NEW
RELEASE
Soul Mates
by
Jeane Watier
Description
From different
worlds, Jace Rutherford and Cassandra Van Broden are an improbable match, but
add a sweetly eccentric, psychic old woman to the mix and anything is possible.
In a story of
unlikely connections, a friendship ensues between Jace and his elderly neighbor
after she hires him to drive her car. Lady Sophia Langdon then summons her
grandniece, asking her to write down something of great importance. A chance
meeting leaves the two young people at odds and has Cassandra questioning
Jace’s motives in working for her wealthy aunt.
Cassandra is awed by
her aunt’s gift to her—a series of universal truths, simple yet profound.
Enriched by the wisdom and excited to share it with others, Cassandra is
devastated when her beloved aunt passes away before conveying the final truth.
Jace, too, is shaken by Sophie’s sudden passing. Her advice has helped him
immensely, and he finds it comforting to replay their conversations in his
head. But when those conversations take on a whole new dimension, he discovers
that the power of a soul connection can defy the boundaries of this time-space
reality.
Three unlikely soul
mates drawn together by the powerful LAW OF ATTRACTION.
CHAPTER
15
JACE
SLEPT until noon the next day. Waking up in Chad’s living room, he was
disoriented for a moment, until the events of the previous day sifted back into
his consciousness. He heard a noise and turned to see his friend in the
kitchen.
“Want
something to eat?” Chad offered. “I’ve got scrambled eggs and bacon happening
here.”
Jace
was hungry, but he’d learned from experience that Chad’s cooking wasn’t
something to look forward to. ‘Scrambled’ was the only thing Chad knew how to
do with an egg, and shells weren’t always excluded from the mix. Bacon usually
came burnt or so saturated in oil that it was inedible. “No thanks, buddy,” he
declined politely. “I have to get Sophie’s car.” He vaguely recalled leaving it
at the bar and coming back with Chad.
“It’s
here,” Chad replied. “I walked back and picked it up after you passed out.” He
tossed the keys to Jace as he spoke. “What are you gonna do with it now?”
“I
don’t know,” Jace frowned, realizing he had a dilemma. There was a chance
Sophie’s family would collect her belongings, and he wanted to avoid seeing
Cassandra. “She mentioned a guy that handles her affairs,” he recalled. “He’s
the one that bought the car for her.”
“Do
you know how to get in touch with him?”
“No,
but Sophie must have written his number somewhere. I’m gonna see if I can find
it.” Jace left with a plan in mind. He’d call the guy—she’d said his name was
Peter—and arrange to give him the keys to the car and the apartment. Then he’d
never have to deal with Cassandra or her family again.
Back
at his building, his heart pounded as he ascended the flight of stairs to
Sophie’s apartment. He’d dashed up the same stairs the day before, gripped by
the knowing that something was wrong. Sadly, his intuition had been correct. As
he fumbled with the key, the foreboding he felt was the result of having
watched too many horror movies. Thoughts of disembodied spirits, objects moving
of their own accord, and noises coming from empty rooms vied for his attention.
He
quickly banned the troublesome thoughts and reminded himself why he was there.
He hoped to find an address book or if he was lucky, paperwork with the name of
the firm Peter worked for. A small desk sat in the living room. Jace noted the
fancy moldings and rich wood finish and thought again about Sophie’s
interesting past. It was hard to imagine her as anything but the sweet little
old lady that lived upstairs. Opening the drawer he found papers, but nothing
relevant.
As
he moved to the kitchen to check more drawers, a sound in the hallway made him
freeze. All of a sudden, Jace felt guilty for being there. What
if someone finds me here? What if someone sees me going through her stuff and
thinks I’m helping myself?
He
realized his plan had been impulsive, not to mention foolish. Now his fear was
justified; he could be in real trouble if someone caught him there.
As
the sound in the hallway faded, he took a deep breath and continued searching.
Thankfully, Sophie had kept her apartment organized. A drawer directly below
the telephone contained a coil-bound address book. Names and numbers were
listed neatly. After flipping through a few pages, he found the name Peter
beside what looked like a law firm. He punched the number into his cell phone,
locked the apartment door, and slipped down the stairs unseen.
Back
in his own living room, he sat for a moment to let his heart rate slow before
he dialed the number. It was Sunday; he wasn’t expecting anyone to be there.
Nevertheless, he intended to leave a message. He was caught off guard when a
man answered.
“Harmon,
Corruthers, and Scott,” the voice said absently. “Peter Corruthers here.”
“Um,
Mr. Corruthers…,” Jace stumbled, not having planned what he wanted to say.
“This is Jace Rutherford. I’m a neighbor of Sophia Langdon. I mean, I was.
She…um…” Jace hoped he wasn’t the first to bear the bad news. “She passed
away.”
“Yes,”
the man replied, “the family notified me.”
