The Ghost Who Was Says I Do

by Anna J. McIntyre

  “How so?”

  “He obviously is not happy about the pregnancy. I guess he wanted to do some traveling and didn’t seem happy about having to change their plans. And then he said something that made me so darn mad that I knew I had to get out of there before I kicked him!”

  “What did he say?”

  “It was like he was blaming Danielle for getting pregnant. As if it was all her fault. He said something about how women took care of those sorts of things.”

  Thirteen

  On Thursday morning Joanne arrived early at Marlow House. She had vacuuming and dusting to do in preparation for the bed and breakfast guests who would be arriving on Friday. Before starting with her chores, she and Danielle inventoried the pantry and refrigerator while Danielle made a shopping list.

  Danielle and Walt intended to go to the grocery store and then stop at Old Salts Bakery while Joanne cleaned the house. But first, they planned to have breakfast at Pier Café. It wasn’t raining, and the sky seemed unusually blue for January, so Walt offered to drive his Packard.

  When they arrived at Pier Café, Joe and Brian were there having breakfast, seated at a booth. Walt and Danielle greeted the two officers and then went on to a table at the other end of the building. After Carla brought their coffee, the couple—so engrossed in discussing their wedding plans—failed to notice the hostile glares Joe flashed their way as he watched Danielle drink her coffee.

  They also didn’t notice Brian’s curious glances as he listened to Joe recount the conversation he’d had the night before with Kelly, along with his disappointment in Danielle for not taking better care of herself for the baby’s sake. According to Joe’s sister, a pregnant woman should not be drinking coffee.

  Up the street, across from Marlow House, Ian sat alone in his living room with Sadie, flames crackling in the nearby fireplace. Lily had gone back to work, insisting she felt much better. She hadn’t thrown up that morning, yet she did confess to waking up feeling nauseous. Fortunately, the bowl of Cheerios she’d had for breakfast made her feel much better. If Ian had his way, Lily would quit work now and stay home and rest. However, he knew his wife—that was not going to happen. She loved her students and her job, and he told himself he should just be grateful she was on board with staying home after the baby came.

  Feeling especially content, Ian let the house rules slide. Instead of Sadie napping on the floor by his feet, she curled up beside him on the sofa, her chin resting on his thigh. Absently petting his canine companion, Ian thought about how things were going rather well in spite of having to cancel their trip to Europe.

  He had been privy to Walt’s remarkable transformation, a story he would love writing about, but knew he never would. The Cubs had won the World Series this past October, something he had been waiting years to see. And now he was going to be a father and was sharing that adventure with the love of his life.

  Still stroking the dog’s back, Ian asked, “Well, girl, we’re having a baby. What do you think about that?”

  Sadie lifted her head and looked at him.

  Ian smiled down at the dog, who clearly had no idea what the words meant. Giving Sadie’s head a pat, he said, “Perhaps I will have Walt talk to you about it.”

  Marlow House’s first pair of guests—the Russoms—arrived Friday morning. While check-in was normally in the afternoon, Danielle had told them they could check in earlier so they could drop off their luggage and then leave to visit their other family members, who were meeting at a relative’s house in Frederickport. They had already come and gone, leaving their suitcases in the downstairs bedroom.

  At lunchtime Chris and Heather showed up, bringing tacos and burritos from Beach Taco. They had left Bella and Hunny back at the Glandon Headquarters Office. After sharing the food with Walt and Danielle, the four sat in the living room while Danielle showed Heather a picture of her wedding dress on her cellphone. The two women shared the sofa while Walt and Chris sat on the chairs facing them.

  “It’s gorgeous!” Heather gushed. She glanced up to Walt and Chris and was startled at Walt’s sour expression. “What’s wrong? Don’t you like the dress?”

  “She won’t let me see it,” Walt complained.

  “It’s because it’s bad luck,” Danielle reminded him.

  “But we’re already married.”

  “Trust me, the dress is beautiful, Walt. But I agree with Danielle. You need to wait until your wedding to see it,” Heather told him. “It doesn’t matter if you’re already married.”

