Moving On (Ghost Of The Past Book 1)

by Trisha Grace

  “What are you doing here?” Joanne barked, putting down her nail file.

  Rolling her eyes, Evelyn continued without acknowledging Joanne. “Dan.”

  The working blonde nodded politely and picked up the phone, but Joanne marched over and snatched the phone from her, slamming the phone down.

  The assistant sighed softly and gave Evelyn an apologetic smile.

  “What business do you have with my brother?”

  Evelyn shook her head. This girl never learns. “If you think I won’t dare to beat the brat out of you simply because this is your brother’s company, then you’re wrong.” Taking a step closer to Joanne, Evelyn glared at her. “Get your brother out before I put actions behind my words.”

  “Are you threatening my daughter?”

  Evelyn turned around as a heavily made-up woman sauntered in with a series of click-clops announcing her entrance. Despite the layers of freshly applied powder on her face, the age lines that were deeply carved into her face were crystal clear.

  Evelyn pursed her lips as she took in the skin-tight dress and the heavy chunk of ornaments around the creased skin of the woman’s neck.

  She tried really hard to stop herself from giggling at the absurdity of the old woman’s outfit. People in their sixties really shouldn’t be dressing as if they were still in their early twenties.

  “Were you the one who threatened my daughter?” the woman asked as her eyes scrutinized Evelyn from head to toe.

  Joanne crossed her arms and smirked.

  “Yeah,” Evelyn replied without hesitation.

  Joanne’s mother raised her hand and swung her open palm at Evelyn. Without even flinching, Evelyn easily caught her attacker by the wrist and shoved her back.

  Evelyn even had time to grace Joanne with a smirk of her own.

  “I grew up with people much worse than you. If you think I’m a lamb that you can intimidate, think again. I don’t care how old you are, but if you dare to try that stupid stunt again, I’ll peel your flaky skin off you.”

  “What’s going on?”

  Evelyn heard Dan’s voice, but she didn’t turn around. She kept her eyes on the outrageous woman in front of her.

  “Evelyn, are you all right?” Dan asked as he strode up to her.

  “Yeah,” she said and her eyes flitted over to Dan, trying to judge if she would have to fight him, too.

  She relaxed a little when he smiled at her. “I just came to realize that your sister is a monster because she was brought up by one. How did you turn out so well?”

  Mrs. Riley’s jaw dropped, and she stared at Evelyn with disgust. “Are you going to let her speak about us that way?” she demanded, but Dan merely shrugged.

  Evelyn thought that was a smart choice.

  There was no right answer in this situation. No matter what answer he gave, he wouldn’t be able to appease both sides.

  Taking her hand, Dan pulled her out of the office.

  “Sorry about that, but you seemed to have handled yourself pretty well,” Dan said when they were out of earshot.

  “Are we still going to meet your wood guy or are you throwing me out of your office?” Evelyn asked as she was dragged to the parking lot.

  “Of course we’re still meeting my wood guy. But if you are too distraught by what happened, I can take you home.”

  She pulled her hand from Dan, laughing at the thought that a pair of spoiled mother and daughter could scare her. She pointed to her own car. “I drove, I’ll follow behind.”

  “That’s just wasting gas. I’ll drive you there. After that, we can have lunch, and I’ll send you back here.”

  “Are you trying to spend more time with me?”

  He blinked and laughed. “Is that all right?”

  Evelyn shrugged half-heartedly. “Is it all right if I ask Kate to join us for lunch?”

  “Sure.”

  She took out her phone and sent a text to Kate as she got into Dan’s car. “Why are your parents so protective of Joanne? Did she almost die when she was a child?”

  Her candor stunned Dan for a moment, but he recovered quickly and answered, “No. It took my parents a long time to have the both of us, and they’d always wanted a daughter.”

  Her head bobbed up and down as she came to an epiphany. “That’s why they spoiled her. And since their attentions were focused on her, you grow up to be independent and successful while your sister lives off you like a parasite.”

