The form of a man stood silently on the steps of Gull Cottage, his eyes taking in the surroundings. So this is where she had gone off too, he thought with some amusement. It was exactly like those houses she used to sigh over when they spent that summer at his aunt's on Martha's Vineyard. "A house by the sea, with the smell of salt in air and the cry of the gulls." He smiled at the thought and how her delicious green eyes had shined at the anticipation. What lovely eyes that woman had.
He heard voices in the kitchen and for a moment he felt like his heart was beating too fast. It was a reflex, something he still wasn't quite used too. Even after being-- well dead ,all these years there were still some things he had trouble dealing with. It was so silly to sneeze when you didn't have to or get a racing pulse when a beautiful woman walked by just because you used to do it when you were alive. "Be calm Bob" he told himself. "You could stand here all day and no one would ever know you were here. That is one advantage to your present state." And maybe that wasn't such a bad idea. He could go on in the house, see Carolyn and the kids and they would never have to know he was there.
Going through the solid front door like it was paper still gave him a thrill. Sometimes being a ghost was quite the way to go. "Well now that I'm here what do I do?" He had traveled quite a ways to get here even for a man in his condition and had to receive a special dispensation to leave his "official area" in the first place. But he wanted to see his family and make sure that every thing was okay for them. After all he had left unexpectedly really and he had to know how they were fairing. Not to mention the fact that the last time he had spoken to Carolyn had been in anger. Haunting his home or the house of his in-laws had really not been very helpful. Except for an occasional letter or picture of the kids, Carolyn didn't write much and they didn't either. He could never understand how someone who wrote for a living was so bad at writing letters.
"Martha, I'm going into town and pick up a few things." he heard Carolyn's voice coming from behind him. Her voice still made goose bumps pop up. He would almost swear he could see them on his arms.
"Can you get some more flour while you're there? And if they have any cinnamon, last week they were out. And you might want to pick up some more coffee, your late night writing sessions have gone through what we had rather quickly."
"Got it on my list. Anything else?"
"No, I think that's pretty much it."
He turned to face the direction of the voices and saw Carolyn coming out from what must be the kitchen. She was wearing a blue dress, his favorite color, and her hair was brushed back from her face in a very becoming manner. How lovely she looked. Oh how he wanted to take her in his arms and tell her so. That woman always looked so wonderful. She walked past him, not even noticing. "Of course she didn't notice. I'm not really here and besides she is much to sensible to believe in ghosts and the such.
He watched her go out the door, wondering if she would be back soon or if he should attempt to go with her. No, he'd just stay here for awhile. Might as well look around and see what kind of place Carolyn had found for herself.
He went through the door of the front room and soon found himself eye to eye with a stern looking portrait hanging on the wall over the fireplace. "Who the devil do you imagine he is?" he went over to inspect the painting. "I wouldn't want to have met him in a dark alley." Taking the room in in a sweeping glance he glanced back at the face on the wall. "Sea captain huh? Well the house certainly fits you. I imagine Carolyn finds it all romantic some how. She always had this thing for old stuff."
A quick look through the rest of the downstairs satisfied his curiosity. It was an old but firm house and seemed to be very homey. He remembered Martha when he saw her in the kitchen, and wondered if she still made those wonderful pies and cakes. No one could make a chocolate cake like Martha. Poor Carolyn just wasn't a cook, but it wasn't her fault. "I didn't marry her for her cooking."
He paused out the window at the top of the stairs, marveling at how beautiful it was. Had the sea captain built this house? He certainly had had an aesthetic eye. "I could have been a good architect." he told the window, "but law was so much more profitable." He still couldn't get over that conversation he had with this father that night so many years ago. He should have defied him, he should have become the architect, but that was all over now. He had been a fairly decent lawyer he supposed. "I would have built her a house though." he felt compelled to say. "Any type of house she wanted."
The illusion of the man that had been Robert Muir went into the open doorway of the bedroom in front of him and headed for the telescope he saw by the French doors. "What the....?" he began and that's when he realized he wasn't alone. Someone else was here in the room with him. "Explain yourself." he heard a low rumbling voice. Slowly Bobby turned around and found himself face to face with the man from the portrait.
"If you can see me sir, than you must be a spirit as well." the younger man said with even tones. "Of course a seaside cottage would have a ghost."
"I'm Captain Daniel Gregg and you are a trespasser on my ship." his tone was not friendly.
"I'm not a trespasser, I'm here by rights. I'm here to see my wife and children." The man's figure straightned, his eyes directly on the form of Captain Gregg. "Ownership is 9/10 of the law."
"And just who do you think you own?" the Captain asked with a dangerous note to his voice. "You don't the house, it is mine and mine alone. And you don't own Mrs. Muir or the children. They are there own people, not your slaves. The privledge of matrimony and parenthood does not allow you the liberty of ownership."
"So maybe that wasn't the best choice of words. I meant that they belong to me so I can be here if I want too."
