Chapter Thirty-Seven

The Brothers Miles

I could see Edward was still struggling with his ability to believe in the evidence of his own eyes. Although Emma and the Captain had never materialised to me before, I always felt comfortable in their unseen presence. They were both old friends and very dear to me.

I stepped closer to Edward and reached out to close his hand over the diamond ring he held in his fingers. "Keep it for now," I whispered. "I want you to be very sure. We both need that."

"Yes, we do…" He nodded slowly, seeming to come out of a trance. "I'll need to get it cleaned first, anyway," he said, almost absently.

He sighed as he stared down at the ring before pushing it into his jeans' side pocket. Then he put his arm around my shoulders to draw me close to him and kissed me very gently and sweetly.

"Were they even real?" he asked in a doubting tone. "I mean, did we even see them? Or was it just our over-active imaginations and a funny patch of sea fog?"

I smiled up at him. Tonight had been a total joy for me and I hugged the memory close.

"They were and they are. And you have the ring as proof they were here. But they're gone now…" I said with regret as I saw the ghostly figures had faded away and the strange drift of fog was also gone. "I do miss Emma…"

"I know…" Edward hugged me as if he didn't want to let me go again. "Come on. It's starting to get cold out here. Let's go back inside. It's late and you look tired." He kept an arm around my shoulders as he kissed my temple. "I should go, and you need to go to bed."

"Yes, I am tired. But it's a good feeling…" I could privately admit the mental image of his words made my bare toes curl in the sand.

Despite my request that we take things slow, I knew I didn't want to go to bed alone tonight. But I lacked the courage to come right out and say it. Certainly, I was hesitant to ask after the vision we'd just seen. I felt bound by the moral expectations of another time and the Captain's stern look.

"Let's go…" I sighed and hugged Edward's arm as we quickly retraced our steps along the beach to where we'd left our socks and shoes. Because of our wet and sandy feet, we carried them back up to the house.

The telephone was ringing when I opened the front door, and I hurried into the kitchen to answer it. "Kat Morton…"

"Kat? It's Carolyn. I hoped you were still up. I would love for you to come over and see me if you're free now and not too tired. Tomorrow's Saturday, so you can sleep in. But I have something I want to show you and Michael's here to talk with Edward. Is he still there?"

"Yes, he is…" I nodded. I turned to him and held out the receiver.

Their conversation was brief, and Edward kept his eyes on me the whole time. He nodded to whatever his mother had said. "We'll be right over. See you soon." He held the receiver out for me to replace in the cradle.

"We'll need to wash the sand off us first," I said, lifting a damp, sandy foot to show him. "I won't be long and then the bathroom's yours."

"I'll wait…" He nodded, frowning at me.

I could see in his beautiful blue eyes that he still had a lot of questions about tonight. Questions about us and where we were heading. I didn't even begin to know how to answer any of them. I'd never had to analyse my ghostly friends before or try to explain them to anyone.

"Thanks…" I ran up the stairs and shut the bathroom door behind me.

Seated on the side of the bathtub, I washed the sand from my feet and then towelled them dry. I stood up and looked in the mirror. I frowned when saw that my hair and makeup needed urgent repairs. I worked to restore some order before I was finally satisfied.

On a final impulse, I picked up the bottle of Shalimar, Emma had left to me and applied a few drops to my pulse points in my neck and wrists. I inhaled the scent and smiled. I felt my lovely friend was hovering close.

I shook my head as I opened the door to find Edward standing outside in the small hallway. As always, his height and size made my house appear smaller and more intimate.

"You were taking longer than I expected…" He looked apologetic as he hunched his shoulders and pushed his hands into the side pockets of his jeans. "I was starting to worry about you. I wanted to make sure you're okay." He looked puzzled as he caught the scent of my Shalimar.

"Thank you, but I'm fine. I was just freshening things up." My heartbeat accelerated as I smiled up at him. "The bathroom's all yours. I'll just go to my bedroom and put on some clean socks and shoes. I'll… see you back downstairs."

I suddenly realised he'd never been up here before. I knew he could see into my bedroom from where he was standing. I never closed the door because I loved to have fresh air circulating while I slept.

Edward had a clear view of the beautiful French-style bed. The comfortable antique chair that Emma had given to me was standing in the window that looked out to sea. The whole room was furnished to be soft and feminine.

Like my house, I liked my bedroom to be neat and intimate. It was my haven. I had never shared it with anyone before except Emma when we'd viewed the house together. I used every cent of my hard-earned savings and bought it on impulse.

