her head held high.

 

“Is everything ok?” Brendan asked again much quieter
this time.

Drew turned to face him and smiled. “Everything is
perfect. Do you think that we could take a walk? Get some
fresh air?”

Brendan looked down at his newly formed body and
shrugged. “We could take a chance.” He said.

“Hmm. Maybe we should just take a walk inside of
the house. It is big enough. Maybe you could show me the
upstairs?” Drew asked.

“Alright.” He said jadedly.

He took her arm as they headed towards the living
room. Brendan wasn’t quite sure what was wrong but he could
feel that Drew was very uneasy. He was quite sure that he had
walked in on a girl moment although he wasn’t quite sure what
it was about.

“Are you sure that everything is ok?” Brendan ask
ed
again. “You seem as though you could jump out of your
sandals at any moment.”

Drew smiled up at him again and laughed. “What is up
stairs that you are so mysterious about anyway?” She asked.

 

“Come. I will show you my bedroom.”

They walked upstairs arm in arm. Drew almost felt as
though she was floating even though she knew that this time
her feet were really on the floor.

She could feel the crispness of his coat on her arm.
She felt the warmth of his body against hers. He took her hand
and pressed it to his lips as they reached the top of the stairs
and she wanted so badly to jump up in the air, into his arms but
for some reason she was frozen.
She was like a child she
realized, she had no idea how to act.

“Do you feel differently? Now that you have a body I
mean?” She asked.

 

“Aye, I feel alive, more now than ever, even when I
was living.”

He took her arm again and led her past the first door on
the left. It had been the light that she had seen glowing before
but this time the light was off.
When she turned to look
towards it he silently nudged her along.

“This door here is the library. If ever ye would like to
curl up and read a book, there are a million of them there.”

He opened the door and switched on the light. He was
right. There had to have been a million books lining the walls
from floor to ceiling. “Knowledge.” She said then closed her
eyes and took in the smell of the room.

“Aye, and adventure. It is
the chance to live in
someone else’s boots, even if just for a moment. That is my
favorite part of reading.”

He turned the light off and led her to the next room.
She was so beautiful. Watching her close her eyes made him
want to kiss them open again.

“This is my room.” He said as he reached the next
door. He opened the door and asked her to stay where she was
for a moment. He disappeared into the darkness.

Drew stood above the living room area staring down
over the balcony. It all looked so small from up there. She felt
like she was standing above the world looking down. It was so
weird seeing the world that she had been living in the last
couple of weeks from a different angle.
It looked so much
different.

He put his hand on her shoulder and stood behind her.
She shivered. “Miss Drew, are youcold?” He asked.

“No, I’m very warm thank you.” She replied then
turned around to face him.
He was carrying a candle that he
had lit to light the way. She noticed that his Irish sprouted
when he was nervous as well.
At least she assumed he was
nervous.

“Come then. I shall show you a little bit of who I once
was.”

She knew that
the lights
probably
worked in the
bedroom just as they had in the library and in the rest of the
house. She wasn’t sure why he chose to use the candle but she
was glad. It gave the room a romantic glow. It was perfect.
She saw the huge canopy bed and wanted so badly to just lay in
it and let him take her. She knew that he would be gentle, just
as he had said he would and she knew in her heart that she was
ready for that.

“The bedrooms back then were qui
te different then
they are now.” She said looking around at the room. The walls
were pretty much bare except for a landscape painting, she was
sure was of Ireland, and a large mirror that had been turned
around. “I would imagine if you were from my time that you
would have a few trophies on a shelf from some kind of high
school or college team and posters of your favorite nude model
hanging on the wall.”

“Well, even in my time paintings of nudes were quite
popular.” He said with a smile.

He led her to sit on the edge of the bed and sat the
candle down on a night stand. “Here is something ‘twas my
parents. My da gave it to my ma on their anniversary.”

He reached into a drawer and pulled out a wooden box
and handed it to her. “After their death I put it away. I was
going to give it to my sister as a wedding gift if ever she had
found the right lad to be marrying.”

