The Strange Healing (4 page)

“
He was probably right.”

“
He was absolutely right.  Not only would they have been disappointed in me, but I would have been disappointed in myself, as well.  Looking back on it now, I have so much respect for him.  He was hurting, too.  I mean, they were his parents, too, and we were both close to them.  He was able to see beyond the present, though, and knew how important it was for both of us to go on with our lives.”

“
So he's smart, too, huh?”

Heather chuckled as she said, “He really is, yes.  Don't tell him I said that, though, or it will go to his head.”

“Okay, I won't say a word.  So, he wouldn't let you drop out of school, I take it?”

“
No, he wouldn't.  He did talk to the college, though, and they let me drop a couple classes that semester as long as I kept up with the practical, the lab part.  I retook the classes I dropped over the summer so I was caught back up then.”

“
That was good that you could do that.”

“
Yes.  I really don't think I would have passed them that semester, anyway, and it would have gone on my record.  He really helped me out by getting the college to allow me to drop them.”

“
Were they really hard classes?”

“
Not really.  I was just so devastated; I couldn't focus on anything like that much.  Heath talked to me sometimes for hours on end, and encouraged me to talk to him.  If you ever have anything you want to talk to somebody about, he's your guy.  He is by far the best listener ever.  He'll let you talk, without interrupting, while you get it off your chest.  Then he'll ask questions to be sure he understands what you're saying, and discuss the whole thing with you then.  I swear, he has a way of pointing out things I never think of, or never realize I'm feeling, and I always feel so much better after we talk.”

“
Really?”

“
Oh, yeah.  For some reason back then I always fought the idea of expressing my feelings to him, or actually to anyone, but once I did I always felt 100% better.”  She paused a moment, thinking, and added, “Now that I think about it, I still do that.  He can always tell when something's bothering me and tries to get me to tell him what's wrong, but I fight it every single time.  When he does eventually get it out of me, and he always does, I feel like a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders.”

Heather saw Sara smiling, and added, “Keep that in mind if you ever feel ready to talk about what happened yesterday, Sara.  Heath really is a good listener, and he doesn't judge.  He has a way of making you feel free somehow, but more in control of your life.”

“Okay, I'll remember that.”

“
Anyway, Heath spent so much time for that next two or three years helping me, and taking care of everything involved with the estate, that he barely had time to keep up with his classes.  He's very self-disciplined, and he did what he knew needed to be done.  He basically wouldn't allow himself the time to meet anyone and start a relationship.  All his extra time he spent helping me.”

“
Last night he said you guys become even closer after your parents died.”

“
Yes, we sure did.  I will always be thankful to him for everything he did for me during that time.  Once I finally started getting my head on straight again he even introduced me to Phil.  He told me he was sure he would be perfect for me, and once again, he was right.”

“
He told you that when he introduced you to him?”

“
Well, yeah, about a month or so later.  When Phil and I both knew we really cared for each other, Heath told us he knew we were perfect for each other, and that's why he introduced us.  He's a good judge of people, so it shouldn't really surprise me that he thought that way, but I'm still thankful that he introduced us.”

“
So once you got married he had time for himself?” 

“
Not exactly.  He threw himself into his schooling, to finish it up, and then opening his own business, which is what he's always dreamed of.  He's finally gotten to the point where he can sit back and relax a little, and allow himself a chance to meet someone special.”

“
So what kind of –”

Heather quickly cut into her question, hoping to head off what kind of business he was in.
She quickly said, “I'm really glad he's asked you out.  The more I get to know you, the more I think you two could be really good together.”

Sara laughed as she said, “Heather, we just met, and you're trying to get us married off.  Really?”

Heather had the decency to blush as she admitted, “I know, and I'm sorry.  I just want him to be happy, and I was serious when I said I could see you guys together.  I really don't mean to be pushy, though, honest.”

“
You sound like him when he said he knew you and Phil would be happy together.”

Heather laughed as she admitted, “I guess I do, don't I?”  Becoming more serious again, she said, “It is kind of weird, though.  I obviously care a lot about him and I want him happy, but it has to be the right person before I'll feel good about it.  He's met a few ladies that he talked with some, but he never asked them out.  I was really glad because I didn't feel any of them were right for Heath.  You are.”

“I am, huh?”

She laughed as she said, “I guess I should say I feel like you're right for him.  You know, I've thought about this, and I have a theory on it.”

“What kind of theory?”

“
Well, I wondered how he was so sure about Phil and me, and how I've felt so strongly against most of the women he's met.  I think it's because we're twins.”

“
What do you mean?”

“
They say twins have some sort of special connection between them that other siblings don't have, that they occasionally finish each other's sentences and stuff.”

“
Yeah, I've heard that.”

“
We do that all the time!”

“
You do?”

“
Yep.  One of us will start saying something and the other finishes.  Sometimes we even know what the other one's thinking without saying anything.  So, I think there may be something to this, and we seem to have this sense about who would be a good match for the other one.”

“
Do you think so, really?”

“
I don't know.  All I know is you're the first person he's been at all serious about getting to know better that I feel good about, so I've got my fingers crossed.” 

Heather could tell Sara was considering her words.  Deciding that was enough serious talk for
a while, she said, “Okay, enough about my brother.  Come on, girl, we're wasting serious shopping time.  Let's go.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Later that evening Phil answered the door and invited Heath in, saying, “Come on in, Heath.  It seems your sister was a bad influence on your date, and she's not quite ready.”

