by Yvonne Heidt
Table of Contents
Synopsis
Acknowledgments
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Epilogue
About the Author
Books Available From Bold Strokes Books
Synopsis
Successful artist Natalie Chambers impulsively buys a Victorian house overlooking the Pacific Ocean after her divorce. Immediately, her dreams are haunted by Sarah and Beth, two lovers from the past and the Dark Man who controlled their lives. When she begins to look for explanations for the things going bump in the night, the only answer she can get from the locals is that several previous owners had fled screaming into the night.
Landscaper Van Easton hasn’t had a serious relationship since her partner died. Content to let women and alcohol distract her from her pain, she is surprised at the intensity of emotion that bubbles to the surface after she meets Natalie. Contracted to restore the gardens at Natalie’s house, she refuses to believe that the mansion is haunted. Until the ghostly Dark Man follows her home.
It appears he will stop at nothing to keep the new lovers apart, and the violence continues to escalate. Can they solve the mystery that will set Beth and Sarah free and banish the evil presence in the house? Or will the evil echoes of the past destroy them as well?
Sometime Yesterday
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Sometime Yesterday
© 2012 By Yvonne Heidt. All Rights Reserved.
ISBN 13: 978-1-60282-721-9
This Electronic Book is published by
Bold Strokes Books, Inc.
P.O. Box 249
Valley Falls, New York 12185
First Edition: August 2012
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
Credits
Editor: Cindy Cresap
Production Design: Susan Ramundo
Cover Design By Sheri ([email protected])
Acknowledgments
Thank you. Those two words don’t seem nearly enough for the appreciation I hold for the wonderful people at Bold Strokes Books. Radclyffe, I will always be grateful for the chance you took on me and the wonderful opportunity I received from Jennifer Knight to be included in the NADF.
For the amazing Victoria Oldham, who gets me and always knows which button to push to make it all better. Without your encouraging words and understanding of my little quirks, I wouldn’t have come this far. I appreciate you.
As my senior editor, Cindy Cresap deserves a medal, really. I am grateful for the time and expertise you put into this story. It’s a fine art form to teach with patience and humor. All of my hair has grown back; how about yours?
Maralee Lackman, my BFF—who literally saved my life. Thank you for loving and believing in me.
Shelia Powell for the gifts you gave me. My personal journey is forever changed by the experience.
I would also like to thank my very first readers—Melody Starkey and Paris Honsowetz, who loved my story and hounded me for more. Without you, I would have never finished Sometime Yesterday.
Special love and thanks to Mom and Papa, for never giving up on me, even when you should have. Unconditional love and gratitude goes to my living children, Kerri-Ann and Daniel, who deserve much more than I could ever possibly give them in this lifetime.
Sandy—thank you for loving me unconditionally through all of life’s twists and turns. What a ride the last eleven years has been!
Dedication
For Deserae Marie
My beautiful daughter
Who sends me love on the delicate wings of butterflies
“That which is dreamed, cannot be lost, cannot be undreamed.”
The Sandman
Chapter One
Good-bye, old friend. I know I said I would love you forever. Natalie Chambers took one last look around the Tudor house she and her very recent ex-husband had shared. The movers had been in earlier and had taken all the furniture and boxes that she carefully tagged. Jason and his new wife, Tracy, would be back from their honeymoon at the end of the week. The only thing left to do here was say good-bye. She pulled on her coat, grabbed her keys, and leaned into the doorframe for a moment.
Natalie almost couldn’t blame him for being attracted to the beautiful coed. Almost. Tracy Chambers was everything Natalie wasn’t. Tall. Blond. Thin. Oh, and let’s not forget young, pregnant, and married to the man Natalie had expected to spend her life with. She locked the door and gave it one last loving pat. I’m so sorry that forever turned out to be twelve years and a generous divorce settlement. If it’s any consolation, House, I will miss you more than I will him. Natalie was surprised at that. Somehow, she thought she should hurt more or feel something, anything. Instead, she felt strangely relieved that this awkward and completely disappointing period in her life was over.
With her arms crossed against the wind, Natalie flipped her long ponytail out of her coat, wiped her tears with her sleeve, and walked to her car. She was ready to head into her new life.
*
Late that night, Natalie pulled into her new driveway. It looked different in the dark but she still remembered how charmed she was by the pink four and a half bedroom house. She instantly fell in love with the hardwood floors and little nooks. She’d thought perhaps here she could finally find her fairy tale. When she entered the third floor turret room that overlooked the Pacific Ocean, she was sold. Natalie smelled the salty air and could easily imagine that on a windy day she could feel its misty spray. It would make a perfect studio for her painting.
