ã€ŠAm I, Amanda or Ambriaã€‹


 Chapter One

    September 2008

    Dustin Crenshaw had been in love with Susie Wright since their first year of high school. He¡¯d done everything he could think of to get Susie¡¯s attention, but no matter what he did, she continued to ignore him. He was a good-looking young man, but his family wasn¡¯t well to do and because of that reason, Susie refused to have anything to do with him.

    Susie wanted to date boys who had money to spend on her, not some poor kid trying to save for college; and she especially didn¡¯t want to date some nerdy computer geek. She knew Dustin had fallen for her and it made her feel superior to know she could hurt him simply by turning him down whenever he¡¯d ask her out for a date. Therefore, she always refused Dustin anytime he asked her out. She knew the expression people used to describe her was, ¡®She¡¯s a bitch!¡¯, and it described her to a T, but as long as she got her way, she didn¡¯t care if she hurt other people¡¯s feelings.

    Finally, Dustin quit asking Susie out and started dating other girls from their class, but his heart still wanted her, as he never felt strongly for the other girls he dated.

    Dustin knew if he wanted to go to college, he would have to save up for it or get a scholarship. In order to make either one happen, he studied hard to keep his grades up and worked at a nearby grocery store to save up for school in case he didn¡¯t get a scholarship.

    The years passed and soon it was time for graduation, and Dustin was ecstatic, as he¡¯d received an academic scholarship to a college in California. He decided that once he was there, he could get Susie out of his system. Dustin knew he needed to move on with his life and find a woman who would love him for who he was, instead of what money he had in the bank, but still that thought didn¡¯t stop him from driving past her house just one more time before he left for college. He knew through a mutual friend of theirs that Susie was staying in town and attending the local community college, so he knew she would be home.

    As he drove by, he saw her outside washing her car in her bathing suit, which was a very small pink bikini. The sight was too much for him, and he had to drive by a second time. Since this was his last night here, he decided to stop and talk to her.

    Susie noticed out the corner of her eye that Dustin¡¯s car was stopping and she smiled. ¡°That boy just doesn¡¯t learn,¡± she said aloud. What did she have to do to get him to leave her alone for good?

    Dustin parked his car at the curb and walked over to her car. ¡°Hi, Susie.¡±

    Susie turned and looked at him. ¡°What do you want?¡± she asked him hatefully.

    Her words hurt, but it didn¡¯t deter him. ¡°I¡¯ve come to tell you goodbye. I¡¯m leaving for California in the morning and won¡¯t be home until Christmas.¡±

    ¡°Goodbye and good riddance,¡± she told him rudely before turning her back to him.

    He didn¡¯t reply, but simply turned and walked back to his car. Not once did he turn and look at her, figuring tomorrow he would start his new life and forget her for good. Dustin dated many women during his four years at college, but none of them ever captured his heart the way Susie had.

    After he left for college, his parents, Delbert and Sharon Crenshaw moved to Chicago, then every summer he went to Chicago to stay with his parents, but he missed Kansas City, and planned someday to move back to his hometown.

    Finally, college graduation came for Dustin and he was now a degreed computer programmer. He felt lucky when he¡¯d landed a great job with Highland Industries, the largest consulting firm in the Kansas City area. He regretted leaving his parents, but Kansas City was his home, and he couldn¡¯t wait to move back. His parents had been hoping he would find a job nearby and was sorry to see him leave, but they¡¯d been expecting their son to spread his wings, so they wished him good luck, then watched him drive away, with tears in their eyes.

    His starting salary was going to be one hundred thousand a year, which he thought wasn¡¯t a bad starting salary for a new graduate. When he accepted the job at Highland Industries, he received a large signing bonus, and with the money, he bought a house. Unsure how he wanted to decorate his new home, he bought just a bed to sleep on and some food, then he started a new chapter of his life in his old hometown.

    On his first day at work, he was surprised to see no other than Susie Wright working at Highland Industries. When he asked his boss, Forrest Stanford about her, he told Dustin she was the administrative assistant to the sales manager, then suggested he stay clear of her, because she was bad news, but Dustin already knew that. Then Forrest took him into the room where their meeting was being held, and introduced to him to the other employees.

    Susie hadn¡¯t seen him as she hurried into the meeting room, but it when she did, she gave him a hungry wicked grin. This was the first time in his life, she was actually looking at him, but he wasn¡¯t shocked, as he knew his salary was what she was interested in, not him as a person. Still that didn¡¯t stop his heart from jumping when she reached out and took hold of his hand.

    ¡°Hi, Dustin. How are you doing?¡± Susie asked him sweetly, hoping he wouldn¡¯t hold her rude actions of her past against her.

    Dustin was so excited she was finally taking notice of him after all these years that his throat went dry, then he swallowed as he nodded his head. ¡°Hi, Susie. I¡¯m doing well. How do you like it here?¡±

    ¡°I love it. I¡¯ve been here for two years, and I work for Chad Driver, the Sales Director. It has been a long time since we¡¯ve seen each other. I¡¯ve missed you.¡± Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    ¡°Would you go to lunch with me tomorrow?¡± he asked, forcing all his hurt feelings of their high school years and her harsh treatment of him to the back of his mind.

    ¡°I would love to,¡± she purred, giving him a seductive smile, thinking soon all his money would be hers.

    * * *

    The book hit the wall with a loud thump, the pages fluttering as it fell to the floor, landing with the cover of book facing the floor.

    ¡°Stupid man. Can¡¯t he see the bitch is only interested in him now because he¡¯s making a large salary?¡± Ambria Washington asked loudly to the empty room. ¡°Sometimes people can be so blinded by their wants that they can¡¯t see the truth right in front of their face. Susie wouldn¡¯t have anything to do with him before, but now Dustin¡¯s making the big bucks, suddenly she¡¯s interested.¡±

    She walked over to the book, reached down, and picked it up. ¡°I think this book is a piece of crap and I¡¯m not to read another word of it,¡± she said unwaveringly, ¡°and the next time I go to the used bookstore, I¡¯m going to trade it in,¡± she stated determinedly.

    She stomped across the room to a bookcase on the other side of the room and started scanning it for another book to read, but before she could pick one, she looked down at the one in her hand. ¡°What I don¡¯t understand is why do authors write stuff like this? The last thing he should have done was ask her out,¡± she said to the book. ¡°Dustin should have turned his back on her, laughed in her face, or at least told her where to go.¡± She nodded at her statement, thinking that was what she would have done.

    ¡°Why couldn¡¯t it have been me he was interested in?¡± She touched the man¡¯s face on the cover with her finger and smiled. ¡°I would have gone out with him back in high school,¡± she muttered as she stared at his picture. She started to reach for a new book, but quickly changed her mind as a thought entered her head and her expression brightened. ¡°I know, maybe Susie isn¡¯t the woman with him on the cover,¡± she said, then shook her head in disgust, knowing now if she didn¡¯t continue reading the book, she wouldn¡¯t ever know if that was true or not. ¡°Maybe he¡¯s just being nice to her so he could set her up for a fall later on,¡± she said, then let out a hardy giggle. ¡°Yeah, right.¡±

    She gazed with longing at the cover. ¡°How I wish he was real.¡± Then she shook her head, and the tips of her red hair danced against her shoulders. ¡°Even if he was, he probably wouldn¡¯t be interested in me.¡± She walked over to the mirror on the wall to look at herself. If she hadn¡¯t been so fixated on Dustin and his interest with Susie, she would have noticed the similarity between the girl on the cover and herself, especially the girl¡¯s hair color, but she didn¡¯t.

    ¡°I wish I was beautiful, then maybe I could find someone to love me,¡± she said to her reflection. ¡°Maybe if I didn¡¯t have this red mess on top of my head,¡± she said, flipping up the ends of her hair away from her face, ¡°then maybe I would be prettier.¡± Her mother had told her she had the same hair color as her father, a man she never knew, but she still didn¡¯t like the color, which was really a pretty shade of auburn.

    Ray Washington and Melanie Adams had parted ways before Melanie knew she was pregnant with his child, and when she told Ray she was expecting his baby, he hadn¡¯t believed her. He was going to be a doctor and wasn¡¯t ready to settle down to play house with her or any other woman. Ray gave her two thousand dollars, told her to take care of the supposed baby and he never wanted to see her again.

    Melanie finished out the semester, and then returned to her parents¡¯ home to have her baby. She didn¡¯t contact him after Ambria¡¯s birth, but she did put Ray¡¯s name on her daughter¡¯s birth certificate, hoping that some day the two of them would find each other.

    For the first ten years of her life, it had been just Ambria, her mother, and grandparents. Then one day Melanie Adams met Louis Petree and they fell in love. They were married a few weeks later, and then they moved to Kansas City to start their new life together. They had a wonderful marriage and Louis had been a good father to Ambria, but two years ago, Louis had been killed in a car accident, and her mother still missed her husband.

    * * *

    Ambria left the mirror, walked to where she had left her bookmarker, and picked it up. She flipped through the book until she found the page she¡¯d been on and stuck it in the book. She wanted to read more, but it was getting late. She could read more of the book tomorrow after she got her housework done, so she closed the book and laid it on the coffee table. She then turned off the living room light and headed to bed.

    The next morning she was up early, after she ate a quick breakfast, she started on her housework. She finished just before noon, so she decided to fix herself a sandwich. After she finished making her sandwich, she grabbed her book and sat down at the kitchen table, and promptly opened it.

    * * *

    For the next month, one thing or another came up to prevent Dustin and Susie from going out to lunch, but that didn¡¯t stop Susie from trying to get him to go out with her. Then one morning after working an hour on the project, Dustin decided he needed a break and went out to get a cup of coffee from the kitchen, but before he got there, he saw something that took his mind off getting coffee.

    ¡°Hi, Dustin,¡± Susie called to him sweetly when she saw him on his way towards the kitchen.

    Dustin didn¡¯t seem to hear her as he walked right by where she was standing, as his attention was on the striking redheaded woman standing at the receptionist¡¯s desk. As he gazed at her, he wondered who she was, thinking she was the most gorgeous woman he¡¯d ever seen, even more beautiful than Susie was.

    As he stood there, he saw Irwin Lester, the Director of Marketing, come out to greet her, and as Dustin continued to watch, she vanished from his sight as the two of them walked down the hall toward Irwin¡¯s office. Hoping she was Irwin¡¯s new assistant who was scheduled to start work today, he walked over to Margie, the receptionist, to see if she knew anything about her.

    ¡°Is that Irwin¡¯s new employee?¡± he asked the motherly receptionist.

    ¡°Yes, Irwin will probably take her around later to introduce her to everyone.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to meet her. What¡¯s her name?¡±

    ¡°Her name is . . .¡±

    Susie was furious when she noticed Dustin wasn¡¯t paying any attention to her and before Margie could respond to him, she grabbed hold of his arm. ¡°Dustin, are we going out to lunch today?¡±

    He turned his attention to Susie. ¡°Can¡¯t go today, I have too much work to do. We¡¯ll have to make it another day.¡± He turned back to Margie, but she was now on the phone. He waited a few seconds, but each time she hung up the phone, it rang again, and she had to answer it, so he decided to come back later to find out what the new woman¡¯s name was.

    Susie was disappointed at his refusal, but smile at him as if she didn¡¯t mind. ¡°That¡¯s okay. We¡¯ll try again tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Dustin said over his shoulder as he walked down the hall, but Susie was already out of his mind, as he was thinking he wanted to be the first one to ask the new employee out. He knew if he didn¡¯t hurry, all the other single males in the office would beat him to it, and he would have to wait in line to go out with her.

    An hour later, Irwin took the new employee around the office to introduce her to the other employees, but when they came to Dustin¡¯s office, he wasn¡¯t there. Irwin told her he would introduce her to him after lunch.

    It was a good thing Dustin didn¡¯t know they came while he was gone, as he would have been furious, but after drinking so much coffee this morning, he couldn¡¯t have waited any longer to use the men¡¯s room.

 Chapter Two

    Between doing her housework and lateness of the day, Ambria¡¯s eyes grew heavy.  She wanted to read enough to find out if Dustin and the new employee would become an item, but before she could, her closed eyes.  As sleep claimed her, she let go of the book, it tumbled off the bed, and when it landed on the floor, she began dreaming.

    * * *

    When Dustin returned from lunch, he walked by the receptionist¡¯s desk.  ¡°Hey Margie.¡±

    ¡°Dustin, I guess you¡¯re back to find out what the new employee¡¯s name is.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I am.¡±

    ¡°Her name is Ambria Washington,¡± she informed him.

    * * *

    Ambria head jerked on her pillow at hearing her own name, but she didn¡¯t wake up as her dream continued.

    * * *

    ¡°That¡¯s a nice sounding name.  Thanks for the information.¡±

    ¡°Anything for you,¡± she said, then winked at him.

    Dustin waved at her, then walked back to his office.  When he reached it, he looked at all the work he had piled up on his desk.  He shook his head in disgust, ashamed of himself, as he hadn¡¯t gotten much work done today for thinking of the new employee.  He sat down and started toiling on reducing the pile of work before the end of the day, hoping the work would keep his mind off Ambria.  Hours later, he had just finished working on the last project when Irwin and Ambria entered his office and he stood to greet his guests.

    ¡°Dustin, this is Ambria Washington.  Ambria, this is Dustin Crenshaw.¡±

    Dustin put his hand out towards her to shake hands, and as they touched, an electrical jolt ran up his arm.  The shock wave stunned him so badly he had to clear his throat before he could respond.  ¡°Welcome to Highland Industries.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said, then quickly stepped back, breaking the connection between them.  ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you,¡± she said softly, her expression quickly changing to one of astonishment as her hand encountered his.

    He was watching her closely and when he saw her shocked expression, he realized she too had felt something when their hands touched.

    Irwin was confused to why Ambria was acting so peculiar.  It was almost as if she was attracted to Dustin and at that thought, dread filled him.  Irwin was aware of how all the single women in the company had been chasing Dustin since he started, but he hadn¡¯t showed any interest in any of them, until now.  If Ambria were interested in Dustin, he¡¯d better act fast if he wanted to ask her out, or he would be out of luck.

    ¡°We better leave so you can get back to work,¡± Irwin said quickly, hoping to get her away from Dustin before he could ask her out.

    ¡°No hurry, I¡¯m done with what I had to do today,¡± he said, giving Ambria a smile.

    Irwin forced a grin.  ¡°Still, we need to get back to our work, as I still have quite a bit of things to teach Ambria.¡±

    Dustin gave Irwin a bewildered look, as he was acting a bit controlling. ¡°It¡¯s almost quitting time now, I¡¯m sure the rest could wait until tomorrow.¡±

    Irwin nodded, feeling a bit embarrassed of his words.  ¡°You¡¯re right.  I didn¡¯t realize it was that late already.¡±  He didn¡¯t want Ambria to think he was slave driver, so he made a comment about showing her just one more thing before she left for the day.

    Dustin looked at Ambria.  ¡°Maybe we could go out to lunch tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°I would like that,¡± she replied shyly.  Had been hopping her boss didn¡¯t ask her out on a date, so maybe knowing she was going out with Dustin, he wouldn¡¯t come on to her.

    Irwin¡¯s heart fell, knowing the disaster he was afraid of had just happened.  They left Dustin¡¯s office and returned to their area, but before Ambria could sit down at her desk, Irwin reached out and touched her arm.

    She jerked back as if his touch had burned her.  ¡°What?¡±  Panic filled her eyes at his touch, as this was the exact thing, she had been afraid of happening.

    He knew he had to ask her out before Dustin could go out with her; otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t ever have a chance with her.  ¡°Ambria, I would like to take you to dinner tonight.¡±

    She was confused.  Why would her boss be asking her out?  Was this  invitation for business or pleasure.  Irwin seemed nice enough, but she wasn¡¯t attracted to him in any way.  If fact, he made her uncomfortable, so much so, that the last thing she wanted was to give him any encouragement they could be a couple.

    ¡°Would this be for business?¡± she asked, not wanting there to be any misunderstanding of what he had in mind.

    ¡°Definite pleasure,¡± he responded cheerfully.

    ¡°Thank you for the offer, but I don¡¯t date my superiors.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±  He looked straight into her eyes.  ¡°You don¡¯t consider Dustin your superior?  Why¡¯s that I wonder?¡± he asked sarcastically.

    His mocking reply made her angry, as she didn¡¯t have to explain to him why she didn¡¯t want to go out with him.  ¡°Maybe I should have worded my reply differently.  I don¡¯t date my boss,¡± she stated firmly, her face tense as she stared at him

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying if sometime in the future you¡¯re working for someone else, you would go out with me?¡± he asked hopefully.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but it is very doubtful.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to get involved with Dustin?¡±

    His question angered her.  ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s any of your business if I do or not,¡± she replied coldly, then turned away from Irwin and sat down at her desk.  She was afraid this position wasn¡¯t going to work out because of her boss¡¯s attraction.  Her eyes filled with tears, at the thought she might have to quit her new job.

    Irwin cringed when he saw her tears.  ¡°You¡¯re right.  I¡¯m sorry for asking, but I should tell you Susie Wright, one of the other employees who work here is interested in Dustin.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going out to lunch with him, not marrying him,¡± she responded rudely, refusing to look at him.

    * * *

    Ambria jumped when her alarm went off, then she quickly reached over to turn it off.  As she lay there, memories of her dream filled her mind and when she remembered the name of the main female character, she began looking around for the book to make sure the woman¡¯s name wasn¡¯t what she¡¯d dreamed it had been.  When she couldn¡¯t find the book on the bed, she looked down and found it lying on the floor.  She bent down and picked it up, then swiftly thumbed through the pages until she found the page she was looking for.

    As she looked down at the name of the new employee, she let out a nervous laugh.  The woman¡¯s name was Amanda Waters, not Ambria Washington like it had been in her dream.  At least now, she had an idea it was probably Amanda on the cover of her book, instead of Susie.

    Thinking of Amanda and Irwin Lester, the face that came to her mind was that of Vernon Reynolds, her own boss.  When she had first started, he too had asked her out, but instead of telling him, she wasn¡¯t interested, she lied and said she was involved with someone.  This had been a mistake, as every week or so, he would ask her if she wanted to go out with him.

    She put a bookmarker in the book to save her place, and then got up to get dressed for work.  When she was ready, she grabbed the book and went to the kitchen to make her lunch.  When she was done, she sat down to eat some breakfast, and while she ate, she opened the book and started reading.

    * * *

    The next day was a repeat of the day before as Susie tried to get a date with Dustin.

    ¡°Dustin, are you ready to leave for lunch?¡±

    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ve already made plans.¡±  If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°Okay, maybe tomorrow.  Bye Dustin.¡±

    ¡°Bye,¡± he muttered, then he turned back to his work and she left.  When it was time to leave for lunch, he walked to Amanda¡¯s office.  ¡°Hello,¡± he said, stepping into her office.

    ¡°Hello,¡± she replied nervously, slightly blushing as he stared at her.

    He was surprised when he saw her cheeks turn a light shad of pink, and smiled, thinking she was attracted to him too.  ¡°Are you ready for lunch?¡±

    ¡°Let me save this document, then I¡¯ll be ready.¡±  She saved her work, grabbed her purse, and stood.  ¡°Now, I¡¯m ready,¡± she said as she came out from behind her desk to join him at the door of her office.

    ¡°I thought we could go next door to the sandwich shop.  It won¡¯t give us much privacy, but it¡¯ll give us more time to get acquainted,¡± he said.  He wished there wouldn¡¯t be anyone from the office at the shop today as usual, as he was worried their coworkers would join them and he wanted her all to himself.

    She gave him a bewildered look.  ¡°We don¡¯t have to have privacy for our lunch, do we?¡± she asked, not understanding his statement.

    He laughed.  ¡°Wait until you see how many of our coworkers will be eating there.  I¡¯m sure most of them will want to join us and by the end of the day, the entire office will know we ate together, what we ordered, and how long we stayed.¡±

    Amanda smiled at him.  ¡°Well, if you don¡¯t mind they know, neither do I.¡±  She wished she knew for sure if he was interested in her or if he was just being friendly to a new employee.

    ¡°I¡¯m not involved with anyone, so I don¡¯t mind.¡±  He wished he could ask her to be his girlfriend, but knew it was too soon to be talking about something like that.

    ¡°No girlfriends at the office?¡± she asked as they stepped into the empty elevator, hoping he would say no.

    ¡°No, there isn¡¯t anyone I¡¯m interested in, that is, not until you came.¡±  He took hold of her hand and gave it a light squeeze just as the elevator doors closed.

    She smiled at him, but she had to know for sure if Susie was in the picture or not.  ¡°What about Susie Wright?¡±  She held her breath, waiting with anticipation for his answer.

    He chuckled.  ¡°We knew each other in high school, where she wouldn¡¯t give me the time of day, so there won¡¯t ever be anything between us.  I did ask her out to lunch the first day I started here, but that was for old time sake, nothing more,¡± he said.  ¡°She and I haven¡¯t ever gone out and never will, as I¡¯m not interested in her in any way.¡±  He hoped Amanda would understand what he was saying.

    ¡°Maybe she has changed,¡± she said sweetly, giving the other girl the benefit of the doubt.

    He laughed loudly.  ¡°I think it has more to do with the changed in my income than anything else.  If I lost my job today, I¡¯m sure she wouldn¡¯t want anything to do with me.¡±

    ¡°I would,¡± she said, her cheeks turning crimson at her statement, ¡°but you don¡¯t plan on getting fired today, do you?¡± she asked with a teasing grin, hoping to take his mind off her first comment.

    He laughed, but the elevators doors opening stopped him from replying.  When he didn¡¯t see any of their coworkers, he moved closer to her, and took hold of her arm as they left the elevator.  ¡°Only if your boss has a problem with me taking you out,¡± he said as they stepped out of the building.

    She looked over at him before answering.  ¡°He did ask me out, but I told him I didn¡¯t date my boss.¡±

    ¡°Then I hope I never become your boss,¡± he replied lightheartedly.

    ¡°I hate to say this, but I lied to him.  I just told him that because I didn¡¯t want to go out with him.¡±  Amanda looked at him, waiting for him to make some sort of comment to her statement.

    ¡°I understand.¡±  He opened the door of the sandwich shop, holding it open to let her pass.  When they entered the restaurant, he looked around the room, and was surprised when he didn¡¯t see anyone from the office there.  He was relieved and hoped they could have a private meal before anyone from work came in for their own lunch.

    After they ordered their sandwiches, they went to sit down.  He had a nice time getting to know her and when they finished eating, they picked up their trash and threw it away before leaving.

    ¡°Dustin, thank you for lunch.  I had a good time.¡±  She wished their lunch didn¡¯t have to end, but she knew they had to get back to work.  Maybe he would ask her out again.

    ¡°Amanda, would you like to have lunch with me again tomorrow?¡±  He held his breath, hoping she would say yes.

    She grinned at him.  ¡°I would like that very much.¡±  Her eyes twinkled with excitement when she realized he was attracted to her.

    They were quiet as they walked back to the office.  As they waited for the elevator, several other people returning to work joined them, so they acted as if they weren¡¯t just coming back from an outing together.  When the elevator arrived, everyone got in, and then the elevator took them to their floor.

    When they stepped out, Dustin turned to her.  ¡°If I don¡¯t see you the rest of the day, I hope you have a good afternoon.¡±

    ¡°You too,¡± she called, then she watched him walk back to his office.

    * * *

    Ambria looked down at her watch and swore.  She was going to be late to work if she didn¡¯t quit reading, go brush her teeth, and leave the house in the next five minutes.  She wanted to take the book to work, but afraid she wouldn¡¯t be able to stop reading it at lunch if she did.  Besides, when she got home tonight, she would have all evening to read it.  She brushed her teeth, grabbed her lunch, and ran out the door.

    The day dragged by for her, for all she could think about was getting home to get back to reading her book.  When the clock on the wall showed it was five minutes to five, she turned off her computer, got her purse, and was out the door at precisely five.  When she arrived home, she went into the kitchen to make herself a salad, then she grabbed the book and started reading.

    * * *

    Each day that week Susie asked Dustin if they were going out for lunch and each time, he told her he had other plans.  Susie assumed it was because he had too much work to do, she didn¡¯t have any idea the real reason he wasn¡¯t going out with her was he was having lunch with Amanda.  If Susie had known Dustin¡¯s mind was on the new employee, and not on her, she would have been furious.  Even though they hadn¡¯t even gone out on one date yet, she was already planning her wedding to Dustin.

    Not once did Dustin just come out and tell Susie they wouldn¡¯t ever go out to lunch together, as he was afraid if he told her about Amanda, she would cause some sort of problem for them.  Not wanting anyone to interrupt their time together, Dustin and Amanda started meeting at a restaurant several miles away for lunch, and so far, no one in the office was aware they were seeing each other.

    On Friday, when Dustin arrived at the restaurant, Amanda was already there, and she waved to get his attention and he hurried to join her.

    ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind, but I went ahead and ordered for you.¡±

    ¡°Not a problem unless you ordered me cooked cabbage,¡± he teased, knowing this restaurant didn¡¯t serve cabbage of any kind.

    She laughed.  ¡°Would you believe that¡¯s exactly what I ordered for you?  They¡¯re having a great sale on cooked cabbage today and I ordered you a large bowl of it.¡±

    He took hold of her hand.  ¡°I love to hear you laugh.¡±

    She blushed, but didn¡¯t remove her hand from his.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe we¡¯ve known each other less than a week, as I feel I know you so well.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because all we¡¯ve talked about is me,¡± she teased.

    ¡°That¡¯s not entirely true.  I¡¯ve told you a few things about my life.¡±

    ¡°Not much.  I want to know more about the man, Dustin Crenshaw.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like a movie title.  Okay, today is your day to ask me any question you want to know the answer.¡±

    ¡°Any question?¡± she asked, her eyes watching him closely.

    ¡°Yes, give me your best shot.¡±

    Before Amanda could respond, the waitress brought their food and their hands broke apart, and then she waited until the woman left before asking her question.  ¡°So far we¡¯ve only gone out for lunch.  Why haven¡¯t you ever asked me out for dinner?¡±  She was surprised when she saw his face turn red, wondering why she¡¯d embarrassed him.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure how best to answer your question.¡±  He nervously licked his lips, unsure if he should tell her the truth.

    ¡°Honestly,¡± she stated.

    He took in a deep breath.  ¡°I¡¯m afraid if I took you out to dinner, I would try to kiss you when I took you home.¡±

    She gave him a puzzled look.  ¡°I don¡¯t see how that would be so bad,¡± she said shyly, as she¡¯d been wondering what his kiss would be like.

    He looked quickly around the room since he didn¡¯t want anyone to hear what he was about to say.  Once he saw there wasn¡¯t anyone near, he leaned forward towards her ear.  ¡°If I kissed you the way I want to, I would want to take off all your clothes and make love to you.¡±  He leaned back quickly, afraid she would want to slap him for his comment.

    She just stared at him, as tears welled up in her eyes as she was stunned by his statement.  She had strong romantic feelings for him, but she hadn¡¯t allowed herself to dream he could possibly feel way about her too.  Now she knew he did.

    He reached over and grabbed hold of her hand.  ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.  I shouldn¡¯t have said what I did.¡±  He watched as several teardrops fell.  ¡°Now I¡¯ve made you cry.¡±

    She squeezed his hand.  ¡°Dustin, these are happy tears.  I want you too,¡± she whispered.

    ¡°You¡¯re just saying that to make me feel better,¡± he muttered, giving her a skeptical look.

    ¡°What if I ask you over for dinner tonight?  Will that prove to you I¡¯m telling you the truth?¡±  Her eyes watched his facial expression closely as she waited for his response.

    He gazed at her, ecstatic to learn she felt the same way as he did, but unable to find the right words to express himself.

    When he didn¡¯t respond, Amanda felt uncomfortable.  ¡°Did I say something wrong?¡±

    He shook his head.  ¡°My brain is just trying to come up with the right words to express myself to you.¡±

    ¡°Is that hard?¡± she asked innocently.

    He wasn¡¯t about to tell her just how hard his male member had become by her earlier remark.  ¡°The last thing I want to do is to say the wrong thing to you.¡±

    ¡°Just say it,¡± she demanded, forcing herself not to cry again.

    ¡°I want more than to have an affair with you.¡±  His eyes watched her closely as his words sunk in.

    ¡°You do?¡±  Her heart soared.  Could this relationship lead to marriage?  She could only dream it was what he meant.

    ¡°I do and I think it¡¯s time everyone at work realize we¡¯re an item.¡±  Amanda shook her head no and he was surprised by her response.  ¡°Why don¡¯t you?¡±  He didn¡¯t understand why she didn¡¯t want people to know they were an item.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid someone will cause you some problems if they knew about us.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re referring to Susie, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s something about her that scares me.¡±

    ¡°You think she¡¯s dangerous?¡± he asked, not even thinking Susie would physically hurt anyone.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I do think she¡¯s determined to have you.¡±

    He gave her a bewildered look.  ¡°What makes you say that?¡±

    ¡°A few of the women in the office have warned me about her, telling me stories of other men she¡¯d been interested in here at work and how those relationships ended with the man leaving the company.¡±

    ¡°You think she¡¯ll try to harm one of us?¡±

    * * *

    Before Ambria could read Amanda¡¯s reply, she looked at the clock and saw it was an hour passed her bedtime.  If she didn¡¯t stop reading now and go to bed, she would have a hard time getting up in the morning.  She put her bookmarker in the book to save her place, and then closed it, wishing she didn¡¯t have to wait until tomorrow to find out what happens next.

 Chapter Three

    The next morning Ambria didn¡¯t even bother to open her book, knowing she didn¡¯t trust herself to read just a few pages before work.  She would wait until she got home tonight to read more, but as things would have it, her boss asked her to work two hours over.  As soon as she walked in the door of her apartment that night, she grabbed her book and started reading.  She was hungry, but after reading a few minutes, dinner was quickly forgotten.

    * * *

    ¡°Yes, I am.  I know her type.  She thinks because she has known you since high school, you belong to her.¡±

    ¡°You could be right, but I¡¯ve never given her the impression she and I would ever have a relationship,¡± he explained to her.  ¡°We haven¡¯t ever gone out!¡±

    ¡°You and I know that, but she may have a different idea about your relationship with her.¡±

    ¡°I hope you¡¯re wrong.¡±  Dustin thought back to what Amanda had said about Susie and the other men who once worked there, realizing she was probably right.

    ¡°Only time will tell.¡±

    ¡°Monday, we¡¯ll have lunch at the sandwich shop, and if our coworkers see us there holding hand, then soon the whole company will know, including Susie.¡±

    ¡°That sounds like a good plan, but for now we better eat our lunch and get back to work.¡±

    After they finished their lunch, Dustin walked Amanda back to her car.  Just before she got in, he leaned over and gave her a quick kiss on her lips.

    ¡°That should last me until tonight,¡± she cooed, giving him a look filled with love.

    ¡°Amanda, are you sure you want me to come over tonight?¡±

    ¡°Positively.¡±

    ¡°What time?¡±

    ¡°Follow me home.¡±

    ¡°What kind of dinner can you fix that fast?¡± he asked bewilderedly.

    ¡°Who said we had to eat dinner first?¡± she asked, giving him a seductive grin

    * * *

    Ambria didn¡¯t want to stop reading, but her tummy was telling her she needed to eat something.  She marked her page, then quickly fixed herself a sandwich, poured a glass of tea, then sat down with her book and started reading again.

    * * *

    ¡°I won¡¯t be able to get any work done this afternoon for thinking of tonight.¡±  How he wished they could just go to her house instead of returning to work.

    ¡°Then think of something else,¡± she told him.

    ¡°Like what?¡±  His mind was filled with images of them in bed together, their limbs intertwined together as they made love.

    ¡°Like telling Susie about us.¡±

    He frowned.  ¡°That would do it, that¡¯s for sure.¡±

    ¡°I think you should tell her before she finds out from someone else.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right.  I¡¯ll do it as soon as I get back to the office.¡±

    On the way back to work, he tried to think of a way to tell Susie about Amanda, but nothing came to mind.  He hadn¡¯t been in his office five minutes when there was a knock at his door.

    ¡°Come in.¡±  He swore to himself when he saw Susie come into his office.  ¡°What can I do for you?¡±

    ¡°I want to invite you to my house for dinner tonight.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t tonight,¡± he mumbled, not wanting to tell her today about Amanda and their relationship.

    ¡°Dustin, can we make a firm commitment for another night?¡±  She wasn¡¯t going to leave here until she had a definite answer, as she was tired of his stalling.

    By her question, he knew he couldn¡¯t put this off any longer.  ¡°Susie, I¡¯m sorry, but that won¡¯t be possible.¡±

    ¡°How about next week?¡± she asked hopefully.

    ¡°No, not then either.¡±  He took a deep breath, and then let it out before he responded.  ¡°Susie, I¡¯m involved with someone.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize you had someone in your life.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re going to find out sooner or later who it is, so I think I should tell you it¡¯s Amanda Waters.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± she screamed.  ¡°Did you know her before she started working here?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± he replied, wondering what difference that made.

    ¡°Well then you can¡¯t be too involved with her.¡±

    ¡°What does that have to do with anything?¡± he asked, not understanding what she was implying.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure she wouldn¡¯t mind if you still date other women.  Besides, you¡¯ve wanted to go out with me still high school.  Now you can,¡± she replied happily.

    Dustin stood.  ¡°Susie, you and I are not going to go out together, not now, not ever,¡± he said forcefully.

    ¡°We¡¯ll see about that,¡± she said, then quickly walked out the door.

    Dustin was afraid Susie was about to cause trouble, but wasn¡¯t sure if it was going to be him or Amanda who would feel the brunt of her jealously.  He decided he¡¯d better call Amanda to let her know about his recent guest and swiftly dialed her extension.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°Hello?¡±

    ¡°Susie was just here.  I told her about us and I think she may be on her way to your office.¡±

    Just then, Amanda¡¯s door opened, and Susie walked into the office.  ¡°Yes, I know.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s in your office?¡±  Dustin asked softly.

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t let her cause you any trouble.¡±

    ¡°No sir, I won¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Does she know you¡¯re talking to me?¡±

    ¡°No, but I thank you for calling.  I¡¯ll take care of that matter for you as soon as possible.¡±  Amanda hung up before Dustin could say another word, then she looked up at Susie.  ¡°Hello.  What can I do for you?¡±

    ¡°You can leave my boyfriend alone or else you¡¯ll be sorry,¡± she threatened.

    ¡°Since I¡¯m not involved with your boyfriend, you don¡¯t have anything to worry about,¡± she replied giving her a false sugary smile.

    ¡°I¡¯m talking about Dustin and you know it.¡±

    ¡°Dustin told me there wasn¡¯t anything between the two of you.  Never has been and never will be.¡±

    ¡°He lied to you.  You can¡¯t believe a word he says.¡±

    ¡°Really?  I find that hard to believe.  He seemed so sincere when he told me all about you and high school.¡±  She didn¡¯t say anymore, but simply implied she knew more than she actually did.

    ¡°I want you to refuse to go out with him the next time he asks you out.¡±

    Amanda laughed.  ¡°Now why would I want to do that?¡±  She refused to let this woman scare her from Dustin.

    Susie looked at her hard.  ¡°Just make sure you do or you¡¯ll be sorry.¡±  She turned and left Amanda¡¯s office, closing the door hard behind her.

    Amanda quickly dialed Dustin¡¯s extension and he picked up before the phone could finish ringing.

    ¡°What did she say to you?¡±

    ¡°She wants me to refuse whenever you ask me out.  So from now on, I¡¯ll just have to do all the asking.¡±

    Dustin laughed.  ¡°You really don¡¯t think that¡¯s going to work with her?¡±

    ¡°No, probably not.  We¡¯ll discuss this more when you come tonight.¡±

    ¡°We better not be seen together just yet.  Give me your address and I¡¯ll meet you there.¡±

    Amanda gave him her address and the directions to her place, said good-bye, then hung up.  After work, she got into her car and started for home.  As drove, she kept looking into her rearview mirror, checking for any signs of Dustin, but she never saw him.  When she got home, she waited beside her car for him to show up.  When ten minutes passed, and there still wasn¡¯t any sign of him, she was afraid he¡¯d gotten lost and went into the house to wait for him to call for directions.  She¡¯d just sat down beside the phone, when the doorbell rang.  She jumped up, ran to the door, and pulled it opened, relieved to see Dustin standing on her doorstep.

    * * *

    Ambria looked at the clock and frowned.  It was almost her bedtime and if she didn¡¯t stop reading now, she wouldn¡¯t have time to take her shower and dry her hair before bed.  She closed the book, then hurried to the bathroom.  She took a rushed shower, put on her nightgown, and quickly blow-dried her hair, and then she ran to get her book.  She crawled in bed with it, promising she would only read until the end of the next chapter, but soon she was engrossed in the story, and bedtime was forgotten.

