Holden paced the deck of the tug. He knew the veil was thinning, as little by little, the silhouette of Savannah was being revealed to him beyond the mist. How he knew the rest of what he had come to know, he couldn’t say. Esme’s parents had passed in the time since he had seen her. He knew her mother had gone first, relatively soon after he had left her last. Her father had died from a broken heart within weeks of her mother. He’d been devastated to know it, but been unable to go to her and offer any comfort.
He’d cursed himself a selfish bastard for the track of his thoughts ever since. Though he had no way of knowing one way or the other, his most desperate wish was that one of two things be true. Either a, he be allowed to remain this time. Or b, that she be allowed to return with him. He was plagued by the idea of her remaining behind alone.
Navigating his ship to the sloop at the north end pier, he watched the horizon, waiting desperately for the veil to finally thin out enough to let him pass through. The wait was nearly his undoing. Sidled up to the dock, he turned and dropped anchor. When he turned back, he jumped in shock. The veil of mist was still thinning, but standing on the prow of his boat, was Esme.
He shook off the surprise at her appearance, and started for her. He’d managed two steps before she launched into his arms. “What’s this?” He queried openly as she forcefully landed against his chest.
“Don’t ask questions.” She answered. “Just take me. Then, take me away. Wherever you’re going, I’m going too.”
“But how?”
She shushed him with a finger before replacing it with a blistering kiss. When she pulled back, a fire blazed in the depths of her eyes. “It doesn’t matter. Get this tug underway captain, and take me somewhere we can be alone. You’ve got a lot of time to make up for, and I’m tired of waiting.”
“Yes ma’am.”