Spirit [New Crescent 2] (BookStrand Publishing Romance)

by Mary Lou George

  * * * *

  After leaving the hospital, Reggie drove to the schoolyard. She’d called John Marks and asked him if she could stop by and talk to Todd again. She hoped to get a beat on his friend Aidan, the ringleader. Was he an innocent victim or a willing accomplice? She had to know.

  She parked her car and made her way to a picnic table. She sat on the bench backwards and leaned her back on the edge of the table. She rested her forearms on the table and stretched her legs out, crossing them at the ankle. All modesty aside, Reggie knew she’d command attention from the other students. She waited for Todd.

  “Hi, Reggie,” Todd said shyly.

  Reggie smiled at him and invited him to sit beside her. He took a seat. She could see a group of boys watching them with curiosity.

  “So, how’s it going?” Reggie asked.

  “Fine, thank you.”

  “Are you completely recovered from that flu you had?” She turned her face up to the warm autumn sun.

  Todd did the same. “Yeah. I’m fine, but I still feel really bad about what I did.”

  Turning her head and opening one eye she looked at the young boy and said, “I know you do, but like I said before, no one was hurt. Can you point out to me the boys who were involved? Which one is Aidan?”

  Savvy enough to know that he shouldn’t actually point anyone out, Todd said, “Aidan is the tallest…in that group over there.” He nodded in the direction of six boys gathered around the bicycle rack. They all looked about twelve years old. Reggie didn’t move as she continued to observe them. Aidan was the uncontested leader. The other boys obviously deferred to him. The center of attention, he was dressed in the latest cool gear, and was trying so hard to appear aloof. Reggie could tell his height was the result of a fairly recent growth spurt because his movements were so painfully awkward. He had the kind of looks that peaked in high school when foolish young girls thought that sneering dispassion was cool. As a man, Reggie thought, that same expression had the potential to make him look petulant and spoiled. Reggie was reluctant to admit it because after all, he was still just a child, but she didn’t like him on sight. He reminded her of all those cocky young men in her past who had made her ashamed and embarrassed of her developing body.

  “So what have you told the others about Bennett House?”

  “I told them that I wasn’t going near that place, and I didn’t care if they didn’t want to be my friends anymore.”

  “How did they react to that?” Reggie asked.

  “Most of them already caught hell…er…trouble from their mom or dad.” When Reggie stayed quiet, he continued. “Jeremy was the coolest. He was gonna have to go next, so he was real relieved. Aidan was pissed.” Todd looked apologetic and said, “Pardon my language.” Reggie gave him an understanding nod and urged him to go on. “His dad’s a lawyer. He told him that the cops have no evidence, and they can’t prove nothin’. He said that was as good as being innocent.”

  “You know that’s not true, don’t you?”

  “Yeah. It turned out okay because none of the other guys were ever gonna go back to that house, so we kinda out-numbered Aidan. He pretended that he didn’t care, but he hasn’t been mean to me since.”

  “How does that make you feel?”

  “I’m okay with it. I don’t want to hang with him if he wants me to do bad things. After I stuck up for myself, the other guys were like, ‘Way to go dude.’”

  Peer pressure. Reggie was so glad she was finished with school. She just wished she knew then what she knew now. What woman hasn’t said that before? “Todd, I’d like to meet your friends.”

  He looked at her with surprise. “Okay. They sure want to meet you.” He stood up and jogged over to his friends.

  It pleased Reggie to see that the other boys seemed to respect Todd. Maybe there was hope for them after all. It didn’t surprise her that the boys quickly agreed to come and meet her. For a pubescent boy, she was Mecca in pink cashmere, and she knew it.

  Todd introduced Reggie to his friends. His friendship with her gave him an extra jolt of street cred. Reggie took her time getting to the point. She didn’t want to make them turtle. Finally, she felt the time was right.

  “I’m working on Bennett House,” she said. Aidan didn’t react. “I know your parents have told you to stay away from there, but I don’t know if they told you why.” Reggie didn’t wait for replies before going on. “Bennett House right now is very dangerous. It’s not a good place for kids. As soon as it’s safe, I’ll give you all a tour, and then we’ll go out for pizza, but you have to promise me that you won’t go near the place until I give you the all clear.” Everyone but Aidan was quick to agree. He simply looked away and shrugged.

