The Haunting of Hillwood Farm

by Kathryn Knight

  The feeble story she’d come up with was that she’d been woken by the sporadic beeps signaling the smoke alarm battery in the kitchen needed to be changed. Once she’d stopped the noise by removing the battery, she’d decided to make some warm milk to help her go back to sleep. Somehow, while trying to do too many things at once in the middle of the night, she’d knocked a roll of paper towels onto the open flame while locating a pot. It was the best she could do beyond telling the truth, which would likely get her thrown in a mental institution.

  With a sigh, she tossed clothing and the Dragonfly books—which were thankfully unharmed—into a suitcase. The landlord had informed her she’d have to move out for at least the next month, while the kitchen was restored. He’d been none too happy about the damage, and he hadn’t even seen the missing mirror in her bedroom yet. Hopefully some combination of her renter’s insurance and his property insurance would pay for the bulk of the repairs. It was too overwhelming to think about right now, but at least she had a place she could stay, for a few nights anyway, while she figured out what to do next. Assuming the invitation was still open.

  By the time she’d collapsed into the driver’s seat of her car, it was after 5:00 in the morning, and golden pink light streaked the sky. She agonized over calling Hillwood now or waiting another hour. On the one hand, Luke and Alice were probably going to be angry she hadn’t called immediately after dialing 911. But on the other was the fact that if they were already going to admonish her for waiting, what difference did it make if she gave them a little more sleep before dropping her latest bombshell?

  She scrolled through her meager contact list until she arrived at the two Turner entries. Hesitating for a moment, she pressed Luke’s number, unable to explain—even to herself—why she chose him over Alice. She’d never even spoken to him on the phone; they’d only exchanged texts.

  He answered on the second ring. “Callie? What’s wrong?”

  Clearly, an early morning phone call from her was enough to set off alarm bells. “Hey. Um…there was a fire.” Her voice wavered, and she pulled in a deep breath. She was not going to cry.

  “What? Are you okay?”

  “Yes. But my apartment’s not. I can’t stay there.”

  “Oh my God. Okay, where are you? I’m coming to get you.”

  A dull ache flared through her fingers, and she struggled to relax her death grip on the phone. “No, no. I’m sitting in my car right now. I can drive. I just wanted to make sure…” she trailed off, closing her eyes.

  “You’re staying here,” he said firmly. “Are you sure you don’t want me to come pick you up? We can get your car later.”

  “No, it’s fine. I’ll be there soon.”

  “Okay, just drive safely.” After a pause, he added, “Just to be clear, the fire…it wasn’t an accident, right?”

  “No.”

  He swore under his breath. “I’ll go take care of the horses and fill Gram in. See you soon. Be careful, Callie. Please.”

  His tone radiated concern, and she swallowed hard before she said goodbye. Before she turned the car on, she brought up a playlist of soothing instrumental music she used for cool-downs in her fitness classes. Focusing on the road, she made her way to Hillwood, driving slowly enough to draw the ire of a few early morning commuters.

  Once she was settled in the farmhouse kitchen, with a warm drink in her hand and matching pairs of anxious blue eyes trained on her face, she recounted the whole story. As she finished, she circled back to the beginning, to the prodding and the plea that had awoken her when the disabled smoke detector hadn’t. “Henry was there, fighting to warn me. I wish he were able to get through to me without her interference. Maybe soon, while she’s worn out from last night.”

  “He can do it,” said Alice solemnly. “Right, Henry?” She directed the question into the air above them. Looking back at Callie, she added, “It might be easier with you here all the time, too.”

  Callie bit down on her lip. “I thought of that. But I feel like I’m bringing danger with me.”

  “Nonsense. We brought this to you.” Alice’s voice rang with conviction.

  Beside her, Luke nodded, his forearms resting on the counter. Rigid tendons shifted beneath his tanned skin as he pushed his fist into his other hand.

