Harlequin Heartwarming May 2016 Box Set (31 page)

As if warming to the topic—and to her—he edged a little closer. “If there is, and if you were to build a home for yourself, what would it be like? Would you want an A-frame?”

“I'm not sure. Maybe.” Her pulse picked up a beat and she felt a bit breathless with him so close. “I know I would like to bring the outdoors inside with a big screened porch. And take the indoors outside with an outdoor kitchen and living area.”

“Sounds like you've put some thought into it.”

“A little dreaming here and there.”

She took the last bite of her sandwich and as she swallowed, he reached out and rubbed a thumb against the side of her mouth.

Startled, she stared at him wide-eyed, and her heart thumped so hard she swore he could hear it.

“You had a little mustard there,” he murmured.

“Oh. Thanks.” She shrugged. “Messy eater.”

He grinned and she couldn't help but laugh. The easiness with which they'd started their date had returned.

Deciding to turn the focus on him, she said, “So tell me about your classes. I really will consider taking one if I have the opportunity this summer.”

“We're already past midterm, so most of the students are preparing final projects. Well, hopefully they are. The good ones will come through.”

“And the others?”

“Some will undoubtedly fail.” Sighing, he shook his head. “I wonder why they're there when they obviously don't want to be. Fortunately, I've only seen a couple of those this year.”

“Maybe they're finally getting the idea that education is important to their future. And maybe you've had a positive influence on them.”

He grinned at that, the softening of his rough features sending a thrill shooting through Grace. She liked seeing him like this. Natural. Easy. One with her.

“Weekend after next,” he said, “I'm taking students out on an overnight field trip to the Ojibwe Woods between Green Meadows and the Chippewa Sparrow Lake Reservation.”

“You're taking your students on a camping trip?”

He chomped into a cookie and nodded. “With sleeping bags and a bonfire. And tents for those who prefer more privacy. It's just overnight, but it's a way for them to get a better feel for the land, to be part of it.”

“That sounds like a lot of fun. Not that I would know personally.” Though she had always wanted to camp while in her teens especially, she hadn't been part of a group that was that adventurous. “I've never been camping.”

Caleb started at the admission. “And here I thought you were an outdoor girl.”

“I pretty much am. I just never had the opportunity to go camping with anyone.”

“We can fix that.” To Grace's surprise, he asked, “How would you like to come with my class?”

Warmth flowed through her at his invitation, so she didn't hesitate. “I would love to go camping with you!”

Caleb's return grin was infectious, and Grace found herself laughing out loud with him. She couldn't help but think he was a man after her own heart...

* * *

T
HE
INFERNAL
YAPPING
of a dog in the complex sent Olive flying into bed with Nellie that night, as if for protection.

“Go back to sleep, girl,” Nellie moaned, patting the fur ball that shuddered against her.

“Me-e-eow!”

The complaint issued in her face popped Nellie's eyes open. And the continued yapping made her sit up straight in bed. Alarmed, she grabbed her glasses from the nightstand, shoved them on and squinted at the clock. Twenty past midnight. What in the world was going on?

She patted Olive, who squirmed under the covers. Grudgingly, Nellie left the comfort of her bed, slid her feet into slippers and pulled on a wrap before stumbling into her living room and peeking out the bay window. The moon was bright enough that she saw her neighbor Fran Willowby outside with her poodle, Sampson, whose voice still cut through the night as he jerked at his leash.

Oh, dear, who could sleep through that?

Nellie opened the door as her neighbor tried to rein in the dog. “Fran, is everything okay?”

“No! Sampson, c'mon, please!”

The dog stopped barking but he trembled as he stood, legs spread wide, and stared toward the wooded area, the very same area that had spooked Nellie the week before when Olive had gotten outside.

Fran jerked on Sampson's leash. With a final bark, he went off guard and walked with her back toward the apartment complex.

“I'm so sorry, Nellie,” Fran said in a low whisper. She glanced over her shoulder as if looking for trouble.

“What's going on?”

“Sampson woke me. He was super anxious. I figured he just needed to relieve himself, but when we got out here, he headed straight for the trees and I couldn't stop him.”

Not that the poodle was particularly big, but apparently he was strong enough to jerk his elderly owner around.

Nellie swallowed hard. “But you didn't see anything, right?”

She noted how Fran's eyes widened. “Um, well, something...”

“What?”

“I swear I saw something spooky running through the trees.”

