Hauntings of the Heart

by Joselyn Vaughn

  Gordon stared at the tabletop or at the Oriental rug on the floor beneath it, she couldn’t tell which. A thin white scar snaked out of the tanned creases on his forehead. He’d acquired it flipping over the handlebars of his bike, attempting a trick she’d warned him not to do. The scars on the surface were so much more benign than the ones no one could see.

  The silence grew between them. Then Gordon headed toward the door, but didn’t leave. He stopped in the doorway and, grasping the jamb, swiveled back toward her. What was he waiting for? A ghostly invitation?

  She had no other words for him. The Gordon she remembered would have walked out after an argument. She’d seen him do it often enough before she’d left for the Philippines. It made all the unanswered letters hurt all the more. He didn’t feel strongly enough for her to step out of character and fight for her.

  He drummed his fingers on the back of his chair and studied the painting on the wall beside the door. When she was beginning to think he might be having a stroke, he worked his jaw as if he was chewing on a piece of gristle. He stopped, then bumped his palms against the chair. “I am buying this place.” He said the words slowly, as if they were fact and not an idle wish.

  He must be joking or delusional. Maybe he was having a stroke.

  He clenched the back of the chair, his face stern. No glimmer of teasing flashed in his eyes. Even if she was interested in selling, he couldn’t outbid the other interested party. How would he have a million dollars? His family had been well off by Carterville standards, but she didn’t think they were multi-millionaires.

  Besides, even with the plumbing problems, she wouldn’t seriously consider selling. If Gordon was the buyer, she wouldn’t consider it at all. The Lilac Bower was her home. He’d ruined her future once; he wouldn’t do it again. If push came to shove and she had to sell, she’d make a deal with anyone before Gordon. It may have been his once, but it was hers now. “What’s with all the sudden interest in the Bower? It’s like I’m sitting on an untapped oil field.”

  “There’s another interested party?” Gordon asked. That dented the confidence etched on his face.

  “Some crazy person has offered me a million dollars.” She waited for the resignation to appear.

  “Oh.” His smirk grew. “That would be me.”

  12

  Mark lifted the light fixture away from the ceiling and passed the glass cover to Minnie, who watched from the floor. He stood in the middle of her bed. The surface of the mattress had mostly dried, and with a fan on it the rest of the day, she’d be able to get a good night’s sleep tonight.

  “I can’t believe you slept in your recliner all night.”

  Minnie shrugged. He didn’t need to know she hadn’t dozed more than an hour or so.

  “You should have called me.”

  Minnie tucked the glass under her arm. “You probably weren’t even home yet. I was fine.” Her back didn’t agree, but that was more likely from the bending and shoveling drywall than the worn springs in her chair.

  Mark slipped his flashlight from his tool belt. “You’re not a spring chicken anymore. Maybe you should think about getting help around here.”

  Spring chicken? She certainly had the chicken skin under her arms. “Oh, hush. These are extenuating circumstances. What do you see up there?” She didn’t need Mark making her think she should accept Gordon’s offer to buy the Bower. She wasn’t even going to consider it. She’d devoted too much brainpower to Gordon lately.

  Mark peered up into the ceiling. “There’s nothing here. No pipes the water could have come from.”

  Minnie placed the cover on the dresser next to the broken doorknob. She’d tell Mark about that later, after she figured out a plausible explanation. “So it was water from upstairs.” She breathed a small sigh of relief, but just a small one. This was the only thing that had gone right all morning.

  “Yeah.” Mark jumped down from the bed. “We’ll leave it open for a while so everything can dry. Let’s see what we can do upstairs.” He grabbed his toolbox. “Have you called your insurance agent yet? The damage should be covered. Depending on your deductible, maybe you won’t have to cough up much cash. Usually they’ll even cover loss of business.”

  “I called this morning. The agent laughed at me. He said my deductible was so high he wouldn’t send an adjustor unless a tornado had spread the house across three counties. I asked about the loss of business thing too. Nope. He didn’t add the rider to my policy because it would have upped my premium by twenty percent.”

