by Mya O'Malley
This time the noise sounded from across the room, near the kitchen sink. The faucet had been turned on, water flowing freely. “What the…”
Naomi walked over to shut the faucet off, thinking that this spirit had been becoming increasingly active over the past few weeks. Light from outside the window caught her eye. Someone was sitting in a car that was parked across from her house-someone who appeared to be a man. The light could have been coming from a cell phone or something in the man’s car. What was he doing, just sitting there? His face lifted and Naomi fell back against the table.
Nick.
Even though she couldn’t be sure it was him in the darkness, it hit her that the car was the same model Nick owned.
Naomi walked toward the window near the sink once more, steadying her shaking legs. He was gone. He must have seen her looking at him from the window. What could he possibly want after this amount of time had gone by? If she had attempted to speak with him earlier, would he still be here spying from his car window?
But why show up now? Why had he started lurking around?
Unless.
A sweeping feeling of fear washed over her. Unless he had been doing it all along, and she had been oblivious to it.
Her first instinct was to bolt. Just like she did in her dreams.
Taking a steadying breath, she reached for her cell phone with trembling hands. Ryan. He would know what to do.
Ryan’s cell rang as she held her breath. Come on, pick up. The sudden knock on the door startled her, causing her cell phone to drop to the floor.
“Shoot.” She kept her call connected to Ryan, although it was still ringing. Edging toward the door carefully, she prayed it wasn’t Nick. Her heart pounded furiously as she stood before her front door.
“Who is it?” Her voice squeaked.
“It’s Bryce.”
Oh my God. Relief flowed through her. She allowed her heart rate to slow down a moment before opening the door.
“Wow. Are you okay?”
Naomi smoothed a hand through her hair, certain it was a mess.
“Yes, I am now.”
“What happened?”
Realizing that she hadn’t invited Bryce in, she took hold of his arm and pulled him inside. “Come in.” She noticed that Holly wasn’t by his side.
“I can only come in for a second. My buddy John is at my house watching Holly. I had to work late and I came home to Holly being sick. She’s running a fever and I’m embarrassed to admit I ran out of medicine.”
“Oh.”
“Would you mind terribly if I asked you to watch Holly, just for a few minutes, while I run to the pharmacy? John would do it but he’s already late for his daughter’s chorus performance. He doesn’t want to miss it.”
He was rambling. He must be worried sick about Holly. “Of course. Let’s go.” Naomi reached for her jacket, her own worries momentarily forgotten.
She walked beside Bryce, glad to escape the drama of her house for the time being.
“I cannot tell you how much I appreciate your help.”
“Anytime.” He led her up the pebbled road to his large farmhouse. She wondered if he had rented out just a section of the house or if he and Holly had access to the entire dwelling.
He led her inside as she glanced around.
“Wow. This house is amazing.” She took in the old crown molding and dark hardwood floors.
“I agree. I think I must mention it to John nearly every day.”
“Do you have plans to buy it one day?” She could only imagine what a home like this would cost.
“Oh, hardly. This place would sell for a fortune, and honestly, it’s way too big for just Holly and me.” It was a large home.
“I think this just may be my dream home.” Naomi couldn’t stop staring at the charming seating built into the window, the window frames, the built-in bookcases that adorned the walls.
“Yeah. Me, too.” He chuckled.
A blond-haired man appeared from the stairway. “Hey. You must be Naomi.” He extended his hand. “I’m John, it’s nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you too, John. I was just admiring your beautiful home.”
“Ah, this old thing?” John laughed. “It was left to my wife’s family. Although gorgeous, it requires a ton of upkeep, and it’s way too big for us. We’re just biding our time before we sell.”
“Oh, no. You’re not selling it any time soon, are you?” Bryce and his daughter had only just moved in. She would hate to see them uprooted so quickly.
“Don’t worry, the plan is long term. Besides, Bryce here has already been working hard at getting this place in tip-top shape so when the time does come, the house will be in prime selling condition.”
“You’re handy around the house?” She directed her question to Bryce.
“I can manage.”
“Oh, he’s just being humble. Bryce here could make his own home from bottom to top if he put his mind to it.”
“If you ever run into any trouble over there, I’d be happy to lend a hand,” Bryce offered.
“Thank you, I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Anyway, I’ve got to get going. My daughter has a chorus performance.” He extended his hand. “It was nice to meet you Naomi.”
“Yes, I hope you’re not too late getting to the concert.”
John smiled widely. “The concert isn’t for another hour, so I think I’ll be fine.”
Glancing at Bryce, she saw his cheeks flush. Naomi’s own face felt warm.
Once John had closed the door behind him, Bryce placed his hands in his pockets. “He…he had said earlier that he was running behind.”
“No, it’s okay, Please don’t explain. I’m happy to help.” She wasn’t sure what to make of his admission. Why had he stated earlier that John was late?
He nodded his head, brown eyes crinkled with his warm smile. “Good. Well, I have to check on Holly quickly, and then I promise I won’t be long.”
“Okay.”