On the table beside the bed, I always had an aromatic candle next to a framed sepia print of Emma and the Captain that she'd copied for me to keep. I'd forgotten I'd hung my gold locket on the corner of the frame when I undressed for bed last night.

"Nice room…" Edward approved, seeing me move that way.

I think, without truly realising what he was doing, he walked ahead of me to the doorway and stood looking in. "Is that them?" he asked, nodding toward the bedside photograph.

"Yes. Emma gave it to me. She found it in an old album, and had it copied for me," I replied, following him to the door.

"They were there, weren't they?" he asked again softly. "Down there on the beach tonight. That was them? They weren't just some crazy figments of my imagination, the night and the stars."

"Yes, it really was them…" My pulse was racing as I walked into the bedroom and picked up the framed print and the locket. I returned to him and held the picture out. "See? Now do you believe in ghosts?"

"You're starting to make it almost impossible for me not to," he replied slowly, frowning down at the picture. "But, like Devon, I'm a very hard man to convince that things really do go bump in the night. But it certainly looks like them."

I gave a small laugh. "Emma and Daniel aren't that kind of ghost. I can assure you they don't rattle any chains or push furniture around the room," I told him, as I reclaimed the picture and opened the locket to show him the exquisite miniature paintings of them inside.

The Captain was dressed in his naval uniform and Emma was wearing her elegant blue silk dress. They were both young and smiling. Just as we had seen them down on the beach. The locket had been one of Emma's greatest treasures and she had wanted me to have it.

I allowed Edward to take a long look before I closed the locket gently and put the chain around my neck. I dropped the locket down inside the neck of my shirt. "You'd better go wash up because we need to get going. Or we'll be late visiting your mother and that won't do. She was very excited about something she wants to show me."

"Yes…" He stood for a long moment, staring into the room and at the wide softness of the bed. I saw his strong toes curl into the carpet beneath his feet with suppressed tension.

I became aware I felt the same. My breath caught in my throat. The bed looked very enticing to me as well. But again, I couldn't summon the courage to come right out and ask for what I truly wanted. Over our shared meal tonight, Edward had quietly agreed to my hesitant request that we take things slow and I couldn't fault his sympathy or understanding.

He was nothing like Patrick Thorn or Marcus. I knew that and was very grateful for it. Edward would never demand or expect anything more from me than I wasn't ready to give. I knew he wanted me. That simmering look of need was there in his beautiful blue eyes whenever he looked at me. My traitorous body began to heat up just from thinking about how he often watched me and waited for me to reach out for his love.

I smiled regretfully. Emma had said he was an honourable man. My ghostly friends had trusted him with my care. I compressed my lips. Now I was beginning to feel the need for him to be just a little bit less than honourable. 'Blast...'

"Go on…" I drew a ragged breath and released it as I nudged him gently with my elbow before I walked away to replace the photo on the side table.

"Yes…" he said again, shaking his head as he turned around and finally did as I asked.

※※※※※

I looked up when Edward and Kat walked into the living room. They both appeared a little distracted and if I didn't know better, I would have said my son looked as if he'd just seen a ghost. I glanced up at the Captain's portrait as I got to my feet. The painted blue eyes regarded me with calm indifference.

"Thank you for coming over tonight at such short notice," I greeted Kat and kissed her cheek. "I know it's late, but I've got some great news, and I couldn't wait to share it with you."

I glanced at my son. "Devon and Michael are waiting for you in the office. Danny's with them. They want to speak with you."

"Sounds ominous." Edward shrugged as he left the room.

"Come and sit down," I encouraged Kat to sit next to me on the couch. "I'll show you what just arrived by special delivery this afternoon after Edward left to see you."

She nodded quickly while she still looked somewhat distracted as if her mind was elsewhere. I could see she was also tired. I knew what I had to show her would brighten her up.

"Okay, thank you…" Kat's expression said she was intrigued as she did as I asked and sat down next to me.

I caught the warm scent of Shalimar and wondered if she was wearing it tonight. It suited her. I smiled as I picked up a large, brown paper-wrapped parcel from the coffee table and handed it to her.

"Go ahead and open it," I said, sitting back to watch her do as I bid. "Then tell me what you think."

※※※※※

I opened the door to Devon's office. I was still more than a little distracted by the recent events of the evening. I wanted to be alone with Kat to talk it out and analyse my confusion. Besides, no one yet had proved ghosts actually existed.

