Switching off the light, she closed the door behind her and set Barney on his feet. He trotted ahead of her down the stairs.
Passing the children’s rooms, she made a face, the thought of all those vacant eyed toys waiting for someone sending a shiver down her spine. Hell, if no one wanted to buy the toys, they were going to the tip. They were freaking her out. Especially on a stormy night.
Feeling a chill now, the cold creeping up the stairs, she hurried down them, grateful to be away from the silent rooms now that dusk had fallen.
Downstairs, the lights shone brightly, and she ensured the hallway light was on as well.
A quick shower and she donned a nightgown and warmer dressing gown before heading for the kitchen. Placing the notepad on the kitchen bench, she fed the cats before warming up a tin of soup and toasting two slices of bread. Sitting at the table, she listened to the rain on the tin roof.
Downstairs was cosy, to a certain degree, anyway. Nicer than upstairs, that was for sure, though she supposed that at one time the house would have been full of life, warm and inviting, children’s voices calling happily, people bustling through the rooms.
Now, it was empty. Apart from her and her two cats.
A creak came from upstairs, no doubt the wood settling, but it still made her swallow nervously at the thought of the vacant-eyed dolls in the girl’s room.
Freaky.
Picking up the bowl of soup and the plate of toast, she headed for the lounge room and the comfort of television.
However, she couldn’t get the thought of the photos out of her mind, and picking up the phone, she rang her parent’s home. Her sister answered.
“Barbie.” Melissa sounded pleased. “Good to hear you.”
“Thought I’d give you all a tingle.”
“How’s it going up there in the wilds?”
Barbie laughed. “I don’t know about the wild part, it’s kind of civilized, actually. Has a police station, little hospital, ambulance, own fire truck, even a supermarket.”
She didn’t mention Adam. No way. She tried to suppress all the guilt that threatened to flood back. Having Melissa on the phone and Adam in town brought back memories.
“Wow,” Melissa said, “progress. I’m impressed.”
She forced her attention back on the conversation. “The people here even wear real clothes instead of animal hides.”
“Really impressed.”
“Hey, Melissa, do you remember much about Great Aunt Penny?”
“Not a lot. I know she was an old spinster, no kids.”
“What about the house?”
“It’s old?”
Barbie rolled her eyes. “Apart from that.”
“Probably haunted,” Melissa teased.
“I so don’t need that right now. It’s dark and stormy.”
“On a dark and stormy night, the horrors of the Declan house rose from the-”
“Will you shut up?”
Melissa laughed. “Sorry, couldn’t help it.” Sobering, she asked, “What’s up with the house?”
“Nothing, really. Just it has kids’ stuff in it, some old photos with no names. I’m curious.”
“So am I. Maybe you need to speak to Dad. It was his Aunt.”
“Sure.” Barbie hesitated. “How are you going?”
“Fine.” She could hear the curiosity in her sister’s voice. “Why?”
“Nothing. Just asking.” And feeling a streak of guilt.
“Oh, well, we’re all fine. The kids are playing Monopoly with Bill, Dad, Mum and me.”
“I’m interrupting. Sorry. Just put Dad on for a few minutes, I promise it won’t take long.”
Her father came on seconds later. “Hey, pumpkin.”
“Hi Dad.”
“Everything all right?”
“Just dandy. I’m just wondering, Great Aunt Penny…”
“Yes?”
“We didn’t really have much to do with her. Do you know why she left the house to me?”
“We’ve been through this already, pumpkin. Not a clue. I’m guessing maybe because she drew your name out of a hat.” He laughed.
“Very funny.” Grinning, Barbie watched Fred amble across the floor. “She has some photos here with no names or anything on them. If I post them to you, do you think you’d know who the people are?”
“Well, I could try. Photos, you say?” A lover of historical photos, his voice became eager. “I don’t suppose there are any old photo albums around, are there?”
“Could be. I haven’t checked all the rooms yet.”