  “Danielle would look beautiful in whatever she wore,” Walt declared.

  Danielle flashed him a grin and said, “Flattery—although much appreciated—will not get me to show you the dress before the wedding.”

  Chris stood up and walked to the sofa. “I’d like to see it.”

  “He can’t see it if I can’t!” Walt protested.

  Chris laughed. “It doesn’t work that way. You get to marry her; that means I can see the dress now.”

  Walt shrugged and leaned back in the chair. “Okay. I suppose that’s a fair trade.”

  Rolling her eyes, Danielle handed Chris the phone.

  “Very nice,” Chris murmured as he stood by the sofa looking down at the picture on the cellphone.

  “I met that new neighbor,” Heather told Danielle as she took the cellphone back from Chris.

  “The way you say that, doesn’t sound like she made a much better impression on you than she did on me.” Danielle turned off her phone and set it on the coffee table. “Or on Lily.”

  “When I was leaving for work this morning, I had Bella with me. The new neighbor came marching over, and I thought she was going to introduce herself.”

  “Let me guess, she said something nasty about Bella?” Danielle asked.

  “She said if she saw Bella in her yard again, she would shoot her!” Heather said.

  “Wow. That was even more direct than she was with me,” Danielle noted.

  “I don’t think it’s legal to go around shooting your neighbor’s pets, even if they step on your property,” Chris said. “Unless they’re considered a threat.”

  “Which means you need to be especially careful with Hunny,” Danielle warned. “In fact, you should have Walt talk to her.”

  Chris frowned. “Why? I don’t let Hunny run loose.”

  “No, but sometimes you let her off the leash, and if she dashed in that woman’s yard, well, you know how some people are about pit bulls,” Danielle reminded him. “And if that woman is talking about shooting a harmless little cat like Bella, I’m fairly certain she would feel justified shooting poor Hunny.”

  “I’m not sure I would characterize Bella as a harmless little cat. Have you met her?” Chris teased.

  In response, Heather crumpled up a napkin and hurled it at Chris. “She saved your life, brat.”

  Chris chuckled. “Exactly. She’s a tough little girl.”

  “You know what I mean,” Danielle countered, her tone serious.

  “Point taken. There’s obviously something wrong with the woman,” Chris observed. “I don’t know why anyone would go out of their way to piss off all their neighbors the first week they move in.”

  “She obviously doesn’t like animals,” Heather noted.

  “That alone is a reason not to trust her,” Walt pointed out.

  An hour after Chris and Heather returned to work, the front doorbell rang. Walt was sitting in the parlor reading, and Danielle was upstairs, so Walt went to answer the door. When he opened it, he found two women standing on the front porch. They were the same height, one with long blond hair and the other with short spiky brown hair. He was about to say hello when he noticed the blonde’s vivid violet eyes. He had never seen eyes that color before. Without thought, he stared at her for a prolonged moment, failing to extend a greeting.

  Focusing on the unusual eye color, he didn’t notice the corners of the blonde’s lips twitching upward in a smile. The woman with the spiky hair made a forced
coughing sound and said, “Hello? This is Marlow House, isn’t it? We have a reservation.”

  Startled out of his momentary lapse, Walt smiled sheepishly and said, “Oh yes, of course. Please excuse me. But I have never seen eyes your color before. They’re quite striking. But I’m sure you hear that all the time.” He opened the door wider.

  “She’s obviously wearing colored contacts,” Marie said.

  Startled by Marie’s sudden appearance, Walt lurched in surprise, yet quickly reclaimed his composure. The two sisters exchanged curious glances as the blonde asked, “And who are you?”

  “Walt Marlow. Please come in.” He opened the door wider and flashed Marie an annoyed glare as he stepped aside, making room for the women to enter.

  “Oh pshaw, don’t give me that look, Walt Marlow,” Marie scolded. “Danielle has told me about all the times you used to just pop in and startle her!”

  Walt flashed Marie a quick smile and she chuckled. “That’s better.”