Jace
breathed easier. “I have some of her things.” He paused. “I wasn’t sure…um…who
to call. I mean…I drove her car for her. But she let me use it…”
“Yes,
Mr. Rutherford.” The man sounded professional, yet had a note of compassion in
his voice. “Mrs. Langdon advised me of the details of your agreement.”
“Oh,
good.” Jace released the rest of his angst. “I just wondered what to do with
the car now. I have a key to her apartment, as well. I could…um…drop them off
somewhere.”
“I’m
in the office, today, going over the details of her estate,” Peter offered.
“Why don’t you bring the car here? I’ll park it in the underground lot. Do you
know where the Oceanview Professional Building is?”
“Sure,”
Jace replied. “I can be there in about twenty minutes.”
THE
FUNERAL WAS set for Saturday. Cassandra was amazed at the ease with which the
details were coming together. Sophia had prearranged all the particulars. She
was to be cremated and her ashes buried alongside her late husband. The woman
had even planned the music that was to be played at her memorial service.
The
family had yet to go through her belongings, but Cassandra was more comfortable
with the idea now. Having taken the week off, she was confident that avoiding
Jace was possible. Furthermore, she wanted to help. Not only did she hope to
find a clue to the fifth principle, she had a genuine desire to learn more
about her aunt.
On
Monday morning, she and Trevor went to the apartment while their father met
with Sophia’s lawyer. Cassandra expected to see the black Honda parked in front
and was surprised when it was nowhere in sight. “That’s funny,” she frowned. “I
wonder what Jace did with Aunt Sophia’s car?”
“He
wouldn’t still be driving it, would he?”
“No.”
She shook her head firmly. Then a fragment of doubt crept in. “At least…I don’t
think so.”
As
Cassandra unlocked the door with a spare key her father had given her, she
remembered that Jace also had a key.
“We
should probably get the key back from Jace,” Trevor remarked, reading her mind.
“We’ll have to give them all back to the landlord.” He shook his head. “It
still seems hard to believe she rented this little, old apartment all these
years.”
Cassandra
had wondered the same, but now she understood her aunt’s reasons. She explained
it to Trevor. “I have such respect for her. She lived her life her way,
regardless of what others thought. It takes a strong person to do that.”
“It
does,” Trevor agreed, smiling at his sister. “You’re like her, you know, Cass.
I think that’s why she chose to pass her wisdom on to you.”
“Maybe.”
Cassandra appreciated the kind words, but they brought up questions that had
been simmering in the back of her mind. “But Trev, I feel like I should do
something with it. I mean, more than just using it for my own benefit.”
“You
can be an example to those around you, just like she was.”
“Yeah,
I guess.”
“Doodlebug,”
he asserted. “This is where you need to step back and trust the Universe. Let
the details present themselves. Don’t try so hard to figure it out.”
Trevor’s
advice brought relief. Cassandra had been agonizing over the fact that she
hadn’t learned the fifth principle, that she didn’t know what her aunt wanted
her to do with the information. It felt good to let it go, if just for the
afternoon.
They
spent the next few hours, sorting and organizing. Much of Sophia’s furniture
was antique; it would probably bring a sizable sum at an auction. Some of her
household effects were valuable as well, particularly the china and paintings.
Cassandra wasn’t sure what her aunt had in mind for her belongings, but she was
sure Sophia would have wanted them to go to a worthy cause.
Opening
a drawer in her aunt’s dresser, she remembered Jace’s remark about the jewelry.
The comment stood out in Cassandra’s mind. As she thought back to recent
visits, she couldn’t recall her aunt with any type of adornment, not even a
ring. “Did Aunt Sophia have any jewelry on when you saw her in the hospital?”
she asked Trevor.
“Not
that I noticed,” he shrugged. “Why?”
“I
didn’t see any either, but Jace said she was wearing some when he drove her to
the fair. She must have taken it off before she lay down.”
“It
would still be here, then,” Trevor concluded. “You know, we should probably
have it put in a safe. Some of her old stuff may be worth a lot.”
“That’s
what I was thinking, too.”
Curious,
she searched her aunt’s bedroom. She looked in her closet and under the bed.
She even went through Sophia’s clothing. Trevor joined her in the search, but
after nearly half an hour they’d uncovered nothing. Cassandra’s mind was
working hard as well, trying to solve the mystery. If
Aunt Sophia was so exhausted that she lay down without eating or changing her
clothes, it’s unlikely she’d take the time to hide her valuables. If she simply
removed them, they’d be on her dresser or bedside table—unless she took them
off in the bathroom. She went to check while Trevor
continued to search.
“Here
we go,” he called from the hallway. “I found a jewelry box!”
Cassandra
breathed easier. In an attempt to make sense of it all, her mind brought up the
fact that Jace had a key and knew about the jewelry. Scolding herself for
entertaining such a thought, she went to see what her brother had found. She
was eager to see what old jewelry her aunt would have kept from years past,
sure that a wedding ring would be among the treasure. As she saw the expression
on Trevor’s face, however, she stopped short.
