Into the After: The Knife-bearers and the Clans, #3

By Karen See

In the past, events beyond their control entwined Tom and Sarah’s lives and then ripped them apart.  Thirty years later, Sarah returns, hoping for forgiveness and happiness.  But dark forces are still at work and are attempting to devour Tom, body and soul.  Together, with Tyler Jansen, she fights to save his life, though it may already be too late….

• Language: English
• Publisher: Karen See
• Release date: Oct 27, 2017
• ISBN: 9781386019596

Book preview

Into The After

By Karen See

*****

Copyright © 2017 Karen See

All Rights Reserved

Cover Design by SelfPubBookCovers.com/FrinaArt

This is a work of fiction.  All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

CHAPTER ONE

Why was she dreading something that she’d wanted so very badly for such a long time?

Sarah Lassiter, formerly Sarah Decker and mother of Jason Decker, sat in her car and looked at the Lawrence family house and grounds. There’d been a few changes, yet for the most part it was the same. Same color, same basic everything. White two-story house, wide covered porch, separate garage with garden in between it and the house. Even the decorative shutters at the windows were the same shade of blue that they’d been, which meant that Eva had to have replaced them in exactly that shade every so often. Or had them painted.

Thirty years.

She hadn’t been here in thirty years. Sarah half expected to see Eva storm from the house and hear Eva’s dad, Mike, yelling after her. It had been a usual occurrence back then, almost clockwork at times. A temperamental girl and her equally temperamental father butting heads over often inconsequential things. Mike had yelled quite a bit.

Her hands were shaking. What if Tom did hate her? Hannah had tried to calm her nerves about that over the past few weeks during their therapy sessions, but it was time to just go up to that house and find out. She knew he was home. The garage door was up and an SUV was parked directly in the center.

Slowly, she got out of her car and closed the door as quietly as possible. Hannah had recommended she take this action and she couldn’t very well have a further consultation with her about it. Hannah was no longer an option, so Sarah had decided Hannah was right. She needed to just do this. Was it the right thing to do? Her stomach was rolling in nauseas waves. A bunch of ‘what-if’s’ turned her thoughts in unceasing circles. What if he slammed the door in her face? What if…? She wasn’t sure she could bear any condemnation from him, not when she’d dreamed about this meeting for so very long.

Before she could chicken out, she hurried up the steps onto the porch and pressed the doorbell. There were footsteps and the door opened.

Tom was there, startled and surprised, his eyes wide when he recognized her. His mouth opened, no sound coming out. He was wearing cargo shorts and a t-shirt, feet bare and hair far shorter than she’d ever seen it. There was a light growth of beard along his jaw.

Sarah wiped her sweating hands on the sides of her cotton halter sundress. Hi.

Sarah. His eyes narrowed slightly, his gaze roaming down her and back up before he cocked his head. Am I hallucinating?

What? No. No, I’m very real. It was an odd thing to say she thought, but she could see why he had said it. He’d probably thought her dead.

Letting go of the door, he stepped into the space and stretched out a hand, pausing before sliding the backs of his fingers across her cheek, as if afraid she was a hallucination after all. You’re here.

I’m here.

How long have you been here?

On your porch?

He nodded.

Just a few minutes.

He ran his thumb along her lower lip, a slow caress that gave her courage. I’ve been thinking about you a lot lately, he admitted, fingers moving to slide along her jaw.

You have? She was relieved to hear that. It eased some of the anxiety she’d been having over this action of coming to see him.

I have.

I’ve been thinking about you, too, she admitted.

Where’ve you been?

It’s a long story. And one she’d gladly tell him if he wanted to hear it.

It always is, isn’t it?

I’ll tell it to you if you want. I’d like to have the chance to explain if you’re willing to listen. All of those things she’d been worrying about seemed small now. There was no hint of anything in his eyes except surprised pleasure in seeing her and a full wave of relief swept through her, relaxing her shoulders and making her feel a bit weak in the knees.

I’m willing. I thought…. He shrugged, fingers still caressing her cheek, like he thought if he stopped that she’d disappear from view. I don’t know what I thought. I had so many ideas over the years. You haven't changed.

The words were kind, but Sarah was very aware of the silver and white strands in her hair and the lines at the corners of her eyes. She was older and so was he. I’ve never seen your hair so short, she commented. May I?

Tom shrugged again. Sure.

Sarah raised her hand, paused, then ran her hand through his hair. It was soft, like she remembered. I like it, it suits you. She lowered her hand, smiling.

He mirrored her gesture, siding both his hands through her hair like he used to, a gentle caress. His emotions became a wild flash across his face: hope and fear both. I’ve never seen your hair so long. You always kept it shorter.

Mostly because Eva had insisted that she be the only one with long, waist-length red hair. It had to be Eva’s thing, so to keep the peace, Sarah had kept hers just below her shoulders. When she’d married in the In Between, her husband Adam had liked her to have long hair. She’d grown it out partly because of that and partly as a belated ‘screw you’ to Eva.

I like it, it suits you. His hands caught her arms and slid down them to take her hands in his. His fingers were warm, warming hers. I’ve missed you, Sarah. You can’t know how much. The fact that you’re here…. You are here? I’m still not hallucinating?

I’m here, Tom. I’m really here. You’re not angry I left?

