Grave Misgivings

by Lily Harper Hart

  “She doesn’t catch them,” Nick said. “She finds them and then makes me catch them.”

  “Oh, you two are even cuter now,” Lauren said. “You’re like a PG-13 couple with model looks and hot kisses.”

  “How do you know the kisses are hot?” Nick challenged.

  “Because I’ve seen the way you two look at each other,” Lauren replied. “No one smolders that much without some payoff between the sheets.”

  “And I’m done here,” Nick said, moving back toward the steps. “You guys are just … too much.”

  The night sky split suddenly, a bright bolt of lightning flashing. A terrific rumble of thunder followed, loud enough to shake the patio.

  “I didn’t know it was going to storm,” Lauren said, disappointed.

  “We should probably move this party inside,” Aaron said. “We’re going to get wet in exactly thirty seconds.”

  “I need to get Maddie,” Nick said, turning his head as the wind gusted. She was still by the water, but her eyes were fixed on a spot behind a nearby tree and her back was to him. Nick had no idea what she was doing, but something told him her attention had been drawn to something only she could see. “Take these inside for us,” Nick said, handing the beers to Christy.

  “What is she looking at?” Max asked, tilting his head to the side.

  “There’s probably some deer out there,” Aaron said. “They’ve been coming closer to the house over the past few days.”

  “I’m sure that’s it,” Nick said, exchanging a quick look with Christy. Both of them knew Maddie’s attention was more likely fixed on something supernatural.

  “Let’s go inside,” Christy said, jumping into action. “Nick is fully capable of collecting Maddie.”

  “I’ll be right back,” Nick said.

  MADDIE stared at the ghost, conflicted. The woman looked to have been in her early forties when she died, her dark hair shot through with gray, and the beginnings of some heavy lines colliding in the corners by her eyes. Her eyes were an odd color, more gray than blue or green, and she looked like she was wearing some sort of uniform – although Maddie couldn’t identify it.

  “You can see me, can’t you?” The woman was studying Maddie with the same intensity as Maddie was looking at her.

  “Yes,” Maddie whispered, making sure to keep her back to the patio so no one could see her lips moving. “Who are you?”

  “Who are you?”

  “My name is Maddie Graves.”

  “Are you Maude’s daughter?”

  Maddie stilled, surprised. “I’m her granddaughter. Do you know my grandmother?”

  “She shouldn’t be old enough to be a grandmother,” the ghost mused. “Olivia is still so young. I didn’t even know she was pregnant.”

  Maddie was confused, although she had a feeling she was nowhere near as confused as the spirit. “What year do you think it is?”

  “It’s … um, I don’t know. Time doesn’t mean anything to me now.”

  Maddie pressed her lips together. “That’s okay. Um … did you die here?”

  “Someone is coming,” the ghost hissed, drifting to the side and hiding behind a tree.

  Maddie turned, not surprised to find Nick moving in her direction.

  “It’s going to storm, Mad,” Nick said. “We need to get inside.”

  “Umm … okay.” Maddie glanced back at the woman.

  Nick didn’t speak again until he was at Maddie’s side and could keep his voice low. “Who are you talking to?”

  “There’s a ghost here,” Maddie said, tilting her head. “I … how did you know I was talking to someone? Does everyone up there think I’m talking to myself?”

  “Calm down,” Nick said, rubbing her back and leaning closer. He wanted prying eyes to think they were being romantic. “Everyone thinks you’re looking at deer and that’s going to be your story when we go back inside. It’s fine. No one besides Christy suspects anything.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “I’m sure, Mad. Tell me about the ghost. Do you recognize her?”

  “No,” Maddie said. “She hasn’t told me her name. Do you want to tell me who you are?”

  The woman remained silent, her eyes flooding with suspicion as they fixed on Nick.

  “She knew Granny, although she thought I was her daughter,” Maddie said.

  “She thought you were Olivia?” Maddie and her mother shared mesmerizing eyes and lithe figures, but Olivia’s coloring was much darker than Maddie’s. Nick had never met anyone who confused the two women.