'Face it. You just want to be alone with her…'

I had seen the bed in her room. It looked very comfortable and inviting. I'd barely managed to resist the desire to pick Kat up in my arms and find out. I had held back by the sheer force of my will and her softly voiced request.

Tonight, she'd asked for us to take things slowly and I'd agreed. I wanted her to feel that everything was right between us. After tonight's unexpected encounter on the beach, I felt bound by the moral expectations of another time and the Captain's sternly commanding gaze. I carried the weight of it uneasily.

'Honourable…' I shook my head at Emma's description of me. One look at that bed and I hadn't felt very honourable tonight. 'Blast…'

"You needed to see me?" I asked Devon as I closed the door behind me.

He looked up. "Yes. We were just discussing the best path for Daniel to take to gain his license. We needed your input."

"Yeah," Michael added. "And which BSIS-approved training program he should be enrolled in? He's certainly keen enough to start and we can use him as soon as possible. We can hardly keep up with the work now."

He shrugged. "Bonnie and RC both need a break but there's not time now for either of them to take a holiday. And Danny will need to put in the hours first before he can join the team."

"But it turns out I've already got some really useful skills that I've picked up along the way in the last five years," Danny added cheerfully. "I've already done some off-the-books detective work for a private contractor when I was in the UK. He's already mailed a letter saying how many hours I worked for him, and he's given me a glowing reference, as well. So I've built up quite a few credits there."

"I see…" I mused as I hitched one hip onto the corner of Devon's desk. "I think, to my little brother's mind, the quickest path from point A to Z always worked for him."

"Hey, that was the old me," Danny asserted with a pained look. "You promised you'd at least give me a chance to prove myself before you lowered the boom on me, big brother."

"Yes, that I did," I acknowledged ruefully. "I'm sorry. Of course, we will help you in any way we can to get everything in place as soon as possible."

"And after we're finished here..." Michael pulled at his ear and looked slightly uncomfortable. "Kitt has asked to talk to us all. He insisted on coming over tonight. He said it couldn't wait any longer. He has something he wants to get off his chest. He's been chewing on it for some weeks now."

"Something he wants to get off his chest?" Danny queried. "I know he's a talking car. But isn't that taking things a little too far?"

"Oh, Kitt is a whole lot more than a talking car," Michael replied with a grin. "You'll soon find out how much more when you finally come to work for us."

※※※※※

"What is it?" I frowned at Carolyn as I turned the parcel over and untied the strings.

I felt my state of tiredness beginning to drag at my senses. She was being very mysterious over her curious gift. I had no idea what she was about to show me but it was heavy.

"Open it and see," she said with a smile.

"All right…" I nodded as the wrapping fell away and I was looking down at our book about the Captain and Emma. It was larger than I expected and even more beautiful than I had imagined.

Carolyn leaned closer to look over my arm. "I felt this format was more fitting for their story. Sean agreed, even though this is not his usual line of publication. Once he read their story, he couldn't put it down either. He's already predicting excellent sales because Emma and Daniel's love affair is a real page-turner. Even for an old cynic like Sean."

She nodded happily at my wondering expression as she began to talk about our need to host a book launch. "And what better place to do that than in the biggest bookstore downtown, in the very city where their love story began? Of course, there will be no talk of ghosts or anything like that. They will always be our closely guarded secret."

She glanced up at the Captain's portrait and smiled. "Of course, they're very welcome to attend. And I still have an entire attic to sort out and catalogue."

She put one hand over mine. "Maybe you could help me with that."

"Of course," I replied automatically. "I'd love to help." I flicked a glance at the Captain's watchful expression.

"Good. We'll make some plans tomorrow." Carolyn nodded. "Devon has a new photographic exhibition coming in a couple of months here in LA. He'll be well-occupied planning that with his people. So, we'll be free to do all our planning as well. It's all going to dovetail very nicely. I can see that."

She carried on talking about her expectations and ideas. She mentioned book tours and holding signing evenings in all the major bookstores across the country. My head began to spin with it all. I knew this was Carolyn's area and she didn't need my input. I knew nothing about the world of publishing. I had been telling a story that was very dear to me.

But I listened with only half an ear anyway. My focus was on the book in my hands.

"It's so beautiful…" I whispered as I opened it and turned each page slowly and carefully.

It was all there, just as I'd been told and had retold it. Their love story, the pictures from the old photo album I had given her when I thought I was leaving all of this behind. Everything had been brought together in a wonderfully cohesive whole that held your attention.

