by Mona Ingram
“No, it’s not that.” He jumped down and took a step toward her. “Charlie, I need your help.”
She refrained from reminding him that the last time she’d seen him he definitely didn’t need her help. “You do?”
“Annie is missing. Wendy and I have been looking for her for a couple of hours, and we can’t find her anywhere.” He raked his fingers through his windblown hair. “Listen Charlie, I know we have a lot to talk about, but right now I need your help. Brad’s gone to pick up the twins and they won’t be back for a couple of hours.” He looked into her eyes. “I need you to find Annie.”
It hit her like a physical blow. He was here only because he needed her help. She glared at him. “Oh, I get it. Yesterday I was a freak, and now you want me to find your niece. Sorry, but it doesn’t work that way.” She turned her back and walked toward the house.
“Charlie I said I’m sorry.” The desperation in his voice stopped her in her tracks. “You really knocked me out with all that stuff about ghosts.”
She turned to face him. “You hurt my feelings, Jason. You know that.”
He nodded and a small smile played with the corner of his mouth. “I slept on the couch last night, for what it’s worth.”
His words went a long way toward soothing her aching heart. A sudden gust of wind shook the leaves. The storm was coming and Annie was out there somewhere.
“What I said a minute ago? I meant it. Communicating with a ghost isn’t the same as being able to find someone who’s lost. I’m not like those psychics on television who can tell you where to find things you’ve misplaced.” She paused, and her thoughts turned to a gold ring. “But I’m willing to help.”
The tension drained from his face and he took an uncertain step forward. “Thank you.”
Jagged lightning snaked across the sky and they both stilled, counting, waiting for the crash of thunder. It rolled over them a second later and they scrambled toward the ATV. “It’s almost on top of us” he said as Charlie clambered up behind him.
They paused outside the barn long enough to inform Janelle what was going on. Her response was immediate. “I’ll close up the house and drive over to sit with Wendy. She’ll want to stay close to home in case Annie comes back on her own.”
Jason nodded and as the ATV surged forward the first drops of rain began to fall. By the time they reached the Fleming farm Charlie’s hair was plastered to her scalp.
The anxious expression on Wendy’s face told them what they needed to know; Annie hadn’t returned. “Janelle is coming over and Charlie and I are going back out” he called, raising his voice over the growing storm. Wendy nodded, her eyes wide with worry.
Jason pulled the ATV into the barn. Rain pounded on the metal roof, making conversation almost impossible. “Come on” he called. Let’s go into the stable.” He reached for her hand and they ran through what was now a downpour into the comparative silence of the wooden structure. Charlie sat on a bale of hay, collecting her thoughts while Jason calmed the nervous horses. The only thing she knew about Annie was that she liked to read.
“Jason” she said thoughtfully, “didn’t you tell me that Annie likes to find different places to hide? Places to read quietly?”
He nodded. “Yes, but I’ve looked everywhere I can think of.”
“Then let’s look again.”
“Well, she likes the barn.”
“Let’s go back there.” She summoned her calmest voice. “We’ll find her, Jason. We just have to cover all the bases again.”
They returned to the barn, oblivious to the rain. Charlie searched every possible hiding place downstairs while Jason climbed the wooden ladder to the hayloft. He caught her eye on the way down and shook his head, unwilling to compete with the sound of the rain on the roof. Charlie drew him back to the stable where they could talk.
“Okay” she said, forcing him to sit down. “Let’s think this out logically. What is it about today that would cause her to go somewhere different from her normal haunts?”
He drew in a deep breath. “Only that her brothers are coming home today.”
“Maybe she’s in their room. I’ll bet they don’t usually let her in there.”
“Wendy and I both looked there.” A weak smile flitted across his face. “It was one of the first places we checked.”
“Okay.” She kept her voice even. “What else? There must be something.”
“No.” He pulled a piece of straw from a bale and stared at it without really seeing it. “Unless she’s gone out to the twins’ tree house. Now that’s really off-limits.”
