Across Eternity (13 page)

"What is it," Amber asked.

He shook his head.
"Nothing.
Are you
tired?"

"A little.
I don’t suppose you
are."

"No, I’m not."

"Do you want to watch a movie? I saw a stack of them in the game
room."

"Maybe another night.
You need to rest.
It’s been a long day." He took her hand in his. "Come
on."

Amber knew there were only three guestrooms in the house and the only room
left for her to stay in was Logan’s. She found it strange how her
heartbeat increased, as they grew closer to his room. She’d shared plenty
of intimate moments with him. However, this was one place she’d never been
invited.

Amber felt the moment of hesitation as he opened the door and they walked
in. She turned toward him. She could tell by the way he was standing and the
distance he was keeping between them that he was uncertain. "I had a
wonderful day."

He smiled.

"You’re not going to stay are you?"

"I have some work to do."

She was curious if he really did. "What about after you work?"

"Amber…"

She watched him for the longest moment before he finally moved to her.
"I want you to be honest with me."

"I’m always honest with you." He touched her with
incredible tenderness, rubbing the back of his hand across her cheek before
meeting her eyes. "I’ll wake you with tea. And if I don’t eat
them all some cookies."

It wasn’t tea and cookies that she wanted to be awoken with.
"Goodnight," she whispered as he walked out and closed the door
behind him.

Sunday morning was a whirlwind of craziness. Amber had never seen so much
activity between three people in her life. There wasn’t a moment of time
to sit, to think, or even to reflect. She could only enjoy the commotion with
sheer amusement and wonder.

She had woken up with a cup of tea at her bedside and a few brief moments
with Logan before he’d swiftly said, "Hurry up. Breakfast is going
to be ready in about fifteen minutes." He had quickly kissed her and then
finished with, "My mom’s is making her famous buttermilk pancakes
with blueberries. And if you don’t hurry, Kevin and I will eat them
all."

That was the last quiet moment she recalled over the next three hours.

Stuffed, and barely able to move, the pancakes had totally earned the title
to be called famous, Amber thought as she stood and began clearing the table.
"I’ve got this," she said to Anna and Marian when they
started to help. "Breakfast was delicious," she said as she hooked
the syrup jug with her finger and carried it into the pantry. "I’ll
clean. It’s the least I can do," she said as she came back out.

"If you insist," Anna replied as she finished off the glass of
orange juice and set it in the sink. "I’m going to do a little yoga
and then I’m hopping in the shower." She viewed the kitchen which
was covered in dishes. "Are you sure you can handle this? I didn’t
realize we were this much of slobs."

Amber laughed. "Not a problem. To create a meal that good things get
dirty."

Marian opened a cabinet and reached for her watering can and pruning shears.
"There are some azaleas, in the front, that look like they are being
neglected. I’d love to get to them before we leave."

"Please do," Amber insisted.

"We’re going to go play," Logan said, with Kevin by his
side. "Unless you’d like me to help," he offered, as he put
an arm over Amber’s shoulders, pulled her in, and kissed her.

"Of course not.
You two go play," Amber
said seriously as she kissed him back.

Logan turned, clapped his hands together, and then rubbed them briskly.
"Kevin, are you ready to get your butt kicked?"

"Oh, please. In your dreams, Uncle," he countered.

Anna looked to Kevin as she pointed a finger to the sink. "There will
be no butt kicking until your hands are washed, young man."

Hands clean, both Logan and Kevin sped off and disappeared into the game
room. After everyone went their ways, Amber turned off the small kitchen
television, which had been blaring cartoons the entire morning. She then went
into the adjoining living room and turned off the news which had been on as
long as the cartoons. Knowing Logan, the news had been broadcasting since three
in the morning.

She closed her eyes briefly and took a deep breath—peace and quiet.
However, it didn’t last long. She slowly smiled when screams of delight,
from Logan and Kevin, found their way to her. She listened to the muffled
squeals for a moment as they battled each other over whatever game they were
playing.

Listening to them play, it was easy to understand how they got along so
well, she thought as she filled the dishwasher, worked sticky syrup spots from
the table and counter, and scrubbed the sinks. She laughed out loud when she
heard Kevin accuse his uncle of cheating. How did she get so lucky to be a part
of this amazing family?

She grabbed the broom and began sweeping the floor. It amazed her at how
well they all got along. They weren’t just loving and
supportive,
they drew personal happiness from each other. That concept was hard for her to
grasp. She walked the dust pan over to the trash and dumped it.