    * * *

    ¡°Dustin, I was worried you¡¯d gotten lost.¡±

    ¡°No, I had to stop to pick up something at the store.¡±

    Her face showed her confusion.  ¡°What did you need at the store that couldn¡¯t have waited for another time?¡±

    He smiled a sexy grin at her as he opened his sack and pulled out a box of condoms.

    ¡°Oh!¡± she replied, turning crimson with embarrassment.

    By her expression, he thought maybe he¡¯d misunderstood what they had been talking about.  ¡°That is what we talked about at lunch today, wasn¡¯t it?¡± he asked uncertainly.

    ¡°Yes, but you didn¡¯t have to buy those,¡± she muttered, her face turning a nice shade of pink.

    ¡°You¡¯re telling me you already have some here?¡± he asked, wondering just how experienced she was.

    She blushed again.  ¡°No, I¡¯m on the pill.¡±

    He was a bit disappointed to find out she was on the pill, thinking she must be experienced.  ¡°How come you¡¯re on the pill?¡±

    ¡°I have a problem with cysts on my ovaries, and the birth control pills keep them from forming.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about the cysts.  Do they hurt a lot?¡±

    ¡°Dustin, I don¡¯t want to talk about my health.¡±  Her eyes told him she was thinking about sex.

    ¡°Okay,¡± he muttered, as his hand moved to her body.

    ¡°How do you know I¡¯m safe to have sex with,¡± he asked, as if he was joking, but in actuality, he wanted to know how many men she¡¯d been with before she met him.

    ¡°I trust you.¡±

    Dustin gave her a force smiled.  ¡°That¡¯s a sweet thing to say.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t become involved with you if I didn¡¯t trust you.¡±

    Trust.  She trusted him, so he should trust her.  He had other women in his past, so what difference did it make if she had other men in hers.  ¡°So what lies did Susie tell you?¡±

    ¡°Can we talk about her later?  I¡¯m afraid if I start talking about her, it may ruin the mood.¡±

    He laughed.  ¡°I¡¯d guarantee it would.¡±

    ¡°Do you want to eat first?¡± she asked nervously.

    His eyes pictured her naked in bed, and didn¡¯t think he could wait another second to make love to her.  ¡°No, do you?¡±

    ¡°NO!¡± she replied, her response filled with sexual aggravation.

    Dustin laughed at her response.

    When they walked into the bedroom, Dustin turned to her.  ¡°Do you need to use the bathroom?¡± he asked, thinking she would want to undress without his eyes on her.

    ¡°Yes.¡±  She saw him frown at her comment, but didn¡¯t understand why, nor did she ask.

    Amanda went to the bathroom, while Dustin turned off the lights and got the bed ready.  When she came out of the bathroom still fully dressed, he walked to her with a sexually grin.

    ¡°I thought you were going to undress while you were in there.  I was disappointed because I wanted to undress you,¡± he said as soft as a caress.

    ¡°No, I had to pee,¡± she replied shyly.  ¡°Whenever I¡¯m nervous, I have to . . .,¡± she started, but then she stopped and gave him nervous grin.

    Before she could say another word, Dustin reached for her blouse and began unbuttoning it, then the only sound in the room was the sound of clothes being removed and the fast breathing of the two occupants.  Amanda¡¯s mind was busy concentrating on what Dustin was doing to her body and didn¡¯t think to look at his naked body, but Dustin certainly looked at hers.

    * * *

    Ambria didn¡¯t want to quit reading yet, but knew it was late and she needed to get some rest.  She turned off her light and lay down, her eyes closed, and she was fast asleep.

    * * *

    They tumbled onto the bed, knocking the book she had on the bed to the floor, then Dustin moved on top of her, positioning himself between her legs and then moved inside of her.  He was shocked to find she was a virgin, but her membrane didn¡¯t stop him from making her his as he forced his way through, and Amanda let out a soft cry.

    * * *

    Ambria let out a soft cry as well, then tossed and turned the rest of the night, as images of a man making love to her filled her dreams.  Her heart filled with love for the man in her arms, as his kisses heated the blood flowing in her veins, and his touch aroused her to the point of boiling.

    When the alarm went off the next morning, she quickly reached over and turned it off.  As she sat up and moved her feet to the floor, she felt a tight twinge between her legs and stopped.  She remained sitting there for several seconds trying to think what she could have done to make her feel pain in her female area, then she shrugged her shoulders as she gave up trying to figure out why she hurt.

    Since she wasn¡¯t ready just yet for the glare of a light bulb to shine into her eyes, she didn¡¯t turn on her lamp, instead she used the nightlight from the bathroom to see what she needed to do.  She stood, grabbed the sheet, and quickly made the bed, then went into the bathroom to get ready for the day.  She looked over at her book on the bed with longing, but knew she couldn¡¯t read any of it until tonight.

    The day dragged for her, but finally it was quitting time and she could go home, but it seemed everything was against her as she traveled home.  First, the traffic was unusually heavy, then there was a detour, and before she could reach her exit, there was a car accident and traffic came to a standstill, which caused her to arrive at home an hour later than usual.

    She made herself a sandwich and poured a glass of tea, then took the plate and the glass to the table.  When she reached the bedroom to get her book, she was surprised it wasn¡¯t on the table but on the floor.  Figuring she must have knocked it off in her sleep, she grabbed and started reading as she returned to the kitchen table.

 Chapter Four

    Dustin stayed the whole weekend, spending most of it in bed making love to her and by Sunday night, he knew every part of Amanda naked body.  He hated the thought of leaving her, so he decided to stay another night in her bed.

    The next morning Dustin woke up early to take his shower, and then he woke Amanda.  He kissed her face until she slowly opened her eyes.  ¡°If you don¡¯t get up, you¡¯re going to be late to work.¡±

    Amanda quickly sat up, practically knocking Dustin to the floor as she quickly jumped out of the bed.  ¡°Dustin, you better leave or you¡¯ll be late to work!¡± she exclaimed.

    Dustin repositioned himself on the bed, then leaned over and pulled her into a hug before kissing her again.  ¡°I think we have just enough time for a quickly,¡± he said, then nibbled on her ear.

    ¡°Not on your life.  After last night I know you well enough to know once won¡¯t be enough.¡±

    He laughed, then kissed her one last time.  ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll leave so you can get ready for work.¡±  He stood and as he got dressed, his eyes never left hers as he put on his clothes.  He walked to the bedroom door and looked back at her.  ¡°I¡¯ll see myself out and we¡¯ll talk later.¡±  He blew her a kiss, then disappeared through the door.

    Amanda let out a loud sigh as she watched him vanished from her sight.  When She looked over at the clock, she let out a loud cuss word as if she didn¡¯t hurry, she was going to be late herself.  She jumped out of bed, then turned to make it, looking looked down at the bed, she was surprised to see blood on the sheet, even though she knew why it was there.  She would have to change the sheets, but since she didn¡¯t have time to do it now, it would have wait until this evening.

    Dustin hurried home, quickly changed his clothes, grabbed a cereal bar, and then ran out the door.  When he arrived at work, he went straight to the kitchen to get his first cup of coffee as he had a meeting in ten minutes, and needed some caffeine so he could stay awake.  He drank the entire cup, then refilled it before he went to his office to get ready for the meeting.

    Since he didn¡¯t like taking notes, he grabbed his voice-activated tape recorder, and turned it on and had just put it into his shirt pocket when the door of his office flew opened.  He looked up and was surprised to see Susie walking into his office.  He frowned, wondering what she wanted this early in the morning.

    ¡°Hello, Dustin,¡± she purred at him, closing the door behind her.

    When she spoke, Dustin heard the recorder click on and smiled, relieved to know everything she said to him would be recorded, as he was afraid she was here to cause trouble.  ¡°What can I do for you today?¡±

    ¡°I wanted you to know I¡¯m free for lunch today.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m not.¡±

    ¡°Amanda won¡¯t be able to go out with you today.¡±

    ¡°Really?  She didn¡¯t say anything to me about it when I talked to her earlier.¡±

    ¡°Her plans changed recently.¡±

    ¡°I see.  I¡¯ll have to call her after my meeting to reschedule our lunch date.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t bother,¡± she told him, watching him closely.  ¡°She told me that she didn¡¯t want to come between us.¡±

    ¡°Us?  Susie there hasn¡¯t never been an ¡®us¡¯ between you and me,¡± he said for the benefit of the recorder.

    ¡°Of course there has,¡± she purred, smiling a sexy grin at him.

    ¡°When?¡± he asked, as if he didn¡¯t know what she was implying.

    ¡°You know in high school,¡± she said giving him a knowing look.

    ¡°You mean when I would ask you out and you would tell me to drop dead or go to Hell?¡±  He forced himself not to smile, knowing she was slowly digging her own grave.

    She was getting angry, as this wasn¡¯t going at all, as she had planned.  He wasn¡¯t supposed to argue with her, he was supposed to ask her out for lunch.  Maybe she should try a different tactic.  Maybe if she threatened him, he would come around.  ¡°If you don¡¯t take me out to lunch today,¡± she started, her expression turning nasty, ¡°I¡¯ll tell everyone you touched my breast,¡± she threatened.

    ¡°How could I have done that if you¡¯re standing by my office door and I¡¯m over here behind my desk?¡± he asked calmly, knowing the recorder was getting all of this conversation.

    ¡°They aren¡¯t going to know that, stupid,¡± she said nastily.

    ¡°They will when I tell them the truth.¡±  He forced himself not to smile, otherwise she would know he was up to something.

    ¡°They aren¡¯t going to believe you,¡± she replied hatefully.  ¡°This day and age, people believed women when they say they¡¯ve been sexually assaulted,¡± she said, so confident she was going to win.

    ¡°That¡¯s true, but how come they are going to believe you instead of me?¡± he asked softly.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been here longer and I¡¯m a lady.¡±

    Dustin laughed.  ¡°I would have to disagree with the part about you being a lady.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to make you sorry for that comment,¡± she warned him.

    ¡°I doubt that,¡± he taunted.  ¡°Go ahead and do your worst,¡± he replied, turning away from her to grab a writing pad.

    ¡°I¡¯m also going to tell them you tried to rape me,¡± she shouted at him, then grabbing her blouse, she ripped it open.

    He laughed.  ¡°So not true, as you are the last person on this Earth that I would want to have sex with.  I have a meeting to go to, so you¡¯ll have to excuse me.¡±  He walked passed her, opened the door, and stepped out into the hall, leaving Susie alone in his office.

    He went to his meeting and Susie was quickly forgotten, but Susie hadn¡¯t forgotten about him.  When she left Dustin¡¯s office, she went straight to Rob Clayton¡¯s office, the company¡¯s President, and told him about Dustin ripping her blouse and touching her breast while he was trying to rape her.

    Rob wasn¡¯t  shocked by her claim, as he knew Susie well enough to know she was lying.  There had been similar incidents regarding her and some of her male coworkers, all who said she was lying about the supposed attack.  The other men hadn¡¯t wanted an inquiry, making him think that some of her claim had been genuine, but he had a hard time believing Dustin Crenshaw would do something as horrible as attempted rape.  Still, he assured her he would check into the situation as soon as he could.

    Susie thanked him, then left, smiling to herself at her cleverness as she returned to her desk, thinking this would show Dustin he couldn¡¯t treat her this way.

    As soon as Susie left his office, Rob called Dustin.

    Dustin¡¯s meeting was over and he¡¯d just walked back into his office when his phone rang.  He hurried to his desk and looked down at his phone to check his caller ID, and when he saw Mr. Clayton was calling, he swore.  ¡°Damn!  Susie certainly didn¡¯t waste anything reporting the allege crime to the President.¡±  He quickly answered the phone.  ¡°Hello?¡±

    ¡°Dustin, I want to see you in my office immediately!¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± he responded, jumping when he heard the phone loudly disconnect in his ear.  He grabbed his tape recorder and headed out for the president¡¯s office.

    The meeting between him and Mr. Clayton went quickly and soon Dustin was back in his office packing his briefcase as he had the rest of the week off thanks to Susie.

    * * *

    Ambria yawned, then looked over at the clock to see what time it was.  It was still early, but she was exhausted.  Figuring this was a good place as any to quit reading for the night, she put the book down on the end table, then reached her arms above her head to stretch her muscles before going into her bedroom.

    After she had brushed her teeth and put on her nightgown, she went to her bed and quickly pulled back the bedding.  When she glanced down at the sheet, she was shocked to see a small amount of blood.  She frowned, as she was confused to where it could have come from, as she couldn¡¯t have started her period.

    As she puzzled over it, a vague recognition of virginal blood entered her head and she remembered dreaming the female character¡¯s name had been hers.  Could what had happened to Amanda, be happening to her too?  She laughed.  She was thinking crazy, something like that couldn¡¯t happen to someone when they read a book.

    She was a virgin, or had been until last night.  She ran into the other room, turned on the lamp, and grabbed her book and quickly thumbed through it until she came to the part where Dustin and Amanda had sex.  When she reread the part of Amanda being a virgin and her finding blood on her sheet, she gasped.  Was that why she¡¯d woken the next morning sore between her legs? This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    She sat down in the nearby chair with a thump.  This couldn¡¯t be possible.  Things that happened to a character in a book couldn¡¯t happen to the person reading it.  Just thinking about the book taking over her life caused Ambria to panic and she threw it across the room.  She wasn¡¯t going to read another page of the book, not even to find out how it ended.  Besides, she already knew the hero and heroine would most likely be together by the end of the book.  Didn¡¯t all these type books end that way?

    She numbly walked out of the room, went to the linen closet, and got out fresh sheets.  She returned to her bedroom and quickly stripped the bed.  She threw the dirty sheets onto the floor, and quickly remade the bed, thinking she would deal with the sheets in the morning.

    She turned off the light, crawled into bed, and then pulled the blanket up to her chin.  She lay there in the darkness, afraid to close her eyes and go to sleep.  Would she dream of Dustin again?  Would her life slowly merge with Amanda¡¯s world?  If it did, would she cease to exist?  If so, she had to find out for sure what happened next so she would be prepared for it.  She got out of bed and ran for the other room to retrieve the book.  She opened it up and started reading as she walked back to bed.

    * * *

    Dustin stopped by Amanda¡¯s desk to tell her he wasn¡¯t going to be in the office for the rest of the week.  She wanted to leave with him, but he told her to wait, as he knew she would be sent home as well.  He wanted kiss her good-bye, but didn¡¯t since Irwin had stepped out of his office and was watching them, so he winked at her instead.

    Irwin heard his phone ringing and returned to his office to answer it, disappointed he couldn¡¯t have questioned Amanda about why Dustin was going to be out of the office the rest of the week.

    Her phone rang a minute later, and when she looked down at it, she saw Rob Clayton was calling her.  She was afraid to answer it, sure she was about to lose her job.  ¡°Hello?¡± she answered, her voice slightly shaking.

    ¡°Amanda, I need for you to go home and stay there for the rest of this week.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Clayton, I just started working here.  I can¡¯t just up and go home for a whole week.¡±

    ¡°Consider this a paid vacation because this isn¡¯t a topic for discussion,¡± he said loudly.

    ¡°What should I tell Irwin?¡± she asked franticly.

    ¡°I¡¯ve already called him and he¡¯s aware you¡¯ll be leaving.  I want you out of the office in five minutes and not a minute more.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±  She continued to hold the receiver to her ear even after the call had been disconnect.  Finally, she came to her senses and hung up the phone.  She grabbed her purse and left her office, stopping at the receptionist desk to tell Margie she would be home if anyone needed her.  She could tell the woman wanted to question her, but refrain from doing so.  As soon as she got home, she called Dustin.

    ¡°Hello?¡±

    ¡°Dustin, Mr. Clayton sent me home and told me to take the rest of the week off.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be right over.¡±

    ¡°Dustin, wait,¡± she called out, but it was too late, for he had already hung up.

    A few minutes later Dustin was knocking at her door.  She hurried to the door to let him in, and as soon as she closed it behind him, she was in his arms.  ¡°Dustin, I¡¯m scared.¡±

    He rubbed his hand up and down her back.  ¡°What are you scared of?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what¡¯s going on.  Why were we both sent home on a Monday morning?¡±

    ¡°Susie accused me of trying to rape her.¡±

    She jerked out of his arms.  ¡°Oh, my God!  That woman is crazy.¡±

    He was relieved by her comment, as it told him she didn¡¯t think he¡¯d attempted what Susie had accused him of doing.  ¡°Mr. Clayton thought it would be best if we were out of the office before he confronted Susie about her accusation.  He sent us home so after he fires her, there would be less of a chance of her causing trouble for either of us.¡±

    ¡°I guess you told him about us?¡±

    ¡°Just that we¡¯re dating.¡±

    ¡°Is that what we¡¯re doing?¡± she asked sarcastically.

    ¡°Amanda, you know it¡¯s more than that.¡±  His eyes pleaded with her to understand how much she meant to him.  ¡°You didn¡¯t want me to tell him we¡¯re sexually involved, did you?¡±

    ¡°No, of course not.  I just don¡¯t want to lose my job or lose you over this thing with Susie.¡±

    ¡°Sweetheart, you aren¡¯t going lose either.¡±

    She moved back from him and looked him in the eye.  ¡°How can you be so sure?  Being accused of rape is a serious matter.  It¡¯s her word against yours.¡±  Her eyes were filled with dread as she waited for his reply.

    ¡°Mr. Clayton guaranteed me, Susie would be the only one fired.¡±

    ¡°So he believed you.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I had proof that she was lying.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t trust that woman.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about her.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m terrified of what she may do to you to retaliate against us for getting her fired.¡±

    ¡°She got herself fired by lying to the President about the bogus assault.¡±  He pulled her back into his embrace.  ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what we are going to do.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± she asked, resting her head against his chest.

    ¡°We¡¯ll get out of town for a while.¡±

    She laughed, then pushed against his chest.  ¡°Where do you suggest we go?¡±

    ¡°Las Vegas!¡± he told her excitedly.

    ¡°You can gamble here in Kansas City, so why go to Las Vegas?¡±

    ¡°So we can get married and have short a honeymoon before we have to return to work next Monday.¡±  His eyes watched her closely, afraid she was going to say no.

    ¡°You want to marry me?¡± she asked, shocked by his words.

    ¡°Yes!¡± he exclaimed.

    ¡°Dustin, we hardly know each other,¡± she argued, but secretly, she was thrilled he wanted to marry her.

    ¡°We know how we feel about each other, and besides we¡¯ve already slept together.¡±

    Amanda blushed.  ¡°Yes, we have,¡± she said, then looked down at her hands.

    ¡°You aren¡¯t sorry we have, are you?¡±

    Her eyes flew up to his.  ¡°No, of course not.¡±

    ¡°So?¡± he asked, watching her closely as he waited for her acceptance of his proposal.  When he saw tears began running down her cheek, he gently rubbed them away with his thumbs.  ¡°Honey, I didn¡¯t mean to make you cry.¡±

    She smiled back at him.  ¡°They¡¯re happy tears.¡±

    ¡°Then pack a bag and let¡¯s get out of here.¡±

    ¡°What about you?  Don¡¯t you need to go to your place to pack?¡±

    ¡°Nope!¡± he exclaimed, smiling at her.

    She looked at him with confusion.  ¡°Do you plan to wear what you have on the whole time we¡¯re there?¡±

    ¡°You promise you won¡¯t get mad?¡± he asked, with a boyish grin.

    She frowned at his question.  ¡°You don¡¯t plan to wear anything at all,¡± she replied nervously.

    He laughed at her words.  ¡°I never thought of that.¡±

    She shook her head at his comment.  ¡°Now look what have I done.¡±

    He gave her a silly grin.  ¡°I promise I¡¯ll wear clothes whenever we do leave the room.¡±

    His answer didn¡¯t reassure her, as she was still unsure what the real reason could be.  ¡°So tell me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve already packed my bag.¡±

    She laughed.  ¡°You were that sure of my answer?¡±

    ¡°Just hoping and praying you¡¯d say yes,¡± he said, his eyes twinkling with happiness.

    ¡°What about plane tickets?¡±

    ¡°I ordered our tickets on-line before I came over and they¡¯re at the airport waiting for us.¡±

    ¡°Then why are we standing here for, come help me pack.¡±  She grabbed hold of his hand and they ran into her bedroom laughing.  The packing would have gone faster without Dustin¡¯s help, but Amanda didn¡¯t complain.

    They took Dustin¡¯s car to the airport, parking it in the long-term parking.  As they waited for the tram to take them to the airport, they simply held hands, too nervous to say anything to each other.  They checked in and sat down to wait for their departure to be announced and an hour later, they were on the plane looking for their seats.  Amanda sat next to the window and Dustin sat down next to her, then took hold of her hand.

    As Amanda sat there waiting for plane to take off, she started thinking about them getting married.  Just the thought of being married to Dustin caused her heart to start beating rapidly in her chest, her mouth became dry, and she felt a nervous headache starting as she worried if she was doing the right thing.

    Dustin looked over at her and saw her apprehensive expression.  His hand tightened and she glanced over at him.  ¡°Are you having second thoughts?¡±

    ¡°What if we¡¯re rushing this?  What if what we¡¯re feeling for each other is just a fluke?¡±

    ¡°Are you saying you don¡¯t want to get married?¡± he asked, almost afraid of what her answer would be.

    She sobbed and shook her head.  ¡°I do want to marry you, but I¡¯m scared we might be making a mistake by getting married so quickly.¡±

    ¡°Do you know why you feel this way?¡±

    ¡°Dustin, we¡¯ve known each other for just one week and here we are about to run off to get married.¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯ve change your mind, we can leave the plane before it takes off and forget all about getting married,¡± he told her, afraid that was what she was going to do.

    The thought of not marrying the man next to her filled her with even worst dread.  ¡°No, I think I¡¯ll stay right where I am and go to Las Vegas to marry the man I¡¯ve fallen in love with,¡± she told him with a confident smile.

    His expression brightened as he let out sigh.  ¡°I¡¯m glad,¡± he replied, with tears of relief in his eyes.

    The plane took off and they smiled at each other.  Once they stepped off the plane in Las Vegas, they grabbed their luggage, and then headed outside to find a taxi, hurrying to the first one in line.  After they got in, Dustin told the driver to take them to the closest wedding chapel.

    Five minutes later, they were standing in front of a minister saying their vows and before they knew it, the minister was pronouncing them husband and wife.  They thanked him, then carrying their luggage in one hand; they left hand in hand and started walking down the sidewalk stopping at the first hotel they came to.  Luckily, the hotel had a vacancy and soon they were riding up the elevator to their suite.

    Dustin unlocked the door, set down their luggage inside the room, picked up his bride, and carried her over the threshold so they could start their honeymoon.  As soon as he kicked the door closed, he put her down, grabbed hold of her, and began kissing her passionately.

    ¡°Sweetheart, I can¡¯t wait another minute to make you mine,¡± he muttered in her ear.

    ¡°Dustin, hurry!¡±  Amanda called out.

    He turned off the bedroom light, then his hands moved swiftly to her and began removing her clothing, and after she was naked, he then removed his.  When they were both naked, Dustin pulled her with him onto the bed.

    * * *

    Ambria¡¯s eyes closed and as sleep claimed her, she began to dream of someone¡¯s hands touching her naked body.  Her mind told her to push him away, but before she could, she felt a pair of warm lips on hers.  At first, his kiss was gentle, but slowly the kiss became intense and demanding, and then she felt a tongue mating with hers.  As the kiss continued, the heat in her womanly place fiercely demanded release, something she hadn¡¯t ever experience before, but knew it was something only this man in her arms could give her.

    The kiss persisted as his hands moved lightly across her skin, stroking places that caused her to feel hot and dreamy.  She wanted to fight the desire rushing through her, but his hands were making her body to fill with heat, and all she could think of was she needed relief.

    Then she felt a finger entering into her heat, causing the fire in her to increase to the point she thought she would die, and just when she thought she couldn¡¯t stand another second of this torture, she exploded.  Strong hands held her as the climax rocked through her.

    She¡¯d just floated back to earth from the pinnacle, when she felt a man¡¯s naked body move on top of hers.  As he moved his legs against hers, the hairs were rough against her smoothness, making her legs tingle.  When he moved, placing his maleness between her legs, she thought she would die of ecstasy and prayed he didn¡¯t stop.

    The man moved his body on top of hers, rubbing his legs against her legs, as he placed his manhood against her core.  ¡°Oh, Ambria.  I love you!¡± he whispered in her ear, then he entered her and began moving back and forth within her.

 Chapter Five

    Ambria¡¯s head jerked at the sound of his voice in her ear, then she let out a sigh when she felt him shoved his manhood inside her.  For a split second, she thought he was going to pull completely out, but then he lunge all the way in.  She began moaning, enjoying his every thrust, and soon she screamed out his name.  ¡°Dustin!¡±

    He stroked her hair out of her face, then place on kiss on her sweaty forehead.  ¡°Go to sleep, sweetheart.  You¡¯ll need your rest to survive this weekend.¡±  He watched her as sleep claimed her, and then he too fell asleep.

    Ambria snuggled against him, thinking she¡¯d just had the most realistic dream in her life.  She wished she wouldn¡¯t ever have to wake from it, and then she fell asleep with a satisfied look on her face.

    When she finally woke, she continued to lie there with her eyes closed, knowing it was still early by the darkness behind her eyelids.  A smile covered her face as she reminisced the dream she had earlier, wishing with all her heart it had been real.  She took in a deep breath, then frowned, wondering what that aroma she smelled was?  It reminded her of a man¡¯s aftershave, but that wasn¡¯t possible, as she hadn¡¯t had a man in her apartment for months.

    Something touched her, her eyes flew open as she turned her head to look over at her arm.  In the early morning light, she saw a man was in bed with her and she had to cover her mouth with her hand to prevent herself from screaming out.  She was afraid to move, as she didn¡¯t want to wake him.  Who was this man and how did he get to be in her bed?

    As the sun continued to rise in the sky, the room lightened enough that she could make out his face.  She let out a muffled cry of surprise when she realized the man in her bed looked exactly like the man on her book cover, so much so, she assumed the man in bed with her must be Dustin.

    How could it be possible?  Dustin was a character out of her book, he couldn¡¯t be real, and she definitely shouldn¡¯t be in bed with him.  When she looked away from him, she became conscious to the fact she wasn¡¯t even in her own room any longer.  How could this be possible?  Was she still asleep and this was just part of her dream?  Who was she?  Amanda or Ambria?  She began to panic as he moved as if to wake up.  She held her breath, hoping he would go back to sleep, but it wasn¡¯t to be as she watched his eyes fluttered open and he looked at her.

    ¡°Good morning, sweetheart.  Did you sleep well?¡±

    She tried to find her voice, but her fear prevented the words from forming, as she was afraid of saying the wrong thing.

    When Dustin looked at his wife, he was bewildered by the fear he saw in her expression.  ¡°Ambria, what¡¯s wrong?  You look as if you¡¯ve seen a ghost.¡±

    At least now, she knew who she was, but that was all she knew.  ¡°I was expecting to wake up alone and in my own bed,¡± she replied honestly.

    Dustin laughed.  ¡°You do remember our wedding, don¡¯t you?¡± he asked, giving her a sexy grin.

    She did remember reading about his wedding, but he had married Amanda, not her.  ¡°Yes, it was lovely.¡±

    He chuckled at her response.  ¡°I guess I should have asked if you remembered our wedding night.¡±

    She blushed, then looked away from him, scowling as she wondered if her marriage to him was legal or not.  How was she going to explain to her mother she¡¯d gotten married when she knew Ambria hadn¡¯t been dating anyone?  She jumped when Dustin touched her just above the bridge of her nose with his fingertips.

    ¡°Why are you frowning?¡±

    ¡°Was I?¡± she asked, trying to look sincere.

    ¡°Yes, you were.¡±  He wondered if she had any regrets about them getting married.

    ¡°I was thinking about my mother.¡±  It was part of the truth, but it wasn¡¯t the real reason she¡¯d been frowning.

    He studied her for a second before responding, wondering if she was lying, as she seemed too upset for this just to be about her mother.  ¡°We aren¡¯t going to start our marriage off by not being truthful to each other, are we?¡±

    She turned to face him.  ¡°Dustin, you wouldn¡¯t believe me even if I could explain it to you.¡±

    ¡°Try me,¡± he told her, because he really wanted her to explain.

    ¡°It was as if I was reading about you and your courtship with someone named Amanda Waters.  It started with your first meeting, then to your first date, and lastly, the wedding, but you married her, not me.¡±  She wondered about birth control as Amanda had said she was on the pill, but Ambria wasn¡¯t on anything, as there wasn¡¯t a need for her to be.  She started to say something to Dustin regarding this topic, but he leaned over and gave her a breathtaking kiss.

    He lean back and smiled at her.  ¡°The only Amanda I know was a girl I dated my first year in high school,¡± he said, as he moved his hand down the side of her face.  ¡°Would it help if you saw our marriage certificate?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it would,¡± she said, not thinking how her reply would sound to him.

    Thinking his wife was teasing, Dustin let a strained laugh as he jumped out of the bed.

    Ambria gasped as she observed his naked body for the first time.  She knew she should look away, but she couldn¡¯t seem to remove her eyes from his magnificent form.  Her eyes roamed down his muscled back, stopping at his tight butt.

    She was still admiring it when he unexpectedly turned around, and then her eyes were looking directly at his manhood.  She swallowed hard at the sight of his partially aroused penis, for she hadn¡¯t ever seen an adult male¡¯s naked body before.  Her eyes quickly flew upwards to his face, and when she saw him smiling at her, her face turned a bright red.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    Dustin walked slowly back to the bed, enjoying his wife¡¯s eyes on him.  ¡°You act as if you¡¯ve never seen me naked before and I know for a fact you have,¡± he teased.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen my husband naked before,¡± she replied truthfully.

    He laughed at her comment.  ¡°Do you feel like doing more than just looking at your husband?¡± he asked good-naturedly.

    Ambria was scared, unsure if she should let him make love to her or not.  Was he really her husband?  Was this real or was it all just a dream?  She wondered if the next time she went to sleep, would she wake up with it all being something she read in a book.  Would she and Amanda change back to their own lives?  She looked up at him when he rejoined her on the bed.

    Dustin reached out to touch her face.  ¡°Ambria, are you all right?  You look so scared.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never been married before and we really haven¡¯t known each other very long,¡± she told him, fighting to prevent her building tears from falling.

    ¡°How about if I just hold you for now, okay?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like that,¡± she said, relived he didn¡¯t want to do more.

    Dustin put their marriage certificate on the bedside table, then moved beside Ambria and pulled her into his arms.  ¡°How does this feel?¡±

    Ambria snuggled against him and closed her eyes.  ¡°Wonderful,¡± she mumbled, then she fell back to sleep.

    Couple of hours later, Ambria¡¯s growling stomach woke her.  Thinking what had happened the first time she woke was part of a dream, she was shocked when she opened her eyes to see Dustin looking back at her.

    ¡°Did you have a nice nap?¡± he asked, a large grin covering his face.

    She gave him a weak smile.  ¡°Yes, I did.  What time is it?¡±  The room was a lot brighter now, so she knew she¡¯d slept several hours more.

    ¡°It¡¯s almost nine.  If we hurry, we¡¯ll still have time for breakfast.¡±

    ¡°I feel as if I could eat a bear.¡±

    He laughed.  ¡°I don¡¯t believe you¡¯ll find  on the menu.  Maybe you better plan to have bacon and eggs instead.¡±

    She laughed at his teasing.  ¡°Okay, if you insist.¡±

    ¡°Come on sleepyhead, get out of bed, and get dressed.¡±

    The smile on her face evaporated as her eyes dropped from his to the bed.  How was she going to get out of bed without him seeing her naked?

    ¡°Ambria,¡± he called to get her attention.

    ¡°What?¡± she croaked, her eyes flying up to his.

    ¡°It¡¯s going to be all right.  You¡¯ll get used to all this after a while, but for now, I¡¯ll be a gentleman and turn my back so you can get out of bed.  I promise I won¡¯t peek,¡± he teased, not meaning what he said, after all, she was his wife.

    She sat up, wondering if she would ever get used to this man seeing her without any clothes on.  ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m being so shy,¡± she replied tearfully, while trying to keep the sheet against her breasts.

    Dustin reached over and grabbed the marriage certificate from the table.  ¡°Here, maybe seeing this will prove we¡¯re husband and wife,¡± he said, then handed the document to her.

    She took it from him and when her eyes rapidly found what she wanted to know, she gasped, shocked to see her name on the marriage certificate.  She wondered what in the hell she was going to do now that she was married to the man in bed with her?

    Dustin grabbed hold of her arm.  ¡°Ambria, are you all right?  You look as if you¡¯re going to faint.¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course, I¡¯m okay.  I think I just need to eat some breakfast.¡±  She looked at him, giving him her best reassuring grin possible.

    ¡°Then we better get going, unless you want to fool around first,¡± he said, as his hand moved under the sheet to caress her bare breast.

    His touch reminded her of her dream and desire shot through her.  ¡°I think we better have some breakfast.¡±  She felt bad for her comment when she saw his sad expression, but right now, she wasn¡¯t mentally up to making love to him.

    She laid the certificate on the bed, turned her back to him, and got out of the bed.  While pretending she didn¡¯t have an audience, she found her suitcase to get her clean clothes.  When she opened the suitcase, she was stunned to see her own clothes in it.  She shook her head as she grabbed her underwear and started dressing.  She remained with her back to him until she had her underclothes on and felt she was at least partially decent.  When she turned to face Dustin, she was surprised to see him sitting on the bed with a look of distress on his face.

    ¡°Dustin, what¡¯s wrong?¡±  When he glanced up at her, she was stunned to see his expression of rejection.  ¡°Please tell me.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re sorry we got married,¡± he said disappointedly, afraid she wanted to end their marriage.

    ¡°No, you¡¯re wrong,¡± she insisted, then hurried over to the bed and sat down beside him.

    ¡°After we eat breakfast, we¡¯ll go home,¡± he said sadly, thinking he¡¯d lost his bride after just one night with her.

    ¡°No, please believe me; I¡¯m not sorry we got married.¡±  It was the truth.  Maybe she wouldn¡¯t have married him as quickly as Amanda had, but she still would have married him as she¡¯d fallen in love with him as she read about him and Amanda.

    ¡°You don¡¯t want me to see your body.¡±

    ¡°Dustin, I¡¯m shy is all.  Honest.  You know I¡¯m not experienced.  I¡¯m not use to anyone seeing me without my clothes in broad daylight.¡±

    ¡°Then you don¡¯t want to have our marriage annulled?¡± he asked with uncertainly as he stared at her.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡±  She watched him closely and knew the minute he must have realized she meant what she said, and she smiled at him.  ¡°All better?¡±

    ¡°Hell with breakfast,¡± he said, then moved towards her.

    Before she could move away from him, his hand quickly went for the back of her bra.  She was shocked by his actions, but didn¡¯t do or say anything to stop him because she wanted him to make love to her as herself, not as Amanda.  After their sexual encounter was over, she laid in his arms with a glow of sexually contentment, as his lovemaking was better than she¡¯d dreamed it had been.

    ¡°Now we can go for breakfast,¡± he told her, then pushed her out of bed.

    This time she didn¡¯t try to hide her body from him as she got dressed, as their marriage seemed more real to her now he¡¯d physically made love to her.  They went downstairs for breakfast, but Ambria didn¡¯t talk much, as she was too afraid she would say the wrong thing.  Luckily for her, Dustin didn¡¯t seem to notice how quiet she was, as he was busy thinking about making love to her again.  When they returned to their room, she called her mother, hoping she wouldn¡¯t be mad at her.

    ¡°Hello?¡±

    ¡°Mom,¡± she started, but she wasn¡¯t sure how to tell her about Dustin.

    ¡°Ambria, is something wrong?  Are you hurt?¡±

    ¡°No, nothing¡¯s wrong,¡± she assured her.

    ¡°Then why do you sound so weird?¡±

    ¡°Mom, I¡¯m in Las Vegas.¡±

    There was a few seconds of silence.  ¡°What are you doing in Las Vegas?¡±  Melanie asked, wondering if her daughter was in some sort of trouble.

    ¡°You won¡¯t believe this, but I got married yesterday.¡±

    ¡°Ambria, you haven¡¯t been dating anyone.  Who did you marry?¡±

    Ambria tried to think if she had mentioned anything to her mother about Dustin and Amanda, as they usually told each other about the books they were reading.  Sometimes they even exchanged books so the other one could read it.  ¡°His name is Dustin Crenshaw,¡± she said, then held her breath.  When her mother didn¡¯t comment on his name, Ambria figured she hadn¡¯t told her mother anything about it.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me about him or that you were going to elope?¡±  Melanie was a bit hurt her only daughter hadn¡¯t told her about eloping, but didn¡¯t tell her how she felt.

    Ambria was sorry her mother was hurt she hadn¡¯t been at their wedding.  ¡°It all happened so quickly I didn¡¯t have time to call.¡±

    ¡°Tell me about him.  When do I get to meet him?¡±

    Ambria quickly told her mother about their meeting, following the book as she told her lie.  She couldn¡¯t very well tell her mother the truth, as she wouldn¡¯t have believed it any more than she did.  They talked a few minutes longer and then Ambria told her mother she would call her as soon as they got home.

