Troublemaker

by Trice Hickman

  Alexandria inhaled the fragrant, uniquely Southern scent that always made her feel safe and at ease. That sense of comfort and security was very different from the turmoil and strife she’d experienced in the past whenever she thought about her gift.

  Communicating with spirits and having premonitions were abilities that had burdened Alexandria since she was five years old. She’d always felt different and out of place, constantly trying to navigate where she stood in a world filled with uncertainty. Her lack of grounding and understanding of her gift had made her afraid of the supernatural powers she possessed. But all that had changed last summer when Allene had contacted her for the first time.

  Initially, Alexandria had been leery, and she hadn’t want any part of the mysteriously frightening world that had been haunting her since she was five years old. Many times she could remember waking up in the middle of the night, drenched in sweat and covered with fear, terrified of the voices that belonged to spirits from another world that she couldn’t see or touch.

  She also recognized that the ability to know what was going to happen in a given situation before it took place wasn’t always a good thing, and it had quickly become a heavy weight on her shoulders. She’d worried about things that kids her age didn’t have to deal with. She’d witnessed accidents, death, and destruction, and it had made her fearful of doing something as normal as dreaming at night because of what she might see. She’d often stood helpless with her knowledge, not knowing what to do or in whom to confide, so she’d learned how to ignore her gift and block out visions whenever they threatened her peace of mind.

  But once her grandma Allene had come into her life and shown her the beauty of her gift, along with the strength and infinite possibilities it held, a new world had opened up to her for the first time.

  She’d been hoping that her grandma Allene would soon make contact with her again. She missed hearing the old woman’s comforting voice and the soothing, down-home Southern accent it carried. Allene hadn’t communicated with her in nearly three months, which had initially alarmed Alexandria. But then she remembered Allene’s promise—that she’d always be there to guide and protect her. Alexandria knew she’d have to wait patiently and trust in Allene’s words, which were solid and rooted in love.

  The one thing that Alexandria longed for more than anything was to talk with Allene face-to-face, instead of speaking in whispered tones through visions that always seemed to end much too quickly. During one of their talks, Alexandria had asked Allene to appear to her in the flesh.

  “Grandma Allene, I want to see you. Can you come visit me?” she’d asked.

  “I’d really love to, baby girl,” Allene whispered to her from a faraway place. “But that’s a very difficult thing to do. I only know of one other spirit who’s been able to travel from our world to yours, and that’s my great-grandma, Susan Jessup. She came to me once, while I was living,” Allene said with a smile in her voice that was mixed with sadness. “But after that one time I never saw her again until I passed on and joined her in the spirit world. Travelin’ between worlds can be dangerous. Life and death is on two different sides, and once you cross over that’s where you stay.”

  Allene explained that travel between the spirit world and the world of the living was no easy feat. Only a select handful of highly skilled individuals, all of whom had possessed the gift when they’d been alive, were able to exist between realms.

  Although Allene was an apparition, and in her world she could float across a room, walk through walls, and defy space, she was limited in her abilities once she left the spirit realm and came to the time and place where Alexandria existed. She’d been ninety-eight years old when she’d passed away, and upon her return to the living world, her nearly century-old bones would revert back to their fragile state, the same as when she’d taken her last breath. Gravity and the earth’s other elements could work against her.

  “I did come to see you one time,” Allene had told her. “It was last year, shortly after I first made contact with you. I came to your mother’s house and sat right in between you and her at the table in her big fancy kitchen.”

  “You did?” Alexandria said in shock.

  “Yes, but I was only able to stay a short while. I wasn’t fully prepared for how much it would take outta me. But it was worth it ’cause I got to see two generations of my family. Bein’ in the presence of you and your mama was a joy.”

  “But if you’re a spirit why do you get tired?” Alexandria asked. “I thought you were impervious to physical ailments.”

  Allene shrugged and then nodded. “I used to think the same thing about spirits until I became one. God sets up everything ’xactly the way it’s ’sposed to be. Can you imagine how much devilment spirits could cause if all of us could freely walk among the living, and do whatever we wanted without fear of harm, hurt, or danger to our bodies?”

  “You’ve got a good point,” Alexandria said in amazement.

  “I’m one of few who can do it, and even though I only visited for a short spell I overjoyed to see you and your mama.”

  “I can’t believe you were sitting next to me. . . . I wonder why I didn’t feel your presence.”

  “ ’Cause I didn’t want you to. I was there to observe.”

  “I didn’t know you could cloak yourself like that.”

  “I could then, but I doubt I’d be able to do that now. Your abilities have gotten much stronger. I don’t think I could hide from you if I tried.”

  “Grandma, I really wish it wasn’t so hard for you to come visit me. I want to see you. I miss you.”

  “Aww, I want to visit with you, too. But it’s difficult, baby girl, and I see why my great-grandmamma only came to visit me every once in a blue moon, and when she did, it was only in my dreams. Even though I’m in spirit form, I still have to use human energy to travel from my world to yours.”

  “I’ve been able to glimpse into your world through my visions, and sometimes I can see you just as plainly as if you were sitting next to me,” Alexandria said with excitement. “Maybe if I concentrate hard enough I can come to where you are.”

