Sara's Promise (11 page)

Annie awoke with a start and quickly sat up. Her heart pounded in her chest as it took her several minutes to realize she was not surrounded by colors in the sky but was instead sitting in her bed, surrounded by her quilt and pillows. Once she realized it was only a dream, she pulled her quilt up, hugging it tight, and leaned back against her pillows.

Why had the dream of colors in the sky startled her this time? She'd dreamt of the colors and the golden sky above them so often, they had become a part of her, much like the dreams of William had, even long before she knew who he was. But this time, the watercolor dream had been different. This time, another being was in the dream, and Annie was staring into a pair of eyes exactly like her own.

Annie looked at the clock beside her bed. It was past two in the morning. She knew she would be unable to sleep again after being startled by the dream, so she slipped out of bed and dressed in a thick, heavy sweater and jeans. She needed to calm down, and she knew exactly what would help ease her mind. Grabbing her keys, she headed out the door of her condo and to her car.

William stood on the deck of his home staring out at the ocean under the bright, full moon. Fog was rolling in over the beach, and the light of the moon turned it into an eerie haze. It was past two in the morning, but he'd been unable to sleep. Twice, he'd crawled into his bed, only to find himself getting out again. He'd started a fire in the fireplace in his bedroom to ward off the damp chill of the night, but the familiar crackling sound of wood burning was not enough to lull him to sleep. So he'd pulled on his thickest sweatshirt and the pants he'd worn on his date with Annie and gone downstairs to the deck.

Annie. His thoughts kept returning to her and their evening out. Even though it had been a strange night, talking about Sandy's troubles and his wife, he'd still felt he'd made a deep connection with Annie. She had invited him into her place at the end of the evening, and he'd declined. Why? She was an attractive woman, and he was a single man. They had spent a lot of time together over the past weeks and were becoming close. It would not have been a one night stand. Yet, he'd still said no.

William ran his hand through his hair as he looked up at the full moon in the sky. Was he still too attached to Sara to think of being with another woman? Did he honestly believe his Sara would come back to him, that she'd keep her promise and return? Or was he using her as an excuse to back away from Annie and not get hurt again? One other question lurked in the back of his mind no matter how much he tried to push it away. Was he still feeling so much guilt over Sara's death that he didn't believe he deserved to love again? William shook his head to try to clear his thoughts. He didn't have answers to any of his questions.

As William stood, deep in his own thoughts, he dropped his gaze to the beach below. He was startled to see a figure standing on the beach with the fog enveloping it. The figure looked to be a woman, with the moon casting a bright glow around her, giving her an ethereal quality.

"Sara?" William said softly in disbelief. Had he wished her here? Had she come back to him? The figure raised her hand to him then, and that was all the invitation he needed. William ran outside the house and down the wooden stairs to the beach.

Annie went to the only place where she'd ever found complete peace—the beach. It was damp and cold, and she wished she'd brought a jacket, but this didn't prevent her from leaving her car and walking along the shoreline. The fog rolled in, surrounding her in a shroud of dewy haze, but the full moon gave off enough light for her to continue walking. Slowly, with the sound of the water lapping against the shore, she calmed down. The anxiety she'd felt from the dream gradually left her body. She didn't understand what the dream meant or why it had upset her, but walking on the beach helped ease her mind.

When she reached the spot on the beach that lay below William's house, she stopped and looked up. She was surprised to see William standing on the deck, looking down at her. Feeling embarrassed for being seen, yet comforted that he was there, she raised her hand up to him in greeting. In a flash, he disappeared off the deck and she wondered if he'd seen her at all. But a moment later, she saw him running down the wooden steps to the beach calling out to her. Except he wasn't calling her name. He was calling to Sara.

As William approached Annie, he immediately realized his mistake. His mind had been so full of thoughts of Sara that he'd actually believed for one instant she'd come back to him. He reached out to Annie, pulling her close as the fog encircled them. He felt her shiver in his embrace.

"Annie, what are you doing out here? It's cold, and you're chilled."

Annie let William hold her tight, enjoying the warmth and safety of his arms. Slowly, she pulled away. "I couldn't sleep."

William grasped her hand. "Come up to the house," he told her, leading her to the wooden stairway. "You're shivering. We need to warm you up."

Annie followed him without hesitation. They walked into the house. He grabbed the soft, throw blanket off the back of the sofa and wrapped it around her. He rubbed his hands up and down her arms, trying to warm her as she shivered. Her hair was damp and hung limply around her shoulders. Beads of moisture from the fog still clung to her cheeks and lips.

"Let's go upstairs. I have a fire in the fireplace, and you can warm yourself there," William said, pulling her close and leading her up the stairs. He led Annie down the hallway and into his bedroom, drawing her close to the fire. Standing behind her, he wrapped his arms around her once again and held her tight, warming her with his body heat. They stood there like that for several minutes, each taking pleasure in the heat of the fire and the warmth of each other.

Finally, William spoke softly, his lips close to her ear. "Why couldn't you sleep?" he asked.

Annie didn't know how to respond. Cherise was the only person she'd ever revealed her dreams to, and she didn't know how to explain them to William. "I had a bad dream," she answered. "It woke me, and I thought a walk on the beach would calm my nerves."

William led Annie to the bed, and they both sat down, facing each other. "Do you want to tell me about it?" he asked, reaching for her hand.

Annie shook her head, then looked up into William's caring brown eyes. "You were awake, too," she said.

William nodded. "I couldn't sleep either," he admitted. "I went out on the deck to think."

"About what?" Annie asked softly.

"About you," he replied honestly. "And about Sara, my life, and why I didn't say yes when you invited me in tonight."

