Hauntings of the Heart Page 16

  He recalled how tirelessly she had worked to raise the money for the library. Pockets which had rarely opened for charitable purposes had provided hefty donations at his mother’s cajoling. Her determination certainly warranted her name and portrait on that wall. Gordon began to wonder if he should have the doctor check his mother’s mental faculties. Perhaps her heart episodes were affecting her memory.

  “You have to change it before it’s too late.”

  Was it her medications? Marie would have told him if they had changed. Maybe she was having a mild episode and it clouded her thinking. She probably didn’t understand what she was saying. When she came to the benefit, she would understand.

  His reassurances to himself weren’t working. The perfect plan hadn’t satisfied her. She still wanted the Bower, and she still wanted to come back.

  He murmured something non-committal and asked for Marie.

  Surprisingly, she handed the phone over without complaint. He had expected an earful about treating her like a child. “Do you have any clue what has her so agitated?” he asked after he’d greeted Marie.

  “Nothing specific. She just talks about it being all her fault and how she needs to make it right. Especially when she’s pacing at night.”

  “She still isn’t sleeping?” Gordon changed positions in his chair. It afforded him a view of the yard from the window. Minnie and Wendy were raking leaves. Well, more accurately, Minnie was raking and Wendy was sorting them by color. “Has she been taking the sedatives the doctor prescribed?”

  “She won’t touch them. I tried grinding one up in her pudding, but she said it tasted funny after one bite.”

  He sighed. “She hasn’t liked sleeping pills since Dad overdosed on them.” They talked more about his mother’s medications, and Marie agreed they should discuss Helen’s mental faculties with her doctor at the next visit.

  * * *

  Minnie wiped a smear of mud from Wendy’s cheek. Fall was making its appearance with dropping leaves and frosty wind chills, and the little girl’s cheeks and nose had a rosy glow. Minnie supposed it was time to head inside. She’d taken Wendy outside so they wouldn’t disturb Elmer and Barbara and their team as they prepared for their investigation tonight.

  The ghost hunters had arrived on her doorstep early this afternoon—a day earlier than she planned—asking to stay and do more investigating. Only half their team had come, so Minnie had agreed. Why not? She had the room and she needed the money. Gordon’s check for the Halloween benefit would cover the costs of the repairs and keep her in business, but she still needed guests to stay afloat after the Halloween party.

  The extra people would also be a buffer between her and Gordon, someone to occupy her time and thoughts so she could evict him from them. She wished it had actually worked. His offer to sponsor the benefit and match donations had been on her mind since she’d spoken with him on the phone yesterday.

  What was his angle? Was he trying to use his money and his presence to wear her down, hoping she’d eventually give in and say, “Take the house”? If so, his investment in the plumbing repairs and the library endowment were a much cheaper path than his original offer. They’d never raise enough for the library endowment. Money like that hadn’t been donated since his mother had spearheaded the fundraising drives.

  All she could do was stay on guard and deal with his offer as it stood. If he was trying for something more, he’d have to play his trump cards.

  She planned to keep Wendy in the kitchen, away from the ghost hunters and all their equipment. The temptation of all those buttons and gadgets would be too much for her little fingers, and the future of the Bower depended on the ghost hunters having a successful investigation. She needed their business this weekend, and she needed them to spread the word of a haunting to their friends. With luck, that would help keep business steady through the Christmas holidays.

  She still hadn’t convinced Mark to show her how to use the heating and cooling controls, or even give her the password. She wasn’t sure what Barbara and Elmer thought they’d found, but she didn’t really believe the Bower was haunted. How else could she fool the recording devices? Their equipment could account for every human-caused event, except for the shadow of Edith’s backside. Minnie had debated flushing the key to her liquor cabinet down the toilet after that night.

  Unless, of course, Gordon’s presence had stirred up the spirits lurking in the house. She groaned. If that was the case, she might have to keep him around…for marketing purposes only. Heck, it was as good an excuse as any. She wouldn’t admit to any other reason, despite how nice it was to have his help with the plumbing fiasco, and generally having his shoulder to lean on.