She also recalled how shocked the real estate agent looked when Natalie made an offer on the spot. She was surprised at that herself. She’d never done anything so impulsive in her life.
While Natalie stretched her stiff legs and back from the long car ride, she caught a movement from the second floor window. She stared harder and thought she saw the curtains move. Great, she’d been here two minutes and was already seeing ghosts. She was tired, not seeing things.
Natalie felt a pulse of fear as she inserted her key. There was a face staring back at her. She giggled when she realized it was her own reflection and let herself in. “Hey, honey. I’m home.” She called out in the foyer.
She was excited to finally see the furniture she had ordered online since the purchase of her house. She’d spent many hours on the phone with her best friend, Mary, deciding which piece went where. Now that she was exploring the first floor, she already felt like she belonged here. She stopped in the living room.
Hanging above the fireplace was an old oil portrait. Natalie rubbed her upper arms in an attempt to warm
them from the chill that followed her inside and stepped closer. God, the woman gazing from the oversized canvas was gorgeous. She stood in profile, looking out a window. Tall and slender, she had one hand gracefully on the window frame and the other resting on the back of a chair. Natalie frowned. Something about her seemed familiar. Her long, dark hair fell loosely in thick curls to her waist and she wore what appeared to be a flowing nightgown. The glow of the moon outside the window made the material semi-transparent, outlining the swell of her breasts and her tiny waist. Her legs and feet were blocked by the chair. Natalie could see the woman’s individual eyelashes and the flush of her cheek. Her red mouth was set softly as if she were blowing a kiss to someone, perhaps her lover, standing beyond the frame. Whoever had painted this woman was completely enchanted with her. The attention to detail spoke of a woman cherished, a feeling Natalie had been waiting for most of her adult life. She checked for the artist’s signature, but it must have been covered by the heavy, ornate frame.
She was sure the painting hadn’t been in the house when she first viewed it with the realtor, nor did she remember purchasing it. The room was cold and Natalie rubbed her arms against the chill. She would have to ask Mary where it came from.
Meanwhile, she needed to find the thermostat and start unpacking the few possessions she’d brought with her. Even in the short time she allotted herself, Natalie was super organized. The car didn’t hold much of her former life. A small suitcase that held enough clothes until the movers arrived, a train case full of her makeup and toiletries, some jewelry that her mother had given her, and pictures of her family. Her art collection would arrive later in the week. She refused to leave one painting for the newly wedded couple to enjoy.
Natalie paused to admire the workmanship that created the slender curved staircase. She loved the details in this house, the intricate Victorian molding near the arched cathedral ceilings, the restored walnut woodwork that framed all the built-in bookshelves and graced every doorframe. She was elated to find intact beautiful stained glass windows throughout the house. She knew that in a very short time she would be able to make the house feel like her own.
Natalie caressed the glossy wood railing as she climbed the stairs. The large master bedroom was at the end of the hall. The previous owners had knocked out a wall of an adjoining bedroom to add more space and a luxurious master bath. Natalie could feel a breeze from beneath the door. She stepped into the room and found the front window wide open. Funny, she hadn’t noticed the window open when she stood outside. She took in the breathless ocean view. It was just past sunset with dark purple streaks in the sky, and blue twilight undulated on the ocean’s rolling surface. The waves were peaceful in their endless motion. She searched for the first star and made a wish. The very first of her brand new life. Natalie double-checked the latch before going back downstairs.
*
After unpacking the trunk and backseat of her car, Natalie stopped in the kitchen to grab a bottle of water and see what Mary had stocked the refrigerator and cabinets with earlier that week. Natalie knew Mary wanted to make sure that the divorce and the move were as smooth as she could possibly make it. They had always had keys to each other’s houses until Mary had relocated to Bayside a couple of years ago. It was Natalie’s main reason for moving here. She was happy that once again, she would live in the same town as Mary and was looking forward to her help, and her company, in the morning.
She put her empty bottle of water on the counter and turned toward the hallway. As she rounded the corner to the stairs, she felt something brush against her.
Was that a spider web? God, she hated bugs. Natalie jumped and waved her arms. Skin crawling, she took to the stairs double-time; shaking her hair out to make sure nothing was stuck in it. When she reached the bedroom, she stared at the door, apprehension snaking its way to the base of her spine. It was closed. She was almost certain she’d left it open. She reached for the knob, but before she could touch it, the door swung away from her as though opened from the other side.
Natalie felt herself chill to the bone. Arms folded over her chest, she crossed the threshold. The room was freezing. The window she’d closed an hour earlier was open again, the long drapes blowing into the room. A faint scent of lavender hung in the cold air. Natalie ran over to the window and shut it. The wind must have blown the door shut.