    After she hung up, Dustin called his folks to tell them he¡¯d gotten married.  They were happy for him, telling him they wanted to meet her as soon as possible, and he promised he¡¯d bring Ambria up to Chicago as soon as they were settled.

 Chapter Six

    Late Tuesday night, Susie used her office keys to enter the office building of her former employer.  Only a few lights were on, but it was enough for her to see where she needed to go.  Besides, she didn¡¯t want to call attention to the fact someone was in the building after hours, especially, someone who wasn¡¯t even an employee any longer.  She went to Ambria¡¯s office and entered it, then pointed her flashlight towards the computer.

    She walked to the desk, sat down in the chair, and turned on the computer.  Once it was up and running, she promptly began to delete all the files, every single one of them, laughing each time she hit the delete button.  When she finished, she went to the computer¡¯s trash bin, and deleted all the files there as well.  She would love to see Ambria try to explain to her boss why all her files had suddenly disappeared.  She shut down the computer, then retraced her steps out of the building, smiling all the way to her car.

    * * *

    Wednesday morning Vernon went into the office an hour early to work on the project Ambria had been working on, which needed to be completed by Friday.  He sat down at Ambria¡¯s desk and logged onto her computer, but when he went to find the file he needed, he couldn¡¯t find it.  In fact, there wasn¡¯t one single file on in her computer.

    ¡°That¡¯s strange.  There should be at least twenty files here.  What could Ambria have done with them?  I wonder if she moved them to another location,¡± he said aloud, then clicked on several different locations on the computer, but couldn¡¯t find one single Word or Excel file.  By this time, he was furious.

    ¡°If she thinks by hiding files, she¡¯s going to keep me from checking on her work, she¡¯s about to find out concealing those files has been a waste of her time.¡±  He grabbed the phone and dialed Ambria¡¯s cell phone, not caring he¡¯d probably wake her up.  He rapidly tapped his finger on the desk as he waited for her to answer.

    When her cell phone rang on the bedside table, she jerked awake, knowing it was too early for anyone she knew to be calling for a friendly chat.  When looked at the caller ID, she saw it was someone calling from her desk.  How strange!

    ¡°Who is it?¡±  Dustin called out sleepily.

    ¡°Someone is calling from my extension at work.  Hello?¡±  Ambria asked, her heart still pounding in her chest.

    ¡°Do you want to tell me where you¡¯ve hidden the MacDonald file?¡±  Vernon asked her angrily.

    ¡°Vernon?¡± she inquired slowly, surprised to receive a call from her own boss.  Now that she was living Amanda¡¯s life, she didn¡¯t understand was why Vernon was calling her, instead of Amanda¡¯s boss?  If she¡¯d transformed into Amanda¡¯s life, then shouldn¡¯t it be Irwin calling her.  What did this mean?  Vernon¡¯s call made her wonder whose life she would be living once they returned home.

    ¡°Ambria are you still there?¡±

    ¡°Do you know what time it is?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s about seven in the morning.  Now quit stalling,¡± he said when she didn¡¯t response to his question.

    It wasn¡¯t seven here where she was, but she couldn¡¯t very well tell him she was in a different time zone than he was.  If she told him that, he would ask where she was, and maybe even ask whom she was with.  ¡°I¡¯m not stalling.  I¡¯m just trying to figure out what you¡¯re talking about.¡±  Of course, she was familiar with the file, but unsure why he was calling her about it.

    ¡°I want to know where the MacDonald file is.¡±

    ¡°Well I certainly didn¡¯t hide it.  It¡¯s where it has always been.¡±

    ¡°Refresh my memory to where that is,¡± he stated hatefully.

    ¡°Where are you?¡±

    ¡°Where do you think I am?  I¡¯m sitting at your computer,¡± he replied angrily.

    ¡°Look under My Documents,¡± she told him, thinking he was a complete idiot.

    ¡°Ambria, there isn¡¯t anything there.¡±

    ¡°That can¡¯t be possible,¡± she replied bewildered to how and why the file was missing.

    ¡°I¡¯m looking at your computer right now and there isn¡¯t one single file here, not one.  You want to tell me what we¡¯re going to do about the MacDonald file if we have to redo the entire project.¡±

    ¡°Vernon, don¡¯t worried about that right now, I have everything backed up on my thumb drive.  If I was you, I¡¯d be more worried about who has deleted all my files.¡±

    ¡°Let me get this straight.  You want me to believe you didn¡¯t have anything to these files being missing.¡±

    ¡°Of course I didn¡¯t.  How stupid do you think I am?  If I lost all my work, I¡¯d be out of a job.¡±  Then the idea of who could have removed all those documents came to her.  ¡°Is there anyway Susie Wright could have gotten into the office and done this to my computer?¡±  After she asked her question, she wondered if she had given the wrong name as maybe Susie Wright hadn¡¯t ever worked at their company.

    ¡°Why would she want to do that?¡±

    So far, so good, she thought.  ¡°Because she might think I had something to do with her getting fired.¡±  Again, she wondered if she¡¯d said the right thing or not.

    ¡°Did you?¡± he asked, slowly putting the piece of the puzzle together as of why Susie wasn¡¯t working at the company any longer.

    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t,¡± she quickly retorted loudly.

    ¡°Well, you don¡¯t have to get so livid about it.¡±  Vernon waited for her to respond to why the woman had been fired, but the end of the phone line remained quiet.  ¡°You know why she was fired, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Vernon, if you want to know why, then you¡¯re going to have to ask Rob Clayton about it,¡± she said.  Yet again, wondering if she¡¯d said the right thing since Rob was the President of Amanda and Dustin¡¯s company, not theirs.  She shook her head, as somehow people in her life and characters from a book were intermingling, which made all this that much harder for her to keep straight.  If she didn¡¯t go crazy by the time this phone call was over with, she would be lucky.

    ¡°But you do know why?¡± he asked, willing to bet his last dollar she knew something about it.

    Since he didn¡¯t correct her, she assumed the name had been correct.  ¡°Yes, I do.¡±

    ¡°Fine, don¡¯t tell me about Susie.  Just tell me what I¡¯m going to do about your files.¡±

    She sighed with relief he didn¡¯t inquire any more about why Susie had been fired.  ¡°I keep my thumb drive in the filing cabinet closest to the windows and it¡¯s lying in the very back of the drawer.  Your key for the cabinet should be in your desk drawer.  By the way, the MacDonald file is finished and the printed copy is on your desk.¡±

    ¡°When do you think you¡¯ll be in?¡±

    She didn¡¯t know if he was being derogatory or simply asking a question about her returning to work.  ¡°Vernon, I¡¯ll be in first thing Monday morning,¡± she murmured, again wondering if she¡¯d said the right thing or not.

    ¡°Make sure you¡¯re here on time too.¡±

    ¡°I will.¡±  She hung up the phone, and then laid it back down on the table.  She fell back on her pillow, exhausted by trying to watch what she said to Vernon.

    ¡°Do you want to talk about the phone call?¡±

    ¡°Can''t it wait until later?¡± she asked as she looked over at the man next to her.

    ¡°Sure.¡±  Dustin had heard enough of her conversation with Vernon to know Susie had somehow sabotage her computer.  He decided he would have to call Rob Clayton later this morning to tell him about Susie deleting Ambria¡¯s files.

    After breakfast, Dustin called Rob about Ambria¡¯s computer, and a few hours later Rob called back to tell Dustin the company surveillance cameras tapes had shown who had entered the building late last night and went into Ambria¡¯s office, and it had been Susie Wright all right.  Rob called the police, then called for a locksmith to change the locks on all the outside doors, to prevent anyone from entering that didn¡¯t belong there.

    * * *

    The rest of the week went quickly for them as they saw several shows, gambled a few times, and even rented a car and took a drive around the city.  Each evening when they returned to their room, they filled the night with lovemaking and talking about their future.  Sunday, their last morning in Las Vegas, they slept in, made love, and then they went for breakfast.  When they returned to their room, they spent the rest of the morning in the hot tub.  After lunch, they made love again, then they packed and left for the airport and an hour later, they were in the air on their way home.

    It was after their plane had landed in Kansas City that Ambria realized she didn¡¯t know where they were going to live.  Had he and Amanda talked about it?  She thought back to what she¡¯d read when Dustin had asked Amanda to marry him and couldn¡¯t remember if they had discussed it.  She couldn¡¯t very well ask him if they had, for it would make him wonder about her sanity, so she remained silent.

    As they waited for the tram to pick them up to returned them to Dustin¡¯s car, he talked about returning to work tomorrow, wondering if people were aware of why Susie no longer working there.  The more he talked, the more scared Ambria became at wondering about her own job.

    Since Susie, Rob Clayton, and Dustin were all from the same company, she simply assumed she would be doing Amanda¡¯s, but since Vernon had called her after she¡¯d been transported into Amanda¡¯s life, did that mean she was still working at her own job?  Since she¡¯d physically changed places with Amanda, she doubted that was the case.  So what did the call from Vernon indicate?  She shook her head as if it would clear out all the confusing thoughts.

    She wondered what would happen once she arrived at Amanda¡¯s office tomorrow.  Could she fool everyone into thinking she belonged there?  She doubted she could, as how would she recognize Amanda¡¯s coworkers?  She knew they wouldn¡¯t be wearing nametags, and she certainly couldn¡¯t very well ask their names.

    Dustin glanced over at her, surprised to see her terrified expression.  ¡°Now what¡¯s worrying you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m thinking about work.¡±

    ¡°What about it?¡±

    ¡°Will I know how to do my job?¡± she asked without considering of how it would sound to him.

    ¡°Of course you will.  You¡¯ve been there long enough to know how to do your job.¡±  He laughed, as he squeezed her hand.  ¡°You were only gone for a week.¡±

    When she realized how what she¡¯d said must have sounded to him, she immediately turned to look at him and gave him a weak smile.  ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll be too nervous to concentrate.¡±  It was the truth, at least part of it.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure only a few people are aware of why Susie isn¡¯t working there anymore.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re right.¡±  Ambria¡¯s thoughts changed directions as she began thinking this strange occurrence would end soon, and once again, she would just be reading about Dustin and his life with his new wife.  The thought of losing him, petrified her and she grabbed hold of his hand.

    She couldn¡¯t wait for them to return to her apartment, as she had to know how the book ended.  Was she to stay with him and live the rest of her live with him?  She wondered if the couple¡¯s picture on the book would still be of Dustin and Amanda, or would it be her on the cover with him.  Maybe once she saw the cover of the book; it would tell her what she needed to know.

    Ambria was concentrating so deeply on her situation; she didn¡¯t notice Dustin pulling to her apartment parking lot.  When the car stopped, she looked up and gasped, for she¡¯d expected them to be at Amanda¡¯s apartment, not hers.

    ¡°Ambria, what¡¯s wrong?¡±  He was concern about her as she¡¯d been acting strangely since waking the morning after they were married. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    She turned and gave him a weak smile.  ¡°I¡¯m surprise we¡¯re here.¡±

    He gave her bewildered look.  ¡°Where else would we be?¡±

    ¡°I meant that we¡¯ve arrived at my place so soon,¡± she mumbled quickly trying to cover her blunder.

    ¡°I know we didn¡¯t decide much that day other than to get married, but I just assume we¡¯d live at my house.  I stopped here so you could pack up some of your belongings to take with us.¡±

    Ambria quickly tried to think if Amanda had been at his house, but as far as she could remember, Amanda hadn¡¯t ever been there.  ¡°I don¡¯t mind living at your place.  My lease will be up next month, but maybe they¡¯ll let me out of it a few weeks early.¡±

    ¡°Did you want to stay here tonight or pack a few things to take over to my house?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll pack some clothes for tomorrow and then we can go to your place.¡±

    They got out of the car and Dustin took her keys from her as they walked to the door of her apartment.  He opened the door, then moved back so she could enter first.  She entered, then quickly looked around the living room, relieved to see everything was the same as it was the last time she¡¯d seen it.

    ¡°I¡¯ll just be a minute.  Make yourself comfortable while I grab a few things.¡±  She left him in the living room, then rushed into her bedroom to find her book.  She searched the bed, but when she didn¡¯t see it, she figured it must have fallen off the bed.  She went around to the other side of the bed, sighing when she found the book face down on the floor.

    Ambria picked up the book and swiftly turned it over.  The book had the same title, but that was all.  A frown of confusion filled her face, as the cover and the characters were different, it wasn¡¯t the same story she¡¯d been reading before she¡¯d ended up in Dustin¡¯s bed in Las Vegas.

    She sat down on the bed with the book still in her hand, trying to figure out what this change meant.  Was she going crazy?  Tears appeared in her eyes, as she was afraid she was losing her mind.  She was still sitting there when Dustin came into the room to see what was taking her so long to pack her bag.

    When he saw her tears, he rushed over to her.  ¡°Sweetheart, why are you crying?¡±  He sat down beside her, but when she just shook her head, he pulled her into a tight embrace.  ¡°If you don¡¯t want to move away from your apartment, we can stay here and I¡¯ll sell my house.¡±

    She shook her head again.  ¡°No, that isn¡¯t why I¡¯m crying.¡±

    He gazed down at her hand and saw her book.  ¡°Does it have anything to do with your book?¡±  All she could do was nod in response.  ¡°Isn¡¯t it any good?¡±  She sniffled, but still didn¡¯t respond.  He reached over to her bedside table, grabbed a tissue, and handed it to her.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±  Ambria took the tissue from him and blew her nose.  ¡°I can¡¯t explain it and even if I tried, it wouldn¡¯t make any sense to you,¡± she said, her voice sounding small and helpless.

    Dustin was baffled to how to comfort her, afraid of how to handle this situation without making matters worse.  They really didn¡¯t know much about each other and he didn¡¯t want to make the mistake of making her mad.  ¡°Is there something I can do to make you feel better?¡±

    ¡°You could kiss me,¡± she said shyly, turning to look deeply into his eyes.

    She wanted to make sure he was here with her and not just some sort of figment of her imagination.  She dropped the book as he reached for her.  One minute he was kissing her, and the next minute they were making love in her bed.  Afterward they laid there with Ambria¡¯s head on his chest, each trying to catch their breath.

    ¡°My God, woman, you¡¯re going to be the death of me yet.¡±

    Ambria giggled.  ¡°I guess that means we won¡¯t be having sex ever again.¡±

    He turned over and grabbed her in a tight embrace.  ¡°That¡¯s the last thing I want to happen.¡±

    She smiled at him.  ¡°I guess we better get dressed so I can start my packing.¡±

    ¡°You feel better?¡± he asked, referring to her earlier outbreak of tears.

    ¡°I feel wonderful,¡± she dreamingly.

    ¡°So, you don¡¯t feel like crying anymore?¡±

    ¡°Nope,¡± she said, her eyes sparkling at him.

    ¡°I still don¡¯t understand why the book had you so upset.¡±

    ¡°It really isn¡¯t important.¡±  There wasn¡¯t any way for her to explain about the book, not anything that would make sense to him anyways.

    He looked closely at her.  ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    ¡°Yes.  I¡¯ll take a few things with us tonight to last the week, then this weekend, I¡¯ll pack up the rest my belongings.¡±  She was quiet for a moment, thinking about what to do with the rest of her belongings.  ¡°I¡¯m not sure what to do about my furniture.  Will we need any of it at your place?¡± she asked without thinking how it would sound to him, because if she¡¯d ever been there, she would know the answer to her question.

    He laughed.  ¡°That¡¯s right; you¡¯ve never seen my place.  So far all I¡¯ve done is to buy a bed for the master bedroom.¡±

    Ambria just stared at him.  ¡°What about your furniture before you bought the house?¡±

    He looked sheepishly at her.  ¡°I was living at college for the last four years, staying with my parents in Chicago during the summer.  So when I got this job, I bought the house and moved down here, buying only the bed once I moved in the house.¡±

    ¡°Why haven¡¯t you bought any furniture?¡±

    ¡°I met some woman at work and she¡¯s kept me too busy to go shopping.¡±

    She giggled at his comment.  ¡°Maybe we should stay here until we can move my furniture to your house.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what.  Tomorrow, I¡¯ll hire movers to come over here while we¡¯re at work to pack everything up and move it all to my place.¡±

    Ambria looked around her bedroom and frowned.  Did she really didn¡¯t want some strange men packing her underwear and other personal items?  ¡°Let me pack some of my unmentionables and then the movers can pack the rest.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll run out to get some boxes, then when I get back, I¡¯ll help you pack,¡± he said, then gave her an ornery smile.  ¡°Unless you don¡¯t want me to see those unmentionables either?¡±

    She laughed.  ¡°You¡¯ve seen me naked, so I don¡¯t think there¡¯ll be a problem if you saw my underwear.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll take a small load over to my place tonight.¡±

    ¡°Do you have any dishes, silverware, or cookware?¡±

    ¡°Not a single piece,¡± he said, his face turning a bit red with embarrassment at her know this.

    She looked at him strangely.  ¡°Then how have you been eating?¡±

    ¡°So far, I¡¯ve been eating out for lunch and dinner.¡±+

    ¡°Don¡¯t you eat breakfast?¡±

    ¡°I bought some cereal bars, several small cans of juice, and that¡¯s it.¡±

    ¡°I guess you have enough for me to have something in the morning?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I have plenty.¡±

    ¡°Go get the boxes and while you¡¯re gone, I¡¯ll put what I want to pack tonight on the bed.¡±

    ¡°May I have a kiss before I go?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± she stated, giving him a serious expression, as she stepped back from him.

    He put his hand over his heart.  ¡°You¡¯ve wounded me.¡±

    ¡°Just go.  The sooner you leave, the sooner we can get this stuff moved and go to bed.¡±

    He laughed.  ¡°A woman with the same thoughts as I have.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything about having sex, just about going to bed.¡±  Her eyes were filled with merriment as her thoughts had been on sex with her new husband.

    ¡°How about if you pull out your dresser drawers, then we¡¯ll move them over to the house that way.¡±

    She gave him a puzzled look.  ¡°Why should I do that?¡±

    ¡°Then I wouldn¡¯t have to go out to get boxes and we can leave for the house that much sooner,¡± he replied, his eyes sparkling as he glazed at her.

    She shook her head.  ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re still thinking you¡¯re going to get sex when we get to your place.¡±

    ¡°Newly married and already she¡¯s telling me no,¡± he said, with a fake whine, while putting his hand over his heart.

    ¡°I guess once we¡¯re at your place, you could try to persuade me to change my mind,¡± she said, stroking her finger down the side of his face.

    ¡°How would you suggest I go about it?¡± he asked, stepping to move his body next to hers.

    She moved her arms around his neck, pushing her body closer to his as she began nuzzling his neck.  ¡°If I have to tell you, then I think our marriage is in trouble,¡± she told him softly in his ear.

    He grinned at her teasing.  ¡°Could you give me a little hint?¡± he joked back.

    ¡°I do like the sight of your naked butt.¡±

    ¡°I thought so,¡± he whispered just before he moved his lips to hers.

    After the newlyweds made love, again, Dustin ran out to get boxes for her breakable items, while Ambria pulled out the drawers of her dresser and moved them to the front door.  When she was done, she called her mother to tell her they were home.  Melanie told her she wanted to meet her new son-in-law, and Ambria told her they would come over after they were settled.

    When Dustin returned, they decided to move the dishes themselves since Ambria didn¡¯t want to worry about anything getting broken.  After the coffee pot and a can of coffee were stuffed into a box, they moved into the living room to start on Ambria¡¯s delicate statues that had once had belonged to her grandmother.

    Ambria carefully wrapped each figurine in newspaper, then set them down into a blanket-filled box.  After she was satisfied with the packing they¡¯d accomplished, they started putting her dresser drawers into Dustin¡¯s car.  When they ran out of room in his car, they began putting the rest into her vehicle.  After her car was full as well, she decided the moving company could move the rest of her belongings.

    She was anxious as she followed Dustin to his house in her car, her mind filled with questions about her situation, puzzled to why her book¡¯s story had changed.  Was this a sign indicating she was staying in this life?  Or was this all really some sort of strange dream and one of these times when she woke, she would be back in her old life.  The thought of losing Dustin saddened her and she began to cry.

    When she saw Dustin pull into a driveway, she quickly grabbed a tissue out of her pocket and wiped her tears away as she didn¡¯t want him to see them and start questioning why she¡¯d been crying.  She took a deep breath and let it out, and it seemed to calm her.  She got out and started unloading the car as Dustin came over to help take her belongings into the house.  When they were done with her car, they started on his.

    When both cars were empty, and everything they¡¯d brought over except the dresser drawers had been put away, Dustin took hold of her hand.  ¡°I think we need to break in that bed of mine.¡±

    ¡°The way we have sex, we may break it completely,¡± she whispered in his ear.

    He pulled her into his arms.  ¡°I love you.¡±

    She smiled at him.  ¡°I love you,¡± she said, and she meant it.  How could that be possible?  She had only known him for a week, certainly, that wasn¡¯t long enough to have such intense emotions for this man.

    He moved her backwards until the bed was against her knees.  ¡°This time is to help build up our appetite for dinner.¡±  He pushed her down onto the bed, then jumped on top of her and started tickling her.

    She smiled at him.  ¡°Dustin, how am I going to explain to the paramedics what happened to you when they come?¡±

    ¡°Just tell them I died a happy man,¡± he muttered, then he quickly rolled them over until she was on top.

    She laughed at his silliness, but her mood swiftly changed as Dustin brought his lips to hers.  Afterwards as she lay in his arms and ran her fingers through his chest hair.  ¡°Am I still alive?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you are.  Now that we¡¯ve done working, I¡¯m taking you out for a nice dinner.¡±

    ¡°Dustin, I can cook something here for us.¡±

    ¡°No, we¡¯re still on our honeymoon.¡±

    Ambria smiled at him.  ¡°How long is this honeymoon of ours going to last?¡± she teased.

    ¡°At least until after we make love again.¡±

    She giggled.  ¡°Are you trying for some sort of record for the most times in one day?¡±

    ¡°You better behave, or I may never let you out of my bed.¡±

    ¡°Are you planning on chaining me to it?¡± she joked back.

    He gave her a thoughtful look.  ¡°Hey, that¡¯s a good idea.¡±

    Ambria lightly smacked his arm.  ¡°You think I¡¯d stand by and let you do that?¡±

    ¡°Who knows what condition you¡¯re going to be in after we make love again.¡±

    His comment made her laugh again.  ¡°If I were you, I¡¯d be more worrying about what condition you¡¯ll be in after the next time.¡±

    ¡°You think I can¡¯t make love to you five times in one day and not survive?¡±

    ¡°I think the last time was the sixth time, but I really haven¡¯t been keeping track.¡±

    ¡°Well, then a good dinner should do us wonders to refresh us.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure we¡¯ll feel like going to work tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°We may have to come home at lunch time and take a nap just to make it through the day.¡±

    ¡°Dustin Crenshaw, I¡¯m not going to come home with you for lunch and have everyone at work know what we were doing.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re newlyweds, everyone is going to assume we¡¯re doing just that every time we leave the office together.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m still not coming home with you at lunch time for sex.  Talking about food, I think you¡¯d better take me out to eat before I faint from hunger.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t have that.  Come on lazy bones; get your butt out of bed.¡±

    ¡°I have a feeling this marriage isn¡¯t going to work,¡± she joked, smiling at their friendly banter.

    ¡°And why is that Mrs. Crenshaw?¡± he asked, nudging his new wife in her side with his finger.

    ¡°I¡¯m being blamed for something that isn¡¯t my fault.¡±

    ¡°You think it¡¯s my fault you¡¯re lying naked in my bed?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir I do.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take the blame this time.  Tell me how I can make it up to you.¡±

    ¡°A steak dinner should do it.¡±

    ¡°A steak dinner it shall be, but first I must insist you get dressed before I take you out of this house.¡±

    ¡°Then you¡¯ll have to get dressed too.¡±

    Dustin rolled on top of her so quickly she hadn¡¯t been expecting it and let out a squeal.  ¡°Dustin, please not again.¡±

    ¡°Ambria, I just want you to know how much I love you,¡± he said, looking deeply into her eyes.

    She smiled at him.  ¡°I know.¡±

    ¡°Do you know how happy you¡¯ve made me by marrying me?¡±  He put his hand on her face, and lightly stroked his fingers across face as he smiled down at her.

    ¡°So you don¡¯t think we¡¯ve made a mistake?¡± she asked, trying to sound serious.

    Dustin¡¯s smiled faded.  ¡°You think we have?¡±

    When she saw his worried look, Ambria felt bad for taunting him.  ¡°Dustin, I was teasing you.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡± he asked, not sure if she¡¯d been teasing or not.  ¡°You can tell me if you think we¡¯ve made a mistake.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m positive we haven¡¯t.  Now let¡¯s get dress and go for dinner.¡±

    ¡°Right, because you¡¯re going to need your strength for later,¡± he said, trying to keep from laughing.

    She pushed him off her and got out of bed.  ¡°No more talk about sex until after dinner.  We need to talk about work.¡±

    ¡°Work?  Why would we want to talk about that place on our honeymoon?¡±

    ¡°Are we going to tell everyone we¡¯re married?¡±

    ¡°No, we¡¯ll let them all assume we¡¯re having a hot sordid affair and living in sin,¡± he said seriously, then chuckled at her shocked expression.  ¡°Yes, we¡¯ll tell them.¡±  He gave her a happy grin, then took hold of her hand as they walked out of the bedroom to go to dinner.

    They had a nice meal and while they ate, they talked about how they were going to tell their coworkers about their marriage.  Once that was decided, she told him about her mother wanting to meet him and he said his parents, Delbert and Sharon wanted to meet her as well.  He told her they would take a weekend and go see his parents as soon as they could arrange it.  Ambria asked if they could take the train and Dustin said it sounded like fun.

    While they were waiting for the check, Dustin held her hand and rubbed his fingers across the top of her hand.  His touch brought a warm feeling to her body and soon all she could think about was going home to make love to her new husband.  ¡°Dustin, I think it¡¯s time for us to go home,¡± she said carefully, trying to keep her desire for him out of her voice.

    ¡°I like sitting here, touching your hand and looking at you.¡±  He thought she was the most beautiful woman in the entire place.  He¡¯s seen several men look at her during their meal, and he was happy knowing she was all his.

    ¡°How about going home and do more than just looking at me?¡± she whispered in his ear, then moved back to look at him.

    Dustin looked deeply into her eye to see if she was teasing, surprised to see her desire staring back at him.  ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    He smiled at her.  ¡°We¡¯ll leave as soon as we get the check.¡±

    The waiter brought their check to them, and Dustin got out his wallet and laid some cash down on top of the bill.  ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go home.¡±

    The ride home was a quiet one, but neither of them seemed to notice.  Dustin parked in the garage, then got out to help Ambria out of the car.  He grabbed her hand and pulled her into the house, not even taking the time to close the door from the garage, as he rushed her into the bedroom.  Ten minutes later, they lay side by side, Ambria was in her husband¡¯s arms, and each was exhausted by what had just transpired between them.

    After they recovered from their lovemaking, Dustin called his parents to make plans for Ambria to meet them one weekend.  Ambria was nervous to meet his parents, but she was reassured by Dustin that Delbert and Sharon Crenshaw were wonderful people and would warmly welcomed her into their family.

 Chapter Seven

    They didn¡¯t talk as Dustin drove them to work on Monday, as Ambria was too worried about who would be her boss to make an effect to chitchat.  Would it be her own boss, Vernon, or would it be Amanda¡¯s boss, Irwin?  Since Vernon had called her while they were in Las Vegas, she assumed he would be her boss, but she couldn¡¯t be sure until she saw him with her own eyes.  Since Susie was part of this mess, she hadn¡¯t been sure where she would be working and when Dustin pulled into the parking lot of the company she worked for, she let out a sigh of relief and smiled, thinking today was going to be a piece of cake.

    Dustin kissed her good-bye before they left the car, then they walked into the building together.  She did worry about how her coworkers would act once they found out she and Dustin had gotten married, but she shouldn¡¯t have.  When they called good morning to them, several people even asked where they¡¯d been, but no one said anything derogatory when she said they had gotten married and had been on their honeymoon.  When she arrived at her desk, she started working hard to catch up on her work from last week and she had been there about an hour when Vernon walked in.

    Vernon was surprised to see a special glow about her and it made him angry.  While she¡¯d enjoying a week at home, he¡¯d been busy trying to keep her work up.  ¡°It¡¯s about time you returned,¡± he said hatefully to her.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t my idea to take the week off.  If you have a problem with me being gone, I suggest you talk to Mr. Clayton about it,¡± she fired back at him. Once the words were out of her mouth, she cringed, unsure if the circumstances for her leave were the same as Amanda¡¯s had been.

    ¡°Whatever.¡±  He didn¡¯t want to fight with her; he just wanted her to go to bed with him.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry if my being gone last week caused you problems.  Is there any way I can do to make things up to you?¡±

    ¡°How about going to lunch with me?¡±  Then while they were at lunch, he could tell her what he really wanted from her.

    As she looked at him, she quickly prepared herself for his fury.  ¡°I can¡¯t, I¡¯m having lunch with my husband.¡±

    His eyed darkened.  ¡°Since when do you have a husband?¡± he asked, his voice filled with fury.

    It wasn¡¯t really any of his business, as he was her boss, nothing more.  ¡°Dustin and I were married last Monday,¡± she told him, not caring how he took her news.

    ¡°You married Dustin Crenshaw?¡±  His tone was sharp and his expression dark.

    ¡°Yes.¡±  She looked at him boldly, daring him to say something nasty to her about her sudden marriage.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t aware you two were dating,¡± he said maliciously, as if she¡¯d had to get married.

    She refused to be baited by him.  ¡°We didn¡¯t announce the fact, nor did we try to hide it.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to see you on the phone with him or visiting his office during working hours,¡± he said, practically yelling at her.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be too busy getting caught up on my work to be visiting with anyone, let alone my husband,¡± she retorted back.

    The rest of the morning, he was very cool to her, ordering her to do something for him, instead of the usual more friendly way he used to ask her to do something.  Vernon had just returned to his office and slammed the door, when a man entered her office.  Ambria didn¡¯t know who the man was and became to panic, unsure if she should know this man or not.

    ¡°Good morning.  We haven¡¯t met yet, but I¡¯m Chad Driver,¡± he said as he put his hand out to her.

    She responded by putting out her hand, remembering in the book Chad had been Susie¡¯s boss and wondered just how many more people from the book would show up in her world.  ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Mr. Driver.  What can I do for you?¡±

    ¡°First of all I want you to call me Chad.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± she replied shyly, a bit surprised by his friendly demeanor since she was part of the reason his employee had been fired.  At least she thought she did.

    ¡°I also want to congratulate you on your wedding.¡±

    She smiled at him.  ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°With Susie¡¯s dismissal, I have an opening in my department and I want you to be the one to fill it,¡± he told her, smiling at her as he waited for her quick acceptance.

    Ambria was shocked at his offer and it took her a few seconds before she could find her voice.  ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say.  To be honest, your offer has caught me off guard.  I¡¯m honored you want me, but I haven¡¯t even thought about her position being available, let alone think about applying for it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure Vernon has been giving you a hard time since you told him about your marriage,¡± he said to her, watching her closely as he waited for her response.

    When she looked at him, she could see his eyes reflecting some sort of knowledge and she gave him a puzzled look.  ¡°How would you know that?¡±  For she knew not one person, not even Dustin, knew how Vernon had been acting towards her today.

    ¡°I¡¯d seen you and Dustin out at lunch a couple of times, so I was knew something was going on between the two of you.  Vernon and I had lunch once, and he happened to mentioned he was interested in you, so I knew your marriage to Dustin would upset him.  I¡¯m sure Vernon is letting you know just unhappy he is with your choice of a husband.¡±

    ¡°I told him the day I started that I wouldn¡¯t date him.  I never gave him the impression there could ever be anything between us,¡± she said defensively.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you didn¡¯t,¡± he assured her.  ¡°Now about that position, do you want it or not.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have a problem with my husband being the cause of your employee being fired?¡± she asked, not positive if what she said was true or just something she¡¯d read in the book

    ¡°Susie did it herself.  Dustin wasn¡¯t the first man she¡¯d tried to stick her claws into, but whereas the other men just left the company to get away from her accusations, Dustin fought against her lies and won.¡±

    ¡°I see.  Can I have some time to think about your offer?¡±

    He nodded at her.  ¡°I didn¡¯t expect your answer today.  I¡¯ll give you this week to think it over.  All I ask is for you to let me know as soon as you made your decision.¡±

    ¡°I will, and thank you for the offer.¡±

    ¡°I want you to know there¡¯s a substantial raise that comes with the acceptance of the promotion,¡± he said, giving her a grin.  As if, just knowing that information would make the decision for her.

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep it in mind,¡± she replied, giving him a smile at his quickly added enticement.

    Chad said good-bye to her, then he was gone.  With the way Vernon was acting, transferring to another department might be best as her marriage to Dustin was going to make them working together even more stressful than it already was.  She would talk it over with Dustin tonight to get his input before giving Chad her decision.

    At lunchtime, she met Dustin in the parking lot and they went out to lunch together.  She told Dustin about Vernon¡¯s rude behavior, and he asked if she wanted him to talk to him for her.  She thanked him, but declined his offer, telling him Chad wanted her to fill Susie¡¯s position.  He told her he thought she would be great for the job, and if she wanted it, to go for it.

    Ambria decided when they returned from lunch, she¡¯d call Chad to tell him she accepted the position.  When she thought of telling Vernon she was transferring out of his department, she grimace, knowing it wasn¡¯t going to be a pleasant conversation with him.  She quickly decided she would wait until tomorrow afternoon to tell him about accepting the new job, as she wasn¡¯t ready for any of his ranting and raving.

    They returned to work and Ambria started back on her work, but by quitting time, she was still way behind.  She left her office to meet Dustin at the front door and when he arrived, he didn¡¯t take hold of her hand, but instead, he winked at her.  At first, Ambria was disappointed, then it dawned on her why he hadn¡¯t touched her.  They were still in the building, and if someone saw them and didn¡¯t approve, they could complain and cause problems for them.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    Dustin¡¯s hand itched to touch his new wife, but he was afraid if he did, he would end up embarrassing the both of them.  He helped her into the car, forcing himself not to pull her into his arms and give her a kiss right there in the parking lot.  He refrained, as technically, they were still on company property.  However, as soon as they were home, he would be able to ravish her to his heart content.

    ¡°Tell me about your afternoon.  Did you tell Vernon about the job offer?¡±

    ¡°I was too afraid to mention it.  He¡¯s been so nasty today, that and I didn¡¯t want a confrontation with him until I was in a better state of mind and he was in a better mood.¡±

    He wanted to offer his help again, but knew this was something she wanted to do for herself.  ¡°From what little I know about Vernon, I don¡¯t think anytime will be a good time to tell him.¡±

    Ambria panic-filled eyes turned to her husband.  ¡°You think he¡¯s going to prevent me from transferring out of his department?¡±

    He reached over and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.  ¡°Chad is above him on the corporate ladder.  I don¡¯t think he would dare try to interfere with your promotion.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not going to worry anymore about it tonight, as I have more important things to think about,¡± she said, giving him a seductive smile.

    ¡°You thinking about sex again, aren¡¯t you?¡± he asked, his voice as smooth as honey.

    She bit her lip to prevent herself from smiling at him.  ¡°Actually, I was thinking we¡¯ve had enough sex this week,¡± she said, trying to keep a sincere expression on her face as she look at him.

    He gave her a quick glance.  ¡°Really.  Then after dinner, you wouldn¡¯t mind if I went out with some of the guys from work and had a couple of beers?¡± he asked so sincerely, Ambria raised her eyebrows at him.

    Not realizing her husband was getting back at her for her earlier teasing, the smile she¡¯d been fighting promptly dissipated.  Tears began to well up in the corner of her eyes and her lips trembled.  ¡°You don¡¯t want to spend the evening with me?¡± she asked, her voice shaking.

    ¡°Damn it!¡± he exclaimed.  He pounded his fist on the steering wheel, as he felt bad for hurting her feelings.  He pulled the car to the side of the street, quickly parked it, undid her seatbelt, then jerked her into his arms.  ¡°Sweetheart, please forgive my ghastly joking, I was just playing along with your teasing.  Please say you forgive me?¡±

    She looked into his pain-filled eyes.  ¡°Oh, Dustin, I do.  I¡¯m sorry too.  All I can say is we¡¯re still getting to know each other.¡±

    ¡°I agree, but something tells me it¡¯s more than that.  It¡¯s almost as if you haven¡¯t known me as long as I¡¯ve known you.¡±

    She let out of forced laugh at his statement.  ¡°What a strange thing to say.¡±  She moved out of his arms and refused to look at him.  ¡°I¡¯m hungry, let¡¯s go home, and have some dinner.¡±

    He stared at her for a few seconds longer thinking how differently she¡¯d been acting since the morning after they were married.  It was almost as if she was a completely different woman than the one he¡¯d said his marriage vows to, but he knew that wasn¡¯t possible.  ¡°Okay.¡±

    When they arrive at the house, Ambria hurriedly opened her door and rushed into the house.  She went into the bathroom in the master bedroom, then shut and locked the door.  Then she sat down on top of the stool lid and began to cry, letting all her pent up emotions since landing in this new life poured out of her.  How much longer could she keep this up?  She felt as if she was living on top of a house of cards and just one wrong word would send her new world crashing down around her, but what could she do?  She couldn¡¯t explain to Dustin and truly expect him to believe she had read about him in a book.  How could she tell him it had been Amanda, not her, who said her wedding vows to him?

