2 The Haunted Fixer-Upper

by Rose Pressey

  I couldn’t believe he’d given us an amount that I thought was fair. It was like fate. I’d stumbled upon this house and now this crazy guy wanted to sell it. I had to buy the place now. That was like a sign or something. But why was he selling it for so little? There had to be a catch.

  “It needs a lot of work. Have you been by to look at the place?” He gave a pitying smile.

  Did he realize he was lowering the price every time he said something like that? I wanted to play it cool so he wouldn’t see how excited I was about the house.

  “Yes, we stumbled on it when our car broke down. We’re not from around here. Well, he is originally.” I pointed toward Reed.

  Gordon nodded, but didn’t seem interested in our life story, which was fine by me.

  “You’re not from around here, are you?” I asked.

  He gave another toothy smile. “What gave me away?”

  I smiled. “You have a slight accent.”

  He laughed. “I’m from Ireland, yes.”

  “You’re a long way from home,” I pressed

  “Indeed,” he said.

  That was my passive way of asking why he was here. He didn’t take the bait though. I guess I’d have to be more direct next time.

  “Well, thank you so much for your time,” Reed said as he stood. “We’ll let you know if we're interested.”

  Oh, we were interested all right. Reed might not know it yet, but I’d convince him later. It looked as if I’d already made up my mind without even knowing the real condition of the house.

  “The house is a beauty, you know. And you won’t find another one like it for the price. It has original hardwood floors that are in great condition. I even think there are blood stains from Civil War soldiers upstairs. Talk about history. You can’t get that anywhere else. It has four full baths too.”

  His salesman tendencies were really coming out now. What he didn’t know was that I wasn’t a hard sale.

  “We’ll get back in touch with you real soon,” Reed repeated.

  Gordon waved. “I hope to hear from you. Let me know if you need a car too.”

  That had been a weird encounter. There seemed like something more to the story, as if Gordon Millerton wasn’t telling us the full details about the house. Did it have anything to do with the strange man I’d seen in the woods?

  When we stepped outside, Reed said, “There’s probably more damage to the home than we’re aware of. No doubt that’s why he wants to get rid of it.”

  There was definitely more bounce in my step after that meeting.

  I shrugged. “Well, I guess we’ll see. We can have the place checked out before we buy it. It just needs a little TLC, that’s all.”

  “A lot of TLC from what I saw,” he said in a completely unreasonable tone.

  I’d had just about enough of his negativity.

  “Where is your sense of adventure?” I huffed.

  He snorted. “I guess I left it back in Kentucky.”

  I rolled my eyes. “We’ll figure out how much it’ll cost to fix the place up. I was thinking it would look great with a large flower garden in the back.”

  Reed looked at me and smiled. “Been planning things out already?”

  I pinched my fingers together. “Just a little,” I said.

  Reed held the car door for me and I slipped in, then waited for him to walk around and climb behind the wheel. There was nothing wrong with a little daydreaming as far as I was concerned. It was good for the mind. Okay, I’d done a whole lot of daydreaming my whole life and it usually got me into trouble. But things were turning around now.

  He sighed, then said, “I have to admit the place is great. Are you prepared to have it for a while if we can’t sell it?”

  I met his gaze and my stomach did a flip-flop. Did Reed mean that we’d live in the house? Okay, he hadn’t actually said that. It was more of my mind reading into things that probably didn’t exist, but… I had to admit I’d actually pictured myself living there with him a time or two. Having pancakes in the breakfast and reading the paper in bed on Sunday mornings. We’d bring his newly-acquired dog from Kentucky and he could jump on the bed and sleep at the foot, snoring loudly like he normally did.

  But was I ready to move away from my hometown? The only place I’d ever known? That was a big step. It was a lot different from just visiting a place for a month or two. I guessed that was a decision I’d have to make when and if it came up. Right now we had to find out if the house was even worth the effort. I had my fingers and toes crossed that it was.