“It’s
empty,” he frowned.
They
looked at each other, and Cassandra knew what her brother was thinking.
“You
don’t suppose…”
“Let’s
not jump to conclusions,” she retorted. “Aunt Sophia trusted Jace. I felt that,
too. I still feel it,” she softened. “He wouldn’t do something like this.”
“But
who else…?”
“Let’s
keep looking.” She cut him off, wanting more than anything to find the jewelry
and exonerate Jace. “It’s got to be here somewhere; she just wore it two days
ago.”
The
two split up and systematically went through the apartment. After an hour and a
half, they were no further ahead. Another small ring box was found, but it too
was empty.
“Cass,”
Trevor said gently. “It’s not here. We’d have found it by now. It’s a tiny
apartment.”
“Then
where is it?” Cassandra demanded, frustrated and distraught by the possibility
that they’d all misjudged Jace. She desperately wished another explanation
would present itself, yet no matter how she rearranged the facts in her mind,
nothing else made sense. Jace was the only one who’d seen the jewelry recently
and the only other one who had access to Sophia’s apartment.
JACE
WALKED HOME from the bus stop. It was a hot, muggy day, and in his work clothes
he was uncomfortably warm. Though his negative mood was exacerbated by his
physical condition, it wasn’t the source of it. He’d been increasingly
discouraged by the reality of Sophie’s death. She’d been the reason for his
hope. Her generosity had eased his financial burden. Now he was right back
where he’d been before he met her.
How
can I feel better about this? he asked
himself, remembering Sophie’s advice.
Her
way of thinking held merit; he just wished she’d stuck around a little longer
to help him really get it. He continued to walk, deep in thought, staring at
the sidewalk in front of him. After a moment, his eye caught sight of something
shiny. He bent to pick up a quarter. As he turned it over in his hand, Sophie’s
voice sounded in his mind.
“This
coin represents money. One side is lack, the other abundance. You can tell
which side you’re focused on by how you feel.”
The
words were in his head, yet they were clear and audible, as though Sophie were
standing next to him. He was convinced, as he had been in the hospital, that he
was concocting the dialogue, and the reason wasn’t hard to figure out. Their
conversations had brought him comfort. Her words made sense; deep down he
believed they were the answer to his problems.
“Jace,
if you can feel excited about the idea of having money one day, then that day
isn’t far away.”
This
time, Jace shook his head in dismay. Her voice had interrupted his thoughts.
And the sound was so rich and clear, Jace could almost swear he was hearing it
with his ears. He didn’t mind hearing her advice. In fact, he was glad it had
resonated with him enough that he could recall it and ultimately apply it. But
what he’d just experienced was more than that. He’d not only heard her voice,
he’d felt her presence. On top of that was the compelling sense that she was
the reason the quarter was in his path. Man,
he breathed, this is affecting me more
than I realized.
Despite
the paranormal nature of the experience, Jace shrugged it off. Hearing her
voice, her wisdom, had left him feeling better, and he welcomed the
improvement. He decided not to analyze it.
As
he neared his building, Jace quickened his pace. He couldn’t wait to shed his
sweaty clothes and step into a refreshing shower. Climbing the stairs to his
apartment, he looked up the stairwell to the floor above. He smiled as he
thought of his wise, old neighbor. Sophie,
wherever you are…thank you.
Review
The principles set forth in this story can be life changing if applied faithfully. It is a very simple approach to life if we can master them. The characters were great and well developed. I loved it!!
Law of Attraction
From the Author
I live in Calgary, Alberta, Canada with my husband and children (okay, so
they’re not ‘children’ anymore, and only one lives at home. I’m still adjusting
to this ‘empty nest’ phase of life). I’ve been studying the principles of LAW
OF ATTRACTION for many years, particularly the teachings of Abraham-Hicks. When I listened to a CD
from a friend all those years ago, I thought it was fascinating, but I had no
idea just how it would transform my life.
I’m no stranger to the emotional issues I
write about. I suffered with depression for over fifteen years. It was my
desire for well-being that led me to learn and apply the principles of Law of
Attraction that changed my life and brought me the joy I now experience.
I was inspired one day to share what I had
learned in the form of a novel. I’ve always been an avid reader and especially
love a good romance novel. Writing one, however, had never crossed my mind. The
process turned out to be a truly magical experience as it flowed out through my
fingers and onto the computer screen almost faster than I could keep up. Four
months later, I held in my hands a finished manuscript that to this day still
amazes me.
Needless to say, the process didn't end there. I knew that there was more
to write and soon began book two, followed by book three of a trilogy. After
much tweaking, formatting and reformatting, the trilogy is now complete and the
thrill of accomplishment great. But I’ve only just begun. I’m hooked now,
completely addicted. Writing has become my passion as well as the most amazing
source of joy and connection to my Inner Being that I have ever experienced.
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