Naomi waited until Bryce returned from upstairs, taking a moment to wander around the cozy living room. Knickknacks filled the narrow shelving on top of the wide fireplace. Someone had decorated this home with love and care. A small wood figurine of a cat caught her eye. Picking it up, she turned the figure over in her hand.
“That’s Holly’s favorite.”
She jumped at the sound of his voice. “Oh. I’m sorry. I was just looking around.”
He approached her as she placed the small cat back on the mantle.
“Here.” He gave the cat back to her, placing it gently in her hand. His touch startled her. From behind her, his hand remained over hers as he showed her the delicate carvings on the wood figure.
“Look. You can even see the tiny whiskers.”
“That’s amazing.” For reasons unknown, her chest thumped wildly. Time stalled as she felt his strong presence. His chest touched her back and she closed her eyes for a moment.
“Where did you get this from?” She was the first to break the silence.
“I made it.”
“You did? This is incredible.”
“Thank you. I started making them as a hobby, back when I was in high school. I made a few bucks here and there, but mostly I made the figures for my own pleasure. It’s relaxing, you know.”
She didn’t dare turn to look up at him. She wasn’t sure what would happen if she did. “How many did you make?”
“Total? I’d say about a hundred, give or take.”
A hundred. She gulped. Placing it back on the shelf, she stepped away from him.
“I think I should be getting that medicine. Holly’s sleeping, so she’ll be no trouble. Make yourself at home. There’s some hot cocoa and some wine in the fridge.”
She laughed at that. “What kind of babysitter would I be if I drank wine on duty?”
“Well then you can wait for me to return, and we’ll share a glass together.” He grabbed his jacket and smiled.
“
Sure. That sounds nice.”
“Let me get a fire going here before I leave.” She watched in silence as Bryce tended to the task. He leaned over to light the fire and grab the poker and then gazed up at her with a lopsided grin. “Feeling warmer in here?”
She swallowed.
What was wrong with her?
“I’ll be back before you know it.” He closed the door behind him as Naomi tried to make sense of what had just happened between them.
Chapter Seventeen
Maggie
WHERE WAS THE time going? The warm days of summer were slipping by. Maggie wished she could still time, preserve the days of happiness spent by R.J’s side. If only her ex would stop calling and hanging up. Although he didn’t speak, she knew it was him. Who else could it be? She thought she had seen him once in town, but then when she turned the corner, he was gone.
R.J. had tried to figure out where the hang-ups were coming from, but the caller had blocked his or her number.
Coincidence or not?
Maggie didn’t believe in coincidences. There was no way to prove that her ex was making the calls, so reporting him was not an option. She had to be careful at the mention of these calls around R.J. because it seemed the closer she and R.J. became, the less tolerant he was over these hang-ups. The last thing she needed was for R.J to get into a confrontation with an unstable man. It would only make matters worse.
Even her fear of heights was improving since she had let R.J. into her life. They had walked the breathtaking cliffs overlooking the Hudson River many times together, her courage increasing with each visit to the cliffs. R.J. would encourage her to venture out just a bit further each time. She wasn’t foolish enough to ever get dangerously close, but it felt good to be able to peer down the cliff, even if her legs still wobbled.
When R.J. called that day and asked her to go for a late summer walk at the cliffs, she was more than happy to oblige.
Naomi
DURING THE TIME he had been gone to the pharmacy, Naomi had located at least five more wooden figures. There were some more cats, a wolf, and a horse. She wondered where the remaining figures were. She imagined he had given some to friends, family, and then there were the ones he had sold.
Thinking back to her recent interaction with Bryce, Naomi was still stumped. How could he have brought forth such a reaction from her? She was with Ryan. She was happy with Ryan.
Or was she?
Yes, overall, yes.
So what if their relationship had suffered a bit in the romance department lately? Since their discussion, things had been a bit better.
Then what was with the way her heart raced when Bryce had touched her hand? The way she couldn’t breathe when he was standing so close behind her. And why had he lied about John being in a rush?
Bottom line: being here alone with him was a bad idea. When Bryce returned, she would make up a reason to return home.
Home. Hm. Returning home to a haunted house with a most-likely-murdered spirit didn’t seem so appealing right now, not when this warm living room with a roaring fireplace stood before her. Oh, and don’t forget the psycho ex-boyfriend spying on her through her kitchen window.
Staying here was definitely the safer option.
Or was it?
Still deliberating, she paced the hardwood floors. She could remain here but keep her distance. Or maybe she should go home. She had to return home at some point anyway.
“Everything okay?”
“Oh my God. How do you sneak up on me like that without me knowing?” He had twice succeeded in startling her in the course of only a half an hour.
“I’m sorry. Next time I’ll shout my presence before sneaking up on you,” he laughed as he approached. “How’s Holly? Did she wake up?”
“Nope. Everything was fine.”
“Good. Now I have medicine for tomorrow. Thank you, Naomi. I really appreciate you coming over and helping me out.”
It sounded as if he was going to call it a night. As much as she was looking forward to that glass of wine, this was probably for the best.
“No problem. Have a good night, Bryce.” Naomi grabbed her jacket from the table and headed for the door.