“Where is it?”
“About half a mile to the south.” He looked relieved and frantic at the same time. “If she was in there and got caught by the rain she wouldn’t leave. She won’t let anything happen to her precious books.”
“Sensible girl.” Charlie stood up. “Can we go there on the ATV?”
“You’re sure you want to come?” He glanced outside. “It’s coming down pretty hard.”
She ran outside, lifted her arms and raised her face to the pounding rain. “I can’t get any wetter that I already am. Come on, let’s get going before the rain turns everything to mud.”
He walked out to meet her and within a few steps he was drenched all over again. Perhaps the rain was blurring her vision, but his eyes seemed to be a softer shade of blue.
“Charlie Mitchell, you’re crazy.” He pulled her into his arms and gave her a kiss that left little doubt as to his future intentions.
“I know” she said, smiling up at him. They were standing in a downpour, his niece was missing, but things were definitely looking up.
“Put this on” he said brusquely, placing his Stetson on her head and leading her toward the ATV. “We’ve gotta go,” he murmured hoarsely, “but when this is over, we have some talking to do.”
The ATV skidded sideways in the muddy yard and she clutched his wet shirt, grateful when they finally reached the trail that ran alongside a field of hay. Trying to shield herself from the pelting rain, she peeked out every once in a while to see if they were nearing a grove of trees.
“It’s down there” he shouted over his shoulder. “In those willows.”
The trees grew beside a small pond of water, the soil around its perimeter churned up by cattle. “This will bring the water level back up. That’s good,” he informed her as they slowed down. “The boys’ hideout is on one of those trees” he said, sliding off the ATV and offering her his hand.
“Annie” he called. “Are you out here?” He paused at a tree with boards nailed onto the trunk, looked up and called again. “Annie, please don’t make me climb up there. These boards won’t hold me.”
Charlie brushed him aside. “Let me,” she said. “You’d never get your shoulders through that little door.” She pointed up.
“Be careful” he said as she started climbing. “We don’t want you breaking anything now that you’ve learned to dance.”
She shot him a look that was supposed to be withering, but she couldn’t quite pull it off. Particularly when she’d been thinking the same thing.
“Just watch where you’re going” he said with a low chuckle.
Charlie paused two steps from the top of the makeshift ladder. “Annie?” she called, “my name is Charlie and I’m a friend of Jason’s. We came to see if you’re okay. Can I come in?” A sudden idea struck her. “You’ve probably got someone in there with you, like Harry Potter.”
The soft giggle was music to her ears. She climbed up the last two steps and peered into the tree house. Huddled in a corner was a small blonde child with wide blue eyes. She had an old horse blanket wrapped around her legs. Beside her, on a wooden crate, an old-fashioned oil lamp flickered, the glass chimney partially blackened with soot. All in all, she looked very cozy.
“This looks nice” Charlie said. “Wait a minute. I’d better tell Jason I found you. He and your Mom have been looking all over the place for you.”
Jas
on was waiting patiently at the foot of the tree. “She’s here and she’s fine” said Charlie. He opened his mouth but she quieted him with a hand, and then turned back to Annie. “Why didn’t you answer when we called?” she asked.
“The boys don’t want me coming in here. They say it’s for men only.” Annie’s voice wavered. “They said they’ll throw my books down the well.”
“I’ll tell you a little secret” said Charlie in a stage whisper. “Boys can be a real pain…big time. And you know what? They aren’t nearly as smart as girls, but sometimes we let them think they are.” This pronouncement was met with another giggle. She looked around. “But I guess they like to have their own space. Hey, I’ve got an idea. Is there an attic in your house?”
Annie regarded her curiously. “Yes.”
“Is it easy to get to?”
“The stairs.”
“Maybe you could ask your Mom if you can have a little corner of the attic all for yourself. It could be your special place.”
The little face brightened. “Yeah. Can we go back now?”