  “You need a new insurance agent.”

  “I’ll add it to my to-do list.” Minnie picked up the bag of fittings, while Mark grabbed the pipe lengths. Mark bounded up the stairs two at a time; Minnie climbed them wearily. The work and turmoil of the last twenty-four hours was taking its toll. Last night everything had been so much simpler. With the water, the ghosts, and Gordon.

  In the light of day, it was all more complicated. Taking a deep breath, Minnie stayed at the landing while Mark perused the mess on the second floor. She wasn’t ready to confront the damage threatening her livelihood, or the memory of Gordon’s embrace that lingered at the end of the hallway.

  Catastrophes descended on her from every direction. She had to hold them off as long as she could. After a good night’s sleep, everything would be clearer. Then she’d see a path out of this mess.

  “The exposed pipes here aren’t as bad as upstairs,” Mark said as he met her at the landing. “But I still think we should replace them as soon as possible. No telling what’s hiding behind the plaster.”

  Another bit of good news. She wouldn’t have to replace everything right now. She could get by and save up the money she needed. Gordon wouldn’t be stealing the Bower out from under her because she couldn’t afford to keep it. “The whole team of paranormal investigators would like to return in a week.”

  Mark arched an eyebrow. “They’re coming back?”

  “They saw something weird on one of their videos. They want to do more monitoring.”

  “Are you sure it wasn’t one of your friends?”

  “It was at five o’clock in the morning.”

  Mark still appeared skeptical. Minnie didn’t blame him. She didn’t have any illusions about her friends. And she still wasn’t certain what Elmer and Barbara had seen on their recordings. It could have been Edith’s shadow, but she didn’t see how Edith could have avoided being on the video herself. Fool’s luck or something. She supposed she’d have to explain some of it to Mark when she asked him to repair the doorknob to the hidden staircase.

  The bag slipped from under her arm and spilled down the stairs. PVC fittings bounced from tread to tread. Minnie groaned and bent stiffly to retrieve them.

  Mark hurried to the stairs and snatched up the scattered pieces. “I can take care of this. Why don’t you go rest?”

  “I’m fine. Why don’t you mind your own business?” She was saying that a lot lately.

  They went to the third floor, and she played surgical nurse as Mark replaced the damaged pipe. He didn’t need her help, but it seemed like a good way to avoid Gordon. Although she couldn’t get his ridiculous offer out of her head. He’d abandoned her fifty years ago. Why couldn’t he leave well enough alone now? She’d gotten used to the shard of glass his betrayal had left under her skin. She didn’t need him trying to scrape it out.

  “Dang it.” Mark yanked the new pipe out of the wall and tossed it on the floor. It clanged against the wood like a church bell. He rubbed his hand through his hair. “The rust is so deep; I can’t get a good seal. And the pipe snapped higher; so the replacement section is too short.” He twisted to look up into the wall cavity and hissed a curse.

  The sharp word dropped into Minnie’s stomach like a cold stone. When Mark cursed, it was bad.

  “The sprinkling system connects off this pipe.” He leaned back from his squatting position and sat on the floor. Wrenches, pipe tape and tubes of goo surrounded him. All the bandages they
could need, but none that would solve the problem.

  “So the sprinklers aren’t working,” Minnie said slowly. She hadn’t thought about the sprinklers. There had been so many other things to worry about last night; fire hazards hadn’t crossed her mind. “But no one is using the rooms up here. It shouldn’t be a problem.”

  “According to the city code, the entire system has to be in working order for you to have guests here. This system only works when the high pressure water system is on.”

  “But once you patch this up, we can turn it back on.” The possibility she’d have to close loomed.

  “And risk another pipe burst and more damage? We need to replace everything. If the fire marshal finds out about this, he will close you down.”

  And the brief moment of hope was gone. She could hear the cash register bell in her head, ringing up the total expense. She wished she could have waited on the new driveway and parking lot, but some of the potholes had been big enough to swallow the wheel of her Buick. If it wasn’t one thing, it was another with this place.

