Mal used the back of her fork to swipe up the last bit of pale green, sweet-tart pie filling. As she licked it clean, she set the plate aside. She leaned forward, as if eager to play the game where they shared stories of the day, trying to top each other. She dropped the silverware to the plate with a clink. “Sure. You first.”
Ducking her head, Jem let a hank of her hair screen her face to hide her smile. “Jack bought the Sea View House.”
When Mal didn’t immediately respond, Jem brushed the hair out of her eyes and slanted a look at her friend, gauging her reaction.
Mal opened and closed her mouth in rapid succession. Her blue eyes were wide, brows raised toward the top of her forehead. She shook her head, her chin length hair swinging against her cheeks. “I got nothing. Good Lord, Jem. Why would you lead with that? No way in hell can I top your announcement. I hope Jack didn’t spend a boatload of cash on that wreck on the bluff.”
Laughing, Jem relaxed against the filigreed back of the bench. “Didn’t mean for you to actually try to top this one. But I did want to get your attention. Success?”
“Yeah, you win this round. I suppose there’s a sound reason behind his decision.”
“He plans to move Kerrigan Construction into part of it. There is a suite of rooms on the first floor he wants to convert to a showroom of sorts.”
“Well it makes some sense, but that building is huge. And what’s wrong with the offices they have now?”
“Their lease is up there. Business is good, and Jack wants to convert our spare room back into a bedroom, like it’s meant to be.”
Jem had confided to Mal their efforts to get pregnant. A delighted smile split the woman’s lips. Her normally smooth alto voice rose to soprano when she asked, “Oh, my God! You’re topping your own untoppable one-up. Are you expecting?”
“No.” The word came out flat and defeated.
“Aw, Jem. I’m sorry.”
Mal had held Jem’s hand last month when her cycle started and she couldn’t hold back her sense of defeat. A frustration she hid from Jack most of the time. Or tried to at any rate. Most of her attempts were unsuccessful.
“It’s okay. Jack’s given me something else to focus on.”
Mal bit her lip and clenched her fist on her thigh. A little excess moisture collected in the corners of her friend’s eyes. “Thoughtful of him. So what is it? Are you supposed to be decorating his office?”
Jem turned her head and blinked away the tears threatening her own vision. When she trusted her voice to not quiver, she replied. “It’s a little bigger than that. He wants me to take over the rest of the house as a banquet space. I can do the catering part, but I need a partner for the rest of it. What do you think? Want to go into business together?” She twisted on the bench to face Mal, drawing her knee up and tucking her foot under the back of her thigh. “Oh, dear Lord. That face is priceless.”
Mal’s eyes were as big as saucers, her mouth forming a perfect circle. Reaching out, she grasped Jem’s knee. “Are you for real? Jem, I don’t— I can’t— Holy hell!”
The chuckle built from the soles of Jem’s feet, swirling up until it lodged in her gut and turned into a belly laugh. Mal joined her, and each time she tried to speak, she went off with another gale of laughter.
The back door to the flower shop opened and Gaby, Mal’s teenaged sister, stood framed in the doorway, hands on her hips. “What’s going on?” she asked.
Mal wiped tears away from her eyes. “Oh, Gaby. We are about to get busier than ever.” Another peal of laughter ripped from her mouth.
“Wait, so that’s a yes?” Jem demanded breathlessly. Exhilaration charged up her chest and erupted in a huge grin. “You want to?”
Mal nodded her head and clutched her sides. “Can’t catch my breath, but yes!” she panted.
Jem burst off the bench, snagged Mal’s hands, and dragged her off the seat. Holding on, she started jumping in circles.
Chloe, one of Mal’s other employees, crowded behind Gaby in the doorway. “Have they won the lottery or something?”
“Do you suppose Jem put something in the coffee today besides milk?” Gaby shook her head and snapped her fingers three times. “Mal, you okay? You need anything?”
“Fine,” Mal gasped. “Gaby, we’re about to expand.”
“Oh, my God! You’re pregnant? We’re having a baby!” Gaby shouted as she raced over to Mal’s side. She seized one of Mal’s hands from Jem’s grasp and started bouncing with them.
