Still, Forever, Promise

by D. L. Merritt

  Charlene sat next to him, toying with his collar. “I hope you’re hungry.”

  “Starving,” he replied. He shot Brianna a look of discomfort.

  “Then I’ll be back in a sec to start dinner.” Charlene jumped up, grabbed her suitcase, and trudged up the two flights of stairs alongside Brianna. She confiscated the bathroom, leaving Brianna to wait in the living room, grumbling under her breath at how her best friend had picked the most inopportune time to visit.

  After what seemed like an hour but was actually only fifteen minutes, Charlene emerged from the bathroom wearing tight yoga pants and a plunging crop top. Her white-blonde hair fell across her shoulders. Long, black false eyelashes accentuated her green-colored contacts. She looked stunning, and Brianna felt a stab of jealousy.

  “My turn,” Brianna said, hurrying toward the bathroom as Charlene plopped down on the bed to adjust her black, strappy stilettos.

  By the time Brianna had changed and touched-up her makeup, Charlene was gone. Miffed, she went downstairs to find Charlene nearly sitting on Riley’s lap, her high-heeled foot running up and down his leg.

  He scooted away when he saw Brianna standing on the bottom step, his look almost pleading for help. He’d always been so self-assured. He said he’d changed. Apparently he had.

  “Oh, it’s you,” Charlene said, her lips puckered up in a pout as Brianna walked in. “Now that you’re here, I’ll start dinner. You, mister, are coming with me. I like an audience when I cook,” Charlene said, dragging Riley to his feet.

  Brianna rolled her eyes and trailed behind. She knew the real reason Charlene wanted Riley in the kitchen. It was to interrogate him. She’d been a witness to Charlene performing this ritual on every man she considered a potential lover. All her other victims were fair game, but Riley was different. She wouldn’t allow Charlene to take advantage of him. Why was she being so protective? Was it out of friendship or jealousy?

  Charlene prepared dinner with the ease of a master chef, taking control of the kitchen as if she’d cooked in it her whole life. This was the first time Brianna had been bothered by Charlene’s domineering attitude. Watching her grill Riley about his career and the awards he’d won, all while chopping, mashing, and sautéing, grated on her nerves.

  Brianna berated herself. Stop acting like a jealous girlfriend. You and Riley have been over for a long time. Even to her, it sounded like a desperate plea to convince herself.

  Brianna stood off to the side and watched as Charlene handed Riley a bottle of red wine to open while she checked on the bread toasting in the oven, tossed the salad, and stirred the spaghetti into the sauce.

  How does she always manage to throw scraps together and it becomes a gourmet meal? Does she have some kind of superpower? What, she’s Octopus Woman or something? She definitely adds a new dimension to the term multitasking.

  Brianna was shocked at the pettiness of her thoughts. She offered to help by keeping an eye on the bread so it didn’t burn. Hers always seemed to.

  Charlene dipped a ladle into the sauce, presenting it to Riley to taste. “Well, what do you think?”

  “Delicious.”

  “Told you so. Now aren’t you glad I came?”

  Riley nodded and took another taste.

  Frustrated with the repartee between Riley and Charlene, Brianna blurted out, “Why did you come, Char?”

  Suddenly, Charlene gave Brianna her undivided attention. “What did you expect me to do once all the jobs were finished, twiddle my thumbs and dust the furniture?” Her tone became petulant. “My mistake in thinking you could use my help. It’s obvious I’m not wanted here. I’ll leave in the morning.”

  Riley looked at Brianna with a stunned expression, and she realized how rude she’d sounded, almost bordering on hateful. It wasn’t like her at all.

  “I’m sorry, Char. I don’t know what’s gotten into me. I didn’t get much sleep last night, and I took it out on you. Please, don’t go. I could use your help with the interviews I have scheduled tomorrow. You know how much I value you opinion. You have such good instincts. Forgiven?”

  When Charlene smiled, the atmosphere in the room changed. “I am pretty good at judging people, if I do say so myself.”

  Fight averted, Brianna checked on the bread and took it out just in time.

