The Color of Forever (33 page)
Read The Color of Forever Online
Authors: Julianne MacLean
Aaron
I had read that email in the airport three months ago and burst into tears. My bag must have gone around the carousel a number of times because when I looked up, I found myself standing alone with no other passengers about. The carousel had shut down, and I was in a daze.
Now, here I stood again, back in Maine where I first met Captain Sebastian Fraser, and my friend, the lighthouse keeper, Laurence Williams.
Suddenly, my phone buzzed and a text came in. I sucked in a breath and felt a smile spread across my face. It was Aaron.
Welcome back. You were terrific on TV tonight. Yes to a drink. Are you free right now?
I continued to smile as I texted him back with lightning-fast thumbs:
Free as a bird. Can you meet me at The Old Stone Keep?
I could be there in ten minutes
.
I started walking toward my rental car. My phone buzzed before I got there.
Sounds good. I can’t wait to see you.
My heart exploded with excitement and anticipation as I crossed the parking lot.
In that moment, it began to rain. I stopped to look up at the cloudy night sky and felt the sensation of cool raindrops touching my cheeks. Then suddenly my heart was transported back to that moment on the old road in Cape Elizabeth, when Captain Fraser stepped out of his coach to save me from the storm, and there was no escaping what I felt.
I knew in that moment, over a century ago, what I knew now with all of my heart. The veil had been lifted, and Aaron Peterson was the only man for me.
Ten minutes later, when I walked into the pub and saw him rise to his feet from the booth at the back—so handsome, it hurt just to look at him—I stopped in my tracks, laid a hand over my heart, and fell in love all over again.
It took me a moment to gather my composure and rein in my happiness. Then slowly, buoyantly, I walked toward him, and he did not hesitate before he swept me, weightless, into his arms and held me.
Epilogue
I was once the sort of person who didn’t believe in miracles—or if I did believe in the possibility of such magic in our world, I didn’t believe anything like that would ever happen to
me
. Like most people, I had watched movies about heaven that claimed to be true, or I read news items or books about real-life impossible events happening to regular everyday people, but always, on some level, in my mind, it felt like fiction.
But on the day I flew over the handlebars of my bicycle on a mountaintop in Seattle, fearing I was about to die, I experienced something miraculous, which I now understand was an awakening to my higher self and my higher purpose. What I envisioned on that mountaintop was not my future or my past. It was a recognition of a wise soul who wished to guide me to love in this lifetime—to an incredible love that came in the form of my husband Aaron, and in the form of our son, Logan, who is now three years old and eagerly awaiting the arrival of his younger sister, due to arrive any day now. I cannot wait for my labor to begin, so that I can hold her in my arms at last, as I held Logan on the day of his birth, when everything finally became clear, and the last piece of the puzzle fell into place.
Logan had been the wise soul who reached out to me from beyond and guided me to higher knowledge and truer love.
Today, as I look back over the challenges and obstacles I encountered on my journey toward this bliss, I understand that my rational mind—the part of me that required physical proof that Aaron and I were meant to be together, or the practical side of me that once thought Mark was the one—had gotten in my way. Looking for the logic had stopped me from following my intuition and my heart.
The same thing got in Aaron’s way in the early days of our reunion, but today, all doubts and fears are gone. I feel a tremendous inner peace in regard to the choices I have made, and the limitless future before us. I love Aaron and our two children with all my heart and soul. I also know that this love is eternal, and when we must step apart at the end of our lives, we will eventually come together again, somehow, in heaven or in another life.
As for Jack, I worry that he, Aaron, and I are doomed to continue repeating this cycle—that I will meet Jack again, and I will always choose Aaron, and Jack will never be able to forgive. He will distance himself from us to escape the frustration and anguish, and to wallow in the anger he feels toward his brother.
Neither I nor Aaron have heard from Jack since the day Logan was born, when Jack sent me flowers in the hospital to congratulate me. He signed the card “With love,” and later I heard from Aaron’s mother, Margie, that Jack had decided to leave the country and work abroad as a foreign correspondent for CNN.
I hope, in the end, that he finds the happiness and bliss he so deeply deserves. When that happens, I suspect he will have an amazing story to tell—a story about miracles and magic, because he was always, at heart, a loving, extraordinary soul.
