“No, I’m sorry to say it doesn’t. Ariana had the power to control the gulls while her spirit was confined to the fourth floor. If she is up there now, she still has those same powers”. Reagan pulled away from Emma, frustrated and frightened. Emma reached for her, smoothing her hair, trying to comfort Reagan with her touch. “This is why it was important for you to wear the starfish pendant, Reagan. Seth made that pendant for Adelaide, and he gave it to you because he knew it would keep you safe from Ariana’s mischief.”
“But if Seth made it for Adelaide, did he know Ariana was evil?”
“He knew she was a jealous female. I don’t think he thought she was evil.”
“Do you think Adelaide jumped, fell, or was pushed?”
“I don’t like to think poorly of anyone, but I really don’t think she jumped, so that leaves falling or being pushed. I hate to say it, but I think Ariana pushed her off the cliff.”
“Then why didn’t the necklace protect Adelaide. Isn’t that why Seth made it?” Reagan moved away from Emma, needing some space. She never believed in this stuff, but now she desperately wanted to believe that the starfish would have protected Adelaide.
“She wasn’t wearing it that day. It was her wedding day, and she was wearing a strand of pearls that belonged to her grandmother. They were more fitting for the wedding gown.”
Reagan was quiet, thinking how sad it was that Adelaide’s life ended while she was so young.
“I know how you feel about Adelaide, how it wasn’t fair, but I want you to try to think about Ariana. It can’t be easy being trapped in a mind that is mentally ill. No one really knows what kind of hell that is like, unless they live it themselves,” said Emma.
Willow stopped by after Reagan had already gone to bed. Wiley reluctantly left Reagan’s side to go home with his mistress. Emma promised Willow again that she would try to convince Cora Rose that she would be safe at the house.
The next morning, Chase drove Reagan back to Willow’s. She was nervous when she stepped out of the car, but everything seemed back to normal. Wiley came bounding up to her, his tail wagging in greeting. As they entered the kitchen, they found Willow fighting with a spatula and a skillet, an egg half out of the pan and half on the burner of the stove.
Reagan gently pushed Willow out of the way. She quickly cleaned up the mess and expertly cracked an egg into the skillet. Dropping two pieces of toast into the toaster and warming the slices of ham in another skillet filled with butter, Reagan delivered Willow a reasonable breakfast almost as efficiently as Cora Rose would have done.
“There aren’t any blueberry muffins,” Willow grumbled. Chase looked at Reagan with a twinkle in his eye. She turned to confront Willow and realized both Willow and Chase were laughing at her. It dawned on her that it was as close to a compliment as she was going to get from her aunt.
“I’m going out to the barn to work. Let me know if you need anything, and thanks for breakfast.” Willow grabbed a Pepsi out of the fridge and left the kitchen.
Chase and Reagan carried her things up to her bedroom. She hesitated as she went in the room, but the slight scent of sage reassured her.
“Do you think everything is going to be okay?” Reagan asked Chase, nervously,
“I think it will. Mom would never let you come back here if she thought you were in danger.”
“I know you’re right. It doesn’t feel scary, but still, I feel like something isn’t really resolved.”
“No, it probably isn’t, but I don’t think Ariana or the cat is going to bother you. Also, you have the sage mom gave you, right? You know how to smudge your room and anywhere else you need to, so if you feel like there is an unwanted presence, light some sage and let it smoke. I hate to say this, but I have to get to work. You’re going to be okay, right?”
“Yes, I’m going to be just fine.”
“What do you plan on doing today?”
“I don’t know. I might call Olivia and see what she’s up to.”
“That sounds like a good idea. Have fun, and I’ll talk to you later.” With that, Chase gathered her in his arms. “I need to know you’re okay.” Reagan tilted her chin upward and looked him steadily in the eyes.
“I. Will. Be. Just. Fine.” Chase leaned down and kissed her lips, sweetly at first, but then more urgently. Reagan leaned into him and kissed him back, pressing against his body. Somewhere in the house, a cat growled, low and menacingly.
