“Sleep, sweetheart. We have about another hour or so before we get there,” Liam told her. And she did.
Emily slept and didn’t notice when Liam had pulled the car to a stop and turned off the engine. She woke to Liam stroking her cheek, “Em, we’re here.”
Her eyes fluttered open. She squinted as they adjusted to the warm, bright sunlight. “Hey.”
“Hey,” he said. “You ready to go inside? It doesn’t look like anyone is home right now. They’ve probably gone into town for lunch and a walk. Let’s get settled. I’m sure there’s food in there to fix for lunch. Trey and Luke should be arriving shortly.”
The house was breathtaking. Views of the Pacific Ocean were visible from almost every room. One end of the home was dedicated to the master suite next to an office, and the other end of the home had four large guest rooms with the two wings separated by an open concept main living space. The enormous room was connected to the dining room and a gourmet kitchen. And to top it off, a beautiful garden lined the front of the home, welcoming guests to the property. Emily could imagine all of Liam’s siblings, nieces, and nephews visiting and the house being full of laughter. That thought made her smile.
“What are you thinking about?” Liam pressed his front to her back and wrapped his arms around her waist. He rested his head against hers, and she breathed in his spicy scent as she nuzzled against him. His beard scratched against her temple.
“How beautiful it is here. Thank you for bringing me.”
“You’re welcome.” He kissed her neck before taking her hand and leading her back toward the hallway. “Come on. Let’s go get our bags and get settled.”
Liam carried the large bags while Emily carried her small bag with her laptop. He stopped in the hallway to turn and asked, “Do you want to stay in a room by yourself? Or do you want to share a room with me?” Surprised, Emily blinked as she looked at him. Liam put down the bags and stepped toward her. “I want nothing more than for you to stay with me in the same room. But, I know things have been chaotic lately, and that’s why you’ve been staying with me. I don’t want you to feel obligated. If you want to stay with me, I’ll be relieved because I’ll get to continue holding you every night. But if you want to stay in your own room, I’m perfectly okay with that.”
Reaching for his face, Emily kissed him and said, “I want to stay with you. I know things have been crazy. And as weird as it sounds, I’m glad things have happened because it brought me to you. If you don’t think your parents will mind, then, yes. I want to stay with you.”
“I’m glad too.” Liam placed another kiss on her lips. “They won’t mind. Like I said, they are not traditional.” Liam was interrupted by the sound of the front door and in walked Luke and Trey.
“You guys got here fast.”
“Yeah. Traffic wasn’t bad today. Where’s mom and pop?” Luke asked.
Liam’s parents had pretty much adopted both Trey and Luke as their own. They weren’t only mom and dad to their own children. They were mom and dad to all of their children’s close friends.
“Probably in town on a walk. And don’t go begging my mom to cook you up a feast when she gets here,” Liam warned.
“Why not? She’d be happy to cook for us,” Trey cut in.
Liam looked at his friend and shook his head. “Dad said they stocked the fridge and pantry for us. We can fix something to eat while they are out.”
Trey already had his head in the refrigerator, and Emily could only stand back and listen to the hilarity of the conversation. It was all she could do to not laugh out loud.
“We’re in luck!” Trey shouted. “Mama Wesley, always thinking about us,” he stated while pulling out a casserole dish from the refrigerator.
Liam made his way over to Emily where she stood watching the scene unfold before her, grinning from ear to ear.
“You guys act like you haven’t eaten in two days,” Liam said.
“We haven’t,” the two friends said in unison.
“Don’t worry, Liam. I’m happy to take care of you boys,” a voice said from behind them.
Liam turned and greeted his mom in a warm hug. “Hi, Mom.”
“Hi, sweetheart. How are you?” Janet Wesley hugged her son tight. She was around Emily’s height, just over five feet, and she was indeed a beautiful woman. With barely a hint of makeup on, she was stunning and wasn’t afraid of her age. That was evident in the natural grey hair that she wore proudly, accenting the strands with honey and blonde highlights, allowing them all to blend together and set off her blue eyes.
