Do You Remember? (eBook)

Davis Ehrler (Autor)

eBook Download: EPUB

2022 | 1. Auflage
330 Seiten
Bookbaby (Verlag)
978-1-6678-7152-3 (ISBN)

Infos

Illinois farmer, Peck Callahan is diagnosed with ALS and realizes he is running out of time. He reaches out to the girl he never forgot, author Kate Ryan Coyne, for one last time together.

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After years of distance and longing, the two can come together to kindle a love that was unattended to. Peck's courage and Kate's honesty enmesh to change many lives for the better. This gut-wrenching story will leave you with the question: "e;What would you do?"e;

Textauszug

Chapter One

The only light that shone in the dark kitchen was Kate’s phone glowing with an alert. Sam had come downstairs to get some water before retiring for the night. Without turning on the kitchen light, he walked toward her phone and picked it up. He looked down and saw only two words: “He’s gone.” He took a deep breath and walked back to their bedroom where Kate was doing some late-night edits on the latest chapter of the book she was writing about her time with Peck Callahan. He gently handed her the phone. The only words he could muster were, “I’m so sorry, Katy.”

James Peck Callahan died surrounded by his family on November 7. He made it through one last harvest season, just like he said he would.

Less than a week later, Kate walked into the funeral home with more emotions weighing on her than she could compartmentalize. She promised herself she wouldn’t cry, that she’d hold it together and be gracious. This was not about her, but a man who she had loved for most of her life and who had so much more life to live. She had wrestled with so much sadness since that day she looked into his eyes and felt his lips for the last time. Only a few knew how much that weekend meant to her and to him. And one of those people was his wife, Deirdre.

Kate politely took a memorial program from a stranger and did what people do at memorials. She handed out quiet smiles, signed the guest book, went to find a seat and was so grateful there was not a casket. Before she could sit down, she was drawn to the beautiful picture of him. His blue eyes beamed out of the canvas-style photo and it took her breath away. Next to it were the pictures his family had glued onto many poster boards. She walked closer and waited her turn to view pictures of his life from beginning to end. She had never seen pictures of Peck as a baby or a little boy. Her heart spilled over looking at the awkward boy through the years. The person in front of her moved away and she stepped forward. Her gaze went right to a picture her friends took of them when they crashed his graduation back in ’86. Oh, the smile on that 16-year-old girl’s face brought even more emotion. His head rested right up against hers and he was happy she showed up. His girlfriend wasn’t, but he was. Kate smiled remembering that moment. A warm arm wrapped around her waist. It was Deirdre. Without saying anything, Kate turned into Deirdre and the two women embraced.

Deirdre must have felt the strength it was taking Kate to hold it all in because she whispered, “You’ve got this.” She pulled Kate a little tighter. “We’ve got this.” Kate pulled back and nodded an affirming yes. They turned back to the pictures. Deirdre pointed and said, “I love this one.”

“You probably wouldn’t have if you were his girlfriend that night,” Kate said, trying to lighten the mood.

Deirdre smiled and said, “I hear that.” She looked around Kate. “Is Sam with you?”

Kate gently shook her head. “No. He stayed back in Montana.”

Deirdre looked a little disappointed. “I was looking forward to meeting him.”

“We’ll make it happen next time we are here,” Kate said.

“Deal,” Deirdre said as she pointed a few inches over and asked, “Did you see this one?”

Kate inhaled a deep breath then exhaled. Deirdre still had her arm around Kate’s waist. Kate crossed her arms and held on to Deirdre’s hand.

“I found this picture on his phone. I know how much he cherished it.”

It was a picture Peck insisted they take that weekend at the lake. There they were sitting in the white Adirondack chairs in the sand leaning forward holding hands. Kate’s head leaned back in laughter and Peck was looking at her with a gentle smile. The feelings coming from the picture were almost palpable.

“Oh, you should have seen the shit show of us trying to take that picture. I was trying to prop the phone up on a towel in the sand and set a timer.” They giggled.

“Well, it turned out pretty good. He looks happy,” Deirdre said looking at the picture. Kate wondered how Deirdre was holding it all together.

Kate was relieved when Deirdre was interrupted by a well-meaning guest. “I’ll talk to you later,” Kate said sweetly and attempted to excuse herself.

“Are you staying for the service?” Deirdre asked.

“I am,” Kate replied.

Just then, one of Peck’s twin sons walked up. He held out his hand. “Hi Kate, I’m Gus. Well Angus, but everyone calls me Gus.”

