Touchdown (21 page)

Leigh shook her head. “My boss has been real nice but I don't think he'll let me off for two days even to—”

“Oh, please? Pretty please?” Goldie got down on her knees and begged.

“Clay! This has gone far enough—I could lose my job!”

Goldie shook her head. “Okay, then. I understand.” She got up and started walking out. “I'm sorry it has to end this way.”

“What?” Leigh said, as she followed Goldie out. “That's it? You're just leaving me? Just like that you're out of here?”

Goldie walked up to the corner. “I don't want you to lose your job. But I do need to get to New York.” She stuck out her thumb and started shouting loudly at passing cars. “New York? Anybody driving to New York? Hello! Stop! I need to get to New York!”

The cars zoomed past her.

Leigh ran her fingers through her hair. “You are impossible.” She dialed her boss. “All right,” she said after talking it over. “My boss's assistant cleared it. She's giving me the time off with unpaid leave. Let's go.”

Goldie grabbed Leigh and gave her a big hug. “You're a doll!”

“If you just wanted to spend time with me, Clay, we could've planned this a little better,” she grumbled.

Goldie did a little dance in the street as the pedestrians swerved to avoid Clay's hulking dance moves. “Baby, we are going to New York! Touchdown!”

A few hours later, Clay woke up. “Ugh, how could you listen to that?” Clay took out the Taylor Swift CD that blared in Leigh's car.

Leigh stared at Clay through her peripheral vision as she drove. “Let me guess. The ghost is gone and Clay's back?”

Clay nodded. “What mess did she get us into now?”

“New York. We're driving there.”

“We are?” Clay pulled back a curl from Leigh's side. “But you've got work?”

“Boss gave me time off.”

“Leigh, you don't have to do this.”

“The dybbuk was going to hitchhike. I couldn't leave you like that.”

Clay squeezed her shoulder. “You'd do that for me?”

“You know I've always got your back.”

Clay leaned over and kissed Leigh's cheek. “And I've got yours.” He reached over to the back of the car where Leigh kept her CDs in a small carton on the floor. He picked out a Garth Brooks CD, which he placed in the CD player.

“Hey, that's my wallet!” he said, seeing it between the CDs. “How did it get there?”

“Well, your dybbuk couldn't find it when we stopped for coffee earlier. Maybe she put it in there when she last appeared.” Leigh winked.

“Coffee?” Clay groaned. He took out a wad of bills and insisted on reimbursing Leigh for Goldie's expenditures, then offered to take her out for a late lunch.

“I'm starving.” He pointed to a sign on the highway, which showed an upcoming pit stop. “Let's stop to eat?”

“Sure,” Leigh said and pulled over. They entered a cafe, where they ordered chocolate milk and sandwiches.

The waitress served them and they dug into their lunches. They were eating and chatting happily, when Leigh took a call from work. “What do you mean, it wasn't cleared? Alyssa told me I could take off.”

Clay fiddled with the saltshaker as Leigh continued talking.

She hung up. “I'm going to lose my job,” she said.

“No . . . You can't.”

“He said if I'm not back for tonight's shift, I shouldn't bother coming back.”

Clay gulped his large cup of chocolate milk. “So you're going.”

“Clay, I can't leave you. And I know how much it means to you to get to New York.”

Clay glanced at his watch. “If you head back within the hour, you should still be able to get back home in time for your next shift.”

“That's true, but what about you? What about New York?”

Clay fiddled with the Internet connection on his cell phone. “See here.” He pointed to the Amtrak schedule. “If you drop me off at the train station, I could get to New York by later tonight.”

Leigh shook her head. “All right, then. I will do that, though I'm sorry I have to turn back.”

“I'm sorry, too.” Clay laughed. “I realize I've put you through a lot. Why do you stick with me?”

Leigh put down her fork and looked straight at him. “Because I love you.”

Clay stared at her. “You know, Leigh, I think I love you, too.”

Leigh laughed as she doused her fries with ketchup. “You think?”

“Hey, that's a big step for me—can't rush these things!”

Leigh shrugged. “You've known me for over two decades, Clay, but who's counting?”

