One Thousand Years to Forever (7 page)

He knew
she
, the one he
watched, was planning a shopping trip with her daughter. He had
heard their phone calls to friends. Maybe he would be called upon
to dispatch her today instead of sitting, watching, and waiting. He
was always called to watch and wait, never to anything of
importance.

He took one last drag of his
cigarette. Then throwing it out the window, he sat back and waited.
He would be eternally grateful when this job ended. He hated just
sitting.

He jumped to the sound of someone
tapping on his side window. Turning he saw an older man standing
next to his car. He made motions like he wouldn’t be able to
understand but the man still tapped on his window and then in a
feeble voice said “I need help... ”

He groaned and rolled his eyes.
Why him?
He rolled down his window to speak to the old man
but before he could get the words out, the old man’s hand shot
through the opened window and hauled him out. He was lifted up and
the old man had him like a sack over his shoulder.

All of it happened so fast. One
minute he was in the rental and then next moment he was in the
woods and the old man dropped him next to a tree.

“
I don’t know what you are doing
or who you are... ” he said in broken English. He didn’t get the
rest of the words out. He was hauled up once again and slammed
against a tree. All he saw coming at him was a blur of vicious
looking teeth into his neck, from the demon. The pain was so
intense those first few seconds. He tried to fight but he felt his
arm ripped away from the socket...just like a rag. His last
thoughts as he started to try and scream was
“No one will
know... ”

* * * * * * *

Katherine was up and having tea
when Sally came down.

“
Morning, Mom. Why are you dressed
already?”

Katherine kissed her daughter’s
cheek when Sally hugged her. “I’m going to Colum’s for
breakfast.”

Sally sat on the bar stool next to
her Mom. “Cool. So are we still going to Freeport and the
Mall?”

“
Of course, honey. I told him that
breakfast would have to be early.” They both jumped to the sound of
the buzzer from the front gate. Katherine got up and saw that it
was Colum. She hit the open button and saw him drive
through.

“
You two seemed to have a good
time last night. I saw him tucking you in.”

Katherine opened the door and
turned to her daughter. “I thought you were going to
Olivia’s.”

“
No, she slept over here. She is
such a sleepy head though.”

Colum walked up the path to the
door and saw Katherine framed in the light from the house. Smiling
at her and wanting to kiss her but refraining from that, he just
gave her a quick hug.

“
Good morning. Did you sleep
well?”

Katherine expected the quick hug
and noticed a smell of wood smoke and a type of musk. The scent fit
him.

“
Checking me out?” He whispered in
her ear.

“
Busted... Yes, I slept well, like
a log in fact.”

Colum noticed Sally studying him.
“Good morning, Sally, would you like to come with your mother for
breakfast? My parents’ butler just brought a new litter of kittens
and puppies from their home. You may enjoy seeing them, maybe even
picking out a new pet.”

Sally squealed and jumped up and
down before she remembered she was being a hostess.

“
I can’t. My friend Olivia is
sleeping over... ”

Colum laughed. “Well, wake her and
bring her too, that way you all will have eaten before going off
shopping for the day.”

“
Mom?”

Katherine arched her brow as she
looked from Colum to her daughter. “Go head, it’s fine with
me.”

Sally hugged her Mom, and smiled at
Colum and ran up stairs.

Katherine turned to Colum. “You
know what this means?”

Colum turned with an “
I don’t
know what you are talking about”
look.

“
You are just like all men. Don’t
give me that look, like you don’t know what I am talking about...
She is going to want not only a puppy but a kitten.”

Colum threw back his head and
laughed. “Busted... but seriously, kids need pets, it teaches them
kindness and responsibility.”

Katherine grabbed her tea. She
could hear the excitement brewing upstairs and the squeals of
delight as the girls got ready for a morning with kittens and
puppies.

“
I know, I know... I have been
thinking about that very same thing since we moved up here and we
have the room, but it’s just a shock to wake up and know by the end
of the day we will have both a kitten and a puppy.”

Colum came up and started rubbing
Katherine’s shoulders. At first he felt her stiffen up to his touch
then slowly he felt her relax and heard her sigh. He felt her
actually lean into his hands.

“
If it makes you feel any better,
only the kittens are ready for a home today. The puppies have a few
more weeks.”

Katherine laughed and turned to
face Colum. She really couldn’t face him since he was so tall and
big. More like running into his chest.

Craning her neck she smiled. “Well
that’s a relief to hear.”

She studied his face and liked what
she saw. Even if he hadn’t been a giant, he still would have a
solid presence that would give her a good feeling.

Colum brought his hands up to her
shoulders again. He loved being able to touch her and he figured
she would learn to like him, if he went slowly and not have the
bull in the china shop mentality.

They both turned to throats being
cleared.

“
We’re ready, Mom and Colum...
”

“
Good, let’s go have breakfast so
you girls can get going on your shopping spree.”

Katherine chuckled. “Well, I don’t
know if it will be a shop till we drop but we’ll have
fun.”

“
Come on Mom... ”

* * * * * * *

They sat in a warm, inviting room
with a large wall of glass, looking out onto the bay and beyond. A
fire was crackling in the huge fireplace that was opposite the
panoramic view of the ocean. Tea and hot cocoa had been brought in
and served. The girls sat on the floor with kittens crawling all
over them. The puppies had been looked over but they were
sleeping.

“
Mom, I want this smoky grey
one.”

Olivia sat playing with a grey
tabby that finally just gave up and curled up on her lap. She
glanced up. “Do you think if my Mom were to say yes, I could have
this one?”