Jem’s happy bubble burst with a cold dose of reality. No dammit! She wasn’t going to let this ruin her good mood. Pulling her hand back to her side, her step faltered, but she recovered quickly.
Brows drawn together, Mal cast an apologetic look at Jem, who just shook her head. Mal clasped both Gaby’s hands in hers and slowed the girl’s excited hop. “No! Oh, God, no! I’m not pregnant. Not even close. We’re expanding the business.”
“But you already opened the Boston store. We expanded months ago.” Gaby pulled her hands from Mal’s and crossed them over her chest as Chloe stepped over next to her.
“We’re growing again, kid,” Mal said, reaching for Jem’s hand. The gesture of friendship and solidarity warmed the coolness that had taken up residence under Jem’s heart. “Jem and I are going into business together. Jack bought the Sea View and is going to rehab it to use for special events. Jem will cater the parties, and we’ll plan them.”
“Really?” Chloe asked. “That place is haunted. Who’d want to have a party there?”
“What are you talking about, Chloe?” The memory of her vision yesterday flared back to life in Jem’s brain.
Mal cast a quelling look at her assistant manager. “Chloe, those are just stories. There isn’t any truth to them.”
“Come on, you have to admit the place is creepy. It’s been abandoned for over ten years. And the O’Malley’s disappeared in the middle of the night. That’s weird.”
“Because the bank was coming after them for the mortgage payments they forgot to make.” Mal propped her weight on one leg. “There were stories in the paper about the legal battle between Granite Pointe Savings and Fergus O’Malley. You must have read them.”
“Uh, not! I was nine at the time.” Chloe shook her head, the bright pink stripe in her hair glinting in the sunlight in the alley. In spite of the warmth of the afternoon, the girl shivered. “In high school, all the kids hung out on the grounds at night in October. Bunny Schindler claims she saw a lady wearing old clothes with an old-fashioned hairdo wandering past the windows that weren’t boarded up. Bunny said the lady was wispy, but she carried a piece of paper with hearts on the top.”
Jem froze as she lifted her iced coffee for a drink. It was exactly the same as her vision from yesterday. What the hell? Suddenly weak in the knees, Jem sank down to the bench. “Mal, do you think the place could be haunted?”
Mal frowned. “Not by the O’Malley’s. I recall reading something about the man who built the house. I think I saw it at the Maritime Museum. What the heck was his name? The guy was a sea captain. His wife lived in the home until...gosh, about the mid century. I really don’t know what happened to either of them.”
“Do you know anyone at the museum who might be able to tell us?” Jem wasn’t nervous about the possibility of ghosts. The vibe she’d gotten as she toured the house with Jack had been benign and loving. “Now I’m curious about the estate’s history.”
“Amy Mastin is the resident historian. I bet she’d know.” Mal lowered her brow.“Or at least know where to look.”
Jem glanced at the women standing around her and smiled. “I’ll call her and see if she can shed some light on the haunting rumors.”
Rubbing her hands together, Mal grinned at Jem. “So, how soon can we start planning things? Any chance we can be in before Christmas?”
Optimism gurgled through Jem’s system. “Jack said they’d do the renovations in stages. New roof, electrical, and plumbing should be done by the e
nd of August. Then they’ll work on the first floor, kitchen, dining and living rooms, solarium, and of course, his office space. His schedule is aggressive, but he believes the first phase can be completely ready by mid-October.”
“What’s our next step?” Mal dropped onto the bench next to her. She waved her hands at the younger girls. “You two can go back to work for now.”
“Wait, Chloe!” Jem stopped her from going back to the shop. “Are you still taking graphic design classes at the community college?”
“I’ll take the last one this semester. After that, I’ll have my degree. Why?” Chloe asked.
“Do you need a final project? We’re going to need a new logo and some other marketing material.”
“Jem! That’s an excellent idea. I’ve seen her designs, and Chloe has great skills.” Mal clapped her hands together and beamed at the girl. “Chloe, even if you don’t need a final project, I’ll pay you.”