I felt tears welling up in my eyes as I closed the book slowly and put it down on the coffee table again. I closed one hand over the locket beneath my shirt.

"Thank you…" I leaned close to Carolyn and kissed her cheek. "I could not have done this without you. It's perfect."

"Thank you for having the courage and the faith to tell me their story," she replied. "You put a lot of trust in me."

She reached back to the coffee table and picked up a long white envelope. "And this is for you. For all your hard work in keeping their memory alive."

"What is this?"

"Open it and you'll find out," she encouraged.

I did as she bid and drew out a check for more money than I had ever dreamed possible for a simple story. "This isn't right. It's far too much…"

"It's half the advance for the book and I promised that to you when we began this little adventure. And half of every book sold will also be yours. There's your incentive to come on tour with me."

I smiled mistily. "Oh, I wish Emma was alive to see all of this. And the Captain. Though I don't know if he would be too thrilled."

"Oh…" Carolyn put an arm around my shoulders and hugged me. "I think they already know, don't you?"

I turned to her. "Have you seen them?"

"No…" She shook her head with regret in her eyes. "But I'm sure they're here, somewhere. And I know they both approve."

I stared at her, almost forgetting to breathe. This evening had been a total revelation. I wondered if there could be anything more to come.

I glanced up at the Captain's portrait, as I hoped they would now materialise in their old home since they'd appeared down on the beach. But his painted eyes stared down at me and they seemed indifferent to my unspoken question.

※※※※※

"What's so urgent that Kitt must talk to us now," I asked. "It's getting late."

We'd concluded our discussion about how best to tackle Daniel's training and licensing to take the best advantage of his skills and application. I would start on the paperwork first thing in the morning.

Daniel got up and walked out into the front drive with Edward, Michael and me. The young man seemed very keen to reacquaint himself with Kitt and I could see he was bursting to ask any number of lengthy and involved questions. I was aware this could take half the night, and I knew a small amount of irritation.

"Surely whatever it is, it could wait until morning?" I asked as we all left the house. "I've got a new exhibition coming up soon that I need to plan for. And all your bookwork to keep ahead of."

"Nope, it can't wait." Michael grinned. "He said he wants to talk to you all tonight. He said he's waited long enough, and he wants to come clean with his findings."

"I see…" I frowned at him, not liking his look of barely suppressed amusement.

Kitt was parked in the driveway, watching our approach with his red scanning light. He appeared to be nervous, which I knew was impossible. I hadn't programmed him to have such an emotional response. I blamed it on my imagination and my keenness to go to bed. I wondered how much longer Carolyn would be talking to Kat about their book.

"What's going on out here, Devon?" my wife asked from behind me. "I went to the office to say we were making coffee for everyone and you'd all left. Why are you standing out here? It's the middle of the night."

"Don't ask me, my dear," I replied, turning to see Kat was with her. "Kitt asked us to come out here. He said he has something urgent he wants to talk with us about and it couldn't wait until tomorrow." I consulted my wristwatch. "And that's not too far away."

Kat frowned at me. "Um, may I ask, who is Kitt? There's no one else out here but us."

"I am Kitt," the Trans Am spoke up then in a slightly irritated tone. "It's an acronym for Knight Industries Two Thousand. That's me. I am a well-oiled, state-of-the-art, one-of-a-kind machine and proud to be so. I am unique."

He paused and then said in his more normal, well-modulated tone, "Good evening, Miss Morton. It's a pleasure to finally meet you properly. You must excuse my manners and theirs for not properly introducing us before this moment. I did not realise you were visiting us tonight. I would have made allowances."

I shook my head and tried not to smile. I truly wished that I had my camera to take a picture of Kat's expression at that exact moment. I'd completely forgotten she had no idea the car could talk. I watched as she turned to Edward with a frown.

"You told me you didn't believe in… certain happenings," she accused my son softly, obviously being deliberately vague because Michael and Danny didn't know about the house possibly being a ghostly hang-out.

She moved closer to Edward as she pointed back at Kitt. "And yet, you expect me to believe that you own a car that seems to be able to talk? And it knows my name. Did you record that voice as some kind of joke? What exactly is going on here?"

※※※※※

If grown men could look sheepish, in that moment, they all looked like four big kids who'd just been caught with their hands in the cookie jar. I shook my head, wondering what any of them were going to say for themselves. How they would explain about Kitt.

Of course, Devon wanted to be the first to try and rescue the situation. He cleared his throat just as I was about to take Kat's arm and explain. I had also been in the same situation when Devon had first introduced me to Kitt outside FLAG headquarters on that unforgettable day we first met again after thirty-five years.

