“Here, let me help you with that.” Doug placed his hand on hers and her body tingled down to her toes. He took the key and slipped it into the lock. It turned easily. “It just needed a man’s touch,” he said, with a gentle smile before he pushed the door open.
“Yeah, right.” She rolled her eyes and walked in.
Doug laughed. “I guess I’ll see you in the morning. Is eight okay?
She turned back to him. “Sure, I’ll have coffee on.”
He flinched, but said, “Great. Good-night then.” He walked down the steps.
“Wait, your jacket.” He turned and met her halfway.
“Thanks, again,” she said.
“No problem.” He took it from her hands and walked out into the night.
Her eyes followed him until he was out of sight. She closed and locked the door, then leaned against it with a sigh.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Maddy flicked on the light as she entered her room. She walked to the window and raised it a couple of inches. It was almost one in the morning by the time she turned out the light.
Watching the shadows of trees dance on her ceiling, she thought about Doug. He was easy to talk to, made her laugh and was sexy as hell. As she sat across the table from him and gazed into those amazing eyes, she couldn’t understand why the guy was single. Must be a player. She rolled over and went to sleep.
Deep in slumber, she was jerked awake sometime in the early hours before dawn. She laid there a minute listening while she tried to figure out what had disturbed her. Then she heard it. People whispering. She held her breath a moment to see if she could hear what they were saying.
No such luck.
She slipped out of bed, made her way to the bedroom door and placed her ear against it. Nothing. She walked back to the side of the bed and heard it again. Turning toward the window, she crept up alongside and looked down. There was no one in sight, the voices stopped. Then a big gust of wind came up and with it the sound of murmuring. Confused, she searched the yard.
Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw movement. Her head whipped to the right and in time to see a teenaged girl running down the beach along the water. She wore a long white dress and her waist-length hair flew behind her.
The girl ran hard; her arms pumping at her sides as if in desperation. Maddy saw no one bringing up the rear. Was she out for an evening run in her nightgown? Something about the scene disturbed her. She watched the girl until she was out of sight.
Maddy stood at the window a little longer, but the show was over, the voices were back. She slammed the window, locked it, then jumped back in bed. She fell asleep wondering what the girl was up to.
Early morning, the cold woke her. She opened her eyes and glanced around the room, the window stood wide open. She shivered as she gripped the covers tight under her chin. She distinctly remembered locking that window. Did the intruder come back? Had he ever left?
She pushed the covers away, swung her legs over the side of the bed, searched for her slippers and robe. Trying not to get hysterical, she decided to check the house out before she called in the National Guard.
Everything was fine until she got to the kitchen. That’s when she finally lost it. Someone had gone out in the shed, retrieved the door and hung it back up!
She ran to the phone in the hall. When she picked it up, there was no dial tone. She clicked the receiver a couple of times, but nothing happened. She dug around in her purse for her cell phone. One bar. The battery was dead, again. That seemed to be happening a lot lately. It was as if the house were sucking the juice right out of it. She had to go to Doug’s and call the police.
Maddy flew back up the stairs to the bedroom. The window was now closed. Oh God! She threw on a pair of jeans and a sweater, then grabbed her shoes and socks. Without tying her laces, she raced back down the stairs and out the front door without bothering to close it. She ran all the way to the Lindstrom house. By the time she reached Doug’s door, she was out of breath, and had a stitch in her side.
She knocked rapidly, but heard no sound of stirring inside. She continued to knock louder until she was pounding on the door, her adrenaline getting the better of her.
* * *
Doug awoke to the sound of someone knocking. At first he tried to ignore it, but the visitor wouldn’t go away. With eyes half open, he searched the room for a pair of pants to cover his naked body.
As he grabbed his jeans off a nearby chair, the knocking turned to pounding and his anger mounted. He stepped into the pants and started down the stairs, hitting the banister with his foot on the way.
“Shit!”
It sounded as if someone were trying to break his door down. His fingers fumbled with the buttons on the flap of his 501 jeans. He’d managed to get a couple closed before he reached the door.
His jaw was clenched and his hands fisted at his sides. He was ready to hurt the person who so rudely woke him out of a sound sleep. He yanked the door so hard, it slipped from his hand and banged the wall.
“What!” When his eyes focused, he noticed Maddy standing on the porch, her hand raised mid-knock.
“Maddy, what is it? What’s wrong?” Urgency replaced his anger.
“There’s someone in my house!” she said while she gasped for air.
“Come on in,” he said, calmly. After yesterday, he wasn’t about to fall for that one again. Without another word, he grabbed her hand, led her into the kitchen and sat her in a chair. “You sit here and tell me all about it while I make some coffee.”
Once she sat, he noticed she was staring at his crotch. Quickly her head turned away.
He glanced down. In his haste he hadn’t finished buttoning his fly, his pants barely covered his pubis. Instantly, he spun around, “Sorry,” he said, over his shoulder as he completed the task.
Once he’d finished, he turned back and found himself staring at the back of her head. “It’s okay now.”
Slowly her head pivoted, her eyes found his. “I’m sorry, I wouldn’t have come, but I need to use your phone to call the Sheriff.” Her words rushed out.
