by Olivia Swift
Sam felt her relax in his arms and let his lips tell her that he wanted this. The magic spark that had swept her away ran through his veins as well, and he felt the explosion in his head. The feeling deepened and neither of them wanted to break away. He wondered briefly if he would ever breathe again and felt her hands move back to his face with a gentleness that was the last thing he expected. She moved her lips away from his and rested her head against his chest.
“I need to sit down, Sam.” He picked her up and carried her to the sofa.
“Me too,” he answered and sat with her cradled on his knee and her head resting on his shoulder.
“What just happened?” she whispered after a few moments had passed and her heartbeat had slowed to a reasonable pace.
“I was right.” He grinned with a resurgence of the usual Sam. “There was something there.”
“This is not us. We fight and argue and annoy each other,” Magda answered.
“We can still do that,” he replied and she smiled.
“And I still haven’t finished boxing the order.” He pushed her up to a standing position.
“Come on, then. Let’s get that done.”
They closed up the remaining pretty boxes of six truffles.
“She wanted one hundred and twenty truffles in boxes of six.” She checked the flavors while Sam counted the number, and when they had the right amount they packed them into a big cardboard box that said Magda Caraganic Truffles.
“I’ll text Branston to come and pick them up tomorrow,” she said and sent the message. “Let’s have a coffee and a piece of the raspberry cheesecake. It’s got to be eaten,” she said, and there was no argument from Sam about that. “Thanks for the help, again.”
“When you hear from Rula we can rope Branston in to help out as well,” he said. “We should be okay to take tomorrow morning off to see Jennifer Cartland.” The conversation was normal; they were easy with each other, but Magda voiced what was on both of their minds.
“We have to talk about what happened, Sam. I never kissed anyone like that before.”
“You see what you missed when you were fifteen.” He grinned and she pretended to punch him.
“Okay. So, we can still joke and argue.”
“What do you want to do?” He threw the ball into her court and she didn’t know how to answer.
“How about,” he started, “we get on with the café, finding out about the cat, helping Rula, and when we can fit it in, I take you on a proper date?”
“I’m not sure we’ll be able to fit it in with all of that,” she joked.
“Yes we will because we both want to really,” he told her and finished the cheesecake.
“It will change the argumentative friendship we’ve had since high school,” Magda added.
“I know. It could be something a lot better though.” He held out his hands and she took them. “I’ll pick you up at ten thirty in the morning. Not a date. We are on an investigation, and I want your reaction to the house.”
She reached up and kissed his cheek.
“I really do love the sketch you did. I’ll frame it.”
He kissed her forehead and left. She watched the truck power away and locked the door. Then she and the two cats settled in the bedroom to watch a mindless program on the TV.
Morning was a hustle to start another truffle mixture and finding the right clothes seemed to take longer than usual. She told herself that she was visiting someone’s house, but knew that it was for Sam’s benefit that she gave a final twirl in front of the mirror.
She heard the motor before he came to the door and went out to meet him.
“Mornin’ Ms. Caraganic,” he said and handed her a single rose.
“Now I’ll have to go back and put it in water,” she replied and he laughed.
“See? Same old Magda.” She ran back inside and popped the flower into a vase and when she came back out, he very gentlemanly gave her a hand into his vehicle. When he joined her, she thanked him for the flower and leaned over to kiss him.
“Let’s investigate,” she said.
The entrance to the big house above the chocolate shop was a good distance from the town. It was a pretty drive, and eventually they turned into the entrance and parked to one side of a graveled area. Magda jumped out and looked around.
He joined her and grinned.
“Can you see the house?” Magda looked around, and all she could see were trees and then she spotted some stone steps. Her eye followed where they led, and she saw the mirrored door open as a woman appeared in the opening.
They walked across.
“I was waiting for Magda to spot the house.” He greeted Jennifer Cartland.
“Did you find it?” she asked and held out a hand to Magda.
“That is some wonderful illusion,” Magda replied. “All I could see were trees.”
“The entrance is not very wide, and we designed it to be hidden in the foliage. Because it is raised, it reflects the trees and shrubs.”
“Come inside,” Jennifer invited, “and see how it changes.”
The double doors led to an entrance foyer, which then opened into a large circular reception area. A raised pool with a gentle-sounding fountain was in the middle, and above was a glass roof that allowed the place to have potted plants everywhere. The dominant color was a soft green, and the plants were backlit with hidden spotlights.
“Beautiful,” Magda murmured and Jennifer led the way through to what had been the original house. The plant theme made a seamless transition into a more traditional set of rooms.
“You are actually coming in through what was the back of the old house,” the owner explained. “This clever man designed the entrance to give us impact and surprise to what became the front of the house.”
“So, the original entrance came more from the direction of the town?” Magda queried and Jennifer said that was the case.
“We are still a ways from where you are starting the café, but it gives us a really pleasant run into the estate.”