Emily could see the resemblance in Liam to his father, who was also tall. Both men slightly resembled Adam Levine. Only they both had more hair and Liam definitely had his mother’s sapphire eyes.
“I’m good. I missed you.”
Luke was quick to come up next for a hug. “Hey, Mama.”
“Hi, honey.” Then it was Trey’s turn.
“Mama. You look beautiful, as always.”
“Aw, thank you. Did you boys find the casserole?”
“Yes ma’am,” both Trey and Luke answered, then moved to Liam’s dad for handshakes and hugs. When everyone had finished greeting each other, and his friends turned their attention back to the casserole, Liam took Emily’s hand and brought her to his side.
“Mom, Dad, I want to introduce you to Emily. Emily, my parents, Clay and Janet.”
Emily held out her hand. “It’s very nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Wesley. I’ve heard so many wonderful things about you.”
“Oh, my dear,” Liam’s dad spoke up, “we are not formal people. You just call us Clay and Janet. It is very nice to finally meet you,” and he pulled Emily in for a hug. Then, Janet wrapped her arms around Emily and whispered, “If there is anything you need, anything at all, don’t be afraid to ask. Okay?”
Emily felt tears burning in the backs of her eyes and tried to blink them away. She nodded and felt Liam pull her to his side once more. Emily was thankful when Janet pulled the attention away from her by inviting everyone into the living room while she warmed up the casserole. Simultaneously, Liam’s phone buzzed, and he pulled it from his back pocket to answer it.
“This is Liam…Yes…Say that again, please.”
Liam rubbed his brow with his hand. His head dropped down as he walked to a barstool at the kitchen island and took a seat. Emily’s heart sank. She had no idea what the call was about, but she guessed it wasn’t good judging by Liam’s drastic change in demeanor.
“I don’t understand. Are you sure…? Okay…Yes… I am out of the area for a few days. As soon as I get back, I’ll call you. Okay…. Thank you.”
“What was that about?” Trey asked.
Liam ran a hand down his face. “That was Phil’s lawyer. Apparently, Phil passed away.” His voice hitched, and emotion filled his eyes.
“What?” Shocked, Emily made her way to Liam, putting her arms around him. She held him while he rested his head on her shoulder. His breath warmed her neck as he breathed deeply against her.
After a few moments, Liam lifted his head and stared into her eyes. “That’s why I couldn’t get ahold of him.”
Emily held his face in her hands. “I’m so sorry.”
“There’s more. Phil named me as his next of kin. He left me the property.”
The next few moments were filled with, “You’re kiddings” and “What’s?”
Emily spoke, “This is becoming more and more complicated.”
“It is. There is something we are missing, and I hope we come across more clues soon. There is nothing we can do about it right now. We need to focus on one thing at a time right now. We will enjoy our time here, and when we get back to San Francisco, I’ll meet with the attorney and get all of the details. Until then, we are going to use these next few days like we planned. Relax, research, and plan our next investigation.”
***
The next morning, Emily woke to the gentle brush of Liam’s breathing on her shoulder and the smell
of coffee and bacon. For a brief moment, she considered skipping breakfast, wanting to snuggle next to Liam for as long as possible. But, the growling in her stomach protested that idea. She gently slipped out of bed, careful not to wake Liam, and padded her way to the bathroom before heading to the kitchen. “Good morning.”
Janet was busy at the stove, frying up the delicious bacon. A cast-iron skillet sat on a trivet on the counter. The smell of a frittata wafted and mingled with the scent of the bacon
“Good morning, dear. Coffee?”
“Please. It smells amazing.”
“Thank you. I don’t get to cook like this too often anymore. I love it when the boys come to visit. I can cook all day long and not have to worry about freezing leftovers.” Janet smiled as she spoke.
“You’re a wonderful cook. And I love your gardens. They’re beautiful.” Emily stood at the kitchen window while staring out of the bay window facing the front of the house.