  “Walt Marlow? Surely not the author?” the blonde asked as he shut the door.

  “Yes. And I will admit, it still feels strange when someone recognizes my name.”

  “I bet it does,” the blonde purred.

  “My name is Rachel, and this is my sister, Claudia,” the brunette introduced. “We left our luggage in the car. It was such a long drive, we thought we would check in first, maybe get a drink, use the bathroom.”

  “Certainly.” Walt pointed to the powder room door. “There’s a bathroom right there. I’ll be happy to get you both something to drink, and you can wait in the parlor. Danielle should be down here in a moment, and she’ll check you in.”

  “Parlor? You have a parlor?” Claudia chuckled.

  “We do.” Walt smiled. He showed them into the small room and before going off to the kitchen asked, “Would you like some iced tea—hot tea?”

  “Iced tea would be wonderful,” Rachel said.

  “Yes, I would like that too,” Claudia agreed.

  Instead of going with Walt, Marie stayed with the women.

  “He so recognized me,” Claudia said with a snort after she was alone in the parlor with her sister—alone except for Marie. She walked to the sofa.

  “He obviously doesn’t have amnesia. He was utterly speechless when he opened that door and saw you.” Rachel followed her sister to the sofa. “But I have to say, he is an excellent actor. He regained his composure and then pretended like he didn’t know you.”

  “You knew Clint?” Marie blurted. Of course, neither woman could hear her.

  Claudia dropped her purse to the floor and then flopped down on the sofa. “I suppose it’s possible he did have amnesia, and seeing me jolted his memory. When he first opened the door and saw me, I got the feeling he was trying to place me, not that he was necessarily surprised to see me. And then he practically jumped out of his skin. I’d say that’s the moment it clicked for him. This should be interesting.”

  “You might be right. Because you did register in our real names, so if he knew you were coming, I don’t think he would act so surprised to see you.”

  “That’s assuming this Boatman told him our names,” Claudia reminded her.

  “You think it’s possible he recognizes you, but doesn’t remember who you are?” Rachel asked, still standing by the sofa.

  “Anything is possible at this point.”

  “I have to use the bathroom. I’ll be right back.”

  “What are you two up to?” Marie murmured as she watched the spiky-haired woman leave the room.

  Ten minutes later Rachel returned to the parlor as Walt came walking in with a tray carrying two glasses of iced tea, a sugar bowl and two spoons. Just as he set the tray on the coffee table, Danielle came walking into the room.

  “Hello, you must be Claudia and Rachel Dane,” Danielle greeted them just as Rachel took a seat on the sofa next to her sister. The two women looked to Danielle and smiled.

  “Be careful with these two,” Marie warned from the sidelines. Both Walt and Danielle glanced to Marie and then back to the women on the sofa. “They knew Clint. In fact, it appears to be the real reason they’re here.”

  Fourteen

  Claudia stood up and extended a hand to Danielle. “I’m Claudia Dane, and this is my sister, Rachel. I assume you’re Danielle Boatman?”

  Warily, Danielle shook Claudia’s hand and then Rachel’s. She glanced briefly at Marie, who shrugged in reply.

  “Yes…I am. So what brings you to Frederickport and our B and B?”

  “My sister and I had time off, so we thought a little escape from our hectic life might be relaxing,” Claudia said as she sat back down and picked up a glass of tea. “The Oregon coast is such a lovely area.”

  “Pshaw, they didn’t come for the Oregon coast,” Marie said from the sidelines.

  Danielle glanced from Walt to the empty chairs facing the sofa and gave a little nod. Flashing Danielle a smile, Walt sat down in one of the chairs while Danielle sat in the other one.

  “We have another couple arriving this afternoon, also from Huntington Beach. Any chance they’re meeting you here?” Danielle asked politely.

  “Really?” Claudia frowned. She shrugged and said, “No. It’s just my sister and me. Hmm…I guess this is a small world.”

  “Do we know each other?” Walt blurted.