  “We should take another look at the place,” I said as he steered the car out onto the road.

  Reed glanced over at me and smiled. “You read my mind.”

  Finally the excitement was evident in his voice. Was he half as excited as I was though?

  Chapter Eight

  Luckily Reed’s uncle was friends with a home inspector. He would give us the truth on whether buying the place was a good idea. Not that I’d listen to his advice. I’d been known to ignore the expert advice of others. So the next day had arrived and we were waiting on the man to show up. I’d sensed the hesitation in Lou’s reaction when he’d given us the inspector’s information. He probably thought we were making a bad decision. If that was true, then I was determined to prove him wrong.

  This time we pulled up in front of the house, no walking through a thick wooded area or fighting off mosquitos. That helped ease my fears about the serial killer ghost. I wouldn’t have thought much about Reed’s ghostly tale until I actually saw the man with my own eyes. I had seen him, right? Yes, the more I thought about it, the more I was convinced I’d seen someone. The man had disappeared, but not in the ghostly kind of way. It was more of a slipped-around-a-tree-and-disappeared-into-the-dense woods kind of disappeared. I was positive he had been a living person and not a figment of my imagination.

  I was thankful the inspector could meet us on such short notice. If Reed’s uncle trusted him, then I trusted him to give us an honest opinion about the house too. We’d just gotten out of the car when the man pulled up in his black truck and jumped down. He had salt and pepper hair and wore jeans and a flannel shirt. He held a clip-board in one hand and flash light in the other.

  “Nice to see you again, Reed. Glad you made it back to your old neck of the woods.” The man looked at me and smiled. “And you must be Alabama Hargrove. Reed’s uncle can’t stop talking about what a great woman his nephew found.”

  I hadn’t expected that comment. I was pretty sure my face turned bright red. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  I looked at Reed and he beamed. From what Reed had told me in the past, I knew he liked to get his uncle’s approval. He’d told me about all the different sports he’d played just to make his father and uncle happy. Was that why tension existed between Reed and his uncle? I had to admit Reed seemed more distant since we’d come back to his hometown.

  “Well, you guys sure aren’t shy about taking on a big project.” The man eyed us both up and down.

  Reed looked to me again. “I had some outside influence.”

  “Life just isn’t fun if you don’t take a risk every now and then,” I replied.

  “Well, let’s see what we’re dealing with, shall we?” The man moved toward the house and my stomach danced.

  I wanted to know the true condition of the home, but I was almost afraid to hear the truth. Would it be more than we were willing to, or even should, attempt? I decided to pace in front of the house while this event took place inside. I had too much nervous energy to follow them around and hear all the things that were wrong with the house, not to mention all the reasons we shouldn’t buy it when my heart was telling me to place a sold sign in the front lawn. Listen to logic or follow my heart? I knew what I’d always done in the past and it sure wasn’t the listen-to-logic plan.

  I trudged through the tall grass of the front yard and around the side of the house. The air felt oddly cooler, but I figured it was because of t
he nearby trees shading me from the bright sun. Several bushes of bold-colored flowers lined the property and the sweet-smelling perfume floated across and roused my senses.

  My mind was still on that man I’d seen in the woods. Who was he and where had he come from? Was there a house close by and did he live there? Would he be my new neighbor? That was kind of a creepy thought. I knew I didn’t want a neighbor who snooped around in the woods spying on us. But maybe he’d just been curious. Nevertheless, that didn’t make it any less creepy.

  I stepped to the edge of the wooded area. The green expanse in front of me was calling me into the unknown. There was no way I was going in there alone though. The smell of earth hit me in the face and the soft chirping of the birds lured me into a false sense of security for a brief moment. A very brief moment.

  Besides the potential serial killer ghost, I was positive there were countless numbers of snakes hiding and waiting for the perfect time when they could slither up and bite me. It was hard to make out anything. I peered out into the darkness at the trees for a moment, then decided to get back to the house. Maybe going inside and listening to what this man had to say wouldn’t be such a bad idea after all. I had to find out the news sometime. I might as well get it over with now.

