Ray always said if anything, no matter how small, seemed unusual or strange about a grave, to always take precautions. So, even though I still didn’t understand his superstitions, I did what I knew he would have wanted.
I went to the cabin and got a big can of salt, a small bottle of olive oil, a bottle of some Florida water given to us by a hoodoo man, and three iron nails. He kept these things together in a special box in the closet. Only three times, that I could recall, had he ever used them, and I had only done it once before now. I was a little embarrassed the first time I did it alone. The blood I thought I had seen on a headstone had turned out to be poop from a bird that had eaten berries.
I still felt silly, but I made my way back through the cemetery and looked at the grave. I had laid the bracelet on top of the headstone before walking to the house, I was positive. It was gone now. I looked all around the headstone in the grass, and glanced all around the cemetery for someone who might have taken it. No one was there, and there were no cars in the parking lot.
Raphael pulled in while I was still trying to figure out what the hell was going on. He saw me, and came walking up carrying two Burger King bags.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
I had my finger to my lips, looking at the grave and then looking around again.
“Remember the first day you asked me if I had ever seen anything weird or unexplainable, and I didn’t really answer you?” I asked.
He nodded.
“Well it’s very rare—extremely rare—but sometimes odd things happen with graves. Ray claimed to have seen ghosts or spirits at night once or twice, or grass wouldn’t grow over a new grave because the ground kept getting disturbed; and once, dead animals kept showing up on the grave, like an offering. With the last one, we thought maybe it was someone practicing black magic, or a crazy person. But we set up a camera, and it was animals bringing their prey and leaving it on the grave. We don’t know what any of it means, except we can only assume that somehow the person’s spirit isn’t at rest,” I said.
“That’s really bizarre,” he said staring down at the grave. “So what’s wrong with this one, and what do you do?”
I told him what I had found, and how the bracelet had disappeared. Then I took the three iron nails and pushed them as deeply as I could down into the earth, over what would be just above the head, stomach, and feet. “This ties the spirit to the grave so it can’t wander.”
Then I poured a dash of Florida water on a rag and wiped the headstone down, followed by making a cross on the top of the stone with the olive oil while I said Psalm 23.
“This cleanses and blesses the grave,” I told him.
Lastly, I took the salt and made a circle around the grave. “This protects the grave and spirit from any evil.”
“Do you believe this works?” Raphael asked once I was done.
“Nothing else strange usually happens once it’s done. Ray was a pretty logical man: he liked to know how things worked, but he also said, ‘Just because you don’t understand something doesn’t make it wrong.’ So I do it.”
“He sounded pretty smart,” Raphael smiled.
I nodded. I missed him.
“Food?” Raphael asked.
“Yes, please,” I said, and walked back to the cabin.
I put away the special supplies, and poured cups of coffee and orange juice for us to drink while we ate breakfast on the porch.
We ate quickly and almost silently. My mind was stuck on the disturbed grave. Could people reach out from the dead?
Ray had taught me about religions growing up, and he’d taught me about evolution. He followed no particular religion, but he talked to me about God and Jesus and Buddha and all the others. He encouraged me to study everything and follow what made sense.
I thought I believed in some kind of higher power, but life after death was a tough one for me to buy. I wanted to believe Ray was somewhere wonderful—“Heaven,” if you will… But did I really believe it? I wasn’t sure.
“Sure you’re OK?” Raphael eyed me while I ate my biscuits and sausage gravy.
“Sorry, I’m fine.” I took another bite and a sip of coffee.
The sky was blue tinged with gray, but it was cloudless and the sun wasn’t trying very hard to scorch us yet. I felt just a sliver of autumn in the air. Not true fall that shows in the blueness of the sky, this was just a whisper of her in the breeze.
“Do you still want to go to the beach next weekend?” Raphael asked.
That broke me out of my trance. “Yes!” I leaned over and kissed him. “I can’t wait.”
He smiled at me, and I thought about how I would never tire of looking into his eyes. I leaned in and he kissed me again—this time, more than a peck on the lips.
I pulled away, this time leaving him breathless.
“So, we need to go inside for a little while before we work...” There was a mischievous grin on his face.
I played innocent. “Why would that be?”
“I, uh, need to show you something in the bedroom,” he said tugging on my hand.
I shook my head. “Sorry, it will have to wait until tonight. There is work to be done.”
He made a pouty face at me. “Fine, let's get to it. Chop-chop, and all that.”
I laughed, and we got busy.
We dug for four hours before we stopped for a break. I had more done than Raphael, but he did well at trying to keep pace. We covered each grave with a tarp and went back to the cabin.
I got two glasses down from the shelf and mixed up water with an electrolyte supplement. I handed Raphael a glass and drank my own. He drank it, but made an unhappy face.
“It really helps,” I reassured him.
“We’re only halfway finished and my whole body hurts,” he said, stretching his arms back behind him, and then rubbing his shoulders. “No wonder you’re in such good shape.”
I smiled. “Digging is a good workout, but it’s repetitive, so you have to move your body in an opposite way to balance it out. I have certain stretches I do every day.”
“Show me,” he said rubbing at his back.