"I suggest you go back to where you came from and never show your face here again."
"Now hold on just one minute there sea boy. I have a right to be here, to see my family. I had to do a lot of hard work to get here. And for your information I was thinking of just watching them for a few days and then leaving, but now I'm definitely telling Carolyn I'm here. I have something important to ask her."
"Such as?" the seaman glowered, trying to ignore the sea-boy comment.
"It's a personal thing between a husband and wife."
"She's not your wife anymore, you're dead remember. Or are you having trouble figuring it out?"
Bobby rolled his eyes in frustration. I've heard about your kind, figures she'd get a ghost like you. Does she know you are here?"
"Well of course she knows I'm here. What do you think? I'm going to be here and "spy" on the family without their knowledge?"
"Good, then she shouldn't have any trouble believing that it's me. She didn't seem like the ghost type but then she always had a wild imagination among other things."
"That's enough from you." The Captain growled.
"Want to fight me for her?" Bobby challenged. This was fun, he hadn't had this much fun since the day he wacked Blair Thompson across the nose.
"Don't be so utterly ridiculous." Captain Gregg laughed at the other spirit. "Be gone and I'll say nothing else."
"NO, really. What's the problem here? I understand that this is your house but she is ,okay ,was my wife and I should be able to see her if I want. After all it wasn't easy to get to come here, it was only because I still had the one thing that could attach me to her."
"What was that?" Captain Gregg suddenly did not feel so confident, but hoped he appeared to be so.
"My wedding ring." Bobby told him with a flash of a smile. "I still have mine because I was wearing it the night I died. And apparently she is still wearing hers; so that gave us an instant connection."
Captain Gregg concentrated hard on the outside view from the window. The man was right, it was a connection a very strong one and one he couldn't break. "Don't upset her or I warn you you will feel my wrath."
"How nice Carolyn has a father figure to watch out for her."
"Father Figure?" the sky began to thunder.
"I've never been able to do that, I think it's so amazing, do you think you could teach me how? Of course ,father figure you moldy museum piece. Do you really think it could be anything else, after she had me?"
"Why you insolent bilge rat." the Captain started.
"Captain Gregg, it was such a nice day." they heard Carolyn's voice coming up the steps. "What has got you up in arms, to make......." She never finished her sentence, as she got a good look at the two men standing beside the bed.
"Captain?" she asked, her face one big question.
"CeCe. It's me Bobby, your husband." He turned towards her all thoughts of the Captain gone from his mind.
"Bobby? But how?" she shook her head in disbelief.
"It's not that hard CeCe, I'm, well I'm like him, and he pointed off in the direction of Captain Gregg, I'm a ghost."
"A ghost?" she began."Oh this is just ridiculous. You can't be here, there is no such thing as a ghost."
"Then what do you call him?"
Carolyn looked over at the Captain who stood quietly by the window, his face set in a grim pattern. "Well yeah. But how, how did you get here?"
"I came to see you CeCe and the kids if you let me. I don't need to talk to them, only see them unless of course you decide....."
"Decide what?" she looked very confused.
"Well that's something I need to talk to you about but I would prefer to do that without your friend around. It is kind of a husband and wife thing."
She looked at the Captain again, still trying to figure out if she were going crazy or if it might be a dream. He smiled at her in return and nodded his head to let her know that it was real and he had no idea what was going on either.
"Captain, could you leave us for a minute?" she asked trying to sound confident and happy.
"Of course my dear." Instead of dematerializing from where he was he walked past her first and in a low voice said "if you need me Madam all you have to do is call." and then he disappeared.
"I'm glad he's gone. He gives me the creeps." he shivered with mock horror. "How could you stand to have him around all the time?"
"Takes all kinds." she answered absently. "He's really very wonderful."
"Wonderful huh? I guess I need to reacquaint you with what wonderful is," his smile was devilish.
"What did you want to ask me Bobby?" it still felt funny that he was actually here. If one person could be a ghost why not someone else, but it was strange.
"Come over here and sit down beside me." he indicated the bed. She sat down numbly, he sat down beside her and turned towards her. "First of all I need to say that I'm very sorry for the words that passed that between us, that day, the day that I died."
"We were both pretty angry." she admitted. "We had planned on going to Cape Cod for months, just the two of us. We really needed that time together, there was so much to talk about. And you just baled on me. And you didn't even tell me to my face, you called on the phone and said I'm sorry Carolyn but the guys wanted me to go hunting this weekend so I changed my mind. I know we were supposed to go to Cape Cod and talk about our future and buying a house and having a another baby but it might be more fun to go kill something with Victor and George." The more the memories came back the angrier she became.
"I'm so sorry CeCe, I still don't know what came over me, I guess I got scared. All of those things were such big decisions and I guess I couldn't handle it. But yes I should have told you face to face. I was a coward. Can you forgive me." and he gave her that pathetic look she could never resist.
