Moving On (Ghost Of The Past Book 1)

by Trisha Grace

  But the moment she mentioned it, Tyler immediately thought of a place he wanted her to see.

  He was just about to tell Kate one of the secrets that the woods held when he saw the bright-pink mini-Volkswagen parked in front of the house.

  He sighed, turning Kate’s attention toward him.

  He felt her eyes follow his and heard the breath she sucked in.

  The last thing he wanted was for Joanne to be anywhere near Kate. So instead of stopping the car right in front of the house, Tyler turned and steered the car toward the left side of the mansion.

  Joanne hopped out of the car and waved her hands about, but Tyler had no intention of stopping.

  “Where are we going?” Kate asked. “You’re not going to drive us through the wall to avoid speaking to her, are you?”

  “Call Marianne, tell her to open the garage door.”

  “There’s a garage?” Kate pulled out the phone from her bag, scanning through her contact list.

  “Hi, Marianne. It’s Kate. Yeah, he wants you to open the garage door. Okay.” Kate turned back to him. “I think she knows Joanne is by the front door,” Kate mused while she hung up the call.

  He wasn’t quite as amused as she was. “Then she should’ve told Joanne to leave.”

  “Maybe she did, but Joanne refused. What do you expect her to do?”

  He smiled wryly; it was probably true. Marianne had never taken a liking to Joanne and would have no qualms about chasing her away.

  The car came to a stop in front of the garage door that was still closed. He drummed his fingers impatiently on the steering wheel while eyeing the rear-view mirror.

  “I think she’s still angry,” Kate said as she looked at the rear-view mirror. “You’re going out to speak to her, right? You can’t just leave her waiting out front for you.”

  He took his eyes off the mirror and turned to Kate. “The person you’re talking about almost made you blind.”

  Kate chuckled at his reply. “Don’t you think that’s a bit of an exaggeration? Painful, yes. But I seriously doubt I was at risk of going blind.”

  He shook his head, but otherwise remained silent.

  Sighing, Kate took off her spectacles and wore it like a headband over her hair. She closed her eyes for a moment and rubbed her temples.

  “It’s giving you a lot of trouble.”

  “I’m just not used to it. And if there’s a garage, why are we parking our cars up front?”

  “I don’t have the clicker installed on my car, so it has to be opened from inside the garage. Marianne hates it when people disturb her while she’s cooking.” He took a glance of the rear-view mirror and continued. “But if you want, I can fix it up for you.”

  “It’s okay. I was just curious.”

  When the garage door rolled up, he drove in with his eyes focused on the rear-view mirror.

  “She isn’t going to materialize out of thin air, and don’t crash through the wall.”

  Tyler grinned and took his eyes off the mirror, parking the car.

  “Go talk to her, and please don’t be angry about the juice incident. It’s over and I’m fine.”

  He shook his head as they stepped out of his car. “Kate, stay away from her. I’ll keep her away when I’m around. But if, for whatever reason, you find yourself alone with her, call me, then turn and leave.”

  Kate ignored him and went up to Marianne. “What’s for dinner?” she asked and hooked her arm around Marianne’s. Marianne beamed and outlined the menu for the day, but their conversation was interrupted by the doorbell.

  Joanne was pressing the doorbell so many times and so quickly that the tune from the bell wasn’t able to complete itself. The bell played its tune like a broken radio trying its best to function but failing pathetically.

  Without another word, Tyler took in a deep breath and marched toward the door. Kate caught up with him and gently grabbed him by his arm. “Ty, please don’t be mean.”

  He stared back at her, observing her for a few moments.

  Kate had been quick to forgive him, but Joanne was different; she was completely unreasonable.

  “Don’t be mean,” Kate mouthed.

  He exhaled slowly through his nose and nodded. He continued his stride toward the door and waited until Kate and Marianne went into the kitchen before stepping out.

  Joanne immediately stopped pressing the bell and flashed her sweetest smile. “Ty!”

