Silent Fall

ever again. He had yet to tell Richard Sanders that he knew the truth. In fact, Dylan wasn’t sure if he’d ever have that conversation. It no longer seemed important. He didn’t give a damn about Richard anymore. The man was nothing to him now.
    It was strange how he’d accumulated a lot of new people in his life and then lost them again. He was basically alone.
    But he didn’t have to be alone.
    He turned his head and gazed into Catherine’s blue eyes and saw everything he wanted. His past was gone.
    She was his future.
    "Whoa," he said with a smile. "I just had a vision."
    "Really? What did you see?"
    "You and me having incredible sex together -- in bed, in the shower, on the kitchen table, on the desk --"
    "On the desk," she interrupted. "Whose desk?"
    "The one in our study, the one across from your studio, where you paint beautiful pictures of our children."
    Her eyes blurred with tears. "Don’t tease, Dylan, not about that."
    "You saw it, too, didn’t you?" He wasn’t joking anymore. And neither was she. "We’re connected, Catherine. We always will be. You told me a long time ago that two women would enter my life and one would be my salvation. That’s you, and I’m not letting you go."
    "I’m crazy," she pointed out.
    "You’re quirky,"
    "I’m a vegetarian. You’re a junk-food addict."
    "You’re emotional. I’m logical. What’s your point? Don’t you see we’re a perfect complement, like mustard and ketchup?" He laughed. "Okay, not the best example, but you know what I mean." His voice softened. "You always know what I mean. I never have to explain myself." He tucked her hair behind her ear. "I’m ready to go home, to you, wherever you want to live, the beachside cottage, San Francisco, somewhere new.... I am putting my life in your hands."
    "You would trust me with it?" she asked in amazement.
    "I would trust you with everything I have. I love you, Catherine. And you may not believe it, but I’ve never said that to a woman." Because he’d never been able to feel anyone in his heart. But he felt her with every damn beat. She was in the air that he breathed. She was in his head. She was everywhere he wanted to be.
    "Oh, Dylan. I never thought anyone would want me forever. You’d better make sure you really want me, because once I’m in I might never leave."
    "I really want you, and I never want you to leave."
    Her eyes glistened with happiness. "I love you, too, Dylan. I love the way you brought me out of myself, woke me up, challenged me to live. I feel like a new person, someone who is finally free. I think the nightmares are gone now, because my father is dead. He can’t hurt anyone else. And I’m no longer connected to him." She paused. "I wish I could have helped those people he killed. I wish I knew now who they were, so I could bring peace to their families, but the visions I had were so cryptic. I never understood them. I never really saw their faces."
    "You have to let it go, Catherine. There’s nothing you can do."
    "I know. You’re right," she said with a sigh. "It will be nice to sleep through the night again."
    "Hey, that may not happen every night," he told her. "I can certainly think of other things to do in bed besides sleep."
    She smiled. "I’ll bet you can. Even if those nightmares are gone, I can’t promise that I won’t experience other psychic visions."
    "They’re a part of you. I get that. I’m on board."
    "Thank you. What I can promise is this -- I’ll never lie to you, betray you, or walk away from you."
    His heart had never felt so full. Nor had he ever been so scared. He wanted to live up to all her expectations. He wanted to make her happy for the rest of her life. He hoped he could do that. "That’s all I want," he said. "And I plan to make sure that any dreams you have involve me." He pressed his lips to hers in a long and promising kiss.

Epilogue

    Four months later ...

    Dylan waited at the front of the church, Jake by his side.
    "You’re a lucky man," Jake said, giving him a little nudge with his elbow. "I still can’t believe you went and fell in love while I was out of town, not to mention the fact that you almost got yourself killed. And you never called me. That pissed me off."
    "You were on your honeymoon." Dylan paused as he looked out at his friends in the church. "But you’re right. I am lucky. Lucky to have found