  Charlene poured the dressing on the salad, and announced that dinner was ready.

  “It’s about time. I was about ready to order take out,” Riley said.

  They filled their plates and took seats at one of the tables in the café area. Within minutes, Riley had them laughing with amusing stories of his travels around the world, along with his one near-death experience, which was the reason he was back in Fairmont.

  Brianna’s mood lightened as she watched Charlene and Riley banter back and forth. The night hadn’t turned into the complete disaster she’d expected it to. With the exception of the little spat with Charlene, it was enjoyable.

  After the dishes were cleared away, Riley snatched a second bottle of wine from the refrigerator and refilled their glasses. The conversation continued until midnight.

  “I didn’t realize it was so late,” Riley said after checking his watch. “Time for me to go. I have to open the store in the morning. Dad will be pissed if I don’t open by 7:00 a.m. sharp.” He stood up, ready to leave.

  Brianna was surprised at how fast the time sped by. Was it the riveting conversation or the two bottles of red wine that made the night so festive?

  “I’ll walk you out,” Brianna said. When they were out of Charlene’s sight, she whispered, “Thanks for coming to my rescue last night . . . and driving me to Charleston.”

  “See? I told you it would be fun.” The slant in Riley’s smile and the look in his eyes spoke volumes.

  She’d always loved the way his eyes would search hers looking for approval.

  He wants to kiss me.

  Brianna backed away, but would she have refused if Charlene hadn’t been there. She thought about the way he’d touched her last night, and the tiny currents of electricity that had raced across her skin. She was curious if it would happen again.

  Brianna looked over her shoulder to see Charlene leaning against the café door, her head cocked to one side.

  Riley waved. “Bye, Charlene.” He hugged Brianna and whispered in her ear. “We need to talk—alone.”

  She nodded.

  “What time will you be done with your interviews tomorrow?”

  “Three.”

  “I’ll be waiting under the sycamore tree. Come when you’re done.”

  Brianna nodded again.

  She heard him sigh as he opened the door and mouthed, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Her stomach twisted in knots as she turned to face Charlene.

  Chapter 29

  As soon as Riley left, Charlene sauntered into the entryway to join Brianna. “Dinner went well,” she said. “Hey, what was the tête-à-tête with Riley about?”

  Brianna squeezed her eyes shut, warning bells blaring in her head. She can’t know about my meeting with Riley tomorrow. She’ll tell Ben. “He told me to thank you for a wonderful dinner.”

  Flattery always worked on Charlene. She reveled in it. The more the better, as far as Charlene was concerned. It was strange how this time away from each other had brought their friendship into question. Flaws in Charlene’s character had become more blatant than she’d ever thought possible.

  Not long before her parents’ death, her father had warned her about being too trusting. He told her she needed to take a more cautious approach when establishing friendships. Now she wondered if he’d meant Charlene.

  “Riley’s quite a catch. Do you know if he’s seeing anyone?” Charlene hovered by the stairs. She always hovered when she had her sights on a potential lover.

  Brianna composed herself. “I wouldn’t know. I told you, we haven’t seen each other since high school.”

  Charlene stepped in front of Brianna. “You spent the whol
e day together and didn’t talk?”

  “Of course we talked, just not about our personal lives.” She hoped she sounded convincing. The topic of her relationship with Riley needed circumventing. She’d spent years skirting the issue, refusing to discuss the breakup with anyone, even her parents. Talking about him right now would bring up the heartache that she wasn’t prepared to face. She’d filed that day way back in her subconscious, waiting for the right moment to dissect it. That moment hadn’t arrived yet.

  Charlene’s intrusion into her private life made her cringe. What gives her the right to dig into my past? In a voice harsher than normal, she asked, “Why do you care if he has a girlfriend anyway?”

  “Because I haven’t had a date for over a month. Ever heard of sexual frustration?” Charlene continued to study Brianna. “He’s not off limits, is he?”

  “I’m not interested in Riley,” Brianna said in a huff, brushing past Charlene to head upstairs. She felt her knees wobble, as if she didn’t have the energy to put one foot in front of the other.

