Divining Elise_Granite Lake Romance

by Jody A. Kessler

  “They are.”

  “Thanks. I was just about to hit the diner for a sandwich,” he said.

  “And I’m ready for a break, too,” Shane said from behind her.

  She hadn’t heard him enter and she jumped. The way he eyed the plate in Bodie’s hands made her laugh and her nerves settled quickly.

  “There’s empanadas and dessert for you to share. I’m sorry I didn’t bring enough for the other men, though.” Warmth crept over her chest and spread to her cheeks. There had been other men she didn’t recognize working outside on the exterior of the building.

  “They don’t matter. And they’re all on lunch break, so they won’t even know,” Shane said with a wink.

  “We hired a crew to replace the exterior of the building,” Bodie explained to Elise. “Is everyone eating out back?” Bodie asked Shane.

  “Yeah. It’s too hot in here.”

  “Give me one of those.” Shane snatched the entire plate from Bodie’s hands before he could react.

  “Hey! Those are for both of us.”

  Shane jumped aside and turned, hunching over the empanadas as if to guard them with his life. “I’ll save you one. Maybe.”

  “You better, or you won’t get a bite of dessert.”

  Shane peeked over his shoulder with an interested and cunning eye as to what was inside the to-go container. Bodie waved it enticingly, then cradled it close to his body so Shane wouldn’t snag it, too. Shane turned back to the spicy and savory pastry pockets.

  “Don’t mind him. He’s not right in the head. We only put up with him because he’s related to us and we can’t shake him. He’s like a stray dog. You feed him once and he’ll never leave you alone again.”

  “All the Everetts are like that,” Shane warned, talking around a bite of food.

  “Great. Now you tell me,” she teased. “I guess I’m stuck with the consequences of my actions,” Elise said, amused by the brothers.

  They reminded her of her cousins back home and that made her miss her family. But she moved away for a reason and those reasons outweighed the need to be with her family. Her and Colton’s safety from Javier held first priority. Her ex’s first meeting with the parole board was this month and she didn’t want to be anywhere he could find her if, or when, he was released.

  Bodie settled onto his heels. “Is your car being repaired? I noticed it disappeared from our lot.”

  “No,” she said. “The insurance company told me the cost of repair is more than the car is worth, so they’re paying me off. I suppose it’s a blessing in disguise. Everyone says I should have a four-wheel-drive something or other for living in the mountains and my little car wouldn’t have made it through the first winter. But until the insurance company issues me a check, I have a rental car.”

  “That sounds about right. The snow gets deep and you’ll want the correct tires as well. Do you want me to let you know if I see any used cars that fit the bill?”

  “That’s thoughtful of you. Thank you, yes. I need to find something sooner than later.”

  Bodie popped the lid off of the blondies and picked one up. “Rob feels really bad about the accident. That’s the only one he’s ever been in.”

  “Same for me. And it’s okay. I’m not holding it against him,” she said, grateful that she’d recovered quickly from her minor injuries. Crashing her car into a tree could have been much worse. Then again, she knew it wouldn’t have been. The foretelling she’d received in a dream didn’t show anything too serious.

  Rob’s image from the dream suddenly blended with her memories of the time they’d spent together in real life. The mix of mental pictures made her suddenly feel woozy and lightheaded.

  “You should,” Shane chimed in. “Play the guilt card as long as you can. You’ll have Rob eating out of the palm of your hand for months, probably longer.”

  “I’m not that type of person.” She shook her head and wondered if Shane was being serious or not. She couldn’t tell, as he always sounded like he was joking. “And he’s made it up to me already by helping out like you two did.” Elise shouldn’t have moved her head that way. The lightheadedness increased and she felt dizzier. Was it the heat inside the building? She needed to step outside.

  “He’ll be sorry he missed you. Rob’s been preoccupied with the baby and other things going on.”

  Elise stared at Bodie’s hair and tried to figure out what was happening to her.