  Reggie didn’t let up. “Aidan? That means you too. If you won’t stay away for your own good, then remember Bennett House is private property. Trespassing is illegal. Your actions will have consequences.”

  Before Reggie got the answer she was looking for, the bell rang. The boys said a hurried good-bye, and she quickly thanked Todd for his help. The appraising look Aidan cast her way as he left shocked her. Reggie shivered as she walked to her car. That kid did not look at her with the eyes of an innocent. That jaded look he’d flashed her stuck with Reggie as she drove to Bennett House. Maybe they hadn’t seen the last of him. The thought made her sick. He was just a boy. Where were his parents? Her stomach lurched again. She needed to eat.

  Reggie pulled up outside the diner. When she walked in, she immediately spotted Chase. His size made him hard to miss. The tuft of hair at the back of his head stood straight up as if greeting her. She’d know that cowlick anywhere. She smiled and started toward him. She took two steps and froze.

  He wasn’t alone. She was exquisite. The sheen of her long, dark wavy hair rivaled the rich veneer Reggie had selected for the wood on the grand staircase. The petite woman’s lips were full, and her eyes were exotic. Those beautiful lips and eyes smiled at Chase with obvious interest. She touched his hand as it lay on the table between them. Reggie lost her appetite when Chase put his other hand on top of hers.

  Relieved he hadn’t seen her, Reggie rushed out of the diner and into her car. She drove. For so many years, Bennett House had been her sanctuary. This time she knew she’d find no peace there. Now the house was intrinsically connected to her relationship with Chase. She hated feeling this way. The woman in the diner was the antithesis of Reggie and represented every little minx she’d ever envied. She laughed without humor. How ironic. She’d just been thinking about the insecurity she’d felt when she was younger. Logically, she knew that she was overreacting, but she couldn’t control how she felt. After last night, she’d been preparing herself to come clean with Chase and tell him how she felt. Instead, seeing him holding hands with that woman in the diner, Reggie wrapped her feelings up tightly and filed them away under the letter B for big mistake.

  She pulled into Gillian’s driveway and said a silent prayer of thanks that Travis’s truck was no where to be seen. She needed her girlfriend. As much as she loved him, Travis could never play that role. Gillian was the best.

  Hank barked once. Gillian was already walking to the door when Reggie opened it. The door wasn’t the only thing she opened. Once she sat down with Gillian, she told her friend everything, only pausing once or twice to take a breath.

  Frowning, Gillian said, “You left without him even knowing you were there?”

  Reggie nodded. “Of course I did. They looked pretty intimate. Besides I wasn’t really in control of my emotions. So I took off.”

  “Yeah, Reggie, you do that don’t you?”

  “What? You would have stayed and had lunch with them? What if it had been Travis?”

  “If I found Travis with another woman, I’d be shattered, but I wouldn’t run away in a panic. I think I’d join them and proceed to make Travis the most uncomfortable man in the world. And I wouldn’t stop until I’d ground him into dust and blown him away.”

  Reggie got into
the spirit. “Better yet, grind him into a fine powder and make the woman snort him.” The thought made them both laugh so hard they were breathless.

  Finally, Reggie said, “Oh, that felt good, but it doesn’t solve my problem. What do I say when I see Chase again?”

  “Don’t run. That didn’t go so well last time. Have you ever thought of telling him the truth?”

  Reggie looked at her suspiciously. “What truth?”

  “That you’re in love with him, silly.”

  “Would I have to add the silly part?” Reggie smiled.

  Gillian shook her head, but her lips turned up into a smile. “You’re doing it again you know.”

  Reggie looked confused. “Huh?”

  “I’ve said it before. You use humor to get out of every jam. Oh, I’m not complaining. It makes you irresistible, and we all love you for it. You slip under a person’s secret armor one quip at a time. You seem so confident and capable of seeing the humor in every situation. People are drawn to you. Why does loving Chase scare you so much?”

