Chapter 9
Avery was a nervous wreck. He knew he had to tell Remy he was dead, but he couldn’t bear the thought of her thinking of him as some kind of ghoul.
Jesse and Lucy watched him as he paced back and forth across the floor of the break room of the Blue and Gray Touring Company.
The daytime tours were done, and Remy had the night off from her ghost tours, so this was as good a time as any.
Since Remy was an assistant manager of the company where she and Jesse worked, she would be able to close the place and lock up when they were done.
Right now, Remy was closing out the register in the main room and gift shop.
Jesse had texted her and asked her to come to the break room when she was done.
Finally, the door swung open.
“Hey,” Remy said, looking at Avery and Lucy. “What are you guys doing here?”
Avery froze when he saw her. He had thought he was ready, but when he gazed into her lovely but confused blue eyes, he wasn’t sure he could go through with it. Jesse had warned him that there was really no way to prepare yourself for what it feels like to have the woman you love be afraid of you.
“Uh, Remy, there’s…there’s something we need to talk to you about. Something we need to tell you,” Avery cautiously began.
“Oh,” Remy said, looking terrified already.
Remy looked at Avery, then at Jesse, then at Lucy. No one spoke. Remy waited.
“Will somebody please say something? You’re scaring me!” Remy said, looking at Avery pleadingly.
“Uh, well, uh…”Avery faltered. There was so much he wanted to say to her. He desperately wished he could start by saying how much he loved her, but he knew that would be all wrong. Way too much too soon, and that might frighten her off as much as his being dead would.
Lucy looked at Avery pleadingly, willing him to say something, anything, to help put Remy at ease. Finally, Lucy couldn’t stand it anymore.
“Well, the good news is that Avery is absolutely crazy about you,” Lucy said.
Remy looked over at Avery. She seemed shocked at first, but then smiled with relief. She glanced over at Jesse and Lucy, no doubt wondering why there was an audience for such a private conversation.
“Well, then, why doesn’t he just say so himself?” Remy said, looking over at Avery.
“I’m absolutely crazy about you,” Avery repeated Lucy’s words, finally finding his voice. “Remy, I adore you, and I’m so sorry if I didn’t make that clear sooner.”
Remy let out a breath. She looked into his eyes, and his heart melted. He was finally able to stop putting up a front and gazed at her with all the love and affection he felt for her.
“Avery,” she said softly. “I feel the same way about you.”
Remy took a step toward him, but Lucy put a hand on her shoulder to stop her. “There’s more,” Lucy said. “A lot more.”
Remy looked at her, then at Avery.
“Avery,” Lucy said. “I know how hard this is, but I think this news really needs to come from you.”
“I know,” Avery said nervously. “You’re right o’ course. Remy…”
Remy met his gaze fearfully. “It’s something terrible, isn’t it? You’re not dying, are you?”
Avery laughed ruefully. “No. Not exactly. Okay. Here’s what’s going to happen. I’m going to tell you something about myself, you’re not going to believe it, and then Lucy is going to help me prove it to you.”
Avery glanced over at Lucy, who nodded, ready to go forward with the plan the way they had rehearsed.
“Okay,” Remy said, still looking terrified.
“Remy, me darlin’,” Avery began cautiously, “I’m not really a Civil War reenactor or a tour guide.
” He gestured toward his gray Confederate uniform.
“This isn’t a costume. They’re me real clothes.
I really did fight with the 15th Alabama durin’ the war.
I fought…and I died. I’m just a spirit now.
” He gazed deeply into her eyes and whispered, “A ghost.”
Remy let out a deep, weary sigh. She gathered her thoughts a moment before speaking. “I just…I’m trying to figure out why in the hell you would say something like that to me.”
She shook her head angrily.
“Aye, well, this is the part where you don’t believe me,” Avery said sadly.
Lucy turned to Remy, her eyes full of worry. “Remy, I know this seems impossible to you. Believe me, I understand. But what Avery is telling you is true. He fought in the war and died in the year 1863.”
Remy let out another bitter sigh. She looked so defeated. Avery’s heart ached as he could only imagine what was going through her mind. She must think they were all crazy, or that the people who she thought were her friends were messing with her head for some reason.
“Now Avery and I are going to prove to you that what we’re telling you is true.
” Lucy took Remy’s hand and squeezed it, and she was sure to look her in the eye.
She said kindly but firmly, “Remy. I’m going to try to touch Avery now, and you need to understand that when I do, my hand will go right through his.
Because when you see Avery, you’re seeing his spirit.