Peck had shown Kate many pictures of his four boys, but the identical twins looked most like him. In fact, the resemblance in person was breathtaking. Gus carried the same sweetness in his eyes as Peck did. Kate hated thinking of Peck in the past tense.

Kate took his hand, “Gus, it’s so nice to meet you. I’m so sorry about your dad.” Kate held Gus’s hand with both of hers. “You look so much like him.”

“Ha. So I’m told.” He not only looked just like Peck, he sounded like Peck too. Kate felt like she was looking at a dark-haired version of young Peck. It was hard not to be mesmerized.

Kate released his hand and smiled. “I’m sure.”

“And you’ll join us back at the house after?” Deirdre asked. “Please say yes.”

“Are you sure?” Kate respectfully asked.

“Oh my gosh, yes.” Deirdre squeezed Kate’s forearm. “It wouldn’t be the same without you.”

“In that case, I’ll be there,” Kate said with forced enthusiasm. “Do you need anything?”

“Nothing, but thank you,” Deirdre said with a nod and a smile.

“Oh, and it’ll be in the barn too,” Gus said in a good-luck-to-you-city-girl kind of way.

“I wouldn’t expect anything but.” Kate smiled and squeezed Gus’s arm.

Gus looked into Kate’s eyes as if he was looking for something. Kate held his gaze as if she knew she needed to give him time to find it. Finally he grinned and said, “We’ll see you there.”

“Yes you will.” Kate smiled and found her way to a seat.

For the next hour, Kate listened to the people who loved Peck most pay tribute to the boy who stole her heart that winter night in 1983, and again just months ago.

Kate called Sam as soon as she left the funeral home. He didn’t answer, so she left a message. “God, I wish you answered. I’m on my way to celebrate Peck’s life in a barn. I honestly can’t imagine it any other way. I wish you were here with me. This is a little more nerve-racking than I had prepared myself for. But I’ll survive. In the meantime, I’m going to stop and grab a beautiful dessert. You know…a Midwesterner never shows up empty handed.” Kate hung up and persevered to the next chapter of the day she dreaded being witness to.

Kate’s heart started beating faster as she pulled up to Peck and Deirdre’s home. In a million years she honestly never pictured this. It almost felt intrusive. She had to park deep into the yard. She got out of her car, put her purse on her forearm, and balanced the cheesecake on her hand as she tiptoed about 50 yards through the grass toward the barn. She quickly regretted wearing heels.

She smiled as she saw the line of tractors and the flag that flew over them. Peck wasn’t afraid to express his patriotism and true love for his country. Kate wondered what would happen to Callahan Farms — established 1887 — now. She hoped at least one of the four boys would be there to carry on the family legacy.

She felt more self-conscious than she had imagined she would be as she walked into the beautifully lit barn filled with locals. She looked around at the food-filled tables and kegs stationed in every corner. As an Alabama song came from the speakers, she thought, Oh, the memories.

Kate saw familiar faces that had aged; they had all been to many of the same barn parties 30-some years ago. Many that looked and sounded like this one without the food, tables, and the weight of sorrow. She couldn’t ignore feeling like an outsider, because she was. Most everyone knew each other in their small town. She smiled her kindest smile and walked directly to the food table and put her cheesecake down. When she turned around, she was surprised with the friendliest blast from the past. Someone she hadn’t seen outside social media in at least ten years.

“Kate!” Megan Taylor opened her arms wide.

“Oh my Gosh…Taylor!” Kate had always called Megan by her last name. They hugged tight. Megan was the most jovial person Kate had ever met. They lived in the same dorm in college and instantly became friends when Kate found out Megan had gone to high school with Peck. In fact, it was Megan who often invited Kate and her friends to the barn parties when they were home for break. Kate hugged Megan tightly. “I am so happy you are here.”

Megan pulled back still holding Kate’s arms. “I’m shocked as shit that you’re here. What the hell?”

Kate’s eyes began to well up. She was able to halt the tears with a tight-closed smile and directed her attention to Megan’s husband whom she had met so many times so many years ago.

“Oh honey, sounds like there is a story here.” Megan requested her husband grab them a couple of beers.

“Isn’t there always?” Kate joked.

“Without them, you wouldn’t be who you are, sister.”

“Truth,” Kate said, grateful for Taylor’s humor.

“Let’s go sit down,” Megan suggested....

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 1.11.2022
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Literatur ► Romane / Erzählungen
• ISBN-10: 1-6678-7152-8 / 1667871528
• ISBN-13: 978-1-6678-7152-3 / 9781667871523