2 The Ghosts Upstairs

by SUE FINEMAN

  They needed to talk about ending their relationship, if he’d listen to her this time. Telling him to get lost in a public place might be safer than telling him in private. “Sippin Sally’s?” The bar was crowded on Fridays, so if Brent hit her there, she’d have witnesses.

  “I hate that dive.”

  She liked the friendly bar, but it wasn’t the kind of upscale place Brent liked. With his trust fund, he could afford to go anywhere he wanted. She couldn’t, and she couldn’t afford to buy gas if she wasn’t using it for business. “Sippin Sally’s is on my way home from the office.”

  “Yes, all right. Sippin Sally’s at five. We’ll have a drink and then go out for dinner.”

  They wouldn’t make it to dinner. She intended to end it at the bar.

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  Friday afternoon, Andy parked in front of Sippin Sally’s and pulled off his tie. The parking lot in front of the barn-like structure was half empty at five-thirty. In another hour or so, the place would be packed.

  He wandered inside to wait for Charlie. The jukebox played a mournful country tune, a couple played pool and flirted off to the side, and half the tables were already filled. Charlie liked sitting at the bar, where he could see and be seen, but Andy found a table and sat down.

  A pretty blonde at the bar looked over and smiled. She looked vaguely familiar. Probably one of Charlie’s women.

  The woman walked over. “Andrew Kane?”

  He stood. “Yes. Do I know you?”

  “Julianne Tandry. Julie. You designed a house for my parents last year.”

  He’d only met her once, when her mother brought her to the office. She was stunning, with honey blond hair spilling over her shoulders. Her soft green sweater brought out the color of her eyes.

  “Of course. It’s good to see you again, Julie. Would you like to sit down?”

  “Just for a minute. I’m supposed to meet someone, but he’s late.”

  “My brother is late, too, as usual.” They met here every Friday after work, and although Charlie didn’t have a job, he always managed to be late.

  Andy pulled out a chair, and she sat down.

  “How are your parents?” Andy had found her father difficult to work with, but not as difficult as her mother. Arnold and Olivia Tandry had been satisfied with the finished product, a luxurious craftsman style home just outside the city, but the project hadn’t been an easy one. Olivia wanted the best of everything in her new home, and Arnold wanted to pare the cost down to a more manageable level. Finding a compromise took time and patience.

  “They’re happy with the house. It’s absolutely beautiful, thanks to you.”

  Charlie breezed through the door and glanced around. Andy waved to him. “My brother, Charlie.”

  Her smile slipped away. “Charlie Kane is your brother?”

  “My twin brother. Do you know him?” If she’d dated him, no matter how attracted Andy was, he’d back away right now. He didn’t date the same women Charlie dated.

  “I know of him. He dated my cousin. When she started to get serious, he dumped her like a piece of trash.” She picked up her drink, said, “Excuse me,” and walked back to the bar.

  Charlie dropped into the chair she’d just left. Staring at Julie’s back, he asked, “Was it something I said?”

  “Apparently you dumped her cousin.”

  “Oh, yeah? Who’s her cousin?”

  “I have no idea. You’re late.”

  Charlie shrugged. “So? You got something better to do, go do it.”

  The waitress walked over with two beers and flirted with Charlie. As soon as she left, Andy said, “Why do I bother going out with you?”

  Charlie glanced over at him. “Jealous of my popularity with women?”

  “You call that popularity? When Julie saw you, she couldn’t leave fast enough.”

  After sipping his beer, Charlie asked, “When is the last time you got some?”

  “None of your damn business.”

  Charlie slapped the table and nearly spilled the beer. “Just as I thought. You need a woman.”

  They’d had this discussion before, and Andy didn’t want to have it again. To Charlie, every problem a guy ever had could be solved with sex. Andy threw some money on the table and walked out the door, leaving his brother sitting alone at the table.

  Maybe he did need a woman, but he wasn’t about to admit it to Charlie.

  Andy walked out to his car and opened the door, but he didn’t get in. “Damn!” If he left now, Charlie would hit on Julie, and he couldn’t let that happen. He wasn’t about to give Julie to his irresponsible brother.