    Dustin was shocked at the speed Ambria had rushed into the house as he thought they¡¯d come to some sort of understanding about the earlier confusion of his comment, but maybe not.  He entered the house, but when he didn¡¯t see her anywhere, he went into the bedroom thinking she wanted to change her clothes before fixing dinner.  He saw the bathroom door closed and realized where she¡¯d gone.  ¡°Ambria, are you okay?¡±

    She hastily cleared her throat.  ¡°I forgot to use the bathroom before we left and I really had to go.¡±  She hated lying to him, but didn¡¯t think the truth would be a better option.

    Dustin could tell by the crackle of her voice she¡¯d been crying.  If what she just said had been true, then why had she been sobbing?  That meant she had lied to him just now.  The more he thought about her lying, the more hurt he became, until his hurt turned into fury.  How dare she lie to him!  He wasn¡¯t just some stranger, he was her husband for goodness sake.

    ¡°Until you¡¯re ready to speak truthfully to me, I¡¯ll be at the bar getting drunk,¡± he shouted through the door at her.  He turned and left the room before she could open the door to stop him.

    Ambria¡¯s tears poured down her face, and the more she thought of the mess she was in, the harder she cried.  She couldn¡¯t remember every crying like this before, and was unsure what was causing her to be this emotional.  It was too soon for her period, but maybe she was having PMS symptoms early this month.

    She wiped the tears away, then began concentrating on her breathing, and slowly her emotions returned to normal.  Well as normal as it could be considering she was married to a man she¡¯d read about in one of her books.  Knowing she had to apologize to her husband, she went to retrieve her cell phone, and dialed Dustin¡¯s number.

    ¡°Hello,¡± a cold voice answered.

    ¡°Dustin, I¡¯m sorry.  I shouldn¡¯t have lied to you.  You deserve better than that from me.  All I can say in my defense is I¡¯m scared.  Getting married to a man I barely know, this situation with Susie, Vernon being upset, and then the promotion.  It has all been a bit overwhelming to me,¡± she told him.  It wasn¡¯t all the reasons for her tears, but for now, it was all she felt she could tell him and have him believe her.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry too.  My feelings got hurt and I took my frustration out on you.  I guess you and I still have some things to learn about each other.¡±

    ¡°Are you coming home soon?¡± she asked him, wondering what she¡¯d do if he said he wasn¡¯t.  She felt more tears threatening, but she swiftly brushed them away.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll be there as soon as I can.  Just remember I love you.¡±

    She smiled.  ¡°I love you too.¡±

    They disconnected, then Ambria hurried to the kitchen to start dinner.  When she passed the kitchen table, she suddenly realized all her furniture had been moved to his home while they¡¯d been at work.  Wondering where her bedroom furniture was, she started searching the other two bedrooms, finding all of it in the smallest of the three bedrooms.  When she saw her bookcase, she hurried to it to search for the book that had caused her life to change, finding it exactly where it should be in the bookcase.  She grabbed it and started to open it, then stopped, unsure if she wanted to read it now or leave it for another time.  A thought suddenly entered her head, making her swiftly put the book back on the shelf.  If reading the book the first time had altered her life, would reading it again change back to the way it¡¯s been before?  To be safe, she decided not to take the gamble and left the room.

    She had just put dinner into the oven when she heard the garage door opening, then she turned to look towards the door, anxiously waiting for Dustin to enter the house.  When she saw he had a red rose in one hand and a wooden decorative birdhouse in the other, she walked towards him, giving him a sweet smile.

    The birdhouse was blue, with decals of red hearts, ladybugs, butterflies, snails, and flowers on it and she loved it.  ¡°What do you have there?¡±

    ¡°These are for the woman I love,¡± he whispered in her ear as he pulled her into his arms.

    ¡°Since you told me you loved me just a few minutes ago, they must be for me.  Where did you get the birdhouse?  I love it.¡±

    ¡°I saw it at the florist shop and I just had to buy it so you know you had my heart.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said tearfully.  ¡°I¡¯ll treasure it always.

    ¡°If I give these to you to say I¡¯m sorry for my harsh words, what are you going to give me?¡±

    She put her lips against his ear and whispered a sexual act into it, then blushed when he gasped at her suggestion.

    ¡°Do I have to wait until after dinner?¡± he asked excitedly.

    She looked over at the stove timer.  ¡°You have twenty minutes before dinner is ready.¡±

    He grabbed hold of her hand.  ¡°That should give us plenty of time.¡±

    She laughed as he dragged her towards the bedroom and when she heard the timer go off, they were still in bed.  ¡°I¡¯d better go put dinner on the table.¡±

    Ambria hurriedly dressed, then left the room to put dinner on the table.  By the time, she was ready to sit down; Dustin had set the table.  After dinner, he helped clean off the table and put the dirty dishes into the dishwasher.  They spent the rest of the evening sitting on the reclining loveseat together watching television.  By nine o¡¯clock, Ambria was more than ready to go to bed, and when she turned to tell Dustin she was going to bed, she saw he¡¯d fallen asleep.

    ¡°Dustin,¡± she called softly, putting her hand on his arm, ¡°it¡¯s time to go to bed.¡±

    He opened his eyes and looked at her, then put his hand on the side of her face.  ¡°I was dreaming you were a just a figment of my imagination.  Just as you were waking me up, your body just evaporated in front of me, and I thought I would die.¡±  He grabbed hold of her hand.  ¡°I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d do if you were gone from my life.¡±

    His words brought tears to her eyes, making her wondered if his feelings were for her or for Amanda, but of course, she couldn¡¯t ask him.  ¡°I haven¡¯t any plans to ever leave you,¡± she said, and it was the truth.  If she left, it would be by the strange occurrence that had brought her to him in the first place, and not because she wanted to leave.

    They moved into the bedroom, and Ambria put on her nightgown, crawled into bed, and then turn on the television to watch some of the news.  As she settled in the bed, Dustin went into the bathroom to brush his teeth.  When he came out of the bathroom, he glanced over at her.  As she watched him, a ridiculous smirk on his face covered his face as he turned off the television and switched on the stereo.  As the loud music filled the room, Dustin started removing his clothes to the music, giving her a strip tease performance.

    Ambria¡¯s eyes grew wide as she watched her husband.  Never in her life had she ever seen anything as erotic as watching Dustin remove his clothes to the music.  She¡¯d seen a male stripper once at a birthday party when a coworker had turned forty, but it hadn¡¯t been as exciting as this.  Maybe it was because she knew she could touch Dustin at any time and in any way she wanted, but the real reason might have been because she knew he was going to make love to her once the dance was over.

    Dustin was down to just his bikini underwear, then as graceful as he could, he removed them, and threw the article of clothing at her, causing her to blush.  Then he danced in front of her naked, flipping and flopping, his male anatomy at her.  The sight was more than she could take and she broke out laughing, giggling so hard she soon had tears running down her face.

    ¡°See if I ever perform for you again,¡± he said, giving her a fake childish frown.

    ¡°Come to bed and I¡¯ll kiss your bruised ego.¡±

    He gave her a genuine gasp.  ¡°I didn¡¯t know you did that sort of thing.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I do, but just don¡¯t tell my husband that I do,¡± she teased, ¡°or then he¡¯ll want me to kiss his too.¡±

    He hurriedly turned off the music and the light before he got into bed.

    ¡°Dustin, how am I to find your bruised ego in the dark.¡±

    ¡°Let me help you,¡± he whispered in her ear, and he did.

 Chapter Eight

    On Wednesday, since she didn¡¯t want to leave Vernon while she was behind in her work, Ambria drove her own car to work so she could stay late to catch up on some of her work.  Dustin told her he would run to the hardware store to get some supplies to work on a project for the house.

    She was nervous about telling Vernon about her leaving, but planned to tell him before she left today.  She worked through her lunch and by five-thirty, she felt she¡¯d accomplished enough work for one day.  She saved the computer file she¡¯d been working on, turned off her computer, then grabbed her purse.  She left her office and knocked on Vernon¡¯s door to tell him about taking the other job, but there wasn¡¯t any answer.  She surprised he hadn¡¯t told her goodnight before he¡¯d left and was disappointed he was gone, as she wanted to give her notice today.

    She started for home without any problems; stopping at a couple of stop signs and one stop light before getting onto the highway.  She was driving between sixty and sixty-five when the person in the next lane honked, and when she glanced over, she saw Susie.  The woman gave her a wicked grin, then pulled over into Ambria¡¯s lane.  To prevent Susie¡¯s car from hitting her, Ambria slammed on her brakes, but when her car didn¡¯t respond, she quickly grabbed hold of her emergency brake and pulled hard on it.  The next thing she knew, she was hitting the vehicle on the other side of her.  Her air bag exploded, and her head collided with the door, causing her to lose consciousness.  When she finally woke, she was in the hospital and a nurse was next to her taking her blood pressure.

    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± the nurse asked her.

    ¡°I hurt, especially my head.¡±  Her throat felt thick and she tried to swallow.  ¡°Could I have some water?¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course.  Before I can give you any pain medicine I need to know if there¡¯s a possibility you could be pregnant.¡±

    Ambria tried to focus on her question.  Could she be pregnant?  She¡¯d had unprotected sex several times this week, but she didn¡¯t see how the test could show positive this soon.  ¡°I guess so.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, we still have to do a pregnancy test on all childbearing age women before we can do any sort of tests or give out prescriptions.  I¡¯ll let you know the results as soon as I have them.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± she replied numbly.

    ¡°You can use the bathroom around the corner.  When you¡¯re done, put the specimen cup in the cabinet.  Do you think you can do this by yourself?¡±

    Ambria got out a bed, and found she was a bit shaky.  ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± she said, giving the nurse an apologetic grin.

    The nurse took hold of her arm and helped her to the bathroom.  She did as she requested, and then the nurse helped Ambria to return to bed.  Ten minutes later, the nurse returned to her room.

    ¡°The pregnancy test was positive.¡±

    ¡°Wonderful,¡± she responded without any exhilaration.  Amanda had told Dustin, she was on the pill, so how was she going to tell Dustin about this new development?

    ¡°I take this isn¡¯t good news.¡±  The nurse looked at her with concern.

    ¡°I just got married last weekend.  I don¡¯t think my husband wanted to have a baby quite this soon.¡±

    The nurse smiled at her.  ¡°Take some advice from an older woman and tell your husband about the baby as soon as possible.  Believe me, this isn¡¯t something you can hide for very long.  If at first he isn¡¯t thrilled, give him some time to accept your news, as he may surprise you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±  It was too late now to do anything about it, but she should have told Dustin she wasn¡¯t on the pill that first morning when she found herself in his bed.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go get you something for pain.¡±  A few minutes later, she returned.  ¡°I brought you some Tylenol.  The doctor will be in shortly to see you.¡±  She gave her the pills, then left.

    At first, the medicine helped, then suddenly, the pain in her head got worse and just as the doctor stepped into the room, she lost consciousness.  The next time she woke, Dustin was sitting in a chair next to her and the doctor was gone.

    ¡°Dustin,¡± she called to him.

    ¡°Sweetheart, how are you feeling?¡±

    ¡°My head hurt.¡±

    ¡°Doctor Howard has ordered a MRI to check out your head.  He needs to know if he should release you or admit you into the hospital.  My guess is you¡¯ll be admitted.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    An orderly entered the room to take her for her procedure, and after he helped her into a wheel chair, they left the room.  While Dustin waited for her to return, he went outside to get better phone reception to call Vernon.  He had to inform him about Ambria¡¯s accident, that and to the fact she wouldn¡¯t be in to work tomorrow.  Vernon wasn¡¯t happy Ambria was going to be out of the office so soon after being gone all last week and threatened to have her fired if she missed any more days.  Dustin didn¡¯t let the threat worried him since Vernon wouldn¡¯t be her boss too much longer, but he didn¡¯t say anything about that to him.  Dustin called her mother and his parent to let them know about Ambria and had just hung up when his phone rang.

    ¡°Hello?¡±

    ¡°Mr. Crenshaw, this is Detective Martin Maxwell.  I need to talk to you in person.  Are you still at the hospital?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m standing outside the emergency room making a few phone calls.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m here at the hospital.  Wait where you are for me.¡±

    Dustin looked across the parking lot and noticed a man in a suit on the phone coming towards him.  The man didn¡¯t look like he was a detective, but then the man stopped in front of Dustin.

    ¡°Mr. Crenshaw?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± he replied into the phone.

    ¡°You can hang up now,¡± the man said as he smiled at him.

    Dustin grinned back.  ¡°I guess you found me.¡±

    ¡°That isn¡¯t the only thing I¡¯ve found.  When we were inspecting your wife¡¯s vehicle, we found out her brake line had been deliberately cut.¡±

    ¡°Oh, my God!  Someone tried to kill her!¡± he exclaimed.

    ¡°Do you know of anyone who would want to do her harm?¡±

    ¡°The only person I can think of would be Susie Wright, but I don¡¯t think she would go as far as to try to kill Ambria.¡±

    ¡°Why do you think she may want to harm your wife?¡±

    Dustin went into a long explanation, not leaving out anything referring to Susie and his relationship with her.

    ¡°Jealousy can make a sane person go a bit crazy and do something they wouldn¡¯t normally do.¡±

    ¡°I hope she wasn¡¯t the one who cut the line, but if it wasn¡¯t her, I hate to think who else could have tampered with her brake line.¡±

    ¡°What about you?¡± he asked, watching Dustin¡¯s expression closely.

    ¡°Me?¡± he squeaked.  ¡°You think I had something to do with cutting Ambria¡¯s brake line.¡±

    ¡°Did you?¡± he asked, his cold eyes watched Dustin carefully.

    ¡°Why would I want to kill my wife?¡±

    ¡°You tell me,¡± he replied, his eyes focus on Dustin¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°For one, we just recently got married, but besides that, I happen to love her.  I wouldn¡¯t have married her if I didn¡¯t want her in my life.¡±

    ¡°Does she have any life insurance?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he said, giving the detective a hard glare.  ¡°We had a fast courtship and haven¡¯t talked about insurance or other financial issues.  I don¡¯t even know how much money she has in the bank or even if she has a bank account.¡±

    ¡°How is Mrs. Crenshaw doing?¡±

    ¡°She has a severe headache, so the doctor orders some tests.  She¡¯s having a MRI done right now.¡±

    ¡°When do you think she¡¯d be up to being questioned?¡±  Martin wanted to close this as soon as possible as he hated cases where the husband could be a possible suspect.

    ¡°I really don¡¯t know,¡± he said a bit too sharply, as he didn¡¯t like the way the man was staring at him.

    ¡°Are you stalling?¡±  Martin¡¯s eyes darkened as he studied the man in front of him closely.

    ¡°Why would I be doing that?¡±  Dustin stared at the detective, unsure why he thought he could be guilty of the crime.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t answer my question,¡± he said forcefully.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not stalling.  If you want to talk to her, go ask the doctor if she¡¯s up to being questioned by you.  If he says it¡¯s okay, go ahead and talk to her, don¡¯t let me stop you.¡±

    ¡°I would want to talk to her alone,¡± he said, implying he was going to question her about him.

    Dustin¡¯s eyes turned cold.  ¡°I don¡¯t have a problem with that,¡± he replied, his lips taut, as he tried to keep a tight rein on his temper.

    ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡± he asked, unsure whether to believe the man¡¯s words.

    Dustin¡¯s eyes filled with fury.  ¡°I didn¡¯t have anything to do with her brake line being cut,¡± he shouted at him.

    ¡°We¡¯ll see.  We found fingerprints on the brake line and we¡¯ll have to check them with yours so we can rule you out as a suspect.  Can you come down to the station later so we can check your prints against them?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± he replied, not at all happy with how this conversation was going.

    The two men entered the doors to the emergency room, then Detective Maxwell followed Dustin back to Ambria¡¯s room.  She was back from her test, resting with the lights dimmed down low and her eyes closed.

    He went to her and touched her hand.  ¡°Ambria, this is Detective Martin Maxwell and he needs to talk to you.  I¡¯ll be out in the waiting room until he¡¯s done.¡±

    ¡°Dustin, don¡¯t leave me,¡± she said, reaching out to take hold of his hand.

    ¡°Mrs. Crenshaw, I want to talk to you without your husband being present.¡±

    ¡°Why would you need to do that?¡± she asked, looking deeply into the detective¡¯s eyes, wondering why he wanted to talk to her without her husband being present.  ¡°I want my husband to stay.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡±  Dustin squeezed her hand, bent down, and kissed her cheek.  ¡°You talk to the detective alone.  I¡¯ll come back in when he leaves and then you and I can talk.¡±  Ambria simply nodded at him as tears began to form.  ¡°I love you,¡± he said, then he left.

    ¡°Mrs. Crenshaw, the reason for your accident is because someone tampered with your brake line.¡±

    ¡°No!¡± she exclaimed, her eyes filling with tears as she stared at him.  ¡°Someone tried to kill me?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± he stated, giving her a look that told her who he thought that someone was.

    Ambria frowned at him.  ¡°You think my husband tried to kill me?¡±  The idea was so ludicrous, she laughed.  ¡°I¡¯m sure my husband told you we just got married.¡±

    ¡°He did, but doesn¡¯t mean he doesn¡¯t want to see you dead.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t see why he would want to kill me just a few days after the wedding.  I¡¯m sure I¡¯m not that hard to live with,¡± she said trying to make a joke.  ¡°Besides, there isn¡¯t a reason for him to kill me.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just a possibility we have to check into.  What about your life insurance?  Do you have a large policy?¡±

    ¡°No, but even if I did, I haven¡¯t had time to change the beneficiary.  If anything should happen to me, my mother would receive the money, not Dustin.¡±

    ¡°What about your mother?  Would she want to kill you?¡± he asked, hoping he was barking up the wrong tree.

    ¡°No, of course not,¡± she replied angrily.  ¡°My mother has plenty of her own money and doesn¡¯t have any other reasons to harm me.¡±

    ¡°Your husband mentioned a Susie Wright.  What can you tell me about her?¡±

    Ambria told him everything she could think of about Susie, which wasn¡¯t much, but did tell him about seeing her just before the accident.  He gave her his business card, telling her to call him if anything came up, and then he left.

    Dustin returned shortly afterward the detective left.  When he walked into the room and saw his wife was crying, he assumed the worst and rushed to her.  ¡°I swear I didn¡¯t have anything to do with your accident,¡± he said, his hand quickly grabbing hold of hers.

    She looked up at him, giving him a weak smile.  ¡°It never even entered my mind you did,¡± she said softly.  ¡°What would you gain from doing me in?  Why would you marry me one week and then try to kill me the next?  I thought you¡¯ve been enjoying yourself in our bed,¡± she said giving him an asinine grin.

    He smiled back at her.  ¡°Then why are you crying?¡±

    ¡°Just the thought of someone trying to kill me has me scared.¡±

    ¡°The police have the fingerprints of the person who sabotaged your car.  I¡¯m sure they arrest whoever it was.  In the meantime, you need to rest.¡±

    The thought entered her mind this would be a good time to tell him about the baby.  She had just opened her mouth to do so, but before she could speak, the door opened and the moment was lost as Dr. Howard came into the room.  He introduced himself to Ambria before telling her about her test.

    ¡°The test did show there¡¯s something resting on the lowest section of the brain.  I want to admit you into the hospital and run a few more tests since we don¡¯t want to take any chances because of  . . .,¡± Tim Howard stopped suddenly when he saw Ambria slightly shake her head at him, and he quickly construed it to mean she hadn¡¯t told her husband about the baby yet, ¡°your health,¡± he finished abruptly.

    Ambria tightened her grip on Dustin¡¯s hand.  ¡°Am I going to die?¡±  If she was going to die, would she live long enough to give birth or would she die before she ever saw their child?

    ¡°Let¡¯s run some test before we get too worked up about this.  I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a logical explanation for this dilemma.¡±

    Ambria was admitted into the hospital and taken to a room where a nurse helped her get settled in bed, and after she¡¯d taken Ambria¡¯s vitals, she left the room.  Ambria knew it was time to tell Dustin about the baby.

    ¡°Dustin, come sit next to me.¡±

    He moved to the bed, sat down, and took hold of her hand.  ¡°We¡¯ll get through this.¡±

    She smiled at him.  ¡°Dustin, I need to tell you something,¡± she said nervously.

    ¡°I knew it.  I just knew there was something going on by the way the doctor stopped with what he was going to say.  What is it?¡±  His grip on her hand tightened.

    She closed her eyes, trying to get the courage to tell him.  She jumped and quickly opened her eyes when she felt Dustin give her hand a hard squeeze.  She took in a deep breath, gradually letting it out, and then looked into his eyes.  ¡°Dustin, you aren¡¯t going to believe this, but I¡¯m pregnant.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± he exclaimed, shock by her announcement.

    ¡°When I came into the ER, they did a routine pregnancy test and it came back positive.¡±

    ¡°How could they know so soon?¡±  So many thoughts were bombarding his mind, but the main thought was how could she be pregnant?  She told him she was on the pill.

    ¡°The nurse said we can thank modern technology for the fast results.  Are you upset with this?¡±  Her eyes never left his as she waited for his response.

    ¡°You told me you were on the pill,¡± he stated harshly, as if she had lied to him.

    ¡°Amanda told you she was, I never did,¡± she said quickly, defending herself from his cold words.

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±  He didn¡¯t understand why she was talking about Amanda again.

    ¡°You remember the morning after our wedding when I said you wouldn¡¯t believe me?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± he replied slowly, unsure where this conversation was headed.

    ¡°The night before, I was in my bed reading about you and Amanda going to Las Vegas to get married.  When I woke up the next morning, I was in Las Vegas, in your bed and according to your marriage certificate, I was married to you.¡±

    ¡°Ambria, none of this makes any sense, let alone be possible.¡±

    ¡°You remember when we came home to my apartment and you found me with book in my hand?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± he replied unsure what a book had to do with any of this.

    ¡°That was the book I¡¯d been reading and it was about you and Amanda.¡±  She took a deep breath.  ¡°When I came home after our honeymoon, it had the same title, cover, and characters, but it wasn¡¯t the same story I¡¯d been reading.¡±

    ¡°Sweetheart, all that must be part of a dream you had, none of it could be real.¡±

    ¡°You remember when we were at the airport going to your car and I asked if I would know how to do my job?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±  His eyes watched her intently, wondering where she was going with this question.

    ¡°I asked because I thought that now I was in Amanda¡¯s life, I would be doing her job at the company she worked for instead of mine.¡±

    ¡°Whose job did you have when you went back to work?¡± he asked softly.  After he asked the question, he realized he sounded as if he believed her story about her changing places with Amanda, and he couldn¡¯t believe he¡¯d asked it.

    ¡°My own.¡±

    ¡°See, it¡¯s like I said, it was all just a dream.¡±

    Ambria was frustrated.  How could she make him believe her?  ¡°Just forget the whole thing,¡± she said, as tears began running down her face.  ¡°You probably think I¡¯m crazy anyway.¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think you¡¯re crazy.  It¡¯s that thing in your head causing you think this way.¡±

    ¡°You think so?¡±  Her expression filled with hope as she stared at him.  ¡°That could explain a lot.¡±

    ¡°Honey, think about it.  How could I have been in a book you were reading and yet be with you now?¡±

    ¡°I guess you¡¯re right,¡± she said, but part of her mind didn¡¯t truly believe it.  In her heart, she knew being with him didn¡¯t it have anything to do with the growth in her head, that somehow her life had been transported into the book.  ¡°Are you sorry about the baby?¡±

    ¡°I love you and I¡¯ll love our baby.  Did the doctor tell you when the little one is due?¡±

    ¡°No, but I can¡¯t be too far along.  Most pregnancies are about forty weeks, so say about nine months from now.¡±  At that thought, her face went white and she closed her eyes to prevent looking at Dustin.

    ¡°Ambria, what¡¯s wrong?  Are you in pain?¡± he fired at her, grabbing hold of her hand.  ¡°Ambria, please open your eyes and look at me.¡±

    She opened her eyes and gazed at him.  ¡°Dustin, if I have a brain tumor and it¡¯s cancerous, I won¡¯t be able to have any cancer treatments until after the baby¡¯s born, and by then it might be too late to save me,¡± she said, fighting back the anguish at the thought of dying and leaving the man she loved.

    Dustin moved his arms and quickly embraced her as she cried.  After her tears were spent, Dustin forced himself to smile for her sake, then moved away from her and took hold of her hands.  ¡°You and I are jumping to conclusions, and our assumptions maybe wrong.  The doctor hasn¡¯t mentioned cancer, has he?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± she said.

    ¡°In fact, who¡¯s to say you haven¡¯t had this thing in your head for years and they¡¯re just now finding it.¡±

    She looked hopefully at him.  ¡°You think so?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m hoping it¡¯s so.  I don¡¯t want to lose you after just finding you.¡±

    ¡°Will you lie next to me?¡±

    ¡°It will be my pleasure.¡±  Dustin got in bed with her, pulled her into his arms, and stayed there until the phone rang.  He sat up and reached for the phone.

    ¡°Hello?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Vernon, may I speak with Ambria.¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course.¡±  He handed the phone to her.  ¡°It¡¯s Vernon.¡±

    ¡°Hello?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about your accident.  I¡¯m hope you weren¡¯t injured too bad.¡±

    ¡°I hit my head, but I don¡¯t have any internal injuries.¡±

    ¡°With you being gone all last week, we¡¯re really behind in work.  I need to know when you¡¯ll be coming back to work.¡±

    ¡°Vernon, the doctors have found a brain tumor.  I¡¯m having headaches so they¡¯re going to run a few more tests, so I won¡¯t be in until after I¡¯ve been released from the hospital.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t know.  Forgive me for getting so upset with you.¡±

    ¡°The police said the reason I had the accident was because someone cut my brake line.  I saw Susie just before I crashed, and the police think she may have had something to do with tampering with my brakes.¡±

    ¡°Oh, no.  I didn¡¯t realize that¡¯s what happened.  You get to feeling better and don¡¯t worry this place.¡±

    His reply had confused her, making her wondered why his suddenly change of attitude.  ¡°Thanks.¡±  She took a deep breath.  ¡°Vernon, this isn¡¯t how I wanted to tell you, but I think you should know I¡¯m going to go work for Chad Driver.¡±

    He¡¯d been afraid this would happen.  ¡°You¡¯re kidding, right?¡± he asked, realizing he¡¯d scared her away by his attraction to her.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡±

    ¡°Am I the reason you¡¯re leaving?¡±

    ¡°Yes and no.  I simply couldn¡¯t pass up this promotion, but even if it weren¡¯t a promotion, I still would have accepted the job.  Ever since I refused to go out with you, you have been unpleasant to me.  But since I¡¯ve gotten married, it¡¯s gotten worst, and because of that, I don¡¯t want to work for you any longer than necessary.  I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°When will you start working for Chad?¡±

    ¡°As soon as you can hire someone new, get a temp to come in, or in two weeks, whichever happens first.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll start looking for a replacement.  Good-bye.¡±

    ¡°Good-bye Vernon.¡±  After she hung up, she looked over at Dustin.  ¡°I¡¯m glad that is over with.¡±

    ¡°Now maybe you can forget about work and concentrate on your health.¡±

    Dustin crawled back in bed with her, staying there until visiting hours were over, then he left to go home.

    She was unsure if she could go to sleep without him, as her bed felt so empty without her husband lying next to her.  Since her head was still hurting, she called the nurse and requested some pain medicine.  Shortly after taking it, she fell asleep, and the dreaming began.

    Ambria woke from a nightmare and quickly sat up in bed.  Her heart was pounding hard in her chest and she was drenched in sweat.  She turned on the television for a distraction, hoping it would keep her mind off the nightmare so she could forget it.  As the remnants of the dream began to fade away, she slowly began to calm down, and went back to sleep.

 Chapter Nine

    The next morning when Susie called the hospital, she had been expecting to hear Ambria had been killed, and was extremely disappointed when she found out she was going to recover.  She let out a swear word, determined the next time she tried to kill Ambria; she would make sure the job was successful, as she had to make her pay for stealing Dustin from her.

    * * *

    The rest of Ambria¡¯s morning was filled with eating breakfast, going for several tests, and then eating lunch.  After lunch, she closed her eyes, an hour later she woke up saturated with sweat from the same terrifying dream she¡¯d had earlier.  She wanted to talk to Dustin about the dream, but knew he was too busy at work to be bothered by her nightmare.  She spent the day wishing she were at home or at least at work where she could keep busy.  Just before they brought her dinner, her doctor came in to talk to her.

    ¡°Hello, Mrs. Crenshaw,¡± Dr. Howard said as he stepped into the room.  ¡°How are you feeling this afternoon?¡±

    ¡°I still have a headache,¡± she told him, refraining from telling him about the two disturbing dreams she¡¯d had.

    ¡°I¡¯ll order you a prescription for a different medication.  Maybe it will help.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.  Did the new tests showed anything?¡±

    ¡°They did, but we still haven¡¯t any idea what it is we¡¯re dealing with.  My guess is it¡¯s some sort of tumor.¡±

    ¡°Do you think it is cancerous?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so, but the only way to be sure would be to do a biopsy, but because of the baby, I rather we waited.  I wouldn¡¯t want to do anything that may cause you to go into premature labor.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for not saying anything in front of my husband about the baby.  I hadn¡¯t told him yet and I didn¡¯t want him to find out from someone else.¡±

    ¡°I understand.  Have you told him yet?¡± he asked, his eyes watching her intensely, wondering when and if she was going to tell her husband.

    ¡°Yes, I told him after you left.¡±

    He was relieved by her answer.  ¡°Was he upset about it?¡±

    Ambria smiled at him.  ¡°Not at all.  He was surprise, but not upset.  We¡¯re concern if I have cancer or not.  What do you think we should do?¡±

    ¡°I need for you to be retested again next month.  If the tumor hasn¡¯t grown, we¡¯ll wait another two months, and then retest you, but if it has grown, then we might have to operate.  Then if it¡¯s cancerous, we make arrangement for you to start treatments as soon as the baby is born.¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t just go ahead and operate now?¡± she asked, tears building at the thought she may die.

    ¡°I would hate for you to go through surgery if the tumor isn¡¯t a threat to yours or the baby¡¯s life.¡±

    ¡°Can I go home tonight?¡± she asked, trying to keep her tears from falling.

    ¡°First, we need to get rid of your headache.  I suggest you stay another night, and if your headache is gone in the morning, you can go home tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Doctor.¡±

    He said good-bye, then left her.

    Ambria didn¡¯t want to stay another night here without Dustin, but she couldn¡¯t very well walk out of the hospital without a doctor¡¯s release.  Dustin showed up to visit just as her dinner tray came, but instead of eating it, she just picked at her food.  Finally, she pushed the tray away and Dustin finished it as she told him about what the doctor had told her.

    Dustin stayed until ten, kissed her goodnight, then left.  He had just gotten to the elevator when a strong desire to be with Ambria hit him.  Not sure, what may have caused it; he quickly turned and rushed back to her room.  When he stepped back into her room, he saw her staring at the television with her mouth hanging open and a traumatize expression on her face and knew immediately that something was wrong.

    ¡°Ambria, what is it?¡± he asked, rushing to her side.  When she pointed to the television, he turned and looked up at it.  He saw the news was on and the newscaster was talking about a young boy being kidnapped from a local store.  ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked, confused to why she was so upset.  ¡°Do you know the child?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± she replied, just above a whisper.

    Tears started down her cheeks and he grabbed hold of her hand.  ¡°Tell me.  What is it?¡±

    ¡°I dreamt about him last night and again today when I took a nap.¡±

    ¡°You just said you didn¡¯t know him,¡± he said, confused by her statement.

    ¡°I don¡¯t.¡±  She looked at him unable to explain.

    ¡°Then how could you dream about him?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.  All I know is, I have to help find him.¡±

    ¡°How can you do that?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to call the police and tell them what I know.¡±

    ¡°Ambria, you can¡¯t be serious.¡±  He was shocked by her statement.

    Her eyes filled with anger.  ¡°I can¡¯t just lay here and not do anything while a child¡¯s life is in danger.  Can you imagine what his parents are going through?¡±

    Dustin let go of her hand and pulled her to him.  ¡°What can you do to help?¡±

    ¡°I can tell them where to find him,¡± she said, wanting him to believe she knew where the boy was.

    Dustin didn¡¯t think she could actually know anything to help them find the boy, but he wasn¡¯t going to tell her that, so he picked up the phone and handed it to her.  ¡°Call the police.¡±

    Ambria picked up the business card Detective Martin Maxwell had given her and dialed the number on the card.  When the detective answered, she quickly identify herself, then explained about her dreams of the boy, telling him she wanted to help him find the child.

    Martin told her he would be right there and ten minutes later, he was walking into her room.  He sat down and pulled out a writing tablet.  ¡°Start at the beginning.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I think my accident is part of the equation.¡±

    He looked over at her.  ¡°I¡¯m not following you.¡±

    ¡°When I had my car accident, I hit my head and have been having headaches.  The doctor ran some tests and found something in my head, which may or may not be cancerous.  I also just found out I¡¯m pregnant.  If this tumor is cancerous, I can¡¯t have any treatment until after I have the baby,¡± she rattled off, giving him more information than he really needed to know.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±  He was saddened at the thought of this lovely woman dying.  He looked away, trying to control his emotions, as he didn¡¯t want to cry in front of her.

    ¡°It may be the combination of the head injury, the tumor, and being pregnant, or none of the above, but whatever reason for my ability, I¡¯ve dreamt about the missing boy.¡±

    ¡°Do you know him?¡± he asked, glancing first at Dustin, then back at her.

    ¡°No, but what I¡¯m trying to say is, I know who kidnapped him and where he is.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±  Martin stammered, as her words had stunned him.  ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°I saw everything.  I even know where the child is being held.¡±

    ¡°Do you know the kidnapper?¡±  His eyes bore into hers.

    ¡°No, but I know where he lives,¡± she stated, refusing to look away from his intense stare.  She sensed he thought she may have had something to do with the crime, but she didn¡¯t care, as this needed to done.

    Martin Maxwell didn¡¯t believe a word she was saying.  For her to know anything about the abduction she must have had something to do with the kidnapping.  ¡°Tell me what you know.¡±

    ¡°The neighbor across the street took him.¡±

    Martin shook his head, instantly disappointed by her statement.  ¡°We already checked his house and have ruled him out.¡±

    ¡°Did you check in the secret room he has in his garage?¡± she asked, knowing he hadn¡¯t, otherwise, the child wouldn¡¯t still be missing.

    Martin¡¯s mouth dropped.  ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°He has a secret room,¡± she replied, giving him a stern look.

    ¡°Where is it?¡±  How could this woman know there was a secret room unless she was involved in some way?  Maybe this was a scam and she thought there would be a reward and she was trying to get some of the money.

    ¡°Back his car out of the garage, and when you do, you¡¯ll see a large black plastic mat on the floor.  Pull it back and you¡¯ll see a trap door.  The boy is down there.¡±

    ¡°Is he alive?¡± he asked softly, expecting her to say no.

    ¡°He¡¯s alive, but very frightened.  The hole he¡¯s in has just a nightlight for light, and all that¡¯s down there for him is a cot and a something for him to go potty in.¡±

    Martin grabbed his phone and made a call to one of his men, quickly telling him where they could find the boy.  After he hung up, he looked at Ambria.  ¡°While we¡¯re waiting, you want to tell me the truth of how you knew where to find the child,¡± he said coldly to her.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    She looked at him.  ¡°I have,¡± she replied calmly, refusing to let him intimidate her, as she knew he couldn¡¯t tie her to the boy¡¯s kidnapping.

    ¡°Where were you at six last night?¡± he asked, giving her a fierce look.

    ¡°You know where I was,¡± she replied, forcing herself not to smile.

    ¡°I do?¡±  His expression showed his confusion.

    ¡°You came to the ER to talk to me about my brake line being sabotage, remember?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right.  So I guess your husband is innocent as well,¡± he said as he looked over at Dustin.

    ¡°Of course he is.¡±  She smiled, extremely happy they had the detective for their alibi, as she doubted he would have believed her otherwise.