Sighing, Heath asked, “What did Heather do now?”

“I take offense to that,” Heather insisted, walking into the room.  “How was I a bad influence on Sara?”

Frowning, Phil asked, “When did you guys get home today?”

“Okay, so we were running a little later than I intended.  That doesn't mean I was a bad influence on her.  Sheesh!”

Turning to Heath, Phil said, “They came running in the door about ten minutes ago.  I apologize that my wife, who knew you were picking Sara up at 7:00, has made her late.  Do you have reservations somewhere that you'll miss?”

“I do have reservations.  Let me call and see if they can accommodate us a little later.”  Looking at Heather, he asked, “Do you have an idea how long she'll need to get ready?” When she started to answer quickly, he warned her, “And be honest.  I want to give the restaurant an honest idea when we'll be there.”

Heather closed her mouth and murmured, “Let me check.  I'll be right back.”

As she left the room Phil and Heath looked at each other.  Both were smiling, and shaking their head.  “I'm sorry, Heath.  I plan on having a talk with my wife after you two leave.”

Heath assured him, “I'll let that up to you.  I certainly won't stop you, but I doubt the restaurant will be too busy tonight.  There shouldn't be a problem to bump it back a bit.”

“I hope it's not a problem, but she knew when you were coming for Sara.  That was rude not only to you, but to our guest, as well.” 

Heath nodded his head in agreement.  Phil went on, “Speaking of our guest, Heather really likes Sara.  To see them together now you'd swear they've been friends for years.”

Before Heath could respond to Phil's comment Heather came back into the room.  “She just got out of the shower, but she says she can be ready in 15 minutes.  That seems awful quick to me, but she says she thinks she can be ready then.”

Heath stepped outside a minute, opening his cell phone. 

Heather asked Phil, “We're going out tonight, too, aren't we, since I just got home?”

“
We'll go out, just as soon as we discuss proper manners, and how you treated your brother and our house guest tonight.”

“
Oh, Phil, no.  I didn't mean to be that late, really.  I just should have been watching the time better.”

“
Maybe if you sit on the wooden chairs at the restaurant down the street on a sore bottom it will remind you to watch the time better the next time.”

“
But Phil, the restaurant down the street has the hardest wooden chairs I've ever seen.  They don't even have cushions or anything!”

“
Which is exactly why I think eating dinner there after you've had a good spanking just might help you watch the time better in the future.”

Heather started to object further, when Heath came back in.  “You're in luck, Sis.  They can save our table for us.”

“Oh, good.  Did you hear that, Phil?  No problem.”

“
Just because it's not a problem for Heath doesn't mean it's not a problem for you, my dear.”

“
Oh, Phil, come on.”  Seeing the smirk on Heath's face, she turned to him.  “And how is that funny?”

Chuckling, Heath admitted, “I was actually smiling because it's Phil's concern now.  Not my problem.”

Heather was glaring at both men, when Sara came into the room.  “What's wrong, Heather?”

Heather quickly assured her, “Oh, nothing.  These men are just being men, and ganging up on me.”

Heath crossed the room to greet his date.  “You look lovely, Sara.”  As he admired the blush appearing on her face, he added, “If you're ready we'll get going.  I think these two have plans for tonight, too.”

Sara noticed the grin on Phil's face, the smirk on Heath's, and the glare Heather was giving her brother.  She wondered what was going on, but decided she'd wait and ask Heather the next time she saw her.

“Okay,” Sara agreed.  “I'm ready, but first I want to thank you, Phil, and Heather, for all the help and kindness you've given me.  I appreciate it more than I can say.”

They both smiled, and Phil said, “No problem at all, Sara.  You're welcome back here anytime.  I mean that, so remember that if you don't feel comfortable alone in your motel, okay?”

Smiling, she assured him, “Thank you, Phil, and I'll remember it.”

“
You two have a good evening,” Heath said as he led Sara out the door.  He noticed the glare Heather was giving him, and he smiled.

Phil noticed his wife glaring at her brother as he left, and had to smile.  He tried to look serious and stern as he said, “Okay, honey, let's go set your bottom on fire so we can go eat.  I'm hungry.”

“What?”

She then saw the smile in his eyes as he said, “Come here, sweetheart.”  She readily allowed him to pull her into his arms for a hug.  She knew he was serious about giving her a spanking, and she could actually understand why in this case.  She reluctantly admitted to herself that getting Sara back late was rude to her and to Heath.  But a part of her needed to feel her husband's arms around her, needed to feel his love for her, before she could accept the spanking.

Phil knew she needed to be reminded of his love before a spanking, and readily held the love of his life in his arms securely.  After several moments he leaned down to press a soft kiss against her lips.  “I love you, honey.  What were you doing that kept you from keeping an eye on the clock?”

Heather looked down as she said, “Phil, I'm really sorry.”

“I believe you, Heather, but it's Heath and Sara you should be apologizing to.  They're the ones whose plans you interrupted.”  He tilted her chin up so he could look into her eyes as he said, “You didn't answer my question, though.  What were you doing that kept you from watching the time?”  When she still didn't answer, he said, “You must have been doing something that had both of your attention, if Sara didn't remind you how late it was getting.”

Heather looked away quickly again, and Phil saw tears streaming down her face.  He knew that meant she was struggling with guilt, and he had to get her to admit whatever she'd done before they could get past it.  Steeling his voice, he said, “Heather, tell me what happened.”