Turning off the kitchen lights she went and retrieved her book from the
library and then found a spot on the couch in the living room. She read for an hour
before Anna came in with a magazine.

"Mind if I join you?"

"Not at all."
Amber said as she
gestured to the spot next to her.

"They sound like they are killing each other in there."

Amber smiled as she glanced at her watch. "It’s been like that
for over an hour."

Anna just shook her head and flipped open her magazine.

They quietly read until Logan appeared, arms in the air, celebrating his
apparent victory. Flipping her magazine over, Anna stood up from the couch and
said enough was enough. She sent Kevin to pick up the game room and gather his
things. "Make sure you put your backpack by the door. I don’t want
to forget it again."

"Mom," Kevin moaned. "Uncle and I were going to play laser
tag."

"Sorry, playtime is over."

"We’ll play laser tag next time," Logan said. "Go do
as you were told."

"All right."

Anna turned toward Logan when Kevin skipped off. "I thought you had
some paperwork you wanted me to go over." She lifted her arm indicating
the time.

"I didn’t realize we were playing for so long."

"We better do it now. You know how mom gets if we’re even a
second late to the dinner table. And we are eating early tonight," she
pointed out. "I have to be in the office first thing in the morning so I
want to head home a little sooner than we normally do."

Logan looked over at Amber, catching her eyes and winking at her before he
spoke. "When I’m not riling her son up or hosing her down with a
squirt gun, I’m her number one client."

Anna rolled her eyes. "Who says you’re my number one
client."

"You mean I’m not?"

"I’m your number one accountant," Anna countered.

"I won’t argue with that." Logan leaned over and kissed
Amber. "We’ll be at least an hour or so."

Amber nodded and then smiled to herself as she watched Logan and Anna walk
down the hall arguing the entire way. When the office door closed she turned to
find Marian. She had been outside most of the morning tending to the yard.

Amber found Marian walking slowly back and forth across the lawn dispersing
small beads of fertilizer with a handheld spreader. "Hi," Amber
called out.

"Hello, sweetheart," Marian said as she looked up and smiled at
Amber. "If I didn’t do this it would never get done. Logan
isn’t interested in taking care of the lawn." She turned and began
making another pass. "The key is to get it nice and even." Then she
added.
"And to do it regularly."

Amber stood at the edge of the lawn, watching Marian and getting great joy
out of how serious she was.

"I also use organic fertilizer so the critters don’t
suffer," Marian said, never taking her eyes off what she was doing.

"Kevin told me about his two pet frogs he found at your house last
weekend."

"I’ve never seen a child collect more bugs than that boy."
She made a steady turn down the last stretch of grass. "Give him a
plastic container filled with grass and there’s no telling what
he’ll put in it and try to keep as a pet."

"I saw him gathering caterpillars from a bush this morning so you
might want to check his backpack before you leave," Amber suggested
amusingly.

Marian shook her head. "That wouldn’t surprise me. A couple of
weeks ago it was a lizard. He shoved it right in his pocket before we got on
the plane. You wouldn’t believe the commotion it created when it got
loose too. How we managed to capture it by the time we landed is beyond me, but
we did."

Amber laughed at the mental picture. "So Logan never went through the
bug phase?"

"Not with the kind of enthusiasm Kevin has." She flipped the
spreader upside down and shook out the reaming fertilizer as she moved to
Amber. "Logan’s enthusiasm was directed in other areas."

"Lots of other areas," Amber agreed.

"Yes, there wasn’t much that didn’t interest him. He kept
me busy by just trying to keep him busy. That boy ate up whatever you put in
from of him."

"I bet that was a challenge."

"It sure was. By the time he was ten he was smarter than me. I was so
thankful when he turned thirteen and went to college."

"He started college when he was thirteen?" Amber asked
surprised.

"He didn’t tell you about that, did he?"

Amber shook her head. "I knew he started early but I didn’t
realize it was that early."

"He’s quiet about that stuff," Marian said, looking out
over the grass. "He was always so mature for his age, never much of a
kid." She turned and winked. "I constantly called him my little
man. I used to tell him he was an old soul because it always seemed that there
was a purpose and a reason for everything he did. It was like he was on a
mission." She shook her head. "Anyway, I agreed to let him go to
college. And I’m glad I did."

"Why’s that?"

"It was there that he really began to study and learn. He loved that
he had access to so much information. I think he also enjoyed people he could
have an intelligent conversation with. Anna and I were never clever enough to
keep up with him. The professors indulged him and challenged him in ways I
couldn’t." Marian started walking in the direction of the potting
shed. "I’m going to put this up. Will you come with me?"