    The phone rang and Martin took the call, watching Ambria closely as he listened to what the caller had to say.  He thanked the person, then hung up.  ¡°The boy is safe and back home with his parents and the kidnapper has been arrested.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad.  Did you hear why he took the boy?¡±

    ¡°No, but I¡¯m sure he wasn¡¯t up to any good.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re probably right.¡±

    ¡°I guess I¡¯m done here.  Call me if you have another,¡± he waved his hand in the air, ¡°whatever.¡±

    She smiled at his uncertainty as to why she had dreamed about the boy¡¯s abductor.  ¡°I will.¡±  Before he could leave the room, she called out to him.  ¡°Detective Maxwell.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± he replied, turning back towards her.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want any of this to get out to the public.¡±  She watched him intently, waiting for some sort of comment from him.

    Her statement had surprised him, as he thought she would want the public to know what she¡¯d done to find the boy.  ¡°What if there¡¯s a reward?¡±  Now he would find out her true colors.

    ¡°Donate it to a charity for missing children or a children¡¯s charity of your choice.  I don¡¯t care where, just as long as I don¡¯t see my name in the paper.  With my health situation, I don¡¯t want my privacy disturbed.¡±

    He¡¯d nodded, then left the room.

    Ambria and Dustin were silent for several seconds, each thinking about the kidnapping and her dream.

    ¡°He had a hard time believing you weren¡¯t involved in the kidnapping, but I¡¯m sure he¡¯s glad he finally did.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m relieved they were able to find the boy.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just thankful we had an iron tight alibi.¡±

    Ambria laughed.  ¡°So am I.¡±

    ¡°I think you did a wonderful thing donating any reward to a children¡¯s charity.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the right thing to do.¡±

    He smiled at her as he reached over and took hold of her hand.  ¡°Yes, it is.¡±

    * * *

    The next morning Ambria watched the news and when the story about the kidnapping came on, she listened intently, waiting to hear if they would mention her name.  The announcer just stated an anonymous caller had told them where to find the child and Ambria was relieved to know she wouldn¡¯t be bombard with questions from the media.

    A few hours later, she was released from the hospital.  She still had a mild headache, but didn¡¯t tell the doctor, thinking it would go away once she was resting in her own bed.  Dustin decided to stay home from work to make sure she in fact did rest.  At eleven, he ran to the video store and rented several movies, then stopped at a local fast food restaurant to get lunch for them.  After lunch, they watched the movies, spending a nice quiet day together and by nine that night, she was in bed asleep.

    Ambria woke with a start from another nightmare.  The room was still dark, and when she looked at the clock, she saw it was two in the morning.  She reached over in the darkness to find Dustin, then moved closer to his body, trying to clear the dream from her head.

    ¡°Ambria, is something wrong?¡± he mumbled, still half asleep.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to wake you.  Could you hold me?¡±

    ¡°Sure, but you didn¡¯t answer my question,¡± he said as he pulled her against him.

    ¡°I had another bad dream.¡±  She closed her eyes tightly, trying to forget the memory of the dream.

    ¡°And you¡¯re afraid it might come true too?¡± he asked softly against her head.

    ¡°Yes,¡± she whispered against his chest.

    ¡°What was it about?¡±

    ¡°This time it was a little girl who had been kidnapped.¡±

    He tightened his arms around her.  ¡°Did you see who did it?¡±

    ¡°The father doesn¡¯t want his wife to know he¡¯s been having affair with his assistant girlfriend and he had the girlfriend take her.  He¡¯s going to let his wife think their child has been killed by the kidnappers, then he¡¯s taking the child and leaving his wife to start a new life with the girlfriend in Seattle.¡±

    ¡°How horrible!¡±

    ¡°I hope it isn¡¯t true, as how am I supposed to forget a dream like that?¡±

    ¡°I know a way to take your mind off your dream,¡± he said seductively in her ear.

    ¡°What way would that be?¡± she asked as her hand found his ready maleness.

    ¡°I think you already know the answer.¡±

    After they made love, Ambria was able to forget about the nightmare and fall back to sleep and if the dream came back, she wasn¡¯t aware of it.  The next morning the phone ringing woke her, and when she looked at the clock, she saw it was already seven.  She quickly looked over at the other side of the bed, and saw it was empty.  When she heard the shower running, she figured Dustin hadn¡¯t been up long himself.

    ¡°Hello?¡±

    ¡°This is Detective Maxwell.  I¡¯m sorry for calling so early, but I was wondering if by any chance you had another nightmare last night?¡±

    She thought for a split second before responding.  ¡°I did, but I¡¯m sorry to say I don¡¯t remember anything about it.  What¡¯s the matter?¡¯

    ¡°A three year old little girl was kidnapped late last night.  We aren¡¯t sure if she¡¯s being held for ransom yet, but the father has put up a ten thousand dollar reward for the child¡¯s safe return.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t be of any help,¡± she responded, regretting she couldn¡¯t remember any of the dream.  She jumped when Dustin touch her arm.  ¡°Just a second Detective Maxwell.¡±  She turned to her husband, shielding the mouthpiece with her hand.  ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°You told me about your dream last night.  Let me talk to him.¡±

    ¡°Just a moment Detective Maxwell, my husband wants to talk to you.¡±  Ambria handed him the phone.

    ¡°Last night Ambria told me the father of the little girl has been having an affair and the woman he¡¯d been fooling around with took the child.  The husband plans to leave his wife and run off with girlfriend, taking the child with them to Seattle.¡±  Dustin felt Ambria grip his arm, and looked over at her and saw her tears.

    Martin let out a gasp.  ¡°He wants his wife to think their child¡¯s dead, then leave her, and go live his life with the girlfriend and his daughter?¡±  He couldn¡¯t believe another human being could be so cruel.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s that coldhearted.  That¡¯s why he put up such a large reward.  He was positive no one would ever be able to claim it.  What a ruthless bastard!¡±

    ¡°Well, he could have killed his wife, then run off with the girlfriend,¡± Dustin told him.

    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right, he could have.  I¡¯ll get back with you if I need any more information.¡±

    ¡°Good-bye,¡± he said, but just before he hung up, he heard the detective call out his name.  ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Did Ambria happen to mention the woman¡¯s name?¡±

    ¡°No, she didn¡¯t, but she did say the woman was the father¡¯s assistant.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.  That should do it for now.¡±

    The two men hung up, then Dustin pulled Ambria into his arms and held her until her tears were spent.

    ¡°I wish I wasn¡¯t having these terrible dreams.  I don¡¯t know how much more I can take,¡± she muttered into his chest.

    ¡°I know you don¡¯t like it, but at least you¡¯re helping reunite children with their family.¡±

    She moved away him, nodded, and then forced a smile on her face.  ¡°Now  I¡¯ve cried all over your clean shirt, how about us going out for breakfast?¡±

    ¡°Are you sure you feel up to it?¡±

    ¡°My headache is gone and I want to celebrate life,¡± she said happily, relieved the headache was in fact gone.

    ¡°Okay, breakfast it will be,¡± he said giving her a big smile.

    ¡°Is it all right if I take a quick shower?¡±

    ¡°We aren¡¯t on any sort of timetable, so take your time.¡±

    Ambria leaned over and gave him a quick kiss, then went into the bathroom and shut the door.  Dustin had just heard the shower start, when the phone rang and he answered it.  It was Rob Clayton calling to tell them Susie was dead, then went on to explained what happened.  Rob told him that when she¡¯d been confronted by the police about sabotaging Ambria¡¯s computer, she¡¯d calmly denied she had anything to do with it, even though they had proof she¡¯d been in the office after she¡¯d been fired.  Then when Ambria¡¯s brake line was mentioned, Susie jumped out of her chair and ran out into the street, and was killed instantly when a passenger bus hit her.  He told Dustin their nightmare was over and Ambria was safe.

    He thanked him, hung up the phone, and then it rang again.  ¡°Hello.¡±

    ¡°This is Detective Maxwell.  The child has been found and has been returned to her mother, the husband and his girlfriend have been apprehend.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s great.¡±

    ¡°I want to make sure your wife still wanted the reward to be donated.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s still a reward?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it was offered, so the wife wants to still give it out.

    ¡°Ambria said to donate it; she said it¡¯s the right thing to do.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll see to it.  Tell her thanks.¡±

    ¡°I will.¡±  He hung up the phone, and then turned when he heard the bathroom door open.  Ambria was watching him as she walked out of the bathroom.  ¡°They found the child safe.¡±

    ¡°Thank God!¡± she exclaimed, bringing her hand up to her mouth.

    He walked to where she was standing and took hold of her arms.  ¡°Rob called earlier to tell us that Susie¡¯s dead.  She can¡¯t hurt you ever again,¡± he said, putting his arms around her and holding her in a tight embrace.

    ¡°I think we really have to celebrate now,¡± she said, thinking of going to Perkins or Denny¡¯s instead of some fast food restaurant for breakfast.

    ¡°Me too,¡± Dustin said in a lusty voice, then began kissing her neck.

    Ambria pushed out of her husband¡¯s arms and shook her head.  ¡°We are not going to have sex, I just made the bed.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll remake the bed afterwards,¡± he said as a bribe.

    Ambria laughed.  ¡°Can¡¯t you think of anything besides sex?¡±

    ¡°Not with you as my wife,¡± he said, pulling her back into his arms.

    ¡°I¡¯ll compromise.  You take me out to breakfast and when we get home, you may have your way with me.¡±

    ¡°Anyway I want,¡± he asked seductively.

    She laughed at his antics.  ¡°Yes, anyway you want.¡±

    ¡°Oh, baby, you got a deal,¡± he said seductively.

    His bright expression concerned her.  ¡°It can¡¯t be anything kinky,¡± she informed him, giving him a worried look.

    ¡°You said anyway I wanted and that what it¡¯s going to be,¡± he said, then grabbed hold of her hand and rushed them to the car, with Ambria laughing all the way to the garage.

    To give her husband a rough time, she ate as slowly as she possibly could, but it only it took Dustin a few minutes to realize just what she was doing.

    He smiled at her once he realized what she up to.  ¡°I¡¯ll give you ten more minutes to finish your breakfast.  If you aren¡¯t done by then, I¡¯m going to bodily drag you out of here,¡± he quietly threatened, giving her a boyish grin.

    She laughed loudly, causing several of the other people around them to turn and stare at them.  ¡°Well, it was worth a try,¡± she muttered, then started eating her breakfast normally.

    As soon as the newlyweds were in their bedroom, Dustin started removing Ambria¡¯s clothes, but stopped when he saw her make a face of pain.

    ¡°Are you hurting?¡±

    ¡°My head hurts.¡±

    ¡°Let me see if I can help.¡±

    He started by undressing her, and once she was completely naked, he undressed himself.  He had her lay down on the bed, and then he rolled her onto her belly.  Keeping most of his weight off her, he knelt down on her bottom.  He took the lotion bottle and squirted the cold liquid directly onto her back, and when it landed on her skin, she jumped.

    ¡°Sorry, I should have warmed it in my hands first.¡±

    He took his hands and started spreading the lotion up and down her back, then he pushed the heel of his hand against her skin, kneading into her back muscles.  Up and down, back and forth, smiling as he listened to her moaning sounds of pleasure.  He put more lotion on his hands and then started rubbing lotion on her bottom, slowly moving down each of her legs and spending a few minutes rubbing the bottom of her feet.

    ¡°Turn over,¡± he told her as he got off her.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can,¡± she said, contently.

    He pushed her over before putting more lotion on his hands.  This time he started at her feet and worked his way upwards.  He stroked her legs, thighs, hips, then her belly, adding lotion several times, as he continued to rub her stomach.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe we have a child growing there,¡± he said as his hand rested on her belly.  ¡°I wonder when you¡¯ll start showing.¡±

    ¡°My guess is not for another three more months, but I¡¯m not sure.  Dustin, I¡¯m ready for you to make love to me,¡± she said softly, trying to pull him down on top of her.

    ¡°Not yet, I¡¯m not done with your massage.¡±  He gave her a sly smile as his hands started up her body towards her breasts, but just before he got to the edge of them, his hands moved to her shoulder, then down each arm.

    ¡°Dustin,¡± she cried her disappointment.

    ¡°How¡¯s the headache?¡±  He was worried about the return of her headache, afraid he was going to lose his wife and child to the tumor, but he refused to let her know how scared he was.

    ¡°It¡¯s gone,¡± she said, relived the pain had vanished.

    He continued rubbing, first her arms, then her elbows, her wrists, stopping with her palms.  Then he went up her arms, swiftly moving to her breasts.  After a few minutes of playing with her breasts, he leaned his head down next to hers.  ¡°How do you feel now?¡±

    ¡°Horny,¡± she replied.

    He moved his body down on top of hers.  ¡°Maybe I can fix the problem for you as well,¡± he whispered in her ear.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the only one who can.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure I¡¯m enough for you?¡± he asked, whispering in her ear just as he entered into her body.

    Her response was a satisfied moan.

 Chapter Ten

    Before she was ready for it, it was Monday morning and time to return to the working world.

    ¡°Are you sure you feel like going back to work today?¡±  He was concern the headaches would return by the stress of her going back to the office and working for Vernon.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.  I need to get my work caught up before I start working for Chad.¡±

    ¡°Are you nervous about seeing Vernon again?¡±

    She didn¡¯t want to start crying in front of him and cause him anymore worry, and since she was already on the verge of tears due to her frazzled emotions, she nodded instead.

    Dustin moved to her, pulling her into his arms when he saw her strained expression.  ¡°I¡¯m sorry everything has been so rough lately for you.  Working for Vernon has just added more stress for you.¡±

    ¡°It will get better once I transfer to Chad¡¯s department, but in the meantime, I¡¯m worried the working conditions in the office will be unbearable.¡±

    ¡°Maybe you should just go ahead and move on to Chad¡¯s department.  I¡¯m sure they could get a temporary clerk to take your place.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll try to find some time to talk to Chad about starting sooner.¡±

    When they arrived at work, Dustin walked into the building with her, but after giving her a quick kiss on the cheek, they went their separate ways.  When Ambria came to the door to her office, she took a deep breath, and then let it out.  She straightened her shoulders and entered the office, and relaxed with she found it empty.  So far, so good.

    She felt she should go to Vernon¡¯s office to let him know she was here, but her stomach began churning, so much so, she knew she was going to be sick.  She rushed out of the office to the bathroom before she threw up in her office.  After she had emptied her breakfast into the toilet, she felt better, then she rinsed out her mouth and washed her face.  She wasn¡¯t sure if it had been her apprehension of talking to Vernon or the baby that had caused her to be sick, but either way, she wasn¡¯t going to tell her husband about this visit to the bathroom, as it would just cause him to fret more about her.

    She returned to her office and started her day by sending Vernon an e-mail telling him she was here, and then started working on the files in her in-box.  As she worked, she tried to keep her mind off her boss and his possible attitude towards her when she did see him.  She jumped when she heard his office door open and turned to face him, preparing herself for some sort of rude remark from him.

    ¡°Ambria, it¡¯s good to have you back at work.  I hope you¡¯re feeling better,¡± he said, his words sounding sincere.

    His words and attitude had astounded her.  ¡°Thank you.¡±  He moved towards her and sat down in the chair across from her.  ¡°I¡¯m sorry for everything I¡¯ve done or said to make this position stressful for you.  Human Recourses just called to tell me they¡¯ve hired someone to take over your position.  I had interviewed her for the position before I¡¯d hired you and she will be starting tomorrow.  I¡¯d appreciate if you can stay this week to train her.¡±  He watched her closely, waiting impatiently for her response.

    Ambria gave him a genuine smile.  ¡°Of course.  I¡¯ll be glad to.  I¡¯ll call Chad to let him know I can start next Monday.¡±

    He stood.  ¡°I¡¯ve probably made more work for you by trying to do your work than if I¡¯d just left it for you to do.¡±

    ¡°No, I appreciate your help.  It has made catching up much easier.¡±

    ¡°I better let you get back to your work,¡± he said, nodded at her, and then left the room.

    Ambria was still in a state of shock by his turn around in his attitude, then the idea that maybe someone had told him to go easy on her entered her mind.  She didn¡¯t care, either way; she was just relieved her first meeting with him had been painless.  She sent Dustin a short e-mail telling him about Vernon¡¯s visit, and he responded he would see her at lunch.

    She was just logging out of her computer for lunch when she heard someone open the door.  She smiled when she saw Dustin standing there, then grabbed her purse and went to join him at the door.

    ¡°Where are we going for lunch today?¡±

    ¡°How about we take a walk first?¡± he asked, frustration could be heard in his voice.

    To her, he sounded as if he was annoyed with her, but she wasn¡¯t sure why.  ¡°Is something wrong?¡±

    He turned to face her, his fingers tightly grasped her upper arms.  ¡°Why did I have to hear it through the office grapevine you¡¯d thrown up this morning and not from you?¡±  His cold eyes showed his displeasure.

    She was stunned anyone knew what had happen in the bathroom this morning.  She hadn¡¯t checked under the stalls, but apparently, someone had been there when she¡¯d entered.

    ¡°Yes, I did get sick this morning,¡± she said, putting her hands on his chest, hoping to calm him.  ¡°I just assumed it was because I was so apprehensive about seeing Vernon.  If it wasn¡¯t because of that, then it must have been morning sickness, something some pregnant women have to endure for the first few months.¡±

    ¡°It never occurred to you I would want to know,¡± he said softly, engulfing her into a tight hug.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to cause you any more anxiety.¡±  When she stepped back from him, she saw his unhappy expression and she put her hand on the side of his face.  ¡°I promise if it ever happens again, you¡¯ll be the first one to know,¡± she smiled, ¡°after me, of course,¡± she said trying to lightening the mood.

    ¡°Do you think it will?¡±  He was concern about her health, and until they knew what had caused her to be sick, he was going to continue to worry about it.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t.  I think I just got too worked up about seeing Vernon.¡±

    ¡°You make sure to tell your doctor about it when you see him.¡±

    ¡°I will.  Now take your starving wife to lunch.¡±

    They went to lunch and the incident wasn¡¯t mentioned again.  After lunch, they returned to work and didn¡¯t see or speak with each other until quitting time.

    The next day Ambria was at her desk working on her computer when the door to her office opened, and when she looked up, she saw an attractive woman about her age enter the room.

    ¡°Good morning.  May I help you?¡± she asked pleasantly.

    ¡°Yes, you can.  I¡¯m to start work today.¡±

    Ambria stood and moved around her desk to greet the new employee.  ¡°Vernon told me you were starting today.  I¡¯m Ambria Crenshaw,¡± she said as she put her hand out to the woman.

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you.  I¡¯m Amanda Waters,¡± she replied, taking hold of Ambria¡¯s outstretched hand.

    ¡°What?¡±  Ambria stuttered, her eyes growing wide as she stared at the woman.  This couldn¡¯t be happening.  This woman couldn¡¯t be the ¡®Amanda Waters¡¯, the character out of her book, the story she was now living.  How she wished she¡¯d read the new version of the book as maybe it would have explained why this woman was now standing in front of her.  Was she here so the two of them could exchange places?  The thought brought tears to her eyes.

    ¡°Miss, are you okay?¡±  Amanda asked, concerned by the other woman¡¯s expression, thinking she looked as if she was about to pass out.

    Ambria could feel the world starting to swirl, her eyes fluttered, then she was falling, but she didn¡¯t care.

    Amanda quickly grabbed the woman before she could hit the floor.  ¡°Help!¡± she screamed.  ¡°Someone, please help me.¡±This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Vernon rushed out of his office and was shocked to see Ambria on the floor and his new employee holding her.  ¡°What happened?¡± he asked, almost afraid Ambria was going to die right here on the floor of her office.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.  I introduced myself to her, her eyes quivered a bit, and then she fainted.¡±

    Vernon rushed the phone and dialed Dustin¡¯s extension.

    Dustin looked at the phone and saw Ambria was calling him.  ¡°Hello, sweetie,¡± he said softly.

    ¡°Dustin, this is Vernon.  Ambria has fainted in her office.¡±

    Dustin jumped out of his chair.  ¡°I¡¯ll be right there.¡±  He threw the phone down on its cradle and ran out the door.  He rushed into Ambria¡¯s office, then knelt down beside her and pulled her into his arms.  ¡°Ambria, I¡¯m here.¡±  Fear filled him at the thought the tumor had caused her to be sick, and now fainting.  His attention on his wife, too worried she might be dying, he didn¡¯t notice the woman who had been holding Ambria.

    Ambria¡¯s eyes flickered a few seconds later, and then she opened them.  When she saw Dustin holding her, she smiled, but before she could speak to him, she heard the other woman gasp and she turned to look at her.

    ¡°Dustin Crenshaw, I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s you,¡± Amanda exclaimed.

    Dustin turned towards the voice, thinking she looked vaguely familiar, but he couldn¡¯t place her.

    Amanda chuckled.  ¡°From your confused expression, I see you don¡¯t remember me.  I¡¯m Amanda Waters, from high school.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t have him.  He¡¯s married to me now, it says so on our marriage certificate,¡± Ambria hollered at the woman, her hand tightly griping Dustin¡¯s shirt.

    Dustin then recognized her as the girl he¡¯d dated his first year of high school, then he turned back to his wife.  ¡°Honey, it¡¯s all right,¡± he uttered softly.  ¡°She just an old class mate, nothing more.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not entirely true.  You told me we were going to get married,¡± she said smiling, not even thinking how her comment would affect his wife¡¯s mental status.

    Ambria screamed, then started crying, and talking incoherently.

    Dustin looked over at Vernon.  ¡°Can you please take Amanda out of here.  I can¡¯t calm Ambria with her in the room with us.¡±

    Vernon grabbed hold of Amanda arm, physically escorting her out of the room and into his office.  Once they were behind closed doors, he explained to his new employee about Ambria¡¯s brain tumor.  Telling her the tumor was probably why she had been talking so strangely and why she must have fainted.

    Once they were gone, Dustin returned his attention to his wife and began stroking her face.  ¡°Ambria, look at me.  Tell me what¡¯s going on in  head of yours.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s the woman you married, the one I exchanged places with on your honeymoon.  You remember, I told you her name was Amanda Waters.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I remember,¡± he told her, confused to how she even knew Amanda¡¯s name.  ¡°Honey, remember when we talk about this while you were in the hospital.  It¡¯s the growth in your head causing you to think you¡¯ve been transport into a book.  Now you have to calm down.  Think of our baby and remember how much I love you.¡±

    ¡°You told her you were going to marry her,¡± she stammered, her tears running down her cheeks.

    Dustin was unsure how to proceed.  ¡°Do you know how many years it¡¯s been since my first year of high school?¡± he asked, hoping it was the right question to get Ambria¡¯s mind off thinking Amanda was out to cause them trouble.

    She gave him a weak smile.  ¡°Seven or eight.¡±

    He smiled back at her.  ¡°Thanks right.  Even if I did tell her we were going to get married, the love I might have had for her isn¡¯t anything like what I have for you.  You¡¯re my wife, we¡¯re going to have a baby, and I¡¯m not going to let her or any woman come between us.¡±

    Dustin¡¯s words didn¡¯t comfort her.  ¡°I have a feeling she¡¯s going to try.¡±

    ¡°Then we¡¯ll change jobs or move to another city.  I¡¯ll do anything it takes to keep her out of our lives and you away from harm.¡±

    This time, his words did bring her a feeling of wellbeing.  ¡°Thank you, Dustin.¡±

    ¡°Will you let me take you home?¡± he asked, even though he already knew what her answer would be.

    ¡°No, I would go crazy worrying what was going on here.¡±

    He frowned at her response.  ¡°Do you think you¡¯re going to be okay now?¡±

    She smiled at him.  ¡°Maybe if I had a kiss from my husband.¡±

    Dustin leaned down and gave her a kiss strong enough to knock her socks off.  ¡°How was that?¡± he asked, moving back to look into her eyes.

    ¡°Wonderful.  Now I guess we should get off the floor and return to work before we start taking all our clothes off.¡±

    Dustin let out a loud laugh.  ¡°That wouldn¡¯t be good,¡± he said as he stood, then helped her off the floor.  ¡°You want me to stay here while you meet Amanda again?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯ll be all right.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll call me if you need me for any reason.¡±

    She nodded, then put her hand on his chest and gave him another kiss.  ¡°That will have to last you until lunch time.  I¡¯ll meet you out front.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll see you then.¡±  He hated leaving her, afraid for her mental being, but he couldn¡¯t very well baby-sit her every minute of the day.  Maybe he should call her doctor and tell him about this episode, as it could be a sign indicating the tumor was growing.  He waved at her, then left the room, knowing lunchtime today would take forever to get here.

    Ambria waited until Dustin left her office, then she went to Vernon¡¯s door and knocked on it.

    ¡°Come in,¡± he called.  When Ambria entered, she looked better than she¡¯d had earlier, but he was still surprised Dustin wasn¡¯t with her.  ¡°Are you feeling better?¡±

    ¡°Yes, much better, thank you,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Amanda and I were going over some of her duties.  If you¡¯re up to it, I¡¯ll turn her over to you.¡±  He wasn¡¯t sure if Amanda was going to work out or not, as he¡¯d been disturbed with her saying things to Dustin to cause Ambria pain.  He was disappointed Ambria had married Dustin, but the last thing he wanted was to cause her any distress.

    ¡°That would be fine.¡±  She smiled at him, then she turned to look at Amanda, forcing herself to continue smiling.  ¡°Amanda, if you come with me, I¡¯ll take you around the office to introduce you to everyone.  When we return, I¡¯ll start showing you some of the work you¡¯ll be doing.¡±

    Ambria felt she could see the wheels turning in the other woman¡¯s mind, wondering if she was thinking of ways to create trouble, but she wasn¡¯t going to let Amanda upset her.  Dustin was right, he had married her, not some high school flame he hadn¡¯t seen in years.  She had to remember the tumor in her head was causing her to think irrationally and Amanda wasn¡¯t who she thought she was, she was just a girl Dustin knew from high school.

    Ambria proceeded to explain to Amanda about her position as the two women stepped out of Vernon¡¯s office, but the minute Vernon¡¯s door closed, Amanda put her hand on Ambria¡¯s arm.

    ¡°Yes.¡±  Ambria looked at Amanda, telling herself not to believe anything this woman said about Dustin and her.  If they had a relationship, it was over a long time ago.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry if my presence or anything I said upset you.  I didn¡¯t mean anything about my comment about your husband wanting to marry me.  We were just teenagers, and we only dated a few months before we broke up.  I swear I¡¯m not going to try to take your husband from you.¡±  She gave Ambria a slight grin.  ¡°Besides, I¡¯m sort of interested in Vernon.¡±

    Ambria was relieved to by her comment and smiled back at her, hoping what she¡¯d said was the truth.  ¡°Thank you for telling me.  I don¡¯t know if Vernon told you, but I have a brain tumor and sometimes my mind plays tricks on me.¡±

    ¡°He did and I¡¯m sorry.  If you don¡¯t mind my asking, what are the doctors are going to do for you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m pregnant, so they don¡¯t want to do too much until they absolutely have to,¡± Ambria explain, crying as she talked about her condition, then she wiped her tears away.  ¡°I can¡¯t show you around with tears in my eyes.  If Dustin should hear about it, I¡¯ll never hear the end of it.  Let me run to the bathroom to freshen up, then I¡¯ll be ready.¡±

    When she returned from the bathroom, Ambria took Amanda around the entire office before stopping at Dustin¡¯s office.  After the two women entered his office, Dustin and Amanda talked a about what they¡¯d been doing since high school, then the two women returned to Ambria¡¯s office.  Once there, they spent the rest of the morning going over Amanda¡¯s duties, and Dustin¡¯s name wasn¡¯t mentioned again.  When lunchtime came, Ambria invited Amanda to eat lunch with them; she thanked her, but told her she was going to have lunch with Vernon.

    When Ambria greeted her husband, she had to laugh at his concerned look.  She hurried to him, and took hold of his hand.  ¡°I¡¯m fine.  Amanda and I have talked, she said she isn¡¯t going to cause us any trouble.¡±

    He took hold of her hand and his grip tightened on hers.  ¡°I¡¯m so relieved.¡±  He suddenly had a strong desire to take his wife to bed.  ¡°Come on,¡± he said, then quickly turned and started for their car.

    Ambria was surprised by Dustin¡¯s actions as they were practically running to the car.  ¡°Dustin, what has gotten into you?¡±

    ¡°I want to take you some place special.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±  She watched as he pulled out of the parking lot and started for wherever he was taking her.  It wasn¡¯t until they pulled into their neighborhood that she realized where they were going.  ¡°Dustin Crenshaw, what do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±

    ¡°You know what I¡¯m doing,¡± he said, but didn¡¯t look at her to see what her expression was.

    ¡°I thought we were going out to lunch.¡±

    ¡°We will, but first I what to show you how much I love you and this is the best way I know how.¡±

    ¡°And to think some women get jewelry from their husbands when they want to show how much they¡¯re loved.¡±

    He pulled into their driveway and stopped the car, then he turned to look at her.  ¡°If you rather have jewelry, I can buy you some.¡±  He was prepared to leave if jewelry was her choice.

    Ambria giggled at his comment, then leaned over and gave him an amorous kiss.  ¡°Now you tell me which one I¡¯d rather have.¡±

    ¡°Then what are we waiting for,¡± he said, then jumped out of the car and rushed over to her side, grabbed hold of her hand and pulled her into the house.

    After they enjoyed their afternoon loving, they stopped for lunch, and they even took the time to eat it before returning to work.  By the time they arrived at the office from their noon activities, they had two minutes to spare before their lunch hour was over.

    ¡°We won¡¯t ever try that again.¡±

    ¡°Never say never,¡± he called as he headed back to his office.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think my heart can take the stress,¡± she teased him, then waved good-bye.

    The rest of the afternoon went fast as Ambria spent it training Amanda.  The two women talked about Dustin in between Amanda learning Ambria¡¯s job, as she told stories about their high school days, and then the two women made plans for them to go out to lunch tomorrow.

    Ambria wasn¡¯t sure the reasoning behind Amanda appearing in her life, but she wasn¡¯t going to worry if it meant something was going to change in her life.  She thought about going home and reading the book to see if it explained what was happening, but she was still too scared to take the chance of her life changing back to the way it had been before she¡¯d read it the first time.  Maybe Dustin was right about the tumor causing her to think she¡¯d been infused into a book, but she still had many unanswered questions.

 Chapter Eleven

    Today Ambria was going for her two-month MRI checkup, and Dustin had taken the day off to be with her, as they both were scared of what the test would show.  The two of them sat there quietly holding hands while they waited for Ambria¡¯s name to be called.  She wouldn¡¯t know the results until tomorrow when she saw Dr. Howard, whose office was just down the hall, but she was sure if it were bad news; he would call and tell her sooner.  The headaches hadn¡¯t return, but she was still worried the tumor may have grown.  When her it was time for her test, they stood and Dustin gave her a quick kiss on lips.

    ¡°I love you and wish I could go in with you.¡±  His eyes were filled with his love.

    ¡°I wish you could too,¡± she said, then left to follow the nurse.

    During the procedure, afraid of what the test was going to show, Ambria¡¯s mind began thinking of the worst-case scenario, which was she was dying.  If she were, would it be fast?  Would it be painful?  Would she have the baby before her time came?  Would she have time to say goodbye to her husband before she took her last breath?  She was afraid to think of the answers to her all her questions and began to cry.

    After the procedure, the technician asked her to wait outside in the waiting room instead of leaving, and all she could think about was she had cancer and was dying.  She joined Dustin in the waiting room, telling him she was told to wait.  They held hands, watching and waiting for someone to come out to tell them the results of her test.  When the outside door of the office opened, they didn¡¯t even turn to look, assuming it was someone coming in for their appointment.

    Dr. Howard entered the office and when he saw them staring at the other door, he call Ambria¡¯s name to get her attention.  Dustin and Ambria jumped, turning to look at the doctor.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.  I didn¡¯t mean to startle you.¡±  He walked to them, then sat down next to Ambria.

    ¡°You have bad news, don¡¯t you?  That¡¯s why you¡¯re here, isn¡¯t?¡± she cried, squeezing Dustin¡¯s hand to the point of pain.

    ¡°No, not at all,¡± he assured her as he took hold of her other hand.  ¡°Because of the baby, I thought it would be best for you to know the results of the test today instead of waiting for tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Then you have good news for us?¡±  Dustin asking the question Ambria couldn¡¯t find the courage to pose.

    ¡°The tumor hasn¡¯t grown.¡±

    Ambria and Dustin let out sighs of relief.

    ¡°Now I don¡¯t want you to get too excited, the tumor hasn¡¯t shrunk either.¡±  When the couple nodded at his comment, he continued.  ¡°I want you to make another appointment, scheduling it for two months from today.  If this test shows no change, or even a decrease in the tumor¡¯s size, we schedule the next appointment for four months, and then so on.  If it has changed for the worst in anyway, we¡¯ll decide then what you want to do.  Will that work for you?¡±  His eyes watched her carefully, wondering how she was accepting his report.

    ¡°Yes, it does.  Thank you so much for coming and telling me this today.  I don¡¯t think I would have slept a wink tonight worrying about the results.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll just add this call to your bill,¡± he teased.

    ¡°It was worth it,¡± Dustin replied.

    Dr. Howard said good-bye, and after he left the office; Ambria went to the receptionist to schedule her next appointment.  When she was done, Dustin told her they were going out to do some shopping for baby stuff, but Ambria vetoed the idea, saying she wasn¡¯t ready to buy any baby¡¯s furniture just yet, as she was still afraid she might die.

    Dustin wanted to brighten her outlook, but no matter what he said or did, her mood remained dark and sad.  Finally, he gave up trying to cheer her up.  The drive back to the house was a quiet one, and as soon as they arrived at the house, she went to the bedroom to lie down.  Dustin wanted to join her, maybe even fool around a bit, but he was afraid she¡¯d turn him down, so he didn¡¯t even bother to ask.

    She waited for Dustin to join her in bed, but when he never showed up, she closed her eyes and went to sleep.  When she woke from her nap, she decided instead of being sad the tumor hadn¡¯t shrunk, she should be glad it hadn¡¯t grown.  Who knew how long the tumor had been in her head, as it could have been there for years.  Since she had been so gloomy since they¡¯d left the doctors, she left the bedroom and went to find Dustin to make it up to him.  She found him on the couch reading a book and hurried towards him.

    ¡°Dustin, I¡¯m sorry for my earlier sour disposition.  I had been hoping to hear the tumor had shrunk, and when the doctor told me it hadn¡¯t, I was upset.¡±Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    Dustin reached over and took hold of her hand.  ¡°I¡¯m sorry.  I just felt you were blocking me out and it hurt my feelings.¡±

    ¡°Dustin, I¡¯ll try to do better in expressing my concerns.¡±

    The phone rang and Dustin answered it.  ¡°Hello?¡±

    ¡°This is Martin Maxwell.¡±

    ¡°Is something wrong?¡±

    ¡°A two-year old toddler has vanished from her home and I wondered if Ambria might know something about her.¡±

    ¡°Just a minute.¡±  Dustin turned to his wife and handed her the phone.  ¡°It¡¯s Martin Maxwell.¡±

    ¡°This is Ambria, what do you need?¡±

    ¡°I have a missing two-year old girl.  Do you know anything?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡±  She looked at Dustin and he shook his head.  ¡°No, I haven¡¯t had any dreams about any children lately.  What can you tell me about this case?¡±

    ¡°She was taken from her bed during the night.  A typed note was left telling them not to call the police, stating they wouldn¡¯t ever see the child again and they knew why.  The parents deny knowing the reason why the child had been taken, but I think they know.¡±

    ¡°Do you think she was taken by someone she knew?¡± she asked, disappointed she didn¡¯t know anything to help find the child.

    ¡°We aren¡¯t sure.  The parents weren¡¯t even the one to call us, but I don¡¯t know if it was because of the letter or for some other reason.  The babysitter called us when she was told she was no longer needed, and when she asked why, they told her the child was gone and wouldn¡¯t be returning to them.  She thought it was suspicious, so she called us.  I think there¡¯s something going on the parents won¡¯t talk about, but I¡¯m not sure what it is.¡±

    ¡°I wish I could answer your questions.¡±

    ¡°If you should dream something regarding the child, I¡¯d appreciate you calling as soon as you can.¡±

    ¡°I will.¡±  After she hung up, she turned to Dustin.  Taking hold of his hand, she explained the situation to him.  ¡°Now I¡¯m going to worry every time I go to sleep.  What if I never dream about her?¡±

    He tightened his grip on her hand.  ¡°Honey, maybe this is one child you won¡¯t be able to help.¡±

    ¡°Why do you say that?¡±  Panic filled her eyes.

    ¡°We don¡¯t know why you had this capability in the first place.  Maybe it didn¡¯t have anything to do with the tumor, maybe it was just some sort of phenomenon or fluke and it has disappeared just as suddenly as it came.¡±

    ¡°I guess you could be right.  Maybe it¡¯s for the best.  Those dreams were pretty scary.¡±

    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go out to dinner.  After a day like today, you deserve not to have to fix dinner.¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t hear me arguing with you.  I¡¯m hungry for Mexican, how about you?¡±

    ¡°As long as Junior doesn¡¯t mind, it¡¯s fine with me.¡±

    They had a nice dinner, then spent a quiet evening watching television.  At nine, Ambria started for bed, while Dustin said he wanted to watch the news.  When he did come to bed, he heard Ambria moaning in her sleep.  Thinking dinner was talking back to her, he went into the bathroom to get some antacids and went to wake her.  He had just put his hand on her arm to shake her awake when she screamed and sat straight up in bed, her eyes wide open and filled with fear.