  “No, she just asked if I was Maude Graves’ daughter,” Maddie replied. “She has no idea what year it is. In her mind, Granny shouldn’t be a … well … granny, yet.”

  “I’m sure Maude will be happy to hear that,” Nick said, kissing Maddie’s cheek. Another bolt of lightning ripped through the air, followed quickly by a menacing rumble of thunder. “Love, I’m willing to stay out here with you if you think it’s necessary, but that’s going to be hard to explain. Do you think we can put this conversation off until tomorrow and get inside before it starts to rain?”

  “I … .” Maddie broke off, worrying her bottom lip with her teeth. She wasn’t particularly fond of abandoning people – or spirits – in need. This woman was lost in time. She was definitely in need.

  “Go,” the woman said finally. “It’s not safe out here … especially after dark.”

  “What do you mean by that?”

  “Beware of the shadows,” the woman said, glancing at Nick one more time. “Be careful who you trust.”

  She blinked out of existence, and when the thunder rolled again, Maddie slipped her hand into Nick’s. “We should go now. She’s gone.”

  “We’ll talk about it upstairs,” Nick said, pushing Maddie in front of him and keeping her body close to his as he sheltered her from the rain, which was starting to fall. “We’ll tell everyone we’re going to bed early.”

  “That doesn’t seem fair to you.”

  “Mad, as long as I’m with you, everything is fine,” Nick said. “Never doubt that. Now, come on, love. This looks like it’s going to be one heck of a storm.”

  Nine

  Maddie woke the next morning with Nick’s body spooning against her backside. His face was resting in the hollow between her shoulder and neck, and he was breathing in an even rhythm as his heart beat in sync with hers.

  This was her favorite part of the day. She loved waking up earlier than him because it allowed her the opportunity to bask in their shared warmth and just … think. She didn’t think about anything in particular. Sometimes she dreamed about their future, and sometimes she got lost in memories of their past. Each morning was spent thinking about him, though. He was her favorite daydreaming subject.

  “I can hear the gears in your mind grinding from here,” Nick teased, brushing his lips against her jaw.

  “Did I wake you up?” Maddie asked, disappointed.

  “Why does it sound like you wish I was still asleep?”

  “I don’t know,” Maddie hedged. “I just like waking up before you. You’re usually up before me during the week, so on the weekends I like to just … lay next to you and listen to you breathe. Don’t you dare laugh at me for that, either.”

  “I do the same thing, Mad.”

  “You do?”

  “I like to look at you in the morning,” Nick said. “You look like an angel when you sleep.”

  “Does that mean I look like the Devil when I’m awake?”

  “Only when you’re doing something naughty,” Nick said, splaying his fingers against Maddie’s flat midriff and pulling her tighter against his body. “How did you sleep?”

  “Soundly,” Maddie said. “I know it’s weird, but thunderstorms always knock me out.”

  “I like thunderstorms, too,” Nick said. “As long as they’re not too bad, that is. I don’t like it when they knock the power out.”

  “I’m betting this place has a generator,” Maddie said.r />
  “I’m betting they have a backup generator for the generator,” Nick said. “What time is it?”

  Maddie glanced at the clock on the nightstand. “It’s almost seven. We should probably get up. Didn’t Aaron say breakfast would be served at eight?”

  “He did,” Nick said. “We don’t need to eat breakfast if you don’t want to, though. We can do something else if you’d rather spend the day in bed.”

  Maddie smirked, moving her hand down so she could trace his fingers. “What did you have in mind?”

  “Well, I thought I’d start with a little of this.” Nick licked the ridge of her ear, causing her to shudder. “Then I thought I would do a little of this.” Nick kissed her neck and then lightly sucked the skin into his mouth. “And then I thought … .” He was interrupted by the sound of his stomach growling.

  Maddie giggled. “I think there are two ideas warring for supremacy in that godlike body of yours.”