"Sure."

"My children think I’ll either love you to death or scare you
off if I’m left alone with you." She smiled as she opened the door
to the shed and stepped in.

"I don’t think you could do either," Amber replied.

"Try telling that to them. I’ll make this quick before they
catch us," she said with a grin.

After putting away the spreader and some tools, Marian turned to Amber. For
a very brief moment Marian’s face was unreadable. But, as she organized
her thoughts her expression changed and Amber understood it perfectly.

Marian reached for Amber’s hands and held them tightly in hers.
"I see a look in his eyes I’ve never seen before." Her voice
shook with emotion. "You put it there and I’m grateful for
that."

Amber’s lips parted in surprise at the sincerity of Marian’s
statement but no words came out. She was unable to speak. She squeezed the
woman’s hands and fought back the emotions rising in her.

"He’s never really said much to me, but I’ve kind of known
that he was looking for the right women," Marian continued,
"I’m glad he found you."

"I’m glad he found me too."

"You make him happy. And that’s all a mother wants for her
children—to see them happy."

Amber nodded, sill unable to speak.

"I’m not sure how much he’s told you and it’s really
not my business, but I know for certain he loves you and there isn’t
anything he wouldn’t do for you." Then she added. "I suppose
you already know that."

Amber nodded.

Marian pulled her in for a hug that was so much more than a casual embrace.
It was charged with emotion that passed between them both. It was the only way
they knew how to communicate what they were experiencing. Instantly, they
formed an intense bond over a shared love for Logan.

"Thank you for being so kind to me," Amber whispered into
Marian’s hair.

Two hours later Marian announced dinner was ready. Within seconds everyone
was seated around the massive table in the dining room. The meal was enormous,
with tons of shellfish swimming in pools of butter and garlic, fresh shrimp
salad, and cheddar biscuits.

"This looks amazing," Amber said as she took a seat next to
Logan. "And it smells heavenly." She took the dish Logan passed
her, dished up a healthy portion and then passed it on to Marian.

"I’m going to have to do yoga every day for a month to work this
off, "Anna said as she took a bite.

"I might have to join you," Amber sighed when she licked the
butter off her fingers.

"Kevin, don’t reach across the table," Anna insisted.
"Ask for it to be passed to you."

"Uncle Logan, can you pass me the biscuits," he said, frowning
at him mom and then looking across the table to Logan.

"It’s
will
you
please
pass me the biscuits"
Anna corrected, as she pointed to his napkin. "And make sure your napkin
is in your lap."

Logan winked at Kevin as he handed him the basket of biscuits.

"Napkin," Anna reminded him. She gestured to Amber. "We
have company and it’s embarrassing when you don’t use your
manners."

"Oh, please," Marian interrupted. "Impolite maybe but
embarrassing I don’t think so? I know what being embarrassed is,"
she looked over to her son. "Trust me I’ve had plenty of
practice."

"Don’t look at me," Logan said as he bit into a large
shrimp and tossed the tail on his plate.

"I’ve never embarrassed her," Anna insisted. "She
must be referring to you and all the crazy stunts you’ve pulled."

Amber looked at Logan and then Anna humorously before she looked back to
Marian. "I’d like to hear about some of the crazy stunts Logan
pulled when he was a kid."

"Me too," Kevin said as he stuffed a biscuit into his mouth.
"I want to hear about Uncle Logan when he was a kid."

"Don’t talk with your mouth full," Anna mumbled to her
son.

Marian didn’t need much prodding because she instantly began to tell
some of Logan’s most infamous childhood woes.

"He may be a genius but it didn’t appear that way
sometimes," Marian said. She then dove into a fantastic tale of how Logan
had stolen the neighbor’s cat and trapped it in the shed in the backyard.
He was only six and if it wasn’t for her clever talking the police would
have been called on him.

"You’re kidding," Amber said as she glanced up at Marian.
"The police?
He was only six."

Marian nodded. "Mrs. Jacobson thought he was torturing the cat,
therefore she thought the authorities should know about the kind of kid Logan
was."

"Torturing?" Amber looked to Logan and said, "He could
never torture anything."

Marian nodded her head in agreement. "Yes, I know. But it didn’t
appear that way."

Anna shook her head as she thought about it.
"Poor
Mrs. Jacobson.
She was so distraught for those three agonizing hours
that…" She looked over to her brother. "What was that
cat’s name?"

"I don’t recall," Logan said drily and he concentrated on
his meal.

"Sure you do," Anna insisted.

He squeezed at wedge of lemon over his salad. "I’m positive I
don’t."