  As I turned to leave, noise sounded from somewhere in the woods. It was as if someone or something had broken a branch. It was nearby and it didn’t sound like a dead branch falling from a tree. It was definitely movement from something other than a tree. Perhaps it was an animal? Whatever it was, I needed to get out of there.

  I hurried back to the house, glancing over my shoulder every few seconds. Darn Reed O’Hara for his ghost stories. I slowed my steps when I reached the front of the house. Running anywhere in that house was just asking for a broken bone. The front door was still open from when Reed and the inspector had entered. I eased up the steps and into the house. The house was so big and quiet. The sound of my footsteps bounced off the walls.

  “Reed?” I called out. Something seemed different about the house, but I couldn’t place what. It was probably my imagination playing tricks on me.

  Where were they? I didn’t hear the men talking. Maybe they were in the attic? No, it was too dangerous to get up there. Possibly the basement? I could only imagine how creepy it must be down there. I inched a little further into the house, then stopped midway into the foyer. Footfalls sounded from my left. The steps seemed to be coming from the parlor. Why weren’t they answering me? I moved over to the room’s entrance.

  No one was there, nothing but a dusty, empty room, but the sound of footsteps continued. It sounded as if the steps were walking right toward me. I froze. What did I do now? The footsteps grew closer and closer, until they were finally right next to me. It was as if my body was paralyzed, unable to move even an inch. A cold air encircled me. My heart rate increased as a chill ran up my spine. It was like I was stuck in the eye of a paranormal storm. Silence encircled me, yet I knew I wasn’t alone. The spirit was all around me, but my body wouldn’t move. I couldn’t walk or talk. Finally, the temperature returned to normal and I was able to move once again. When my legs were able to move again, I backed out of the parlor. My mouth hung open and adrenaline rushed through my veins. As I stepped backward into the foyer, I bumped into something hard as steel and very much solid. I let out an ear-piercing screech.

  I stumbled and strong arms grabbed me. I righted myself and whirled around. Why was Reed always saving my clumsy butt from falling? I had to be one of the clumsiest people on the face of the planet.

  “You scared the heck out of me.” I clutched my chest.

  Reed gave a half-hearted smile. “Sorry about that. We’re all done here.”

  I glanced over at the man. He kept glancing at the front door as if he wanted to run out it. I’d made an idiot out of myself in front of him. It wasn’t the first time I’d looked foolish in front of someone though and I could guarantee with almost one hundred percent confidence that it wouldn’t be the last.

  “This old place can be spooky.” He looked over my shoulder as if he’d seen something too.

  I wasn’t going to tell Reed what had happened just yet. He’d been a skeptic of the paranormal all his life. It wasn’t until he’d experienced activity in the other house that he’d started coming around to my way of thinking. He wasn’t totally convinced yet though. I’d wait until the right time to tell him about what had happened… if there was a right time.

  “I guess I wasn’t paying attention to where I was stepping,” I said.

  By the look in Reed’s eyes, I knew he didn’t believe me. Maybe he knew me better than I thought he did.

  “So what’s the verdict?” I asked, looking from Reed to the inspector. My stomach turned and I held my breath as I waited for his answer.

  “It’s on the list.” He handed a sheet of paper. “I didn’t sugar-coat anything. Obviously, you know the house needs a lot of work, but the foundation and walls are solid. I say if you have the time and funds, go for it.”

  My heart lifted. I wanted to do a happy dance. Would this man think I was crazy if I kissed him? I’d keep my lips to myself and not chance finding out that he wouldn’t like it.

  “That’s wonderful news,” I said as I took the paper from his outstretched hand. I glanced at the report, then looked up to Reed.

  He flashed a little grin, but was there something else in his expression? “Good news, huh?”

  I nodded. “Very good news.”