  She lifted the mug to her lips, letting the steam bathe her face. Alice had made her something called a hot toddy, refusing to give her anything caffeinated. She inhaled the scent of honey and lemon as she sipped, wincing slightly at the sharp tang of whiskey. “But…maybe if I just stayed away from Hillwood for a while, things would calm down.”

  “No,” said Luke, shaking his head. “It won’t work. Things were escalating before you came. At this point, I think we need to stick together until we figure this out.” He dragged his fingers through his hair. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but is there anything else we could try? Ouija boards? A séance? Or…maybe an exorcism?”

  “Well, I’ve never tried the first two things. To be honest, I’ve never needed to, and I’m not sure it would make it any easier to connect, but I’m not opposed to trying. I’m pretty sure exorcisms are reserved for demons, though, and I don’t think she’s a demon.”

  “Close enough.”

  Incredibly, a tiny chuckle came out in the same breath as a sigh. “You’re right. At least in terms of the horrible things that have been happening to us. But I think we’d have trouble convincing the Catholic Church or whoever it is in charge of exorcisms these days. What we have is an angry, violent, vengeful ghost…but she must want something beyond just causing chaos and fear. We just have to figure out what that is so we can put her to rest.”

  Alice cut in. “Speaking of rest, I think it’s time for you to try to get some sleep, Callie. You must be exhausted.”

  She blinked, suddenly noticing how heavy her eyelids had grown. The whiskey burned pleasantly in her chest, flowing through her veins and loosening her muscles. Things were shutting down in her sleep-deprived mind, like lights in department stores blinking off as the mall prepared to close for the night. She bobbed her head in a nod.

  “Okay, let’s get you upstairs,” Alice commanded in her take-charge voice. “I’m going to get you settled and then start washing your clothes, because no offense, but they’re a little smoky.” She barreled on before Callie could interrupt, holding out her palm. “No arguments. I’ll take what you’re wearing and what you’ve packed and it will be done by the time you wake up. I’ll get you one of Luke’s shirts to sleep in.”

  She nearly melted at the thought of snuggling into a comfortable bed, wearing Luke’s clothing, but fear pricked at her with persistent jabs. “But…will you two be safe?”

  Luke caught her around the waist, helping her off the stool. “We’ll be fine. Gram and I will keep an eye on each other while you’re asleep. I’m going to set up some precautions, too. I’ll double check the smoke detectors, and I can do a few things to make it harder to start a fire around here. Turn off the gas supply at night, move everything far away from burners, double-check electrical wiring.”

  “Okay.” It was all she could manage as she followed them through the dining room. Maybe taking preventative action would help. A ghost could only do so much in the physical world—of this, she was certain, because otherwise the vicious spirit would have certainly strangled her to death by now. So if they made manipulating objects around here more difficult, they might be able to thwart a future attack.

  Unless the ghost came up with something they didn’t think of in advance. An icy shiver slithered up her spine as she climbed the stairs.

  Chapter 18

  She slept until a little after noon, and then ate blueberry pancakes and sausage nearly as fast as Alice could slide them off the griddle. After coffee, she helped Alice clean up the kitchen and do some other household chores while Luke caught up with paperwork. The three of them went on a trail ride together, taking Sasha, Lady, and Diablo, a striking black horse who turned out to be
a lot sweeter than his name suggested. Determined to stay in a group as much as possible, they lugged one of the boxes from the attic down to Luke’s house, so he could get some work done on the renovation while Alice and Callie read through old documents. Thankfully, she’d found coverage for her classes for the next several nights, so she didn’t have to go anywhere on her own.

  After dinner, they watched a movie, and Luke convinced Alice and Callie to start getting ready for bed while he took care of the horses for the night. Callie stared at her cellphone screen as she filled the old tub, refusing to slip into the warm water until he’d returned to the house and called up that everything was okay.