  “No, baby girl,” Allene said with caution. “You can look back into the past, and you can see things that’s gonna happen in the future. But the only way you can step into my world is if you pass on.”

  Alexandria nodded as she listened to her grandmother’s voice. Knowing what she was going to say next.

  “Just like you and I both know,” Allene said gently, “that won’t happen for another seventy years. But don’t worry. I’m gonna always be with you—even when you can’t see or hear me, I’ll be near. I’m gonna protect and guide you.”

  As Alexandria looked around the room and thought about the conversation she’d had with her grandma Allene, she came up with an idea. She set her magazine to the side, lay perfectly still on the sofa, closed her eyes, and concentrated. She took deep, calming breaths to ground herself in preparation for what she was about to do.

  Slowly, an image formed before Alexandria’s eyes that made her smile. She could see Allene sitting in an old rocking chair on the front porch of a large, beautiful home set against the backdrop of luscious flowers, shrubs, and tall trees. Rain was coming down by the bucketful, and she could see that Allene was enjoying the downpour as she looked up into the stormy sky.

  Suddenly, Alexandria gasped when she realized that something very strange was happening. Usually, when she communicated with Allene, it was through whispered words held together by a time and place she couldn’t touch—the spirit world. But now, it was different. Alexandria opened her eyes quickly and gasped again. “You’re here,” she said aloud. “Grandma Allene, you’re here in my world.”

  “Yes, baby girl. I’m here,” Allene whispered in a voice that sounded as strong and as clear as if she were sitting next to Alexandria on her sofa.

  “But how? I thought making a trip here was too difficult.”

  “That’s true, it’s a challenge. But S
usan helped me to focus, and with time, patience, and practice, I’m here. I had to come.”

  Alexandria swallowed hard, fighting to hold on to the vision of Allene that she could see when she closed her eyes. But it was no use because, slowly, everything started to fade to black. She could no longer see Allene, but she could hear her with perfect clarity. “How are you Grandma?”

  “I’m just fine, and I feel real good.”

  “Oh, thank goodness. I want to see you. I miss you so much.”

  Allene sighed. “I know, and I miss you, too, baby girl. I can’t come to you, but you can come to me.”

  “Where are you?”

  “I’m where you and the rest of our family needs to be. I’m where it all began.”

  Alexandria took a minute to think, and then it came to her. “I know exactly where you are!” she said with excitement.

  “Yes, and I want you to come here and bring the rest of our family with you, too.”

  “Why do you want me to bring our family?” Reservation was lodged in her throat as she waited for what she sensed was going to be an answer that would bring about more questions.

  “Because . . . it’s time to bury the past and start new beginnings.”

  “That sounds promising and complicated at the same time.”

  “I reckon it can be. But like I always say, you just gotta hold on and trust that everything’s gonna work out like it’s ’sposed to.”

  “So this means I’m going to finally get to see you?”

  “Yes, baby girl.”

  Just as Alexandria was going to ask another question, Allene’s voice drifted away as quickly as it had come. She was gone.

  Alexandria wasn’t ready to let any part of Allene go, so she fought to hang on to the magnolia scent that was starting to fade. Even though she was disappointed that her conversation with Allene had been so brief, she felt good knowing that her grandma was in her world, and that they’d finally be able to share the same time and space.

  “I’m looking forward to seeing you very soon, Grandma Allene.” Alexandria smiled, feeling that besides her upcoming wedding, seeing Allene was going to be the highlight of her year. But as she blinked and opened her eyes, her joy quickly turned to worry. She sat up straight and brought her hand to her mouth as she thought about what Allene had said. “I had to come.”

  In that instant, Alexandria knew that her grandma Allene’s visit wasn’t going to be the joyful reunion she’d fantasized about.

  Chapter 3

  Victoria

  “How can two small words cause so much trouble?” Victoria whispered aloud as she stared at the name flashing across her cell phone screen. Her body stiffened against the soft fabric of her high-back office chair while she bit down on her ruby-colored lower lip; a nervous habit she’d developed when she was a teenager. The name PARKER BRIGHTWOOD flashed at her like a warning light, and she knew that a call from him was something for which she needed to brace herself.

  She sat forward, propped one elbow on top of her large mahogany desk, and debated whether she should answer his call or let it roll into her voice mailbox. She knew she’d have to talk to him sooner or later, so rather than avoid and ignore him—a costly mistake she’d made in the past—she hit the talk button.

  “Hello, Parker.”

  “Are you okay?”

  “Yes, I’m fine. Why do you ask?”

  “Because you sound so formal. Not like your usual self.”

  She wanted to ask him how he could possibly know what she usually sounded like. After all, it wasn’t as if they talked on a regular basis. Those days had ended many years ago. But she also knew that as much as her life and circumstances had changed in that long span of time, a few delicate, if not complicated, things hadn’t, and Parker was one of them.

  “You sure you’re okay?” he repeated.

  “I’m sure. Now how can I help you?”

  He chuckled. “There you go again, talking to me like a greeter in a department store.”

