“Ms. Charles,” she coldly greeted Faith, who had the nerve to smirk at her.
“Dr. Williams, always a pleasure,” Faith said with a wink.
Shawn released a low growl and glared at her. Myron quickly excused himself. The tension in the hotel room grew steadily. Shawn’s anger had almost boiled to the surface when she caught the puppy-dog look Myron gave Faith on his way out.
Great, now I’m jealous. Still seething, she watched Faith saunter into the room. “Why?” Shawn tossed her suitcase onto the bed.
“Why what?” Faith was acting very pleased with herself. She even went so far as to sprawl across the bed Shawn was using to unpack. Faith propped herself up onto her elbow, grinning like an idiot while she watched Shawn carefully. “Why do you always find a parking space in front of your house after you’ve parked twelve blocks away? Why does it always rain after you’ve washed your car?”
“Stop it, you big freak. Why am I rooming with you?”
“Because we’re the only two members of the talent on this shoot that are women,” Faith said bluntly. “As talent, we’re entitled to nicer rooms than the crew.”
“I’d rather sleep in a shoe box than next to you,” Shawn hissed. She knew she was acting like a callous idiot, but she couldn’t stop herself.
“Forget it.” Faith sighed heavily. “I already asked Althea about changing the sleeping arrangements, and she said it wasn’t possible.”
“You asked for a room change?” Shawn asked her suspiciously.
“Yes, I did,” Faith replied flatly.
“Oh.” Shawn was suddenly feeling a little dejected.
“What?” Faith said. “I thought I was doing the right thing. I left and I lost you. It hurts, but I’m not a complete idiot.”
“Sorry, it just surprised me.”
“You sound a little disappointed, Sparky,” Faith said with a smirk. “Don’t tell me you’ve been missing me.”
“Get off my bed, you arrogant jerk,” Shawn yelled. She hadn’t meant to lose control. Perhaps it was the gleam in Faith’s eyes, or her confident tone, or maybe the way Faith’s image popped into her head the last time she was making love to Deb. Perhaps it was simply that Faith was right, and she really hated it when that happened.
“You know, I was about to thank you for being so understanding and mature about the situation, and you just had to act like the big overgrown goober that you are.”
Faith’s lips curled into a sneer as she climbed off the bed. “Just for the record, Shawn, I was trying to be understanding,” she said in a solemn tone. “So, in the spirit, no pun intended, why don’t we just drop this and try to get some work done?”
Shawn blew out a frustrated sigh as she calmed herself. “You’re right.” She was feeling guilty at the way she had overreacted. “I didn’t mean to go off. It’s just that we have a history, you know? This isn’t easy for me. So, why don’t you tell me what exactly you’re doing on this shoot. And I promise to stop being such a bitch.”
“I’m the host,” Faith said.
“My God! You’re the new Lanie Larsen?” Shawn teased her, unable to control the smile that suddenly emerged.
“Only with smaller boobs and a brain.”
Shawn could have smacked herself for allowing her eyes to drift down to Faith’s chest.
“Anyway,” Faith drew out the word, clearing her throat and redirecting Shawn’s gaze to her eyes, “I’m really enjoying this. I get to research the whole thing and lead you guys around and ask probing questions. This is going to be a lot more fun, and safer, than my last assignment.”
“I was thinking about that the other day.” Shawn’s smile faded. Faith looked back at her with a curious expression. “I was watching the news the other night; that reporter from Jordan was killed. I’m glad you passed on going to Baghdad.”
“Me, too,” Faith replied quietly. “I’ve done my time. I can’t do it anymore. And if I do well on this gig, I won’t have to. So, want to hear about Hammond Castle?”
“I’d love to.” Shawn smiled. “No more trying to discredit me or my colleagues?”
“Nope. In fact, I can’t take sides. I’m just along for the ride. Ready?” Shawn nodded as she sorted out her clothing. “Between the years 1926 and 1929, John Hays Hammond, Jr., built this medieval-style castle. He used the castle as his home and to house his collection of medieval and Renaissance artifacts. He also used it to house the Hammond Research Corporation.
“Mr. Hammond was an inventor, with over four hundred patents to his name. Only Edison had more. Guess what he’s best known for?”