    ¡°Ambria, what is it?¡± he asked, grabbing hold of her, thinking something was wrong with the baby.

    ¡°I saw the child.¡±

    He didn¡¯t need to ask which child she was referring.  ¡°Is she alive?¡±

    ¡°Yes and she¡¯s safe.  In fact, according to my dream, she¡¯s with her biological mother.¡±

    ¡°How can that be?¡± he asked, anxious for her reply.

    ¡°If I interpreted the dream right, the parents were never married and the biological mother had legal custody of the infant.  When the child was about a year, the biological father kidnapped the child because his new wife was sterile and they wanted a baby.¡±

    ¡°You better call Martin.¡±

    Ambria call the detective to explain her dream to him, then waited for his response.

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying the custodian parent kidnapped the child back?¡±  He frowned, as this wasn¡¯t the information he¡¯d been expecting.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°I wonder why she didn¡¯t get the police involved when the child was first taken.¡±

    ¡°I think it had to with the father threatening the mother somehow.  He had money to fight for custody, whereas the mother couldn¡¯t afford a long drawn out legal dispute.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll check into this and get back to you later.  Thanks for your help.¡±

    ¡°I was glad to do it.¡±

    When Martin called them back an hour later, he told them the father had denied Ambria¡¯s dream, saying the child was theirs, even though when they went through his wife¡¯s medical records, there was proof they were lying.  They were both arrested and charged with kidnapping.  When they went to the biological mother¡¯s home, she was relieved to know her child was safe from the child¡¯s father and his wife.  When they told her there wouldn¡¯t be any criminal charges against her for retrieving her daughter back, she cried with relief.

    Ambria was glad another child had been found and returned to where they belong.  As the next few weeks passed, she was able to return several more children with their families, each with a happy ending.  Even though so far all the children had been found safe and unharmed, she still worried that one of these times she wouldn¡¯t be able to find a child in time to save their life.

    * * *

    With having a good report from the doctors, they decided now would be a good time to go visit Dustin¡¯s parents.  They ordered their train tickets on-line, then the day of the trip, they drove to the train station and were excited as young children waiting for Christmas.  The trip went quickly for them and soon they were at his parents¡¯ home.  Delbert and Sharon welcomed her into their home, making her feel they were glad she had married their son.

    Ambria told them about her tumor and the baby and they made plans for his parents to come stay with them after the baby came.  Before they knew it, the weekend was over and it was time for them to return home.

    On the way home, Ambria fell asleep, but Dustin was too concerned about his wife to relax.  He kept wondering what he would do if she should die because he wasn¡¯t sure if he would want to live without her.  Then he thought of his child she carried and knew if the baby survived, he had to been there for their baby.  He rested his hand on her belly, praying she would live a full life, carry the baby to term, that it would be healthy, and both of them would be tumor free.

 Chapter Twelve

    The next two months went by fast for Ambria, and tomorrow she was going for another MRI.  Then after the test, she would have a sonogram, and if they were lucky, they would soon know the sex of their baby.  By staying busy at work, she¡¯d been able to keep her mind off the test, but now the time was upon her and she was scared.

    She was relieved Dustin was going with her because she didn¡¯t want to have to go by herself, as she was afraid the test was going to show the tumor had grown, as her headaches had returned.  At first, they hadn¡¯t been too painful and all she had to do was take a couple of Tylenol, and a few minutes later, it would be gone.

    However, lately they were becoming terribly painful and the Tylenol wasn¡¯t easing the pain any longer.  She hadn¡¯t told Dustin about them because she didn¡¯t want him to worry, but she was planning to tell Dr. Howard about them when she saw him.

    It was late, but she couldn¡¯t go to sleep.  Thinking of tomorrow and the tests had her nerves twisted into such a tight coil that she thought she was going to be sick.  She continued to toss and turn, and it was early morning before sleep finally claimed her, and when it did, the dream began.

    She stepped into the bank, getting in line behind a young woman and her little girl.  The girl turned and looked up at Ambria, and she smiled down at the child.

    ¡°My name is Brooklyn Nicole.¡±

    ¡°Hello, Brooklyn.  You have a very lovely name.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, my mommy named me.¡±

    ¡°She did a wonderful job.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m this many,¡± she said, holding up four fingers.  ¡°Today is my birthday.¡±

    ¡°Well, Happy Birthday, Brooklyn.¡±

    ¡°My daddy and little brother are at home.  Today it¡¯s just me and Mommy.¡±

    ¡°I hope you have a nice day.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to have a little girl like me?¡±

    ¡°A matter of fact, I am.  I found out earlier today my baby is a girl.¡±

    The next thing she knew all hell broke out as a gunman grabbed hold of the little girl¡¯s mother and put a gun to her head.

    ¡°Everyone down on the floor!  Anyone who doesn¡¯t do as I say will be shot,¡± he yelled out.

    When the mother of the child tried to escape, the gunman pointed his gun at her daughter, but before he could pull the trigger, Ambria quickly reached out towards the child.  She pulled Brooklyn down to the floor with her, being careful not to crush the child, while at the same time, protecting her belly.  She felt the bullet enter the back of her head and her last conscious thought was she was going to die and wouldn¡¯t ever see her own daughter.

    Ambria shot up in bed, her heart thumping in her chest and drenched in sweat.  She looked over at Dustin and saw he was sound asleep.  She didn¡¯t want to wake him, so she quietly slipped out of bed, then walked into the bathroom so she could wash her face and arms.  When she was done, she dried herself off and return to the bedroom to remove her saturated gown.  Once she was dressed in a dry one, she returned to the bed, closed her eyes, and tried to think of pleasant things.  She didn¡¯t want to go back to sleep, too afraid she would go back to the nightmare she had been having, but she knew she needed her rest.  She finally relaxed and fell back to sleep, sleeping the rest of the night without having any nightmares.

    The next morning Ambria woke without any memories of her dream, then she woke Dustin, and they both got ready for the day.  As they ate breakfast, they talked about the sex of their baby and what names they each wanted, and for some unknown reason, Ambria told her husband, she wanted the name Brooklyn Nicole if the baby was a girl.

    After they were done with breakfast, they drove in silence to the doctor¡¯s building.  Dustin took hold of her hand and they walked into the office together.  Ambria checked in, then sat down next to Dustin to wait.  A few minutes later, the technician called her name.

    As she laid there for the procedure, thoughts of her having a baby girl filled her mind.  She was unsure why, but maybe it was because a girl was what she wanted the most.  A little boy who looked like his daddy would be great, but she really wanted a little girl.

    Soon the technician told her to return to the waiting room.  After she sat down next to Dustin, she took hold of his hand as they waited to hear the results and five minutes later, Dr. Howard stepped into the room.  Ambria looked at his face expecting to see his smile, but instead she saw a look of sorrow.  Then she knew he had unpleasant news to tell them.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go across the hall to my office so we can talk privately.¡±

    After they stood, Dustin put his arm around Ambria and they followed the doctor.  They entered his office and he closed the door behind them.

    ¡°Make yourself comfortable.¡±

    After everyone had sat down, the doctor looked at Ambria and sighed loudly.  ¡°I guess you know the news isn¡¯t good.¡±

    Ambria nodded, she couldn¡¯t speak as for trying to fight back her tears.  ¡°I thought as much since the headaches have returned,¡± Ambria said, then began crying softly.

    ¡°Ambria, why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡±  Dustin asked in a pain-filled voice.

    She sadly looked at him.  ¡°I didn¡¯t want you to worry.¡±

    ¡°What do you think we should do?¡±  Dustin asked the doctor.  He was frustrated with their situation, afraid he was going to lose his wife and their child.

    ¡°Other than it shouldn¡¯t be growing in your wife¡¯s head, we still don¡¯t know what we¡¯re dealing with.  We have several options, and none of them has to be decided on today.  The first option is to have surgery to remove the tumor.  The risks would be minimal if the tumor is benign.  If it¡¯s malignant, we will have to wait until after Ambria has the baby, then start radiation and chemotherapy.  The last option is . . .¡± he stopped, as when he looked at Ambria¡¯s sad face, he couldn¡¯t continue with what he was going to say.  ¡°Never mind.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°It¡¯s all right Dr. Howard.  I know what it was you¡¯re trying to say.  I wouldn¡¯t want to do anything that drastic.  I want this baby, even if it means it could cost me my life.¡±

    ¡°Go home and talk about what you want to do.  When you¡¯ve decided, call me and let me know.¡±

    ¡°We will.  I have a sonogram appointment in ten minutes, so we really need to be leaving.  Thank you for telling us the news today.¡±

    ¡°I wish I had better news to tell you.¡±

    ¡°Us too,¡± Dustin said to him.

    They left the doctor¡¯s office and went down the hall to where she was going to have her sonogram.  During the procedure, they saw they were going to have a daughter.  They were both extremely thrilled with news, but sadden at the possibility Ambria could die before the baby arrived.  When they arrive at the car, Ambria told Dustin she needed to stop at the bank to cash a check.  When they pulled into the bank¡¯s parking lot, they noticed the drive-through was closed, so Dustin parked the car and Ambria went inside the bank by herself.

    As soon as she stepped in line behind a woman and her young daughter, the strong feeling of d¨¦j¨¤ vu crashed into her and then the events played out just as they had in her dream.  Even when she remembered how it was going to end, she react the same as she had in the dream.  She just knew she had to protect the little girl who was having a birthday today.

    Deep in thought about Ambria¡¯s health, and their baby, Dustin thinking he was going to lose them both, wasn¡¯t paying much attention of his surroundings.  If he hadn¡¯t been concentrating so hard on Ambria, he might have noticed the police sirens coming his way and when he finally did become aware; the police cars were almost upon him.  He looked up into his rearview mirror, and his mouth dropped open when several cars engulfed his.  A feeling of dread smashed into his chest as he hurried out of his car to go inside the bank to get to Ambria, but an officer grabbed his arm and dragged him to the other side of the street.

    ¡°I need to go to the bank.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry sir, the bank is being held up and the bank robber has taken hostages.  My orders are to get everyone away from the bank.¡±

    ¡°My wife is in there and she¡¯s pregnant.¡±

    As they spoke, a sharpshooter positioned himself on top of the building across the street, but before he could take aim, a gunshot was heard from inside the bank and Dustin feared the worst had happened.  Seconds after the first shot was heard, another one rang out.  The expert shooter¡¯s aim was true, killing the bank robber so he wasn¡¯t any longer a threat to anyone else in the bank.

    A woman stepped outside with a young child in her arms.  ¡°Please help us, a pregnant woman has been shot,¡± she called out.

    Dustin tried to enter the bank with the paramedics, but again a pair of strong hands prevented him.  He turned and saw the same officer who had stopped him before beside him.

    ¡°You have to wait here,¡± the man said, not removing his hand from Dustin¡¯s arm.

    A few seconds later, two paramedics exited the bank with a gurney, and on it, laid the lifeless form of Ambria.

    ¡°That¡¯s my wife.  Please let me go to her,¡± he cried, fighting against the officer¡¯s tight grip.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but you can¡¯t stop them.  They have to get her to the hospital ASAP.¡±

    As they came closer, Dustin could see a blood covered bandage wrapped around her head and her eyes were closed.  He called to her, but when she didn¡¯t respond, he knew she was either unconscious or dead.

    After they passed, the officer asked Dustin if he wanted him to drive him to the hospital.  He thanked the officer and accepted his offer, as he didn¡¯t think he was in any condition to be driving.  He got into the squad car, and with lights flashing and sirens blaring, they followed the ambulance to the hospital, while another officer drove Dustin¡¯s car to the hospital.  By the time they arrived, Ambria had already been rushed to surgery.

    Dustin went to the surgery waiting room, then using the hospital¡¯s phone; he called his mother-in-law and his parents, and then went to sit down to wait for news on his wife.  A hospital volunteer offered to get him something to drink, but he didn¡¯t think his stomach could keep anything down, so he declined the man¡¯s offer.  He was still waiting to hear about Ambria when a young woman walked into the room.  She went to the volunteer and spoke with him, then she walked to where Dustin sat.

    ¡°Excuse me,¡± she called, interrupting Dustin¡¯s thoughts.

    ¡°Yes?¡± he asked, not recognizing her as the woman from the bank.

    ¡°I¡¯m Celine Judd.  I was one of the persons held hostage at the bank with your wife.  She saved my child¡¯s life today and I wanted to check on her, but I guess she¡¯s still in surgery.¡±

    ¡°Yes, she is,¡± he told her as she sat down next to him.

    ¡°Have you heard anything yet?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±  He forced himself to smile at her, knowing she must be feeling guilty as to what had happened to his wife because of her daughter.

    ¡°Where was she shot?¡± she asked, almost afraid to know.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡±  He was surprised she wasn¡¯t aware of  fact.

    ¡°No, everything happened so fast, and all I could think of was getting to my child and getting out of the bank.¡±

    ¡°She was shot in the head.¡±

    ¡°Oh, my God!¡± she exclaimed, throwing her hands over her mouth and began crying.  ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡±

    ¡°Ms. Judd,¡± Dustin said, taking the woman¡¯s hands into his.  ¡°Even if she dies, she would have done it all over again to save your daughter.¡±

    ¡°Why would she do that?¡±  Her sad eyes looked deeply into his.

    ¡°That¡¯s the way Ambria is.  To her, a child¡¯s life is very precious.¡±

    ¡°I hate to have to ask this, but do you think she¡¯s going to make it?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±  He watched as distress filled her face.  ¡°I must tell you that Ambria has a brain tumor and right now, we don¡¯t know if it¡¯s cancerous or not.  Even if she survived the gunshot wound, she still may die.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡±  She took a piece of paper out of her purse, took a pen, and wrote her name and phone number on it.  ¡°Please call me to let me know the results of the surgery.¡±

    ¡°I will.  Thank you for stopping by.¡±

    ¡°I keep her in my prayers.¡±  She waved, then hurried away before she broke down in front of him.

    Dustin had just sat down again when Ambria¡¯s mother entered the room.

    ¡°Any news?¡±  Melanie asked, grasping hold of his hands.

    ¡°No.  I assume we¡¯ll have a long wait.¡±

    Two hours later, Melanie went to get them something to eat and as soon as she left, his name was called.

    ¡°I¡¯m Dustin Crenshaw.¡±  He wondered if his wife had made it through the surgery, but couldn¡¯t ask the nurse if she had, as he was too scared of what her answer would be.

    ¡°If you will follow me, I¡¯ll take you to meet with the surgeon.¡±

    He followed the nurse down the hall, she opened the door for him, and he went inside.

    ¡°Dr. Applegate will be with you shortly.¡±

    Dustin looked around the room and saw a second door on the other wall, which opened just he sat down.

    ¡°I¡¯m Dr. Applegate, I operated on your wife.¡±

    Dustin just stared at the doctor, afraid of he was going to tell him she was gone, leaving him to live without her or their child.

    ¡°Your wife is in recovery.¡±

    ¡°Is she going to . . .¡± he started, but didn¡¯t have the emotional strength to finish.

    ¡°We were lucky; the tumor prevented the bullet from doing any damage to her brain or killing her.  Since I had her open to remove the bullet, I went ahead and removed the tumor.  She¡¯ll probably be in a coma for a few days because of the swelling on her brain, but after that, I think she¡¯ll make a full recovery.  Do you have any questions?¡± he asked, relieved he could save the woman who had saved a child¡¯s life without worrying about her own safety.

    ¡°How is our daughter?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s doing fine.¡±

    ¡°Is there a chance the tumor will return?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve sent it to the lab to be tested, but it¡¯s too soon to say if it could come back or not.  Since we don¡¯t know anything about it, I can¡¯t say at this time what the long-term outcome could be.  I want her to have another MRI before she leaves the hospital, but we¡¯ll have to wait until the swelling goes down before we can do it.¡±

    Dustin shook his hand.  ¡°Thank you for saving my family.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome.  If you will return to the waiting room, someone will come to get you when she¡¯s taken to her room.¡±

    Dustin left and returned to the waiting room where he saw Melanie putting their food on the table.  Dustin informed her to what the doctor had told him about Ambria.  Then Melanie grabbed hold of Dustin, and the two of them cried together, praying Ambria would make a full recovery.  Once he had quit crying, he called his parents to tell them Ambria was out of surgery.  They said they wanted to come to Kansas City, but Dustin told them to wait until they knew more about the outcome of this surgery.

 Chapter Thirteen

    Ambria saw a crying child who looked to be about nine or ten hiking through the wooded area.  By the way, he was walking, it appeared he was lost, for he seemed to be walking in circles.  He was wearing a bright yellow windbreaker, blue jeans, and black tennis shoes.  As she looked around the area, it appeared to be familiar to her, but wasn¡¯t sure why, as she couldn¡¯t place it.  She wanted to comfort the child so she extended her arms out to him, but she wasn¡¯t able to touch him because something was forcing her arms down to her side.

    Dustin was in awe as he watched Ambria raised both of her arms as if she was trying to grasp something to her.  This was the first movement she¡¯d done since her surgery and he hoped it was a good sign.  When he gently pushed them down to her side, she became agitated and he quickly became worried.  He didn¡¯t know what else to do, so he told her she was having a bad dream as he softly stroked her face.

    When his words seemed to help, Dustin started telling her the story of their courtship and about the daughter, they were expecting, but she still didn¡¯t open her eyes.  He continued to talk to her and when she started responding with a nod, he knew it wouldn¡¯t be long before she would be completely awake.

    She became angry when something had prevented her from getting to the child and began to fight them.  Then she heard a voice filled with love and a hand gently touching her face, she relaxed and quit struggling.  As she awoke, her first thought was she was dead, but the more she became aware of the man¡¯s voice, the more it reminded her of Dustin, the man she loved.

    ¡°Ambria, it¡¯s time for you to wake up,¡± he called.

    ¡°Am I dead?¡± she asked, her eyes remaining closed.

    ¡°If you would open your eyes, you¡¯d see you¡¯re very much alive.¡±

    Slowly she opened her eyes and saw her husband looking back at her.  ¡°I know you, don¡¯t I?¡± she asked, unsure if he was her imagination or not.

    Her question filled him with an instant panic, causing him to worry she may have amnesia or worst, brain damage.  He quickly said a prayer, hoping she was teasing.  ¡°Should I kiss you to refresh your memory?¡± he asked boldly, just in case she was teasing him.

    ¡°Most definitely,¡± she replied happily.

    Relief shot through him by her words, then he bent down to give her a quick kiss.  When he leaned back in his chair, he gave her a smile.  ¡°Now do you know who I am?¡±

    ¡°Well, I thought you might be my husband, but I¡¯m sure he would have given me a better kiss than that one,¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±  He gave her a look as if to say he was in deep thought about her comment.  ¡°Maybe I should try again.  If it¡¯s all right with you?¡±

    ¡°By all means, please try again,¡± she replied, her eye twinkling at him.  This time his kiss was full of passion, so much so Ambria pulled him down onto the bed with her.

    He fell beside her on the bed, his body coming to rest against hers.  Slowly he removed his lips from her and gave her a sexy grin.  ¡°Was that better?¡±

    ¡°Yep,¡± she said, smiling at him.  ¡°Now I know you¡¯re my husband.¡±

    ¡°How are you feeling?  Any pain?¡±

    ¡°My head is throbbing, but I guess I¡¯m going to live.¡±  She looked into his eyes, closely watching his expression.  ¡°I am going to live, aren¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you are,¡± he said, smiling at her as he took hold of her hand.

    She took her free hand and touched her head, surprised to feel she still had hair.  ¡°I have hair.¡±

    ¡°They had to shave part of your head, but it was low enough on your head that most of your hair will obscure the bald spot.¡±

    ¡°How come I¡¯m alive?¡±

    ¡°Would you believe the tumor stopped the bullet from hitting your brain, so in a way, it saved your life.¡±

    ¡°Is it still in me?¡± she asked, her voice slightly shaking.

    ¡°No, the surgeon took it out when they removed the bullet.¡±

    ¡°And?¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t malignant.  You and the baby are going to be fine.¡±

    Ambria¡¯s hands quickly moved down to her belly and smiled when she felt the child inside of her give a light kick, as to say, ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡±  She turned to face Dustin.  ¡°When can I go home?¡±

    Dustin laughed.  ¡°You just woke up from a week coma and you¡¯re already asking when you can go home.¡±

    ¡°I was in a coma for a week?¡±

    ¡°Yes.  Removing the tumor caused your brain to swell, which produced a coma.¡±

    ¡°Do I have any brain damage?¡±

    Dustin wanted to laugh at her question, but just in case it would hurt her feelings, he didn¡¯t dare.  ¡°No, the tumor was resting against your brain, not in it.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re sure the tumor is completely gone?¡± she asked, too afraid it could still be there.

    ¡°Yes, it is.¡±

    ¡°Does the doctor think it will come back?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not sure.  He wants you to have another MRI before you leave the hospital just to make sure everything is fine.¡±

    ¡°I would feel better knowing it¡¯s completely gone.¡±

    ¡°If you feel like it, you should call your mother and let her know you¡¯re awake.  She¡¯d been here most of the day, but she went home when I arrived today.¡±

    Before Dustin could dial the phone for her, her room door opened and they both looked at the door to see who was there.  When he saw it Martin Maxwell, he quickly sat up and hurried off the bed.  ¡°Detective Maxwell, what are you doing here?¡±

    He felt he should apologize for being caught in his wife¡¯s bed, but didn¡¯t, she was his wife after all.  Besides, if the detective had knocked before entering, Dustin would have been off the bed before the man came into the room.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°I came to check on Mrs. Crenshaw.  It¡¯s good to see you awake.¡±

    ¡°I just woke up.¡±  She watched as the detective studied her.  ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°We have another missing child and I stopped by to see if you might know if you¡¯ve seen him.¡±

    ¡°The tumor has been removed, and since we felt it was what had made me have those visions in the first place, I doubt if I can help you.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t happen to remember any dreams you may have had?¡±

    Ambria tried to remember what she¡¯d been dreaming about just moments before she¡¯d opened her eyes and an image of a young boy came to mind.  ¡°I remember dreaming about a young boy who appeared to be lost,¡± she said slowly, then waited for his response.

    ¡°Did you recognize anything around him to help us to find him?¡±

    Ambria was astonished she still had the capability to see these children.  She quickly looked over at Dustin.  ¡°I thought it was because of the tumor I had these visions, now I know that isn¡¯t so.¡±

    ¡°Well?¡±  Martin prompted.

    Ambria glanced back at Martin.  ¡°I¡¯m sorry, your question sort of put me into a state of shock.  I wasn¡¯t expecting to still be able to do this.¡±

    Martin nodded at her statement, but was impatient for her to continue.

    ¡°I remember seeing a child crying,¡± she started, but stop and closed her eyes, trying to concentrate on the boy.  ¡°He was in a wooded area and seemed to going around in circles.¡±

    ¡°Can you see what he¡¯s wearing?¡±

    ¡°He was wearing a bright yellow windbreaker, a pair of blue jeans, and black tennis shoes.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s him.  Go on.¡±

    ¡°I remember seeing a lot of trees surrounding him.  The place seemed familiar to me, but I don¡¯t know why.¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t much to go on.  Anything else?¡± he asked hopefully.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, that¡¯s all I remember.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay.  At least we know he¡¯s alive.  That¡¯s more than we hoped for.¡±

    ¡°How long has he been missing?¡±

    ¡°A group of Boy Scouts went up to Watkins Woolen Mill State Park for the weekend.  He was separated from the rest of the group today just after lunch.¡±

    ¡°Now I know why the area seemed familiar.  I¡¯ve been to  park before, but it had been several years since I¡¯ve been there.  I believe it is a National Historic Landmark.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.  The mill was once a 19th century textile mill and it¡¯s the only one in the country with its original machinery still intact.  There is about four miles of paved bicycle trail encircling the lake, and has several picnic and camping sites.¡±

    She glanced over at the clock and saw it was almost three in the afternoon, plenty of time to find him before it got dark.  Now all she had to do was to try to explain to Martin how to find the boy.  ¡°I¡¯ll try to describe where I saw him last.¡±  She closed her eyes, bringing the boy¡¯s image to her mind again.  Then she told the detective which direction they should go to look for the boy.

    Martin dialed his cell phone and told the person who answered how to find the boy, then disconnected the phone.  ¡°Someone will call me back as soon the boy is found,¡± he said, then nervously cleared his throat, giving her a weak smile.  ¡°I want you to know how bad I feel for coming here today to ask about the boy.¡±

    Ambria reached out and took hold of his hand.  ¡°Don¡¯t give it another thought.  I¡¯m just glad I was able to be of some help.  I just hope he¡¯s found safe and unharmed.¡±

    Twenty minutes later, Martin¡¯s cell phone rang.

    ¡°Detective Maxwell,¡± he answered.  As he listened to what the caller had to tell him, he started smiling, then gave Dustin and Ambria the thumb-up gesture.  ¡°Thanks for calling.  Yes, I¡¯ll let her know.¡±  He disconnected the call, then looked up.  ¡°The boy has been found and other than a few scratches, a bit sunburned, he¡¯s in great condition.  His family sends you their thanks,¡± he said, then waved good-bye as he left the room.

    After the door closed behind him, neither of them spoke, each thinking about the phenomenon she had experienced again.

    ¡°I guess this means we¡¯re still going to have to keep track of your dreams.¡±

    Ambria turned to look at her husband.  ¡°I don¡¯t understand.  Are the doctors sure they got the entire tumor?¡±

    ¡°They believe they did.  I guess we¡¯ll just have to wait and see.¡±

    Her eyes filled with tears.  ¡°So there could still be a tumor somewhere in my head?¡±

    He grabbed hold of her hand.  ¡°Ambria, don¡¯t think that way.¡±

    ¡°I still have the gift of seeing these lost people.  If the tumor had been the cause of it and I still have the capability, then that means there still something in my head,¡± she said tearfully.

    ¡°Ambria, it just means something else was causing your ability.  Let me call the nurse so  they can inform the doctor you¡¯re a wake.¡±

    An hour later, the doctor entered her room to check her out.  His examination went quickly, and he told her she would have another MRI tomorrow, then they would know for sure.  He wanted her to rest and not to worry about having another tumor, as he thought it was unlikely she had another one.

    She told Dustin he might as well go to work tomorrow since there wasn¡¯t anything he could do for her here and she would call him if she needed him.  He didn¡¯t like her suggestion even though it made sense for him to go on to work.  Dustin stayed with her until nine, then he left, promising he''d return tomorrow after work.

    She didn¡¯t sleep well that night, nor did she eat much of her breakfast the next morning, as she was too afraid she wouldn¡¯t be able to keep it down.  After she pushed the tray away, she called Dustin and they talked for a few minutes.  Later a nurse helped her out of bed and made her walk up and down the hall several times.  When she got back to her room, she was so exhausted from the walk that she quickly went asleep, her dreams free of any kind of crisis.

    An hour later when she heard a noise, she opened her eyes to see an orderly there to take her for her MRI, and when the test was over, he took her back to her room.  Now all she had to do was wait for the doctor to tell her what the test showed.  When her dinner came, she tried to eat, but her stomach rebelled so badly she finally gave up and called the nurse to ask for something to settle her stomach.  When her door opened, she was expecting to see the nurse with the medicine, but instead it was Dustin.  She looked at the clock on the wall and saw it wasn¡¯t even five yet.  ¡°What are you doing here?  I didn¡¯t expect you for another hour.¡±

    Dustin forced a smile on his face as he moved towards her.  ¡°I missed you, so I came to see you early,¡± he said, the lie coming out of his mouth as smooth as silk.

    ¡°No, there¡¯s more to it than you missing me.  You know something about my test, don¡¯t you?¡±  Her eyes watched him intently.  When she saw his tense expression, she knew he was keeping something from her.

    He knew he couldn¡¯t continue to lie to his wife.  ¡°Dr. Howard called me and asked me to meet him here.¡±

    ¡°He didn¡¯t tell you why?¡±  She watched him closely as she waited for his reply.

    Dustin sat down on her bed and took hold of her hand.  ¡°No, he didn¡¯t, but I can assume he has bad news to tell you and didn¡¯t want to tell you without me being here.¡±  When he saw her tears, he pulled her into his arms.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to die,¡± she sobbed.

    ¡°Honey, if there¡¯s another tumor, it¡¯s probably just like the first one.  I¡¯m sure they can remove it.¡±

    ¡°Dustin, I¡¯m scared.¡±

    He leaned down and began kissing her, and soon the kiss became so erotic that they didn¡¯t hear the door open.  When they heard a clearing of one¡¯s throat, the two broke apart, then turned, looking guiltily at whoever had entered the room.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to interrupt,¡± Dr. Howard said, trying to keep from smiling.

    Ambria blushed, but she didn¡¯t know why.  She didn¡¯t have a reason to be ashamed, as the door had been closed to her room and Dustin was her husband.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I have bad news,¡± he said.  He walked toward them, taking hold of Ambria¡¯s hand when he reached the bed.

    Ambria started crying and Dustin tightened his hold on her other hand.  ¡°Tell us.¡±

    ¡°There is another tumor.  I don¡¯t know how we could have missed it, other than the first tumor had been hiding it.  It isn¡¯t very big, but it should probably be removed since you¡¯re here and,¡± he tried to give her a weak smile, ¡°that part of your head is already shaved.¡±

    She took a deep breath, trying to be brave and not cry.  ¡°When?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Tomorrow morning.¡±

    She nodded, then Dustin kissed her on the forehead.

    ¡°Do you need anything?¡±  Tim Howard asked her.

    ¡°A new head would be nice,¡± she murmured, trying to sound funny.

    ¡°I¡¯ll try to give it to you.  You won¡¯t be able to eat or drink anything after midnight.  The surgery is planned for seven.  I¡¯ll have Dr. Applegate stop in before you get your pre-op so you can answer any questions you may have.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Dr. Howard.  We¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Continue with what you were doing before I stopped by,¡± he said, laughed and then left the room.

    ¡°Dustin, would you make love to me?¡±

    ¡°Oh honey, you know I would in a heartbeat, but I¡¯m not sure a hospital room would be the best place to try something like that.  We got caught just kissing and you turned as red as a beet.¡±

    ¡°If I¡¯m going to die, I want to experience your lovemaking one more time,¡± she whimpered as she tightly squeezed his hand.

    ¡°Ambria, you aren¡¯t going to die.  You¡¯re going to have this surgery and live for many more years.¡±

    ¡°They are going to be working on my brain again.  What if this time something goes wrong and they nick something they shouldn¡¯t.¡±

 Chapter Fourteen

    ¡°Ambria,¡± he started, but didn¡¯t know how to reassure her everything would go well tomorrow.  ¡°I¡¯ll go lock the door.¡±

    Ambria doubted he was actually going to make love to her in her hospital room, but when she heard the door lock, she smiled as she waited for the man she loved to join her in bed.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt you,¡± he murmured in her ear as he lay down beside her.

    ¡°You won¡¯t,¡± she replied just before her lips found his.

    Their lovemaking was fast and furious, so much more intense than either of them had experience so far in their relationship.  Afterwards, they quickly dressed, then Dustin unlocked the door and he¡¯d just sat down on her bed when a nurse entered the room.  Dustin looked at Ambria and saw her blush, and he knew she was thinking what a close call it was they hadn¡¯t been caught.

    The nurse gave her some medicine to help settle her stomach, reminding her not to eat or drink anything after midnight and then left the room.  If she noticed how strange the two of them were acting, she didn¡¯t let on.  The two lovers retained their composure until after the nurse had closed the door behind her, but once she was gone, they both broke out laughing.  Dustin stayed a few hours longer, then left, telling her he would see her in the morning.

    Ambria wanted to ask him to stay the night with her, but knew he needed to get a good night sleep and doubted he could do that by sleeping in bed with her or on the couch in her room.  She couldn¡¯t sleep, so she decided to watch some television until she fell asleep.  She started channel surfing through the different stations, stopping on a local news channel.  She hadn¡¯t really been paying attention to the television until the newscaster mentioned the police department was getting help from an unknown source on some of their missing children cases.

    The newscaster said the police were being hush, hush about the source, but a leak in the department had called and gave the newscaster the information.  He said the person helping them was a young woman from the area, but he didn¡¯t have any other information about her.  Ambria wasn¡¯t happy about hearing this information, but relieved the leak didn¡¯t give out her name.  She would have to talk to Martin and ask him to check into it.

    Slowly her eyelids closed and sleep claimed her.  The next thing she knew it was morning and her surgeon was entering her room.  They spoke for a few minutes, then he left and a nurse came in to prepare her for surgery.  After the nurse left, a hospital volunteer came in and asked if she would like a book to read.  Ambria told the girl she would take a romance novel, then the girl handed Ambria a book and left the room.  Ambria didn¡¯t look at it, but simply put it on her bedside table, too anxious to start reading it before her surgery.

    She looked at the wall to see the time, then watched the clock as she waited for Dustin to show up.  She began to worry when they came to take her to surgery and he still hadn¡¯t arrived.  She wondered why he wasn¡¯t there, but couldn¡¯t think of any reason why he wasn¡¯t.  Just as the gurney rolled out into the hall, Dustin ran up to her.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m late.  There was a terrible accident on the highway and there was an awful backup,¡± he said taking hold of her hand.

    ¡°I love you, Dustin.¡±

    ¡°And I love you.  I¡¯ll be here when you wake up.¡±

    She waved goodbye, then she was taken to a room where she was given an injection of some medicine, she closed her eyes, and then everything went blank.

    * * *

    Slowly she opened her eyes and looked around the room, surprised to see there wasn¡¯t anyone with her, which she thought was strange.  Shouldn¡¯t Dustin be here waiting for her to wake up as he said?  She was scared, as something told her something wasn¡¯t right, but she couldn¡¯t guess what it could be.  Where was her mother?  If Dustin couldn¡¯t be here, wouldn¡¯t her mother at least with her?

    Ambria turned on the television, but there wasn¡¯t anything good on, so she turned it off and picked up the book the volunteer had given her.  She didn¡¯t look at the cover, but simply opened the book and started reading.  It didn¡¯t take her long to realize the book was about Amanda and Dustin, and Ambria was instantly filled with fear.

    Certainly, this book couldn¡¯t possibly be about the Amanda and the Dustin she knew.  She  turned the book over to read the title and her face went white.  The title was the same as the book she¡¯d been reading before she¡¯d married Dustin, but this time the woman on the cover was identical to Amanda Waters, the Amanda, who had recently started working at her company.  Ambria¡¯s heart felt like breaking, as she came to realize it had been the tumor causing her to believe she and Dustin were married.  She laughed a hysterical sounding laugh, as her tears ran down her cheeks.  How was she to know where her life was now?

    She looked down at herself, wondering if there was a baby lying inside her womb or did the baby now belong to Amanda?  She put her hands on her belly and prayed she was still pregnant with Dustin¡¯s baby.  Then she shook her head as tears rolled down her cheeks, her belly felt flat as it had before she was pregnant, and knew Dustin¡¯s child wasn¡¯t growing inside her.

    Would she be back living in her own apartment?  What about her job?  She must still be working with Vernon as before since none of the other people even existed.  Since she was in the hospital, she assumed she must have had a tumor, but she still couldn¡¯t understand why her mother wasn¡¯t here.

    Maybe she had been in a coma and her mother wasn¡¯t aware she was awake.  She picked up the phone and started to dial, but when she heard the door opening, she put the phone back down and looked towards it, hoping it would be Dustin, but it was her mother instead.

    ¡°Mom,¡± she cried.

    Melanie ran to her.  ¡°Are you in pain?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes,¡± she whimpered, thinking of her pain of losing her husband, who hadn¡¯t ever been hers in the first place.

    ¡°Should I call a nurse?¡±

    ¡°No, there isn¡¯t anything she can do.¡±

    ¡°She could bring you some pain medicine.¡±

    ¡°Believe me it wouldn¡¯t help my pain.¡±  There wasn¡¯t anything in the world that would make her pain go away.

    ¡°The doctor said they got the entire tumor this time.  He said you¡¯ll probably go home in a couple of days.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s sound¡¯s good.¡±  Home sounded good, but she doubted it would be the she¡¯d had with Dustin.

    Melanie stayed until they brought Ambria¡¯s lunch tray.  She kissed her daughter good-bye, then left.  As she walked out of the hospital, she took out her cell phone, and quickly dialed it.

    ¡°Hello?¡± a man answered

    ¡°She¡¯s awake.¡±

    ¡°How is she doing?¡± he asked, worriedly.

    ¡°She¡¯s in pain, but refused to take any pain medicine.  When will you be able to come see her?¡±  She was quiet for a few seconds.