Clay smiled. “I love you, Leigh. That decisive enough for you?”

She leaned over and kissed him. “That's a start.”

Clay stopped eating and looked Leigh in the eye. “Leigh Truitt, you are the most special person in the world to me. And if these past few days have shown me anything, it's that I love you . . . I really have no clue why you put up with me the way that you do—though I won't look a gift horse in the mouth.”

Leigh giggled. “C'mon, Clay. Quit kidding around.”

Clay grabbed her hand. “I'm not joking. Leigh, I love you. I always have and I always will. And your love gives meaning to my life. It makes it all worthwhile.”

“Clay, c'mon,” Leigh said quietly as her cheeks reddened. “Would you quit with the drama?”

Clay shook his head. “I mean it, Leigh.” He grabbed her hand. “Let's—let's get married.”

Leigh's eyes widened. “What? Now why would you say that?”

“Because I love you. I just want to be with you, always.”

“Are you crazy, Clay? I'm not marrying you!”

“Huh?” Clay stepped back. He felt genuinely hurt. “Why not?”

“Well, I do love you, but you've put me on an emotional roller coaster with that woman inside you thing.”

Clay shrugged. “But she'll be gone soon.”

Leigh sighed. “All right, so ask me then. Maybe I'll give you a different answer.”

“That it? If she leaves, you'll marry me?”

Leigh shrugged. “We do love each other—but I'm working two jobs. If you don't make it to the pros . . . do you think we'll ever be able to afford to get married?”

“I'll work hard.”

“Where?”

Clay's face paled. “I know this economy isn't great. But if I have to work at Goodwill to put food on the table, I will.”

Leigh smiled. “And your family—your friends? They'll all think you're crazy marrying someone like me.”

Clay shrugged. “These past few days have shown me that I really don't care about what anybody thinks, Leigh. You're the only girl for me.”

Leigh smiled. “I see you that you really mean it. But before we talk marriage, let's get you to the train station so you—or that dybbuk—can get to New York.”

“Charlie,” Goldie summoned. “You still haven't told me what's going on with these dreams about you.”

Charlie sat beside her on the picnic table, buffing his nails.

“You just can't get me out of your mind,” he said.

“No, it's not that. Well, maybe a little. But Charlie, I dreamed we got married.”

“You know if I was human, I'd say you could scare a guy off, talking about getting married so soon after meeting a man.”

Goldie shook her head. “I could've had any guy I wanted.”

“So that's why you picked lover boy?”

She shook her head. “That was for practical reasons.”

Charlie faced Goldie, a serious look on his face. “So you're saying you didn't love him?”

Goldie shrugged. “He wasn't that bad when I was busy with other things.”

“So you were prepared to live a life keeping yourself busy?”

“I had people to take care of, Charlie. Not everybody is as smug as you are.”

Charlie was silent, and then he smiled and shook his head. “Oh, your sacrifices are heartbreaking.”

“So what—did you ever make a sacrifice for anyone you cared about?” Goldie was frustrated. What was Charlie getting at?

Charlie nodded and stared at Goldie. “Yes,” he said. “Yes, I did.”

“Who?” Goldie wanted to know. “Tell me about it!”

Charlie shook his head. “Maybe some other time.”

Goldie put her head on his shoulder and sighed. “Can we go somewhere?” she finally said.

Charlie shrugged. “If you choose,” he said. “Where to? It's not like I can take you out to dinner.”

Goldie agreed. “So now I'm a cheap date. If we were alive, you'd never have a chance with me.”

Charlie laughed. “Isn't that the truth.”

“What? Do you think it's wrong of me to be going out with you?”

“The question is, do you think it's wrong? Wouldn't Avner care if—”

“I see your point,” Goldie said glumly. Then she turned to Charlie. “I am worried, you know. About Chumie's spell on Avner . . . ”

“Goldie,” Charlie said, and grabbed her hand. “Do you really want to go there? It's good to let these things go.”

Goldie nodded. “I know that. Especially after seeing those ghosts—I am ready to move on . . . But take me back? Just for one last peek?”