“Besides having more money than God and good taste in artwork?” Shawn’s mood was becoming lighter the more playful Faith became.
“He invented the remote control.”
“Wow.” Shawn blinked. “If you think about it, that’s probably the most popular invention of this century. I know you break out in a sweat whenever you can’t find it.”
“At least I don’t surf constantly, like some people,” Faith protested. “But getting back to the Castle: it has eight rooms, including the great hall. You’re going to love that room. Then we have an indoor courtyard, Renaissance dining room, two guest bedrooms, the inventions exhibit room, the Natalie Hays Hammond exhibit room, the tower galleries, lots of passageways, and some smaller rooms.”
“You’ve seen it already?”
“One of my cousins got married there.”
“At a castle?”
“It really is beautiful. A lot of people get married there. They also do Renaissance Faires, and at Halloween, they do the best haunted house in the area. The only exception is the real thing, of course. If you get a chance, you should take a stroll around the grounds. They’re amazing, and the view of the Atlantic is breathtaking.”
“Okay, between looking for things that go bump in the night, I’ll take time to stop and smell the roses,” Shawn said. “Speaking of things that go bump in the night. It sounds like Mr. Hammond was a nice, normal guy, and the castle isn’t that old. Do we have things that will go bump in the night?”
“You’ll tell me. The place isn’t really known for it, but several tour guides and staff members, over the years, have seen and heard some mighty strange things.”
“Sounds like fun.” Shawn was finally feeling better about her renewed working relationship with Faith.
* * *
Magnolia, Massachusetts
2005
“I can’t believe you losers are drunk,” Althea bellowed at the top of her lungs. The inebriated crew and talent were doing their best to hide under a tarp or duck under the tables in an effort to escape the director’s wrath. The tarp had been put up when the skies opened up and doused the weary crew with an unrelenting rainstorm. Unlike the rest of their slovenly companions, Faith and Shawn had the bad manners to laugh at Althea’s outburst.
Shawn started to slip from her perch on Faith’s lap, and Faith tightened her hold. She tried to recall just how Shawn ended up curled in her lap. Right, Shawn’s birthday, crappy weather, and a shoot that’s a little on the dull side, always equals tequila, her foggy mind finally pieced together.
“Relax, Althea,” Faith said. As a peace offering, she handed Althea one of Clyde’s special blue shooters. “We can’t shoot inside the castle because of the private party, and we can’t shoot outside because of the rain. And it is our little Shawn’s birthday.”
“Do I want to know what’s in this?” Althea asked, holding up the shot glass.
“Ask Clyde.” Faith motioned towards the burly cameraman who was hiding beneath his well-worn Dodgers cap. “He calls them Baby Blue Ritas.”
“Wait, I remember,” Shawn said, shifting her position. Faith bit back a moan as Shawn squirmed in her lap.
“Liked that, did you?” Shawn’s tone was husky. “Anyhow, these have tequila, tequila, pineapple juice, tequila, and blue whatcha called it?”
“Blue Curacao,” Faith said with a slight hiccup.
“
Right, blueberry and tequila,” Shawn finished triumphantly. “Wasn’t it nice of Clyde to do this for my birthday?”
Althea eyed the way Shawn and Faith were curled up together on the tiny folding chair. She looked over at Clyde. For his part, Clyde was scratching his thick gray beard as he watched the couple. “I think he was just hoping to get the two of you drunk enough so he can watch you make out,” Althea said before she downed her shot.
“Well, duh.” Shawn chuckled and snuggled closer to Faith.
Faith was having a hard time keeping her hands from wandering. Shawn’s constant touching wasn’t helping.
“Pervert,” Faith mumbled when Shawn’s hand slipped between her thighs.
Clyde smirked. “I’m only human.”
“I wasn’t talking to you,” Faith told him in a dry tone, looking down at her former lover. “Although you’re next on my list.”
“It’s my birthday.” Shawn’s gray eyes twinkled back at her in a defiant manner.
“Goodie, does this mean I get to give you spankies later?” Faith’s off-color comment caused Althea to choke on her drink.
