“Heather, Heather,” Duncan knelt down beside her still form. Not receiving any answer, he picked her up in his arms. The fifth wheel was only a few spaces back along the road. What had happened? What could he have done to cause her to faint at the sight of him?
When he had seen Linda Sue’s car and her note, he hadn’t stopped to set up the fifth wheel or even detach it from the truck. There was no place to put her other than the front seat of his truck. Gently, he placed her still form on the passenger side. She was still breathing.
“Heather, answer me, talk to me. Are you okay? He picked up her hand in his, slapping it lightly. He didn’t know why. It was just something that he had seen done in the movies. She stirred slightly. He pulled her into his arms. “What happened, love? Why did you faint when you saw me?”
She pushed him away. What had happened? Why was she sitting here in the truck? What was Duncan saying? Why was he leaning over her instead of sitting beside her? For a moment, she was not sure. Then she remembered. Heather glared at Duncan’s handsome face in the dim moonlight. “It’s you. How was there two of you?”
“What do you mean, sweetheart? Two of us? What are you talking about?”
“I, I was out on the dunes just watching the sunset while I was waiting for you. It got dark so much sooner than I thought….”
“You should have brought a flashlight and you shouldn’t have even gone out there alone.”
“I did bring a light.” She raised her voice in annoyance.
“I’m sorry. Are you alright? Did someone try to bother you?”
“No, not really. I couldn’t see where the campground was and I asked a man I thought was walking a dog where it was. He didn’t say anything, but took my hand and led me to the fence. I tried to thank him and he still didn’t talk. When we got to the fence, I turned to again try to thank him and I saw his face.”
“Who was it? Someone you know?”
“No, yes, I mean I thought it was you. It was your face, your height. You. And then he let go of my hand and went back to the shadows. Immediately I heard your voice coming from the road in the campground. And he was gone.”
“Heather, what do you mean, he was gone. It couldn’t have been me. I just parked the truck and fifth wheel and came right out to find you. The first I saw of you, you were standing there and then you fainted. Maybe you just had me on your mind and thought…”
“I don’t know.” Heather placed her hands over her face. Was she seeing things again; Ian again? What else could it be, but why was she seeing his ghost now? Was it because she had made up her mind to go on with her life, without Ian or his memory? What would Duncan think when she told him about Ian? How could she tell him how she felt and how much he looked like the man to whom she had been engaged? What would he think; say? “Can you set up so we can go inside and talk? I think it is time.”
Duncan nodded. It was time to talk. In fact he had planned to finally tell Heather why he had met up with her, what he had on his mind for all this time since he had first met her. This was the day he had planned and dreaded. At least setting up the fifth wheel would give him a little time. “Sure. You just sit here while I do that. Is there something I can get you? A glass of water? Something?”
“No, I’m fine,” she lied. “You go ahead. When you’re done, we’ll have that talk.”
“Okay,” he smiled weakly and headed toward the back of the fifth wheel. He put a couple of yellow chocks under the back wheels, came forward and put down the front jacks. Then he detached the fifth wheel from the truck. Getting in beside Heather, he started up the truck, pulled it gently forward while the fifth wheel settled on the jacks. Going to the back, he set up the back jacks and let out the slide out. Within a few more minutes, he had the water, electric, and cable and sewer lines all connected. He went inside and put away a few things, turned on the refrigerator, checked the voltage and the fifth wheel was ready. There was nothing else he could do to delay the conversation. What would she say? Would she understand? Would she forgive him? Perhaps he could call Linda Sue and have her there. He would ask Heather first.
“It’s all set up, Heather. Come on in. It is starting to get chilly out here.”
She said nothing but took his hand as he escorted her out of the truck. Even his hand seemed just like the one on the man who had left her at the fence. She felt almost as if she were losing her mind, again. The figure had been Duncan’s height, the face was his, and the hand was the same.
“Duncan, I can’t stay here. I have to go home.” She was trying to hold back her emotions. She wanted to scream. She wanted to cry. She wanted to know what was going on. First she couldn’t get Ian out of her mind. She kept seeing his ghost. Then it was Duncan. At first she had thought that Duncan was actually Ian with a memory loss. As she got to know him, she began to feel as if he were only a look alike, someone who reminded her of a man she had once loved. Then Duncan was so ideal, a combination of the man she had loved with the perfections of the man she wanted. She was beginning to care deeply for him. And now this. It had been another man leaving her on the dunes while this man was coming toward her. It was two men. She knew it.
“I can’t let you leave, not like this. Let me drive you home in Linda’s car.”
“How will you get back?”
“Don’t worry about that. I’ll manage. I couldn’t handle letting you drive alone, not in your condition.”
“I…I’m fine.” She was trying to hold back the tears of emotion. She was so upset she didn’t know what to do.
“No, you’re not fine.” His voice was firm. “I will drive you back in her car or my truck. But you are not driving alone.”
“Here,” she handed him Linda’s keys and allowed him to take her to the car.
Without a word, not knowing what to say, he opened the car door for her, got in and drove toward Linda Sue’s home. He knew the time had come to tell her the truth. It was just he didn’t know how to begin.