“Oh!” Drew gasped as she opened the box that was
lined with red satin. “That is the most beautiful necklace I
have ever seen!”

The necklace was a long gorgeous silver chain that had
somehow kept its shine after so many years. At the end of the
chain was a large emerald that was sheathed in a square Celtic
knot made of very fine silver threads.
She had never seen
anything more lovely in her life and couldn’t stop staring.

“I want
you to wear it, Miss Drew. It is believed that a
square Celtic knot will protect its wearer from evil spirits. I
don’t know what is haunting ye Love, but maybe this will help
keep ye safe.”

“Brendan, are you sure?” Drew could feel her eyes
well up. Maybe he was just trying to protect her and would
want the necklace back once she was safe but it was the most
wonderful gift she had ever been given, even if it was only
temporary.

“Of course I am sure.” He said sitting next to her.
“Why do ye cry?”

 

“It’s just so striking,” she said still staring, “, and very
sweet of you.”

Brendan reached down and took the necklace out of the
box.
He unhooked what looked like an ancient clasp and
draped it around Drew’s neck. He let his fingers linger on the
back of her neck for just a moment before he clasped it shut.

“As are you.” He said kissing her neck and then
standing up.

 

Drew blushed. “You know Celtic knots also symbolize
eternity?” She said, holding the emerald in her hand.

 

“Aye, and the intertwining of two souls.” He added.

“What did you do for entertainment?” She asked,
letting the necklace fall to her breast. She was growing even
more nervous all of a sudden, if that was possible, and small
talk was the only thing that she could think of to calm her
down.

“What do you mean?” He asked, sitting down beside
her.

“Well, I mean, what did you do on a date? You
couldn’t have gone to a movie or
roller skating or anything
like that.”

He laughed, “You mean courting?
When a man
courted a woman they would go on walks together, sometimes
a play or a picnic, that sort of thing. Never would ye be sitting
on a gentleman’s bed alone.” He said the latter more seriously
then stood up.

“We should go back downstairs.” He said
and held his
hand out as if to help her up. “I shouldn’t have brought ye,
here.” He corrected himself. His eyes looked sad as he looked
towards the door.

“I want to be here.” She said and held out her hand to
him. “I know that you did things differently back then, but this
is the twenty-first century after all. Times have changed even
though I have never really had much experience with that sort
of thing in your time or mine.”

She wanted to go back downstairs as well, but not
alone. She wanted him to come with her, to tuck her in, and to
stay the night with her.
She stood up and he took her arm
again. As they passed the last room on the right again, she felt
him shiver next to her. So, that was where he died she thought.

The walk down the stairs seemed to last an eternity.
She waited for him to say something, anything, but the words
never came. She didn’t know what she was supposed to do and
was feeling like she was losing him with every declining step.
When they reached the hallway she felt like the walls were
closing in on her. She couldn’t breathe.

Brendan walked her to her door and cleared his throat.
“Good night, sweet Drew. I had a most loving evening with
you.” He kissed her cheek then turned to walk away.

“Why are you so sad?” Drew asked, not wanting him
to leave and especially not with such a somber look on his face.

“I should not say, but I do not wish for this night to
end. I do not wish to wake in the morning invisible again and
without the warmth of you next to me. I wish that I could have
more time to court you, to have ye learn about who I truly am.
I am afraid though that my reappearing is only a cruel joke
before the end of my time here.” He started to walk away
again when she grabbed him by the arm.

“Though I do thin
k that it would be pretty cool for you
to “court” me, I am more interested in you kissing me right
now.”

Brendan’s head shot up then. “I would not hurt ye like
that, my love. As much as I want your lips to be against mine
again, I can’t. I shouldn’t have kissed you in the first place. I
shouldn’t have led you on that way. I’ve no idea how long I
may be here.” She saw his eyes glitter in the light that came in
through the opening of the hallway.
She thought that they
looked like a stream that was just about to over flow but being
a man she supposed he had learned to hold back his tears.