Across Eternity by Aris Whittier Page B

was almost an epiphany they were sharing. The notion was theatrical to say
the least, but it was also honest. Honest to the point that it worried her,
intrigued her, and made her want to hear Logan’s side of it.
    Crawling out of the bed, she opened the door and she felt her way down the
dimly lit hall to the master bedroom. When she looked in and found it empty she
made her way back down the hall toward the living room. She glanced at the
degrees on the wall briefly before she looked straight ahead. That’s when
she saw him—sitting in the recliner, his eyes closed, his head titled
back. A single lamp lit the space around him.
    There was an unexplainable energy that suddenly formed in the air and it
consumed her as she watched him silently, not wanting to interrupt him. He was
an exceptional man. Down-to-earth, wise and funny, and he clearly had a head
for business. One only had to be with him for just a few minutes to see that he
had integrity and decency too. It was odd, in one way he was remarkably
complex, and in another he was entirely straightforward.
    She sucked in a deep breath and willed herself to remain composed as the
energy grew and swirled between them. There were other layers to Logan that she
knew existed but she had not yet seen. He would allow her to unravel them at
her own pace, discovering everything about him, but she still wasn’t sure
she’d ever figure them out. Some things just weren’t
comprehensible. Certain aspects to Logan would fall in that category.
    "I’m awake," he said without looking up.
    She had a feeling he was. He had been giving her time to think, time to
watch him. He was generous when it came to giving her space or a moment to deal
with things. Nothing about him was rushed. Everything came in due time.
    She moved silently around a piece of furniture to position herself so she
could see him better. Closely, she watched him, unsure of what to say.
"What’s going on with us?"
    Logan didn’t move as he spoke. "There’s so much. Where
would you like to start?"
    "I’m not sure. But we need to talk about it."
    "Yes, we do," he agreed softly.
    "Since you appear to be a little more familiar with what’s
happening between us, how about you start."
    He nodded. "I’ll start at the beginning. When I was a little boy
I had a best friend. She was blond haired and beautiful. She spent almost every
moment with me." He opened his eyes and slowly sat up in the chair.
"Actually, I have very few memories that don’t include her."
His eyes found her from across the room. "Yet no one could see her except
me."
    "She was an imaginary friend?" Amber asked curiously as she
watched him.
    "No, she wasn’t imaginary. She was very real."
    "How could she be real? Do you see ghosts?"
    "No, I don’t see ghosts. I see you and only you."
    "Me? I don’t understand."
    Logan stood up and moved toward her. Stopping a few feet away he spoke.
"I’ve never seen another spirit other than you. I’ve never
dreamt of anyone other than you either."
    "I can wrap my mind around the dreaming but I have no idea what you
mean when you say you saw my spirit."
    "Amber, my best friend was you. You were the little blond haired
girl."
    "But how?"
    Logan’s hands went to his hips and he glanced out the window, into the
darkness, desperately organizing his thoughts. After a moment he looked at
Amber and said, "I know this is hard to understand but please bear with
me. We are ten years apart in age right now."
    She nodded.
    "When I was ten you left to come here."
    She stared at him blankly.
    "Twenty-seven years ago while we were sitting in my favorite oak tree
you came to me and told me you were coming back."
    She drew in a shaky breath.
    "I knew you were here because after that day I never saw you again. At
least that was until I began to dream about you." He smiled at her.
"You were right."
    "About what."
    "You told me before you left that I would dream about you. And even
though those dreams were good there was a time in