  He slammed the car door and walked back toward the bar.

  Julie sat at the bar with her wine. Brent was over a half-hour late, and she wasn’t waiting much longer. He was the most inconsiderate man she knew.

  A man stood at her left elbow. Charlie Kane. Why couldn’t he be more like his brother? Andrew had class, while Charlie was a low-life womanizer. He broke Susan’s heart when he left her. Maybe underneath, Andrew Kane was just like his brother. Aside from his longish hair, he presented a polished, professional image, but there was more to a man than his image. She’d learned that lesson the hard way.

  Charlie cleared his throat. “I’d like to apologize for coming in at the wrong time. I can assure you my brother is nothing like me. Our sister calls Andy ‘the good twin.’”

  She twisted around to look up at him. “Apology accepted.” Nice looking guy, with his black hair and gray eyes, but not as good looking as his brother. She wanted to ask him what his sister called him, but she didn’t want to start a conversation. She didn’t want anything to do with Susan’s ex-boyfriend.

  “Are you here alone?”

  “I was just leaving.” She finished her wine and dropped some money on the bar. When she stood to leave, Charlie was still standing there.

  A familiar voice asked, “Is this your new boyfriend, Julie?”

  She whipped around and saw Brent standing behind her, his blue eyes flashing with anger. When had he come in?

  Brent’s hand closed around her arm so tightly, she winced. “Ow! Let go of me.”

  “We’re leaving,” Brent said through clenched teeth.

  Her heart pounded with fear. “You’re hurting me. Let go.”

  Charlie stepped closer. “You heard the lady. Let go of her.”

  Brent shoved her against the bar so hard it knocked her breath away. He swung at Charlie, but Charlie ducked and punched Brent on the chin. Brent shook it off and hit Charlie in the stomach, bringing a muffled “Oomph.” Poor Charlie. Womanizer or not, he didn’t deserve this.

  Before Julie could move away from the bar, Brent grabbed her arm and yanked her toward the door.

  She struggled, but couldn’t break his hold. The harder she fought, the tighter his grip. Panic bubbled into her throat and she kicked at him. “Let go of me, Brent!”

  Andy blocked their way. “What’s going on?”

  Charlie said, “That jerk is trying to kidnap your woman.”

  “Let go of the lady,” Andy said. “Now!”

  “Get the hell out of the way.” Brent tried to push Andy aside, but Andy punched Brent in the face. Brent flew back and hit a table and then the floor, pulling Julie down with him. A glass broke and her arm came down on the broken glass. The pain snatched her breath away.

  Brent rolled to his side, spit blood on the floor, and moaned, but he didn’t get up.

  Andy helped Julie to her feet. “You okay?”

  She cupped her injured arm. “I cut my arm.”

  Andy pulled a clean handkerchief from his back pocket and handed it to her. She held it over her bleeding arm. Brent stayed on the floor, moaning and holding his face. Julie couldn’t summon any sympathy.

  “Thanks for helping me get away from him.”

  “I wouldn’t trust any woman with him tonight.”

  “I don’t want to be with him tonight or any other night. Do you hear me, Brent? It’s
over. I don’t ever want to see you again. No more phone calls, no more following me, and no more breaking into my apartment. If you bother me again, I’ll call the police.” She should have called them yesterday, when he broke into her apartment and pushed her down.

  Julie’s arm, especially her elbow, hurt like the dickens, and she’d have a big bruise on her other arm. Her eyes clouded with tears, but she blinked them back, unwilling to cry in front of all these people. Everyone in the place stared at her, probably wondering why on earth anyone would fight over her.

  “I appreciate your help, Andy. I hope you didn’t hurt your hand.”

  He flexed his hand. “It’s all right.”

  Holding her head up, Julie walked back to the bar, thanked Charlie, and grabbed her purse. While Andy stood over Brent, she escaped to her car, but her hands shook too hard to drive. She couldn’t go home anyway. Brent would probably break the door down. She could go to her parents’ house, but she didn’t want to involve them. Dad would have a stroke if he knew how Brent had been treating her, and if Mom saw the blood on her sweater, she’d explode. The cashmere sweater had been a birthday gift. She’d only had it a week.