“It’s fine, really. I just wasn’t quite awake when I um …dressed. No big deal.” He got busy making the coffee.
* * *
Relieved his back was turned, Maddy picked up a piece of mail from the table and started fanning herself. Her head was about to burst into flames! If he looked at her now, he would certainly know what she was thinking.
Her mind flashed back to the image of his chiseled muscles, his washboard abs and those muscles that ran down either side of his groin pointing straight down to his, hello! This man was sexier than any man should be allowed. And damn, she couldn’t seem to cool herself off!
As he filled the pot with water he said, “Now tell me everything from the beginning.”
It took her another minute before she felt composed enough to talk, but then she told him everything starting with the voices outside her window the night before. When she had finished, she stared at him expectantly. He stared back. The silence that filled the room was deafening. She couldn’t read his expression.
He came over to the table, handed her a steaming cup and sat down. “All right.” He sipped his coffee. “Well, I would have said that it was just some kids pulling another prank, but this sounds a little too elaborate for the kids around here. Do you think someone is trying to scare you into leaving?”
“I don’t know anyone here, except for you. Plus, I’m only here until everything is packed up and the house is ready to sell.” She looked down at her lap, then her head shot up. “Wait, what about that waitress? You know, the one who’s got a crush on you?”
Doug frowned. “Who, Shelly? She does not have a crush on me. Besides, she’s not capable of putting that door up.”
“Maybe she got one of her boyfriends to do it!”
“Maddy, you’re not thinking logically. Do you want to call Grady out here again? Or would you rather I check it out first.” He looked worried.
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She covered her face with her hands, “I don’t know, I’m so confused.” After a minute she looked him in the eye. “You’ve got to admit, it is pretty creepy to have someone in your room watching you sleep.”
He reached for her hand across the table. “Yeah, I don’t really like that part much myself.” He gazed into her eyes. “You know, you’re more than welcome to stay here at night, then you can go over and work at the house during the day. I’ll be right there with you.”
She stared at his naked chest, then her eyes moved up and locked on his.
“I mean, here at the house. I do have a guest room.” He amended as if reading her mind.
“I knew that’s what you meant,” she said, quickly, then blushed.
* * *
Doug squeezed Maddy’s hand, then quickly let go. He had to stop undressing her with his eyes, because if he had to stand up right now it could be more than a little embarrassing. He tugged on his pants. “Okay, how about if I change the locks today and call an alarm company. Would that make you feel better?”
“Yes, a lot better.”
“Consider it done. You sit here, drink your coffee and I’ll get the ball rolling on this. By tonight, if we’re lucky, you’ll have everything done.” He looked around the table frantically for something to put in front of him before he stood. Damn, he needed a cold shower. He grabbed yesterday’s newspaper and stood.
CHAPTER NINE
They walked back to the Heller house together. Doug made sure they were the only two in the house before he went to work getting the other windows ready for installation. Lanny had called and told him he would be making a delivery later that day.
Maddy went to the kitchen and started fixing breakfast. As she reached out for the cupboard, the door slowly swung toward her. She looked at it curiously. The house must have settled on a slant. She took out the plates, closed the cupboard, and deposited the dishes on the table.
When she returned the cupboard door was ajar. Irritated, she closed it, then took the silverware to the table. When she turned back she gasped, the hairs on the back of her neck stood up.
All the cupboard doors and drawers in the kitchen stood wide open. “Doug?” she said, nervously, just above a whisper. She inched her way to the door, gently pushed it open with her back so she could keep her eyes glued on the room. “Doug!” She half-yelled to see if he was in the vicinity.
“Yeah?” came his voice from upstairs.
“Uh… nothing, never mind,” she yelled back. She didn’t want to tell him what had just happened, he already thought she was crazy. If she mentioned this, he would have her locked up for sure.
Freaked out, she hurried up the stairs, poked her head in each room before she found him in the master bedroom. “Hi!” Relieved, she sat on the edge of the bed, took a couple of deep breaths. “How’s it going?”
“I’m having a problem with this warped wood, but other than that, great,” he said with a strain in his voice as he worked at the frame. Without turning he asked, “What about you?”
She noticed he had pulled out the shards of broken glass and laid them on a nearby sheet. “Oh fine,” she said, quickly. “Is there anything I can do to help?” Nervously she bounced on the bed, unable to keep still.
“Not really, thanks.” He was a little distracted. She watched him awhile in silence. After she finally calmed down she said, “I just wanted to see if you would like some bacon and eggs?”
“Are you kidding? Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve had breakfast made for me?” Doug commented, then cringed at the implication.
She registered his embarrassment. He must be the kind of guy who didn’t spend the night with his lovers. Probably couldn’t get away fast enough.
The tee shirt he wore strained against his broad shoulders, the muscles in his arms flexed while he struggled to remove the old frame. “Okay, I’ll get on it right away.” She stood, but she wasn’t ready to leave his side. “I’ve got to keep up your strength.” Mentally she slapped her forehead, she sounded like her grandmother. “By the way, you never told me what you charge for your services,” she said quickly trying to recover, except crap! Services? That sounded like she was expecting him to service her.