“Send what you can. I’d come down to look, but I’m caught up with work.”
“Dad, its fine. I’ll collect all the photos I have so far and post them to you on Monday, okay? Express delivery.” She paused. “I think the PO here does express.”
Her father laughed. “Pony express.”
The sound of merriment came in the distance, making Barbie smiled. “Sounds like you’re all having fun.”
“The kids are cheating.”
“Then you better go back and sort them out.” Bidding her father goodbye, Barbie hung up the phone.
Looking at Fred, who was eyeing the window, she frowned. “Don’t even think of hissing at anything.” More than aware now of how alone she was, she listened, turning the TV sound low.
Thunder still rumbled in the distance and rain continued to patter in the roof. A thud sounded outside, and she assured herself with a shiver that it was probably a branch being blown off a tree. The wind was probably picking up.
Refusing to think about anything spooky, she got up and strode to the front door, flicking on the outside light.
Another thud, the sound of…no, it had to be leaves on the veranda.
There’s no such things as ghosts. No such thing as ghosts. Geez, Barb, it’s probably some animal trying to shelter on the veranda. Just open the door and you’ll see, there’s nothing there. Nothing.
Besides, the security screen was locked.
Taking a deep breath, she swung open the wooden door and stared out at the well-lit veranda and the night beyond.
Wind whipped in the trees, rain poured. Nothing. There was nothing on the veranda.
A crash sounded form upstairs, and hand to heart, she swung around to stare upwards. Oh God, oh God. Fear gripped her, squeezing at her bravado, but she refused to give in to it.
Fred stood in the lounge room doorway, looking at her. His back wasn’t hunched, he wasn’t snarling, he simply glanced at the roof and then back down at her before he got up and ambled over to the staircase.
If he was game to go upstairs then there was nothing ghostly up there, she assured herself. And she wasn’t going to let him go up by himself anyway. “Fred!”
A thought struck her. She’d opened windows, had she actually closed them again? What if the rain was pelting through? That had to be it.
Passing the storeroom as she approached the stairs, regardless of her raggedly held bravado, she picked up the broom on her way. There’s no such things as ghosts.
God, she was a grown woman in an old, empty house. She had to get a grip.
Holding tightly to the broom, she started up the stairs. Yeah, she could ring the cops, but what if they came and found just what she suspected? An open window and something knocked over by the wind? How stupid would she look?
Fred ambling up by her side gave her renewed courage. Before she could take the coward’s way out and run for the phone to call for help like a pathetic, scaredy--pants woman, she strode up the stairs, refusing to think, clenching her jaw, flicking on light switches as she progressed. It’s what a man would do, and damned if she was going to do less. She was a woman alone, and that meant pulling up her big girl panties - literally - and investigating.
Even if she was almost crapping herself.
The doors to the rooms were all shut, so she threw them open one by one, holding the broom ready in case she had to brain a - what? Ghost? Scoffing at herself, she n
evertheless kept the broom ready. There was no one to see her acting like a nut except Fred, who couldn’t speak English.
The window in every room was shut, except for the library. As soon as she opened the door she saw the curtain billowing at the window, the vase lying broken on the floor.
Shoulders slumping in relief, she crossed to the window and shut it, refusing to look out into the yard. Cowardly custard.
Fred sat at the door, watching.
Retrieving the dust pan and broom from the storeroom, she quickly cleaned up the broken porcelain and went back downstairs, tipping it into the rubbish bin.
Returning to the lounge room, she flopped back down onto the sofa, Fred and Barney curling up one each side of her. Turning up the TV sound, she immersed herself in the movie.
It was only later in bed on the edge of sleep, that she remembered that the window hadn’t even been open, she had seen the rain pouring down the glass.
Hadn’t she?
Comfortably snuggled under the doona with Fred purring against her stomach under the doona, and Barney curled behind her knees on top of the doona, she drifted off into a troubled sleep.
~*~
“I can’t believe the footy game got called off,” Ghost grouched.