  Shane turned around holding half an empanada in one hand and the plate in the other. “Bodie, don’t you dare call him or he’ll be here in two minutes for the free food. Elise, I don’t know how you made these, but this is the tastiest little sandwich pocket I’ve ever eaten.”

  “I’m glad you like them,” she said and tried to smile, but wasn’t sure if her face moved or not. “I think I need some air—” she murmured.

  And that’s when she noticed the presence standing five feet behind Shane. It was definitely a man, or had once been, before he died. His form was more than a shadow, but less than a real physical person. His clothes were from another era and his face was somber.

  Elise swayed on her feet.

  “Hey. Are you doing all right?” Bodie asked and reached for her arm.

  “What’s going on? Elise?”

  She recognized Rob’s voice, but couldn’t look away from the spirit in the room. The ghost’s eyes came into focus and their gazes met and locked. The floor felt like it was falling out from under her. Before she could speak, the spirit rushed forward in a blur of multi-colored streaks of light. Elise passed out.

  She woke up on the floor. Rob’s eyes captivated her every sense for all of three seconds. Or maybe it was an hour. The passing of time stalled as she stared into the eyes of the sexiest man alive. But Bodie checking her vitals and the worried look of Shane’s face brought her back to reality with a snap.

  “I’m fine,” she said, even though the wooziness persisted. “I need to go outside.” Isn’t that what she had been after when the spirit touched her? Oh goody, she thought at the realization of what had really happened hit her afresh. She closed her eyes and let her destiny have a moment of silent contemplation. To say she was thrilled with what had just befallen her would be grossly misinterpreting her current frame of mind.

  “Elise, stay with us.” Rob’s hand squeezed hers.

  She needed a few more seconds to finish processing the ghost’s message before returning to the Everett brothers.

  “I’m okay.” Elise tried to rise, but their hands kept her still.

  “I need my kit,” Bodie said.

  “How long was I out?” she asked, relieved that her voice sounded normal and the dizziness was subsiding quickly.

  “About four seconds,” Bodie said, removing his fingers from the pulse point on her wrist.

  “Good. I mean, it’s not good, but that’s what I thought.”

  Rob and Bodie exchanged a look.

  “Rob walks into the room and the lady passes out. Good going, man,” Shane said.

  “Make yourself useful and go find her some water,” Rob told Shane.

  “I’ll be back in less than a minute,” Bodie said.

  Elise was going to protest that she didn’t need Bodie to grab his medical gear, but she held her tongue. As soon as he was out of sight, she sat up.

  “Wait. Lie still. Bodie’s a good medic. He’ll make sure you’re all right.” Rob tried to keep her from rising, but she persisted.

  “I don’t need a medic, Rob.” Elise laid her hand on his arm and pleaded with her eyes to listen to her. She sat on the floor for a second to be certain the vertigo had passed. Elise also looked around for the wayward spirit, even though her intuition told her that for now, he was gone.

  “You sound fine,” he said.

  “That’s because I am.” She found her feet and moved to the door. Not the front entrance, but the back where there was a large deck overlooking the lake.

  “Where are you going?”

  Elev
en

  “WHAT’S SHE DOING?” Bodie asked as he returned with his medical kit.

  Rob shrugged. He was just as perplexed as Bodie as to why Elise buttoned her lips and hightailed it out the back door.

  “Elise, wait up.”

  She gave a dismissive shake of her head and kept moving across the back deck of the brewery. Rob almost caught up with her, with Bodie close behind as she started up the ladder to the roof.

  “Hey, now. What are you doing?” he asked with concern, surprise, and curiosity.

  She looked back at him but didn’t answer.

  “Elise, stop.”

  This made her hesitate, but only for a second. “Come up with me if you want.”

  She all but ran up the long extension ladder and Rob didn’t have much choice other than to follow. Elise was part way across the roof by the time he made his way to the top.

  Elise stared at the engraved initials on the back of the Old West style false front of his building.

