After lunch, the group walked to another few stores that had reported hauntings in the past. One of the buildings that had been a blacksmith’s barn but was now a gas station, made her feel eerie as she walked around the ground. Something wasn’t right, and the feeling made her want to get closer to Nolan because he would protect her.
Bailey wasn’t paying any attention to the places they visited, but she was sure to point out to Nicole if she noticed a store that she wanted to shop in. Bailey would say loudly, Nikki, don’t forget this place. Nicole just nodded to her cousin and continued to listen to the tour guide. It was quite obvious that the others in the tour were getting irritated by Bailey’s lack of interest and her constant rudeness.
Around three o’clock in the afternoon, the group ended back at the jailhouse where everyone first met. Disappointed, Nicole realized how enjoyable it had been with Nolan. If only they could stay together just a little while longer.
“Alright everyone,” the tour guide announced. “Meet back here at nine o’clock tonight for our cemetery tour.”
“Seriously?” Bailey whined.
Nicole fisted her hands, and took deep breaths to calm down. She really wanted to just slap some sense – and manners – into her cousin. “Bailey, you don’t have to come. I’ll be just fine.”
“I’ll see you two later,” Nolan said as he put his hands in his pocket and pulled out his keys. “Make sure to wear a jacket. I’m sure it’ll be cooler tonight.” He turned toward his Jeep and started walking.
“Nolan,” Nicole called after him as she hurried up to him. “I... I just wanted to tell you thanks for helpin’ me today.”
His face brightened. “Of course. You can always count on me for anything.”
She took a quick glance at her cousin who was texting. “I doubt Bailey will be comin’ tonight. She really didn’t want to come anyway.”
“Then why did she if she doesn’t believe in ghosts?” Nolan asked.
Sighing, Nicole pushed back her hair, hooking it behind her ears. “The only thing Bailey believes in is shoppin’ and club-hoppin’.” Nicole chuckled softly. “She’s only here to keep an eye on me, per my Uncle’s instructions.”
Confusion spread across Nolan’s expression as his gaze ran up and down her length. “Aren’t you old enough to be on your own? Or are you only eighteen-years-old?”
Nicole teasingly bumped her arm against Nolan. “Of course not, silly. I’m fully capable of takin’ care of myself. My uncle is just overprotective of me since my father died.”
Nolan’s expression changed to serious. “Oh, sorry to hear that.”
“He died of a heart attack when I was twenty-one. My mother died when I was sixteen. I can take care of myself, but my uncle does not think that way.”
“Well, if I were your uncle, I’d be looking after you, too.” He touched her arm. “A lot could happen to a single pretty girl.”
The warmth from Nolan’s hand made her pulse react. She had the indescribable feeling to lean against him and let him wrap his arms around her. Of course, she resisted. Why would she want to do that with a man she just barely met?
“I don’t think my uncle trusts me yet,” Nicole continued. “I hope this trip will reassure him that I’m okay to be on my own.”
“Whether or not it will reassure him, I will be here tonight,” Nolan said. “If Bailey doesn’t want to come, you can hang out with me.”
“I think I’ll hang out with you anyways.” She gave him a wink. “Don’t be late.”
“Late? Me?” He laughed. “Can I assume you didn’t like my grand entrance earlier?”
“Actually, I thought it was perfect.” Nicole laughed and started to walk toward Bailey who was now leaning up against their rented car. “I’ll see you tonight, Nolan.”
There was no way Nicole’s grin would leave. She’d had too much fun... and with a strange man. It had been too long since she pretended to be someone normal – and that a man treated her that way. Eventually, the truth would come out about her billions of dollars in the bank and all the stocks and bonds and companies she owned, but right now, she wanted Nolan to believe she was just an ordinary woman.
Before driving back to the hotel, Bailey wanted a drink. They’d spotted one of those fancy drink shops in town, and Bailey was just dying for her favorite caffeinated mix. Nicole wasn’t a fan of caffeine, so she bought bottled water.
On the ride back to the bed and breakfast, Bailey jabbered nonstop about her friend from back home. Apparently, Erica was putting together her wedding and had asked Bailey to be one of her bridesmaids.
Nicole drove into the B&B’s parking lot and stopped. Bailey’s gaze moved toward their lodging and she sighed.
“I really don’t like this place, Nikki.”
Nicole jumped out of the car and slammed the door. Bailey’s eyes widened as she slowly climbed out.
“I’m tired of this, Bailey.” Nicole’s anger had reached its holding point, and she needed some release. “I’ve told you over and over again that you don’t need to be with me every second of the day, so if you don’t want to go tonight, you don’t have to.”
Bailey stood in stunned silence. Her wide eyes made Nicole think that her cousin had never been scolded before. In fact, she probably hadn’t since Uncle Ethan spoiled his daughter.
Guilt weighed heavily on Nicole’s chest. She hurried to her cousin and grasped her hand. “We’ll go shoppin’ tomorrow, but tonight I really want to go to the cemetery. I won’t be gone long, I promise.”
Bailey shrugged. “Well... if you promise that you’ll be all right, then I won’t worry about you.”
Smiling, Nicole held up her phone. “And if I’m not, I know how to text you.”