His wonderful, kind, loving spirit. But he doesn’t have a physical body anymore. Because he died long ago.”
Remy studied Lucy’s serious expression, looking more confused than ever.
Lucy let go of Remy’s hand and walked over to Avery. She gazed into his eyes and smiled warmly. Avery was grateful to have such a sweet, gentle friend like Lucy to help him through this. She seemed every bit as worried about him as she was about Remy.
“It’s okay,” Lucy whispered to Avery.
Lucy held up her hand, and Avery held up his. She smiled again, still looking reassuringly into his eyes as she pushed her hand all the way through his. They both waited a moment, afraid to look to see how Remy would react.
Lucy turned around and gasped. “Jesse, catch her!”
Remy looked frighteningly pale and was wobbly on her feet.
Jesse rushed to Remy’s side and put his arm around her. “It’s okay, darlin’.” He carefully sat her down in a chair and crouched beside her. “Don’t be afraid, Remy. Avery is still the same guy he always was. It’s not his fault, he’s, you know…”
Jesse must have figured it was wise to avoid using the word “dead” until Remy had a chance to get used to the idea.
Remy lifted her gaze from Jesse to look over at Avery.
“Wh-what is that? Some kind of hologram or something?” Bewildered, she looked at Jesse and then at Lucy. “Wh-why would you do something like this to me?”
“That’s just it, Remy,” Lucy said softly, walking over to her and putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. “We wouldn’t.”
Remy looked into Lucy’s worried face, then turned to see Jesse gazing at her with equal concern. Avery watched as the realization dawned on her.
“No,” Remy whispered. “No, you wouldn’t do a thing like that to me.” She looked over at Avery, who was still standing a safe distance away from her. “I-I don’t understand.”
“I know it seems impossible, Remy,” Avery said. “Most of the men and women you see ‘round here are indeed reenactors or guides and such, but some of us…some of us are the real deal. We died long ago, and yet, we’re still here.”
Remy covered her face with her hands and drew in a deep breath.
Avery had never felt so damned helpless in his long, lonely existence.
The woman he loved more than anything in the world was upset and terrified, and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it.
Worse, he knew it was his fault she was feeling this way.
Jesse and Lucy put their arms around her and murmured words of comfort to her.
“I’m the same man you’ve known all this time, Remy,” Avery said plaintively, aching to find some way to make her understand. A way to make her go back to looking at him with affection like she used to. “Tá tú go h-álainn, my darling Remy.”
Remy glanced up in recognition of the phrase.
“Tá tú go h-álainn,” Avery repeated. “Adhraím thú, Remy. That means I adore you.”
Remy finally looked into his eyes from across the room. It was only for the briefest of moments, then she tore her gaze away and let out a shaky breath.
“Táim i ngrá leat,” Avery whispered to her. He didn’t translate that phrase, but from the sorrowful way that Jesse and Lucy looked at him, he figured they could guess what it meant. I’m in love with you.
Remy carefully stood up, still looking pale. “I need…I think I need some air.”
Jesse nodded, watching her carefully to make sure she was steady on her feet. Her hands trembling, Remy picked up the keys from the table and handed them to Jesse.
“Jesse, can you lock up and—”
“Of course, Remy. I’ll take care of the shop here,” Jesse reassured her.
“I’ll walk out with you, Remy,” Lucy said, putting her hand on Remy’s back. She turned to Jesse and said gently, “I’ll take care of her. You take care of Avery.”
Jesse nodded sadly.
Remy looked fearfully toward the door where Avery was standing. She was visibly petrified to go near him.
Avery slowly walked away from the door to let her pass. Jesse was right. There was no way to prepare yourself for what it feels like to have the woman you love be afraid of you.
Lucy led Remy to the door.
“Remy!” Avery called after her. She turned, her expression one of fear and bewilderment that sent a sharp stab of pain right through his heart. “I’ll understand if you don’t want to be near me anymore. I know you need time to think. But if you want to see me again, you know where I’ll be.”
Remy nodded numbly, then turned to leave.
* * *
Remy was dimly aware of Lucy’s hand on her back as they made their way out of the Blue and Gray Touring Company gift shop and ticket office. She let Lucy lead her over to a picnic table outside the store and, as luck would have it, overlooking Gettysburg National Cemetery.
Good God, was Avery buried there?
Her mind cleared enough to register that it was unlikely since Avery fought for the Confederacy, and the cemetery was populated almost entirely by Union soldiers.
Avery fought for the Confederacy.