by Andris Bear
She froze with a fry halfway to her lips. She hadn’t been kidding about her love of the things—in the time it took him to take one bite of his steak, she’d devoured over half the stack, like she thought he’d make good on his threat to steal some.
“There’s a house?” she demanded before shoving the fry in her mouth.
Shane chewed his bite, then drank a swig of beer. “The big stone house on the north end of town. It has an iron fence all around the property.”
“I don’t know it.”
“Want me to take you after dinner?” he asked, half joking. His inner architect nerd jumped at the chance to show her the beauty of the place. It was more mansion than house, boasting broad, stone walls, stained-glass windows, and turrets on each side of its face. The thick web of vinery winding around the towers added another layer to its charm. That the home had been deserted at least twenty years ago, yet showed no signs sagging or crumbling was a tribute to its construction.
The other part of him that didn’t put much stock in the legends of Whisper Grove realized his date was probably bored to tears with all things witch.
What did you do on your date with the cute and quirky girl you really like?
Took her to see the abandoned house of her presumed dead ancestors.
Shane sighed. He needed to work on his dating skills.
“I’d love that,” she stated, reaching for her burger.
Evangeline was definitely not one of those girls too shy to eat in front of a man. She’d finished off the fries in the short time since he’d mentioned the house, and her sandwich didn’t look like it would last long either. Figuring he’d be eating alone if he didn’t catch up, he cut into his steak and shoved the bite into his mouth.
Their conversation turned to the mundane—work, family, future plans—anything and everything that had nothing to do with magic, leprechauns, or Hogwarts.
After filling her in on his childhood while raised by Buff and how Shane had come to take over the shop from his uncle, he learned she was the oldest of three sisters, had attended college a few hours away at NC State in Raleigh, and preferred dogs to cats.
Oh, and she loved coffee, but her new ‘rat bastard pot’ had died on her, which she took as a personal insult.
Shane was content to listen to her talk all night, but the waiter had already delivered the check and kept aiming pointed glances their way. Grabbing the bill, he said, “You ready? I get the impression they want to clear the table for new customers.”
Waiting for her to slide from the booth, Shane scanned the other patrons, searching for Freya. Whatever case of the ass Freya had with Evangeline, he preferred to avoid another confrontation between the two.
He paid the check, escorted her to the truck, and helped her inside before climbing into the driver’s side.
“Still want to see the house?” he asked, clicking his seat belt. He found the place fascinating but wasn’t sure if she was really interested or simply humoring him.
“Heck yeah,” she said with enough enthusiasm to convince him he wasn’t pushing it on her.
“Winther House, it is.”
Pulling out of the parking lot, he set the radio to a popular station and turned down the volume—loud enough to hear but quiet enough to talk… if she felt like talking to a nut.
He smiled, thinking his first date with Evangeline Winther was the best he’d had in years.
The sun was almost set when he pulled up to 112 Main Street a few minutes later. Even in the dwindling light, the house seemed to cast an ominous shadow over them.
“Is this it?” Evangeline asked, a tinge of awe in her voice. Leaning forward in her seat to peer around him, she ran her gaze over every inch of the place.
He knew because he watched her as she took it in from one end to the other.
Without a word, she opened her door, climbed from the cab, and then walked around the front of the truck. She stopped on the sidewalk and stared. Wanting to share in her excitement, he exited to stand next to her.
“I expected a rundown shack on the verge of collapsing in on itself.” She beamed a smile at him. “This baby is glorious.”
“The house is pretty nice, too,” he said with a wink.
She paused to scrutinize him. “Are you flirting with me?”
“Only a little,” he said, pinching his finger toward his thumb. “Not enough to even call it flirting.”
Her lips thinned. “Watch yourself—those moose farts aren’t off the table. So, who owns this?” She fluttered her hand toward the house.
“No idea. To my knowledge, no one has set foot inside since the last Winther ran out a quarter of a century ago.”
“Ran out?” Evangeline approached the gate, hesitantly reaching for the latch. Then, as if thinking better of it, she dropped her hand. “I really want to walk through this place.”
“You and everyone who has ever seen it.” He laughed at her sour look. Moving closer, he gripped the latch and gave it a rough shake. The gate rattled but not much. It was solid. “The story goes that the gate will only open for the intended heir.”
“That’s ridiculous. Someone has obviously been taking care of the place,” she argued. “Besides, the fence isn’t that high. Anyone could jump it.”
“Not anyone male.” He cringed at the ramifications of not clearing the spikes. “If you’re suggesting a B&E, count me out. I don’t believe in curses, but I do believe in keeping pointy things away from my man parts.”
That earned him one of her snorts. She covered her mouth, shook her head. “You did that on purpose.”
He grinned, motioning her back to the truck. With one last peek at the house, she headed his way.
A distinct click echoed through the air, followed by the scraping of metal against metal.
Evangeline stopped him with a hand on his arm, lifting rounded eyes to his. His heart hammered in his ears as they slowly pivoted to face the house.
The gate hung wide open.