Natalie entered her large bathroom. Now here was a modern slice of heaven. Sandstone colored marble covered the countertops and floor, matching the bronze towel rings and faucets. The deep corner tub was gleaming yet looked bare. Natalie looked forward to adding some personal touches with plants and colorful girlie bottles and jars. The scent of lavender was stronger in here. She wondered if the previous owner left a candle or perhaps some potpourri in the linen closet. After a quick search, she didn’t find anything and gave up. She was simply too tired to care at the moment. She pulled out a couple of towels and crossed to the tub. As soon as she opened the faucets, water came flowing out of a majestic lion’s open mouth. Jet streams built into the side shot more hot water into the tub. While her bath was running, Natalie went back into the bedroom and found the nightgown buried in her suitcase. As she undressed, she watched the window, half-expecting to see it rattle loose and creak open again. She chuckled to herself, trying to put her jitters into perspective. She clearly needed to adjust to living alone. This was a new place. Once she got to know it, she wouldn’t jump at every noise.
She strolled back into the bathroom and stood in front of the wall-to-wall mirror, inspecting her weary face. The furrow between her eyebrows and stress lines bracketing her mouth were evidence of sleepless nights and the pain of divorce. Natalie made a firm decision to stop thinking of herself as a victim. The worst was behind her and she could be proud of herself that she didn’t leave frozen shrimp in the hollow drapery rods as a parting shot to her ex-husband and his new wife.
At least the split from Jason took care of that last fifteen pounds she’d been trying to lose for the past few years. She stood at five foot-nothing-tall and every pound on her small frame counted.
The mirror fogged with steam from the running bath. From her peripheral vision, she saw something move behind her. She spun around quickly, but the shadow was gone. She noticed her hand tremble slightly when she wiped the condensation away and peeked again. Nothing. Natalie sighed. She reminded herself she was tired, not hallucinating. She turned off the water and slipped into the tub. Perfect. She could literally feel the stress lifting as she washed her hair then lay back on the built-in seat and closed her eyes. Soothed by the heat and weightlessness, she let the long, emotional day soak off.
Natalie let her mind drift. It occurred to her that this would be the first time in her life she would be living alone. She went from her parents to the college dorm and then on to Jason. Although, living with Jason the past couple of years had been like living alone. She tried not to dwell on regrets. Her thoughts didn’t land on any one particular thing for long. Like butterflies, they flitted toward a memory, retreated, and went on to the next.
CRASH.
Natalie’s start of surprise almost propelled her from the bath. Her eyes popped open and she quickly planted her feet to brace herself. What was that? She realized she must have fallen asleep because the water was ice cold. She strained to hear the sound again, but all she could hear was her own heart beat in her ears.
Natalie wrapped herself in a towel and approached the bathroom door. She slowly turned the knob, holding it in a death grip, ready to slam it closed if anything was on the other side. Steady, girl, it’s just an old house making old house noises. She took a deep breath and stepped out into the bedroom. After checking the window and the ones adjoining it, she didn’t see anything amiss that could warrant such a loud noise. She cautiously stepped into the hallway, pressing herself against the wall to step sideways into the adjoining guest room. She couldn’t see anything out of place and that window was also latched tight.
Natalie retr
eated to her bedroom and put her nightgown on. She’d have to check the yard in the morning to see if a there was a loose shed door or something. A brand new bed had been delivered earlier in the week and Mary, being the friend that she was, had it made and ready for her. She even had the pretty sheets turned down. As Natalie slid beneath the covers, she felt some regret for the beautiful antique four-poster she’d left behind at her old house. On the other hand, she thought, there was a great deal of disappointment attached to that particular bed. Disappointments better left in her old life. Besides, she’d be damned if she was going to bring any part of Jason into her new space or allow his memories in her new bedroom. Instead, she could look forward to finding local antique shops and auctions to find new treasures.
Natalie turned out the bedside lamp and tried to go to sleep. It was during this in-between time of awareness and floating off to a dream that Natalie’s insecurities slapped at her. What was wrong with her? Would she be able to manage a new life alone? She was in her thirties, loved her painting, and was healthy. But was she so difficult to love?
*
The gentle rocking motion of a hammock combined with the smell of sweet summer sunshine, filled Natalie’s senses as dust motes floated lazily in the air. She had never felt so relaxed in her life. No, that wasn’t right. She had never felt so serene. She heard soft laughter behind her. It was gentle and feminine. She tried to move her head to see who it was, but she couldn’t.
“You came back,” she said. “I knew you would come.”
“Pardon me?”
“You’re here. I’ve been waiting so long.”