  The routine of a bath before bed felt slightly awkward in someone else’s home, but she decided she’d better get used to it if she was going to be staying here for a while. She’d stumbled through a quick shower this morning before lying down, just to get the smoke smell out of her hair. Now, though, she wanted to soak and hopefully unwind—as much as possible anyway, given the circumstances. The old claw foot tub in the hall bathroom was quaint and welcoming, and she felt some of the tension of the last 24 hours seeping out from her body into the warm, fragrant water with each luxurious minute. After she climbed out and dried off, she stood in front of the fogged mirror, sliding a comb through her wet hair. A little knot of anxiety returned as she braced herself for a wispy figure to appear behind her, or for an unseen finger to slash words into the steamy glass. But only her reflection stared back at her, and she breathed a sigh of relief when she opened the door to the bathroom and turned out the lights.

  Wrapped in a towel, she padded toward her new bedroom, the wood floor of the hallway groaning softly beneath her footsteps. The chilled air that greeted her when she entered was from the rattling AC unit lodged in the window, not a supernatural presence, and she sighed gratefully even as she hurried across the room to shut it off. She’d turned it on earlier to cool the room down, but now it was a little much in her current state of undress.

  When she turned around, Luke was standing in the doorway. “Oh!” she gasped, her pulse jumping. She’d forgotten to close the door. One of the hazards of living alone for so long.

  “Sorry, Callie. I didn’t mean to sneak up on you.”

  “It’s okay. I guess I didn’t hear you, with the AC on.” She gestured toward the window with her head, suddenly acutely aware she was clad in only a towel.

  He nodded, pushing his hands into his pockets. “How was your bath?”

  “Good, thanks. I was hoping it would help me relax.” She shrugged, and the twist in her towel loosened. Clutching it to her chest, she managed a weak smile as she fumbled to secure it. She could feel the weight of his stare even as she bent her head to check the new knot, and warmth pooled in her belly.

  “And did it?” he asked, his voice low.

  “What?” She glanced up, and their gazes locked. The air crackled as the moment stretched out, and she recognized something in the depths of his eyes. Hunger. Could he see the same thing reflected back in hers?

  His chest expanded as he pulled in a slow breath. “Did it help relax you?”

  “Oh. Um, a little.” Desire burned through her, deep and insistent, and she suddenly wanted nothing more than to lose herself in his arms. To forget everything else in the world except for Luke. To forget fear and loss; to leave no room for anything but pleasure.

  “Well, I just wanted to check in on you. To see if you…need anything.”

  Yes. I need you. The bold words caught in her throat, and she licked her lips and tried a different response. “Do you?”

  He cocked his head, his brows pulling together. “What?”

  “Um. Need anything?”

  He dragged a hand over his mouth, the muscles in his arm bunching with the movement. “That’s a dangerous question to ask when you’re standing there in a towel.”

  A loaded silence hung between them, heavy with possibilities. Her voice trembled slightly when she finally broke it. “And yet I’m asking it.”

  He entered the room slowly, shutting the door behind him with a soft click. “Are you sure about this?”

  She swallowed. Was she? Her body certainly was. Every inch of her skin tingled, craving his touch. “Yes. I’m sure.”

  He closed the distance between them in three quick strides, grasping the sides of her face with his hands. Tilting her head back, he anchored her in place as his lips crushed hers in a demanding kiss. The rough pads of his thumbs slid over her cheeks, and a groan rumbled in his chest.

  She strained up to him, lifting to her toes, grabbing onto his shoulders. The hard muscles tightened beneath her touch. Heat flooded her veins, her heartbeat thundered in her ears. Luke.

  The scruff of his stubble scraped against her cheek as his mouth moved across her jaw. He caught the tender lobe of her ear in his teeth, and she moaned.

  He stilled, pulling away from her slightly. Their breath mingled, rasping and urgent, as he dropped his forehead to hers. “Callie,” he said, his voice low and jagged.

  “What is it? What’s wrong?”

  He sighed, cursing under his breath. “You’ve been through a lot. I want you here so I can keep you safe. I shouldn’t be taking advantage of the situation.”