  Claudia glanced from Danielle to Walt and found herself looking into his intense gaze. Refusing to look away, she stared back. “I don’t know. Do we?”

  If Danielle didn’t know better, she would think they were having a blinking contest, and so far, there was no winner. Danielle cleared her throat and then said, “Walt has amnesia.”

  A smile curled Claudia’s lips as she turned to face Danielle. “Does he?”

  “Yes. He was in a car accident this past March. Before the accident, he lived not far from Huntington Beach,” Danielle explained.

  “And you look familiar,” Walt lied.

  “What did you do when you lived in California?” Rachel asked.

  “I was a real estate agent,” Walt explained.

  “And now you’re a writer?” Claudia asked.

  Walt looked to Danielle and explained, “She recognized my name when I introduced myself.”

  “Now that you mention it, I do recall reading the author Walt Marlow had amnesia. Such a fascinating story,” Claudia said as she sipped her tea.

  “Do we know each other?” Walt asked.

  “Wouldn’t I have told you that?” Claudia asked with a smile. She set her glass back on the table. “I’m also a real estate agent, and I suppose it’s possible our paths have crossed. But I meet so many people it’s difficult for me to remember them all.”

  “How did you get amnesia?” Rachel asked. “I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who had amnesia. I thought it was something people only got on soap operas.”

  “As I mentioned, Walt was in a car accident,” Danielle explained. “He was unconscious for a few days, and when he woke up, he didn’t remember anything about his life.”

  “I also read you and he are engaged. Is that right?” Claudia asked.

  Danielle nodded. “Yes. We’re getting married on Valentine’s Day.”

  Claudia arched her brows. “Isn’t that a bit risky? What happens if he suddenly remembers he has another family somewhere—another wife?”

  “She knew Clint. She knows perfectly well he wasn’t married,” Marie snapped. “She’s here to start trouble!”

  Walt studied Claudia a moment and smiled. “While I can’t recall anything that happened prior to the accident, I know who I was, and I have a basic knowledge of what my life was like back then. Unfortunately, I can’t recall any of the people I once knew, not even my fiancée, who was killed in the car accident.”

  Rachel tossed her suitcase on one of the twin beds. “I’ll take this one.”

  “I don’t care. Take whichever one you want.” Claudia dropped her suitcase on the floor and walked to the bedroom win
dow. Moments earlier Danielle had shown them to the room they would be staying in. Claudia assumed she was alone in the bedroom with her sister. What she didn’t know, the ghost of Marie Nichols sat perched on the dresser listening. Pulling back the curtains, Claudia looked out the window. “I want to know what kind of game Clint is playing.”

  “I’d like to know what kind of game you’re playing,” Marie asked as she watched the sisters.

  “Why didn’t you just tell them you know him?” Rachel opened her suitcase and started unpacking.

  Claudia wandered back from the window and sat down on what would be her bed for the week. She faced her sister. “I’m waiting to have that conversation with Clint when we’re alone.”

  “Maybe he really does have amnesia. The way he was looking at you, it was like he was trying to place you.”

  “That’s what I thought after he first opened the front door. I don’t think even Clint is that good of an actor. But I could be wrong.” Claudia kicked off her shoes and pulled the pillows out from under the bedspread. She fluffed up the pillows, sat on the bed, and put her feet up on the mattress while leaning back on the pillows. She looked up to the ceiling. “I don’t hear any footsteps up there. I don’t think Clint’s in his room.”

  Rachel finished hanging her clothes in the closet. “This entire thing is so bizarre.” Rachel yawned.

  “Tired?” Claudia asked.

  “Exhausted. When we go home, you’re driving. We should have flown.”

  “Whatever…”

  “I’m going to take a nap.” Tossing back the covers on her bed, Rachel climbed under the blankets. “Let’s talk later. I’ve got to get some sleep.”

  Marie sat in silence for a few minutes, watching as Rachel curled up in the bed with her eyes closed and her back to her sister, who lay silently on her bed, staring up at the ceiling.

  “Well, this is boring,” Marie said before disappearing.