  Andy walked over to Julie’s car, and she rolled the window down.

  “The police are on the way,” he said. “They’ll want a statement from you.”

  “I don’t want to go back inside.” She was too humiliated to face anyone in there.

  “Then we’ll wait right here. Are you sure you’re all right?”

  “You mean aside from my arm and my ego?”

  He smiled. Oh, yeah, this guy was better looking than his brother. When he smiled, his brown eyes sparkled, and she wanted to take him home and run her fingers through his wavy hair. But she couldn’t go home unless the police took Brent to jail, and Andy probably had a girlfriend. Not that she was looking for another man tonight.

  If the police report ended up in the newspaper and her name was mentioned, what would it do to her real estate business? She might have to move to Cleveland, where nobody knew her. If Brent wouldn’t leave her alone, she might have to leave town anyway.

  Her arm burned and her sweater sleeve felt sticky with blood. She needed to clean the wound and put a bandage on it.

  Andy stood beside her car until the police arrived with the paramedics. Patrons streamed out of the bar, probably people who didn’t want to get involved, not that he could blame them. He dreaded telling his father he and Charlie had gotten into a bar fight. Dad would take one look at Julie and assume they’d been fighting over her. Not that she wasn’t worth fighting over, but that wasn’t the way things went down.

  He walked over and told the officer what had happened inside. “The woman he tried to drag out of the bar is sitting in her car. Julianne Tandry. She’s shaken and her arm is injured.”

  While a paramedic checked out Julie’s injuries and the officer took her statement, Andy walked inside the bar to check on Charlie. He sat at the bar with a cute female officer, and the way she laughed, their conversation wasn’t all about business. No surprise there.

  On his way out, Andy glanced at the man on the floor. The bastard would probably sue him for breaking his ugly nose.

  Outside, Andy heard Julie tell the paramedic, “I’m not going to the hospital. I can’t afford it.”

  “I’ll cover it,” said Andy.

  “You definitely need stitches,” said the paramedic.

  “It’ll be all right. Put a tight bandage on it.”

  “I’ll take her to the hospital,” said Andy. She opened her mouth to protest, and he slowly shook his head. “I caused your injury when I hit what’s-his-name in there, so I’ll pay for the stitches.”

  “But—”

  “Woman, will you let me help you?”

  Any other woman he knew would be bawling her eyes out by now. His arms itched to hold her and comfort her, but after what she’d been through tonight, she’d probably slap him silly if he touched her.

  Andy’s father stood nearby, talking with one of the officers. Someone must have called him. Dad had run for mayor last year and, in spite of Charlie’s public escapades, won the election in a landslide. The family would undoubtedly have some unwanted publicity over this incident, but nobody could have predicted what happened tonight.

  Dad walked over. “I can’t believe you got into a bar fight. Charlie, yes, but not you.”

  “It’s my fault,” said Julie. “They were helping me.”

  “It wasn’t your fault. It was…” Andy motioned to the bar. “Who did I hit?”

  “Brent Bosch. His father owns River Valley Realty. I work there.”

  “You’re a real estate agent?”

  “Yes, but Bob probably won’t want me working there after tonight.”

  Dad cocked his head. “Is Brent an agent, too?”

  “He was until his license expired. We have to take ongoing training to renew our real estate licenses, and Brent didn’t take any. He wasn’t working anyway. He’s been spending all his time following me, calling me, breaking into my apartment, and making a general nuisance of himself.”

  “That’s called stalking,” said Dad, “and it’s illegal.” He motioned to one of the officers. “Andy is taking Julie to the hospital to get stitches in her arm. Have someone meet her there to take her statement.”

  “We have her statement about what happened tonight.”

  “There’s a history of stalking here. Did you get that?”

  “No, sir. I’ll take care of it myself.”

  Sometimes Dad forgot he was no longer in charge of the police in River Valley. He’d held the job as chief for many years before his retirement last year.