  “You’re not,” she whispered. “This is what I want. What I need. All that matters is this moment, and right now, I need you.” She twined her fingers into the hair at the nape of his neck, pressing herself against him.

  “You’re sure?”

  In answer, she nuzzled his neck, trailing kisses up to his jawline. She didn’t want to think about the past, she didn’t want to think about the future, she didn’t want to think about all the eerie events plaguing their lives. She didn’t want a single thought left in her mind; she wanted only sensation and release. Kissing Luke made reality fade away…falling into bed with him would make it vanish completely.

  “I’m taking that as a yes,” he managed as he captured her mouth in another intoxicating kiss. His fingers trailed over her collarbone, catching on the twisted knot of terrycloth.

  “Yes,” she murmured.

  The towel slid down her body, falling to the floor.

  Chapter 19

  She drifted on the edge of consciousness, awareness seeping in slowly as sunlight played over her closed eyelids. This wasn’t the couch. Not her bed, either. Her limbs were heavy, her muscles unresponsive. Where was she? Oh, yes…in Alice’s guestroom. She shifted, stretching her legs beneath the sheets.

  “Good morning, beautiful.”

  Oh my God. Her eyes flew open as memories flooded in. She and Luke…

  He curled an arm around her, pulling her back into his chest. “I’ve been patiently waiting to do this,” he said, nuzzling her neck. “I didn’t want to wake you up.”

  She was speechless for a moment as her body responded to his touch. Last night had been…amazing. Beyond amazing. But now, reality was setting in. Here she was, a guest in Alice’s house for one night, and she was lying naked in bed with her hostess’s grandson. Oh, God. Had Alice realized Luke was in here, with her? She squeezed her eyes shut and fought the urge to succumb to the desire coursing through her veins again. Turning toward him, she pressed a palm into his shoulder. “What time is it? Is Alice awake?”

  He gave her a playful frown. “Is that your version of good morning?”

  This time she swatted him.

  “Fine.” Capturing her hand, he twined their fingers as he heaved a dramatic sigh. “Let’s see. It’s probably about 6:30. I need to get down to the barn, but I didn’t want to wake you. And I think Gram is up, I heard her go downstairs.”

  “Does she know?”

  His brow furrowed in feigned confusion. “Know what?”

  “Stop,” she insisted, using the sternest tone she could manage without raising her voice. She was unable to keep a smile from curving her lips, though.

  “Well, I got up in the middle of the night and shut my bedroom door, so she wouldn’t worry if she w
oke up before me, saw I wasn’t in there, and then couldn’t find me. So she probably doesn’t know we’re in bed together at the moment.” Beneath the sheets, he slid his leg over hers. “But it’s not a big deal. She knows I date.”

  Now it was her turn. She arranged her features in surprised innocence. “Was this a date?”

  “It was a great date,” he said, grinning as he rolled on top of her. He held himself above her, pinning her hand by her head. His expression turned serious as he held her gaze. “Truthfully, though, I was afraid if I used the term ‘relationships’, you’d freak out.”

  She closed her eyes and nodded, her hair sliding against the pillow. He knew her.

  “Hey,” he murmured, pressing his lips against her forehead. “It’s okay. I’m scared, too. But we don’t have to define this to anyone. Not even to ourselves.” He trailed kisses across her cheek and along her jawline, his free hand slipping beneath the sheets.

  Her breath caught as his mouth brushed the tender skin of her neck. She squirmed beneath him, arching her back as pressure built with devastating intensity.

  He kissed the corner of her mouth. “Am I allowed to say I care about you?”

  “Mmm,” she managed, digging her nails into the solid muscles of his shoulders.

  “Am I allowed to say I find you irresistible?” he continued, relentless.

  A moan escaped between his kisses. “I thought you said you had to go feed the horses,” she teased, even as she pulled him closer, desperate to eliminate even the tiniest bit of space between their bodies.

  “They can wait a little longer.”