“I am impressed,” Magda said as she took a seat.
“I hope your grandparents would have approved, “Jennifer said and called for someone to bring coffee.
“What’s not to like?” Magda answered. “They had sold this long before my time, but they always liked the newest gadgets and things. I do remember that. I think they grew up with rock and roll.”
Jennifer Cartland looked at them both and took a breath.
“You saw the cat?” Sam and Magda both nodded and told her about the way it walked through the wall.
“Do you see it here?” Magda asked and Jennifer explained that they only saw the cat when her sister stayed.
“She runs a cat sanctuary and loves cats. When it happened the third time she stayed, we knew that the cat only appeared when she was here. So, I think you must love cats.”
“Funny thing is,” Sam told her, “that Magda, her cousin Branston, her friend Rula, , and I, all saw it walk through the wall. I saw it yesterday, but the building foreman who was with me saw nothing at all.”
“We just have to accept that the cat knows who is there,” Jennifer said. “I must admit, it shook me the first time, but now I quite look forward to Esme coming to see if it happens again.”
She picked up a box from the side table. “These were in the attic when the builders made all of the changes. I guess they are more yours than mine. The people who had the house before we did had never been up there and made no changes at all.”
She handed the box to Magda who opened it carefully and took a breath. There was a photo inside and she pointed to it.
“That is my granddad and grandmama,” she said. “What a lovely surprise. They were quite young there. Why did I not ask questions when they were around to answer them?”
“There are a few bits and pieces in there and probably all relate to your family. Please take it.”
“That is lovely. Thank you so much,” Magda answered and popped
the box into her very large shoulder bag. “I did bring a little thank you gift for letting me visit,” she added and handed over a box of orange liqueur truffles.
They talked about the café and her plans, and Jennifer said that she would be one of the first customers.
“If I can be any help, just let me know,” she said as they made their way to the door. Sam gave the woman a peck on the cheek and asked her to close the door so that they could see her disappear. She smiled and waited until they were at the truck before waving and going inside.
“Wow,” Magda said. “That really is a trick to fool the eye. I admit it—you are one clever architect.”
“Compliments. Thank you. I saw the idea in a tree house originally and adapted it. Let’s go check on Danny and the foundations.” On the way he added that he never knew she had orange liqueur truffles. She laughed and said she would find a sample later.
They found somewhere to leave the truck and walked down to the café entrance. Another large truck was taking up several spaces outside Mikey’s. Something was different because there were boards down in the entrance and sounds of a mixer working inside. Magda wobbled down the boards in her heels and stopped dead when she saw the stable.
“You can see what the size will be now that the boarding is in place,” Sam remarked and she nodded.
“It’s quite big, isn’t it?” she asked. He pointed out where the new extension would be, and they made their way across to it. Danny stopped work and came to talk. He was introduced and then paced out the section they were viewing.
“I reckon about ten tables,” Sam told her, “But—if you made the back wall which is the existing stable wall all mirror, it would appear double that size and be quite impressive.”
“I knew you had an ulterior motive in showing me that mirrored entrance.”
“It would work,” Danny added.
“And the potted plants in the room would double up as well,” she said. “I was in Michele’s restaurant yesterday and the plant effect is lovely.”
“So, I was right—” He was going to say "again" when he stopped with his mouth open and then looked at Magda. She gripped his arm.
8
Danny asked them what was wrong.
“Did somebody just go through the doorway?” Sam asked. Danny shook his head.
“Never saw anyone.” He stepped to one side and poked his head into the doorway. “Nobody inside.”
“Must have been the light,” Magda said, but she knew she had seen the shape of a dark dress with a full skirt pass through the doorway. She gave herself a mental shake and asked if it was okay to step into the doorway. Danny said they were leaving the entrance clear to get in and out. She stepped to the door and looked across at where the extension for the tables would be.
“So, the serving counter would be just inside the double doors?” she asked Sam, and he agreed and said that it still left lots of space for her central island and chocolate vat. “I would be inside the extension here and looking into it?” He nodded.
“I like the mirror idea,” she said.
They talked about another few details as they watched the men wheelbarrow the concrete into the boarded foundations.
“While we leave that to harden, we can work inside the building,” Sam told her. “I’ll come and join the men tomorrow.”
“And Katie and I will make truffles to build up the stock.”
Sam remembered that he had promised her leaflets about the woodwork and suggested they go and pick them up on the way back to her house. He had a yard with building materials and an office that was more like a trailer.
He suggested buying a meal, but Magda said she would rather get back.
“I’ve got steak in the fridge. We can have that if you like,” she offered as they drove back to the house.
“Phew,” she said and sank into a chair. “Now that we are safely here, tell me what you saw.” Sam sat down as well and Crystal settled on his knee.
“I thought I saw a woman in a longish dress. Not a dress right down to the floor though.”
“Me too. It was only the dress I saw. It was a dark color.” She paused. “If there is not just a cat ghost but others as well—can I live with that?”