Charlie cocked her head. “Do you hear that? The rain has stopped.”
Annie clambered down the ladder after Charlie and Jason lifted her into his arms. “Hello Pumpkin,” he said, kissing the top of her head. “We were worried about you.”
“You won’t tell, will you?” she asked solemnly.
“Of course not.” He settled her on Charlie’s lap, then climbed on the ATV. The dark clouds had moved to the north and by the time they pulled into the yard the sun had broken through. Wisps of steam rose from the ground, where moisture was already being burned off.
“Annie!” Wendy hugged her fiercely. “We’ve been looking for you everywhere!” Over her daughter’s head she smiled her thanks at Charlie and nodded to Jason, a private exchange with her brother-in-law.
“Charlie had a neat idea.” Unaware of the emotions swirling around her, Annie pulled on her mother’s hand and dragged her toward the house. “Come on, I want to tell you about it.”
Janelle waved at her friend. “I’ll be getting back.”
Wendy looked over her shoulder. “Thanks” she mouthed, then turned to follow her determined daughter into the house.
“Well, you two.” Janelle looked from Jason to Charlie. “It looks like you’re talking again.”
Jason smiled. “We haven’t actually talked yet, but we plan to.”
“Good. You guys are wearing me out.” With a short laugh, she walked to her truck and pulled out of the yard.
Charlie removed Jason’s Stetson and ran her fingers though her hair. “I must look a mess.”
He put the hat on and gripped her by the shoulders. “You look just fine to me.” He looked deeply into her eyes. “Without you I don’t know what we would have done.”
“You would have found her, but I’m glad I could help.”
He kicked at the ground with the toe of his boot. “I owe you an apology.”
“Yeah, you do.” His head jerked up and she gave him a saucy grin. “You’re not very good at this, are you? Even so, I’m willing to listen.”
“I never should have doubted you Charlie. I don’t know what I was thinking.”
“What made you change your mind?” She really wanted to hear this.
He looked around as though suddenly aware of their surroundings. “Let’s go over to your place. Brad and the boys will be home soon and we won’t have any peace around here. Besides, I have the chores to do there.”
She sat close to him on the ride back, breathing in the scent of him. They arrived far too soon. “This will only take a few minutes” he said, parking the ATV under the weeping willow where it was relatively dry.
“In that case, I’ll get us something to drink. Maybe even run a comb through my hair.”
His smile caused an odd little clutch in her chest. “Like I said, you look great to me.”
She ran into the house before she made a fool of herself. Rummaging through the kitchen drawer, she found Janelle’s hairbrush.
The mirror in the downstairs bathroom was old, with dark patches where the silvering had worn off. She ran the brush through her hair and it bounced back curlier than ever. Okay, so she’d never have the smoothed-back hairstyle of Charlotte, but then she was her own person, not her ancestor.
She leaned in closer to study the woman in the mirror. The Charlie who looked back had a sparkle in her eyes. She was more relaxed than the up-tight person who had arrived not that long ago. The new Charlie smiled more readily than before, but the real changes were inside. Here in this small town she was starting to see the world differently. In addition to becoming more attuned to her surroundings, she saw how people cared for their neighbors. How they cooked for them when they were sick, or supported them through sorrow and loss. At home in Calgary, she didn’t even know her neighbors in the condo. It was ironic to think that it took living in a small town like Clearwater Springs to make her think on a broader scale. She nodded to herself in the mirror, realizing that she had become a different person…and she liked that person.
She grabbed two of the cream sodas she’d brought home from The Trip and went outside. Jason had finished gathering the eggs and was filling the feeders.
“Let’s sit on the bench on the other side of the duck pond” he said. “I dried off the seat, so it should be fine now.”
He joined her a few minutes later. “I was thinking” he said, accepting the bottle and downing half of it in one long gulp. “Annie should have a place of her own. After all, the boys have one.”
