When it comes to true love, even a curse, death, and the
passing of centuries aren't enough to keep some souls
from finding each other again.
passing of centuries aren't enough to keep some souls
from finding each other again.
Copyright © by Charlotte Dillon. All rights reserved.
Excerpt from: Forever Love
Jessica replaced the phone's receiver and took a sip of coffee. She twisted the engagement ring on
her finger, then studied its small diamond. Gregory would make a good husband and father. They
got along perfectly and had been friends for years.
That friendship changed one day over a simple dinner at Pizza Hut. They had been talking about
the futures they wanted. Her dreams were his. A stable home, a good marriage, four children, two
boys and two girls, and the happy ever after ending. She didn't recall Gregory asking her to marry
him, or her giving an answer. But some how by the time the pizza was gone, they were talking
about a wedding date. Now that date...
Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the doorbell. "Looks like it's going to be a busy
morning," she said aloud to herself as she set her newspaper aside and got up.
Jessica paused in front of the door and heard her brother's warning from the day before replay
through her mind. "Jess, you should have a peephole put in this door. You could think you were
opening it to a delivery man and find some crazed killer instead."
"And how do I know the real delivery man isn't some crazed killer? Or even the real delivery
man?"
Ben hadn't responded to that comment.
There was a firm knock this time.
"Who is it?" she asked as she glanced down into her steaming cup of coffee. Hot liquid in the face
could surely stall a crazed killer long enough for her to run.
A very male voice, with the slightest touch of an English accent, came through the wooden door.
"Clay Banford. I'm your new neighbor. I was hoping to borrow your phone...just for a short call.
Local."
Jessica opened her mouth, but wasn't sure what to say. She wanted to be neighborly, and yet...
How many times had she told her kids to beware of strangers, especially the ones who acted
friendly?
The man must have sensed her hesitancy because he added, "I need to call the phone company.
They promised my phone would be on by this morning. I guess since I'm asking to use yours, that
tells you it's not." He paused. "If this is an inconvenience, I could go down..."
Jessica opened her door, but left the short silver chain safely in place. She peeked out through the
gape and had to look up to meet the tall man's gaze. Once she did, she found herself staring into
eyes the dark blue color of a moonless night. They were stunning eyes to say the very least.
"I'm perfectly harmless, I assure you." With those defusing words a smile touched his lips.
She saw a line of white teeth made all the brighter because of his tanned skin. Something about
that smile, those eyes, something that reassured her and put her at ease.
"I have a cell phone...two in fact...somewhere in that house, but I can't find either of them right now."
Somebody was moving in next door. She had seen men there yesterday,
outside, supervising the unloading of more than one moving truck. The day before there had been
what looked like a whole crew of workmen there. She had heard drilling, hammering, and skill saws,
all at the same time.
She closed the door enough to release the chain. Then opened it wide as she stepped back. "Come
in, Mr. Banford."
"Just Clay," he said.
"My name's Jessica...Jessica Reece. The phone's right there near the end of the couch, Mr. Banfo...
Clay." She nodded toward it and he followed her lead. She left the door open and stood near it
while he made his call -- just in case. Better safe than sorry.
From what she overheard of the short, one-sided conversation, his lack of phone service would be
remedied before the day ended. He sounded like a man who was used to getting things done when
he expected them to be.
Once he replaced the receiver, he glanced around her small living room. The man's observation
causally moved from the overstuffed couch and chair with their blue and white checkers, to the
wooden rocker that had been her grandmothers. Next his gaze settled on the bookshelf with its odd
assortment of ceramic apples, coffee mugs, colorful pencil holders, and small whatnots.
"Gifts from my kids," she explained.
He shifted his interest back to her, a dark brow raised. "You have
children?"
"Students. I'm a teacher. A kindergarten teacher."
He walked over to the shelf and leaned forward to look more closely at some of the precious objects.
"They must care a great deal for you."
"No more than I care for them," Jessica admitted honestly. She loved even her most trying
students. The sound of her words faded away and the small room sank into uncomfortable silence
when he didn't reply to her answer. She should say something, offer him coffee at least, but the way
those dark blue eyes settled on her made Jessica nervous and excited all at the same time. He
appeared to study her as thoroughly as he had her living room.
She glanced down into her cup as if words might be floating on top of the dark liquid to help her
come up with a topic.
"I guess I should be going." He moved toward the door.
Jessica looked up. She felt rattled and had no idea why. "It was nice meeting you," she
remembered to recite as he reached the doorway.
He paused and turned back partly. "It was very nice to meet you, Jessica. Thanks for letting me use
the phone."
She shrugged. "No problem. What are neighbors for?"
He looked deep into her eyes, as if searching for something.
She involuntarily took a small step backwards. Her hand closed more tightly around her coffee cup.
She stared back just the same. Sensing something...something, but what?