  She braced herself against the good wall. Her knees threatened collapse. “The whole team of paranormal investigators is supposed to come next weekend. What am I going to do?”

  Gordon’s offer to help flitted to the forefront of her thoughts, but accepting his help wasn’t an option. She wouldn’t be beholden to him. She wanted him out of her life, not lurking around every month waiting for a loan payment. Especially after his deception about wanting to steal her home. If she never saw his face again, it’d be too soon.

  Maybe she should sell the place to Gordon and be done with it. He could deal with this mess. He obviously had money to throw around. A million dollars, in fact. She shook her head. “What if I sell?”

  “I heard you had an interested party.” Mark pulled a face. “You won’t be able to pass the safety inspection. The current owner is responsible for making sure the property meets code before it’s listed, even if you don’t use a real estate agent.”

  So she was stuck. She had to fix it all, and soon. Mark couldn’t cobble something together to get her through a few weeks. It would have to be a major renovation.

  Her chest tightened as her options shrank. She couldn’t sell because she couldn’t afford the repairs. She couldn’t close and live here by herself because she needed the income. She could hope she got enough business in the next week to afford the repairs, but judging by the white space on her calendar, it would require a miracle.

  “I could suck it up and accept Gordon’s help,” Minnie murmured.

  “Gordon? Is he a plumber or something?”

  She hadn’t intended Mark to hear. Dang those young ears. “I don’t see how you get by in this town without knowing all the gossip.”

  “Is there some history between you two I’ve missed?”

  “Like the broad side of a barn, but it’s neither here nor there. Gordon is supposedly loaded, and wants to buy the Lilac Bower for a million dollars. He said he’d help with the repairs, but I’m assuming that’s only a condition of his larger offer.”

  “Shoot. As is?” Mark gestured to the hole in the wall. “I’d take him up on it. For a million dollars, you could buy any place you wanted, or even build your own.”

  “You said I couldn’t sell until this was fixed. Besides, I don’t want to sell. I want this place. Rusty pipes and all.”

  “Then you’re going to have to find a way to get this fixed.” Mark sighed. He picked up the broken pipe. “Otherwise the rusty pipes will be all you’re left with. Even if I get this one repaired, I can’t turn on the sprinkling system.”

  Footsteps echoed on the staircase and she knew by their tread it was Gordon. She wanted to flee, but she had nowhere to run. Never had come faster than she expected. If his only business was stealing her house, he could head right home. But she had a feeling he’d be haunting the place for a while. Just what she needed, more unwanted spirits.

  “How are the repairs going?” Gordon asked when he reached the hallway. His gaze lingered on her, and she stiffened her slouching shoulders. No reason to let the enemy see her exhaustion. She didn’t need to ask for his help right this moment. It could wait a few hours, maybe after some coffee and a nap.

  “Good morning,” Mark greeted him. “Not as well as I hoped.”

  Minnie scrambled to her feet as Gordon approached. She dusted off her pants, and when that was done, she couldn’t figure out what to do with her hands. She fiddled with her necklace, then her earrings, then folded her arms in front of her. What was wrong with her? Couldn’t she be in the same space with Gordon without the urge to punch or kiss him?

  “I’ll go check…” She headed for the stairs, lowering her voice, “on something.”

  * * *

  Gordon watched Minnie until she disappeared down the stairway. If he had to guess, he would say she was frazzled. He’d never seen her off her game. Even as a kid, she hadn’t taken guff from anyone. The ice cream man had gotten the rough side of her tongue more than once for the poor quality of his butter pecan. But whatever she and Mark had been discussing had been enough to knock the wind out of her sails.

  Mark threw a wrench into his toolbox. It clanged against the other tools and Gordon winced. He’d decided to brave the hornets’ nest he’d created. If he explained the situation to Minnie, maybe they’d be able to work something out. He’d wanted to confront it right away rather than let it simmer. However, judging by Minnie’s departure, she was already to boiling.