  He could see her hesitate before taking a big step toward him and wrapping her hands around his arm.

  He pulled his arm from her and took a step back while he stared into the distance, bracing himself for the whining that Joanne would definitely rain down on him.

  He thought about what Kate had said. He still couldn’t believe she was actually concerned about someone who went crazy on her.

  This was why he had to be protective of her; she was too nice for her own good.

  He wasn’t intending to be mean to Joanne, but he was going to tell her to leave and slam the door in her face.

  He supposed he couldn’t go with his original plan now.

  “Where did you go with that woman?” Joanne demanded.

  He kept quiet, finding no need or reason to explain anything to Joanne.

  “Ty, why is she making you drive her around? Is she pestering you? I can tell her to leave you alone.”

  Tyler turned and finally looked Joanne in her eyes. “Stay. Away. From. Her.”

  “Ty!”

  “Joanne,” Tyler said, his voice low and stern, just as how Dan had spoken that morning. “If you’re not here to apologize to Kate, then leave.”

  “Ty! Wait, don’t just leave. Do you know how long I’ve waited here for you? Marianne wouldn’t even let me in.” Joanne complained. “She was completely unreasonable. Don’t be unreasonable, too. That Kate is a nobody. Why do you care what I splash in her face?”

  He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He’d known Joanne was spoilt, but he never knew she was out of her mind.

  “I was the one who told Marianne not to allow you into the house.” He wanted to end his reply there, but Tyler finally felt the need to make things clear with her.

  “Joanne, I don’t know what’s wrong with you, but you’re being ridiculous. There’s nothing between us; there never was and never will be. We’ve never gone out on dates or anything, so I don’t know where or how you got the idea that we’re a couple. To me, you’re just Dan’s sister. The end. And if you were to ever do anything to hurt Kate again, I’ll call the cops on you.”

  That was the longest conversation he ever had with Joanne, and he could see the shock in her eyes. He just wasn’t sure if the shock was stemmed from his long speech or the contents of it, but he couldn’t care less.

  She stared at him, pouting.

  He rolled his eyes and turned away.

  He wasn’t interested in pacifying Joanne; he wasn’t interested in anything she had to say.

  He’d already fulfilled his not-being-mean part. He went back into the house, making sure to close and lock the door behind him.

  Both Marianne and Kate smiled warmly when he entered the kitchen.

  “Has she left?” Marianne asked. “Told her to leave, but she wouldn’t listen.”

  Kate was silent, but she looked at Tyler expectantly, waiting for an answer to her silent question.

  “I tried to be as nice as possible,” he stated.

  Marianne’s head swayed between them. “Your parents used to do this: this mental communication thing. She’d give your dad a look and only he would understand what was going on.”

  Neither of them said anything in response to Marianne’s statement.

  Marianne had lived with and taken care of him for over twenty years. He was grateful that she’d always been there for him, but he couldn’t help shooting her a glare.

  “We’ll be heading to North Dakota this weekend. Kate has to work,” Tyler said, hoping to stop Marianne from rambling on.

&nbs
p; “All right. Give me a call when you’re coming back, and let me know if you kids want to eat.”

  After dinner, Kate thanked Marianne for preparing the food and returned to her room. She wanted to get her ideas for the bed and breakfast ready before heading over.

  Over the next few days, Kate was extremely busy with her work. Dinner became the only time when Tyler could talk to her.

  And while Kate was busy getting her portfolio ready, Tyler was busy searching for a grand piano. There was also the task of rearranging the furniture in the living room to make space. His grandfather had shifted things around, taking up the empty spot where the grand piano used to stand.

  Kate was probably the best person to consult. But since it was meant to be a surprise, he had to figure it out himself.

  If he could design a whole system backed with technology to keep buildings and homes safe, surely he wouldn’t have a problem with rearranging furniture.

  Or so he thought.

  Each time he gave Marianne the instructions for the movers, there was always a problem. It would be too cluttered in that corner, the dimension wasn’t right, or there wouldn’t be enough walking space. The problems went on and on.