“I’ll talk to my professor. Either way, I’m in. Haunted or not, I’m excited about this.” Chloe’s grin illuminated her entire face.
“Perfect. Let’s have a planning meeting tonight at my house. Gaby and Chloe, you come, too, if you don’t already have plans.” Jem ran a quick menu in her head, making a mental grocery list. “I’ll provide dinner. I’m going to invite Sam and Rikki, too. Maybe we can make Rik our official photographer.”
“We’ll all be there by seven,” Mal said. Gaby and Chloe waved bye. The door slammed behind them as they retreated to the shop to get to work.
Jem stood. She collected the tray to stack the dirty dishes on it. “I have to hit the store on the way home. And I think I’ll call the museum to see if Amy knows anything about the Sea View’s history. God, I can’t believe how eager I am to get going on this. Prepare to be busy, Mal. I’m sure we’re going to get a chance to get our hands dirty.”
Balancing the tray on her hip, she bent and pressed her cheek to Mal’s. “Thanks for saying yes. I love that we’re going to be partners.”
Chapter 4
After two weeks of hard preparation work, demolition day arrived. After one of Jem’s better wake-up calls at oh-dark-thirty, Jack had been unable to get back to sleep as was his custom. He’d gone to the café with her before sun-up and kept her company while she readied the kitchen for business.
“I can’t believe how calm you are,” she observed. Her face was already flushed from the heat in the kitchen. This August day was going to be a sizzler.
“You think?” He handed her a towel from the stack under the counter. After pouring himself a cup of coffee from the machine in the corner, he grabbed a seat on the stool at the kitchen counter. “Inside, I’m like a kid at Christmas. My gut is jumping like Sam’s little Ava in her bouncy chair.”
Jem’s brown eyes lit with amusement as she mopped her brow. She tucked the tail-end of the towel into the waist of her loose cotton shorts. “That is excited. I have to say you’re hiding it well.”
“Honestly, I’m a little anxious. The inspectors didn’t find any major issues, but we won’t know until we open the walls if anything will put us behind schedule or over budget.”
Jem handed him a plate of eggs, toast, and bacon. “I have a good feeling about this, Jack. Mal already has our first event scheduled for early November. The Rotary Club is planning a Thanksgiving dinner.”
“We should be done with the first phase in plenty of time. I can’t believe how quickly word has spread. Even Dunk asked if we’d be done in time to have his birthday party there. That’s Thanksgiving week. He told me he’d always wanted to have a party in a haunted house.”
“Well, he is a ROMEO.” Jem’s expression grew soft when she mentioned her favorite Retired Old Man Eating Out. “What else are they going to talk about? I just wish they wouldn’t call it haunted.”
“Even you believe the house is inhabited by a friendly ghost.” Jack slathered raspberry jam on his toast, then bit off the corner. He had to own he’d felt something that first day they’d been there. But while Jem claimed to have seen an apparition, he hadn’t had the same experience.
“I’ll learn more when I meet the historian there this afternoon. She promised to bring an old book with photos to look over.” Jem joined him at the island with a mug in hand. “Will you be at the job site?”
“Yeah.” Jack slid his hand along Jem’s thigh from hip to knee. She’d worn shorts to stay comfortable in the heat of the kitchen. The silk of her bare skin felt like heaven under his palm.
Avery, Jem’s assistant chef, walked through the café’s back door and greeted them with a grunt and a yawn. “Morning. You guys are early.”
Jem pushed Jack’s hand off her leg. “Jack’s got a big project starting this morning. Couldn’t sleep.”
A bright, sunny grin split Avery’s lips, revealing slightly crooked teeth. “I know. I’ve been thinking about the job all week. Jack, do you still need me this afternoon?”
Although Avery was Jem’s full-time employee now, he’d started as a general laborer when Jack had been remodeling the café. Avery had proven himself a dedicated worker, and although he was only nineteen, he had more focus and drive than most men his age. He and his girlfriend Marissa had a baby very young. Avery was the major breadwinner while Marissa attended community college. Having a baby to take care of meant he always sought extra income. Jack had kept him on the payroll and used his help as often as he could. And was happy to do it.
