A Haunted Twist of Fate (19 page)

Shay had to get out of there. The hard chair tipped
over as she jumped up and pushed by Colt. Staggering to the door, she bumped
into Opal, sending candles and matches clattering to the floor.

“I’m sorry,” she mumbled.

“Hold up, Shay.” Colt was at her side within
seconds, with his arm snaked around her waist.

“What’s going on?” Opal asked.

“She needs some air. We’ll be back in a few
minutes.” Colt escorted Shay outside where they sat on the front steps and she
gulped in fresh, cool air.

“Do you feel like you’re going to faint? If so, put
your head between your legs.”

She shook her head. “I’ve never fainted in my life. I
don’t think I’m going to now. I just need to catch my breath.” She inhaled and
exhaled a few times.

No words were spoken between the two of them while
she gathered her wits about her. Staring into the sky, she pondered what had
just happened. Twinkling white stars blanketed the expansive sky, causing her
to think about heaven, which made her think about her parents again. Her heart
lurched and she tried, but was unable to hold back tears.

This was all too much. Why were these things
happening to her?

When Colt wrapped his arm around her and pulled her
close, she surrendered.  Crying, she let him shoulder the burden of her
uncertainty and fear for a few moments.

Once she’d sewed her emotions back together, she
wiped her eyes. “The girl in that picture looks like me, Colt. Or I look like
her. Either way, we could be sisters. What does it mean?”

“I’m as confused as you are. I thought you resembled
Frank’s grandmother but…” 

Seemed he was at a loss for words.

“Frank thinks I’m his daughter. It’s obvious he’s
losing his mind. We both know this is just another bizarre twist amongst a
bunch of coincidences.”

“Do we? Is it a coincidence?”

Shay’s mouth dropped open.  Did he actually believe
this was something more? “Of course that’s what it is. I told you, I have a
common face.”

“Nothing about you is common,” he said, unsmiling. “This
is becoming complicated by the day. What have the ghosts in the Buckhorn got to
do with Frank’s grandmother and daughter? Anything?” He paused a moment. “As
soon as you moved into the saloon, you claim an apparition paid you a visit. Now,
Frank shows us photos of his grandma and his daughter, both of whom look enough
like you to be your sisters.”

“Yes, but neither of them are. That’s ridiculous.” She
rolled her eyes, starting to feel annoyed. “And what do you mean I
claim
Callie paid me a visit? You told me you believed me. She tried to strangle me
twice. I know you saw her, too. That night in my window.”

“I never said that.”

Shay didn’t want to argue. She saw his mind working,
figuring out the math that divided the three women.

“Even if there was some reasonable explanation,
which there isn’t, Alicia couldn’t be my sister,” she stated. “The years don’t
work out. Besides, I’ve never been to South Dakota in my life until this trip. I
have no ties here. I think we should both calm down. Frank’s wild imaginings
have caused us to think things that can’t be possible.”

“What kinds of thing?”

“I don’t know. Nothing. Never mind.” She rubbed her
temple. “I’m getting a headache.”

Colt didn’t let up. “Frank and Alicia might be
related to you somehow. Your parents never mentioned having family out here in
the Black Hills?”

“No,” she snapped. “My dad’s ancestors were all
Midwesterners. Mom came from the east coast. She and dad met while in college
in Illinois. I had one aunt and uncle back in Maryland, but they both passed
away years ago. There’s no one left on Dad’s side. That’s how I inherited his
fortune. Don’t you think he or Mom would have told me if we had any relatives
out here? Why would they keep that a secret?” Her irritation was quickly
reaching its peak.

“Families sometime keep secrets for any number of
reasons.”

Shay turned toward him and narrowed her eyes. “Are
you inferring my parents were liars?”

“I’m not saying that—”

“My mom and dad had nothing to hide,” she retorted. “I
would have known if we had people out here.”

“Of course.” He clamped his lips together,
apparently knowing when to shut up, but his gaze remained fixed on her.

Questions nagged at her, hinting there was more. Was
she willing to delve deeper to discover answers to those questions? It felt
like someone had beaten her in the head with a hammer.  She had a roaring
headache. “I need to go home, Colt.”

He rose from the step. “Sure. Let me tell Opal and
Frank we’re leaving.”

“I’ll meet you in the truck.” She didn’t have the
energy, or courage, to go back in and face Frank again.

A few minutes later, Colt slid onto the passenger
seat and told her Frank was already asleep. “Opal will keep an eagle’s eye on
him for the next couple of days.” He started up the engine.

The ride back to the saloon was a quiet one. When
Colt walked her to the door, he smiled and patted her arm. “We can talk more
about this tomorrow when you’re feeling better.”

This isn’t how she’d wanted to end it with Colt, but
there was no use in putting the inevitable off. “I don’t want to talk about it.
I don’t want to think about what any of it means.” When he reached to stroke
her hair, she stopped his hand mid-air and backed up. His smiled faded.

“Have I done something to upset you, Shay? You’ve
acted different all evening.”

Her gaze fell to the ground before meeting his. “I
don’t think we should see each other anymore.”

“Why? I thought we were getting along so well.”

Her heart plummeted. “We were. That’s part of the
problem.”

“I don’t understand.”

There was no point in trying to explain how she was
falling in love with him and was afraid of getting hurt. He wasn’t interested
in a long-term commitment, and she wasn’t interested in sport sex. They were
not in sync.  She set her jaw. “You don’t believe I’ve seen and been assaulted
by Callie and Everett.  I need someone in my corner. That’s why I’ve decided to
call Brenda Preston.”

Colt groaned. “Shay, don’t do that. I know that
woman. She’s a nut, pure and simple. You’re not going to find the answers
you’re looking for by getting mixed up with her.”