  In the end, he decided that he didn’t need all the furniture in the living room. There wasn’t a need for the extra couch, additional chairs, or the desk that no one used. All those could be taken apart and sent up to the attic, instantly solving his problem.

  Leaving Marianne with the finalized instructions, Kate and Tyler left for North Dakota.

  Chapter Nine

  Tyler rented a car at the airport, and they headed out toward the hotel. He wound down the car windows, taking in the fresh country air.

  He looked over at Kate. Her hair flowed back with the wind; her eyes closed as she took in a deep breath.

  “This is nice,” she said.

  Throughout the drive, Kate couldn’t take her eyes off the view outside.

  “Never been to the country?”

  “Not many country houses to design.” She cast a glance over her shoulder to look at him. “It’s beautiful out here. There’s so much space. It feels so free, so relaxed.”

  “This is free and relaxed, but the mansion is creepy?”

  “It’s different. We’re not surrounded by acres of trees. Here, you can see as far as the horizon.”

  He contemplated on the effort it would take to remove all the trees around the mansion for her to see as far as the horizon. The land around the area belonged to them, so it wouldn’t be an issue for him to cut down the trees. But he wasn’t sure if it was possible. Thinking out loud, he said, “I don’t think it’s possible to remove all the trees.”

  Kate took her eyes off the scenery, laughing as she turned to him. “I don’t think it’s possible either. And there’s no need, it can be rather beautiful at certain times of the day.”

  She took a look at the map and frowned. “Am I reading the map wrong or is the hotel pretty far from the bed and breakfast?”

  “It’s the nearest hotel I could find outside town. I didn’t think we’d be welcome if they found out you’re with the new competition.”

  “True.” She nodded. “Did you bring any work along?”

  He shook his head. “Why?”

  “I thought if you had to work, then I’ll drive there on my own.”

  There wasn’t any way he was letting her drive around in a place she’d never been to, especially after the way she twirled the map around in her hands and still got the direction wrong. “I’ll go with you.”

  “Great, then I’ll have a free chauffeur for the next two days.”

  When they arrived at the hotel, he parked the car and took their bags from the trunk.

  “This is the first time I don’t have to worry about the bags or take care of the check-in,” Kate commented as they got to the room.

  Taking a quick glance at her watch, she took out her phone and sent a text.

  “Do you need to be somewhere now?” Tyler asked.

  “No, it’s fine. I just texted Ben to let him know I’ll be late. It was a long drive; you should get some rest.”

  Tyler walked over to the space between the beds and set her luggage down.

  Kate pointed her chin toward the beds. “Which side do you want to take?”

  “The one nearer to the door.”

  Kate plopped onto her designated bed. “Do you want to go look at the bed and breakfast with me? Or would you prefer to go scout around on your own?”

  “I don’t mind going along if I won’t get in your way.”

  “Looks like I’ll have a bodyguard as well as a chauffeur.” She grinned at him. Walking over to the window, she pushed up the window pane and leaned out to take a deep breath of the summer air.

  Her smile was always so mesmerizing.

  He leaned against the wall by the window and watched her smile.

  “What?” she asked. “Something on my face?” She brushed her hand against her cheek, trying to wipe off whatever she thought he was staring at.

  He pulled his eyes from her and turned to the scenery outside. “Nothing,” he said, his eyes on the dry, knee-length grass that was bending to the will of the wind.

  “Look, someone’s riding a horse.”

  He grinned at her amusement. “It’s just a horse. I’m sure you’ve seen one before.”

  “Yeah, but not like this. I’ve seen them in pictures, movies, and zoos, but never like this.”

  “You never rode before?”

  “No,” Kate answered without taking her eyes off the horse.

  Kate glanced over at Tyler as he stopped the car opposite the under-construction bed and breakfast. He had only studied the map for a minute before he returned it to her and got them to their destination without a second look.