Reagan woke to the smell of bacon frying. She stretched under her covers and smiled. That smells good, she thought. Then she sat bolt upright. Bacon. That could only mean that Cora Rose was back. She grabbed her robe and slipped her feet into her slippers, yanked open her door and flew down the stairs. She could hear Willow and Cora Rose talking in the kitchen.
“Scared the crap out of that girl, I tell ya,” It sounded like Willow’s voice.
“Hell, scared the crap out of me,” replied Cora Rose. “I wasn’t coming back, but Emma assures me that things will be okay. I guess I really don’t have to worry, ‘cause Ariana doesn’t have a beef with me, but Reagan must have really pissed her off good.”
“Not just Reagan,” growled Willow. “A whole damn kiln load of plates blew up in the kiln the other day. That has Ariana’s signature all over it.”
“Why is she mad at you? You didn’t do anything.”
“She’s always been angry with me because I favor Adelaide, but she knows I have protected her, even though she should have been destroyed years ago. She knows she’s on thin ice.”
“You always have had a soft spot for her,” grumbled Cora Rose.
“That I have. Good morning, Reagan.”
“Good morning. Hi, Cora Rose. I am so happy you’re back. Breakfast smells amazing.”
“Grab some while it’s hot so’s I’m not wasting my time here, and I made you coffee, so your day should be complete.”
“I’m really sorry about things, Cora Rose. I should never have…”
“Let it go, Reagan. It was bound to happen.”
“Willow, I heard you say Ariana should have been destroyed years ago. What did you mean by that?”
“That is something I would rather not talk about.” Willow raised her eyebrows at Reagan, challenging her to cross the line.
“Okay, Aunt Willow. I’ll let it go.”
“Hmmpf, the girl is a quick learner,” said Cora Rose, and she pulled two blueberry pies out of the oven. “Are you going to see your boyfriend this afternoon?”
Reagan could feel the red flush creep up her neck and flood her cheeks.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” teased Cora Rose. “Take one of these pies over to Emma to thank her for the cleansing.”
“Okay. Thank you, I’ll do that. I know Emma and Chase will really appreciate it.”
“Just tell her I expect the cleansing to keep working because we don’t know where Ariana is spending her time. It makes me jumpy, and I’m not cleaning the upstairs. Bring your sheets down when you want them washed, and I will give you the fresh sheets to put on your bed.”
“Wait a minute,” said Willow, “Does the same thing go for me?”
“Yes ma’am. Until I’m certain Ariana is under control, I’m not setting foot upstairs. Now eat your breakfast so I can clean up and get the hell out of here.”
Willow smiled at Reagan. All was right with the world again.
“What are you going to do today?” asked Willow.
“I was hoping to run out and see Mr. Whitstock’s puppies.” Reagan was surprised to see a melancholy look on her aunt’s face.
“Whitstock has the finest puppies around. It’s amazing he is still breeding dogs at his age. They’re a lot of work, but I am glad he can still keep up with them. It will be a sad day when there are no more Whitstock puppies around.”
“I would like to have one,” said Reagan, a little surprised as the words left her mouth. She had toyed with the idea, but now the thought of having her own puppy was like a live thing in her brain.
/>
“Why not get one?” asked Willow, looking steadily into her niece’s eyes.
“I don’t know how my mom would feel about that. I mean, we’ve never talked about a dog. I don’t know the first thing about raising a puppy.”
“Well, I do, and it’s not that hard. It just takes commitment.”
“I can do that.”
“You can’t get tired of the novelty and just quit.”
“I know. I think I am willing to do that. I love Wiley, and I can’t imagine leaving him when I go at the end of the summer. He is always with me, by my side, protecting me.”
“Yeah, he sure is. My own dog has abandoned me for the pretty, young thing.” Willow teased in a rare warm moment.
“So, don’t puppies need to be potty-trained?”
“Of course, they do.”
“Don’t they need to go outside at night?” Reagan asked, carefully.
“Yes, they do.”