"Buttercup," Anna said suddenly as it dawned on her.

"Buttercup was Mrs. Jacobson pride and joy." Marian added.
"And the woman was just beside herself when she couldn’t find her.
I found Logan in the back shed. Buttercup was being fitted for a
spacesuit."

"I beg your pardon," Amber said, as she choked down a bit of
food. She reached for her glass of wine and took a sip.

Marian made a big sweeping motion with her hands. "My dear son had
planned on flinging sweet Buttercup into outer space."

"Surely you’re joking." Amber turned to Logan eyes wide in
disbelief.

"Fling?
I wasn’t going to fling the
cat," Logan pointed out in irritation. "That sounds barbaric. I was
going to
launch
the cat into space in my homemade rocket that I was
building."

Amber laughed hysterically. "Why would you try such a thing?"
she said, in between bouts of laughter as she eyed Logan.

When Logan didn’t speak, Anna piped in. "Mrs. Jacobson
threatened to call the authorities when mom returned Buttercup back to her and
the terrified cat was covered in a tangled collection of duct tape, aluminum
foil, and old thermal underwear."

"Fortunately, I was able to pry the glass mayonnaise jar off the
cat’s head before I returned her," Marian said, seriously.
"But the tape, foil, and cloth were another story. I feared I’d
leave the precious cat bald if I tried to remove it."

"I can’t believe it," Amber said, astonished.

Kevin giggled. "Uncle, you put a jar on a cats head? Mom would spank
me if I did something like that."

"Things get even more scandalous as he grows up." Marian spooned
herself another helping as she began another story where Logan had nearly burnt
down his seventh grade classroom because he was trying to build a flamethrower.
She pointed out that’s when she knew he was bored and ready for college.

"The sculpture is hands down the best one though," Anna said
seriously. "Mom, you have to tell her about that."

"Enough stories," Logan said.

Amber touched his hand and gave it a gently squeeze. "I want to hear.
I love hearing about you."

"Let’s hear about some of Anna’s stories," Logan
said, as she shot a glare to his sister.

"What stories? I don’t have any. At least none that compare to
yours." Anna turned to her mom. "Go on, mom. Tell Amber about the
sculpture."

Marian began. "Logan was fifteen and in an arts honor class at the
local university when he almost shamed us out of town."

"That’s a little dramatic mom," Logan said, with an edge
of annoyance.

"No it’s not," Marian countered. She continued on and
within moments she had the entire table enthralled. Several minutes later she
was rudely interrupted.

"I don’t believe that is how it went." Logan looked over
to his mother with displeasure. "She’s leaving stuff out."

"Do fill us in," Amber said with a big grin.

"Before I set the record straight I’d like to add that she has
exaggerated every story that she’s told this evening. Only
two
desks were charred in my seventh grade class and Buttercup wasn’t
completely covered in duct tape—it was only around her legs." He
took a long drink of wine and then continued. "It was my
last
year
of college and I was
sixteen
not fifteen. It was an advanced sculpting
class and our project was to work on a sculpture of what moved us the most.
Essentially what we felt fundamentally kept our souls alive. Since it was an
honors class our projects were to be revealed at a gala hosted by the local art
museum and of course the universities art department staff."

Logan drifted back to that time. It had been one of his hardest years. Not
academically but emotionally as he had recurring visions of her. He saw her
almost nightly in his dreams. Sometimes she was resting on a bed of furs or in
a tall bed on white silk sheets. Other times she was swimming leisurely in
clear blue water. Each night the locations changed but she was always smiling
at him, staring deep into his eyes. What made these visions different from the
others he’d previously experienced was she was no longer a child or a
teenager she was a woman. Seeing her grownup had stirred emotions deep in him.

What he had also liked about this newer vision was when she came to him she
was womanly, seductive, and usually nude, like they had just spent the night
together and were basking in each other’s company.

The first few months of seeing her like this had rattled him. He’d
never remembered her that way before. She had always been there, but not
seducing him or showing him the intimacies they shared. It wasn’t long
before he eagerly anticipated sleep so he could experience her again and again.
Though they never made love in these dreams, he knew what it was like to love
her. It was during these intense months that he became addicted to her eyes,
her smile, her slender body, and perfect curves.

"Please go on," Amber insisted for the second time. "I
must hear how scandalous this turns out."

Logan pushed away the memories and glanced over to Amber. He drew in a slow
breath as he watched her. He felt all the emotions he had as a young man and it
almost killed him. It had taken years for him to mature enough to be able to
control the emotion the dreams had created. He had wanted her so badly during
those times. He had her now he told himself as he relaxed.