  “Thanks for accompanying and driving me around,” she said.

  He shrugged. “It’s nice to getaway from the city once in a while.”

  The moment she got out of the car, Benjamin came jogging out of the bed and breakfast, clutching a bouquet of flowers.

  She sighed softly and shook her head. That wasn’t a good sign.

  “Is there something I’m missing?” Tyler asked as he strode over to join Kate by her side.

  Strictly business, I promised. She rolled her eyes as Benjamin’s words replayed in her head.

  “We used to date.”

  They continued toward Benjamin, who had halted midway when he laid eyes on Tyler.

  “Hi, Ben,” Kate said awkwardly.

  Squaring his shoulders, Benjamin handed Kate the flowers. “Hi there,” he said and leaned in to kiss her on the cheek before turning to Tyler. “I didn’t know you were bringing someone.”

  “You seem to have forgotten that I no longer need to let you know who I’m going out with,” Kate stated, hoping it would remind him of their professional standing. “Ty, this is Benjamin Anderson, owner of the bed and breakfast. And Benjamin, Tyler.”

  Benjamin nodded at Tyler before he placed his hand on Kate’s back and led her toward the bed and breakfast. “You never asked me along for any of your projects.”

  “I don’t think I owe you any explanation,” she said and stepped out from Benjamin’s arm.

  “I tried calling your house the other day, but it kept going to voicemail. I was in town and thought I could drop by,” Benjamin continued as she moved toward Tyler.

  “Oh, I’ve moved in with Ty. I guess you can try to get me on my cell phone next time.” Casually, she wrapped her hands around Tyler’s arm.

  Benjamin’s jaw slackened. “Moved in?”

  She nodded, praying that Tyler would play along with her little charade.

  Tyler had appeared stunned for a moment, probably surprised by her sudden touch. But almost immediately, he folded up his arm to support her weight as she leaned in.

  Disbelief flooded Benjamin’s face. “When?”

  “Last week,” Kate chimed. Since Tyler hadn’t pulled his hand from her, s
he took that as his consent in participation. In gratitude, she beamed up at Tyler and leaned closer as he returned her smile.

  “How long have you known him? You moved in with him after knowing him for what, three months?” Benjamin asked with complete confusion. “I asked you to move in with me—twice—but you refused. You said—”

  “I know what I said,” she cut in before he could finish his sentence.

  “Were you seeing him before we broke up?”

  “I’m not you.”

  Benjamin swallowed hard and cleared his throat.

  “Things are different with him. I’ve moved in with him, and I’m really happy. All of which shouldn’t matter to you. You promised this was strictly business.”

  Benjamin grunted and stared at Tyler. “What’s different with him?”

  She glowered at how rude Benjamin was. “Completely different and absolutely none of your business. I think you’ve made your stand pretty clear. Find someone else for your project; I can’t help you.” She turned to leave, pulling Tyler along.

  A sudden and forceful grip on her arm made her gasp and jolted her to a stop. “Let go!” she shouted as she tried to shrug off Benjamin’s stronghold.

  Before Benjamin could respond, he was down on the floor.

  She wasn’t exactly sure what had happened.

  She saw Tyler stepping between Benjamin and her. The next thing she knew, Benjamin’s hand was no longer on her arm and she was staring at Tyler’s back while Benjamin was moaning on the floor. She took a step to the side, trying to get a clearer view of what had happened. But Tyler stretched out his arm, preventing her from moving forward.

  “Touch her again and I’ll break your hands.” Taking her hand, they strode back toward the car.

  She went along with Tyler, placing the flowers on top of Benjamin’s car as they walked passed it.

  “You were serious about the judo thing. I didn’t even see what you did. You have to teach me.”

  “No,” he said without thinking as he pulled out of the parking lot.

  “Why not?” she asked, disappointed with his blatant rejection.

  Tyler’s lips turned up as he saw her reaction. “You’ll get hurt if you don’t know what you’re doing. If you need someone to fight for you, give me a call.”