“You better show up. The crew will be finishing up for the day by the time you get there, but there will be plenty to do. Don’t forget your heavy gloves and steel-toed boots,” Jack instructed.
Avery sent him a jaunty salute, then disappeared into the pantry to grab supplies he needed at his cook station. The bell above the front tinkled, and Sheila, Jem’s waitress, called out a greeting as she entered.
Jack glanced at the clock over the swinging door leading to the restaurant. “Time to go.”
As he stood, Jem rose with him. He laced their fingers together and tugged her along as he went to the back door. He pulled Jem into the alley with him, pressed her against the wall out of sight of her employees, and laid his lips along hers in a proper good-bye.
After breaking the seal between their lips, he murmured, “Thanks for breakfast.”
Her lips curved into the smile he loved best on her—happy, positive, and encouraging. “My favorite thing to do is feed you.”
It was a conversation they had often. Jack chuckled and ground his pelvis against her belly. “I thought this was your favorite thing. I know it’s mine.”
Jem sighed and let her hands drift down from his shoulders to cup his butt. “Oh yeah, forgot about this.”
Rocking his hips against her one final time, he groaned as he stepped reluctantly away. He tugged the front of his jeans into a more comfortable fit around his surging cock. “Will you remind me of my favorite thing tonight?” He grabbed her hand and pulled it to his chest, resting her palm where his heart thudded in his ribcage.
Jem lifted her other hand and stroked it over the bristles on his jaw. “You bet I will. Now, go. Sam’s probably had his morning run and is waiting for you at the Sea View.” Stretching up on her toes, she kissed him tenderly. “I love you, Jack. Have a great day.”
“Love you more, sugar.” He walked backward, keeping her in sight until he reached his truck.
She wiggled her fingers at him, then disappeared into the café. Every day he was up to see the sunrise with this amazing woman was a gift. He treasured each moment.
* * * *
Jack tossed the final paperwork to Sam, who was, in fact, waiting for him at the job site. The envelope landed with a plop in his brother’s lap. While Sam remained seated on the front steps of the Sea View, Jack walked backward several paces and crossed his arms over his chest as he scanned the façade of the mansion they now owned. Well, them and Silas.
“The historical society signed off? We’re good to go?” Sam queried as he flipped through the pages.
“They have a couple of stipulations and requirements, but since we’re not moving walls or changing the footprint of the house, we’re approved.” Satisfaction breezed through Jack’s chest. Every possible duck sat in a neat, tidy row. “Sam, this project might be bigger than the renovation at Elder Pointe.” Jack mentioned the rehab they’d done of a defunct Odd Fellows hospital. They’d turned it into a showcase nursing home a few years ago and had won some great jobs since, based on the quality of their work.
“Probably right.” Sam unfolded his lean frame from the steps as he stuffed the papers back into the envelope. He descended and moved to Jack’s side. He turned, crossed his arms, mimicking Jack’s stance, and stared at the building. “God, she’s a beauty. And big.”
The scope of the project didn’t bother Jack at all. Sure, it was huge, and he’d established an aggressive construction schedule, but they could do it. “She certainly is.”
“The sooner we finish the first phase, the faster we’ll be able to collect rent from our tenants.” Sam yawned and scratched the back of his fingers over his chin.
“So like you, Sam. Always thinking about the bottom line.” Jack complained good-naturedly.
A laugh rumbled out of Sam’s mouth. “Someone has to keep the budget in line. If I didn’t watch the pennies, you’d put lighted marble into every project.”
Jack snorted. This had been a running joke with them since they’d had a client who’d wanted to install a glowing bar in his new restaurant. “No way in Hell. There will eventually be marble somewhere in this project, but it most definitely will not be lit from within.”
The sun crested the horizon, casting long shadows over the weedy lawn on one side of the property. Only the slightest breeze stirred the branches of the trees surrounding the house. The morning was already heating up and promised to be a scorcher by noon.
“Did the industrial fans get delivered?”
“Signed for them yesterday.” Sam powered up the iPad he’d been holding under his arm. “Just so I understand the timeline, we’re taking the first floor interior down to the studs this week. That’s on me.”
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