  “Mad, where you’re concerned there is no war,” Nick said. “You’ve already won every battle there is.”

  “What if we compromise?”

  “I’m listening.”

  “I was thinking that we could get up and take a shower together – and do whatever comes naturally in there – and then we would still have plenty of time to get ready for breakfast so you can fuel up,” she said.

  “Sold,” Nick said, playfully patting her rear. “If you’re a really good girl, I’ll even wash your back while we’re in there.”

  “I’ll race you to the shower.”

  “HOW did you two sleep?” Christy asked, reaching for a croissant as she glanced at Maddie and Nick. “Given how you’re glowing, I’m guessing sporadically.”

  “What do you mean?” Maddie asked, furrowing her brow.

  “Oh, you’re such a good girl,” Christy said, pinching her friend’s cheek as she teased her. “You don’t even know when I’m being a terrible friend sometimes.”

  Nick watched Maddie, waiting for her to get what Christy was talking about. When she finally did, her cheeks flushed with color. “And there it is,” he said.

  “You really need to explain the concept of sarcasm and suggestive innuendo to her when you have time, Nick,” Christy said.

  “I thought that was part of your curriculum,” Nick replied, reaching for his own croissant. “I am starving.”

  “That’s because you worked up an appetite,” Christy said.

  “You’ve got that right.”

  “You two are going to give me an ulcer,” Maddie grumbled.

  “I keep trying,” Christy said.

  “So, what does everyone want to do today?” Aaron asked. “I figured we could go to the fair for a couple hours, or we could just hang around the house. We have a basketball court if anyone wants to do that, or we have tennis courts. There’s a pool, too.”

  “I want to see the family cemetery,” Marla said, speaking for the first time that morning. She didn’t look happy when she descended the stairs twenty minutes before, and if the eye daggers she was lobbing in Max’s direction were any indication, the previous evening hadn’t gone as planned.

  “You want to see the family cemetery?” Aaron asked, surprised. “It’s not much to look at. It’s just a cemetery.”

  “How many plots are there?” Nick asked, curious despite himself.

  “It wasn’t always the family plot,” Aaron explained. “It was the town cemetery when Blackstone Bay was first founded, but once my family bought the property, the town opted to start their own cemetery and our plot just became a spot to plant family members.”

  “Nice,” Lauren said, sipping from her glass of orange juice.

  “Can you think of a better way to put it?”

  “Can’t you just say you put people to rest there? Cemeteries always creep me out.”

  “I like them.” The words were out of Maddie’s mouth before she realized what she was saying. “I mean … um … I find them interesting.”

  Multiple sets of eyes shifted until they landed on her.

  “What? I like to look at the headstones and sculptures,” Maddie said. “There’s something beautiful about putting someone in their eternal resting place.”

  “You’ve got a morbid streak, don’t you?” Christy asked.

  “Leave her alone,” Nick said, patting Maddie’s knee under the table before stealing a slice of bacon from her plate. “I think cemeteries are cool, too.”

  “We should all go together,” Marla suggested.

  Nick made a face. “Marla, the only time I want to be in a cemetery with you is if I’m going to your funeral.”

  “Nicky,” Maddie scolded.

  “I’m sorry,” Nick said, instantly contrite. “That was a horrible thing to say. I actually don’t wish you dead, Marla.”

  “Thank you.”

  “I just wish your tongue would fall out,” Nick said.

  Everyone at the table snickered except for Marla and Maddie. Marla was angry, for obvious reasons, and Maddie didn’t want to stoke the fire of Marla’s hatred.

  “We can go to the cemetery,” Aaron said. “I actually haven’t been there in a few years. It is kind of cool. My great-grandfather built a mausoleum, mostly because he didn’t want to be planted next to the common folk, but there are some cool sculptures and some of the tombstones are really old and ornate.”

  “That sounds fun to me,” Max said. “Do you remember when we used to play hide and seek down there when we were kids?”

  “I forgot how much time you used to spend out here,” Lauren said. “Your mother worked here, right?”