  She ran her fingers lightly over the letters. “They’re his brothers.”

  Rob didn’t know what to say. He remembered the conversation he’d had with Bodie about the missing tape measure, but he’d never uttered a word about it to Elise.

  “Whose brothers?” he finally asked when Elise became still as stone and didn’t say anything else.

  “I don’t know his name, but I can tell you his last name starts with an E. like yours.”

  Emotion tinged her voice and he had the sudden powerful urge to protect her. Bodie approached and stood next to them.

  “What’s this? Did you tell her about the carving in the wood?” he asked.

  “I didn’t,” Rob said.

  Elise turned her gaze on the two brothers. Her wide eyes were outlined with full, long black lashes. Rob could stare at her beautiful face for hours and never tire of the way she was so elegantly made.

  “Are you going to do repairs and remodeling up here?” she asked.

  He answered automatically. He’d divulge anything if she looked at him with that entrancing stare. “The entire roof has to be replaced.”

  Her eyes shifted to Bodie. “Can I borrow your hammer?”

  Bodie glanced at the tool belt he wore around his waist. He handed over the hammer and Elise turned back around. She set it down next to her then pulled out her phone and took pictures of the initials. Then she used the hammer to pry off one of the old boards.

  “What’s this about?” Bodie asked.

  Rob’s brother seemed to be of the same mindset, concern mixed with curiosity, but curiosity definitely won since neither of them told her to stop.

  “Do you need help?” Rob asked.

  Her focus remained on the old boards. “There’s something hidden here.”

  Rob glanced at Bodie, but his brother ignored him and squatted down next to Elise to take a closer look. The board to the right of the initials cracked, then split. She pulled the broken part away and reached her hand into the space between the rafters. Did the old building even have rafters? He didn’t know how a roof was constructed back in the mining days, but apparently there was an empty cavity between the false front and the tar paper of the roof.

  Elise lowered herself down until she was almost flat on her stomach.

  “Be careful,” Rob cautioned, imagining rusty nails and splinters as long as chopsticks.

  “I think I found it.” Elise pulled her hand out of the gap with slow precision.

  Her fingers were wrapped around something gray and too wide for the hole she’d made. Bodie took the hammer and removed the rest of the remaining broken board with a swift jerk. Elise presented a dusty rock. She turned it over, inspecting all sides. Elise took a shuddering breath and held it away from her body.

  “Bodie, do you have a clean plastic bag or baggie with your Search and Rescue gear?”

  “Like an evidence bag?”

  “Yes. Please, get it. We need to put this in a bag.”

  Bodie didn’t question Elise for even a blink of an eye and turned to retrieve the requested item.

  “How did you do that?” Rob asked.

  Elise pressed her lips together and shifted her gaze to the side of the roof.

  “What’s going on here and what’s with that rock?”

  She set it down carefully and pointed at dark streaks. “I can’t be certain, but I think that’s blood.”

  Of all things Elise could have said, that was one he wouldn’t have thought would come from her mouth.

  “You’re kidding me, right?”

  “I don’t... I mean... I can’t.”

  She stuttered, and he thought she was starting to lose color in her face.

  “Calm down. It’s all right. Are you going to pass out again?”

  Elise turned away from the rock and started heading toward the ladder.

  “Wait up. You’re not climbing the ladder right now.”

  “I’m okay.” Her fists were opening and closing at her sides. “I need to be on the ground right now.”

  She ran to the end of the roof and was over the side before Rob could stop her.

  Was she mad? He’d never dealt with someone who was insane before. Is this what it was like? Was there a protocol to follow? Bodie would know.

  His brother was at the bottom of the ladder, holding it steady for Elise. He started down before Bodie could climb up. Elise hit the deck and started running for the trees and the lake behind the brewery.

  “What happened?” Bodie asked.

  Shane stopped talking to the construction foreman and the crew to stare at them.

  “I don’t know. Can you be extra careful with the rock she found? I’ll explain when I get back.”