My disbelief then had been total, as Kat's was now. I suspected all sorts of odd tricks. 'I mean, who's ever heard of anyone owning a talking car?'

"It is cold out here for you humans…" Kitt stated firmly as his doors opened by themselves. "Please get in and we shall explain everything." The passenger seat leaned forward by itself invitingly.

"Where are we going?" Kat asked suspiciously. But she complied with my urging hand on her arm to join Danny and me in the back seat.

Devon and Edward took the front seats while Michael pulled on his leather jacket that I handed out to him before he leaned in through the driver's open window.

"Go on, Kitt…" he encouraged. "Tell them what you told me the other night. Your little pet theory."

"It is not a pet theory, Michael," Kitt replied in an offended tone. "It is based on a great deal of sound reasoning and long hours of extensive research. You forget that I do not need to sleep. I remain alert and on guard, while all of you recharge your human batteries."

"Does he always talk like that?" Kat asked in a wondering tone, still looking totally out of her depth.

"Not always." I smiled at her. She hadn't noticed that she'd just humanised the car.

"I'm sorry that you've had such an abrupt introduction to Kitt." Devon turned around in the driver's seat to look at Kat. "We all must apologise for any confusion we've caused you tonight. Edward should have told you before now."

"Yes, I should have. It just never crossed my mind." Edward turned in his seat. "I'm sorry, Kat. That was my mistake."

"That's okay," she replied quickly, as she reached out to put one hand on his shoulder. "I know there are things about the work you all do that I don't understand. But someone needs to tell me what's going on and how a car can talk like he's a human being."

"A human being?" Kitt muttered. "How many times must I state that I am a well-oiled, state-of-the-art, one-of-a-kind machine? I am unique in every way. I have developed a sound theory based on my extensive and detailed research."

"Aw, now he's off on that tack again, and he was just getting to the good part," Michael complained. "Go on, Buddy. Tell them all about your sound theory."

"What theory?" Edward asked. "He was trying to tell me something a couple of weeks ago when we were out on a case. But we were interrupted…" He looked significantly at Michael. "Then I forgot to ask him what he was talking about."

"Whatever it is, surely it'll keep," Devon replied sharply, giving Michael a quelling look. "We owe Kat an explanation for all of this." He waved a hand at the car's complicated dashboard, flashing lights and its futuristic-looking steering column.

"Okay, okay…" Michael threw up one hand in defeat." I just wanted to see both your faces when he finally gets around to telling you two about his conclusions."

"What conclusions?" Devon asked, distracted from his explanation of how a car could talk. "What are you talking about now?"

"Oh, his idea is that me, Edward and him are all some kind of natural brothers because you had a hand in creating every one of us. So, he thinks that makes you, our father."

" What?" Devon asked in a stunned tone.

Michael shrugged. "Yeah, well, he said it. I didn't. Though you gotta admit it's a rather neat theory." He grinned. "Hi, Dad." He punched Devon lightly in the shoulder.

"Wow…" I put a hand up to cover my mouth as a stunned silence descended inside the car.

Devon stared at Michael in disbelief while Edward frowned at Kitt's screen. I could see their minds racing and analysing. Michael shook his head in apology and shrugged again. Kat was silent while Danny whistled low and long in an awed tone.

" Michael!" Kitt fumed. "I wanted to be the one to properly propose my theory. And I would have framed it far better than that. Now you have spoiled everything."

"Sorry, Buddy…" Michael looked suitably sheepish. "But you were getting too long-winded again. We would've been here all night, and I do want to go home sometime."

He shook his head. "With the heavy workload we all have on, Stevie's beginning to forget what I look like. I've taken the whole weekend off to remind her. I got big plans."

"I was not long-winded. I was about to arrive at my conclusion. You did not give me a chance to state my case and lay out the facts," Kitt replied huffily.

"Okay… So, I get to have a car as some kind of crazy half-brother?" Danny wanted to know. "Aw, way cool! Hi, Bro!" He waved at Kitt's talking screen.

That was the final straw that broke the rising tension inside the car. It had become too much for all of us, except Kat. We began to laugh and once we started, we didn't seem to be able to stop.

"I still don't get any of this madness…" Kat muttered as she looked at each of us in turn as if we'd finally lost our minds. "How does anyone become a father to a blasted car?"

" Humans!" Kitt snapped and went silent.

※※※※※