Jessica had the oddest feeling she had met this man before, gazed into those same dark eyes some
other time. She could have been introduced to him at some school function? It was hard for her to
remember all the people she met, what with PTA meetings, and open houses, and board
meetings.
"Enjoy your weekend," he said at last. He walked out without closing the door.
She stepped forward, her free hand on the door knob. Instead of shutting it, she watched her
handsome neighbor walk down the narrow sidewalk and turn to cut across her green lawn.
He wore dress slacks and a crisp white shirt with long sleeves in spite of the heat, even a necktie.
She would describe him as clean-cut, but his black hair hung slightly too long for that, something
she didn't usually care for. It suited him, though.
She stepped out on the porch a little. As her gaze followed Clay further, she noticed a woman stood
in his driveway, waiting for him. A young woman, very pretty, with long blond hair and a slim figure.
A wife? A girlfriend?
The pair exchanged a few short words, then they both looked back toward her.
Jessica quickly turned and went inside, shutting the door. As she picked up her paper, she
wondered why she felt disappointed that Clay
Banford was attached...so to speak. It shouldn't matter to her one way or the other. She was about
to become attached for a lifetime.
* * *
The day had gone by too slowly, and now the night stretched out before Clay like an endless path to
an unreachable treasure.
Crystal held her spot in the doorway, blocking the way out. She stared at him calmly, her blue eyes
as clear as fresh ocean water. Clay wondered if she realized how revealing her eyes were. He could
almost see her soul through those blue windows.
She had her hands on her hips, which meant he might as well give in. Clay turned, crossed the
wide study, and then took a seat in one of the armchairs. “Satisfied? See, I’m not going anywhere.
No where at all.” No matter how badly he wanted to, needed to, he knew she was right.
Crystal walked to the chair and knelt before him on the thick carpet. She took his hands in hers. “I
know, Clay. This waiting is hard for you. My grandma told me you didn’t have an ounce of patience
born within you.”
“Hell, I was born with plenty...I’ve just used it all up over the years.”
But he would have to come up with more. A lot more probably. He wanted Jessica to have a chance
to get to know him before he did what he knew he would have to do. The room upstairs had already
been prepared. But first...he wanted to see her smile, hear her laugh.
Was that asking so very much?
Was he only being a selfish fool?
There were other reasons he needed to wait. For one, Jessica hadn’t finished out the school year
yet. He wanted it to look like she had gone away for a short vacation. The last thing he needed to
deal with were family, friends, and the cops searching for her.
“Tomorrow. You’ve already seen her once today,” Crystal was saying.
“Tomorrow will be soon enough. You don't want to seem too eager.” She sounded like a mother
trying to comfort a child who had to wait a little longer for a gift.
Clay traced his thumb over the silver bracelets she wore on her small wrist. What he wanted wouldn’
t simply be handed over to him if he waited long enough, nor would it come wrapped in pretty paper
with a big bow tied on top. It seemed he would have to battle all of hell to receive the only gift he
cared to have. Of course, Crystal knew all of that as well as he did.
She added, “You have to remember how lucky we were to get this house. Living next door makes
things a lot simpler. We know she works out in her yard on the weekends. Maybe she will
tomorrow. Then you can happen to start working in this one. Things’ll come about to your liking
this time, you’ll see.”
Why should he believe things would end any differently this go around? They never had before.
“How about some of the wonderful herb tea you make? Maybe it’ll help us both sleep better.”
She gave his leg a friendly pat before she stood. “Coming right up.”
Clay knew even with the tea--even with whiskey--he wouldn’t be finding any sleep tonight. Talking
so briefly with Jessica this morning had been like having one tiny bite of the sweetest food when he
was starving...it only made his craving grow all the more desperate.
Crystal Seaver understood that too. Clay didn’t need to put into words the raging emotions boiling
within him. She knew. She had been helping him for four years now. In that short time she had
accomplished a lot. She had also given up a lot. Moving so far away from her family just to help him
with his crusade. She had to miss them greatly. Especially her mother and grandmother. But she
stayed by his side, always at his beck and call.
Now...if only things kept going in his favor. Maybe, just maybe, it would end differently this time.
Clay leaned his head back and closed his eyes. Jessica’s face floated before him so clearly. He felt
as if he could reach a hand out and touch the softness of her hair. It didn’t have any curl to it, but it
held enough body that its ends, which came just below her shoulders, bounced when she walked.
The color flattered her complexion. Though he didn’t know what to call it, since her hair was too
light to be brown and too dark to be blond.
From the pictures Vick Dagmar, the private investigator, had taken over the last few weeks, Clay had
discovered Jessica’s eyes were also an unsure shade. Sometimes they were simply light brown. But
in the next close-up photo they might appear slightly green or even blue, depending on the color of
the background around her. They almost seemed to reflect colored light from whatever they
chose.