“Just like I did last week,” Nellie whispered.

“Well, I don't like it. I don't feel safe here.”

Nellie got that. She'd never figured what exactly had been out there. She pushed her glasses at the bridge so they settled in place on her nose, but as hard as she stared at the wooded area, she saw exactly nothing. “Did whatever it was threaten you in some way?”

“Well, no, it didn't come anywhere near me, but it scared me anyhow. Scared Sampson, too.” She patted her dog, who seemed to have regained his comfort zone. “I don't like this at all, Nellie. I didn't sign up to live with ghosts. Moving into this complex was a mistake. If this area is haunted, I'm getting out before the ghost gets me.”

Nellie remembered having a moment like that, thinking the place really was inhabited by a ghost. But that was silly. “You don't have to move anywhere, Fran.” And hopefully, she wouldn't go around telling others what she'd seen or they might decide to move, as well. “There's no such thing as a ghost! Those Spooky Tour fliers just put the idea in our minds.”

“You don't know that!”

“Look, I was afraid, too, until I had time to think about it. We do have animals in these woods. Deer—”

“No! It wasn't a deer. I'm telling you, it was something floaty and spooky looking!”

A thrill shot through Nellie. Just as she would have described it, too. Something that changed in shape. Undefined. Phantasmal.

But it was definitely not a ghost, because there was no such thing.

So what could they both have seen?

CHAPTER EIGHT

B
Y
M
ONDAY
MORNING
, Grace had heard all about the new ghost sighting at Green Meadows. Gossip apparently was rife in Sparrow Lake. Probably a form of entertainment for the citizens. Only Grace wasn't entertained. Fearful that the ridiculous rumors were going to hurt her pet project, she knew she needed to do something about them, so she decided to hear firsthand what had gone down from Nellie Martin herself.

Halfway through the morning, she gladly abandoned her latest stack of paperwork to walk over to Nellie's Treasures. She'd been meaning to get over to the consignment shop anyway. She believed in supporting local small businesses, and Nellie had been one of the first to move into the Green Meadows rental building, so having a look at her store was the least Grace could do. Maybe she would find something fun to buy. Glancing in the window, she loved the peek into what appeared to be a pretty boudoir with a fainting couch and vanity, the couch draped with a flowery dress and scarf, the vanity with beautiful jewelry and gloves and a spring hat.

Nellie had just opened, so Grace was the first customer of the morning. On her way inside, she passed the rack next to the door that held advertisements and fliers for local businesses. Including a stack of fliers that set her on edge. She froze there for a moment and clenched her jaw.

“Grace, how nice to see you.”

“Nellie!” She whirled around to face the shop owner.

Nellie's smile fell into a frown. “What's wrong?”

Grace sighed and turned back to the rack. “It's these fliers from Spooky Tours.”

“Oh, can you grab them? I meant to throw them away, but my hands were full when I came in.”

Relieved, Grace scooped them up and handed them over to Nellie, who took them from her and disappeared through a doorway for a moment. When she came back into the store proper, she brushed her hands together as if satisfied she'd gotten rid of something distasteful.

“I didn't even know someone dropped those awful fliers in my store until I noticed them this morning. They're making people imagine things.”

A good intro to what was on Grace's mind. “I heard something about another ghost sighting last night.”

“My neighbor Fran thought she saw something in the woods.”

“Did she describe it?”

Nellie shrugged. “Nothing real specific. Basically she saw what I did last week. Just something moving through the trees. Something floaty. Sampson sure didn't like it. Her dog,” Nellie clarified.

“But it could have been another animal, then, right?”

“I thought maybe it was a deer, but Fran said that it wasn't.”

“She was probably upset, so it could have been anything.”

“That's what I was thinking. But this morning, Lavinia Miller told me her boy Johnny came home late from basketball practice last night, sounds like right before Fran and Sampson went out for that walk. He saw something in the woods, too, something different. Swore it was black and white and big—a cow—like in that story the Spooky Tours man told everyone.”

“If there was a cow out there, there would be hoofprints,” Grace reasoned.

“Even if it was a ghost cow? Johnny also said there was a spooky whishing sound.”

Grace nearly choked on that idea. “Do you really think that's likely?”

“Heavens, no. I just think people are getting some kind of weird thrill with these stories.” Nellie waved a hand. “Enough of that nonsense. What can I do for you this morning?”

