They had stopped for Chinese food. Abigail sat in his luxury car with the bag on her lap. Carson drove just north of town, and through a neighborhood Abigail was familiar with.

"Clare lives just around the corner," she said. “I remember this house being for sale.”

"Then you remember what a mess it was," he said as he drove into the gravel that was used as a driveway.

From the looks of the outside, she wasn't sure there had been any improvement. Then again, he had told her that much. She would save any judgment until she saw the inside.

Carson turned off the engine and opened his door. "Don't move." He skirted the front of the car, and came to her door and opened it. "I'll take this," he said as he took the bag from her. "I know where all the divots in the floor are. I don't want you to fall.”

Abigail laughed as she climbed from the car. “If this is a dangerous place to be, why would I want to be here?”

"Because I'm here," he said with a wink, and then took her hand, and led her to the house.

Carson unlocked the door and pushed it in. He reached around the wall and turned on the light. Abigail held her breath and realized that the disappointment was real.

"I told you, this will be the last room to get done. No judging. Wait until you see the bathroom and my bedroom. Oh, and the kitchen floor.”

Abigail plastered a smile on her face. "I'll keep an open mind.”

Carson closed and locked the front door. He took her hand and led her through to the kitchen. Again, he turned on the light.

"I was trying to get the floor finished yesterday. But my mind wasn't clear enough. So I took a walk to the top of Mother Cabrini's shine."

Carson turned to her when she gasped. "Top of the mountain."

"What does that mean?”

She considered for a moment before going forward with the conversation. It was okay to tell him. He promised to try to understand.

"Mrs. Winters took my hand, and I saw you on top of the mountain.”

Carson gave her hand to squeeze. “I guess you'll never have to track my phone then will you?”

She laughed, as the moment intended humor. But she worried, as Carson held her hand and she saw nothing.

Carson, still carrying the bag of food, led her down the hallway and to the back of the house. He pushed open another door, this time she was impressed.

“Oh, this is beautiful."

Abigail leaned in through the doorway, afraid to walk into the room. The dark plush carpet, accented by earthy brown walls made the space cozy and warm. The trim, painted white, gave it the perfect contrast. He had an enormous king size bed, which was made perfectly with a duvet and accent pillows. She couldn't help but wonder if he planned to bring her there. An entertainment center was built into the wall adjacent the bed. Who needed a television that big in their bedroom.

"You can come in," he said as he walked into the room. "I have a table where we can eat." He pointed to a little table in the corner.

"I don't want to walk through here with my shoes on.”

“Considering the construction mess and the rest of the house, I highly recommend you do leave them on.”

Abigail stepped into the bedroom. “You eat in here?”

“You did see my kitchen, right?”

“So you’re basically living in your bedroom?”

Carson set the bag on the small table and looked around the room.

“Yep. But not forever. C’mon, sit down.”

Abigail walked to the table and sat in one of the chairs. “You have two chairs.”

“And you’re afraid I bring other people in here to eat?”

She shrugged. Yes, unfortunately, that was exactly what she was thinking.

Carson began to take out the containers and set them on the table. “It’s a table for the patio when I get the deck redone. It came with two chairs. My kitchen table is in storage, and this keeps it out of the way. Hence two chairs at my table in my bedroom.”

Abigail let her shoulders drop. “I’m sorry. I don’t have any right to cast my judgment on you.”

“Sure you do. We’re sleeping together.”

“We slept together.”

“And I have all intentions to keep doing so,” he continued as he opened the containers, and handed her a pair of chopsticks. “This isn’t a fling. It’s not something laid out like a roadmap either. I know what you say you saw, but every day we make decisions that change the course we are on. So that’s how I choose to see all of this.”

Abigail picked up a container and stirred the noodles around with the chopsticks. “Mrs. Winters said because she saw her husband and the path before them, that’s why she married him so quickly.”

Carson slurped up a noodle from his container as he watched her from over the top of it. “You think we should get married?”

“No. I just want you to know you’re not locked into anything. Just because I say I saw it, and Mrs. Winters saw it too, doesn’t mean you have to believe it or rush it.”

“Then we’ll take our time.”

Abigail set the container down and crossed her arms in front of her. “She was talking to Jeffery the other night when we were taking her out of her house.”

That had him stopping his acquisition of the perfect bite and setting his container on the table. “She was talking to him? She didn’t just think I was him?”

She shook her head. “She said he’s coming for her, and when she’s ready, she’ll go with him. Admittedly, she knows it sounds crazy, and that’s probably why she only told me about it. Carson, she’s not afraid.”

“I am.”

“Me too.”

He reached across the table and took her hand. “Do you see anything when I hold your hand?”

Abigail shook her head. “Nothing.”

“And you think this is all some curse?”

“Wouldn’t you?”

“Of course I would. I don’t want to know everything. Okay, maybe lottery numbers.”

“It doesn’t work that way.”

He lifted her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to her fingers. “Go with me tomorrow to see Mrs. Winters. She seems to embrace her gift. I want to understand it from that side.”

Tears welled in Abigail’s eyes. “You’re willing to accept all of this? I’m living it, and I think I sound crazy.”

“You already know I love you. Even if I didn’t say the words, you already knew. Love means I take time to understand what’s going on in your life. What has always gone on. It’s more than just the hairs on the back of your neck standing up when you sense a spider, Abi. It’s like a horrific gift. I want to understand it.”

Abigail sniffed back the tears. “Oh, Carson, I think you already do.”