“Whoa. Was it something I said? What happened to sharing a glass of wine?”
“Oh. I just figured you must be tired.”
“For the record, Naomi. I’m never too tired for a glass of wine. Especially in good company.”
She blushed. “Okay.” Slowly, she placed her jacket back on the table and followed Bryce to the kitchen.
The room was warm and inviting. She could imagine family dinners, complete with laughter and good conversation, taking place here. It looked like something right out of the house and home magazines.
“You like Pinot Noir?” He held the bottle of wine in the air.
“It’s one of my favorites.”
“Me, too.”
Watching him pour the wine was almost as much fun as looking at him preparing the fire earlier.
“What shall we toast to? New friends?”
“Sounds good to me.” Naomi held her glass up and touched it to his. The wine went down smoothly.
“I was thinking about something on the way to the store. I’m sorry, I forgot to ask what had you so startled earlier when I came to your house.”
“It’s a long story. A very long story.”
“Well, we’ve got the time, and we’ve got the wine. What do you say we settle in near the fireplace?”
She liked his sense of humor. She’d have to remember that line about time and wine; she would definitely use that one again.
Now Naomi had to decide how much to share with Bryce. It might not be a great idea to spring both the ghost and her ex-boyfriend on him in one sitting. Deciding on the topic of Nick, she sat on the couch beside Bryce, ready to begin.
“I have an ex-boyfriend named Nick.” She glanced at Bryce, who nodded for her to continue.
“He has some emotional problems and our relationship became strained. I’m so embarrassed to even admit I fell into his trap.” Naomi placed her head down.
“Hey,” Bryce said, lifting her head with his hand. “We’ve all got baggage. Just wait until it’s my turn. Guarantee you’ll feel much better after hearing about my ex.” He lowered his voice when he mentioned his ex. Naomi was pretty sure he was the kind of man who would never bash Holly’s mother within hearing distance of the little girl.
“That does make me feel better.” Realizing how it sounded, she cringed. “Sorry.”
“No worries,” Bryce chuckled. “But that story is for another time, another place.” He nodded toward the staircase. Naomi understood.
“He was jealous, controlling, manipulative.”
“Sounds like a hell of a guy.”
“Yeah. Anyway, he’s having a difficult time letting go.”
Bryce’s eyebrows scrunched in concern. “How so?”
“He promised me that no matter what, he wouldn’t let me go. At first there were text messages, hang-ups. It got better, for a while.”
“But now?”
“Now, I’m worried. Tonight, right before you showed up at my door, he was parked outside me house, just sitting there.” She shivered at the memory of his dark form.
“What? But that’s crazy. What kind of car does he drive?”
“It’s a dark blue sedan, four door.”
“I’m going to keep an eye out for him. Tell me more. What does he look like?”
“Brown hair and eyes. Average build.”
“That’s a pretty average description, but I’ll watch for him. Do you think this guy is dangerous?”
She did. “Yes, I’m afraid I do.”
“And he hasn’t done anything to break the law, right?”
“He’s also smart. If I went to the police, they wouldn’t do anything. He hasn’t broken any laws. The parking area across from my house isn’t technically my property.”
Bryce leaned over and took hold of Nao
mi’s hand. Her heart sped up. There it was again, that feeling she got whenever he touched her. She pulled back slightly.
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t…”
“It’s fine. I guess my nerves are just a bit jumpy.” Naomi glanced away.
Bryce leaned forward, taking hold of her hand once more. This time she let him hold it.
“I will not let this man hurt you, Naomi. Call me, any time, no matter how late.”
“Thank you. That’s very kind of you,” Naomi managed. She gazed up at him.
Bryce moved closer until his face was inches from hers. “I haven’t had much practice at this, not since Genna.” He leaned closer still.
Whatever was happening here, she couldn’t make sense of it. Her mind shouted that she was dating Ryan, that this was not appropriate. But her heart screamed for her to kiss him, that nobody, Ryan included, had ever made her feel such emotion.
Bryce was inches from her. He moved closer, his warm eyes locked on hers.
“Stop.” She pulled away, wringing her hands together.
Bryce frowned, his cheeks flushed. “I am so sorry. I hadn’t planned on that.”
“No. No, it’s me.” She should get out of here, the wine was going to her head.
“My God, I should have asked. Are you involved with someone?” Bryce sat back, staring at her.
“Yes. I think so, that is.” Of course she was, but the truth was that she didn’t know which direction she and Ryan were heading. Until she figured it out, she needed to stay away from men such as Bryce.
“I had no idea. I feel like a fool.”
Naomi recalled him saying that he hadn’t had much practice in the dating department. She believed him. Bryce was no player; he was a single dad trying to find his way.
“Don’t. I’m the one who feels like a fool. Truth be told, I’m not sure where my current relationship is headed, but until I figure it out, it just feels wrong.”
Bryce nodded his head firmly. “You have no idea how happy it makes me to hear you say that.”
What had his ex-wife done to him?
“Tell you what. We remain friends. How does that sound? I don’t want any awkward feelings between us.” He extended his hand toward her. She reached for it and held on a moment too long.