Grateful that Nellie wasn't trying to make the haunting seem real, Grace smiled at her. “I needed a little break from work and I've been wanting to visit your shop. It is lovely.” She looked around at the muted blue-green walls and the dressing area with pale peach curtains. All around her were racks of clothing, and in the middle of the floor, a mannequin was dressed to the nines, as if about to step out of the place to go to a special event.

“Are you looking for something in particular?” Nellie asked.

“Well, on Friday evening, I was thinking of going to the Ladies Auxiliary fund-raiser social.” She was trying to take Heather's advice to meet as many people as possible to gain support for Green Meadows.

“Oh, aren't they raising money for the new air-conditioning system for the church offices?”

“Right. And I have either casual or business clothing with me. I wasn't planning on making a trip back to my condo in Milwaukee just to pick up a dress. I thought something new—or old,” she said, since this was a consignment shop, “might be fun.”

Nellie sized her up. “Try this rack. I think one of these dresses would work for you.”

Grace started at one end, Nellie at the other. The dresses were colorful and decorative and beautifully designed, if not Grace's normal style. She usually chose solid colors and simple lines for herself. Dresses that didn't make a statement. But maybe she should try something new...

“What about this one?” Nellie said. “It will bring out the blue in your eyes.”

Nellie pulled out a dress with blue and lavender flowers on a white background. She held it out to Grace, who—despite the flounced skirt that was something she wouldn't normally consider—took the dress from her. It was very feminine, very soft and dreamy compared with her usual pick.

Even so, she couldn't say no. “Let me try it on and see how it feels.”

“Exactly,” Nellie chirped. “You're going to feel wonderful in it.”

And indeed, Grace did feel wonderful as she slipped the dress over her head and checked herself out in a mirror. It fit her like a glove and emphasized her curves. The colors were gorgeous. The style was perfect for a social event and fund-raiser. When she turned, the skirt fluttered out just enough that it made her smile. She loved it.

And when she paid for it, she couldn't help but wonder if Caleb Blackthorne would have the opportunity to see her wearing it.

* * *

I
N
TOWN
THAT
AFTERNOON
, Caleb was picking up some cleaning supplies from the local hardware store, when Grace walked in. After looking over the rack near the door with free local papers and advertisements, she picked up a stack of fliers and approached the counter, where owner Lloyd Kinney, old Bob Kinney's nephew, was rearranging a display of key rings.

“Afternoon, Lloyd.”

“Grace.”

“Filling in for your uncle?”

Who must be about a hundred years old, Caleb thought as he moved closer.

“He says his back is out. If you ask me, he needs to retire.”

Grace showed him the stack of Spooky Tour fliers. “Can you do me a favor? Dump these? This guy is hurting business over at Green Meadows,” she explained just as Caleb approached the counter and set down his purchases. Grace gave him a quick smile before telling Lloyd, “This Vincent Pryce guy is worrying people about the place being haunted.”

“Haunted?” Shaking his graying head, Lloyd took the fliers from her. “Sure thing, Grace. No one even asked if they could leave these here.” With that, he dropped them in the nearby trash container.

“Green Meadows is a great place,” Caleb said, earning another smile from Grace.

“So I've heard. The wife just redid the kitchen and bath in our place, so we're not looking for anything new, but I'll pass on the word to anyone I can.”

“Thanks,” Grace said. “Very kind of you.”

Lloyd started adding up Caleb's purchases and bagging them, but Grace seemed reluctant to leave.

And reluctant to lose her company so quickly, Caleb asked, “So are you going all over town getting rid of the fliers?”

She sighed. “Something like that. Everyone is being really agreeable.”

“Which probably means you have nothing to worry about.” Caleb paid and picked up his bag. “Besides, you'll get a lot of people from neighboring towns, as well.”

“Oh, dear, do I have to go around collecting more fliers?”

“The flier doesn't identify where the ghosts are, so unless people actually take his tour, they won't make the connection.”

“That makes sense.”

She seemed relieved as he opened the door for her.

“So where's your next stop?” he asked, as they left the hardware store together.

“Green Meadows. I'm going to look for hoofprints.”

“What?”

She reiterated Nellie's story about some kid seeing a “ghost” cow walking on a path along the wooded area the night before. By the time she finished they had reached her car, and Grace leaned a hip against the door as if she needed the support. Laughing, Caleb drew as close as he could get to her without actually touching her.

Only he would really like to touch her. And kiss her. He'd been thinking about kissing her a lot.