“Thank you. Feel free to go out anytime. It should be a nice day today. The fog pack has pulled back already. It may be chilly, but the sun is out.”
“Thanks. I think I’ll do some work out there. I’m used to the chill. I’m from Seattle. I’m definitely going to soak up some sunshine.”
“Seattle?” Janet asked her. “Clay and I have been up there a few times. It is beautiful. What brought you down this way?”
Emily took a sip of her coffee and placed the mug on the counter in front of her. “I don’t really know. It’s hard to explain. I woke up one day and felt like I needed a change. I got on the internet and started looking for rentals in San Francisco. I didn’t know why San Francisco called to me, but it did, and I fixated on it. I came across the flat, and it was listed for an amazing price. It was very spontaneous. I’m normally not that impulsive with decisions. But it felt right.”
Janet sat at the barstool across from her at the kitchen island after finishing up the bacon. She padded the stool next to her, inviting Emily to sit. “You trust your instincts. That’s good. Obviously, you’re here for a reason. I’m a believer in fate. Everything happens for a reason. I know you’re going through some difficult times. Clay has filled me in when Liam has called him. I’ve been there. Let me tell you, it gets worse before it gets better. I think you’re here because you and Liam need each other. It’s obvious there is a connection between the two of you. You guys will figure it all out when the time is right.”
Emily wasn’t expecting such an in-depth conversation with her new boyfriend’s mother so soon. She felt at ease and comfortable talking to Janet. Something she wasn’t used to but welcomed the experience.
“Janet, do you mind if I ask you a personal question?” Emily turned to face her. Janet’s ocean blue eyes were just as intense as Liam’s. Warm and welcoming.
“Sure. Go ahead.”
“Liam told me about the house in Sacramento.”
Janet nodded, “I expected he would. What would you like to know?”
“How did you deal with it all? The anxiety? The fear? Not knowing what would happen from one moment to the next? I’ve been dealing with something my entire life, but it’s never been this extreme. I’ve always been able to ignore it. But, this time is so different. I’m scared it’s trying to break up Liam and me.”
Janet set her own coffee cup down and reached for Emily’s hand. She held her in a firm but comforting grip. “Never give it the satisfaction that you’ve given up. You said it’s been with you your entire life. Let it know that now it needs to leave. It doesn’t have control over you. You and Liam are meant to be together. Just like Clay and I. The love we had for each other and our family, that’s what held me together. I wasn’t going to let any damn ghost ruin my family, and neither was Clay. Know that you’re not alone in this, either.”
“Thank you, Janet. You know, I’ve never had a family. You’ve made me feel so welcome, and I just want to say Thank You. For accepting me.”
“Of course, honey,” Janet stood and threw her arms around Emily. “You know what you remind me of, Emily?”
Emily shook her head.
“An Anemone.”
“I’m sorry?”
Janet smiled warmly and sat back down. Emily sat with her, eager to hear what she was about to say. “An Anemone. It’s the Greek word for a Windflower. They are delicate but strong. They sway in the wind, but they keep standing tall. When a rainstorm moves in, they close up to protect themselves and open back up again in the sun. And the wind will pick the petals off the flowers and carry them away. I believe the cosmic winds plucked you up and led you here to Liam. You keep standing tall and strong. You’ll get through this. Both of you will pull through. You’ll see. You’re not going to let some psycho spirit run you down. If you need anything, you just call. Promise me.”
“That’s right.” Both women turned their heads to see Liam’s dad standing in the kitchen with them. He strode over to Janet and put his arm around her waist.
“How was your run, honey?” Janet asked as Clay placed a sweet kiss on his wife.
“Great. That’s right, Emily. You call if there is ever anything that you need.”
“I will,” Emily promised.
“Something smells delicious,” he told Janet while pouring himself a cup of coffee.
“I made a Frittata.”
Clay’s eyes widened as his brows rose. “I’m digging in before those boys wake up.” Clay grabbed three plates from the cupboard.
“Oh, I made plenty, Clay. Don’t worry.”