  “She did,” Max said. “She loved this house. We lived in the servants’ quarters for years before moving to our own apartment when I was a teenager, but Aaron’s family never made me feel like I wasn’t part of the family. I always thought it was so cool out here.”

  “You were part of the family,” Aaron said. “You ate breakfast with me every morning, and a couple of years there you hauled in more Christmas presents than me.”

  “That was because your father was punishing you for snooping,” Max said, laughing at the memory. “I still remember when he gave me your bicycle. I think that was because you told your cousin Santa Claus wasn’t real. Man, your mother was hopping mad.”

  “My mother was always hopping mad,” Aaron said. “I love her, but that woman grounded me more times than I can even remember.”

  “Maybe you deserved it,” Christy suggested.

  “No one deserves to be grounded as much as I was. I went two months without being able to leave the property one summer.”

  “Why do you think she did it?” Lauren asked.

  “I think she liked it,” Aaron said. “She got off on being mean. Hey, I’m not talking badly about my mother. There’s no reason to look at me that way. My mother is proud of being mean. She puts it on her business cards.”

  Lauren giggled. “She once told me that she was going to cut all my hair off if I didn’t make sure it stopped getting in my mouth when we were playing outside,” she said. “She was always nice to me, but she did get off on scaring me, too.”

  “She was the only one in the house who hated me,” Max said.

  “She didn’t hate you,” Aaron argued.

  “She did, too,” Max said. “Don’t bother lying. She always thought I was beneath you. It’s fine. Don’t worry about it. Everyone else in your family was great to me. I just learned at a really young age to make myself scarce when your mother was home.”

  “I guess it’s good she wasn’t home all that often,” Aaron said. “Now that you mention it, though, I remember having a lot more fun when she was gone than when she was here.”

  “I don’t remember your mother being anything but pleasant,” Nick said. “I don’t remember spending a lot of time around her, but she was always nice to me when I came out here.”

  “That’s because she was scared of your mother,” Aaron said. “My mother knew darned well that your mother could make he
r life hell on all those little town boards they were on together.

  “My mother gained power through money, but your mother gained power through popularity,” he continued. “My mother is a smart woman. She knew which type of power held more weight.”

  “How come I didn’t know any of this was going on?” Maddie asked. “I must have been out of the loop.”

  “You just had your own loop,” Christy said. “You spent all of your time with your mother, grandmother, and Nick. Your loop was pretty small.”

  “It was,” Maddie conceded. “We had fun, though.”

  “We had a lot of fun,” Nick said, tapping Maddie’s plate. “If we’re going to be wandering around all morning you need to eat your breakfast.”

  “Yes, Dad.”

  Nick scowled. “I hate it when you do that.”

  “I hate it when you tell me what to do,” Maddie replied.

  “Oh, good, they’re finally going to fight,” Marla said. “I was getting sick of them pretending things were always perfect.”

  Nick ignored her. “I’m not telling you what to do.” He leaned forward and whispered something into her ear, and while no one could hear what he said, the gist of it was obvious when Maddie’s face turned pink.

  “Oh, look, Nick just convinced Maddie to eat her breakfast with promises of naughty fun later,” Christy said, grinning.

  “How did you know that?” Maddie asked, mortified.

  “You just told me,” Christy said.

  “I hate it when you do that,” Maddie muttered.

  “I hate it when you forget that I do that,” Christy said. “Well, actually, that’s not true. I love it when you forget I do that because that’s always how I get you to own up to all the dirty stuff I know you and Nick are doing.”

  Nick reached around Maddie and flicked Christy’s ear. “Don’t embarrass her.”

  Christy jerked her head away from Nick, rubbing her ear ruefully. “I hate it when you do that.”

  “Then stop making me do it,” Nick said.

  “Everyone is in a fun mood this morning,” Brian said, rolling his eyes.

  “I hate mornings,” Marla said. “They make me grumpy.”

  “I think that’s just your personality,” Christy suggested.

  “Me, too,” Lauren chimed in.