Before Logan could continue on, Marian said enthusiastically, "I was
so proud of him I invited everyone I knew."

"I didn’t ask you to invite everyone, Mom."

Marian continued on like she hadn’t heard her son. "His
grandparents were there. His grade school and high school teachers were there
too.
Most of the neighbors—the exception being Mrs.
Jacobson."

"Don’t forget his baby sister," Anna said. "I was
totally traumatized."

"Stop exaggerating. I don’t know what it is with you two. It
wasn’t that bad."

Amber leaned forward eagerly, "I can’t stand it. You have to
tell me what you did."

"After the dinner," Logan continued. "The head of the art
department called each artist to stand before their sculptures which were coved
with dark drapes."

"I was so proud," Marian interrupted. "I pushed my way to
the front of the crowd so I could get pictures of Logan and his sculpture. He had
been working on it for weeks and I was eager to see it. As they went down the
line and revealed each sculpture the student was to explain what was behind the
inspiration. Logan was second to the last and when the drape was pulled away
the audience gasped. I couldn’t believe my eyes."

"What was it," Amber insisted.

"My son had sculpted the loveliest and the most seductive woman
I’d ever seen. This woman’s gaze was…" She shook her
head as she searched for the right word. "Let’s just say no matter
where you moved this woman’s gaze was fixated on you."

"It was the weirdest thing," Anna replied. "It was like
her eyes followed you. You couldn’t look away from her. And even though I
was younger I could clearly see that everyone was mesmerized because of
the," Anna shot a quick glance toward Kevin and then looked back to
Amber. "The "you know what" tension was oozing from the
piece."

"I don’t understand," Amber said. "If it was that
good, why did everyone gasp?"

"Because the woman was completely naked."
Marian placed her hand against her heart as if she were reliving it again.
"Did I mention she was life sized?"

"It’s called true to scale, Mom," Logan mumbled.

"You drew a naked girl, Uncle." Kevin giggled when he said the
word naked. "And what is "you know what" tension?"

"I didn’t draw her, my dear
nephew,
I
sculpted her with my bare hands." Logan waved his fingers in front of
Kevin like he was a mad scientist and his hands were somehow toxic because of
the shocking act. "And you don’t worry about what kind of tension
there was in the room."

Marian replied under her breath. "I could hardly picture my little boy
sculpting such a piece."

"I wasn’t little," Logan point out before he looked over
at Amber because he simply couldn’t take his eyes off her. Creating that
sculpture was what had gotten him through. In his own way he could touch her
and fell her under his hands.

"You’re silly," Kevin insisted.

"Don’t leave out his comment." Anna insisted. She looked
at Amber. "This is the best part. If seeing a gigantic, naked woman
beside my brother wasn’t bad enough, I honestly thought mom was going to
have a coronary right there when Logan spoke."

"What did he say," Amber asked impatiently.

"When Logan was asked what inspired him he leaned into the microphone
and said in the most serious voice, "
when
I close my eyes she is who I see"
."

"He didn’t," Amber gasped. She then glanced at Logan who
was staring directly at her. "You didn’t," she whispered.

"Oh, yes he did," Anna said. "All the men mumbled
"lucky bastard" and the women were whispering in awe. I really
thought my grandma was going to pass out." She lifted her shoulders.
"But grandpa was beaming with pride."

"And everyone was staring at me, his mother," Marian said.

Anna shook her head. "No, mom, they weren’t staring at you. They
couldn’t take their eyes off the sculpture."

"Enough stories. Can we just finish our meal?" Logan asked.

Anna pointed her fork at her brother. "You’re the one that
sculpted it, not me."

The rest of the meal was just as enjoyable. They ate until they were stuffed
and laughed together about nothing in particular. It was a Sunday family dinner
like they had never experienced. They all agreed that it was the wine that made
them feel a little merrier than usual.

As they cleared the table and did the dishes the conversation was just as
light and lively. Marian, Anna, and Amber laughed and teased like they had been
doing it for years. Logan and Kevin made ice-cream sandwiches with the leftover
cookies. And before any of them knew it, it was time for them to leave.

Amber helped carry their things to the car. After quick goodbyes, Marian,
Anna, and Kevin, were off to the airport. They waved until they were out of
sight.

Walking back into the house Logan and Amber went into the living room.

"Wow, that was some weekend," she said, as she fell onto the
sofa.

"It’ll roll around again in two weeks if you didn’t get
enough the first time around." Logan plopped down beside her.