Emily watched as Clay dished up three healthy servings of the frittata and handed her a plate. “You’re not alone in this, Emily. You’re important to Liam. He cares for you. Trust him. He and the boys have been doing their jobs for a long time. They’ve seen a lot, and they know what they’re doing. They won’t stop until they get to the bottom of what is going on.”
Janet walked over to her husband and said, “You know, you’re the only girl Liam has ever brought home?”
Shocked, Emily lowered her head, slightly embarrassed. “Uh. No. I didn’t know that.”
“It’s true. Even in High School, he never brought a girl home. Oh, he went on plenty of dates, but never did he bring anyone home for us to meet. You, my dear, are one special girl.”
Tears welled up in Emily’s eyes then, and she couldn’t help them from spilling over. Clay walked around the island and took her in his arms just as Liam walked into the kitchen.
“What the hell, Dad? You makin’ my girl cry?”
Liam stocked over to Emily and took her in his arms. “It’s okay, Liam. Your dad is very sweet. I’m sorry. I’m just really emotional lately. I’m not upset. I’m grateful. No one has ever made me feel so welcome before.”
Janet and Clay had made themselves busy in the background setting the table and making more coffee when Janet said, “Come on, everyone. Let’s have some more coffee and eat.”
“Are you hungry,” Liam asked. His hands gently cupped her cheeks.
“Yes. I want to finish my plate. Your mom is an amazing cook.”
“Yes, she is.”
Eighteen
“M
y gut’s telling me there’s a lot more going on here.” Clay sat in the leather lounge chair in the office. His hand stroked his chin while he thought.
“Yeah, we know.” Trey looked up from his laptop that he’d set up at Clay’s desk.
“I’m hoping once I meet with the attorney, we’ll be able to find some more answers.” Liam and his friends had gathered in the study, and his father had joined them to discuss the haunting and Phil’s passing.
“Liam,” Trey continued to stare at his computer screen. His eyes moved rapidly, reading the information in front of him. “I think I found something.”
Everyone stood and made their way to him. Liam stepped into the hallway and called for Emily. Moments later, both Emily and Janet walked into the study.
“I found this news article. It’s about a man who mysteriously took possessio
n of a home after his business partner’s death,” Trey told everyone as he turned his computer around. “Liam, the home is your address.”
“You’re kidding,” Clay said as he and Liam leaned closer over Trey’s shoulders.
Liam read the article. “It says, Robert Banks, a San Francisco socialite, was taken in for questioning about the possible involvement in his business partner’s death, Henry Mitchell. Banks was questioned due to his sudden inheritance of the home not long after Mitchell’s son, James Mitchell, and friend, Abigail Quine, disappeared.”
“What?” Luke said in a shocked tone.
Liam looked at Emily, who was staring at the screen blankly. “Em, baby? What is it?”
Emily looked at him, her eyes full of shock. “I’m not sure. Those names sound familiar to me, but I have no idea why.”
“Liam,” Trey pulled Liam’s attention back to him. “That EVP we got the other night. It said, Abigail.”
Liam straightened and looked into Emily’s eyes. “What if Abigail used to live in the house and the spirit is referring to her?”
Trey turned in his seat and asked, “Could this spirit be Abigail?”
“No,” Emily answered. “The spirit is a man. I don’t know how I know, but I do. It’s definitely male.” Emily looked back up at Liam. “How do we find out who she was?”
Liam shook his head. “We keep digging. This is good, baby. We’ve needed history of the building. With this piece of information and the EVP from the other night, this may just be the piece we need to start putting this puzzle together.”
Clay asked as he straighten and took a step back, “Trey, did you find anything else?”
“No. So far, just this. There wasn’t enough time to research the other night. We were focused on gathering evidence after Liam and Emily caught the shadow figure on camera. We are just now able to dive into the history of the building. But it hasn’t been easy. Though this information here can help us a lot.”
“You boys keep me updated,” Clay urged. “I want to know what else you guys find.”
Protecting His Windflower (A Spirit Hunters Series Novel Book 1) Page 12