“Right now I’ll take a plate of bacon and eggs,” he said as a smile enveloped his face. “And maybe later we can talk about what I charge for my services.” At that, one of his eyebrows rose.
Double crap! And now he was looking at her, thank you very much. Her cheeks must be the color of beets. Damn, but that smile could melt an iceberg. She loved the way his eyes crinkled on the sides when he smiled. He was so hot she thought she’d crawl over hot coals for just one kiss from those lips. The idea of having his strong arms around her, pulling her close… Stop it!
She stepped back a couple of feet, “All righty then. I’ll get right on that.” She escaped into the hall before she made an even bigger spectacle of herself.
Her experience with men was about zilch. She’d only dated two in her entire life. It seemed the longer she was in Doug’s presence, the quicker she turned into a gushy school girl. She prayed to God he hadn’t noticed. Okay, so he probably had, but at least he was gentlemanly enough not to bring it up.
In high school Tim already knew she had a crush on him, but asked her out anyway. In college Bob had pursued her. At first she wasn’t remotely attracted to him, so it was easy to keep her emotions in check.
Doug, on the other hand, was a completely different animal altogether. His masculinity oozed from every pore. The room seemed to heat up the moment he entered. She’d never met a man like him, let alone spent time with one.
She was no femme fatale. If he thought about her at all, it was probably just how to separate her from her pants. On the other hand, he really seemed like one of the good guys. He acted truly surprised when she mentioned that Shelly had a crush on him. Could she be wrong about him? Was he really as unassuming as he appeared?
She noticed she was standing at the top of the stairs looking down. She smiled and galloped to the bottom, then stopped abruptly. Did she smell bacon cooking? With deliberate steps she made her way to the kitchen door. Did she actually hear sizzling?
She pushed the door open a crack, peered in, but everything was as she left it. That is of course except for the fact that all the drawers and cupboards had miraculously closed on their own. Was it just my imagination? she wondered.
She had just deposited the last bowl on the table when she heard a knock on the front door. When she reached the foyer, she yelled up at Doug, “Breakfast is ready!”
“Be right down!”
She opened the door to a tall, thin man with a long blonde ponytail and a service belt around his waist.
“Did you call for service on your phone, ma’am?”
“Yes, come right in. Over there.” She pointed behind her to the table.
“Is this the only phone in the house?”
“Believe it or not, it’s not even cordless,” she said, with a laugh.
He started to work right away, then Doug appeared.
“Hey Steve, how’s it going?” He walked over to greet his friend, shook his hand.
“Good, and you?” Steve said.
“Oh, you know, same old same old.”
“Know what you mean.”
“How are your parents?” Doug asked.
“Good. Except Mom’s arthritis seems to be getting worse. Dad keeps threatening to move to Arizona, but Mom won’t have it. Says she’s lived on this island her entire life and refuses to leave.”
“I hear that.”
“Been fishing lately?” Steve asked.
“No, been tinkering on the house. How ‘bout you?”
“Naw, just been working. Went out to Shooters for beers with the guys last night though. Haven’t seen you there in awhile.”
“Nope, been sticking close to home lately. We should go out on the boat before summer is over. I’ll give you a call.”
“Sou
nds good.”
“Well, it’s good to see you.” Doug slapped him on the back before he headed toward the kitchen.
“Likewise.” Steve commented before he went back to work.
She had heard the exchange and smiled. She didn’t know Doug was a fisherman. Wonder why he’s not hanging with the boys at the bar? She was just sitting down, when he pushed through the door.
“My God, who else is coming for breakfast?” he exclaimed, staring at the enormous spread; a plate full of bacon, one piled high with toast, and a bowl of scrambled eggs.
“Didn’t you say you were hungry?” She was feeling a little unsure of herself now. She’d figured a man who was roughly 6’4”, made of muscle and worked hard would have a big appetite. Was she wrong?
“Sure. Bring it on. I’ll see if I can’t make a dent in this,” he said, before he pulled out a chair.
Relieved, she started handing him food, then noticed she had forgotten a spoon for the eggs. She jumped up to fetch one. “I assumed you wanted coffee, can I get you anything else while I’m up?”
“No, this is great. I haven’t eaten like this since my mother moved away.”
She smiled as she opened the drawer to retrieve a serving spoon. Just as her fingers reached in, the drawer slammed shut. “Ouch!” She pulled her hand back, held it to her chest.
“What’s wrong?”
“The drawer just slammed on my fingers!”
Within seconds he was in front of her. “Jeez, let me take a look at that.” He reached out for her hand, took it gently. “That looks nasty.” Her fingers were already starting to swell.
Quickly, he retrieved a bag of frozen vegetables from the freezer, guided her back to the table and cautiously applied the bag to her injured hand. “You’ve got to be more careful. How did you do this?” He asked, sitting down next to her.
“I didn’t do this.” She couldn’t believe his question.
“Okay, then how did it happen?” He looked at her confused.
“The drawer just slammed shut all by itself!” She stared at him defiantly.
Spirits In the Trees Page 6