  The inspector moved toward the front door. “I have another appointment, but if you have any questions, please let me know.”

  A noise came from somewhere behind us. He glanced back, but I didn’t bother. I knew this place had to be haunted.

  We followed him out onto the porch. When he reached his truck, he turned to us.

  Reed shook his hand. “Thanks again.”

  The man climbed into his truck and drove off.

  Reed turned to me and grabbed me in an embrace. Apparently, I’d read Reed’s expressions incorrectly.

  “What do you think of that?” he asked.

  I couldn’t wipe the smile from my face. It was exactly the news I had been looking for.

  Chapter Eight

  Weeks had passed since we’d discovered the old plantation. We’d traveled back to Kentucky while waiting for the closing date on our new purchase. I still couldn’t believe I’d convinced Reed this was a good idea. But somehow I had and now we were making it a reality. The house was now ours—for better or worse. It had felt as if someone had knocked the wind out of me when we’d gotten the news. I couldn’t believe it. Joy and panic had overwhelmed me all at once. Was this really happening to us? Were we really going to do this? I had a feeling it would either end very badly or very well. I prayed for the latter. There was nothing in between.

  After working on the place all day, we sat on the front porch steps of our new place. Reed leaned over and placed his mouth against mine. His lips were soft and warm. His kiss started slowly, then progressed with a sense of urgency. He pulled me close against his hard chest and his tongue moved along my lips. The evening air had turned to sizzling hot within a matter of seconds. My legs felt like cooked pasta—and with the way I overcooked my pasta that was saying a lot. It was a good thing I wasn’t standing because Reed would have to hold me up if he kept kissing me like that. I ran my hands through his hair and met his tongue with mine. Just when things had reached a scorching hot level, the sound of a car caught our attention.

  Who would be visiting us here? Reed stood, then stepped to the edge of the porch to see who was coming down the driveway. A cloud of dust from the gravel path stirred in the wake of a blue sedan as it came to a stop in front of the house. We watched as the woman behind the wheel climbed out and stomped over to where we sat. The woman was small, but she moved with determination and purpose. She had small, dark eyes that looked like nothing more than little beads in her long face. Her glare packed a powerful punch. I wanted to avoid he
r glassy stare as much as possible. The short, tight curls in her charcoal-gray hair looked almost as strict as her expression. A scowl was plastered on her face as she looked at us accusingly. Had we done something wrong?

  “I heard you just purchased this house,” she said in a harsh tone.

  “Yes?” Reed replied as more of a question than an answer.

  He moved down the steps and met the woman midway on the stone path. I followed closely behind him in case he needed back up.

  “I’m Reed O’Hara and this is Alabama Hargrove. And you are?” He stuck out his hand.

  She quirked one of her dark, slightly uneven, drawn-on eyebrows as she eyed him up and down, then looked at me. She didn’t shake his hand. How rude was she?

  “My name is Evelyn Arlington and I’m President of the Cobb County Historical Society,” she said in a clipped tone. She spoke a little odd, as if she had something in her mouth. “I came to tell you that we won’t tolerate any defacing of this property.” She pointed and looked over my shoulder at the house. “Or should I say, any more defacing of the property. That awful man has already ruined two houses in town and I want to see to it that no one further destroys any other homes.”

  I stepped forward. “I’m very sorry for what he did to the other homes, but I can assure you that we love historical properties and will do our best to keep everything the way that it should be.”

  “Just see to it that you do. I’ll be around often, checking up on you. You can count on it.” She jabbed my shoulder with her bony index finger.

  I jerked my shoulder away and glared at her. “With all due respect, why haven’t you fixed the house yet? If you want it done a certain way then I think you’d be the perfect candidate to restore it.”

  Thank goodness it was too late for that. We already owned the place. If her poisonous look was any indication, she wanted me on the ground gasping for breath.

  “I may look rich, but I can assure you that I’m not. I can’t restore every historic house in town.”