"Yes, I forgive you." she smiled back. She had the most wonderful smile he thought. It always reminded him of the sunrise.
"Good, I feel better now. And since we have that out of the way there is something else I want to talk to you about. The reason I came here."
"Not that fast mister." she got up and walked over to the desk, sitting down on the corner. "There are a couple more things we need to talk about first."
"Like what?" he appeared to have no idea. Did a person forget certain things after they died or was he trying to play innocent.
"Well we could start with the fact that you told me you had lost your job, but when I talked to Mr. Coulter at the funeral he said that you had quit, right out of the blue. It made me feel like a woman in one of those bad romance novels. You know the one where the husband suddenly dies and the wife finds out that she is up to her neck in debt, has nothing she thought she had, and then there were the rumors of the other woman." She put the word other in quotes with her fingers.
"I swear to you Carolyn, I never ever slept with her, it was all just very innocent.
"So you admit that she did exist?"
We only ever had a few drinks, dinner once well maybe twice but I never made love to her. I was very confused at that particular time and I was trying to find out exactly what I wanted. But I promise I didn't have an affair with her."
"I see." she had a grim look. "Well I guess that explains that."
"CeCe, please, I love you so very much, I just needed sometime that's all."
"I really don't want to talk about that anymore if you don't mind. What did you come here to tell me?"
"I wish you would come back over here, I hate talking to you half way across the room." He walked over to her and taking her hands in his he led her back to the bed.
"How are you doing that?" she asked amazed. She put up a tentative hand and touched his face, she could feel it. "How is this possible? I mean you are a ghost."
"Yes, sweetie I am a ghost, but you and I have a connection. We were married and we exchanged rings. He pointed to his and then hers. We have a connection. And with that he took her in his arms and kissed her soundly.
"What a simple thing" she said aloud but not to him. That is such a simple thing and still there is no hope."
"What are you talking about CeCe?" he ran a finger along her jawline.
She moved slightly further away, she needed to think about this. All of this was slightly too much to take in all at once.
"Carolyn what I came here for is this. I want, I have to have your permission to live here in this house with you. I want to be your resident ghost and then we could be together for eternity."
"Eternity! Bobby that is a long time."
"But that's what we promised when we got married, that's why we got married."
"Things change though Bobby. Sometimes you think you will have things one way but then when that is taken away from you, you realize that maybe it worked out for the best."
"What are you telling me, CeCe,? I'm not sure I like this."
"Basically you want me to choose, you want me to choose between you and Captain Gregg, right?"
"I didn't know you had someone ,ah ,staying here with you , but yes, that's what I would like."
She looked across at the man that had been such a huge part of her life. They had shared everything, including the creation of two perfect children. There had been time in her life when he was all that mattered to her. But now."
"Bobby, I want him."
"CeCe? Why? I'm okay, was your husband, we were a team."
"We were but that's all in the past. I'm not saying I regret any one of that, but I want him. I've moved on."
He kissed her one more time, the kind of kiss that at one time would have made her melt into pure oblivion. "He can't do that. He can't make your heart beat fast and your pulse threaten to jump out of your skin.
"Oh yes he can." she thought to herself. All he has to do is look at me in just the right way." To Bobby she smiled and said "it doesn't matter, I don't care, I still want him."
"You're serious?"
"Very, I'm really sorry Bobby but I choose him."
"Well I guess that answers that question." He got up from the bed and walked over to the window. I never thought I'd be replaced by a museum piece."
"You're not being replaced, it's just a different time now. You are and will be so special to me, no matter what, but if you make me choose." she shook her head.
"Well then I guess it's goodbye, because I don't feel like dragging this out anymore. If you would rather have him then me than good luck to you. And think of me now and then. I love you CeCe."
He disappeared into the air and for a moment she couldn't decide if it had all really happened.
"The upstart decided to leave?" Captain Gregg said next to her."
"Oh Captain you scared me." she jumped back. "Yes, he is gone. We had a nice talk and he's gone. It was so strange seeing him, it was almost like a dream but more real than that."
"He was here indeed Madam and he didn't have a kind word to leave with me, but he did insist that I give you something."
"What was that?"
For an answer the Captain reached down and put his arms around her, drawing her close against him. Instinctively her arms went around his neck and their lips met in a long awaited kiss. The kiss started softly and soon became a well of passion, both of them struggling for breath but not wanting to end it.
Still trying to keep under control, he traced the outline of her face with his fingers, his touch so gentle.
"He told me if I was going to stay, I needed to make my own connection, and he would get me started."
Carolyn laughed and gave the man a lingering kiss. "Well he was always good about not holding a grudge."
They both laughed in delight.
"Mom are you there?" they heard Jonathan out in the hall, I need to ask you something."
"Blast." the Captain rolled his eyes and disappeared into the air. But he would be back, she was sure of it. He'd be back.