  Reggie sobered and answered her. “I don’t know really. We’re amazing together in and out of bed. But there’s a part of me that just doesn’t feel worthy.”

  She shook her head and put up her hand to stop Gillian’s objection. “I said something boneheaded at dinner last night. I was insensitive and made an offhanded comment that hurt him. Sometimes I’m just oblivious to everything but my own concerns. Gillian, I wanted to be a Guardian. I was supposed to be special. I failed, and I have no idea what I did wrong. I didn’t deserve the gift of the Goode sisters. Maybe there’s something wrong with me…inside.” She pressed her hand to her heart as her voice broke on the last word.

  Gillian hugged her close. Reggie appreciated Gillian’s attempt to soothe her especially given Gillian’s abilities. Using her gift, Gillian tried to ease Reggie’s mind, and she succeeded, a little. But Reggie pulled away.

  “My emotions are in overdrive. What’s wrong with me? I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me.” She took a couple of deep breaths and shook her head.

  “Where’s Travis?”

  “Nice segue Reggie, but I’ll play. He’s with Sam. I’d love to have gone with him, but as you can imagine, my ability to pick up the feelings of others can be a bit of a handicap in hospitals. I’ve talked to him over the phone. Travis has been with him since he woke. Apparently, it’s absolutely hilarious watching Sam politely submit to the ministrations of just about every woman within one thousand miles. That includes Ernestine, by the way.”

  “And me, but I only ministered my irritation with him. Oh, I bet Ernestine gave him what for.”

  “Poor Sam. I honestly think she made him miss the coma. She was furious with him for going to Bennett House after she’d told us all to leave it to you and Chase.”

  Reggie rolled her eyes. “Yeah, Sam…duh! He should have known better.”

  “Well, he does now. Ernestine has vowed to visit him everyday until he’s in physio.” Gillian liked the idea and laughed.

  Reggie joined her. “That should speed his recovery along nicely.”

  They laughed at Sam’s expense. Reggie didn’t feel guilty in the least. He could afford it.

  Feeling a little better, Reggie told Gillian about Aidan. “Gill, do you think you could try to connect with him? Find out what he’s up to?”

  Gillian frowned as she thought about it. “Ernestine has been pretty adamant that I stay out of this. I’ll ask her what she thinks. I may be able to get some info just by being close to him. From what you say you see in his eyes, I’m not too eager to touch him and get into his mind. Besides, I’m not sure you were meant to know what’s going on with Aidan just yet. It’s inconceivable to think he’s Vincent’s accomplice.”

  Reggie shook her head. “Yeah, and he’s only twelve years old.”

  Chapter 20

  Reggie breathed a sigh of relief when Chase’s pickup truck wasn’t in the driveway at Bennett House. She had a short reprieve, and it was appreciated. Pru was thrilled to see her. The little dog’s enthusiasm came as no surprise, but she welcomed it anyway.

  “Well, girl, I guess you need to go outside for a bit.” Reggie opened the patio doors off the kitchen. Pru took off at the run. The heels Reggie wore hindered her ability to keep up. She tottered around the corner of the house and ran right through Constance.

  “Pffft,” Constance said in irritation.

  “Can you spell that please?” Reggie said automatically.

  Constance ignored her. “Pru is fine. She came running when she sensed my presence. What have you done now?”

  “What do you mean, ‘What have I done?’ Why don’t you ask, ‘What has Chase done?’”

  “Because it is you I’ve connected with, you I need to guide, and you who needs the help.” She sighed and ran a hand over her ghostly hair. “Frankly, the question surprises me.”

  Reggie had had a trying day which had left her with very little patience for Constance and her insults. She pointed to a spot beyond Constance’s shoulder and said, “Hey, what’s that? Over there, I think it’s a light. Go to it.” She raised her voice with frustration. “Cross over, already!”

  “It would serve you right if I did, but you need me. It is your destiny to face Vincent. I’ve done my part, in life. I still have work to do in death. I have to help you, and that’s not easy when you work against me.”

  Reggie sighed and sat down heavily on a nearby bench. Running a hand through her short hair, she said, “I’m sorry. I’m agitated, and I’m taking it out on you. To what do I owe this visit?”