  The wind picked up, so Minnie stowed her rake inside the garage and tapped Wendy’s shoulder. “Let’s go inside and get some cookies.”

  “Chocolate ones?” Wendy stopped sorting. Her sweatshirt puffed with leaves.

  “You bet.” Minnie had baked a batch of Halloween-themed cookies this morning. The chocolate mummies dipped in marshmallow would be a special treat for Wendy.

  Wendy bent for another handful of red leaves and started to tuck them through the neck of her sweatshirt. “Maybe we should keep the leaves outside,” Minnie said, hoping Wendy wasn’t wearing a white shirt beneath her sweatshirt.

  “No.” Wendy stomped her foot. “Show Mommy.”

  “We can show them to Mommy outside.” Minnie reached to remove the leaves poking out of Wendy’s collar.

  “No. No. No!” Each repetition grew more shrill, and included a forcefully stomped foot. She clutched her sweatshirt, crushing the dried leaves inside.

  The screen door off the three-season porch screeched open, and Gordon emerged, stepping down into the backyard. He seemed to have an uncanny ability to show up exactly when the situation was at its worst. Whether he was a godsend or a messenger from someplace much hotter, she had yet to determine.

  But she couldn’t deny the way her heart skipped a beat every time she saw him. It was as if her heart still knew Gordon was meant for her, despite all the circumstances that had separated them. All his actions—since she’d slammed the door in his face, up to his sponsorship of the benefit—proved him to be the opposite of the image she had painted to get herself through her ordeal in the Philippines. With the exception of his attempt to steal her home.

  Minnie felt his gaze settle on the dried remains of her garden. She hadn’t cleared out any of the dead stalks, intending to leave them until spring and rotor-till them into the ground as mulch, using the old to fertilize the new. Gordon shoved his hands in the pockets of his jacket. “Mite brisk out here, isn’t it?”

  “We were just heading inside.” Minnie gently nudged Wendy’s shoulder, hoping the distraction of another adult would convince her to abandon the leaves without tears or a temper tantrum. She knelt in front of Wendy. “Let’s put the leaves down here.” She pointed to a stepping-stone beside the porch, inlaid with iridescent butterflies. “By the pretty butterflies.”

  Wendy tightened her grasp, and more leaf crumbs sprinkled from the hem of her shirt.

  Minnie slid a glance toward Gordon, then held out her hand. “We can’t take them all inside, honey.”

  Wendy’s lower lip rolled out and Minnie suspected she was gritting her teeth. Minnie had done the same several times. Genetics were a bugger when they were working against you.

  “Which is your favorite one?” Gordon asked her. “I’d certainly like to see it.”

  Wendy eyed him skeptically, then rolled the bottom of her sweatshirt up. She shook her shirt, wiggling as if doing the Twist. Leaves tumbled and fluttered to the ground around her floral tennis shoes. She kicked her feet, then surveyed the ground, turning in a slow circle. She eventually scooped up a yellow maple leaf with a hint of orange around the edges.

  “This one.” She presented it to Gordon, who crouched to study it.

  “That’s mighty nice,” he said. “Shall we take it inside to look at while we have s
ome coffee?”

  “Coffee? Yuck!” Wendy spit a raspberry. “I want milk.”

  “Probably a better idea,” Minnie said.

  They had to stop at the door to brush the leaf bits off Wendy’s tee shirt and jeans. They deposited their coats and hats on hooks beside the rear door and headed for the kitchen. Wendy chattered to Gordon about the leaves the entire time, explaining how she collected and sorted them in the loquacious choppiness of a two-year-old.

  Gordon swoops in to save the day again. Her thoughts weren’t as grudging as they should have been. It was nice to have his help here and there. Unfortunately, it made her wonder what her life might have been like if things had been different, if Gordon hadn’t rejected her and their baby. If she hadn’t ended up pregnant, if… No. She wouldn’t regret their lovemaking. That was one decision she wouldn’t wish to take back.

  She felt her cheeks flush just thinking about it, so she headed straight for the refrigerator and retrieved Wendy’s glass of milk. She placed it in front of Wendy’s usual spot at the breakfast nook.