“I can’t in work clothes,” I said, but I took an ice pack out of the freezer and tossed it to him. “This should help for now.”
He sighed in relief as he placed the ice pack against his back.
I was fumbling around the kitchen, throwing things away and picking up here or there. I still wasn’t sure what I was supposed to be doing while he was around. I was so used to it just being me.
“Do I make you nervous?” he questioned, and raised an eyebrow again as he watched me zipping around.
“No, not nervous. I just don’t know what to do with myself while you’re here.” I quickly followed that with, “But I love having you here.”
“As long as you want me here. Promise you’ll tell me if you need a break from me. I don’t want to overstay my welcome.” He walked towards me.
“I promise,” I said when his face was only inches from mine. How did this gorgeous man want to be with me?
“Good,” he said, closing the distance from his lips to mine. He kissed me, and I leaned in against him with my fingers playing in his hair. Suddenly something freezing was pressed against the skin on my back: the ice pack. I half gasped, half screamed against his mouth and tried to push him away.
“Shh,” Raphael said as he nipped at my neck and ear.
I sank against him and found his lips once more. He dropped the ice pack and I felt his fingers working at the buttons of my jeans.
“Raphael, I’m so sweaty and gross.” I put my hand over his and shook my head at him.
“So am I,” he leaned in and whispered, “but do you really want to stop me?”
I bit my lip, “No, not really. But we need to work,” I argued again.
“I bet we can be fast,” he said, and moved my hand out of the way to finish taking off my jeans.
I was suddenly half naked in the kitchen. I stepped out of the jeans an
d looked at him. It was always unnerving to be the only one in the room missing clothes.
His fingers traced along the outline of my panties, and the feeling made my legs begin to shake. It felt too good. I closed my eyes and let my head fall against his chest. He kept touching me until my legs were shaking harder and my breathing was coming heavy. He stopped, and I whined against him.
“Nope, gotta get back to work,” he said.
“Ugh, you enormous tease!” I relented, shoving against his chest in frustration, and snapping up my jeans from the floor.
We finished the graves before dark, and I walked by the odd grave I’d done the ritual on earlier. All appeared well.
Raphael held my hand as I did my evening walk-through around the cemetery. I made a mental note that a few shrubs needed to be trimmed the next day, and some dead flowers taken away. Tomorrow would be an easy work day.
I walked by Ray’s grave and told him goodnight, and gave a passing wave to my parents. Raphael paused near the grave of his friend.
“Do you need a minute?” I squeezed his hand.
He was stiff and his expression was blank. “I just can’t believe she left us like that.”
“It’s ok to be angry with her. Some days I’m still angry with my dad, even though I loved Ray more than I can say. But don’t hold onto it. Be angry, then let it go, even if it comes back.” I wrapped my arm around his waist and hugged him.
He nodded, still looking at the grave. “Not today.”
The rolling green hills of the cemetery were fading as the dark was drawing in.
“Are you staying with me again tonight,” I queried, “or are you tiring of me?”
“Definitely not,” he said.
“You’re definitely not staying with me?” I was a little disappointed.
“No! Damn, I mean I’m definitely not tired of you. I want to stay. I have more clothes in my car,” he laughed.
“You were prepared!” I laughed.
“Some days I just drive and end up far away. I’ve learned to be prepared,” he said.
We walked into the house and I turned on the lights. I really needed to clean, Raphael was a distraction, or I was a little obsessive in my housekeeping—not sure of which.
Raphael sat on a stool at the bar in the kitchen. “Can I have another ice pack?”
“This time a hot shower would be better,” I said.
“I’m too tired for a shower. Will you take one with me?” He tried to look pitiful.
“I will, but I’m too tired for any extra shower activities,” I smiled.
He actually stuck out his lip in a pout. I walked over and kissed him.
“Maybe fun shower activities tomorrow?” I asked.
He pressed his lips to mine in a hard-but-silly movement. “Yes.”
We did shower together. I washed his hair and body and he washed mine. We were tender and gentle with one another, laughing a few times when I nearly slipped out of the tub.
I appreciated the beauty of his body all slick and soapy, but my body ached, and I knew if we had any more fun, I’d be too exhausted to function tomorrow.
We dried off, put on robes, and made sandwiches in the kitchen. We watched a movie on the couch while we ate our sandwiches and drank a beer. Then we crawled in bed together, and he held me while I slept. Him, this… it was everything.
The next morning, I got up before Raphael and made coffee. I called into town to let them know I’d be gone the following weekend. No one seemed to mind; they said they’d have someone come by and check in on everything while I was gone, and they knew who to call if a grave had to be dug while I was away.
I cringed a little, knowing that meant they’d call the guy with the heavy machinery, but dammit, I couldn’t do everything.
Raphael got up shortly after I made my phone calls, and we mixed up a batch of blueberry muffins to go in the oven while we talked about our beach trip. He pulled up pictures of the hotels on his phone, and we found a reasonable one right on the beach.
“I can take you dancing at night, and we can be beach bums during the day.” He kissed my cheek and placed a muffin on my plate.
I smiled: it sounded perfect.