Clay opened his eyes, but her image remained. He drew his hands into fists. “Things will end
differently this time.” He held tight to that single hope. He didn’t have anything else to hold to.
her finger, then studied its small diamond. Gregory would make a good husband and father. They
got along perfectly and had been friends for years.
That friendship changed one day over a simple dinner at Pizza Hut. They had been talking about
the futures they wanted. Her dreams were his. A stable home, a good marriage, four children, two
boys and two girls, and the happy ever after ending. She didn't recall Gregory asking her to marry
him, or her giving an answer. But some how by the time the pizza was gone, they were talking
about a wedding date. Now that date...
Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the doorbell. "Looks like it's going to be a busy
morning," she said aloud to herself as she set her newspaper aside and got up.
Jessica paused in front of the door and heard her brother's warning from the day before replay
through her mind. "Jess, you should have a peephole put in this door. You could think you were
opening it to a delivery man and find some crazed killer instead."
"And how do I know the real delivery man isn't some crazed killer? Or even the real delivery
man?"
Ben hadn't responded to that comment.
There was a firm knock this time.
"Who is it?" she asked as she glanced down into her steaming cup of coffee. Hot liquid in the face
could surely stall a crazed killer long enough for her to run.
A very male voice, with the slightest touch of an English accent, came through the wooden door.
"Clay Banford. I'm your new neighbor. I was hoping to borrow your phone...just for a short call.
Local."
Jessica opened her mouth, but wasn't sure what to say. She wanted to be neighborly, and yet...
How many times had she told her kids to beware of strangers, especially the ones who acted
friendly?
The man must have sensed her hesitancy because he added, "I need to call the phone company.
They promised my phone would be on by this morning. I guess since I'm asking to use yours, that
tells you it's not." He paused. "If this is an inconvenience, I could go down..."
Jessica opened her door, but left the short silver chain safely in place. She peeked out through the
gape and had to look up to meet the tall man's gaze. Once she did, she found herself staring into
eyes the dark blue color of a moonless night. They were stunning eyes to say the very least.
"I'm perfectly harmless, I assure you." With those defusing words a smile touched his lips.
She saw a line of white teeth made all the brighter because of his tanned skin. Something about
that smile, those eyes, something that reassured her and put her at ease.
"I have a cell phone...two in fact...somewhere in that house, but I can't find either of them right now."
Somebody was moving in next door. She had seen men there yesterday,
outside, supervising the unloading of more than one moving truck. The day before there had been
what looked like a whole crew of workmen there. She had heard drilling, hammering, and skill saws,
all at the same time.
She closed the door enough to release the chain. Then opened it wide as she stepped back. "Come
in, Mr. Banford."
"Just Clay," he said.
"My name's Jessica...Jessica Reece. The phone's right there near the end of the couch, Mr. Banfo...
Clay." She nodded toward it and he followed her lead. She left the door open and stood near it
while he made his call -- just in case. Better safe than sorry.
From what she overheard of the short, one-sided conversation, his lack of phone service would be
remedied before the day ended. He sounded like a man who was used to getting things done when
he expected them to be.
Once he replaced the receiver, he glanced around her small living room. The man's observation
causally moved from the overstuffed couch and chair with their blue and white checkers, to the
wooden rocker that had been her grandmothers. Next his gaze settled on the bookshelf with its odd
assortment of ceramic apples, coffee mugs, colorful pencil holders, and small whatnots.
"Gifts from my kids," she explained.
He shifted his interest back to her, a dark brow raised. "You have
children?"
"Students. I'm a teacher. A kindergarten teacher."
He walked over to the shelf and leaned forward to look more closely at some of the precious objects.
"They must care a great deal for you."
"No more than I care for them," Jessica admitted honestly. She loved even her most trying
students. The sound of her words faded away and the small room sank into uncomfortable silence
when he didn't reply to her answer. She should say something, offer him coffee at least, but the way
those dark blue eyes settled on her made Jessica nervous and excited all at the same time. He
appeared to study her as thoroughly as he had her living room.
She glanced down into her cup as if words might be floating on top of the dark liquid to help her
come up with a topic.
"I guess I should be going." He moved toward the door.
Jessica looked up. She felt rattled and had no idea why. "It was nice meeting you," she
remembered to recite as he reached the doorway.
He paused and turned back partly. "It was very nice to meet you, Jessica. Thanks for letting me use
the phone."
She shrugged. "No problem. What are neighbors for?"
He looked deep into her eyes, as if searching for something.
She involuntarily took a small step backwards. Her hand closed more tightly around her coffee cup.
She stared back just the same. Sensing something...something, but what?
Jessica had the oddest feeling she had met this man before, gazed into those same dark eyes some
other time. She could have been introduced to him at some school function? It was hard for her to
remember all the people she met, what with PTA meetings, and open houses, and board
meetings.