Colum smiled down at the girls.
“That would be fine. As long as your mother doesn’t
mind.”

“
We had a cat but it died of old
age six months ago. My Mom would love a kitten but I’ll call
her.”

“
The phone is there if you want to
use it.”

“
Sweet! Thank you.”

She got up, holding the kitten
still nestled in her arm, asleep.

“
Do you think you two are still
gonna want to go shopping if you have new kittens?” Katherine asked
her daughter.

“
Colum said we could keep the
kittens here until we got home.” Sally said.

She looked over at Colum and saw
him smile. “See... ”

Katherine had to laugh. It seemed
the girls had everything covered. She heard Olivia squealing with
delight.

“
My Mom says a kitten is fine but
no puppies... ” She kissed the kitten’s head.

Sally hugged her kitten. “It will
be so nice having a kitten and then a puppy.”

Katherine groaned. “Yes and who is
going to take care of this kitten and then the puppy?”

“
I am, Mom, I promise I
will.”

“
Well, any help will be
lovely.”

She smiled up at Colum.

Colum laughed. “That smile has ‘I
am going to ring your neck’ written all over it... ”

“
Maybe... ”

Katherine turned to Colum as the
girls got out of his Rover. “I’ll be by first thing in the morning
for the kittens. I think we’ll be getting home too late to pick
them up today.”

Colum smiled at Katherine and took
her hand. “That’s fine.” Rubbing her hands. “They feel a bit warmer
today.”

Katherine looked down at her hands
and tried to still her rapidly beating heart. She felt like this
was wrong to be attracted to him. John was still lurking in the
corners and she felt she should go through her life with no other
life partner. Then she felt the extra squeeze and looked up into
eyes that were a deep dark violet. Looking quickly, you would think
they were black but looking closer she could see the tinge of
purple.

“
Earth to Katherine...
”

“
I know, just thinking...
”

“
Do you want to share?”

Katherine blushed and shook her
head. “No, too personal.”

“
Mooomm, are we going to go or
not?”

Colum took her other hand. He
brought them both up to his lips. Watching her as he kissed them
ever so lightly. “I know it’s hard. I have waited forever… since my
wife passed away. I do know what you are going through.”

Katherine dipped her face. Then
felt her face being brought back up with his index finger. She
locked her gaze with his. Those eyes. They were so magnetic. “How
do you know when it’s OK?” She whispered.

“
When this feels
right.”

Katherine watched as Colum’s face
came in closer and his lips gently brushed hers. She felt the
warmth and tasted honey and something more. Something wild. She let
her hand reach up and touch his face and felt him smile. She smiled
in return. “I’m thinking maybe it feels right. Please just be
patient.”

“
I’m very patient,” he said as he
let his lips capture hers again, feeling the heat spread through
her lips to his. He felt his body go tight with the feeling of need
for her building.

Colum kissed her one last time,
letting his lips take her, feeling not only the rush of the kiss,
but the beauty of it as well, as she let her fingers slide up
through his hair.

“
I think we have answered that
question but we have watchers... ”

Katherine let go quickly and bent
her head. “Oh my God, what are they going to think?”

Colum squeezed her hands. “It’s OK,
it will be fine. You get going to the mall and have a great
time.”

“
Mom, the SUV won’t start...
”

Katherine looked out her window of
Colum’s Rover. “You can’t be serious... I can’t believe it. Of all
days.”

She got out and went to her Toyota
and got in. Trying to turn it over she realized, like her daughter
said, it wouldn’t start. “Well, I don’t understand it.” She turned
to Colum.

Colum got in the vehicle and pulled
the latch to open the hood. He got out and went around and looked
in the engine compartment. After what seemed forever he stood up.
“I honestly can’t see the problem but I have a mechanic who can
look at it.”

“
Mom, how are we going to get to
the mall?”

Katherine looked stricken. Colum
could see that. “Listen, you can take the Rover and enjoy yourself.
I will have my man come over and take care of this.”

Katherine looked at Colum, her
daughter and Olivia who looked like their world was coming to an
end.

“
OK. Gosh, I don’t know what could
be ailing the stupid car. I just had it in the garage for a oil
change and a going over.”

Colum closed the hood and went
around and grabbed his cell phone out of the Rover. “It’s all
gassed up and ready to go. Don’t worry about a thing. I will have
yours taken care of and brought back.”

“
How are you going to get it out
of here if it won’t start?”

“
Easy, tow truck... ”

Katherine looked at the Rover and
then at Colum. “I don’t know how to thank you... ”

“
You don’t have to worry about
that. I’ll be here when you get back, just give me a call when you
get close to home, OK.”

Katherine walked up to Colum and
standing on her tiptoes she still didn’t reach him. Her head barely
came to his shoulder. She wrapped her arms around his neck and
pulled him down to her, kissing him lightly on his lips. “Thank
you,” she whispered. “This means a lot to the girls.”

“
I know.” He pulled her in and
kissed her back. Letting his hand go up her back, fingering her
hair. “Drive carefully.”

Katherine felt like a moth to a
flame. She was drawn to this man, this gentle giant whom she hardly
knew. “I’ll drive carefully.”

Colum pulled her in a bit tighter.
“Don’t worry about the Rover, I’m not, just thinking of you,” he
kissed her forehead and let her go.

He watched as Katherine got into
his Rover and the girls jumped in behind her into the Rover. They
were already bouncing in the back with their iPods on. They waved
and smiled. Sally mouthing
thank you
to him.