  Wendy scrambled onto the bench. Kneeling, she placed the leaf directly in front of her and planted her hands on either side of it. “I’m ready.”

  Minnie checked the coffeepot and found an empty carafe. She rinsed it out and placed it back in the maker. She added fresh grounds and pressed the start button.

  Gordon had slid in across from Wendy, and they were discussing the colors of the leaf and which ones were her favorites. Minnie suspected Wendy would have Gordon wrapped around her finger before the coffee brewed. But then Gordon had always been susceptible to Schultz women’s charms.

  She arranged a plate of cookies and grabbed a couple of napkins. She placed them on the table, then slid onto the bench next to Wendy, her toes bumping Gordon’s. She quickly scooted her feet away. She didn’t want to be accused of playing footsie.

  “Which cookie would you like?” Minnie asked, indicating the treats on the plate.

  Wendy tapped her finger to her lip, then selected an orange-frosted pumpkin sugar cookie, rather than one of the chocolate mummies with white frosting. Gordon chose a ghost-shaped cookie.

  “So,” Gordon said after taking a bite of his cookie.

  Minnie arched an eyebrow, waiting for him to continue. What was he going to drop on her this time? He already wanted her home. What else could take from her?

  “I’m glad you accepted my help to get the Bower ready for the Haunted House benefit.”

  Minnie stood to attend the coffee machine. “I’m taking your money because it will help the library. This doesn’t change anything between us.” She might have to work with him for the benefit, but she didn’t have to like it. Since it was for the library, and only a few days away, she could put up with him—as long as he didn’t pull any other funny business. She stared at Gordon, hoping he’d take the hint and realize this wasn’t a good time or place to discuss it.

  “Another cookie?” Wendy pulled on Minnie’s sleeve.

  Before Minnie could hand her one, Mark stuck his head through the kitchen doorway. “Not a chance.”

  “Dad!” Wendy rolled her lip out again.

  “Doesn’t work on me, babe.” He looked at Minnie. “Everything holding together?”

  “So far, so good,” Minnie said. “The ghost hunters came back early, so all the available rooms are in use.”

  “We’ve got a lot of work to do before the benefit. Are we going to have access to the rooms?”

  “I’ve told them what’s going on. They’d like to help with the haunted house. They’re planning to do their investigations in the evening after the work is done.”

  Mark twisted to look down the hallway. “I see. What are they doing now?”

  “Setting up to monitor the paranormal activity.”

  Mark arched an eyebrow. “Think they’re going to find anything?” He shrugged. “Come on, Wendy. We need to pick up Mommy at work.”

  “Bye G’ma. Thank you for coming.” Wendy hopped off her chair and ran to her dad’s side.

  Minnie grinned and blew her a kiss. “Bye, sweetheart.”

  “Thank you for having me,” Mark corrected.

  “Having me.” Wendy ran over to Minnie and gave her knees a squeeze, then exclaimed, “My leaf!”

  Gordon presented it to her and she grinned, twirling back to her dad. “It’s for Mommy.”

  “She’ll like that.” Mark ruffled her hair, then added, “Call me if you have any problems.” He and Wendy disappeared down the hall.

  Minnie watched them go, feeling more disappointed than usual at Wendy’s departure. They’d had a fun afternoon in the yard, but Wendy’s leaving also meant she was now alone with Gordon. It had been a couple of days since he’d announced his intentions to swipe the Bower out from under her. With all the benefit planning she and Edith had been doing, she hadn’t had to exchange more than the simplest of pleasantries with Gordon. Necessary topics of conversation loomed, but she chose awkward silence instead. Let him bridge the gap.

  “A nice family,” Gordon commented.

  “I wish I could take all the credit for them.” She poured two cups of coffee and carried them to the table. She placed one in front of Gordon, but held her own in her hand. Sitting down at the table seemed like committing to more than a simple coffee with him. She leaned against the side of the breakfast nook.

  Gordon doctored, then sipped, his coffee. “A mother can only do so much.”