The tension between them wasn’t as strong as they entered the B&B. As they turned toward the elevator, there was a movement by the staircase. The figure was of a woman in an old-fashioned light blue dress. The woman, who appeared to be in her early twenties, looked right at Nicole and smiled. Seconds later, the woman vanished.
Sucking in a quick breath, Nicole stopped and glanced around the lobby, wondering if others had seen it, too. Of course, Bailey wouldn’t see it since her attention was always on her phone, the older lady at the front desk sat reading a book, and another couple stood by the postcard rack, so nobody’s attention was where the woman had vanished.
Nicole rubbed her head. She was probably seeing things. Maybe the exciting events of the day had taken its toll of her mind. Getting a few hours of rest would bring Nicole’s mind back to where it should be.
“I’m goin’ to my room and lay down,” Nicole said as they entered the elevator. “I want to be awake and ready for tonight.”
“Let’s go to dinner at five thirty,” Bailey suggested. “I think we can find someplace in town to eat.”
“Of course.”
Just before reaching the second floor, the elevator hesitated for several seconds. Finally, the doors opened. Nicole frowned. It had done that to them last night when they first arrived too, but she didn’t realize it until now. Maybe she should let the manager of the B&B know.
“Don’t oversleep,” Bailey said as she headed to her room.
Nicole stepped inside her room and locked her door. The bedroom had been straightened and the bed made up nicely. She flopped on the mattress, kicking off her boots. She rolled to her tummy as she opened her phone to scroll through the many pictures she’d taken. Smiling, she sighed with happiness as she stared at Nolan when he was with her in the jail cell. There was a picture when they were both looking deeply into each other’s eyes. His words returned to her mind. He’d told her that she’d stolen a man’s heart. Could he mean his heart?
She flipped to her next picture. He hadn’t been looking at her phone during this shot while they were at the courthouse. He was intently studying a picture hanging on the wall. In the upper corner of her picture was a bright flash of little light but as she recalled, there was not a bright light there.
/> She gasped as she recalled watching a documentary some time ago. According to this program, if there was a spirit in the room, there would be a light like this. Could it be true? Had this been one of the buildings where she experienced that eerie feeling?
She closed out of the pictures and brought up her playlist. She needed some soft music to help her relax so she could fall asleep. Taking a nap during the day wasn’t something she did regularly, and she hoped she could at least get a little rest.
Finally, her eyelids grew heavy and her mind drifted off to sleep, and yet, it was as if she was still hearing things around her. With groggy eyes, she peeked around the room. Why did she feel that she was some other place? In fact, she didn’t feel like she was in her room at all. What was she doing outside? But weariness overtook her and pulled her into a dream...
The blonde woman wore her curly hair differently in this dream. The top part was poofy, but the length had been braided and was hanging over her shoulder. She held the familiar lace umbrella as she stood on the stone steps of a two-story, red brick building.
The woman’s gaze jumped up and down the road until she saw the object of her interest. A wide smile stretched over her face and her eyes gleamed with happiness. A tall man with light brown hair walked up to her. He wore a pin-striped gray suit that was in the same era as the woman’s dress. She opened her arms and the man moved in for an affectionate hug. He pulled back just enough to cup the side of her face and give her a kiss. The kiss was endearing, but not passionate.
When he stepped away from her, he slid his hand down her left hand to bring up her fingers. A gold ring with a large diamond circled her fourth finger. He leaned over and kissed her hand before locking her arm with his and walking into the red brick building.
The entryway was grand with a large chandelier hanging from the middle of the ceiling. A butler and maid scurried by the man and woman, placing flowers on the table. Another woman wearing the apron of a household servant dusted the wooden railing of the large staircase. The whole entryway appeared bright with flowers and streamers.
“The place looks amazing, my love.” The man leaned over and kissed the woman’s cheek. “But nothing will compare to your beauty when you descend these stairs in a few hours for our engagement party.”
“You are so wonderful,” she muttered in a tight voice. “How did I get so lucky to find you?”
The two embraced again before gazing lovingly into each other’s eyes. The man finally stepped away and moved toward the stairs. His face was clearer now, and he had the greenest eyes...
Nolan?
Nicole snapped her eyes open. In a split second, she had left her dream and was back in her bedroom at the inn. Her heart hammered quickly. Was the dream really of Nolan? Or was she just thinking of him because he’d been on her mind so much today?
Who were the engaged couple in her dream? And for goodness sake, why was she still having recurring dreams about the woman in blue whose face she hadn’t seen yet?
Nicole sat up and looked at the clock. It was only four-thirty. She sighed. It was time to get up anyway even though the dream made her that much more weary.
Nicole moved to the closet and found her lavender sweater shirt. This should keep her warm while she wandered the cemetery tonight. She changed quickly and put on her sneakers. The cemetery wasn’t a good place for cowgirl boots. She combed her hair and touched up her makeup a little better before squirting on some perfume.
She left her room and stopped in front of the elevator. Before getting Bailey, Nicole really needed to get some fresh air. Clearing her mind of all of the negativity she’d felt for her cousin was necessary before they went to have dinner.