  “I didn’t know you’re an expert in families.”

  “I’m not. I’ve just seen more than my fair share of dysfunctional families.”

  Dan didn’t say anything, but she knew the question he had in mind.

  “I grew up in foster homes. It’s all right to ask. If you haven’t realized it, I’m pretty straightforward. I say things as they are; no drama, no secrets.”

  “What happened to your parents?”

  “I don’t know. I’ve never met my dad. And all I remember of my mother was her dropping me off at the hospital and never coming back.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be,” Evelyn said with a wry smile. “And don’t look at me that way.”

  “What way?”

  “The oh-poor-thing way. I survived it. I’m still in one piece, mentally and physically. And I must say I’m at a pretty good place in my life.”

  “How did you know Kate?”

  “We met in college, but that’s a long story. Speaking of Kate, I want you to know that even though I’m grateful you’re introducing your wood guy to me, I’m still going to say this. If your sister does anything stupid to Kate, I’ll kill her.”

  “It’s hard to believe you and Kate are friends.”

  “I know, she’s like the complete opposite of me,” she said with an indulgent smile.

  When they finally got to the warehouse, Dan’s wood guy had everything she needed. And thanks to Dan’s good relationship with him, she would be able to get the wood before the day was over.

  At lunch, Kate couldn’t stop thanking Dan for his help and insisted on picking up the tab. When Dan went to get his car, Kate hung back and pulled Evelyn aside. She had to warn her friend.

  “Eve, I know you like to have fun, but please don’t get involve with Dan.”

  “I have no intentions to do so. But out of curiosity, why not?”

  “Because he’s the nice, serious sort of guy. The type who’s interested in relationships: something that you avoid at all cost. I can tell he’s fond of you, but unless you change your mind about relationships, please don’t mess with him.”

  “I haven’t changed my mind. Relationships are a hassle and are doomed to fail.”

  “Then don’t—”

  “Don’t worry, I won’t get involve with Dan. Things between you and Tyler are weird enough. There’s no need to add Dan and me to the equation. And speaking of fondness, it was really sweet of Tyler to buy you that piano, huh.” Evelyn hooked her arm around Kate’s and pulled her closer.

  “It isn’t for me, it’s for the mansion.”

  Evelyn rolled her eyes. “Please. It’s for you. You do know you have to stay there for a year.”

  “I know.” She knew what was at risk; there was no way she’d jeopardize Tyler’s claim on the mansion. “We’re just friends.”

  “Do you like him?” Evelyn’s eyes slitted as she scrutinized Kate.

  “What?”

  “I can hear the disappointment in your voice.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “We’re just friends,” Evelyn mimicked, then displayed a dramatic pout.

  “Don’t be ridiculous. I’m going back to the office. See you later,” she said and got into her car.

  She shook her head as she steered the car from the curb.

  What was she thinking? She barely knew Tyler.

  There was no reason for her to be disappointed or upset when she chose to move in knowing full well of the one-year time limit.

 
She shook the thoughts from her head and returned to the office. She had plenty to do.

  Over the next few days, while Evelyn worked on replicating the desk that Laura and the team had damaged and thrown out, Kate removed the wrong furniture and replaced them with the right ones.

  A few of her staff from Laura’s team were helping her, but instead of serving as part of the solution, they were giving her more problems.

  Perhaps it was the angst of having to work under the close scrutiny of their boss right after screwing up, because she found herself having to repeat her instructions several times to get things done properly.

  She was already exhausted from having to do all the brainwork. Their lack of ability to understand simple instructions quickly pushed her beyond her boiling point.

  In the end, she banished all her staff from the Harpers’ house, kicked off her heels, and moved the furniture on her own.

  By the end of the week, Evelyn managed to recreate the desk, and the two of them personally installed it in the Harpers’ house.

  When they were done, Kate sat on the couch and took in the new look of the house. She wanted to make sure that everything was perfect for the Harpers; she wanted to close the project on a good note. After going through the house, checking everything over and over until she was satisfied, she declared the house done and ready for the Harpers.