No. He shook his head, hands squeezing hers. I knew what would happen when you prophesied. You’d told me often enough. I knew you were going to have to leave.

I’m sorry. If I could have stayed--

You would’ve stayed a target. We all would have stayed targets. Instead, they took you and obviously made you safe somewhere, because here you are. He smiled. I can’t believe you’re here. They gave you back.

The happiness in his eyes went a long way towards easing the last of Sarah’s worries. I asked to come back, worked with them to make proper arrangements. Well, sort of. Vin would hardly call them proper or agree that she’d worked with them. More like she’d badgered them and made a pest of herself until they’d agreed to her proposition — with a few tweaks from them. I was afraid you hated me, she confided. It felt good to have her hands held once more in his. They’d started to heal together back then. Maybe they could finish healing now. Maybe Hannah was right.

I could never hate you. I love you. He blinked, drew in a harsh breath and looked down between them at the floor. I mean I loved you. I…. A long sigh turned into a nervous laugh. A dull flush spread along his cheekbones and it was like those awkward moments they’d had at nineteen. No way I’m covering that, is there?

Not at all. She smiled. But it’s okay. I love you, too. I never stopped. Sarah knew very well that they were going to have to get to know each other all over again; learn who the other was after thirty years. That old love they shared for each other might not be enough. She was optimistic, however. This seemed like a good start, this falling back in to old patterns that had been good for them then.

Now a tentative barely there, shy smile curved his lips. Do you want to see the house?

I don’t know. Do I? It’s the Lawrence house. Looks the same on the outside.

It’s mine now. His gaze raised, satisfaction in those blue depths. There’ve been some…changes inside.

Lead on then. You’ve got me curious.

Tom released her hands and stepped back to let her into the house before pausing and closing the door. Let’s start in the living room.

Sarah moved across the hall and into that area, a little surprised by what she found. It was a lot different from what she remembered. This is different from when I was here last.

What, thirty years? Mike had a huge life insurance policy and she wanted to make a few changes. I didn’t get in her way on them. They seemed to be good changes to the house.

Sarah gestured at the living room. More than a few changes in here, Tom. There wasn’t a fireplace before and this was one huge room.

He crossed his arms. We added that wall to put in the TV, have a corner gas fireplace, new carpet. She gave away most of the furniture that was here when we got married. A lot of what’s in here now are the antiques my folks had. She didn’t like them so they were in storage. I got them back out after her funeral and sold the other stuff that she’d picked out without consulting me.

Eva had liked overstuffed furniture and flowers. This room had a masculine, clean look to it. Beautiful in its simplicity. I’m guessing the red on the walls was you? Eva would’ve hated the color on walls she’d considered only hers.

Tom nodded. She had it this bright yellow color. Renee once said it looked like the sun puked up on the walls. Renee’s my daughter. She’s the youngest.

Renee did have a way with words at times. Sarah wondered if Tom noticed he hadn’t once used Eva’s name, referring to her as ‘her’ or ‘she’ in sentences. She wondered why. Out of grief?

The dining room wasn’t too different. The paint there was fresh and a pale green, the carpet removed to expose wooden floor that had been restored. The chandelier that had once been dangling glass bits had been replaced with a simpler one with stained glass that fit the decor of the living room. I’m sensing a theme here.

I like Craftsman and that sort of look. She did like the chandelier. The stained glass suited what she liked. She thought I was finally ‘getting it’ in the decorating department. He used finger quotes around those two words. I may have been a little smug for a short while that I’d slipped a preference of mine into her aesthetic.

It’s a beautiful chandelier, Tom.

Thanks. Into the kitchen next. He pushed open the swinging door and held it for her so she could go through it first.

The kitchen was gorgeous. It had been gutted and renovated like the living room and would be a lovely room to cook in. It reminded Sarah of the kitchen she and Adam, her husband, had had. Wow.

She said that since I was doing the cooking, I could have some input. I got to help plan the flow, but the rest was her until I cleaned and repainted.

You’ve been busy.

I have, he acknowledged with a nod.

The light green continued in this room and with the light that came in through the windows and the trendy white cabinets, it was perfect. The color seemed right. I like it.

Not a fan of white cabinets, but it does work. The green is better than the yellow she had all over the house.

He took her into the lower level, that walkout basement that Mike had always said he was going to finish. It was fully finished now and livable, with a full bath, a bedroom that was empty except for a futon, and a large game room. There was a pool table, dartboard, and electronic drum set at one end and a treadmill and weight set at the other end.

Wow. I know I keep saying that….

Nice, right?

Mike would’ve killed for a set-up like this.

She called this my man-cave, but the kids spent far more time down here than I ever did. Occasionally Jason and I would shoot pool and we all used the exercise equipment. The drum set was Sean’s. He left it here instead of taking it with him when he left the clan. Want to see the rest?

You have to ask? Of course I do. Sarah followed him up to the second floor. The stairs no longer creaked like they had and under the new carpet was a very cushy carpet pad. The house was well-updated. No creaking steps I see.

Nope. Had the treads replaced about nine years ago. He led her to the far end of the hall and opened two doors. Sean’s on the left, Jason’s on the right.

She gave Sean’s room a cursory glance, then crossed to Jason’s room, eager to get a glimpse of where their son had grown up. He’d laughed, cried, loved, and hated in this house and in this room. To her surprise and disappointment, it was almost sterile. There were no posters or personal