    ¡°I¡¯m leaving right now.¡±

    ¡°She was acting a bit peculiar.¡±If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°How so?¡±

    ¡°She didn¡¯t even ask me where you were.¡±

    ¡°Do you think she¡¯s mad at me for not being there?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say.  She didn¡¯t act mad, just sad about something.¡±

    ¡°Thanks for staying with her.¡±

    ¡°Call me later and give me an update.¡±

    ¡°I will,¡± he hung up the phone, then rushed out of his office.  Of all times for her to wake up, it had to be when he had a meeting at work he couldn¡¯t get out of, as the President had requested him to be there.

    * * *

    Ambria ate her meal, which consisted of cherry Jell-O, a cup of beef broth, a fruit drink, and a cup of tea, then she picked up the book and started reading again.  As she read, her tears began to run down her face.  The story told how wonderful Amanda¡¯s marriage was, especially their sex life, and how excited she was about having a baby.  Ambria read on and on, wanting to see how the story would end.  Her heart ached as she read about Dustin now loving another woman since his first wife, who had been expecting her first child, had died during her surgery to remove a blood clot.  She threw the book across the room, as she couldn¡¯t stand to read another word of it.

    She bought her hands up to her face as her tears poured down her face, crying until she was exhausted.  She felt slumber pulling her and tried to fight it, but her hands fell to her side as sleep finally claimed her.  She wasn¡¯t sure how long she slept, but before she could open her eyes, she knew a man was in the room with her, as she could smell his aftershave.  She recognized it as Dustin¡¯s, but she wasn¡¯t sure why or how he could be in her hospital room.  She opened her eyes, forcing a smile on her face as she looked at him.

    ¡°Hello,¡± she said coolly, her fists tightly gripping the sheet to prevent her arms from reaching out for him.  If he was from her book, what was he doing in her room?

    He wanted to lean down to give her a kiss, but by her chilly greeting, he thought she must be upset with him for not being here earlier, so he didn¡¯t try.  ¡°How are you feeling this afternoon?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m all right.  Thanks for asking,¡± she replied, trying to keep the love she had for him out of her voice.

    ¡°Ambria, what¡¯s wrong?  Did the doctor give you some bad news?¡±  Dustin knew her well enough to know something wasn¡¯t right by the strange way she was acting.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen the doctor.  How things at work?¡± she asked, trying to keep things on a less personal level.

    He looked at Ambria, trying to understand why she was acting so odd, so cold.  ¡°I¡¯m sorry I wasn¡¯t here when you woke up the first time.¡±

    She gave him a weak smile.  ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡±  She turned away as just looking at the man she loved was too much for her.  She wished he could kiss her and tell her he loved her, but she knew that wouldn¡¯t happen since now he belonged to another woman.

    ¡°Sure it does,¡± he told her, then moved to sit on the bed.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you had more important things to take care of,¡± she said matter-of-factly.

    ¡°Ambria, I sorry I wasn¡¯t here.  I know I should have been here, but I had an important meeting at work.¡±

    She turned away from him and looked up at the television.  ¡°Dustin, you don¡¯t have to apologize to me.¡±

    Dustin stood as anger filled him.  He didn¡¯t have to feel guilty for not being here when she woke, as he had spent many hours here with her while she laid unconscious.  ¡°I said I was sorry.  What more do you want from me?¡± he yelled at her.

    She looked at him sadly, wishing she could tell him what she wanted.  ¡°Will you please leave?¡± she asked, her heart breaking, knowing she couldn¡¯t ask him to hold her.

    Dustin¡¯s heart dropped.  While waiting for her to regain consciousness he thought, he would die if he had to live the rest of his life without her.  How could she ask him to leave?

    ¡°Fine,¡± he yelled at her, then he bent down, put his lips on hers, and gave her a kiss so full of his love he thought he was going to cry.  He hoped she would feel his devotion for her through the kiss, then he moved away from her, pretending the kiss hadn¡¯t ruffled his composure.

    This man was married to someone else, so he shouldn¡¯t have kissed her.  She looked at him with horror-filled eyes, her fingertips touching her still moist lips.  ¡°Why did you do that?¡± she asked so softly, her words were barely audible.

    ¡°Damn it, Ambria.  I said I was sorry.¡±

    ¡°I want to know why you kissed me,¡± she demanded, as he was a married man, one who shouldn¡¯t even be here in her room.

    ¡°Because I love you,¡± he whimpered at he stared at her.

    ¡°What about your wife?¡± she asked, still disturbed he¡¯d kissed her.

    Dustin just looked at her.  What in the world, was she talking about?  Something was wrong here.  ¡°Ambria, who do you think is my wife?¡±

    ¡°Amanda is your wife,¡± she stated firmly.

    Dustin ran out of the room and grabbed hold of the first nurse he saw.  ¡°My wife just had brain surgery, but something wrong because she¡¯s talking crazy.¡±

    The nurse lightly touched his arm.  ¡°Calm down sir.  Now how is your wife talking crazy.¡±

    ¡°She doesn¡¯t know she¡¯s my wife.¡±

    ¡°Does she know who you are?¡±

    ¡°She called me by my name, but she thinks I¡¯m married to someone else.¡±

    ¡°Which room is she in?¡±

    ¡°Room 214.¡±

    ¡°Let me check her out.  If there is a problem, I¡¯ll call the doctor.¡±

    She grabbed Ambria¡¯s chart, then headed towards her room, with Dustin following her right behind her.

    ¡°Hello.  My name is Sara.  Can you tell me your name?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Ambria.¡±

    ¡°Ambria, can you tell me you last name?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s Washington.¡±

    The nurse frowned at her wrong answer.  ¡°Can you tell me your address?¡±

    Ambria wished Dustin wasn¡¯t here listening to the nurse¡¯s questions.  ¡°I don¡¯t want him in here.¡±

    The nurse turned to look at Dustin.  ¡°Why don¡¯t you want him here?¡±

    ¡°This doesn¡¯t have anything to do with him, that¡¯s why.¡±

    ¡°I see.  Well I might need to ask him some question too, so for now, I need him to stay.  Now tell me your address.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what it is.¡±

    ¡°Can you tell me why you don¡¯t know your address?¡±

    ¡°I''m not sure where I¡¯m living at the present the time.¡±

    ¡°Are you married?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Then why do you have a wedding ring on?¡±

    Ambria looked down at her left hand, surprised to see a wedding ring on her left hand.  ¡°I guess I am.¡±

    ¡°What is your husband¡¯s name?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she replied, as tears filled her eyes.

    ¡°Where is your husband?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know that either.¡±

    ¡°Ambria, what would you say if I told you this man standing here is your husband and your name is Ambria Crenshaw?¡±

    Ambria shook her head.  ¡°That can¡¯t be possible.¡±

    ¡°Why do you say that?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s married to someone else.¡±

    The nurse gave her a strained smile.  ¡°You wait right here, I¡¯ll be right back.¡±  She looked at Dustin, then ran out of the room.

    Ambria looked at Dustin.  Could he still be her husband?  ¡°Are you my husband?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I am.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t marry Amanda?¡±  She saw him shake his head.  ¡°The book said you did.¡±

    He walked to her bed and sat down on it.  ¡°What book?¡±  He couldn¡¯t believe they were talking about some damn book again.

    ¡°The one on the floor,¡± she said, then pointing to where she¡¯d thrown the book earlier.

    He stood and went to retrieve the book, bringing it with him as he returned to the bed.  He looked down at it, and saw it was the same exact book from her apartment.  ¡°Ambria,¡± he started as he looked up at her, but quickly stopped when he saw her fall over sideways in the bed.  ¡°Ambria,¡± he called as he touched her arm.  When he couldn¡¯t get her to respond, he ran out of the room hollering for help.

    Several nurses ran into the room, and two minutes later, Ambria was being rushed back into surgery.  Later he was told Ambria had suffered a blood clot to her brain, and they had operated to remove the blockage.  If he hadn¡¯t been with her and reacted as quickly as he had, she probably would have died.

    Dustin waited beside Ambria¡¯s bed waiting for her to open her eyes, afraid he was going to lose his wife and their unborn child.  Three hours later, she slowly opened her eyes and looked at him.  When he saw her open her eyes, he smiled at her, praying this time she would know who she was to him.  ¡°Hello,¡± he said, waiting for her reply before he kissed her.

    Her petrified eyes stared at him.  She was concerned about the strange look he was giving her, as she was afraid she was dying and he didn¡¯t want to tell her.  ¡°Am I going to be okay now?¡±

    ¡°It depends if you know who you are.¡±

    ¡°Of course I know who I am,¡± she replied, thinking his statement was a stupid one.

    ¡°Who are you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Ambria.¡±

    ¡°Ambria who?¡±  He held his breath as he waited for her answer.

    ¡°I¡¯m Ambria Crenshaw.  You are my husband and we¡¯re expecting a baby.¡±  A horror-struck expression covered her face.  ¡°Dustin, what happened?  Did I lose the baby?¡± she cried, as her hands moved to her belly.

    Dustin quickly engulfed her into a hug.  ¡°No, sweetheart, everything is fine with you and the baby.¡±

    She waited until he¡¯d move back from her.  ¡°Why did you ask me if I knew who I was?¡±

    ¡°Do you remember anything from when you woke from the previous surgery?¡±  He didn¡¯t really want to bring this topic up, but eventually she was bound to recall what had happened.

    Ambria stared at him as she tried to remember, then a horrified gaze filled her face.  ¡°I thought you were married to Amanda, didn¡¯t I,¡± she stated, then waited for him to confirm her declaration.

    ¡°Yes, you said something about a book which said she and I were married.¡±  He grabbed the book from the bedside table and handed it to her.

    ¡°This is the same book I have at home, but this time I thought Amanda and your picture were on it and the two of you were married.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    She looked deep into his eyes.  ¡°You knew something was wrong by the way I was talking, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±  He went on to explain how he¡¯d gotten the nurse when she¡¯d collapsed.  ¡°You had a blood clot and you had to be rushed back to surgery.¡±

    ¡°You probably saved my life by your fast thinking.¡±

    ¡°I guess that means you¡¯ll have to spend the rest of your life with me to repay me for saving your life,¡± he teased.

    She smiled at him.  ¡°I guess I will.¡±

    The next few days Ambria spent recuperating and on the fifth day after her surgery, the doctor released her and she was able to go home.  She would spend the next few days quietly resting, and would return to work in a couple of weeks.

 Chapter Fifteen

    One Friday night a few weeks later, Ambria went to bed early, so tired she didn¡¯t even wake when Dustin came to bed.  Several hours later she sat up, her eyes wide and her heart thumping hard in her chest.  When she felt wetness on her cheeks, she realized she¡¯d been crying.  She glanced down at Dustin and saw he was still sleeping.  This was the first dream she¡¯d had about an adult, so she wasn¡¯t sure if it had just been a nightmare, or if someone was in trouble and needed her help.

    Afraid she would forget something important, she got out of bed and went into the other room to write down what she¡¯d remembered of her dream.  After she¡¯d written everything she could remember, she put the paper beside the phone, then returned to bed.  She hadn¡¯t seen the man¡¯s face, but she did notice the color of his hair and the car he¡¯d been driving.  As she lay there, she tried to relax by thinking about the baby and it seemed to be helping, then just before she fell back to sleep, the phone rang.

    Ambria knew who it was going to be and told Dustin to go back to sleep when he sat up, looking around dazed.  She hurried out of bed, grabbing the cordless phone with one hand before it could ring again and seizing the paper she had written about her dream with the other.

    ¡°Hello, Detective.¡±

    Martin laughed.  ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you can now see who¡¯s calling you?¡±

    She laughed back.  ¡°No, but since I had another dream, when the phone rang, I figured it was you calling.¡±

    ¡°What time did you have your dream?¡±

    ¡°It was just after midnight when I woke.¡±

    ¡°What did you dream?¡±

    ¡°It was about a man with red hair, driving a small white car, who ran off the road, but I don¡¯t know what the make or year of the car.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s all right.  It¡¯s enough to know we¡¯re talking about the same man.  Do you know what happened to him?¡±

    ¡°He was fiddling with his radio when he came upon a deer in the road.  He swerved to miss it, ran off the road, and went down an embankment.  It traveled a few feet, hit a light pole, knocking out the light, so it¡¯s dark where the car is.  He wasn¡¯t wearing a seatbelt and he hit his head on the steering wheel and he¡¯s bleeding heavily from a cut on his forehead, but he¡¯s alive.¡±

    ¡°Is he bleeding enough you think he may die?¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so.¡±

    ¡°Did you see a large amount of blood?  Do you think he may need a blood transfusion?¡±

    ¡°He might if he isn¡¯t found soon.¡±

    ¡°He has a rare blood type, so I better inform the hospital so they¡¯ll be ready for him.¡±

    ¡°I have a rare blood type too.  What is type is he?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s AB RH negative,¡± he said, irritated at her interruption.  ¡°What can you tell me about the area of the accident?¡±

    Ambria was stunned, for she knew only one percent of the population had this rare blood type.  ¡°What¡¯s the man¡¯s name?¡±

    ¡°His name is Ray Washington,¡± Martin said, being somewhat short with her, as he was anxious to find the man as soon as possible and didn¡¯t want to play twenty questions with her.

    Ambria sucked in a breath.  With the rare blood type, both of them having red hair, and his name being the same name as her father, this man could be him.  ¡°This man could be my father,¡± she said, with tears running down her cheeks.

    ¡°Ambria, that¡¯s great, but if we don¡¯t find him and he dies, it won¡¯t matter if he¡¯s your father or not.  Do you know where we can find him?¡±  When only silence reached him, he realized he¡¯d been rude to her.  ¡°I¡¯m sorry Ambria.  As much as you¡¯ve helped us, I shouldn¡¯t have snipped at you that way.  What do you know about your father?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never met him.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°Me too.¡±

    ¡°Now about let¡¯s get back to Ray.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t see enough of the area to recognize it.¡±  Tears started to build in her eyes, frustrate  she didn¡¯t know how to find the man.  ¡°Who reported him missing?¡±

    ¡°He works at Folgers Coffee downtown and was headed home.  He was supposed to call the office when he returned home, so when they didn¡¯t get his call, they knew something had happened to him.¡±

    Her first thought was this man probably wasn¡¯t her father, as her mother had told her he was going to be a doctor in St. Louis, so he wouldn¡¯t be working at a coffee factory.  ¡°Where does he live?¡±

    ¡°He lives north of the river.¡±

    ¡°What highway was he using?¡± she asked, knowing he could have used three, maybe four different routes to reach the Northland from Sixth and Broadway where the Folgers Coffee factory was located.

    ¡°We aren¡¯t sure.  Tell me what you saw before the wreck.¡±

    ¡°I saw him crossing a bridge over the Missouri River.¡±

    ¡°Did you recognize the bridge?¡± he asked, thinking how different the three bridges, which linked the north to the south were from each other.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t really see the bridge itself, but I do know shortly after he crossed it, he passed a long building on his left.¡±

    ¡°Then we could disregard the Paso Bridge since there aren¡¯t any buildings close to it.  What else do you remember?¡±

    ¡°Just passed the building, I remember seeing a flashing X on the left side of the road.  It was large, very brightly lit, and on ground level.¡±

    ¡°A flashing X shaped light?¡±  Martin was confused, as he couldn¡¯t place what that could be.  ¡°Was there were any stop lights along the road?¡±

    ¡°Not that I saw.¡±

    ¡°Then that means he didn¡¯t cross the Heart of America Bridge, which leaves the Broadway Bridge or the Fairfax Bridge.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand about the flashing X.¡±

    Martin heard someone call his name.  ¡°Just a minute.¡±

    Ambria could hear someone talking to him, but couldn¡¯t make out what was being said.

    ¡°Ambria, I was just told the downtown airport has a flashing X display.¡±

    The downtown airport was at the north end of the Broadway Bridge.

    ¡°What is it for?¡±

    ¡°One of the airport¡¯s runways is closed.  The flashing X is to help pilots know they can¡¯t land there.  Do you remember how far he traveled after he passed it before he left the road?¡±

    ¡°Not far.  I don¡¯t remember seeing the exit to Highway 9, so he has to be between the airport and that exit.¡±

    ¡°Hold on a second.¡±

    She heard more voices in the background, but couldn¡¯t make out what they were saying.

    ¡°Ambria, I¡¯ve sent some guys out.  We should know soon if he¡¯s been found.¡±

    ¡°Which hospital do you think he¡¯ll be taken to?¡±

    ¡°North Kansas City is the closest.  Meet us there as they may need your blood if he needs a transfusion.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll get dressed and meet you there.¡±

    ¡°Thanks for your help.¡±

    After they said good-bye, Ambria woke Dustin to tell him where she was going.  When she told him the man could be her father, he told her she should call her mother.  She knew she should, but she said she wanted to make sure who the man was before she mentioned him to her mother.

    They met Martin at the hospital and since Ambria was donating blood, the two men offered to do so as well since a hospital could always use blood of any type.  Then they went into the waiting room, impatiently waiting for some news on the man.

    ¡°Mr. Washington can see you now,¡± a nurse called to them.

    Martin stood with them, but told them to go on without him, as he knew this should be a private meeting.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    Ambria grabbed hold of Dustin¡¯s hand as they started down the hall.  ¡°I¡¯m scared.  What if he¡¯s my father, but doesn¡¯t want anything to do with me.¡±

    ¡°Honey, if that was true, why is he asking to see us?¡±

    ¡°Maybe no one told him I might be his daughter.¡±

    ¡°Quit thinking up problems before they happen.¡±

    As they followed the nurse to the man¡¯s room, Ambria¡¯s eyes went directly to the man in the bed and her mouth went dry.  Was this man her father?

    Ray looked at the young woman who¡¯d helped the police to locate him and gasped, surprised to see how much she looked like his younger sister.  He knew because of her rare blood type and the resemblance to his sister, Tammy, she must be his child he¡¯d never believed existed.  As he stared at her, he could feel his heart beating rapidly in his chest.

    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Ambria Crenshaw,¡± she said, then turned to the man who¡¯d entered the room with her.  ¡°This is my husband, Dustin.  I don¡¯t have any DNA proof, but I believe you¡¯re my father,¡± she said, her voice breaking as she spoke.

    ¡°I believe you¡¯re right.  We should be tested to be sure.¡±

    Ambria was torn, thrilled to be meeting her father for the first time, but at the same time upset knowing this was the man who had given her mother money, telling her to take care of the problem since he didn¡¯t believe a baby really existed.

    ¡°Well, if you are Ray Washington from St. Louis, who gave Melanie Adams two thousand dollars to abort his baby he refused to believe she carried, then yes, you are my father,¡± she stated hatefully.

    Ray was shocked at her cold words and was unsure how to proceed.  ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t believe your mother, as we had been very careful the few times, we were together.  Later, I¡¯d overheard a couple of guys from my dorm bragging they¡¯d slept with her too, so I figured either way, your mother was lying about being pregnant with my child.¡±

    Ambria laughed at his statement.  ¡°Have you ever heard of male boasting?  Those guys were bragging because my mother had refused to sleep with them, but they didn¡¯t want you to know she¡¯d turned them down.¡±

    ¡°Your mother told you all that?¡±  He was shocked.  ¡°Why would she tell you such intimate things?¡±

    ¡°Because I kept asking her why my father wasn¡¯t living with us like my friends¡¯ fathers were.¡±  Ambria started shaking and when tears threatened to fall, she turned and rushed out of the room, leaving Dustin behind.

    ¡°Ambria, wait,¡± Ray called after her, then his eyes turned to the man who was his daughter¡¯s husband.  ¡°How can I make it up to her?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you can.  It was hard on her growing up without a father.  Her mother got married when Ambria was ten, and Louis was a good father, but he died a few years ago.¡±

    ¡°Can you tell her how sorry I am for not believing her mother?¡±

    ¡°I can tell her, but I don¡¯t know if it will make any difference or not.¡±  Dustin felt sorry for the man in the bed, but he knew how much his rejection had hurt his wife so he didn¡¯t say any more.

    He pulled out a business card.  ¡°Could you give this to her mother?  I¡¯d like to talk to her, then maybe she could explain it to Ambria.¡±

    Dustin took hold of his business card.  ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡±  He left the man¡¯s room and went to find Ambria who was in the waiting room, pacing the floor with tears running down her cheeks.  He went to his wife and quickly pulled her into his arms.  ¡°Ambria, why did you run out of the room like that?  I thought you would want to talk to him, get to know him, and ask him questions about his life.¡±

    ¡°I did, but I got to thinking what my mother had gone through trying to raise me on her own and I got angry.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go home.  In the morning, call your mother and tell her about meeting Ray.  Ask how she feels about him and the situation of raising you by herself.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    When they got home, they return to bed, but Ambria was too keyed up to sleep, as she kept tossing and turning.  Finally, Dustin couldn¡¯t stand it any longer and reached for her.  His lips found hers and soon they were making love.  Afterwards, she put her head on his shoulder, let out a sigh, and fell into a peaceful sleep.

    The next morning Ambria woke, dressed, then hurried into the kitchen to call her mother, wanting to talk to her without Dustin being nearby.

    ¡°Hello?¡±

    ¡°Mom, I need to talk to you,¡± she said, her voice full of anguish.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±  Melanie heard Ambria¡¯s pain and was afraid something was wrong with her or the baby.

    ¡°Mom, I met Ray Washington early this morning.  He was in an accident and I was able to find him for the police, then I went to the hospital and donated blood for him.¡±  She waited for her mother to say something, but the phone line remained quiet.  ¡°Mom, aren¡¯t you going to say something?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m trying to think of the right thing to say.¡±

    ¡°Can you tell me why I grew up without him in my life.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that.  I was young, scared and my pride was hurt.  I wanted him to come to me, whether or not I was pregnant with his child.  I wanted him to tell me he was sorry, that he loved me and wanted us to get married.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you try harder to tell him about me?¡±

    ¡°After you were born, I should have taken you and gone to his house, but I lost my nerve.  The years flew by and the next thing I knew you were starting school and then I met Louis.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying it wasn¡¯t entirely his fault he wasn¡¯t in my life.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what I¡¯m saying.¡±  Melanie felt bad for what she¡¯d done to her daughter and even to Ray.  ¡°Can you ever forgive me?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± she said to reassure her mother.  ¡°Will you come to the hospital with me to see him?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I will.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll come pick you up.  Good-bye.¡±

    ¡°Bye.¡±

    Ambria hung up the phone, then went to tell Dustin what she was going to do.  She knew he wanted to drive them to the hospital, but she told him this was something the two of them needed to do alone.  When she got to her mother¡¯s house, she just honked the horn and her mother ran out to the car.  They said hello and gave each other a quick hug, then the two women were quiet during the trip to the hospital.  When they reached Ray¡¯s room, Ambria knocked on the door.

    ¡°Come in,¡± Ray called.

    Ambria took hold of her mother¡¯s hand and the two women entered his room.

    Ray didn¡¯t need to ask who the older woman was as he recognized her.  As he watched in silence, the two women came closer to his bed, and he thought about how the years had been good to her.  ¡°Hello, Melanie.¡±

    ¡°Hello, Ray.¡±

    ¡°Thank you both for coming.  I must say, I¡¯m surprise to see you, especially after the last time you were here,¡± he said to Ambria.

    ¡°I thought it was best if all three of us were together for this discussion,¡± Ambria told him.

    Ray nodded, wishing their lives had been different for them.  ¡°I say it¡¯s way past due.¡±  He watched as Melanie and Ambria sat down in the chairs next to his bed.  ¡°I guess an apology is in order,¡± he said, meaning himself since he was the one who hadn¡¯t believed Melanie when she¡¯d told him about the baby.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Melanie said, giving him a weak smile.

    He laughed.  ¡°I didn¡¯t mean you, I meant me.  I¡¯m sorry, Melanie.  I knew you weren¡¯t the kind of woman to sleep around or tell lies.  I should have never believed Tom or Jack¡¯s stories about you.¡±

    ¡°I should have tried harder for you to believe me about the baby.¡±  She looked over at her daughter.  ¡°All you have to do is look at her and you can see a female version of you.¡±

    ¡°I think she looks like Tammy.¡±

    She nodded at his comment.  ¡°How is your family doing?¡±

    ¡°Tammy and her husband, John, have two boys.¡±

    She wanted him to mention a wife, but he didn¡¯t.  ¡°Are you married?¡±

    ¡°I was once, but divorced a few years later.¡±

    ¡°Do you have any children?¡±

    ¡°A daughter,¡± he said as looked over at Ambria.  ¡°She¡¯s a beautiful young woman, and I think her mother did a wonderful of raising her.  Do you think we could start over?¡±

    Ambria nodded, unable to speak, as her throat was too dry to form any words.

    ¡°Tell me something about yourself.  I know you¡¯re married, but I not sure how you were able to tell the police where to find me.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to explain, but I¡¯ll try.¡±  Ambria told him everything except about her going into the book and now living a different person¡¯s life.

    ¡°Did you become a doctor?¡±  Melanie asked him.

    He laughed loudly.  ¡°After I took a few pre-med classes, I found I hated it.  I got an engineering degree and right now, I¡¯m working downtown at Folgers Coffee.  What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m working at a publishing firm.¡±

    ¡°You always did love reading.¡±

    They had a nice visit, but soon Ambria said it was time for them to leave.  They said their good-byes, then they started for the door.

    ¡°Melanie, wait a minute,¡± Ray called.

    Melanie stopped to look at him.  ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Can you stay a bit longer?¡± he asked softly.

    Melanie looked at her daughter, then back at him.  ¡°Why do you want me to stay?¡±

    ¡°I would like to get to know you again,¡± he said, his eyes telling her more than his words had.

    ¡°Ambria, you go on home.  I¡¯m going to stay here for a while.¡±

    Ambria wanted to say something about her mother spending time with her father, but then quickly decided they were both single adults, it wasn¡¯t her place to say they want they could or couldn¡¯t do.  If there was a chance they both might find happiness together, then she wasn¡¯t going to try to prevent it.

    ¡°Call me when you need a ride home.¡±  She kissed her mother, then left.

    When Ambria got home, she told Dustin about the visit, saying her mother had stayed to talk to her father.

    ¡°How would you feel if they got involved again?¡±

    She smiled at her husband.  ¡°I really don¡¯t know, but I do know I¡¯m not going to do anything to prevent them from renewing their relationship if that¡¯s what they want.  I know my mother truly loved him once, in fact, she may have never stopped loving him.¡±

    He pulled her into his arms.  ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re taking this so well.¡±

    ¡°I might not have been as forgiving if you weren¡¯t in my life,¡± she informed him, giving his a warm smile.

    He gave her a puzzled look.  ¡°How¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°I love you so much that I would do just about anything to keep you in my life.¡±

    He gave her a sweet smile.  ¡°Even sex,¡± he whispered softly, then wiggled his eyebrows at her.

    She laughed.  ¡°Yes, even sex.¡±

    ¡°Now?¡± he asked hopefully.

    She laughed again.  ¡°Dustin, it isn¡¯t even noon yet.¡±

    ¡°What does the time have anything to do with it?¡±

    She took hold of his hand.  ¡°It doesn¡¯t,¡± she said, while pulling him behind her as she started towards their bedroom.  Once there, she slowly undressed while keeping her eyes on his body.

    By the time he removed his last piece of clothing, she still had her bra and panties on.  He came to her and took hold of each of her hands.  ¡°Let me.¡±

    She wanted to do it herself, but didn¡¯t want to disappoint him.  ¡°All right,¡± she said, moving her hands away from her remaining clothing.

    He put his hands to the back of her bra and tried to unhook it.  ¡°Damn, I¡¯ll never get the hand of undoing one of these.  How come you can undo it so easily?¡±

    Ambria giggled.  ¡°Maybe if you¡¯ve undid one as many times as I have, it would be easier.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± he said, giving her a sexy grin, ¡°you can quit wearing one all together.¡±

    She shook her head at his comment.  ¡°I don¡¯t think so.  Since I¡¯ve gotten pregnant, my breasts have become sensitive, and the last thing I¡¯d want is for them to be hanging freely and bouncing around.¡±

    Dustin laughed as he removed her bra, then he quickly covered her breasts with his hands and began caressing them.  When she sighed, he brought his lips to hers.  ¡°I love you,¡± he whispered, slowly moving her backwards towards the bed.  ¡°Tell me want you what.¡±

    ¡°Oh Dustin,¡± she purred against his lips.  ¡°You.  I want you,¡± she said holding him tightly against her.

    ¡°Your wish is my command.¡±

    When at last their passion had been spent, they laid there with Ambria¡¯s head on his shoulder, playing with his chest hairs.

    ¡°Ambria, when do we have to quit making love because of the baby?¡±

    ¡°The doctor said we can make love as long it isn¡¯t painful for me.¡±

    He leaned up to look at her.  ¡°I thought you were to quit six weeks before the baby was due.¡±

    ¡°That used to be true, but now the doctors say sex can help speed up labor.¡±

    His eyes widened.  ¡°The doctor wants you to have sex while you¡¯re in labor?¡± he asked, completely shocked at her statement.

    ¡°If the man doesn¡¯t mind having sex with a whale, then I guess you could.¡±

    Dustin tightened his arm around her.  ¡°You aren¡¯t going to look like a whale.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know that.¡±

    ¡°How much weight are you planning on gaining?¡±

    ¡°I think twenty to thirty pounds is the usually amount, so I guess somewhere in that range.¡±

    ¡°No matter how much you gain, I¡¯ll still love you.¡±  His hand moved to her breast.  ¡°Would you like me to prove it to you?¡±

    ¡°If you can, big boy,¡± she teased, putting her hand on his penis, while bringing her lips to his.

 Chapter Sixteen

    The next few months passed quickly for Ambria, as she kept busy with her job and Dustin.  She enjoyed working for Chad so much more than she had with Vernon and she and Amanda had become friends.

    Her parents had started dating shortly after Ray was released from the hospital and Melanie had been hinting lately that marriage might be in their future.  Ambria was trying to accept Ray into her life for her mother¡¯s sake.  She was happy for her mother, but was still having a hard time not to blame Ray for not being in her life as she grew up.  Her mother knew where Ray lived all along and could have taken her to see him at any time, but to her it was still Ray¡¯s fault.

    She was still helping the police department on a regular basis.  Sometimes the situations were so stressful and emotional it was almost too much for her, but finding a lost child safe, more than compensated her for any stress she went through.  She had really been surprised after her last surgery she still had this capability, but she didn¡¯t question it any more, instead she learned to accept her ability as a good thing.

    She still didn¡¯t know who the leak at the police department was, but since the media hadn¡¯t given out her name or anything personal about her, she felt she was safe from them finding out she was the one helping.  Then one day Martin made a comment that lead her to believe maybe he was the leak, as he mentioned something about wanting her to get some sort of credit for all the help she given them.  She hadn¡¯t questioned him about it, but simply said she didn¡¯t want anyone to know she was the one helping.

    Dustin kept a close eye on her, making sure she went to all her checkup, and when all the tests showed she was tumor free; he began to relax.  In fact, they both did.  They changed the spare room into a nursery, then started buying all the supplies an infant would need during its first few months of life.

    As her due date came closer, she told Chad she was quitting to stay at home with the baby.  He told her he hated to see her go, but understood why she wanted to be home full-time with her baby.  She helped train her replacement, the company gave her a beautiful baby shower, and then she worked her last day with the company.

    The first day of her unemployment, she started working on crocheting an exquisite baby afghan, then met Dustin at noon and they had a nice lunch.  When she returned home, she lay down and took a nice long afternoon nap.  When she woke two hours later, she began to pack her bag for the hospital.  She double-checked to make sure she packed a bottle of shampoo, as a woman at work had told her hand soap wasn¡¯t a good substitute when it came to washing one¡¯s hair, she added a nursing gown and an outfit for the baby for when they came home.

    On the morning of her due date, she woke up and started the day as any other, except today she felt marvelous.  She didn¡¯t feel bulky and uncoordinated, instead she felt she could clean the whole house, and that¡¯s exactly what she did.  It never dawned on her she was in the nesting phase of labor and that soon her contractions would start.  She fixed supper and when Dustin came home, she had a lovely meal ready.

    While Dustin cleared the kitchen, Ambria took her shower, and because she was in there when her water broke, she was unaware it had happened.  She finished her shower and dried off, and had just put her clothes back on when she felt a twinge.  At first, she wasn¡¯t sure what she¡¯d felt and when the feeling came again, she realized it was the same sort of stitch, she¡¯d been having all day, only stronger.  She quickly forgot about it as she left the bathroom to join Dustin in the living room to watch television.

    During the next hour, Ambria couldn¡¯t find a comfort way to sit and was up frequently to use the bathroom.  All the other times Ambria had returned from the bathroom, Dustin had been busy watching the program and hadn¡¯t been paying much attention to her.  This time there was a commercial on when she returned and when he looked at her and saw her painful expression, he knew something was wrong.

    ¡°Honey, are you okay?¡±  She sat down next to him on the couch and he put his hand on top of her extended belly.  A contraction shot through her, causing the baby to kick furiously and Dustin jumped, jerking his hand away.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think dinner settled right with me,¡± she grumbled as she rubbed her belly.

    ¡°Ambria,¡± he said taking hold of her hand, ¡°isn¡¯t there something you need to tell me,¡± he inquired, thinking she knew she was in labor.

    Her innocent eyes looked over at him.  ¡°What would that be?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you know?¡±  His eyes watched her closely as he waited for her to answer his question.

    ¡°Dustin, I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t feel like playing twenty questions with you tonight,¡± she retorted sharply.

    ¡°Honey,¡± he said softly into her ear, ¡°you¡¯re in labor.¡±

    She laughed at him.  ¡°How would you know that, when I don¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°Because you aren¡¯t listening to your body.  You told me at dinner about all the cleaning you¡¯ve done today, with that and I just felt a contraction, I think you¡¯re in labor.  Didn¡¯t you feel it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been have those twinges all day,¡± she said, not realizing what these twinges meant.

    His eyes widened at her statement.  ¡°You¡¯re kidding.  Have you timed any of them?¡±

    ¡°I really haven¡¯t given them much thought since I¡¯ve been so busy cleaning today.¡±

    ¡°Maybe we should start timing them since we really don¡¯t want you to give birth in our living room.¡±

    She laughed.  ¡°You really think the baby is coming today.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I do.  Why don¡¯t you?¡±  He watched her closely, wondering if maybe she wasn¡¯t ready to have this baby.

    ¡°Mom told me she was a week late with me, so I figured my baby would be too.¡±

    He laughed at her absurd comment.  ¡°Honey, that isn¡¯t the way this sort of thing work.¡±

    ¡°How would you know?¡±This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    ¡°I¡¯ve read a few articles on labor.¡±  He stood.  ¡°Don¡¯t go anywhere.¡±

    ¡°Dustin where are you going?  Don¡¯t leave me,¡± she called, her arms reaching out to him.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to get the kitchen timer.¡±  He left the room and when he returned, he had a timer with him.  ¡°Okay, I¡¯m ready when you are.¡±

    Ambria took hold of his hand and gave it a hard squeeze when another contraction traveled across her abdomen, then when it was over; she let out a breath, and released her tight grip she had on his hand.  ¡°Start timing.¡±

    They did this for about half an hour, and as the time passed, they realized they¡¯d probably have a baby by this time tomorrow.

    ¡°Are you ready to call the doctor?¡± he asked, when the contraction were six minutes apart.

    ¡°No,¡± she stated firmly, refusing to look at him.

    ¡°Why not?¡± he asked as he gently grabbed hold of her chin and moved it towards him.

    Her tear filled eyes gazed into his.  ¡°I¡¯m afraid.¡±

    He reached for her and pulled into a firm hug.  ¡°Why are you afraid?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m going to die.¡±

    ¡°Honey, why would you think that?¡±  A tear ran down her cheek and he wiped it away with his thumb.  ¡°What¡¯s going on in that head of yours?¡±

    She looked away from him before responding.  ¡°I haven¡¯t told you something I should have.¡±  She looked back at him.  ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m going to die because the headaches are back.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± he shouted at her.  ¡°How long have you been having them?¡±

    ¡°For the last month,¡± she replied softly, ¡°and each day they¡¯re worse than the day before.¡±

    ¡°You have at least told your doctor, haven¡¯t you?¡±  After he asked the question, he shook his head thinking, of course she¡¯d told her doctor.

    ¡°No,¡± she cried.

    ¡°Why not?  Didn¡¯t you think he should know?¡±

    ¡°I thought he would want me to abort the baby,¡± she said, sobbing into her hands.

    Dustin moved her hands away and kissed her forehead.  ¡°Just because you¡¯re having headaches doesn¡¯t necessary mean the tumor has returned.  It could be caused by something else,¡± he told her gently.

    Relieved to think he could be right, a small smiled slowly covered her face.  ¡°You really think so?  Like what?¡±  Her eyes looked deeply into his.