“Well, you say it’s not safe outside after dark. What would I do about the night time part?”
“First, you have to get your mom to say yes to the puppy. Then we will discuss night potty issues. I have raised many dogs, and we will figure out the logistics if your mom agrees. Now, I have to get to work, and you need to put some clothes on if you are going to head over to Whitstock’s. I don’t think his heart would handle a girl in her pajamas showing up at his place.”
“Hi, Mom. Thanks for calling me back. I just really needed to hear your voice.”
“I’m sorry it took so long for me get back to you. I miss you so much, honey. Are you okay? You sound really stressed. You were supposed to be spending a relaxing summer reading library books.”
“I have been, but maybe I should stop reading horror stories. They’re keeping me up at night,” Reagan joked.
“Seriously, Reagan. What’s wrong?”
“This place is just weird, Mom.” Reagan hated being evasive, but she wasn’t going to tell her mom all about the ghosts. Not only was her mom halfway around the world, but that woman definitely didn’t believe in ghosts. It would just complicate things. “I think I am just missing my friends, and there are creepy things about this place, so I let my imagination run away with me.”
“Is there anything good about the place? Anything you can tell me that will stop me from feeling so incredibly guilty?”
“I met a guy. He’s really nice.”
“Ah, nothing better than a summer romance. I will just get home in time to pick up the pieces when the two of you break up because you have to go home.” Her mother teased.
“Well, if you’re feeling the right amount of guilt, I can help you appease that.”
“Oh really, what do you have in mind? What do you want?”
“A dog.”
“Wait, what?”
“I want a dog, please? The breeder that Daddy bought his collie from is still breeding dogs, and he has some collie puppies. Chase is going to take me over so I can see them. Is there any way I can have a puppy? Please?”
“I don’t think we have the time to talk about this right now.”
“Mom, I am home alone a lot. It would be good for me to have a dog. I will be responsible for him and everything.”
“I know, I know, and you will teach him not to bark, right?”
“What?”
“Never mind… How are you going to pay for this dog? They aren’t cheap, and there are vet bills and food.”
“I know, but I have money from Daddy in my bank account. You always say that I am frugal and never spend money on myself. Please let me do this. I love Wiley, and I hate that I will leave him at the end of summer. I would love to have my own dog.”
“Oh, what the hell. Go ahead. Just remember, you will be responsible for him for a long time. And Reagan, pick a good puppy. There is an art to it, from what I understand.”
“Don’t worry, Chase and Emma will help me. It’s all good.”
Chase walked up to the bench in the garden where Reagan was still sitting after hanging up from her mom.
“Good news?” he asked.
“Yes and no. Mom still isn’t able to come home, but she said yes to the puppy. I get to pick out my very own dog.” She hugged Chase impulsively.
“Mom has to deliver some more salve to Mr. Whitstock. You can come along and talk to him about what pups he might have available.”
“How soon will she be ready to go?” asked Reagan, jumping off the bench, excited to get moving.
“Whoa there, tiger. You aren’t even ready for a dog, yet. You need a few things to help make the pup feel at home. If you want, we can run to the store and pick up what you need, but we should call Mr. Whitstock and see if he has any pups ready to go to homes yet.”
A quick call to Mr. Whitstock was the assurance Reagan needed to go ahead and buy the things she would need to make her puppy happy after leaving the comfort of its mother. After letting Emma know they were going, Chase and Reagan jumped in his car to head to the store.
“I’m glad to have you back, Reagan. You scared me,” said Chase as he reached over to squeeze her hand.
“I scared myself.”
“Yeah, well for a minute there, I thought that you would never start talking again. You just stared into space, weeping. I’m really glad you’re back.” Chase brushed a strand of hair out of Reagan’s eyes.
“I have to be honest, Chase. I am still afraid at the house. I’m not jumping on getting a puppy because it will keep my mind off of the things that scare me, but I will enjoy having another companion. Wiley is wonderful, but to have a dog of my own has to be even better.”