  The Harpers viewed the house the next day. Kate trailed behind them and watched the Harpers closely, observing their reactions.

  Their pinched lips slowly eased into a small smile as they moved from room to room. And when they saw the replica that Evelyn made, Mr. Harper broke into a grin while Mrs. Harper gasped.

  Mrs. Harper couldn’t believe the wonderful job Evelyn had done with the table.

  In the end, despite Kate’s insistence on giving them the discount she’d promised, the Harpers paid her in full.

  Kate was delighted, not with the check, but that the Harpers were willing to give them a chance to make things right.

  That night when she got back to the mansion, even Marianne’s food couldn’t keep her awake. Skipping dinner, she took a shower and collapsed onto her bed.

  Sometime in the middle of the night, the sudden blare from Kate’s phone jarred her from her sleep. She sat up, half-dazed and with a minor headache. She pressed her hands against her face and took in a deep breath before reaching over to grab her phone.

  The bright contrast between the light from her phone and the dark room made her cringe, and she had to force her eyes open to look at the number displayed on the screen.

  But it only showed that it was a blocked number.

  “Hello?” Kate said, her voice thick with drowsiness.

  “Is this Kate Mitchell? This is Officer William Hurst. We have a situation at your house.”

  “My house?” Still barely awake, she couldn’t understand what was going on. “Officer? What’s going on?”

  “Your alarm was set off a while ago. When we arrived, we found a rather drunk lady trying to smash up the alarm. She claims she’s your sister, but she doesn’t have any ID on her.”

  The word ‘sister’ instantly snapped her out of her torpor. She threw her head back as she realized she’d forgotten to inform Lydia about the alarm. “Did you say she was drunk?”

  “Yes. I’m sorry, but we’ll need you to come over now so that we can clear this up.”

  “I can log in to the video stream to check if it’s her,” she said.

  “I’m sorry, ma’am, but she’s rather drunk. I don’t think it’s wise to leave her sitting alone in her condition.”

  “I’m on my way.” She ended the call and got out of bed. Putting on her sweater, she grabbed her handbag and left her room.

  She stood outside her door and hesitated for a moment. She wasn’t sure if she was allowed to leave the house in the middle of the night without Tyler. She had been reminding herself to find time and read up on the fine print, but between the failed project and the screw-up by her staff, she simply hadn’t had the time.

  Unwilling to take any risks, she decided it was better to wake Tyler and ask him along. She walked down the hall to the door next to hers and knocked on it. “Tyler?”

  “What’s wrong?” he asked as he opened the door and pulled her into his room, keeping her a step behind him. “I didn’t hear the alarm.”

  The urgency of getting back to her house faded, and she laughed at his reaction. “Nothing’s wrong, not in this house anyway. No one broke in. But my sister tried to get into my house, tripped the alarm, then tried to smash it. The police are at my house.”

  Tyler relaxed his stance. He went back into the room and pulled on a T-shirt before grabbing his keys.

  Outside the house, Tyler strode over to his car, but she grabbed his hand, “I got mine, I’ll drive. Sorry to wake you up at three in the morning.”

  “It’s fine, I’ll drive,” he said, jiggling the keys in his hand. “You can get some rest in the car.” Without waiting for her reply, he continued toward his car.

  She shook her head but followed him anyway.

  “So why did your sister try to smash the alarm?” Tyler asked as the car started winding down the road. “I thought a future lawyer would behave better.”

  “The officer said she’s drunk,” Kate said. “She must’ve been frustrated with the dead ends she met for my parents’ case.”

  “How do you know she met with dead ends?”

  She gave him a wry smile. “Because I met with the same dead ends.”

  “Did you tell her that?”

  “Nope. She wouldn’t have believed a single word I said. She has to go out there and face the dead ends for herself before she’d believe it. She’s that kind of person; she won’t give up without a good fight.”

  “Good trait for a lawyer, I suppose.”