Charlie nodded. “Okay, sweetheart.”

Goldie turned and held on to his shoulders. “I'm scared of what I'll see,” she said.

“I know,” Charlie said and held her close. “I'll be with you all the way.”

• • •

Avner finished reading the book of poetry to Mindy's students. They were sitting around him, listening to his every word. He looked up and his gaze caught Mindy's as their eyes locked.

The school bell rang. “And that's time for lunch!” Mindy said, and all of the students ran to their cubbies and brought their lunch boxes to the table.

Lunch mothers came in to assist, and Mindy grabbed her coat and walked out of her classroom with Avner.

“Thanks so much for coming by and reading to the children. You can see how much they enjoyed it!”

Avner walked with Mindy through the school hallway. “As did I,” he said. “And thanks for agreeing to have lunch with me. I hate eating every meal alone.”

Mindy smiled. “And I thought you wanted feedback on your book of poems.”

Avner glanced at Mindy as they made their way to the school exit. “That too.”

“Well I have to say, I think your writing is really beautiful. You get it. You get to the truth and you don't waste time on how things should look.”

“Thank you,” he said. “Well after that kind of compliment, I'll have to think of something nice to say to you.”

Mindy shrugged. “You might have to work hard at that.”

Avner laughed. “Not really. For one, you're really great with kids,” Avner nodded his head toward the classroom they'd just exited. “You'll make a great mother.”

Mindy stopped suddenly. “Thank you, Avner, but I don't think that's going to happen for me.”

“Really?” Avner said as he stopped and turned to face Mindy. “Why is that?”

Mindy shrugged. “I'm not the marrying kind, I guess.”

Avner's eyes widened. “Really? You wouldn't want to ever settle down?”

“No!” Mindy tried to explain. “Of course I would! It's just that I can't imagine who would be interested in me—”

Mindy tried to look away, but Avner caught her gaze and looked her square in the eye. “Why not? You're caring, you're kind, refined—”

Mindy pointed to the unsightly scar on her face, which stretched from her lip up to her nose. “And this?”

Avner shook his head in confusion. “What about it?”

“You don't think this makes me ugly?”

“No,” Avner said. “It gives your face a unique look. It makes you beautiful. You're . . . very beautiful.” Nervously, he changed the subject. “So how about we go eat lunch? We don't have much time before work.”

Mindy shrugged as Avner nodded toward the café on the corner.

• • •

Goldie turned to Charlie. “Look at that! Avner thinks Mindy is attractive!”

As Goldie turned her attention back to Avner and Mindy, she noticed Chumie standing by her shop window, watching Avner and Mindy as they walked together. Suddenly, the clouds darkened and a heavy rain started pouring down on the ground.

Mindy and Avner got drenched by the rain and started running toward the cafe. Mindy tripped and Avner bent down to help her up.

Goldie nudged Charlie in the ribs. “You don't think Chumie had anything to do with that, do you?”

Charlie was about to answer, when suddenly a puppy ran over toward where Mindy was sitting and started licking her.

Goldie's eyes widened.

Three larger dogs started barking playfully near Mindy.

Goldie turned her gaze to Chumie, who stood in the window, a twisted smile plastered on her face.

When six big dogs appeared, barking loudly at Mindy, Avner shielded her from them and led her into the cafe.

A sick feeling bubbled in Goldie's gut. “It wasn't an accident, was it?” she said, turning to Charlie.

Charlie shook his head sadly. “I told you it would be difficult to see.”

Goldie started to cry. “She killed me, didn't she? She somehow used some trick—some mind game—to play with my head. She got those dogs to follow me.”

Charlie swallowed. “I tried to warn you—”

Tears streamed down her face. “So she caused the accident. She got me killed. That's not fair!”

“No, it's not,” Charlie agreed and held her in his arms.

Goldie looked up at him, suddenly very afraid. “If she killed me . . . what will she do to Avner?” She blanched. “And Mindy?”

• • •

As the train continued its way up north, Clay awoke with a jolt.

“Clay!” Goldie yelled. “She's going to kill them!”