Page 44 of Protecting Vidalia
He pulled her in close to his body and dropped his head to kiss her causing her senses to explode. Flattening herself against his hard body, she changed position and stretched up high to put her arms around his neck and rub her tingling breasts against his muscles. Then she was lost in a mind-numbing kiss. He pressed up against her, his rock-hard manhood straining against her abdomen making her wish it was lower.
Finally, he lifted his head and whispered against her lips. “You’re driving me crazy, little onion. I want to peel you out of those clothes so bad right now that we better get going. It’s not like I can chop wood if we’re going to make it to the vigil.”
Vidalia sighed. “Okay. Right now, I’d rather go to the vigil than watch you chop wood. That eye candy wouldn’t make me feel any better either.”
He turned her around and pushed her butt towards the door. “One of these days, I’m not going to resort to chopping wood.”
She didn’t answer and she wasn’t sure why she didn’t. What in the world was holding her back?
There weren’t a lot of cars in the parking lot when they arrived, but then they hadn’t expected there to be since Barbara had told her it was only close friends and family. She was grateful for Jake’s sheltering arm around her as they made their way towards the small group of people gathered around the memorial. The circle opened quietly to include them and they got their first look at the completed bench.
Tears welled up in Vidalia’s eyes. “Oh my gosh, it’s so beautiful,” she choked out. She reached out with a trembling finger and traced the outline of the mother bear and the cub that appeared to be walking in a row of pine trees etched into the metal of the back of the bench seat. The etched wording above the bears simply stated—Dedicated to The Memory of Dani Owens.
Quiet introductions were made and Vidalia and Jake shook hands and uncomfortably accepted hugs from various family members. Then Clay cleared his throat and handed everyone a candle. “The sun is setting, let’s light our candle’s and begin,” he said. He lit his candle first and then leaned over and lit Barbara’s with his, and so on all the way around the circle.
Vidalia listened as people took turns telling amusing/touching anecdotes about Dani and stared into the candle flame. No one seemed to expect her to say anything and she didn’t want to, she was afraid she’d burst into tears or say something completely stupid and irrelevant. She did mourn for the loss of the little girl taken too soon.
After thirty minutes or so when people seemed to be winding down, Clay finished it up with a prayer giving Dani over to the care and keeping of the god they believed in. Once they blew out the candles, the only light in the area was from the tall telephone poles located at strategic areas around the perimeter.
“Thank you for coming, Vidalia,” Barbara told her, enveloping her in another hug. “I hope you can find peace and let this go. Even though I don’t know you very well, I can sense you’ve been holding onto Dani and blaming yourself. You have to let her go, she’s fine where she is. It’s hard...” Her voice broke and her lips trembled before she was able to collect herself and finish her sentence. “It’s hard, I know that, but you’re a strong young woman. Be good to yourself.” She patted Vidalia’s hand and then hugged Jake and left under the arm of her husband.
Vidalia nodded, unable to speak as tears leaked slowly down her smooth cheeks. She could hear people chatting softly and cars starting as people slowly left the area until only she and Jake were left. She shivered in the cool night air. Jake moved in and put his arms around her from the back, resting his chin on her head without saying a word. She knew he was waiting for her but she couldn’t tear her gaze away from the bench.
“I...I want to sit there,” she croaked, stepping forward and lowering herself to the cold metal of the unflinching bench. She spread her hands out beside her and touched it, feeling its smooth surface. Her gaze was suddenly drawn to the top of the trail where it headed down the pass and the hair on the back of her neck lifted. A shadowy image stood there looking over its shoulder at her, then with a smile, waved a small hand in the air and disappeared. Her eyes widened in disbelief.
“What’s wrong,” Jake asked with a frown, turning to stare at the trailhead.
“Do you believe in ghosts?” She asked, standing up.
“I believe there are things we don’t understand,” he finally replied. “Did you see something?”
“I-I think I saw Dani,” she replied gazing up at him. “And she waved goodbye to me. Is that possible? Or am I officially off my rocker, as they say.”
Jake chuckled and sat down to put his arm around her. “I’ve heard it said that sometimes when people are really suffering over a loss, they might see that person. But I don’t know if it’s true or not.”
She shivered wondering if she really was losing her mind. “Have you ever seen Hamal?”
“Only in my dreams,” he replied quietly. “I’ll always remember the happiness on his face and his big brown eyes laughing at me. That’s what I try to focus on when I’m troubled, and that’s good enough for me.”
“I feel finished here,” Vidalia said quietly, rubbing the back of her arms. “I don’t want to visit this place again anytime soon.”
“Then let’s go.” He pulled her up and they went to the truck. Jake helped her into the tall seat, and as they drove away, she looked back one last time. There was nothing to see. “Goodbye, Dani,” she whispered under her breath.
“What?” Jake asked, glancing sideways.
“Nothing. Let’s go home,” she replied, suddenly feeling like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Jake was right, coming to this vigil had been cathartic, if somewhat eerie.
“Yours or mine?”
“Yours, I think,” she replied, her eyes shining up at him.
They were both silent as Jake drove down the canyon and parked in front of his cabin. It was a comfortable silence though, with Vidalia tucked warmly up beneath his protective arm as they made their way quietly inside.
“Would you like something to drink?” he asked as they came into the house.
She shook her head. “No, thanks.”
He led her towards the couch. “Want to watch a movie?”
