Bewitching You(12)

“She’s the palm reader’s daughter, right?”

“Yes, she is.”

“Well, I’ve been watching her.” He paused and laughed an infectious laugh. “Not in a weird way or anything.”

Penny smiled. “That’s good to know. Go on.”

“You see, I was angry with the palm reader at first. I’d been to her a month before my death, and she’d told me to be careful. That’s it. She hadn’t warned me of my looming death. She hadn’t even given me a hint. So, I brooded in their home, watching them, wanting to get even with the so-called psychic. But as time passed, I was more entranced by the daughter. She was sweet, innocent, and pretty in her own way. Not really my type.” He chuckled lightly. “Definitely perfect for my brother, though. I began to think how lucky he would be if he were to find her. Then I remembered.”

The young man stopped talking, but Penny continued to read his thoughts. He’d remembered how selfish he’d been, leaving his brother. And Rachel. He’d gone to see them after the spirit world had taken his body and saw the ring on her finger. They were engaged to be married, but neither of them was happy with the idea.

How could they be?

Penny nodded as she came full circle with the rest of the story. “I understand why you’re here. We have the same goal then, don’t we?”

“Yeah, I think we do.”

~ * ~

Rachel braked hard, nearly hitting the school bus filled with children on their way home from school. She’d been so consumed with her thoughts she hadn’t noticed the light was red.

What was wrong with her? She was going to kill someone if she couldn’t get it together.

Hayes. He was the problem. She couldn’t get him out of her head. All night and all day during class, visions of the intimate time they’d spent together had manipulated her mind. Kissing. Wanting. Spreading her legs for him and letting him have whatever he desired.

Seeing him again had been agonizing. If the man in her room really had been Hayes, if his words had all been true, then he’d loved her. Who knew what would have happened if he’d lived to tell her? It wasn’t fair to her, and especially not to Grayson. How could she ever go ahead with the wedding, knowing what she knew? After everything was said and done, she couldn’t imagine letting Grayson into the space in her heart where only Hayes had been.

It wasn’t right, and it had been ridiculous of her to ever think it would be.

The car behind her honked twice, letting Rachel know the light had turned green. She pressed the gas pedal and carefully continued home.

The phone call to Grayson this morning had been a pathetic attempt. As soon as she’d heard his voice over the line, she’d chickened out. Not only did she not want to hurt him any more than he’d already been hurt, she didn’t want him to think poorly of her. She didn’t want to see that look of disappointment she’d become so familiar with.

He hadn’t always been this way. Remote and irritable. Before Hayes died, he was a kind, loving man. Rachel had loved that part of him. If only the passion had been there—the little thing called chemistry. Then she would’ve never slept with Hayes, and she wouldn’t be in this predicament right now.

Her cell phone chirped on the seat beside her, and she pulled off the road into a convenience store parking lot to answer it. No sense in adding another distraction to her already preoccupied mind.

“Hello?”

“Rachel, it’s your mother.”

“Hi.” Darn it. Why hadn’t she checked the caller ID?

“I can’t talk long, dear, but don’t forget to meet me at the bridal shop at five for your dress fitting. Olga has a tight schedule and doesn’t like waiting.”

“The dress fitting,” Rachel repeated absently.

Seeing her wedding dress was the last thing she wanted to do.

“Don’t tell me you forgot. How many times have I told you to write down appointments in the day planner I gave you?”

“I can’t do it, Mom.” There. She said it.

“It’s a simple task that saves a ton of grief and keeps you organized, Rachel. I don’t see what the big deal is. I’ve done it since—”

“I’m not talking about the day planner, Mom. I can’t… I’m not feeling well. I can’t make the dress fitting.” Her excuse was only partially true. There wasn’t enough courage in the world to tell her mother the real reason she wasn’t going.

“Well, take some ibuprofen, have a short nap and meet me there at five.”

“No. I can’t make it. Not today.”

“But Olga—”

“Tell Olga I’m deeply sorry, and I’ll be sure to refer every bride-to-be I know now and in the future to her because she is such an understanding, caring, and highly skilled dressmaker.”

“Well…”

Lying to her mother was never easy, and in the past, she’d avoided untruths at every cost. Today was the exception. “I have to go, Mom. I’m going to throw up.”

A familiar chilled wind crept up Rachel’s back and underneath her hair before finally resting like a heavy hand on her neck.

Rachel snapped the phone shut and dropped it in her lap. “I’m losing my mind,” she said through fresh tears.

“Let me find it for you.” Hayes’s deep voice filled the car, and Rachel felt an invisible but very tangible finger wipe the tear away.





Chapter Six



“Not every man is bad.” Nana smiled sympathetically as she poured hot water from the teakettle into Sofia’s cup. “Your grandfather was a fine man.”

Sofia dunked her teabag up and down. Nana had insisted on making Sofia tea and a sandwich before heading off to help deliver the baby.

Agreeing to housesit and take care of the cat, Sam, had been an easy decision for Sofia. It wasn’t as if she’d had any major plans or a job...or a boyfriend. Nope, she was free to sit up in this dark, scary house—out in the middle of nowhere without a telephone or electricity to charge her cell phone—for a long, long time.

First, she had to convince her grandmother she would be fine by herself. “Yeah, I sort of remember Grandpa. He used to give me candy when Mom wasn’t watching.”

“He did?”

Sofia ducked her head and took a sip of tea. “I guess you weren’t watching, either.”

“No, I wasn’t.” Nana paused, then shook her head. “The point, dear, is that good men are hard to come by, especially for women with gifts. Trust me, honey, reading your grandpa’s dirty old mind on a daily basis wasn’t the highlight of our married life.” She sat down opposite Sofia and tapped her fingers on the table. “Although it was nice to know my husband still found me attractive after thirty years of marriage.”

Sofia cringed. “What was the point again?”

“The point? Right. Sorry. What I’m trying to say is this Gray fellow may or may not be the man for you, but you’re still young and you have a good head on your shoulders. You have plenty of time to find a man to fall in love with, and when you do, he’ll be special.”

“Thanks, Nana. You’re right.” The idea of being alone was becoming more and more appealing. Sofia loved her grandmother, but sometimes Nana was a little too optimistic.

Particularly when all she wanted to do was open the well-stocked liquor cabinet with the key that was hidden beneath the antique silver tray.

“All right, dear, I’ll be going now. You remember how to use the stove?” Nana stood and rested her hand on her hip.

“Yes, I do.” The gas, no-electricity required stove. Shoot. Forget about having microwave popcorn as a midnight snack, or heating up leftovers for breakfast. How did Nana live?

“Good. But don’t use it while you’re drinking, okay? I don’t want to come home to a burned down house.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Her cheeks blazed. Mind read once again.

Nana pulled out the liquor cabinet key and slid it across the counter. “You’re welcome to whatever I have, but don’t get carried away.”

Sofia nodded, avoiding eye contact.

“Heal your heartbreak however you choose, dear, but don’t forget that I love you.” Nana kissed Sofia’s head as she passed by on her way to pick up her suitcase.

“Love you too.” Sofia waited until the huge Buick left the driveway before she let a ragged breath.

Alone again.

~ * ~

Rachel locked her bedroom door and jammed a chair under the knob. How that would keep a ghost away, she didn’t know, but she had to try something.

Ever since she’d arrived home, the chill that was Hayes had wrapped itself around her, encompassing her, not giving her a moment’s rest. Still, she refused to acknowledge him, hoping he’d give up and leave.