  “Not too good a trait for a sister.”

  When they got to her house, a patrol car was parked right by her mailbox. Lydia was seated in the back seat, her head hung low, appearing to be sound asleep.

  Kate hurried over and handed her ID over to the police officer who had stepped out.

  The porch light was on, and the officer immediately smiled. “I’m sorry you have to go through the trouble, but we have to make sure.”

  Smiling politely, she replied, “I understand.”

  The officer opened the door and helped Lydia to her feet before removing the cuffs. “Here, young lady, you’re free to go.”

  Lydia stumbled forward, but Kate managed to catch Lydia in her arms.

  She thanked and apologized to the officer, then struggled with keeping Lydia from smashing onto the floor.

  Tyler stepped forward and effortlessly lifted Lydia into his arms.

  “Thanks,” Kate murmured, grateful that she didn’t have to balance her sister’s weight while trying to get through the doors.

  “Just leave her on the couch,” Kate said as she hurried up the stairs and brought a blanket down with her. She laid it over Lydia and turned to Tyler. “Do you want to stay here tonight? I have a guest room.”

  “Why not? I’m sure you don’t want to leave your sister alone.”

  “Thanks.” She led him up the stairs and to the guest room. “Sorry, I haven’t been home all week, I’m sure it’s a little dusty, I’ll change the sheets and—”

  Tyler grabbed her wrist as she reached to pull out the sheets. “It’s fine, Kate. Don’t worry about it. You should get some rest.”

  She glanced nervously around the room, feeling awful that she wasn’t a better housekeeper. “I’m really sorry about everything. Waking you up in the middle of the night, then making you sleep on dusty sheets. Maybe we should just go back to the mansion.” She tugged at her necklace. “I’m sure Lydia will be fine.”

  He took a step closer to her. “Thanks for putting my comfort over your concern for your sister, but I’m sure you won’t be able to get any sleep with Lydia here and you back at the mansion. Waking up in the middle of the night i
s fine. The room and the sheets are fine. Now, go rest.” His arm went around her waist and he brought her to the door. “I’ll be fine. Goodnight,” he whispered as he leaned closer.

  Her heart fluttered. His face was so close to hers that she thought he was going to kiss her.

  She gazed up at him, caught up in the moment. It felt almost natural to tip her chin back to kiss him.

  Stop it, Kate. What do you think you’re doing? Right, what was she doing?

  Throughout the week, whenever she had thought about Tyler, she would remind herself of what was at stake. The house meant a lot to Tyler. She couldn’t let whatever was wrong with her mess things up.

  They had to stay in the mansion for a year; the last thing they needed was to kiss, then be all awkward about it.

  She took a step away from him. “Goodnight,” she said and hurried back to her room.

  She had set her alarm earlier than usual, hoping she would be up before Tyler. She knew he was an early-riser, but she had no idea exactly what time he woke up.

  Whenever she was up for breakfast at the mansion, he was already in the kitchen.

  She stepped out of the shower, got ready, and went downstairs to put two aspirins and a glass of water next to her snoring sister. She wanted to get out of the house before Lydia woke.

  Tyler opened his door just as she was returning to her room.

  “I’m ready to go,” she said. “Did you sleep well?”

  Tyler nodded. “Marianne said she didn’t know we weren’t at the mansion, so she made breakfast for us. Are you hungry? If you are, we can just have breakfast somewhere near.”

  “No, I’m fine. We can head back and have our breakfast.”

  “And Lydia?”

  “She’ll be all right here.”

  “No, I’m not. My head’s killing me,” Lydia said as she staggered up the stairs. “Thanks for the aspirin, but why weren’t you home last night? And what’s with the alarm?” Lydia asked as her fingers rubbed her temple.

  Kate was hoping to avoid having this conversation in front of Tyler. She played with her locket nervously. “I … um … was staying at Tyler’s.” Taking in a deep breath, she rushed out the rest of the words. “And I’ll be staying there for the time being.”