Chapter Eight
“Am I crazy or did that just happen?” Evangeline asked, gripping Shane’s arm tightly as she stared at the open gate. It hadn’t moved since it… moved.
“Probably, but if you are, then I am,” he stated.
Releasing him, she muttered, “Not the ringing endorsement about our mental health I was looking for.”
Inching closer, as if she were approaching a hissing cobra rather than an inanimate object, she gave her head a sturdy shake. “It must have been the wind.”
Shane was gracious enough to remain silent instead of stating the obvious—there hadn’t been any wind, which didn’t bolster her confidence. Running a finger over one picket tip, she expected snags or divots on such an old piece of metal, but it was as smooth as if it had been put up the day before. There was none of the cobwebs or dirt one would expect to find between the spindles either.
Further proof someone was maintaining the property.
“The caretaker must have opened the gate.”
After studying the house for at least thirty seconds, Shane’s dark gaze slid to hers. “I didn’t see a caretaker.”
Neither did she, but it made sense—more so than the gate opening itself—and if someone was here, she intended to talk to them. Surely, they wouldn’t mind answering a few questions about the home’s elusive owner.
Dismissing his reservations with a shrug, she started through the gateway, pausing to glance back over her shoulder. “I’m going to knock. Coming?”
He seemed to wrestle with himself as he glanced up the street, then down the other direction, and Evangeline couldn’t keep her snicker in check when he finally sidled up to her with a “Hell yes.”
“Bet you didn’t think we’d end up here tonight,” she said, taking a moment to soak in the home’s grandeur. “It’s so… everything.” Beautiful. Mysterious. Powerful.
Evangeline cocked her head at the last word. Not what she’d choose to describe most homes, but it fit this one. This place reminded her o
f a castle stronghold, built to protect its inhabitants. All it needed was lords and ladies to complete the effect.
“Ready to trespass?” Shane asked.
“Trespass?” She made a point to look over the property before turning to him with a raised brow. “I don’t see any trespassing signs. Technically, we’re visiting.”
His bark of laughter echoed, making her jump. “I don’t think that’ll hold up in a court of law.”
“Well, I don’t intend to get caught, so…” With a quick wink, she started to climb the porch. As soon as her foot touched the first step, a current of electricity zinged down her spine. She quickly retreated, smashing into Shane as he moved up behind her.
His arms banded around her middle, steadying her when she would have canted sideways. “Are you all right?” His warm breath at her ear sent another tingle down her spine that had nothing to do with the house. His firm body was pressed tight to her backside, and holy mama was he solid. And cuddly. She could sink into his arms and not come out for days.
Clearing her throat, she pulled out of his embrace. “Just spooked me. Did, uh, did you feel that?”
Shane tucked his hands into his pockets with a shrug. “No, but you got someone’s attention.”
Her eyes widened. Heat crept into her cheeks. Before her gaze could drop to his crotch, he pointed toward the house, and she realized he wasn’t jumping to the same conclusions. She jerked her attention to the porch before he caught her being a presumptuous hussy.
The light by the front door glowed brightly against the falling night, casting the porch in a warm, inviting glow.
Evangeline climbed the steps slowly, peeking through the window set in the wooden door. No one stood on the other side—at least, not in her line of vision. Once she reached the door, she paused to glance back at Shane and was surprised to find him standing beside her.
“See? I told you someone must live here,” she stated with bravado despite her pulse trilling in her veins. Why was she so nervous? They were knocking on a door, nothing more. If someone answered, great. If no one did, well, so be it. At least she’d gotten to see the place, which she fully intended to research the hell out of first thing tomorrow.
“It’s probably a motion-sensor light,” Shane said absently. His attention was riveted on the swirl symbol carved in the wood on each side of the door. He traced the cutout with his finger, clearly fascinated.
Only one way to find out.
Evangeline lifted her fist to knock. What she would say if someone did answer, she hadn’t a clue, but the possibility let loose butterflies in her tummy. The click of a latch sounded an instant before the door slowly swung inward with a long, drawn-out creak.
Shane’s soft, “Holy shit,” matched her sentiments perfectly.
Light flared to life inside, revealing an expansive foyer. It boasted cream-colored walls with crown molding at the ceiling and dark hardwood floors beneath. There was nothing in the entryway save for the exquisite crystal chandelier lighting the room and a staircase that curled to the right and out of sight. The thick, shiny bannister was made from the same wood as the floors, and Evangeline couldn’t help but wonder if it would feel as smooth as it looked. What would it be like to descend those stairs every morning?
Leaning in close, Shane asked, “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
That the house had a mind of its own and wanted them to enter for some unknown and maybe nefarious purpose, and should they do so, they might never been seen again?
Probably not what he was thinking.
“That our trespassing is about to become a B&E?” she joked. Mostly. The door did open on its own. It couldn’t get any more inviting than that. Right?
“Disclaimer—my best friend is a sheriff deputy. He would definitely not endorse a B&E.”
His admission was ice water on her excitement. “Meaning we shouldn’t go in,” she guessed.