His pulse thudded unevenly as he said, “You really think you're going to find proof that this cow was real?”

“Probably not, but I figure it'll only take a few minutes to check it out. This situation with supposed ghost sightings has really been gnawing at me. Something is going on, and I aim to figure out what it is.”

Amused despite her sober expression, Caleb asked, “Want some company?”

“If you don't have anything more pressing...sure.”

Anything as an excuse to spend some time with her. She made him feel young and energized again. He'd taken on so much responsibility raising Angela alone that he'd forgotten how good it felt to have fun. Like anything was possible. “All right then. Meet you in the community center lot.”

Caleb grinned to himself all the way there. Grace had a way of doing that to him—picking up his spirits. It seemed like a silly venture to go looking for cow hoofprints, but what the heck. She was concerned, and he wanted to help relieve her stress. Considering how hard she was working to make Green Meadows a success—with her father, then this shyster tour operator bringing her down—she deserved to have someone on her side.

Once parked, they left the lot, though Grace took him to the wooded area on a more direct route than she had last time.

“The Millers live in the condo building,” she said, pointing. And farther back from the road, so closer to the woods, he noted. The three-story building was surrounded by trees. That would likely inspire a dose of fantasy, especially in a kid who might have been looking for a ghost. He didn't say so, though, simply let Grace take the lead. He enjoyed watching her as she started down the sidewalk that skirted the natural area farther from the buildings. He loved the way the breeze played with her hair. They followed the path for a while. He wished she wasn't so upset. Her steps seemed heavy, her spine straight and stiff.

Caleb reached out and placed an easy hand on her waist, just to give her some psychological support. Besides, he liked touching her. “No hoofprints,” he said.

She stopped. “No, but what's that?” Frowning, she pointed to a disturbance in the dirt along the sidewalk. “Some kind of weird lines.”

“Looks like something went off the sidewalk...then back. Maybe a laundry cart?”

She hesitated for a moment. “The laundry for the units is next to the community center. No one would need to be pushing a cart over here.”

“Wheelbarrow?”

“I don't see why one would be needed. At least in this location. Not until the landscaping is started. Workmen would take the scraps out the other direction.”

She continued looking around with an intensity he couldn't miss. But when Grace found nothing else to catch her attention, they walked on until the sidewalk ended and the path changed from cement to a thick mulch.

“I guess there's really nothing to see, after all,” Caleb said.

“Let's go a little farther.”

Wanting her company for as long as he could have it, Caleb gave her no argument. He slid his hand a little farther around her waist and pulled her closer. She felt good pressed against his side. And she must have felt the same about being next to him, because he physically felt her relax a bit. She even threw him something of a smile.

“Thanks for indulging me.”

“I have to admit my curiosity is aroused, too.”

She slowed to a halt. “This is getting kind of silly, isn't it?”

Caleb gave her a sober expression. “You didn't hear that from me.” And then he looked at the ground just beyond where they stood. “Wait a minute. What's that?”

Grace took a step forward, stooped and traced a finger along the impression in the mulch. “Looks like a pretty big paw print.”

“Hmm.” It was indeed very large. “A wolf?”

“Wolf!” She jerked and stiffened before he drew her even closer. He could see the hairs standing up on her lower arm. “You're kidding, right? There aren't any wolves around here.”

She actually seemed scared.

Which gave Caleb the opportunity to take Grace in his arms as if for protection.

Keeping a straight face when he wanted to grin at her, he said, “Well, um, yeah there could be wolves around here. Despite the sanctioned wolf hunts now allowed in Wisconsin, they've been expanding their territory down from the north.” He added, “Don't worry. They're a danger to rabbits, not people, but if we see one, I promise I'll protect you.”

He held her a little closer.

She gave him a searching look. “Are you putting me on?”

Caleb chuckled. “Maybe a little. Wolves generally stay away from people. I took a wolf ecology workshop while studying for my degree. Though I can't say for certain that it's a wolf print, I can reassure you that it's not a hoofprint from a ghost cow.”

Grace gave a sigh that dissolved into a soft laugh. “I know. I'm probably being ridiculously obsessive about this. I just wish I could figure out what's going on.”

Letting her go, he laughed, too. “We could do some factual research about the original farm. If there were really murders or hauntings, some of that was bound to hit the local newspapers of the time. Maybe we can find out if these rumors have any basis. I've gotten curious.”