"Enjoy your weekend," he said at last. He walked out without closing the door.
She stepped forward, her free hand on the door knob. Instead of shutting it, she watched her
handsome neighbor walk down the narrow sidewalk and turn to cut across her green lawn.
He wore dress slacks and a crisp white shirt with long sleeves in spite of the heat, even a necktie.
She would describe him as clean-cut, but his black hair hung slightly too long for that, something
she didn't usually care for. It suited him, though.
She stepped out on the porch a little. As her gaze followed Clay further, she noticed a woman stood
in his driveway, waiting for him. A young woman, very pretty, with long blond hair and a slim figure.
A wife? A girlfriend?
The pair exchanged a few short words, then they both looked back toward her.
Jessica quickly turned and went inside, shutting the door. As she picked up her paper, she
wondered why she felt disappointed that Clay
Banford was attached...so to speak. It shouldn't matter to her one way or the other. She was about
to become attached for a lifetime.
* * *
The day had gone by too slowly, and now the night stretched out before Clay like an endless path to
an unreachable treasure.
Crystal held her spot in the doorway, blocking the way out. She stared at him calmly, her blue eyes
as clear as fresh ocean water. Clay wondered if she realized how revealing her eyes were. He could
almost see her soul through those blue windows.
She had her hands on her hips, which meant he might as well give in. Clay turned, crossed the
wide study, and then took a seat in one of the armchairs. “Satisfied? See, I’m not going anywhere.
No where at all.” No matter how badly he wanted to, needed to, he knew she was right.
Crystal walked to the chair and knelt before him on the thick carpet. She took his hands in hers. “I
know, Clay. This waiting is hard for you. My grandma told me you didn’t have an ounce of patience
born within you.”
“Hell, I was born with plenty...I’ve just used it all up over the years.”
But he would have to come up with more. A lot more probably. He wanted Jessica to have a chance
to get to know him before he did what he knew he would have to do. The room upstairs had already
been prepared. But first...he wanted to see her smile, hear her laugh.
Was that asking so very much?
Was he only being a selfish fool?
There were other reasons he needed to wait. For one, Jessica hadn’t finished out the school year
yet. He wanted it to look like she had gone away for a short vacation. The last thing he needed to
deal with were family, friends, and the cops searching for her.
“Tomorrow. You’ve already seen her once today,” Crystal was saying.
“Tomorrow will be soon enough. You don't want to seem too eager.” She sounded like a mother
trying to comfort a child who had to wait a little longer for a gift.
Clay traced his thumb over the silver bracelets she wore on her small wrist. What he wanted wouldn’
t simply be handed over to him if he waited long enough, nor would it come wrapped in pretty paper
with a big bow tied on top. It seemed he would have to battle all of hell to receive the only gift he
cared to have. Of course, Crystal knew all of that as well as he did.
She added, “You have to remember how lucky we were to get this house. Living next door makes
things a lot simpler. We know she works out in her yard on the weekends. Maybe she will
tomorrow. Then you can happen to start working in this one. Things’ll come about to your liking
this time, you’ll see.”
Why should he believe things would end any differently this go around? They never had before.
“How about some of the wonderful herb tea you make? Maybe it’ll help us both sleep better.”
She gave his leg a friendly pat before she stood. “Coming right up.”
Clay knew even with the tea--even with whiskey--he wouldn’t be finding any sleep tonight. Talking
so briefly with Jessica this morning had been like having one tiny bite of the sweetest food when he
was starving...it only made his craving grow all the more desperate.
Crystal Seaver understood that too. Clay didn’t need to put into words the raging emotions boiling
within him. She knew. She had been helping him for four years now. In that short time she had
accomplished a lot. She had also given up a lot. Moving so far away from her family just to help him
with his crusade. She had to miss them greatly. Especially her mother and grandmother. But she
stayed by his side, always at his beck and call.
Now...if only things kept going in his favor. Maybe, just maybe, it would end differently this time.
Clay leaned his head back and closed his eyes. Jessica’s face floated before him so clearly. He felt
as if he could reach a hand out and touch the softness of her hair. It didn’t have any curl to it, but it
held enough body that its ends, which came just below her shoulders, bounced when she walked.
The color flattered her complexion. Though he didn’t know what to call it, since her hair was too
light to be brown and too dark to be blond.
From the pictures Vick Dagmar, the private investigator, had taken over the last few weeks, Clay had
discovered Jessica’s eyes were also an unsure shade. Sometimes they were simply light brown. But
in the next close-up photo they might appear slightly green or even blue, depending on the color of
the background around her. They almost seemed to reflect colored light from whatever they
chose.
Clay opened his eyes, but her image remained. He drew his hands into fists. “Things will end
differently this time.” He held tight to that single hope. He didn’t have anything else to hold to.
Forever Love