Sam put the cat down on the floor and pulled her to her feet. Then he wrapped his arms around her and told her they would fix it.
“I don’t know how we’ll do that but we’ll fix it. Together. Right?”
Magda found she was shaking so he sat her on the sofa. He went to the kitchen and took the bottle of bourbon he knew was on the shelf. He poured a shot each and took it back.
“Drink,” he said and downed his own. Magda smiled and did as she was told. “Better?” he asked and sat beside her.
“How can we fix it though?” she asked. “It would just be so awful if the whole thing was ruined because of a—of a—stupid ghost.” He pulled her toward him, and she was glad to rest against his shoulder.
“First we need to find the old Magda. The one who isn’t frightened and then we decide what to do.” She nodded.
“We should find out who the woman might be. There must be records somewhere about the place,” he went on.
Magda felt her confidence coming back. “I like a plan. Where would we look?”
“Local papers?” he wondered and then asked if she knew abut her family tree. Magda thought about it.
“I know my grandparents' names and roughly when they were born.”
“These internet ancestry sites seem to be really good. I’ve never used them though,” he told her and took out his cell phone. She went to find an iPad and started to search herself. Apart from a question about names and dates of birth of her parents, they worked away in silence. Eventually Magda found her way through first.
“Look, my great grandparents,” she said and tapped the screen with her finger. “He had two sisters. They were Marianne and Irina.”
“So, two possibilities for the visitor to the café,” Sam said. “We are a little bit further into finding out and we have dates of birth.”
“Enough for today. I could not face scrolling through old newspapers but you made me do what works.” He looked mystified. “Take action,” she explained. “It always makes me feel better.”
“Lot of that in the next few days. I’ll work in the stable tomorrow. Danny and I can work out what we need to do next.” He remembered the leaflets. “Here are the wooden effects for the verandas.”
“I forgot about the steak. I’ll stick that in the broiler first.” She jumped up and went into the kitchen. When she came back, Sam was flicking through the papers and she took some herself. Magda looked for about twenty seconds and then tapped at one piece.
“That one,” she said decisively. “The color is exactly right, and it is already distressed to look older.”
“Good choice,” he told her, “the green shade will blend with the potted shrubs. I’ll work out what we need and order the pieces.”
Over steak and fries, they discussed more details of the layout of the kitchen, and Magda felt back to normal and up to dealing with any ghost.
Her phone rang.
“Rula,” she said as she answered.
“I am bringing her home the day after tomorrow and should arrive about midday or just after. Can you get bread, milk, eggs, and stuff in for me please? She will be an ambulance with the wheelchair and I will following them down.”
“What about the spare room?” Magda asked. “Do I need to make up the bed?”
“It’s made but check that everything is okay please,” Rula added.
“We’ll meet you if you let us know when you are getting close, and I can give you a hand with the wheelchair,” Sam called out.
“You two together again and nobody died yet? I go away for a few days and what happens?”
“We’ve got lots to tell you,” Magda added. “The foundations are underway, and the inside seating area will have one whole glass wall.” She smiled, “Sam is demolishing th
e raspberry and white chocolate cheesecake. I think that might be a hit.”
“Way to a man’s heart,” Rula quipped. “I’ll be glad to be back home.” She hung up.
“I won’t have time to worry about ghosts. Katie starts tomorrow, and Rula is back the day after. I can ask Branston to come and lend a hand as well. He must have been here and collected the boxes because they have disappeared.”
“Let’s have an hour or so to just sit, then.” He took her hand. “Have you got a picture of this chocolate vat anywhere? I need to see how big it is.”
She found it on the website of the manufacturer.
“It’s a monster,” he said. “Have you ordered it?” He took the tablet and looked at the delivery times. “Can you put the order in? We need to have it in place even if it isn’t wired up.” She took the tablet and signed into her account.
“It’s a bigger version of the one in the kitchen if you want to see how it is fitted.” She put the order in and waited for a confirmation email. “A week,” she told him as he came back from inspecting the machine in the kitchen.
“I like it when things start to come together,” he said and slouched onto the sofa. She brought him a beer from the cooler and took one herself.
“To things coming together,” she said and clicked his bottle with hers.
“It’s a pleasant way to end the day, Magda. Say that you agree with me.”
“Yes, I do. Maybe we have both grown up at last.”
In the end, because the next day was a busy one he stood up to go.
At the door, he turned and took her in his arms.
“Can’t resist trying it again,” he said gently and with the same gentleness brushed his lips across hers and ran them down the line of her jaw. Magda took a breath and almost moaned. Sam was not being forceful or holding her tightly, but the very tenderness of the actions took away her breath and left her feeling dazed.
His lips came back to hers and very sweetly swept her away on that roller coaster of emotion that still took her by surprise each time it happened. She folded her arms around him and returned the kiss with the same tenderness, and she knew that he was feeling the same way.