“I’ll decide that for myself.” With her head aching
and her heart breaking, she didn’t want to discuss anything more. “I’m sorry,
Colt. Goodbye.”

With him still standing at the door, Shay closed it
and turned the latch—locking him out of her life.

* * * * *

This sure wasn’t the ending Colt had expected
tonight. He stomped up his front steps and slammed the door behind him.  In the
bedroom, he tore his clothes off, tossed them in the corner, and crawled into
bed in his skivvies, jerking the sheet up to his chin.

There’d been something strange in the air tonight: Brady
announcing his upcoming marriage and pending fatherhood, Frank showing them
that dammed picture of his daughter, lightning flashing across a still sky, and
Shay deciding to call Brenda Preston. Oh, and Shay telling him to take a hike.

Dammit! Had there been a full moon out tonight to
cause the world to go psycho?

The only two things he was sure of right now was
that Brenda was nothing but trouble, and the woman he wanted didn’t want him. So
much for pleasant dreams.

Thirty-Two

“Yeah,” answered a voice groggy with sleep.

“Hello? Is this Brenda Preston?” Shay sat on a stool
at the bar staring into the mirror at her reflection as she held the cell phone
to her ear. It was nine o’clock in the morning, but it sounded like she’d
roused the woman.

“Who’s calling?”

“Ms. Preston, my name is Shay Brennan. I got your
business card from Doris Rockwood at the historical society.”

“Did you say Shay Brennan?”

“Yes.”

Brenda yawned into the phone. “I heard about you. You
purchased the Buckhorn Saloon.”

“That’s right. Mrs. Rockwood told me you’re a
psychic medium, and I have a . . . a situation. I’d like to speak to you about
some paranormal things that have been going on in the saloon.” When she
received no response, Shay thought maybe Brenda had hung up the phone or fallen
back asleep. “Ms. Preston, are you still there?”

“I’m here. You say you need my help?”

“Yes. Are you free to see me today or tomorrow? I’m
anxious to find some resolution to my problems.”

“Would you like to know how much I charge for a
consultation?”

“I’ll pay your fee, whatever it is.”

After another moment of silence on the other end of
the phone, Brenda said, “We’re talking about spirits, right?”

“Yes. There are two who are causing me problems.”

“I see. It’ll be one hundred dollars for an initial
consultation. I’ll be glad to meet you today. What time is convenient?”

Shay didn’t balk. “My schedule is open. You name the
time.”

“Ten-thirty?”  She yawned again.

“Fine. We’ll meet here at the Buckhorn. Thank you.
I’ll see you then.”

Relief flooded Shay’s body when she flipped the
phone shut. She felt a little silly calling on a psychic, but she didn’t know
where else to turn. She wanted some answers. Surely a person who saw dead
people would be able to provide her with those answers. Anyway, what could it
hurt? If Brenda Preston was a fake as Colt had suggested, Shay would find out
soon enough. All it would cost her would be a hundred bucks. That was a drop in
the bucket.

She swung off the barstool and sauntered into the
kitchen for a second cup of coffee while thinking about the events that had
occurred last night. The entire evening had exhausted her. The hardest part had
been telling Colt goodbye. Although she already missed him, she knew calling
off their relationship was for the best. The highly charged sensual dream she’d
had about him last night hadn’t helped, however. For a split second, she
thought of calling him and telling him she’d made a terrible mistake by saying
goodbye.

Shay flipped the phone open again and punched in his
number. Before he could answer or it went to voice mail, she pushed the
off
button.

What am I doing? I was the one to end
it, and for good reason. I have to be strong and forget about him.

*
* * * *

Colt and his dad sat at the kitchen table drinking
coffee and eating sausages and eggs that Hannah had cooked. She buzzed around
the kitchen wiping down the counter and putting things into the refrigerator. She
seemed to still be fuming over the announcement Brady and Dawn had made last
night.

“You would have thought the two of them had more
sense,” she groused. “Hasn’t either of them ever heard of birth control?”

“Please, Hannah. Not while I’m eating breakfast,”
Chet complained light-heartedly.

“Maybe they wanted to get pregnant,” Colt said,
adding fuel to the fire. He winked at his dad, knowing that would get his mama
going.

Hannah spun and pointed her spatula at him. “That
girl probably did it on purpose. She thinks Brady’s got money. You know her
family. They come from nothing.”

“Oh, Hannah,” Chet said, biting into his sausage
link. “Don’t talk bad about the girl. She can’t help how she was raised. She’s
going to be the mother of our grandchild. I think it’d be best if we support
her and Brady. Maybe some of our values and ways of doing things will rub off
on her.”

Colt stared at his father. He’d never heard his
daddy string that many words together at one time in his entire life, unless
they pertained to ranching or music. And he’d sure as hell never heard him
express an opposing opinion from Mama’s.

With her back to them, Hannah ran water into the
sink for washing dishes. She was quiet for a minute, as though she were
thinking over what Chet had said.

“I suppose you’re right,” she finally said, turning
to face them again. “It could be worse, I guess. At least they’re getting
married. She’ll probably start to show soon. But if any of my friends say
anything, I’ll tell them to stick their comments where the sun doesn’t shine.”

Colt and Chet laughed.

“It sure was nice to see your lady friend again last
night, honey,” Hannah said, changing the subject. “I like her. She’s a sweet
gal.”

“Yes, she is.  But, she’s not my lady friend. We’re
not seeing each other anymore.”

“Why?” Hannah frowned. “What’d you do?”

“I didn’t do anything,” Colt said, rising and
placing his clean plate in the sink. “She blindsided me. Told me it was over
practically before it’s begun. I thought we were getting along just fine.”