  Charlene was right behind her, continuing to bombard her with questions. “You sure?”

  “Why would you even say that? I’m engaged to Ben.”

  “I know that, but I don’t buy the story that you and Riley were just friends. I saw the way he looked at you tonight. He still has the hots for you.”

  Brianna turned around, a frown crinkling her forehead. “I couldn’t care less what Riley thinks or wants.” She continued up the stairs, ignoring Charlene’s raised eyebrow.

  “Look, it’s been a long day, and I’m tired. If you help me pull out the sleeper sofa, we can go to bed and discuss this tomorrow,” she said, though she prayed Charlene would forget about it come morning.

  Charlene left Brianna to make the bed and sashayed into the bathroom. “I need a shower.”

  Brianna needed to vent, so she took a chance Ben would still be awake and dialed his cell phone.

  “Hi, baby. I’m glad you called. I wanted to call you, but we got in late from shooting on location. I thought you’d be asleep already.”

  She bypassed the niceties. “You’ll never guess who showed up on my doorstep this afternoon.”

  “Let’s see . . . the mayor with the key to the city?”

  “Funny. Your sister.”

  “I thought she agreed to hold down the fort while you were gone?”

  “That was the original plan. Apparently, she got bored and decided to come here.”

  “Without discussing it with you first?” Ben asked.

  “Yep, just showed up.”

  “Are you okay with it?”

  “She didn’t give me much of a choice. I was upset at first, but now that I’ve had time to think about it, I could use her help. Marketing is her area of expertise, and the grand opening is only weeks away. She says she has several ideas on how to get the word out about the spa. We’re going to sit down tomorrow and discuss them.”

  Charlene’s singing could be heard over the water rushing into the bathtub.

  “What’s that noise in the background? It sounds like a bunch of cats screeching,” Ben said.

  Brianna giggled. “That’s your sister.”

  “Geez, it sounds painful.”

  “You don’t know the half of it.” Brianna glanced at the bathroom door, expecting Charlene to emerge any minute dressed in the latest Victoria’s Secret pajamas. The door remained shut. The dreadful singing continued.

  “What do you have planned for tomorrow?” Ben asked.

  “Employee interviews and the meeting with Dr. Callahan.”

  “Callahan?”

  “The plastic surgeon.”

  “Oh, right. How do you think it’ll go?”

  “I’ve asked Charlene to sit in on the meeting. I’m confident she’ll be able to persuade the doctor to become affiliated with Eve’s Eden. She does have a way with men.”

  “Yes, she does,” Ben said, chuckling. “But then so do you. Once you turn those beautiful peepers on him, he’ll melt.”

  “Whatever.”

  “Anyway, it makes me feel better knowing you’re not there alone. I was worried about you. If you weren’t at home when Charlene arrived, you must have had a chance to get out for awhile today. Where’d ya go?”

  Brianna took a deep breath before explaining about locating Henry’s niece. She went on to describe the trip to Charleston, neglecting to mention Riley was her traveling companion. She would tell him when he returned, before Charlene had a chance to blab. At least if they were face-to-face, she could use what he called her feminine wiles to soften the blow.

  She told him about finding the letters in James’s trunk, the money, pictures, and the medal James received for being a war hero.

  “Sounds interesting. I wish I could’ve been there. Did you find anything in the letters to explain why Sarah killed herself?”

  “I don’t think she did. At least, I don’t think it was on purpose.” Brianna walked over to the window and pressed her forehead against the cool window pane. “Sarah was the one who broke off the engagement. She was pregnant, alone, and desperate. The side effects of drinking tea made from tansy leaves was not well known. She might have used the concoction to help her sleep, drank too much, and ended up dying. I’m also not throwing out the possibility that someone poisoned her.”

  The bedside lamp flickered. Brianna fiddled with the switch and the light bulb. Both were functioning properly.

  “Bree, are you there?”