  “I have to keep things on a business level with you.”

  “Oh, and why is that?”

  She took a deep breath. “Because you don’t know how to act.”

  “Well, since you’re the consummate purveyor of proper etiquette, maybe you can give me a few lessons. I’m a very good student and I catch on pretty quick, but you already know that, don’t you?”

  She smiled on the other end, despite not wanting to.

  They were both quiet for a short pause. Victoria could hear him breathing through the silence on the other end, and she imagined the sly grin that was no doubt spread across his lusciously soft lips, which carried a perfect tint of pink. She was almost pulled in for a moment, but she quickly regained her focus. “I don’t have all day, Parker. What do you want?”

  “Victoria, I think you’re losing that gracious Southern charm that always made you so lovable, and I might add, irresistible.”

  “Get to the point or I’m hanging up.”

  “Okay, okay. I want to know if I can add two more guests to the list for the reception?”

  Victoria reached for her silver-plated pen and softly tapped it against the top of her desk as she let out a small sigh. She knew that Parker’s question was nothing more than an excuse to talk to her. When he’d called last month asking her the very same thing, she’d told him then that according to the guest list which she’d spent hours meticulously creating, all in preparation for the final headcount for his son’s and her daughter’s wedding next month, there was room for up to five additional guests.

  Ever since that bright, sunny afternoon one year ago when her daughter, Alexandria, had happily told her that she’d reconnected with PJ, her childhood best friend, who happened to be Dr. Parker Brightwood Sr.’s son, Victoria had known that trouble was waiting to find her.

  A storm cloud of memories had rushed back into her life that day, but unlike her encounters with Parker from the past, she now knew she’d have to handle him, and their dealings, in a very different way.

  Rather than rehashing the fact that she’d already answered his question last month, and pointing out that his phone call was basically a ruse to engage her in conversation, she simply went along with the flow. “Yes, Parker, that’s fine. You can bring two more people. Anything else?”

  He chuckled again, this time in a slow, seductive tone. “Damn, that was easy. If I’d known you were going to be so accommodating I would’ve asked for more . . . much more.”

  His smooth, deep, and sexy voice hadn’t changed over the years. And even though his words were laced with dangerous innuendo, coming from his mouth, they sounded as good and as sweet as apple pie. Silky seduction was part of his undeniable charm, and it had worked on her more times than she cared to remember. Victoria knew she couldn’t be drawn in by his sexiness or the natural chemistry they’d always shared. She had to use her head and shut things down before they had an inkling of a chance to get started.

  “I know exactly what you’re hinting at, Parker. And I’m not having it. We’re too old to play these ridiculous cat-and-mouse games.”

  “Who’s old, and who’s playing games?”

  Victoria pressed her hand against her left temple. “Bring whomever you want. Just make sure you all show up on time.”

  “Are you upset?”

  “No, I’m irritated.”

  “Have you been having a rough day?”

  “Not until you called me with this foolishness.” Now she couldn’t hold back any longer. “You knew full well when you dialed my number that you could invite more guests because we discussed this last month when we talked. You didn’t have to call me today.”

  Parker cleared his throat. “Victoria, I have a hectic schedule and a very busy practice at two hospitals. Sometimes it’s hard to keep everything straight. I know we’ve talked about this before, but I honestly wasn’t sure if I’d reached the headcount you gave me, so I wanted to check with you before extending an invitation to two of my colleague
s.”

  “Uh-huh, right . . .”

  “It’s true.”

  “Sure, Parker. Whatever you say.”

  “Listen, I’m being straight with you. I have no reason at all to lie. You know I don’t play games.”

  “Sure, you don’t.”

  “Damn, I don’t remember you being this cold.”

  “Put on a jacket and get used to it.”

  Parker laughed, then lowered his voice. “You’re really something else.”

  “Are you finished?”

  “No, I have one more question.”

  Victoria sighed, not sure she wanted to hear what he had to say, much less answer to it. “Go ahead.”

  “I want to know what’s wrong with me calling you? We’re going to be in-laws . . . family, in a manner of speaking. A phone call is much more personal than an email. I can get personal with you, can’t I?”

  Victoria squirmed in her chair. “Get personal? What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Anything you want it to.”

  “Parker, I don’t have time for this. Like I said, bring whomever the hell you want to bring, and as I told you at the beginning of this conversation, don’t call me again with any more foolishness.”

  Parker’s deep voice took on an even deeper tone. “Our children’s wedding day isn’t foolishness.”

  “You know what I meant.”

  “I know what you just said.”

  Victoria stood up and walked over to her office window, pacing back and forth in her black patent leather peep-toe heels. “Of course the wedding isn’t foolishness. It’s going to be the single biggest day of Alexandria’s and PJ’s lives, and I know without a doubt that it will be the start of a happy future for them both. What I’m talking about is the way you’re always dropping hints and alluding to things . . .”

  “Alluding?” Parker interrupted her in a surprised voice. “Victoria, we go way back, and you know me. I don’t allude, I take action. I might flirt, but I don’t drop hints. I’m direct and I say what I mean.”