“If you’re good,” Shawn purred into her ear. Faith bit down on her bottom lip. Her body tingled when she felt Shawn’s hand slipping farther between her thighs.
“I’m always good,” Faith panted, unable to stop her body from trembling. “You’re playing with fire,” she said hotly in Shawn’s ear. Shawn leaned closer, and her breath tickled Faith’s sensitive earlobe.
“I know what you’re thinking,” she whispered softly. Faith’s eyes fluttered shut as she enjoyed Shawn’s caresses. She bit back a moan when she felt Shawn’s tongue trace her earlobe. She opened her mouth to offer some form of protest. Her carefully chosen words were forgotten when Shawn’s hand cupped her mound.
“What happened to Steve?” Althea asked.
“Passed out,” Clyde said with a shrug.
Faith squirmed slightly, carefully extracting Shawn’s hand from between her thighs.
“This day is a bust.” Althea shook Steve harshly.
Faith squeaked when Shawn’s hand slipped under her coat and cupped one of her breasts.
“Shawn!” she hissed, clenching her jaw. When Clyde suggested making the most of the rain and Shawn’s birthday, Faith had forgotten one very important thing. Tequila in high doses made Shawn very frisky. Her libido was jumping for joy. If it weren’t for that pesky part of her that was honorable, Faith would have dragged little Shawn back to the hotel over an hour ago. Alas, Shawn was drunk. Big no. Shawn had a girlfriend. Bigger no. Life just isn’t fair! Faith silently howled.
“No one can see what I’m doing,” Shawn whispered while her fingers searched for Faith’s nipple.
Faith had no doubt that Shawn’s actions couldn’t be seen because of the heavy coats they were wearing. She also held very little doubt that everyone around was well-aware of what was going on. Faith was trapped, literally stewing in her juices. There seemed to be no escape. Except for the obvious course of action. Which, of course, entailed dropping Shawn on her lovely bottom before bolting to parts unknown. Faith quickly decided against that, feeling it would be rude. And she was really enjoying the way Shawn was torturing her.
“I haven’t seen Steve this screwed up since the day we tried to do the shoot at Whispering Pines,” Clyde said to Althea, who had given up on waking the reporter.
Shawn suddenly jerked away, causing Faith’s overheated body to tense. “What?” Faith asked catching the terrified look in Shawn’s eyes.
“Kitchen,” Shawn said, tapping Faith’s forehead.
“Sorry.” Faith shivered when she realized that Shawn must have caught a glimpse of what had leaped into Faith’s mind. She couldn’t help thinking about what had happened in the kitchen of Whispering Pines.
“I didn’t know there was a second shoot at Whispering Pines,” Faith said, trying to clear the disturbing images from her mind.
“I said we tried to do a shoot,” Clyde said. “We ended up folding before we really got started. How in the hell did the two of you spend the night there?”
“Not much of a choice after a certain point.” Faith was assaulted with the memory of holding Shawn tightly as she tried putting her arm through one of the windows in a desperate attempt to get the two of them out of the house.
“When things got really wild, I couldn’t open the doors or windows. We were trapped in there. Tell me about your experiences.”
Faith had met Clyde when she was first starting out in the business. He had been her cameraman the first time she went into a hot spot. He never flinched as gunfire surrounded them. As he sat before her now, he was pale and shaking.
“When we first got there,” he began to explain, “I thought the whole thing was a load of horse puckey. I went into the kitchen and nothing happened. I didn’t understand what all the fuss was about. It was just an empty kitchen. Big whoop.”
“I don’t doubt that nothing would bother you in the kitchen.” Faith chuckled. “You’re straight. Captain Stratton saves his big show for us queers.”
“Lucky you.” Clyde stroked his beard. “With me, it started with the garden.”
“What garden?” Shawn asked, suddenly lucid.
“In the back of the house,” Clyde said. “I filmed around the house and there wasn’t anything there, just a lot of dirt and trees. Later, I went outside to the canteen truck, and the place was filled with flowers in full bloom. After I stopped shaking, I filmed it. Steve was still boasting that the whole thing was a hoax, even after I told him what I had just seen. So I showed the arrogant bugger. He still wasn’t buying it. Then we walked back to the house, and I felt like someone was watching me. He must have felt it, too, because we both looked up. Sure enough, plain as day, there was a woman standing in one of the windows, watching us.”