  Bodie jerked his head in a nod and Rob took off after Elise.

  She stood on the beach next to the water, unmoving, but when he touched her shoulder he felt the trembles coursing through her body.

  “Are you okay?”

  “I don’t know.” She sucked in a deep breath, let it out slowly, then did it again.

  “That doesn’t sound very reassuring.”

  The lake shimmered beneath the summer sun and he was caught in the sprawling view for a moment before staring at her worried expression.

  “It’s not, but I’m fine.”

  “Are you? Can you tell me what I just saw on the roof of my building?” he asked.

  “I don’t know if I can explain it yet. I’m still trying to work it out for myself. Being grounded helps a lot.”

  “That’s why you’re standing here with no shoes on,” he said, noticing her shoes were discarded somewhere behind them.

  She nodded while keeping her eyes trained on the lake and the distant shore to the west. Rob wrapped his arm over her shoulder and held her. He didn’t speak, but he couldn’t resist the urge to protect her. He didn’t know what he was protecting her from, but it felt right.

  After a moment, Elise rested her head against his chest. Her body relaxed and the trembling stopped.

  “Better?” he asked.

  “Somewhat,” she said.

  “Can I ask you one thing?” he said, keeping his arm around her shoulders.

  Elise glanced up at him quickly through a screen of her lashes. She nodded and her back stiffened as if in preparation for the inquisition.

  “Have you been reading a lot of horror novels lately?”

  Elise became even more rigid and she tried to pull away. He held tight.

  “I’m kidding. I’m joking,” he said. “It’s just with the episode inside the brewery followed by your discovery on the roof, it’s like an episode of Paranormal Mysteries, or Psychic Detectives.”

  She slipped out from under his arm, her jaw angled in defense. “You don’t know me well enough to make jokes like that.”

  Rob rubbed his jaw and stuck his tongue in his cheek. The heat of anger behind her eyes reminded him of something wickedly seductive, and he liked it. He held back a grin, but the corner of his mouth lifted. She sharpened her gaze
, enticing him further.

  Squaring her shoulders and wearing that excellent haughty look, she said, “Horror novels? Of all the ignorant and absurd things to say.”

  If she were not barefoot, she probably would have stomped away. As it were, she huffed before slipping her feet into her shoes. Elise muttered in annoyance and switched to Spanish. Rob recognized a few curse words and insults. She stormed off toward the buildings and he stayed right behind her.

  “I know you’re a former librarian who now runs a bookstore. I assumed you read a lot. Horror is a great genre, by the way.”

  She didn’t look back at him. “Why are you following me?”

  “I guess I don’t want you to be alone if you pass out again.”

  Elise kept moving and stepped out from under the shade of the evergreen trees and into the parking lot. She glanced at the brewery, frowning.

  “Did you figure out what happened to you yet?” he asked.

  “Why should I say anything else? Do you enjoy making fun of me?”

  Rob reached for her hand, making her stop. “I wasn’t making fun of you. I was trying to lighten the mood. What happened was intense. I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings. That wasn’t my intention.”

  She rolled her eyes. Rob found her expression amusing and had the undeniable urge to smile. He couldn’t hold it back, but he did care about her well-being. He cupped her cheek with one hand and peered into her eyes. “I’m sorry,” he apologized. “Are you okay?”

  She nodded and he could sense her walls cracking.

  “You’re an idiot,” she said, and one corner of her full mouth lifted.

  He lowered his palm from her cheek to her shoulder. “My brothers would agree with you completely.” Rob glanced at the building. Everyone had returned to work and no one watched them.

  “Is what happened today related to when you said you knew me before we had ever met?”

  “When did I say that?” she asked.

  “Right before you passed out after the car accident.”

  “Oh.”

  “Yeah,” he said.

  Elise stared at the street and the bookshop in the distance. “Yes. It’s related.”

  The sound of people talking interrupted their moment.