“Suck it up, princess,” Matt said. “The footy field is a sea of mud.”
“Bunch of wimps. Real men get out there and play in the mud.”
“Real men are wise enough not to drown in the swamp.” Adam locked his four wheel drive. “There was more water on the grass than in the river.”
“Real men can handle a bit of wet weather.”
Matt shook his head. “Give up, Adam, the princess here is upset. Nothing is going to make him happy now.”
Stepping up onto the veranda, Adam sniffed the air. “Oohh, someone’s baking cakes.”
Ghost’s face brightened. “The girls are baking goodies. Let’s go taste.”
“Suddenly he’s all better.” Grinning, Matt opened the security screen.
“And for once he’s got a great idea.” Adam was practically salivating. “I’m starved.”
Before entering the house, they kicked off their muddy boots and left them beside the front door. In socks, they entered Lori’s house which was now Matt’s as well. Ali had moved in with Ghost, who lived next door, which meant that the sisters saw each other on an almost daily basis, which suited them.
Voices from the kitchen greeted them, Matt crossing the room to kiss Lori on the cheek, Ghost going around the kitchen bench to smack Ali's bottom while reaching for a freshly baked biscuit.
She smacked him sharply on the back of the knuckles with a spoon. “Hey!”
“Oh, honey.” He grinned at her, almost spraying her with biscuit crumbs from his mouthful. “I need TLC.”
“Aren’t you supposed to be at the footy?”
“It was cancelled.” He cast her a mournful expression. “I’m so sad.”
“Oh, diddums.” Giggling, she brushed a crumb form the corner of his mouth.
“Yeah, I need lots of TLC.”
“We’re in company.”
“So?”
“Perv.”
“Yeah, but you like it.”
Adam heard what they were saying, but his attention was on the blonde woman standing near the sink, a bowl of something cradled in her arm, her hand stirring the spoon vigorously. Or she had been stirring until she saw him, then she slowed down.
“Barbie.” Adam nodded to her.
She looked cute, a little smudge of flour on her cheek, a frilly apron covering her thin jumper. The apron ties were around a waist that wasn’t tiny, admittedly, but it indented mouth-wateringly to show off a generous bosom above and rounded hips below. He’d always been partial to the fuller figure, and Barbie had one that ticked all his approval boxes.
“Adam.” She smiled tightly, her gaze running over him slowly.
Unconsciously, he straightened his shoulders. “The house a little brighter now?” Jesus, what a dumb question.
“Great, thanks.” Pushing away form the sink, she set the bowl down and crossed the room to the pantry, reaching up to the top shelf for a cake tin. Unable to reach it, she went up on tippy-toe, arm straining upward.
Striding across the room, Adam stood behind her, reaching over her head to easily snag the bowl.
Probably wasn’t his best move. Now he could feel the softness of her curves against the front of his body, smell her light, sweet scent intermingled with chocolate. For a split second he didn’t know whether to sniff her or lick her.
What!?
Startled at his own thoughts, he looked down at her, only to find her looking up at him in turn, her head tilted back, the glossy, blonde strands of her ponytail clinging to his jumper.
The top of her head only came level with his shoulders. It gave him a heady feeling, a protective instinct crawling through him. He’d always had it when it came to women, children, the elderly, animals, basically anyone smaller than him and helpless. So why did the protectiveness feel so different this time? So…personal?
Unable to make sense of his thoughts or feelings, a little angry at himself for the confusion he was feeling, Adam stepped back, saying gruffly as he handed her the bowl, “Here.”
“Thanks.” She turned away, her head tipping forward to hide her expression from him.
Moving to the table, he cast a glance at his friends, wondering if they’d noticed the brief interlude, prepared for their teasing, but they were still busy with their wives. Ghost had his finger in a bowl of cake batter which Ali was trying to grab off him, while Matt was describing how bad the footy pitch was to Lori while having a sly grope of her bottom.
Shaking his head, Adam dropped down into a chair.