Faith held her breath, waiting to hear just what drove Clyde out of the house.
“We ran back into the house,” Clyde continued slowly. “I was filming the whole time. We reached the room on the third floor where we had seen her. Steve threw open the door, and there she was. My heart stopped when she stormed over and slammed the door in our faces. She screamed for us to get out before it was too late. I about peed my pants.”
“Third floor?” Faith asked.
“Catherine,” Shawn said. “Was she a really tall blonde?”
“From what I could see of her, yes,” Clyde said. “She was misty, if that makes any sense.”
“That’s the way I saw her,” Faith confirmed. “You got it on film, though?”
“The tape was blank when I played it back,” Clyde said. “The most amazing thing I’ve ever shot, and it just vanished. But that isn’t what sent us running. Later, the douser showed up. You know, they wander around with a couple of sticks looking for bodies.”
“Oh yeah, those guys.” Faith chuckled as Shawn swatted her playfully.
“We started to film this dude wandering around with his sticks, like he’s looking for water,” Clyde said. “No big deal, until we followed him into the house. Then it was like we were in an earthquake. No lie, everything was shaking, right down to the glass in the windows. The lens on my camera exploded. Then this voice booms, ‘Get out!’”
“What did you do?” Myron, who had been listening closely, asked nervously.
“I got the hell out of there. I wasn’t alone. The whole team just took off once the floorboards started breaking apart. A team went back later, and the house looked just fine. It was like none of it had happened.”
“They’re in the house,” Shawn mumbled. Faith could see the wheels in her mind turning.
“And that old bastard is making sure no one finds them,” Faith muttered in disgust.
“Evil in life usually means evil in death,” Shawn said grimly.
“Did you hear that the owners are trying to get a new team together?” Althea asked in a hopeful tone. “I heard they want both of you to go back.”
“Not a chance,” Sha
wn said
Faith thought about what Clyde had just told them. She wanted to flat out refuse, but something deep inside her couldn’t let it go.
“Faith?” Althea asked
“Not without the good doctor,” Faith finally answered, patting Shawn gently on her firm backside. “Speaking of which, Birthday Girl—”
“You never told me you saw the ghosts as well, Faith.” Althea cut off the lewd comment that Faith was about to make.
“She didn’t read our book,” Faith gasped while Shawn giggled. “I’m hurt! It happened when I was trying to get Shawn out of the kitchen. My radio was dead, Shawn was freaking out, and I couldn’t get any of the doors or windows open. Suddenly there she was, waving for me to follow her. I didn’t stop to think about it, I just followed her out of the kitchen. It was easy, since she held the door open for us. Then she was gone, like she was never there.”
“Enough,” Shawn growled, snuggling closer to Faith. “It’s my birthday.”
Faith wrapped her arms tightly around Shawn, still fighting an internal battle between her overheated body and her overactive imagination. A small voice whined inside of her, a constant reminder that she and Shawn were no longer together.
“We’ll be pulling a long day tomorrow,” Althea said. “Start packing it in, guys, before someone decides to crash the wedding inside of the castle. And please tell me the drivers didn’t join in the festivities.”
“Nope, it was just us wayward idiots,” Faith assured her. Shawn burrowed her face in Faith’s neck. Why are you doing this? Faith’s fingers slipped under Shawn’s jacket and up under the dark gray sweater she was wearing.
“Which one of us are you thinking about?” Shawn murmured in her ear.
“Both,” Faith confessed, feeling the muscles in Shawn’s stomach respond to her touch. “Now stop peeking,” she added with a playful smirk.
“Stop thinking so loudly, and I will.” Shawn rested her head on Faith’s shoulder. “It’s my birthday, and I don’t want to think.”
“All right.” Faith laughed. “No more thinking.” She brushed back Shawn’s long hair from her brow. Faith peeked around at the crew, who were busy packing up the tent. She placed a tender kiss on Shawn’s cheek. Faith’s heart was pounding, her lips tingling from lightly caressing Shawn’s flesh.
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