  “Yeah. Still having electrical problems. At least Charlene has stopped singing.” She heard the hum of an electric toothbrush and knew Charlene would be coming out soon. She’d need to wrap up the conversation.

  “We can fix the electrical issue. Charlene . . . not so much. Hey, have you had any run-ins with our nasty spirit?”

  She pondered how best to describe her encounter with Ms. Kennedy without alarming him.

  “You’re hesitating. What happened?”

  “I saw her last night. She—”

  “Are you serious? I’m jumping on the next plane.”

  “Don’t be silly. I wasn’t hurt. But I know who it is.”

  “Who?”

  “Ms. Kennedy, the woman who inherited the house from the original owner. Remember, I told you Sarah worked for her in the brothel. I think she had something to do with Sarah’s death, but I haven’t found any definite proof.”

  The lights flickered again. I have to get that fixed.

  “How do you know it was this Ms. Kennedy?”

  “Ms. Jane showed me a picture of her when I went to the bookstore. I bet she’s the one who pulled you out of bed and attacked the painter. I thought our ghost only hated men. After last night . . . well, she wants to scare everyone away, male or female. What I don’t know is why.”

  “Bree, maybe you should cut your losses and leave. You can find another building for the spa. It’s not worth putting your life in danger.”

  “No one’s gotten seriously hurt, and I want to try and get rid of her first.”

  Ben paused. “I wanted to surprise you when I got back, but you need to know now.”

  “That sounds ominous. What is it?”

  “It’s nothing bad. I called a friend of mine today, Denise Howard. Are you sitting down?”

  She walked back to the bed and dropped down on the comforter. “I am now.”

  She heard Ben sigh. “She’s a psychic medium.”

  “I didn’t know you were into that sort of thing.”

  “I met her three years ago when I did a story on her after a young boy in her hometown went missing. The police thought someone had kidnapped him. Denise went to the police and admitted she had a vision of the boy. She offered to help in the search to find him.”

  “Did they find him . . . alive?”

  “Right where she said he’d be, but only after two days of being ridiculed by the police and the community. They thought she was a kook. It wasn’t until the police were about to give up that the
parents insisted they contact her. They found the boy unharmed at the bottom of an abandoned well not far from his home. He had a broken arm, was dehydrated, but alive. The magazine I worked for wanted an interview. They sent me even though I was a complete skeptic.”

  Brianna felt a tingling sensation and glanced at the bathroom door. Charlene stood there in a sexy teddy with a towel wrapped around her head. Who’s she trying to impress?

  When their eyes met, Charlene mouthed, “Ben?”

  Brianna nodded.

  “Hey, Benjie.” Charlene yelled loud enough that Brianna’s farthest neighbor could’ve heard.

  “Tell her I said hi back.”

  She ignored the request, and Charlene stormed into the living room muttering under her breath.

  “You think Denise can help?”

  “I know she can. During our interview, she met with a couple who’d lost their four-year-old son. She described his mannerisms, his favorite toy, and his favorite bedtime story. There’s no way she couldn’t have known the things she told that family. That was some weird shit.”

  “And she’s willing to come here?” Brianna asked.

  “She said she owed me a favor for writing the only article that didn’t make her look like a raving lunatic. She’ll be here a week from Wednesday. I’ve already rented her a hotel room.”

  “I can’t believe you did that. Have I told you lately how much I love you?”

  “What’s not to love? I’m a great catch. Seriously, I know how much the spa means to you. I told you I’d do whatever I could to make it happen.”

  They chatted a while longer about Denise and some of the other cases she’d worked on. He told her he’d be back in Fairmont soon and made her promise to be careful.

  By the time they hung up, she had a smile on her face, hopeful that Denise would rid the manor of the ghosts. She stretched before heading to the bathroom. Every muscle in her body ached. She didn’t know if it was from sitting in Riley’s car for hours or tension. Probably both.

  She peeked into the living room. Charlene was already asleep, snoring.

  Brianna brushed her teeth, wondering if Ben was right. Should she give up and look for another spa location? For her to move on, she had to get both projects up and running soon. That was a top priority.