Annie looked at William, her eyes tranquil. "You thought I was Sara on the beach, didn't you? I heard you calling her name."

William nodded, looking embarrassed. "I thought, for an instant, that Sara had returned to me, just like she'd promised." William looked into Annie's beautiful eyes, eyes so much like Sara's. "I know it sounds silly, believing she could come back. I know she's gone and isn't coming back. But I was thinking about her, then there you were, shrouded in fog with the full moon making you look like an angel from Heaven."

Annie's face turned sad. "Were you disappointed I wasn't Sara?"

William gave Annie a warm smile as he shook his head. "No, not at all. I was happy to see it was you." He lifted her hand to his lips, giving it a gentle kiss. "I was right about one thing, though," he said.

"What?" Annie asked, her heart warmed by his loving gesture.

"I did find an angel from Heaven on the beach. I found you."

Annie smiled up at William as he drew her close and kissed her. Slowly, he left a trail of kisses from Annie's lips, down across her cheek, and to the hollow of her neck. She gently ran her fingers up his back and through the hair at the nape of his neck. William slowly pulled away and looked at Annie with sensual eyes.

"Stay with me tonight," William said, his voice husky.

Annie wanted nothing more than to have William make love to her, but she hesitated, unsure of whether William was ready to let go of Sara. William saw the hesitation in her eyes.

"I just want to hold you close," he told her. "I want so much to hold you."

Annie nodded. She slipped off her jeans but left her sweater on, and William did the same. He turned out the lights, and they crawled into bed. He curled around Annie's small body, pulling her close, into his arms. By the light of the fire, Annie fell into a deep, dreamless sleep, feeling she had finally found where she belonged—in the safety of William's arms.

Chapter Ten

Annie slowly awoke to the smell of freshly brewed coffee and the sunlight streaming in through the windows. For a moment, her heart skipped a beat until she remembered where she was, then a slow smile spread across her face. Stretching out in the large bed, she turned and found William was no longer lying beside her. Then she heard the shower running in the adjoining bathroom and realized where he had gone.

She sat up and surveyed the room around her. Last night, she had been too entranced with William to notice much about his bedroom, but now in the bright sunshine, she saw the large room spread out before her. Across from her was the fireplace, the fire having burned itself out overnight. Next to the fireplace sat two striped, overstuffed chairs and a small table, where she spied the coffee pot, mugs, and a tray of pastries that William must have left for her before showering. A large dresser and mirror stood on another wall. What attracted Annie's attention the most, however, was the unfinished painting propped up on an easel in the corner of the room.

She slipped out of bed, still wearing her long sweater from the night before, and walked over to stand in front of the painting. What little that had been finished was beautiful, and Annie sensed instantly that it must have been the last painting Sara worked on before she died.

Slowly, Annie gently stroked her fingertips over the canvas, entranced by the beautiful watercolors on the painting. The colors were soft and welcoming, so much like the colors of her dreams.

William walked into the bedroom, a towel wrapped around his waist, and stopped short when he saw the scene in front of him. Annie was standing in front of the painting in only her sweater, gracefully brushing her fingers across the canvas. Her brown hair was tousled, and her petite frame was hidden beneath the bulky sweater, except for her slender legs. William remembered a similar scene with Sara, and he drew in a sharp breath at the memory. Annie turned, startled by the sudden sound.

Seeing William, Annie smiled.

"You startled me. Good morning." She crossed the space between them, reached up, and gently pulled William's head down for a kiss. He obliged.

"Good morning to you, too," he said, kissing her again. "I didn't mean to scare you. Seeing you standing there just took me by surprise for a moment."

Annie's brow furrowed, but she didn't question him. "I was just admiring the painting," she told him as she turned and walked back to it. "It's Sara's, isn't it?"

William also stepped closer to where the painting sat on the easel. "Yes, it was the last one she worked on before she died," he said softly. "I keep meaning to put it away with the others, but I just never have."

Annie turned back to him. "The others?"

William nodded. "There are more unfinished paintings in the small closet under the staircase. Sara would start a painting, then never have time to finish it. Life just kept getting in the way, I'm afraid."

Annie turned toward the painting once more and sighed. "It's such a shame," she said. "She was so talented. I always wished I had the talent to paint like this."

William stepped up closer to Annie until he was only inches away. He circled his arms around her waist and gently pulled her to him. A chill of déjà vu crept up his spine. "I always hoped that someday Sandy would finish some of the paintings that Sara started. Sandy is also such a talented artist. But her style is very different, so I'm not sure if she would ever want to finish her mother's work."

Annie turned and smiled up at William. It felt good to be so close to him, his arms around her and his chest pressed against hers.

"I was thinking today would be a great day to do something outside," William said. "Do you like to hike?"

Annie nodded. "I love hiking. Anywhere special in mind?"

"We could drive out to the Columbia River Gorge and walk the trails around Multnomah Falls."

Annie's eyes lit up. "I love it there. That would be wonderful."

"Great. I'll get dressed and drive you to your car. We can take off from your place after you get ready. I'll even stop by your friend's coffeehouse and pick up sandwiches for lunch."

Annie agreed. It sounded like a fun way to spend Saturday together. Plus, she could bring her camera along and take some beautiful pictures. She had a cup of coffee and one of the pastries while she waited for William to dress, then he drove her to her car. By the time she'd cleaned up and dressed, he was back at her place to get her.

It was a two-hour drive from Seaside to the Gorge, but they spent the trip talking about favorite places they'd visited and sites they'd seen. It was a little past noon when they arrived, and the sun was shining brightly, although the air was crisp. They both had dressed in layers, because they knew how chilly it could be by the rushing water, especially in spring. As they left the car, William pulled a backpack, filled with their lunch and water bottles, onto his back.