“I think I’m going to go back to my place today,” Raphael mused and sipped his coffee.
Not wanting to sound needy, I said, “Ok, if you have to.”
He touched my hand, “I just need to get my laptop and camera, and more clean clothes.”
To be honest, I needed to do laundry myself, and clean my house. “You’ll come back tonight?”
“Mhm,” he nodded. “You don’t have to dig today, do you?”
“Nope, everything in the cemetery is good today besides just a walk through. I think I’ll clean the house while you’re gone.”
He walked into the bedroom and put his things in his bag. He kissed me before he left, and I missed his presence the minute he walked out the door. The L-word crossed my mind, but I quickly hushed it. This was much too soon... right?
I cleaned the house in record time trying to keep myself busy. Then, I showered and painted my toenails. I was surprised I could even find a bottle of nail polish, it had been so long since I had used any.
The house was clean, I was clean, and it was still hours before Raphael would be back. I started thinking about what I would pack for the beach. A look through my closet quickly showed me shopping was in order.
I heard a knock at my door and went to open it, expecting to greet Raphael with a kiss. It wasn’t Raphael standing there, though: it was a delivery man, with a dozen red roses.
"Thank you," I said, taking the roses from him.
I put the flowers in a cobalt blue vase that Ray had owned, and set them on the counter. I stared at them as I opened the card.
My heart felt light as a feather, and I couldn’t stop smiling. I was still smiling when Raphael came home half an hour later.
I heard his vehicle pulling into my driveway and met him at the door. He smiled when he saw me standing in the doorway, and grabbed his bags from the backseat.
His hair was shining in the sun, tempting me to run my fingers through its darkness, and I noticed his skin was darker after spending a few days working with me. He was still dressed in black, and against his silver Jeep, the whole scene had a kind of dangerous look.
Raphael’s eyes locked with mine as he walked toward me. Everything else in the world faded as I stared back into those beautiful eyes.
I kissed him before he made it inside, before he could set his bags down. I kissed him with my whole body pressed against him until he moaned.
He pulled back enough to say, “So, I guess you got the flowers.”
I pulled on his shirt to come on inside the house, and then led him over to the couch. He sat down and I stood in front of him, looking down and admiring the beautiful man looking up at me. I knew what I wanted to do, but it was something I had never been comfortable doing. What the hell, just do it… That was the phrase, right? Although, I’m pretty sure this was not what the company had in mind.
I knelt down in front of him and felt my face flush as I unzipped his pants. I kissed and gently bit at his stomach until his breath became more shallow, and I could feel him growing harder against my cheek. I moved his underwear out of my way and stroked the length of him, now more nervous than ever.
Raphael, once more seeming to read my mind, said, “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.”
I smiled up at him; it must have been difficult to say that in his current situation. “I want to. I just haven’t done this a lot, and I wasn’t taking into account your size. If something doesn’t feel good to you, just tell me.”
He nodded and closed his eyes with a sharp breath as I licked and sucked him. He held my hair for me so he could see my face, but was careful to never pull it or push my head down.
My jaw ached and my gag reflex almost failed me once, but the little sounds Raphael made and the way he was looking at me, I’d keep doin
g this all day. Thankfully it didn’t take that long.
After he finished, he pulled me to him and kissed me.
“Some guys don’t like to kiss after that,” I said.
“They’re stupid, it’s my body. If I won’t kiss you after you’ve had your mouth there, it would be pretty sad for me to let you do it.”
He kissed me again, and moved so I was lying on top of him on the couch. I nuzzled my face into his hair and we took a quick cat nap.
The ringing phone woke me up; it was Mr. Atkins, from the funeral home in town.
“Helena, we need a plot dug for Mrs. Mckinney’s husband Joseph. He passed this morning.”
It was always odd when they told me who it was. Normally they just told me the plot number and when they needed it; a name meant the person was pretty well known in town. The Mckinney’s had been around forever. They were good people, and everyone knew Joseph had been battling lung cancer for a while now.
“Got it. I’ll have it done by tomorrow evening,” I said.
I walked back over to the couch where Raphael was lying. I leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. “I need to go work for a few hours,” I said.
He opened his eyes, still heavy with sleep. “Want some help?”
“That’s ok. You can stay in and rest, I’m not doing it all at once.” I ran my fingers through his silken hair again and kissed his lips.
He nodded. “I’ll make something for dinner.”
“Sounds great,” I said. I went into the bedroom and changed into digging clothes. I wanted to get this done so that tomorrow maybe Raphael and I could go into the city and I could shop for our trip.
Outside, the sky was softening into twilight. The day had passed more quickly than I thought it should have. I wanted to be curled up back on the couch with Raphael, but my muscles were stiff from inactivity and I knew that digging would help.
A breeze blew through the graveyard and chill bumps ran across my skin… strange. My first thought was maybe another summer storm was about the blow through. I looked around and none of the tree leaves were turned up, like they do when rain is coming; there were no dark clouds in the distance. It was just the violet gray of evening, but the cemetery was unsettling; the air was electric, almost threatening.
The Girl Who Digs Graves (The Gravedigger Series Book 1) Page 5