  The paramedic finished bandaging Julie’s elbow, and Andy drove her to the hospital. He hadn’t realized she’d been hurt badly enough to need stitches, and he felt responsible for her pain. Instead of punching the man, he should have found another way to stop him from dragging Julie out of there.

  I hope you enjoyed this excerpt of The Ghost at the Farm. If you’d like to read the book in its entirety, it’s coming to Kindle and Nook soon.

  Author’s Note

  I hope you enjoyed reading Billy and Kayla’s story. I didn’t start out to make this a series, but Billy kept nagging at me to tell his story. What I wouldn’t have given to have a teacher like him when I was in high school.

  In The Ghost in the Basement, Billy was a good kid, a sensitive kid who was deeply hurt by his mother’s and grandmother’s behavior. He thought he’d put the things they said to him out of his mind when he grew up, but being in his grandmother’s home brought back all the pain of his childhood.

  When I was a kid, I lived in Florida, where nearly everyone had an accent. People from all over the South lived in our neighborhood, so I could almost hear Kayla speak and understand how she’d lived. I love the way she interacts with her dog. As the mother of a psychic daughter, I also understand Billy’s reaction to her visions. It’s bewildering for sure, and sometimes scary, but normal for her to see things before they happen.

  The next book in the series is The Ghost at the Farm, Andy’s book. Andy’s ghost doesn’t appear until late in the book, but his dreams of a past life keep things interesting. So does Julie, the young woman he saves from a man trying to drag her out of a bar. Julie quickly discovers that Andy’s a dependable, protective man. She’s crazy about him, except when he slips into his past life identity.

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  THE KANE GHOSTS SERIES

  The Ghost in the Basement

  When Hannah Taylor inherits her grandfather’s home, the attorney tells her there are strings attached. She must share the house with Police Detective Donovan Kane and his family for a year, and if she doesn’t stay, Donovan gets the house. He’s sure Hannah won’t stay the full year and he’ll end up with the house, but she’s not about to give him her home.

  In a letter to Donovan, Grandpa said to “find the diaries, open the house, and send the wandering spirits on their way,
” but nobody expects the old diaries to lead them to a secret staircase, a body buried in the basement, friendly ghosts, and a love that will last a lifetime.

  The Ghosts Upstairs

  Billy Kane, a teacher in a private academy, inherits his grandfather’s mansion in River Valley, but he doesn’t expect to find three ghosts there. His mother and grandmother made his childhood a living hell, and he wants their ghosts gone, but his grandmother’s ghost won’t let his mother’s ghost leave.

  His grandmother’s heir, Kayla Blanton, is crazy about Billy, but she knows she can’t have him. He’s a teacher in a school that has a morals clause, and her last job was in a topless club. Billy wants a wife who can give him children, and she can’t. But love finds a way.

  The Ghost at the Farm

  A gypsy fortune teller convinces architect Andy Kane his dreams are of a past life, that of the man who was murdered and buried in his family’s basement in 1918. He must resolve the issues of the past life or his life will end the same way, but how can he do that from this life?

  After he rescues Julianne Tandry from an abusive man in a bar, Andy’s mind isn’t just on his dreams, but he can’t move forward with a relationship until he figures out what issues need to be resolved. Julie, a real estate agent, helps Andy find a farm to buy, where things get really strange. But she loves Andy, and despite his past life visions, she’s not willing to give him up.

  The Ghosts in the Attic

  Someone tracks down Charlie Kane and tells him his daughter is in the hospital, a kid he didn’t know he had. He’s been with a lot of women, so who is the child’s mother, and why didn’t she tell him about the adorable little girl with the big bump on her head and his gray eyes?

  Alexandra Porcini’s father hates Charlie’s father, the former police detective who put him in jail many years ago, but Alex has always loved Charlie. When she sees him with their little girl, she knows she has to explain and hopes he can forgive her for choosing her family over him seven years ago. She wants to build a future with Charlie and their spirited psychic daughter.

  The Ghosts in the Audience

  Police Detective Ginny Kane asks psychic entertainer Steffen Marchand, on tour in River Valley, to help her find a missing friend. She’s excited by him, yet frustrated with the way he can plant thoughts in her mind. She doesn’t need a man in her life anyway.