His gaze wandered back to Barbie, watching as she poured the batter into the cake tin he’d retrieved for her. She expertly scraped around the sides with a flat spatula or whatever they called it, before pushing the cake tin towards Lori. Washing the bowl she’d just emptied, she dried it and started for the pantry. Once there, she looked up to where he’d gotten the other bowl, hesitated, and placed it instead on the next shelf down.
Interesting. Had she been as affected as he from that little encounter?
And what? Affected? Cripes, hanging around the two lovebird couples that were his friends was doing his head in slowly but surely.
Still, he couldn’t help but arch a brow at Barbie when she turned back, smiling a little to himself when a blush bloomed in her cheeks.
Ghost diverted his attention by dropping down in a chair and announcing loudly, “Wenches, get your men a drink!”
“Maybe you need to train him better,” Lori told Ali, as Matt plugged the kettle into the wall socket.
“He likes to think he’s in charge,” Ali replied. “I indulge him.”
“I am in charge,” Ghost stated.
“Did you put the bin out for the garbos tomorrow morning?”
“No.” Eyes twinkling, he folded his arms across his chest. “I’m the man, I choose when I do it.”
“I’m the woman. I have control of who sleeps in my bed.”
“I’ll put it out first thing when we get home.”
“Good boy.”
“Do I get a reward?”
She winked at him, and moaning, he slid down in his chair. “Oh, boy.”
Matt looked up from where he was getting cups from the cupboard. “Anyone for hot tea? Coffee? Milo?”
“Tea for me, please,” Ali replied.
“I’ve already got Milo.” Lori pointed to her cup.
“My tea is still cooling,” Barbie said quietly, “but thanks for the offer.”
“I’ll have a hot, strong coffee.” Ghost leered. “Like my woman.”
Ali blew him a kiss.
“Black tea for me, please,” Adam said.
Barbie hovered near the kitchen bench while Lori placed the cake tin in the oven. It was more than obvious that she wasn’t sure which way to go. Adam ha
d an inkling that it’d be right out the back door if she had her way.
“Take a seat at the table,” Lori instructed without looking up. “We’ll be right there. Oh, and you’ve got flour on your face.”
Wiping the flour off her cheek, Barbie dusted her hand on the apron before untying it and hooking it over the pantry doorhandle. Picking up her mug of tea, she approached the six seater table. To anyone else she might have looked poised, but Adam could see the tension in her gaze as she glanced around at the chairs.
He couldn’t help it, some devilish streak in him having him tug out the chair right beside him for her. He met her startled eyes with a bland face, biting back a grin when her lips tightened just a little as she rounded the table to take the chair beside him.
Good manners dictated that she accepted, and he was starting to realise that Barbie had developed good manners in spades. Quite different to the young teenager he’d known and… Jaw tightening, he averted his gaze to find Matt watching him with a slightly raised brow from where he stood at the counter spooning coffee into a mug.
Chapter 4
“So how long before the footy pitch is ready for playing on again?” Lori queried.
“As soon as it’s dried out,” Matt replied. “Unfortunately, diddums over there is in a funk about it.”
“I’m tormented,” Ghost told Ali dolefully. “I may need cake.”
“Cake’s just gone into the oven, but this might lift your spirits.” She lifted a cover off a tray to reveal still-warm scones.
His eyes lit up. “Oh, honey, you do love me!”
“Aren’t you lucky?”
Just then a big black and white cat wandered through the door, eyeing everyone off before trotting over to Adam and pawing at his leg.
“Wow.” Barbie whistled. “He’s huge.”
“That’s Dougie.” Lori smiled. “Maine Coone.”
“Makes my Barney and Fred look like kittens.”
“Barney and Fred?” Lori laughed. “Flintstones fan?”
“How can you tell?” She grinned.
Picking Dougie up, Adam cradled him on his lap and stroked down his back, rubbing the big cat behind his ears. The rusty purr that broke out had them all laughing.
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