Shane started to speak, hesitated. After a deep breath, he said, “Meaning he’s my best friend. I’ll call and beg his mercy should we get caught.” His mouth cocked up on one side in the cutest grin she’d ever seen.
Impulse overran her brain as she gripped his cheeks, reeled him in, and pressed her lips to his. It was the most awkward kiss of her life as they stared into each other’s wide, shocked eyes.
Then his hands gripped her waist, and he pulled her closer until she was wrapped in the strength of his arms. Her nerves at entering the house gave way to a different kind of tension as her lips parted under his.
“I think that was the best offer to commit a crime I’ve ever had,” he said, pressing his forehead to hers.
Laughter bubbled up her throat. “I thought you were offering? I mean, you’re the one who knows a deputy.”
His brows furrowed. “Right. I’m not entirely sure how you turned that around, but it was very sneaky. After you.” He swept his hand toward the door.
Now that they’d decided to go in, Evangeline wasn’t entirely sure she wanted to. Though the chance to see the inside, maybe pick someone’s brain about it, filled her with giddy anticipation, it wasn’t her place to waltz right in. An open door wasn’t the same as an open invitation.
She knocked loudly on the door frame, calling, “Hello? Your door is open!”
Only the pounding of her heart sounded in response. She didn’t know whether she was relieved or alarmed that no one answered. Someone had to be here.
Evangeline took a hesitant step into the house. When nothing blew up, slammed shut, or yelled at her to get the hell out, she turned to Shane with a lift of her shoulders. He stood just inside the front door, his hands tucked into his pockets, and his dark gaze taking in everything from floor to ceiling.
“I feel like I’m welcomed and trespassing at the same time,” she said, moving to the staircase. She ran her fingers over the railing, and just as she had imagined, it was as smooth and cool as polished glass.
An archway into another room was tucked in front of the stairs, out of sight from the foyer. No magic chandelier lit up when she poked her head around the corner, so it was too dark to make out much more than a few pieces of furniture covered with white drop cloths. The outline of a piano sat in front of the far window.
Having no musical inclination, Evangeline had never learned to play, not the piano or any other instrument, but she could imagine a young woman tickling the keys. The vision pulled her lips into a smile. Running her hand along the wall, she searched for a light switch, and then flicked it on.
Nothing happened.
Disappointment pulled a huff from her lips. She started to turn away when her gaze collided with a pair of vibrant green eyes.
Her breath froze as her mind scrambled to make sense of what she was seeing. Then the eyes swooped to the floor with a soft, “Meow.”
Evangeline’s breath returned on a relieved sigh. Bending, she ran her hand over the cat’s black fur as it wound around her feet with a hearty vibrating purr.
“Where did that come from?” Shane asked, coming over to pet the cat as well.
“Not sure. I looked up and there he was.” A gold medallion dangled around the cat’s neck. Evangeline lifted the circle, leaning in for a better look. “Your name is Chester, huh?”
“He’s friendly,” Shane commented before straightening to see into the room the cat had come from. He flicked the same switch she had with the same result—none—before he returned his attention to Chester. “He looks well fed, clean.”
It must have been her imagination, but she could have sworn the cat arched his back with indignation, but before she could inform him the cat’s care was another point in her favor that someone must come and go, rushing noises filled her ears.
She was so startled that she asked, “Do you hear that?” before thinking better of it.
Shane raised his head with a frown. “Hear what?”
Whispers.
The answer sounded in her head as if it had actually been spoken, and it dawned on her the sound was
very much like a hundred different voices whispering in her ear, urgently trying to tell her something.
Yeah, she was so not going to tell her date she heard voices in her head.
Instead, she shrugged as if she wasn’t on the verge of losing her mind, and reached to pet Chester one final time. The cat cranked its dark head to stare directly into her eyes, his tail stilling its swishing back and forth. The whispering roared a beat, then instantly stopped.
Witch.
Evangeline blinked. Repeatedly. As if clearing her eyes would clear her mind. Did she just hear ‘witch’ from a cat? The idea was ridiculous, one she would have laughed at—except she’d just heard ‘witch’ from a cat.
A cat she’d found in a supposedly haunted house that she shouldn’t have entered in the first place.
An unsettling certainty that something was about to happen rolled through her gut. She couldn’t name what that something was or give a reason why she felt that way, but there wasn’t a doubt in her mind, and she wanted out.
Spurred by the unnamed terror rushing through her, she shot to her feet just as the chandelier, the only source of light, went out, purging them into darkness.
Chapter Nine
Shane wasn’t afraid of the dark.
Unless he was trespassing in an abandoned house that opened its owns doors, turned on its own lights, and had a spooky black cat as its mascot. And then the lights went out.
In that case, he was afraid of the dark.
And he wanted out of the house.
Evangeline must have had the same thought because they shot to their feet at the same time. Her forehead—he assumed because it was as hard as any of the hundred stones holding this place together—smashed into his nose.
“Jesus,” he howled, his hands flying to cup his face. He smacked into something. Going by her surprised yelp, he guessed her face.
The cat hissed as it rushed between his feet. Shane had to dance a blind do-si-do with himself to keep from stepping on the scrambling feline.