  Mark didn’t appear to be in any better shape. He stared at the ravaged wall. The damaged pipe had been removed, but the open section appeared much larger than Gordon remembered. Obviously the repairs weren’t going as smoothly as they could have.

  “What’s going on?” Gordon asked. He’d expected Mark to have the new pipe in and be mounting a patch of drywall by now. Of course, Gordon hadn’t checked downstairs. Maybe Mark had applied his expertise there first.

  “The pipes are too rusty. Wherever I cut a section to connect the new pipe, the old one crumbles.” Mark shook his head and dropped a roll of tape. It rolled along the floor. Gordon caught it with his foot and picked it up.

  “These pipes have to be at least seventy-some years old.” Gordon sidled over to the wall and rubbed his thumb over the oxidized pipe. Bits of rust clung to his skin. He flicked them away. Much like his relationship with Minnie; he’d think they were close to repairing their differences, then he’d do something stupid.

  So much had changed since last night. Gordon had wanted Minnie back in his life as soon as he’d heard she was in town. Seeing her, even in the glimpse he’d gotten before she’d slammed the door in his face, had brought everything back. Her floral scent, the creamy smoothness of her skin, the lapping of the water in the lake. He wanted her as he had that night, but even more intensely than the young man had, because now he realized what he had lost.

  Then there was his mother, and buying the house. It seemed like the only solution to his mother’s agitation: return her to familiar surroundings to remind her of the time before everything went bad. But after seeing how much Minnie loved this place, he didn’t know what to do. The community would lose so much without the Bower as Minnie had reinvented it. His mother, however…

  He would do everything he could to see her rest in peace. But the only idea keeping her calm was the return to her home in Carterville. Gordon didn’t know what she expected to find here, or why she felt it was necessary to return, but each time he called she became more insistent.

  He wished he hadn’t blurted to Minnie that he was behind the offer to buy the Lilac Bower. She’d been goading him, and he’d snapped the bait right up. They might have had a chance to work something out, but his brashness had changed everything. He’d put his mission on the table. At least he hadn’t shown all his cards, and he thought he’d gotten a peek at hers, but something still felt off. Minnie had started to soften towards him and now he’d ruined it. She hadn’t even looked at him bef
ore escaping down the stairs.

  Unless their embrace last night had affected her as much as it had him. He cast a glance to the end of the hall where Minnie had disappeared. The memory of her crushed against his body rushed over him—the same reaction he’d had to her as a much younger man.

  Mark eyed Gordon, and Gordon suddenly felt like his girlfriend’s dad was taking him for a walk in the woods. What had Minnie told Mark? His protective stance suggested she had let him in on more of their past than he’d known of before.

  Gordon jammed the door shut on those thoughts. They wouldn’t get him any closer to the goal he needed to attain. Telling Minnie he wanted to buy the Bower had been the wrong move. He’d never convince her to sell now. And it’d be impossible to win her heart back.

  “I forgot this pipe fed the sprinkling system,” Mark said.

  Gordon scanned the ceiling and saw the sprayers spaced down the hallway. “I suppose it’s a fire hazard?” He shoved his hands in his pockets.

  Mark picked up a hammer from his toolbox. “If we don’t get it fixed soon, she’ll have to ask her guests to leave.” He hefted the hammer, testing its weight against his palm.

  “What would Minnie do if the Bower had to close?”

  Mark swung the hammer, catching the claw end in the edge of the plaster. It ripped pieces away and they crumbled to the floor. “Minnie loves this place.”

  “She’s put a lot of energy and care into restoring it. My mother would be pleased.” His mother. She was the whole reason he was here, adding one more complication to Minnie’s life. Easing his mother’s pain would take everything away from Minnie.

  Mark continued to demolish the plaster until the hole reached the ceiling.

  “Do you think she would sell?” Gordon knew the answer, but if buying the Bower helped Minnie—got her out of a predicament with the city—he’d write the check this afternoon for whatever dollar amount she specified.