  Minnie shifted her hip against the nook and sipped her coffee. “William and Henriette raised a fine young man. I only wish they had lived to see their granddaughter.”

  “William, your little brother?” Gordon scrunched his eyebrows. “He was only eight the last time I saw him. When did he pass?”

  “They were hit by a drunk driver a month after Mark’s graduation. It took him a while to get back on his feet.”

  “So William was Mark’s father?” Gordon asked.

  “Who did you think his parents were?” Minnie snorted and slipped into the bench. In hindsight, it seemed silly to keep standing here like she was ready to jump for anything he wanted. “Did you think he was my son?”

  Gordon shrugged. “I just assumed…Wendy called you ‘grandma.’ It made sense.”

  Minnie sipped her coffee. “Mark is the closest thing to a son I’ll ever have, and Wendy the closest to a granddaughter.” She hoped her own child would have grown up as kind and considerate as Mark and Wendy. It was on the tip of her tongue to ask why Gordon hadn’t wanted to acknowledge their child. She took a deep breath, debating whether to broach the subject.

  The activity of the ghost hunters rambled down the hallway. She pushed the question away. It was too weighty an issue to be interrupted by complete strangers with questions about extension cords and electrical outlets. “I have to do my best for my brother’s family.”

  Gordon nodded and stared at his coffee. He traced his thumb and forefinger around the handle of the mug. “I’m sorry. I jumped to conclusions. I figured in all this time you would have married and raised a family as well.”

  Now he knew she’d been alone all these years. He probably assumed she’d been pining for him. She couldn’t let him think that, no matter how true it was. No one had ever touched her heart like Gordon had. She wouldn’t say she’d been waiting for him, but she’d never met another man who had eclipsed him. Even now her pulse fluttered when she glimpsed him. That didn’t happen with anyone else. Not even his cute lawyer, Derek.

  Time to change the subject, especially since she’d lost the buffer of Wendy. As much as she loathed it, talking about his offer to buy the place was much safer. “You can offer your entire bank account for this place and I won’t budge.”

  “I’ve realized that.” Gordon shifted in his seat. “I should have known. You always stuck with whatever you chose to do. Nothing could change your mind.” His voice tightened on the last sentence. He made her determination sound like a bad thing. Was he angry with her for joining the Pea
ce Corps without him?

  Should she have waited? But Gordon had encouraged her to go. They’d talked about it many times. She’d even brought it up a few weeks before she left, but he stood by his decision, emphasizing she could let them know what supplies she needed so his mother could gather donations. Perhaps he’d changed his mind after she left.

  His mother had never sent the supplies, either. She hadn’t thought about the lack of communication from Helen until now. Her first months in the Philippines had been so chaotic, she hadn’t considered what might have been happening here in Carterville.

  “I prefer to see things through.” She drank the rest of her coffee and placed the mug on the side of the table.

  “I’ve always admired that about you. You complete every project set before you to the best of your ability. I realize you might not like my help with the haunted house, but I do want to help you keep this place in good shape. And I want to support the library as much as you do.”

  He sounded sincere; Minnie had to give him that. But she still didn’t trust him. What was his angle? There had to be something. She couldn’t take anything he said at face value—a lesson she’d learned the hard way. “Since it’s for the library, I’ve accepted your help, but…” She trailed off. She couldn’t put the rest of it into words. As much as she wanted to trust him, she couldn’t.

  15

  The paranormal investigators had all their equipment up and ready to go shortly after eight o’clock. Mark and his part-time workers had wrapped up for the night and headed home. The sun sank in the sky, casting the Bower in suspicious shadows.

  Barbara outlined instructions to the team, who would be stationed throughout the bed and breakfast. Each person jammed their pockets full of batteries and double-checked their cameras and recording equipment. Minnie hung on the edge of the group. The ghost hunters adjusted cameras and asked questions about their assignments, and Gordon watched her.

  She shifted from foot to foot, crossing and uncrossing her arms. Which was more nerve wracking—the prospect of finding ghostly apparitions, or the potential plumbing problems that could arise with so many guests? Or was it something else entirely?