“Well, just remember, you will be this puppy’s protector for quite a while. He will not be old enough to protect you for a long time.”
“I know, but I bet he barks when something is scary, right?”
“I’m not trying to bust your bubble, I want you to know what you’re getting into, not to mention the responsibility of owning a puppy. You need to protect him from danger as much as he needs to protect you.”
Reagan leaned over and lightly kissed his cheek, careful not to distract him too much while he was driving. He laughed and reached over to grab her hand. “I can see you only have the puppy on your mind right now.
“The thing is, my rational mind keeps telling me that all this isn’t real, that I have just been imagining everything. I don’t believe in this stuff, I never have. Don’t get me wrong, you and your mom have given me convincing arguments, and the other day it all sounded plausible, but today, I’m having a hard time accepting everything. Even those stupid wolves. My mind just doesn’t want to accept that there was really something there, and that they really snapped at me.”
“Reagan, you’re smart. You have a logical mind, and you don’t just believe something because someone tells you a story. You are going to have to come to grips with it yourself. It’s okay for you to be skeptical. It’s even okay for you to not believe, as long as you protect yourself and not allow yourself to get hurt. I wish you still had that starfish necklace.”
“Even though Seth made it,” Reagan teased.
“Even though it galls me, yes, even though Seth gave it to you.”
Just then Reagan gasped.
“What’s wrong?” Chase glanced at her, but still tried to keep his eyes on the road.
“When Seth gave me the starfish, I thought it looked familiar, but I couldn’t place it. Now I realize where I saw it before. Adelaide was holding it in one of the old photographs, and your mom said she hadn’t seen it in years. Explain that!”
“I can’t. I don’t know when my mom would have seen the necklace, or anything else about it. I just wish you could find it.”
“That’s what is so weird. It was on my neck when I went to sleep that night. When I had that bad dream and woke up, and the cat was sitting on my chest, that’s when the necklace disappeared. The cat must have taken it. Is that possible? It was supposed to protect me from the likes of Ariana, so how could the c
at have been able to take it? Wouldn’t she have an aversion to it like Ariana does?”
“I don’t know how it works. Maybe the cat isn’t truly Ariana. Maybe it just does her bidding. Maybe she is still locked upstairs, but she is controlling the cat from there.”
“All I know,” said Reagan, “is my head is spinning, and I don’t have an answer for anything.”
“Well, give it a rest for now. There is nothing you can do about it at this moment. We will get the stuff your new puppy is going to need, and then we will worry about this other stuff when we need to and not before.”
Reagan nodded her head in agreement. She was done thinking about ghosts and mean cats. She was going to concentrate on her new puppy.
Together, they picked out a food dish and water bowl set, a bed, and a small collar and leash. Reagan wanted to buy food, but Chase told her that she would have to feed the puppy the same thing he had been eating. When they arrived back at the cottage, Emma met them at the car.
“I have the things Mr. Whitstock needed. Are you ready? Your mom said yes to the puppy, right?”
“Yes, she did. I am so excited.”
Chapter 24
Where is Sammy?” Reagan asked as she burst into the kitchen.
“What do you mean?” asked Willow as she poured syrup on her pecan waffles.
“He wasn’t in his crate this morning. Did you come in my room and let him out to go potty?”
“No, I let him out around one in the morning, but that was the last time.”
“Did you shut the crate and latch it?”
“Of course, I did, Reagan. I have raised a lot of pups. I double check the latch every time. Cora Rose, did you see Sammy?” asked Willow.
Cora Rose turned around with a worried look on her face. She shook her head and glanced nervously toward the dining room. Reagan paled. It had been so quiet in the house lately that she hadn’t thought about the wolves.
“Relax,” said Willow. “I’m sure Sammy is just fine. I had a pup one time who could work the tray out of the bottom of a crate and slide right out. How he got himself so flat, I will never know, but he did it. I’m sure Sammy is up to the same mischief. I will look inside. Why don’t you look outside, although I can’t imagine he could have gotten out of the house.”
The Starfish Talisman Page 16