  Constance narrowed her eyes and hesitated. Finally, she said, “You have to go into the library as soon as Chase gets home.”

  Reggie looked at her as if she’d just granted amnesty to Hitler. “Why do you say that? This is it, Constance. I won’t blindly follow your instructions anymore. You’re going to have to explain yourself.”

  “I do not recall you ever blindly following anyone, my dear. Perhaps you wish to rephrase that question.” Constance too could be stubborn.

  Reggie recognized her affect. Shaking her head, she said, “Okay, Constance, no offense meant. Please tell me what it is you need to say.”

  “I sense that all is not well between you and Chase, my kin. Did he not please you last night?”

  “Knock it off.”

  “Patch up whatever is wrong between the two of you immediately, because Vincent will use it against you.” There was no humor in Constance’s voice as she spoke.

  Reggie rolled her eyes and her voice dripped with sarcasm. She said, “Oh… well…in that case… If it was so easy to solve my problem with Chase don’t you think I would already have done it?”

  “No, my dear. I think you are looking for reasons to pull away from Chase. Talk to him. Ask him every question that comes to mind. Talk to him and then go into the library and force Vincent to retreat.”

  “And we have to do this today? It’s starting to get dark.” Reggie pointed towards the fiery sunset.

  Constance didn’t bother to look. Instead, she pressed the issue. “Yes, it is getting late, so you must do this as soon as possible. I can feel Vincent’s vulnerability. It won’t last long. Talk to Chase. Clear this up. Talk to him…talk to him…” And she was gone.

  Chase came home well after the sun had set. By the time he walked into the kitchen, she’d been pacing so long that she was ready to spit rusty nails and run naked down Main Street. Just the casual way he looked at her set her off, and as he greeted her, she sat at the table fuming. She didn’t have a choice. There wasn’t much time. She was going to have to vent her anger if they were to face Vincent with any success. Reggie figured there wasn’t time to pussyfoot around, so she got to the point.

  “I thought about eating lunch in the diner today. I even considered joining you, but you were otherwise occupied.” Her inner struggle put a light in her eyes and a sharpness in her voice.

  Chase’s eyes widened in reaction, and he l
ooked at her with surprise. He said, “You should have joined us. Jackie would love to meet you face-to-face.”

  Reggie furrowed her brow and narrowed her golden gaze. “Jackie? That was Jackie Blake, Pat Somers’s agent?”

  “Yup.” He started to grin.

  “Well, why didn’t you tell me!” She huffed about the kitchen opening and closing cupboards with a bang in impotent frustration. He’d defused her rising anger like a kid popping a birthday balloon, but her adrenaline was amped up, and she was ready for a fight. Reggie hated waste. She took a deep breath and began.

  “Didn’t it ever occur to you that I might have wanted to meet the woman? I have a million questions for her that are so much easier to communicate in person. There’s the four other bedrooms to furnish, paintings to select for the walls in every room except the dining room. Television, what about television? Do I go out and purchase televisions. Does she want an entertainment system in any of the bedrooms? What about the kitchen? People are putting TVs in kitchens these days. Personally, I wouldn’t advise that. Don’t get me wrong, I love TV just as much as the next guy…okay…a little more than the next guy, but is it really necessary in the kitchen? I mean, I could get distracted and mistake baking soda for icing sugar. Now that would totally wreck a cake. Mmm…speaking of cake. I didn’t eat lunch.” This time when she opened a cupboard, she had something in her hand when she slammed the door. She opened a bag of potato chips with a pop.

  Chase was smiling now. “Maybe the next time Jackie Blake is in town, I’ll introduce you. I didn’t know she was coming. She just showed up.”

  Looking into the bag of potato chips, Reggie selected the one she wanted and said, “She wants to jump your bones.”

  “Yup.” He said.

  “Have you ever been the jumpee?” She tried to keep her voice casual.

  “Nope.” He stood up and approached her as she stood next to the stove. Reggie looked at him with a frown. He looked into the bag of chips and took out a handful. He rested a hip against the countertop and waited for her reply.