The elevator doors opened, and she stepped inside. She pressed the button to go to the main floor, and once the doors closed, the elevator just stayed there. She pressed it again and nothing. Why hadn’t she told the manager about the faulty elevator before now?
The longer she waited for the elevator to move, the longer panic built inside her. She had always been a little claustrophobic and being stuck in an elevator wasn’t a good thing. She breathed deeply and slowly, closing her eyes and pinching the bridge of her nose as she mentally willed the elevator to move.
Finally, the elevator shook a little before descending to the main floor. Nicole expelled a heavy gush of relief out of her mouth. Perhaps from now on she’d take the stairs. But as the doors still took their time opening, the air around her felt tight, making it hard to breath.
As the doors opened on the main floor, she rushed out of the enclosed space... and smacked right into the person standing in the lobby. Immediately, strong hands clamped around her shoulders holding her upright.
Inhaling the cool air, she looked up into the face of the person she needed to apologize to... but a pair of the greenest eyes nearly had her crumbling to the floor in shock. As she stared at the handsome face, her heart took on a different rhythm. She prayed she wasn’t dreaming again.
SEVEN
Nolan blinked... Not once, but several times as he tried to adjust to seeing the woman he’d been thinking about all day, and longing to see more of. Had he just imagined her, and she was suddenly in his arms?
“Nolan?” she asked in a squeaky voice.
“Nicole?” He laughed and moved them aside so other people could enter the elevator. “What are you doing here?”
Her cheeks bloomed with color. “This is where I’m stayin’.”
“Are you kidding me?” He laughed. “This is where I’m staying.”
She laughed, and he wanted to take her back in his arms. He didn’t dare. He didn’t want to frighten her in any way.
“That’s unbelievable. So, this is the haunted inn we were talkin’ about today at lunch?”
“Apparently.” He glanced at her attire. She looked different in a sweater shirt and athletic shoes. “Are you leaving?”
“Yes. I needed some air. I was goin’ out for a quick walk before dinner with Bailey. Would um... would you like to join us for dinner?”
Even though Bailey was going to be there, he’d tolerated her before, so dinner shouldn’t be hard. He widened his grin. “I’d love to. Where are you going?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know yet.”
“Then what if you and your cousin come to dinner with me? I’ve reserved a table at The Rose Room in Colorado Springs. I’ll just let them know I’m bringing two guests.”
She nodded. “Durin’ my travels with Bailey last night, I saw that place. It’s very ritzy.”
“I know, and my friend tells me the food is to die for.”
She laughed, laying a hand on his arm. His heart skipped.
“I promise I won’t die, but it does sound heavenly.”
You are heavenly... Nolan needed to watch his thoughts and make sure he didn’t say them aloud.
“What time?”
“I told them five-thirty.”
She nodded again. “It must be meant to be... That’s when Bailey and I were leavin’.” She chuckled. “She might actually come to like you now since you’ll be takin’ us to a nicer place to eat.”
He arched an eyebrow. “I take it that she’s not used to living the country life.”
Nicole snorted a laugh. “You can say that again.” She sighed slowly. “So, now that we’ve settled our dinner plans, would you like to take a walk outside with me?”
Excitement leapt inside him. “Absolutely.” He turned, offering her his arm in a gentlemanly fashion.
She glanced at his arm as if she wasn’t sure what he was doing, but soon, her face brightened, and she hooked her arm with his.
As they walked outside, they stayed on the wrap-around porch. The sun was beginning to set, bringing purple and pink to blend with the misty blue sky. Had he ever seen anything this romantic? It surprised him that he couldn’t think of anything so lovely... except the sweet woman still hanging onto his arm.
“Did you know,” she began, “that this place was built
around the turn of the century?”
“I did read that somewhere. This place also had a fire and was rebuilt,” he added. “I think the back wing is all new addition.”
They stopped at the back railing. She turned toward him, and with her arm still hooked on his, it made them so much closer. His body shook with anticipation, and he silently scolded himself for acting like a nervous teenager.
“What do you think makes this place haunted?” she asked.
“I’m wondering if someone died in the fire.” He shrugged. “Have you seen anything out of the ordinary?”
Her eyes widened and she didn’t answer for a few seconds, but then she smiled. “Do you mean besides runnin’ into you?”
“Yes, besides that.”
“Well... I thought I saw somethin’ earlier.”
Nolan’s enthusiasm kicked up a notch. He clasped her hand. “Really? Where?”
“By the stairs. I thought I saw a woman wearin’ a blue dress that looked like she was in the 1920’s. The woman met my gaze but then she disappeared. I know, it sounds silly.”
“No, not at all,” Nolan reassured her, gently rubbing her hand. “That’s great.”
“Do you think it was fake? You know, like your magician friend’s magic trick?”
“It’s hard to say. I would have had to see it first.”
She was the first to move away, but it was only so they could walk away from the porch and around the back toward the garden area. Along the line of tall oaks stood a gazebo, big enough to hold a small gathering.
“It really is quite beautiful out here,” Nicole said. “I love the mountains and the fall colors.”
“I agree. I love seeing the different colors on the mountain. It’s far different from fall in Arizona.”
The Billionaire's Setup Page 5