“I hope Wendy doesn’t think I’m interfering, but I suggested to Annie that maybe she could have a corner of the attic for her own little hidey-hole.”
He nodded thoughtfully. “It’s a good idea. I’ll help Brad clean out a spot for her.” He looked at her curiously. “What made you think of that?”
She hesitated, unsure of how much to tell him. “I’ve been spending time up in Janelle’s attic. It’s a great place to think.”
He moved sideways on the bench and draped his arm over the back, watching her carefully. “I was talking to Wendy and she says there’s a ghost up there. She says it’s Charlotte, the one you told me about.” He waited for her reaction.
She studied her soda, watching the bubbles race each other to the surface. “Janelle told me that when she and my Mom were kids, my Mom used to tease her about a ghost. She’s been leery of the attic ever since,”
“Have you seen her?”
Her gaze drifted up to the small attic window. “No, but I hope to.” She turned back. “What happened to make you change your attitude about all of this?” She almost held her breath waiting for his answer.
He thought for a moment before answering. “Like I said, I talked to Wendy. She didn’t seem to think that there was anything strange about you talking to a ghost.” He gave his head a little shake. “I don’t know what I expected, but she definitely surprised me.”
Interesting. “What else did she say?”
“She said I should have been flattered that you told me about it. Something like that. Oh, and she asked me if I thought you were making it up. I said no.”
Charlie suppressed a sigh of relief. She’d needed to hear those words. “And so you changed your mind?”
He leaned forward. “It’s difficult, I’ll admit that, but I’m trying to be more open-minded.”
“Fair enough.” She took a sip from the soda bottle. “I like straws,” she said in an abrupt change of topic.
“Oh, but you look cute with that little bit of red on your upper lip.” He reached across and brushed her lip with his thumb. His touch was electric; the shock raced through her body.
He felt it too. She could see it in his eyes. “I can’t think when you do that,” she said with a smile.
He leaned back against the ornate armrest. “Okay.”
“I’ve got quite a bit to tell you” she said, and started talking.
Chapter Eleven
The sun slid below the horizon as Charlie filled him in on what she’d learned in the past couple of days. Jason watched her face light up as she came to the part about the rings, and the amazing love story. A tear slid down her cheek and he brushed it away tenderly.
He sat for a few moments, turning the details over in his mind. “And so you think that if you could find Charlotte’s ring, he might be able to see her.” It was a lot to absorb at once.
“No, it’s the other way around. He can already see her. If we find the ring, then I really believe she’ll be able to see him as well.” She watched him, willing him to understand. “Does that make sense?”
“Oddly enough, it does.” But he didn’t want to get her hopes up about the ring. “But finding it…where are you going to start?”
She glanced again toward the attic window. “There are a few pages in her journal that I haven’t read yet. I’m hoping that there will be a clue in there.”
“Me too. I want you to succeed in this.”
“Thanks for saying that Jason, but it’s not about me. I want to find it for Charlotte and for Harm. They deserve to be together.
“So let’s assume that you’re successful and you find the ring” he said, his voice thoughtful. “How do they get back together?”
“Oh, how could I have forgotten? That’s the best part!” She bolted upright. “It’s the moon. She goes to the dance hall every time there’s a full moon.” She pointed to the western horizon. “It comes up somewhere over there and it’s getting larger. I noticed it last night. We need to find out when it’s full.”
Suddenly Jason wanted desperately to help her. If she was going to fail in this, he wanted to be there beside her, to pick her up when she fell. It was an unfamiliar emotion, but he could get used to it.
“Well I can help you with that. Janelle has a calendar from Jack’s business. Like any good farm calendar it shows all the phases of the moon.”
“That’s right. It’s in the kitchen.”
He took her hand. “Let’s go have a look.”
* * *
She tapped the calendar. “It’ll be full on Sunday” she said anxiously. “We only have until then to find the ring.” Her fingers lingered over the full moon symbol as though touching it would bring her luck. She’d take all the help she could get.