As for Aaron and me, we wake up each morning feeling incredibly blessed by the bounty in our lives. We enjoy our work, we adore our beautiful son Logan, and we look forward to our daughter’s arrival
I keep in touch with Bailey—who I am convinced is a soul-sister I’ve known forever. I am certain we will always be friends. And there are others in my life who have come and gone, having made their mark on me in some way, or taught me something about myself, about love, God, or life. They are never forgotten.
We are all still learning about ourselves and what is possible in this awe-inspiring world. The journey continues, and I will treasure every moment, forever and always, and I hope you will, too.
o0o
Dear Reader,
Thank you for taking the time to read
THE COLOR OF FOREVER
. I hope you enjoyed Katelyn’s story and will look for the next book in the series: Jack’s story,
THE COLOR OF A PROMISE
.
If this is your first time reading a book in my
Color of Heaven Series
, I encourage you to start at the beginning with the first novel,
THE COLOR OF HEAVEN
, which is currently free as an ebook. There are many books available in the series, and they all address the theme of real-life magic and everyday miracles, big and small. Read on for a complete list and descriptions of the other books.
In case you are wondering, each novel stands alone, so you can enjoy any of the books without reading the previous title. But if you choose to read them in order, you will probably enjoy how each book leads into the next and how certain characters, like Jack in this novel, reappear later to have their stories told.
If you enjoyed the historical section of this book, you might also enjoy my historical romances, most of which take place in the late-Victorian period. But I warn you—unlike my
Color of Heaven Series
, my historical romances have explicit love scenes, so if that is not your cup of tea…
Before we part ways, I’ll invite you to visit my website at
www.juliannemaclean.com
to learn more about my books and writing life, and while you’re there please sign up for my email newsletter so I can keep you informed about when a new
Color of Heaven
novel is released. You can also follow me on Facebook and Twitter.
As always, happy reading!
Julianne
Other Books in the Color of Heaven Series
THE COLOR OF HEAVEN
A deeply emotional tale about Sophie Duncan, a successful columnist whose world falls apart after her daughter’s unexpected illness and her husband’s shocking affair. When it seems nothing else could possibly go wrong, her car skids off an icy road and plunges into a frozen lake. There, in the cold dark depths of the water, a profound and extraordinary experience unlocks the surprising secrets from Sophie’s past, and teaches her what it means to truly live…and love.
Full of surprising twists and turns and a near-death experience that will leave you breathless, this story is not to be missed.
“A gripping, emotional tale you’ll want to read in one sitting.”
—
New York Times
bestselling author, Julia London
“Brilliantly poignant mainstream tale.”
—4 ½ starred review,
Romantic Times
Includes Bonus Content: A Bookclub Discussion Guide
THE COLOR OF DESTINY
Eighteen years ago a teenage pregnancy changed Kate Worthington’s life forever. Faced with many difficult decisions, she chose to follow her heart and embrace an uncertain future with the father of her baby—her devoted first love.
At the same time, in another part of the world, sixteen-year-old Ryan Hamilton makes his own share of mistakes, but learns important lessons along the way. Twenty years later, Kate’s and Ryan’s paths cross in a way they could never expect, which makes them question the possibility of destiny. Even when all seems hopeless, could it be that everything happens for a reason, and we end up exactly where we are meant to be?
Includes Bonus Content: A Bookclub Discussion Guide
THE COLOR OF HOPE
Diana Moore has led a charmed life. She is the daughter of a wealthy senator and lives a glamorous city life, confident that her handsome live-in boyfriend Rick is about to propose. But everything is turned upside down when she learns of a mysterious woman who works nearby—a woman who is her identical mirror image.
Diana is compelled to discover the truth about this woman’s identity, but the truth leads her down a path of secrets, betrayals, and shocking discoveries about her past. These discoveries follow her like a shadow.
Then she meets Dr. Jacob Peterson—a brilliant cardiac surgeon with an uncanny ability to heal those who are broken. With his help, Diana embarks upon a journey to restore her belief in the human spirit, and recover a sense of hope—that happiness, and love, may still be within reach for those willing to believe in second chances.
Includes Bonus Content: A Bookclub Discussion Guide
THE COLOR OF A DREAM