    ¡°Honey, it could have something to do with you being pregnant, a sign something is wrong and needs fixing.¡±

    She jerked back.  ¡°Oh, my God!  You think I may have done something to harm our baby?¡±

    He tenderly pulled her back into his arms.  ¡°Sweetheart, I¡¯m sure your doctor would have found something if anything was seriously wrong with you or the baby.  You¡¯ve been going to see him every week this past month.  He¡¯s aware of your past medical history, I¡¯m sure if something wasn¡¯t right, he would have noticed.¡±

    ¡°I should have told him about the headaches,¡± she mumbled.

    ¡°You should have told the doctor and me about them,¡± he stated forcefully.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she whined against his chest.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry too, I shouldn¡¯t have yelled at you.  I know how scared you must have been thinking the tumor has returned.¡±

    ¡°You know you could be wrong, the tumor could be back,¡± she said so softly she wasn¡¯t sure if he heard her or not.

    He tightly squeezed her hand.  ¡°Ambria, let¡¯s not create problems.  Just call the doctor and let¡¯s get to the hospital,¡± he said moving away from her and pushing her towards the phone.

    The doctor and both set of parents were called, then they got into the car and headed for the hospital.  Ambria was checked in, and then taken to a room where a nurse helped her change into a hospital gown and get into bed, then she checked to see how far she was dilated.

    When she was done, she told Ambria she thought the baby would be arrive sometime in the next three or four hours.  She hooked Ambria up to an external fetal monitor, then left the room and Dustin came in to sit with her.  The nurse returned several times to check to see how far she was dilated, and an hour, the nurse told her, she was seven centimeters and at the rate she was progressing, the baby should be here in the next hour or so.

    <h2>Finally, the time came for Ambria to be prepped for delivery.  She had just gotten her feet into the stirrups when her obstetrician, Dr. Truman Parker, walked into the room.  They talked for a few seconds, then she had the strong urge to push.  Three minutes later, Brooklyn Nicole was delivered into the waiting hands of the doctor.  He clamped off the cord, but before he could cut it, the nurse was shouting the patient¡¯s blood pressure was dropping.  He quickly cut the cord, handed the baby to Dustin, then told him to move back out of the way.</h2>

    <h2>¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong.  Everything was going so well,¡± the doctor said as he trying to stabilize Ambria.  He looked down at his hands, which were now covered with a substantial amount of blood.  ¡°Where is all this blood coming from?¡±</h2>

    <h2>¡°Ambria told me the headaches were back,¡± Dustin told him as he held his crying daughter in his arms. </h2>

    <h2>¡°When did the headaches start?¡± he asked Dustin, but didn¡¯t take his eyes off Ambria.</h2>

    <h2>¡°A month ago and they were getting worse.¡±</h2>

    ¡°Damn, I wish I¡¯d known, we would¡¯ve been more prepared.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know anything about them until today.  What do you think the cause of her problems is?¡±

    ¡°Without any blood test, my first guess would be she has preeclampsia, but I hadn¡¯t notice an unexpected weight gain or any swelling of her hands or face.  I just hope we don¡¯t lose her,¡± he exclaimed as he wiped the blood from her body.  Just as the words left his month, the nurse shouted Ambria¡¯s heart had stopped.

    Thomas started on CPR, trying to save the young woman¡¯s life he worked on her non-stop for ten minutes.

    ¡°Dr. Parker, she¡¯s gone.  You¡¯ve done all you can for her,¡± the nurse told the doctor, laying a hand on his shoulder.

    The doctor looked at Dustin standing against the wall and saw the man crying.  ¡°I¡¯m not going to give up on her just yet.¡±

    ¡°Sir, you¡¯ve been trying to revive her for over ten minutes.¡±

    ¡°I want another two minutes,¡± he said, then called out an order for the nurse to administer some more medication and continued doing CPR on Ambria.

    * * *

    <h2>Ambria looked down at her own body as she floated skywards and the sight saddened her.  It was too late now to save her, but how she wished she¡¯d told the doctor about the headaches, then maybe she wouldn¡¯t be in the predicament she was in now.</h2>

    She was amazed at how hard the doctor was working to save her life.  She looked away from the doctor and found Dustin sobbing against the wall, then she looked to the crying infant in his arms who was her daughter.  A warm glow filled her heart as she took in the sight of her redheaded newborn child, thinking she was simply beautiful.  Now she wished more than ever she¡¯d told her doctors about her headaches.

    Even though Dr. Parker was fighting hard to save her life, it was too late to save her.  She laughed aloud, she had changed her life by going into the book she¡¯d been reading, survived being shot, two tumors and a blood clot, only to lose her husband she loved, her new daughter and her life because she¡¯d been too afraid to tell anyone about the headaches returning.  She felt something sucking at her feet, and she tried to fight it, but the vacuum was too strong for her, and then she was suck away like smoke through a fan.

    * * *

    ¡°Dr. Parker, you did everything you could for her.¡±

    ¡°I want an autopsy done immediately.  I want to know exactly why we lost this young woman.  She was bleeding heavily after the baby¡¯s birth, so I figure something must have ruptured, but I¡¯m not sure what it could have been.¡±  Dr. Parker looked down at the child in Dustin¡¯s arms.  ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for your loss.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Karen, come take this child and get her cleaned up.¡±  He turned back to Dustin.  ¡°If you go to the waiting room, someone will be out to get you once your daughter is ready for visitors.¡±

    Dustin nodded, then turned and walked through the door he¡¯d happily entered just moments before.  He felt numb.  His wife was gone and it was going to be up to him to raise their daughter on his own.  Of course, he knew he would have help from their families, but the day-to-day care of her would be up to him.

    While he waited to see his daughter, he called their parents to tell them the bad news.  Ambria¡¯s parents said they would be right there, and his parents would arrive in the morning.  He called work and told Chad about Ambria, saying he needed more than three days to come to terms to what had happened.  Once that was done, he began to cry, wondering how he was going to live without Ambria.

 Chapter Seventeen

    Ambria opened her eyes and looked around the room, surprised to see she was lying in her own bed at home.  She turned her head quickly to look beside her and a sob escaped as she looked at Dustin sleeping beside her.  She reached out and lightly touched his hand as multiple questions filled her head, but unless she woke Dustin, she wouldn¡¯t get the answers she needed.

    She wondered if she was human again or still some sort of spirit.  When she looked down at her body, she was startled to see she was still pregnant and was mystified.  What did this mean?  Suddenly a bright flash of lighting filled the room, and then an unusually loud clap of thunder was heard overhead, one the loudest thunder boom she¡¯d ever heard in her life.  Except for the one, the one she¡¯d heard during that last storm they¡¯d had.

    It was then she realized what this thunder represented.  There had been a terrible thunderstorm on the morning her headaches had returned and today was that day.  Somehow, she¡¯d been given a second chance, but this time she was going to tell her husband about the headaches and she would call her doctor as soon as his office opened to make an appointment.

    ¡°Ambria, what¡¯s wrong?¡±  Dustin had been watching Ambria without her knowing it, enjoying just the sight of her, but when he saw her perplexed expression, he became concerned.

    Before she could respond to his question, she felt the first twinge of a headache, just as it had happened the first time she¡¯d lived this day.  ¡°Dustin, I¡¯m afraid the headaches are back,¡± she whispered.

    Dustin put his arm around her.  ¡°Make an appointment and I¡¯ll go with you.¡±

    Ambria started crying.  She wished she could tell him what happened the first time she lived this experience, but she didn¡¯t think he would want to know she¡¯d died, leaving him to raise their daughter alone.  At least now, she knew what Brooklyn would look like, which caused her to smile.

    At breakfast, she was so nervous about calling the doctor that she couldn¡¯t eat any of her breakfast, afraid she was going to be sick.

    Dustin¡¯s eyes studied her as she played with her food, trying to figure out what she was hiding.  She knew something, but he couldn¡¯t figure out what it could be.  ¡°Ambria, why do I get this weird feeling you know something I don¡¯t.¡±

    She looked at him with an expression of guilt as she thought of what had happened to her before, but she wasn¡¯t sure how to explain it to him.  ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can explain it.¡±

    ¡°Well, you could at least try,¡± he commented, his eyes sadly looking at her.

    She looked away from his intense glare, fighting to keep her tears from falling.  ¡°I don¡¯t know if I had a premonition or just a realistic dream.¡±  She looked at him and saw he was attentively listening to her.  ¡°Well, whatever it was, the first time the headaches returned, I didn¡¯t tell anyone about them,¡± she stopped and grabbed hold of his hand, ¡°and I died shortly after Brooklyn was born.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± he asked, his voice trembling, as he tightly squeezed her hand.

    ¡°After the baby was born, my blood pressure dropped and then my heart stopped.  The doctor tried to restart it, but it was no use because I was bleeding heavily.  I died and as I floated away, I could see you and the baby, and then I sort of vanished in thin air.¡±

    Dustin just stared at her as he tried to comprehend all what she was telling him.  ¡°So you¡¯re saying you¡¯re going to die,¡± he muttered, his heart filling with despair.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.  It depends on if what I had was a premonition or just a dream.¡±

    ¡°What is your best guess?¡±

    ¡°I think it was a warning, letting me know I should tell the doctor about the headaches.¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s exactly what we¡¯re going to do today.¡±

    At straight up nine o¡¯clock, Ambria called to make an appointment with Dr. Parker and was surprised when she got an appointment to see him that day.  When she got off the phone, Dustin called work to say he wouldn¡¯t be in.  Ambria tried to tell him he didn¡¯t need to take the entire day off, but he wouldn¡¯t listen.

    She explained to Dr. Parker about the headache returning, but left out the part of dreaming she died.  He ran several tests for preeclampsia and they all came back negative, but he wasn¡¯t surprised, since she didn¡¯t have any of the symptoms.  He did another sonogram and everything showed the baby was doing well.  Of course, Ambria already knew the baby was all right, as it was she, who had something wrong, not the baby.  The doctor informed them he thought it was best if she went to see Dr. Howard and have him run some tests, maybe he could find what was causing her headaches.  She called the other doctor¡¯s office from Dr. Parker¡¯s office and was able to get an appointment for the next morning.

    That night in bed, Ambria laid in her husband¡¯s embrace, relieved today¡¯s adventure had ended as well as it had, she let out a sigh.  ¡°I¡¯m not going to worry about tomorrow¡¯s appointment.¡±

    He grabbed hold of her hand and gave it a hard squeeze.  ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear it.¡±

    One minute they were snuggling and the next, he was making love to her, causing her to think life didn¡¯t get much better than this.

    The next morning the two of them went to Dr. Howard office.  He ordered several test, then they sat together in the waiting room to wait for the results of the test.

    After they sat down, Dustin took hold of her hand.  ¡°It¡¯s going to be all right,¡± he said, giving her had a tight squeeze.

    ¡°I wish I could agree, but I have an uneasy feeling there¡¯s going to be another tumor.¡±

    ¡°Just because you¡¯re having headaches again, doesn¡¯t mean you have a brain tumor.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say it was going to be a brain tumor,¡± she commented without looking at him.

    He turned her face towards him with the tip of his finger.  ¡°Do you want to elaborate on that comment?¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    ¡°The test they did today was different than the others I¡¯ve had.¡±

    ¡°How do you mean?¡±  Panic filled Dustin at her comment.

    ¡°The test included more of my body this time, not just my head.¡±

    ¡°So you think they¡¯re looking for a tumor someplace other than your head.¡±

    She looked at him with tears filling her eyes.  ¡°Yes,¡± she said.

    When the outer door opened and Dr. Howard stepped in with an unsmiling face, they knew he had bad news for them.

    ¡°No,¡± Ambria cried out.

    Dr. Howard hurried to her and took hold of her hand.  ¡°Let go into my office where we can talk.¡±

    She nodded as Dustin took hold of her hand to help her stand, then they left the waiting room.

    Dr. Howard waited until Ambria was sitting before speaking.  ¡°Your brain was tumor free, but we did find tumors in both of your ovaries.¡±

    ¡°Would those cause me to have headaches?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡±

    ¡°What are we going to do?¡±

    ¡°I think we should take the baby, then remove the tumors.¡±

    Ambria started crying, thinking by his statement he wanted her to abort her child.  ¡°No, I refuse to kill my baby to save myself.¡±

    ¡°Ambria, I wasn¡¯t taking about an abortion.  I meant we should do a caesarean.  You¡¯re almost thirty-six weeks; you¡¯re far enough along that the baby would survive.¡±

    ¡°Why can¡¯t I have the baby naturally?¡±

    ¡°Labor might put too much stress on your body.  If the tumors in your ovaries should rupture, you may bleed to death.¡±

    When Ambria¡¯s dream quickly came to her, she remembered all the blood she¡¯d seen on the doctor¡¯s hands, and knew what he suggested would be best.  ¡°That will be fine.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure, sweetheart?¡±  Dustin asked her, worried if this was the right decision.

    She turned to look at him.  ¡°The dream,¡± she whispered to him.

    Dustin turned to the doctor.  ¡°Set up the procedure as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll call you as soon as I know when it¡¯s going to be.  Now you two go out and have a night on the town.  Within a few days you are going to have a new baby and won¡¯t be able to go out as easily.¡±

    Ambria took hold of Dr. Howard¡¯s hand.  ¡°Thank you.¡±

    He squeezed her hand, nodded, then stood.  ¡°I¡¯ll be in touch.¡±

    When the couple arrived home from taking in a movie and eating out, there was a message on their answering machine from Dr. Parker telling them Ambria¡¯s surgery was scheduled for tomorrow morning at ten.

    Ambria called her mother to tell her about having a caesarean in the morning, explaining she was having the surgery because there was a problem with her ovaries.  Ambria called her father on his cell phone to tell him about the surgery, but when he didn¡¯t seem surprised by her news, she figured he must be sitting in her mother¡¯s living room with her and she¡¯d already told him about the operation.  Dustin called his parent and told them that tomorrow they were going to be grandparents, and Sharon told him she and his father would be there for the birth.

    The next morning, Ambria and Dustin arrived at the hospital before their parents.  She was taken to a room to wait until it was time.  Dustin¡¯s parents arrived and the four of them visited until a nurse came for her.  Dustin quickly put on scrubs, then followed Ambria¡¯s bed out the door.  As Ambria¡¯s bed rolled out into the hall, her parents showed up.

    ¡°I had planned to be in the labor room with you,¡± Melanie cried.  ¡°Now I won¡¯t be able to be in there with you.¡±

    ¡°I wanted you with me too, but maybe you can for the next baby,¡± she said, praying there would be a next time.  ¡°Dustin will be with me and he¡¯ll take a lot of pictures.  At least I¡¯ll be awake during the procedure.  It won¡¯t be too long before I¡¯ll be holding my daughter.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±  Melanie wanted to say more, but couldn¡¯t as her emotions was causing her throat to close up.  She fought back her tears, then she gave her daughter¡¯s hand a quick squeeze.

    ¡°It¡¯s time to go,¡± the orderly called out.

    Her parents each kissed her good-bye, then they moved back as they watched her bed be wheeled away.  When Ambria entered the delivery room, Dr. Parker was waiting for her.  They got her ready, then the procedure was started.  The baby was delivered, then quickly taken away by a nurse to be cleaned and weighed.  Then the surgeon began checking her ovaries.

    ¡°Damn,¡± Dr. Parker said under his breath.

    Ambria¡¯s hand tightened on Dustin¡¯s hand.  ¡°Dr. Parker, what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Ambria.  Your situation is worse than the test showed.  Your ovaries are so full of tumors I won¡¯t be able to save them.  Maybe if we had found out about them sooner we could have done something to save them, but now . . .¡±  He felt so terrible this young woman wasn¡¯t going to be able to have any more children, he couldn¡¯t continue speaking.

    Ambria gave him a weak smile.  ¡°It¡¯s all right Dr. Parker.  I have a beautiful daughter, that¡¯s more than some women have.¡±  That and she were going to live.

    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right.  I need to put you under before continuing with your surgery.  I¡¯m sorry, your husband will have to leave.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±  She turned to look at Dustin.  ¡°Can I have a kiss before you leave?¡±

    Dustin bent over and gave her a kiss.  ¡°I love you.  Thank you for my beautiful daughter.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for giving her to me.¡±

    Dustin went to the waiting room to inform their parents about their new granddaughter and about Ambria¡¯s tumors.  Melanie cried when she heard her daughter wouldn¡¯t ever have another baby, and Dustin told her Ambria had accepted the news bravely.

    After Ambria was returned to her room, Dustin remained at her side, sitting there waiting for her to wake up.  When she woke, he called the nurse to bring them their child.  The nurse entered the room and laid the infant in her mother¡¯s waiting arms.

    Ambria looked at her daughter and smiled, then she looked up at Dustin.  ¡°What did the doctor say?¡±

    ¡°This time they¡¯re sure they have gotten all the tumors.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad.¡±

    ¡°They want you to have regular tests to make sure none of the tumors has returned.¡±  He took hold of her hand and looked deeply into her eyes.  ¡°I¡¯m sorry you can¡¯t have any more children.¡±

    ¡°Dustin, I¡¯m alive and we have a lovely daughter, that¡¯s all that matters.¡±

    ¡°I know, but I still feel bad.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t.  There are enough children in this world already.  If we decide we want another child, we can take in a foster child or adopt, but for now I just want to enjoy Brooklyn.¡±

    Dustin was proud at how well Ambria was taking the news of her never having another child.

    A few days later, Ambria and Brooklyn were able to go home, and after she laid the baby down for a nap, she laid down too.  When Martin called to check on Ambria¡¯s health, Dustin told him she was doing well and was resting.  When the detective asked to speak with Ambria, Dustin refused let him talk to her, afraid the phone call would upset her.

    ¡°You want to explain why I can¡¯t talk to Ambria?¡±  Martin asked coldly.

    ¡°I know you¡¯re calling to see if she¡¯s had any dreams.  Since she hasn¡¯t, I know if she knew there was a child out there who needed her assistance and she couldn¡¯t help, she would be upset.  That¡¯s something she doesn¡¯t need right now.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know that for sure, maybe she has had one but hasn¡¯t told you.¡±

    ¡°No, I know she hasn¡¯t any dreams because she made a point of telling me she hadn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°So you think her ability to see lost children is gone for good?¡±

    ¡°Yes, we do, but if she should have any kind of a dream about a child, you¡¯ll be the first one we¡¯ll call.  I wish you luck in finding the child you¡¯re looking for.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡±  Martin disconnected the phone, then sat there frowning as he looked out his window.  He hated the thought of not having Ambria¡¯s help anymore to find the missing children, but thankful she had helped with as many children as she had.

    When Ambria woke from her nap, she went to find her husband.  ¡°Dustin, who was on the phone earlier?¡±

    Dustin looked at her.  ¡°It was a wrong number,¡± he said without batting an eye.

    Ambria had the feeling he was lying to her, but couldn¡¯t think why he would, then it dawn on her that Martin must have called.  Realizing Dustin was just trying to spare her some pain, she understood why he¡¯d lied to her.  She leaned over and kissed his cheek.  ¡°I did what I could when I had the ability to help.  Now it¡¯s all in the hands of the police and God.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it is.  I¡¯m sorry I lied to you.¡±

    ¡°I understand why you did.¡±

    A baby¡¯s cry was heard from the other room, and Dustin left the room to retrieve their daughter for Ambria.  He sat beside Ambria as she nursed their child, smiling at knowing she was with him and would be helping raise their daughter.

 Epilogue

    Twenty-two years later

    Ambria was having a nightmare about Brooklyn, which caused her to toss and turn in her bed.  Her daughter in trouble and she knew it was up to her to save her child.  The situation was coming to a climax, but before she could rescue Brooklyn, Dustin¡¯s alarm went off and the dream ended.  As she woke, the fear from the dream, remained with her.

    Dustin saw her petrified expression as soon as he opened her eyes.  ¡°A bad dream?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it was about Brooklyn.¡±  Her eyes were filled with tears.

    ¡°That bad?¡± he asked, his hand grabbing hold of hers.

    ¡°She was in serious trouble, but I woke before I knew how it ended.¡±  Tears began running down her cheeks.

    ¡°Tell me what happened,¡± he muttered, handing her a tissue.

    ¡°A corrupt police officer had arrested her on a bogus stolen car charge.  He forced her into his vehicle, planning to take her to a secluded spot to rape her.¡±

    Dustin quickly pulled her into his arms.  ¡°What an awful dream!¡±

    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s going to happen?¡±

    Dustin¡¯s eyes looked deeply into hers.  ¡°You haven¡¯t had any of those dreams since the day she was born, so I doubt it.  Maybe it was just an ordinary nightmare,¡± he said hopefully.

    ¡°I hope you¡¯re right.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t worry about it.¡±  He gave her a hard kiss.  ¡°Now, let¡¯s get ready for work.¡±

    Ambria had returned to Highland Industries when Brooklyn had started school and the timing had been perfect for her, as Chad¡¯s assistant had retired and Ambria was rehired for her old job.

    They got ready for the day, got into Dustin¡¯s car, and started towards work.  As the day progress, Ambria¡¯s dream faded from her mind and she forgot all about dreaming about her daughter being in trouble.

    That night after dinner, she had an errand to run, but Dustin decided to stay home to watch television, so she went without him.  Brooklyn was due home at any minutes, but Ambria wanted to run her errand without her daughter.  She was going to make Brooklyn an afghan for her college graduation gift and wanted to pick out some yarn.

    Ambria had just gotten onto 169 Highway when she noticed Brooklyn¡¯s car was parked alongside of the road with a police car parked behind her.  Thinking her car must have broken down, Ambria stopped to see if she could help.  She carefully stepped out of her car as vehicles zoomed passed on the highway, then she started walking towards the police car.

    When she got close enough, she glanced into the police car, and was shocked to see Brooklyn sitting in the back seat of the squad car with her hands handcuffed in front of her.  Something wasn¡¯t right with this situation she thought, then a strong feeling of d¨¦j¨¤ vu surged through her head, forcing her to reach out to take hold of the side of the car.  She took a step back when the police officer got out of his vehicle and started towards her.

    ¡°Ma¡¯am, you need to return to your car.¡±

    ¡°I stopped to see if I could be of some help,¡± Ambria told the officer, but something stopped her from telling him she was the mother of his prisoner.

    ¡°This is a police matter.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±  Ambria couldn¡¯t imagine how this could be a police matter.

    ¡°The car she was driving had been reported as stolen, since it isn¡¯t her car, I¡¯ve arrested her,¡± the officer told her.

    Ambria was stunned by his words.  How could this car have been reported stolen?  The car was Brooklyn¡¯s, so she knew a crime hadn¡¯t been committed.  Ambria looked into police car where her daughter sat, then back at the police officer.  She wanted to say something, but didn¡¯t want to make matters worse for her daughter.  ¡°I guess I¡¯m not needed here.¡±

    ¡°No, ma¡¯am, you aren¡¯t,¡± he replied coldly.

    Ambria turned and quickly returned to her car, and then stuck her hands-free connector into her cell phone, as she watched the officer return to his car.  She dialed Brooklyn¡¯s cell number, hoping she would pick up so she could let her know she was nearby.

    ¡°Hello,¡± a shaky voice answered.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say anything.  Just listen, but whatever you do, don¡¯t let the officer know I¡¯m in the car behind you.  As soon as we hang up, I¡¯m calling 9-1-1.  I¡¯m going to follow you the best I can, so try not to worry.  I love you.¡±

    ¡°Me too.  I¡¯m sorry, but I won¡¯t be able to go shopping with you today.  Maybe next week.  I¡¯ll call you and we can make plans.  Bye Ambria.¡±

    Ambria¡¯s heart pounded when she heard the click of her daughter phone and their connection was gone.  Would these be the last words she ever heard from her daughter?  When the police car pulled out on to the highway, Ambria followed.  Making sure to keep a safe distance behind the vehicle, she quickly dialed 9-1-1.  When the operator picked up, Ambria quickly explained her daughter was being kidnapped by the police officer.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure the officer is probably taking her to the local police station for questioning.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand,¡± she shouted.  ¡°He said she¡¯d stolen the car.  That can¡¯t be possible because the car belongs to my daughter, so there isn¡¯t way it could have been reported as stolen.¡±

    ¡°Ma¡¯am, I wouldn¡¯t worry about it.  I¡¯m sure you just misunderstood what he meant.¡±

    When the police car didn¡¯t get off on the ramp that went to the Kansas City police station, Ambria knew for sure something was most definitely wrong.  ¡°You said the officer was taking her to the police station, then do you want to explain to me why he didn¡¯t take the Barry Road exit?¡±

    ¡°Then he must be a Gladstone police officer and he¡¯s taking her to his station,¡± the operator told Ambria.

    ¡°No, he¡¯s a Kansas City officer.¡±

    The operator told her to stay on the line with her.  Ambria tried not to panic, knowing she needed to stay calm.  Most importantly, she mustn¡¯t let the police office know she was trailing him.  As exit after exit went by, Ambria tried to figure out where he was taking her daughter.

    When the sign for the city limits of Smithville came into view, Ambria told the operator where they were heading.  Smithville was a town with a population of about fifty-five hundred people and they had a recreational park that included a large lake, a very large one.  If he took her to the park, he could disappear where anything could happen to Brooklyn.  He could rape her, kill her, and hide the body where they wouldn¡¯t find it for months.

    Ambria didn¡¯t understand why there weren¡¯t any other police cars arriving to stop this officer before he could hurt her daughter.  When she ask the operator where the police backup was, she told her they were almost there.  Just when Ambria was about to lose all hope, she finally heard the sound of the sirens behind her.

    When she saw vehicles coming up fast behind her, she was relieved to see it was another police car.  She pulled off the highway to let them pass, then she pulled back onto the road, following at a slower pace.  When she saw all the stopped police cars, she let out a loud sigh.  By the time, she halted her car, the kidnapper was being handcuffed, and Brooklyn was standing in the arms of another officer.

    Ambria quickly thanked the 9-1-1 operator for her help, said good-bye, then got out of the car.  She wanted to run to her daughter, but was afraid someone would feel she was a threat and try to stop her.  The last thing she wanted was to be accidently shot.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    When Brooklyn looked up and saw her mother, she left the officer and ran to her, hugging her tightly when they met.  Ambria held her young daughter to her as she sobbed in her arms.

    ¡°When he stopped me, I thought I was going to get a speeding ticket even though I knew I hadn¡¯t been speeding.  Once he told me why he¡¯d stopped me, I kept telling him my car wasn¡¯t stolen.  I tried to get him to look at the registration papers, but he refused.  I was so scared.¡±

    ¡°Oh, sweetheart.¡±  Ambria continued to hug her daughter to her.  ¡°Do you know what he wanted with you?¡±

    Brooklyn sobbed.  ¡°He told me he was going to rape me, saying if I reported him he would find me and kill me.  He¡¯s a police officer, so it would¡¯ve been his word against mine.¡±

    ¡°How did he act when your phone rang?¡±

    ¡°I was surprised when he told me to answer it, but he said if I said just one wrong word, I would be dead before I could hang up.¡±

    The young officer who¡¯d been comforting her, walked over them.  ¡°Brett Strickland,¡± he said, putting his hand out to Ambria.

    ¡°Ambria Crenshaw, Brooklyn¡¯s mother.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to interrupt, but we need for both of you to come to the police station and make a statement.¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course.  Thank you.¡±  Ambria turned towards Brooklyn.  ¡°We¡¯ll pick up your car after we leave the police station, but first I need to call your father and tell him we¡¯ll be home in a little bit.¡±

    They hadn¡¯t ever told Brooklyn about the ability Ambria once had or about her tumors.  It wasn¡¯t that they didn¡¯t want her to know about either situation, it was just that after Brooklyn was born, the dreams had stopped, and they got busy living their lives and all those things had been pushed to the past.

    When they left the police station, they drove to where Brooklyn¡¯s car was parked, she retrieved her car, then they headed home.  When they arrived home, they went in together to tell Dustin about Brooklyn¡¯s encounter with the dishonest police officer.

    ¡°If it hadn¡¯t been for Brett Strickland rescuing me, I think the officer who¡¯d kidnapped me,  would have killed me after he raped me.  Brett handled everything so quickly that the officer who¡¯d taken me didn¡¯t have a chance to pull out his gun,¡± Brooklyn said breathlessly.

    Ambria smiled at the slight blush on her daughter¡¯s face as she talked about the man who had saved her from harm.  ¡°He wasn¡¯t too hard on the eyes either.¡±

    ¡°Mother,¡± Brooklyn whined.

    ¡°What?¡± she asked, giving her daughter an innocent look.  ¡°You¡¯re telling me you didn¡¯t think he was attractive.¡±

    ¡°But you¡¯re married.¡±

    Ambria laughed.  ¡°Yes I am, but I¡¯m not dead.¡±

    ¡°I wish I¡¯d let him know I wouldn¡¯t have mind seeing him again, but I doubt I ever will.¡±

    ¡°Did he seem interested in you?¡±

    Brooklyn shook her head no.  ¡°He was very professional.  Besides, he had his girlfriend¡¯s picture on his dashboard.  Why couldn¡¯t it have been my picture?  I¡¯m not ugly or anything.¡±

    Ambria gave Brooklyn¡¯s hand a squeeze.  ¡°Who knows, maybe someday he¡¯ll come by to see how you¡¯re doing and you can let him know how you feel.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, right,¡± she replied sadly.

    The doorbell rang and Ambria went to answer it, and when she opened the door, she was pleasantly surprised to see Brett Strickland standing there.

    ¡°Hello Officer Strickland.¡±

    ¡°Hello, Mrs. Crenshaw.  May I speak with your daughter?¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course,¡± she said, opening the door to him.  ¡°Please, come in.¡±

    Dustin and Brooklyn looked up as Brett entered the room.

    ¡°I just wanted to stop by and make sure you were okay,¡± he said, looking at Brooklyn.

    Silence filled the room as Brooklyn just sat there staring at him, blushing as she thought of the conversation they were having just seconds earlier.

    Dustin quickly realized his daughter was in a state of shock at seeing the man they were talking about a few minutes earlier, so he stood and put his hand out the man.  ¡°I want to thank you for all your help.¡±

    Brett shook Dustin¡¯s hand.  ¡°It was my pleasure, sir.¡±

    ¡°My husband and I were just about to run an errand, so if you¡¯ll excuse us, we¡¯ll leave you two so you can talk without us old folks,¡± Ambria said to Brett.  She knew she¡¯d embarrassed her daughter by her abrupt comment, but she was hoping maybe Brett had come for another reason and would want some privacy to talk to her.

    Dustin gave Ambria a dirty look, but moved to joined her.  ¡°I hope to see you again sometime, Officer.¡±

    ¡°I hope so too, sir.¡±

    Dustin took hold of Ambria¡¯s arm and they hurried out of the room towards the garage.  ¡°I can¡¯t believe you did that,¡± he muttered as they stepped into the garage.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure he came to talk to her about something other than saving her life.¡±

    Dustin smiled at her.  ¡°If you say so, dear.¡±

    ¡°He had that look about him.¡±

    ¡°What look is that?¡± he asked.

    ¡°The same one I see every time I look into your eyes.¡±

    Dustin laughed.  ¡°If you say so, dear.¡±

    * * *

    Brooklyn was nervous, wondering why Brett was really here.  Could it be he found her attractive and wanted to ask her out, but what about his girlfriend?

    ¡°You don¡¯t mind I stopped by?¡± he asked apprehensively, looking uneasy as he stared at her.

    His words brought out of her stupor and she quickly stood.  ¡°Of course not.  Please sit down.  I¡¯m just surprised to see you here is all.¡±

    He sat down on the couch and she sat down next to him.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if my being here is proper or not, but I had the feeling you were attracted to me,¡± he said nervously.

    Brooklyn wasn¡¯t sure how to respond.  Should she deny she was or admit to the attraction?  Before she could respond, he took hold of her hand.

    ¡°I guess I sort of put you on the spot by my question.  I came by to ask you out.¡±

    ¡°What about your girlfriend?  Won¡¯t she mind?¡±

    ¡°Girlfriend?  I don¡¯t have a girlfriend.¡±

    ¡°Then whose picture do you have in your car?¡±

    He gave her a reassuring smile.  ¡°That¡¯s Brenda, my twin sister.¡±

    She gave him a timid smile.  ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll go out with you.¡±

    ¡°Do think your parents would object to me seeing you?¡± he asked fretfully.

    Brooklyn laughed.  ¡°If they did, I guarantee you, my mother wouldn¡¯t have left the house with you still here.¡±

    The tension left Brett¡¯s face at her comment.  ¡°So it¡¯s okay  I¡¯m here?¡±

    She gave him a reassuring smile.  ¡°Yes, it is.¡±

    * * *

    Six months later, the young couple was married, and now Ambria was helping her daughter pack up her belongings to move to her new husband¡¯s apartment before they left on their honeymoon.  It was a sad moment for Ambria, but she¡¯d always known this day would come.

    When Ambria pulled too many books out of Brooklyn¡¯s bookcase, they slipped out of her hand and fell to the floor.  When she went to pick up the books, she saw her book that had changed her life in her hand.  ¡°Brooklyn, what are you doing with this book?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for taking it, but I didn¡¯t think you would mind.¡±  She walked to her mother and took the book out of Ambria¡¯s hand.  ¡°Don¡¯t you think the people on the front cover look like you and Dad?  I do.  That¡¯s the reason I¡¯ve kept it in here.¡±  She looked at her mother waiting for her response.

    She should lie to her, but she couldn¡¯t.  ¡°Yes, I do.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t mind if I take it with me, do you?¡±

    Ambria smiled.  ¡°No, you go ahead and take it.  I haven¡¯t read it since I married your father,¡± she said absentmindedly, thinking about how this book had altered her life.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t read it yet.  Didn¡¯t you like it?¡±

    Ambria laughed.  ¡°Would you believe I started the book, but never finished reading it.¡±

    ¡°Was it that bad?¡±

    ¡°Bad?¡± she asked, wondering what she really thought of what she¡¯d read of the book.  ¡°I really can¡¯t say since I didn¡¯t read more than a couple of chapters, but I do feel it changed my life for the better.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Mom, you¡¯re so romantic.¡±

    Ambria looked at Brooklyn and gave her a smile.  ¡°Meeting your father was like reading a fairy tale and it coming true,¡± she said, uttering the first thing that might make sense to her daughter.  She couldn¡¯t very well tell her she went to sleep one night in her own bed reading about Dustin, then waking up the next morning, married to him.  ¡°When we came home from our honeymoon, we moved all my belongings here and I didn¡¯t ever finish the book.¡±

    ¡°Well, after I read it, I¡¯ll tell you all about it.¡±

    ¡°You do that,¡± she said, as she was a bit curious how the book ended.

    They finished the packing and moved everything to the car.  Dustin had his arm around Ambria as they waved good-bye to their daughter and new husband.  After their car was out of sight, Ambria let out a sigh.  ¡°Why couldn¡¯t it have been me going?¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± he asked apprehensively, unsure exactly she what she was implying.

    ¡°On a honeymoon,¡± she replied dreamingly.

    Dustin laughed at her comment, thinking back over twenty years to the day he¡¯d mentioned a second honeymoon to her.  ¡°That¡¯s one thing I can give you.¡±

    She turned to smile at him.  ¡°Really?¡±

    He gave her a sinister grin.  ¡°You do remember what people do on their honeymoon, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Well, it has been quite a few years since I¡¯ve been on one, but I do think,¡± she purred, trailing her finger down his chest, ¡°there¡¯s a lot of,¡± she whispered seductively into his ear, ¡°eating.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± he stammered, surprised by her answer.  ¡°Hell lady, you must be getting senile, as I remember our honeymoon, we had a lot of sexxxxx,¡± he said, drawing out the word.

    ¡°Sex?  What¡¯s that?¡± she asked her eyes full of mischief at her teasing.

    ¡°Would you like me to refresh your memory?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I would like that.¡±

    Dustin grabbed hold of her hand and started for their bedroom.  After they entered their room, he moved to shut the door, but Ambria put her hand out to stop him.  ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked, afraid she¡¯d change her mind about making love.

    ¡°Let¡¯s live wild and make love with the door open.¡±

    Dustin let out a hardy laugh.  ¡°I like your way of thinking.  You know what else I like?¡± he asked, watching her expression.

    ¡°No, what?¡±

    ¡°Being married to you,¡± he said sincerely.

    She laughed.  ¡°You don¡¯t have to bribe me; I¡¯m here to make love to you.¡±

    Dustin gave her a gently tug and pulled her into his arms.  ¡°I¡¯m not trying to bribe you.  I really meant what I said.  When guys at work talk about the wives and their marriages, they¡¯re always complaining about one thing or another.  I guess it¡¯s because their marriages isn¡¯t as wonderful or as special as ours is.  I want you to know how much I love you.  My life would have been so empty without you and Brooklyn in it.¡±

    Ambria gave him a soft smile.  ¡°Dustin, I feel the same way about you.  I still can¡¯t believe my parents got married after all those years apart.¡±

    ¡°Sometimes love can survive long passages of time of being apart, especially when it¡¯s true love.¡±

    ¡°Dustin, what a sweet thing to say,¡± she said, smiling at his statement.

    He smiled back at her with an ornery smile, then his lips descended to hers and the rest of the world was forgotten.