Monday.”
“It looks like I’ll be here for another week. I have to go. See you then.”
The dial tone was deafening in her ear. Not a single I miss you or I love you or happy birthday . She went into her room and set the phone on her bedside table. She’d give it back to Tate in the morning.
With a startling realization, she dropped to the edge of the bed.
Robbie had never once told her he loved her.
But she’d never said the words to him either.
****
“ Jamie?”
She heard the sweet, clear voice, but it seemed so far away, dreamlike.
“Jamie?”
The voice belonged to a young woman--it was the voice she often heard in her head--and it seemed a little closer.
“ My sweet girl, wake up.” The voice was more persistent and sounded near her ear.
“Who’s there?” Jamie’s eyes flew open and she gasped.
S ilhouetted by the bright moonlight shining through the open French door, stood a beautiful, young, dark haired woman at the foot of her bed.
“ Momma?” Jamie choked on the name.
“ Yes.” The specter seemed to float around the bed to stand beside Jamie.
“You’re a ghost?” She sat bolt upright in her bed. Her heart pounded hard.
“ I’ve been looking out for you since you were a baby.”
“ What?” Jamie shook her head. She had to be dreaming. There was no other explanation.
“ Jamie, I don’t have much time, but I showed myself because I’m worried about you. You can’t go through with this marriage.”
“ Robbie’s a good man.” Jamie’s voice shook as she answered.
“ But he doesn’t love you. You don’t love him.” The ghost sat on the edge of the bed, causing Jamie to jump back. The specter didn’t seem to notice the alarm and instead laid a hand over Jamie’s trembling fingers where they rested at her side.
The touch was cool and feathery, and Jamie was too stunned to move. “Love is overrated. Look what it got me. A broken heart. And Daddy? What did love get him? You died and he’s been lonely all of his life.”
Her mother’s ghost frowned and shook her head. “Do you really want to live a life without love?”
“I won’t get hurt that way.”
“But you’ll never be happy either. Tate made a mistake, but he loves you and he makes you happy. As I always knew he would.”
“What do you mean by that?” Jamie was afraid she already knew. “Did you send him to the ranch?”
Tate had once told her he’d had a dream that brought him to Raines Land all those years ago.
Her mother smiled and touched Jamie’s face. “I thought I loved another man, but when I met your father, I knew I’d never be happy without him. When he asked me to marry him, I did not hesitate. I gave up a career I loved and moved to Texas to be with him. He made me complete, and he made me extremely happy. If I have a regret, it is leaving him and you. But unlike in the life we lead, we have no choice in death.”
“Can you talk about it... Your death? Are you in...heaven?” Jamie hoped her mother was happy in her afterlife.
Momma shook her head. “That’s one rule I can’t break. I can’t talk about where or what I am. What is Tate to you?”
Jamie didn’t even need to think about it. “He is my best friend, he’s always been there for me and I’ve tried to do the same for him.”
Jamie looked up at the smiling, glowing, beautiful face of her mother. “What do you feel for him?”
“ I love him. I always have.” The words came out before she could stop them.
“What are you doing in here?” Momma smiled and leaned in. The kiss on Jamie’s forehead was like a fluttering of butterflies against the skin. “You turned into such a beautiful woman, Jamie. I love you.”
She stood and faded away.
Jamie’s heart sank and she leapt off the bed. “Momma, don’t go.”
In her head , she heard the voice she always thought was her conscience. “I will always be looking out for you.”
****
Tate couldn’t sleep. But sexual frustration and total confusion would
“It looks like I’ll be here for another week. I have to go. See you then.”
The dial tone was deafening in her ear. Not a single I miss you or I love you or happy birthday . She went into her room and set the phone on her bedside table. She’d give it back to Tate in the morning.
With a startling realization, she dropped to the edge of the bed.
Robbie had never once told her he loved her.
But she’d never said the words to him either.
****
“ Jamie?”
She heard the sweet, clear voice, but it seemed so far away, dreamlike.
“Jamie?”
The voice belonged to a young woman--it was the voice she often heard in her head--and it seemed a little closer.
“ My sweet girl, wake up.” The voice was more persistent and sounded near her ear.
“Who’s there?” Jamie’s eyes flew open and she gasped.
S ilhouetted by the bright moonlight shining through the open French door, stood a beautiful, young, dark haired woman at the foot of her bed.
“ Momma?” Jamie choked on the name.
“ Yes.” The specter seemed to float around the bed to stand beside Jamie.
“You’re a ghost?” She sat bolt upright in her bed. Her heart pounded hard.
“ I’ve been looking out for you since you were a baby.”
“ What?” Jamie shook her head. She had to be dreaming. There was no other explanation.
“ Jamie, I don’t have much time, but I showed myself because I’m worried about you. You can’t go through with this marriage.”
“ Robbie’s a good man.” Jamie’s voice shook as she answered.
“ But he doesn’t love you. You don’t love him.” The ghost sat on the edge of the bed, causing Jamie to jump back. The specter didn’t seem to notice the alarm and instead laid a hand over Jamie’s trembling fingers where they rested at her side.
The touch was cool and feathery, and Jamie was too stunned to move. “Love is overrated. Look what it got me. A broken heart. And Daddy? What did love get him? You died and he’s been lonely all of his life.”
Her mother’s ghost frowned and shook her head. “Do you really want to live a life without love?”
“I won’t get hurt that way.”
“But you’ll never be happy either. Tate made a mistake, but he loves you and he makes you happy. As I always knew he would.”
“What do you mean by that?” Jamie was afraid she already knew. “Did you send him to the ranch?”
Tate had once told her he’d had a dream that brought him to Raines Land all those years ago.
Her mother smiled and touched Jamie’s face. “I thought I loved another man, but when I met your father, I knew I’d never be happy without him. When he asked me to marry him, I did not hesitate. I gave up a career I loved and moved to Texas to be with him. He made me complete, and he made me extremely happy. If I have a regret, it is leaving him and you. But unlike in the life we lead, we have no choice in death.”
“Can you talk about it... Your death? Are you in...heaven?” Jamie hoped her mother was happy in her afterlife.
Momma shook her head. “That’s one rule I can’t break. I can’t talk about where or what I am. What is Tate to you?”
Jamie didn’t even need to think about it. “He is my best friend, he’s always been there for me and I’ve tried to do the same for him.”
Jamie looked up at the smiling, glowing, beautiful face of her mother. “What do you feel for him?”
“ I love him. I always have.” The words came out before she could stop them.
“What are you doing in here?” Momma smiled and leaned in. The kiss on Jamie’s forehead was like a fluttering of butterflies against the skin. “You turned into such a beautiful woman, Jamie. I love you.”
She stood and faded away.
Jamie’s heart sank and she leapt off the bed. “Momma, don’t go.”
In her head , she heard the voice she always thought was her conscience. “I will always be looking out for you.”
****
Tate couldn’t sleep. But sexual frustration and total confusion would
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