Grave Discovery

by Lily Harper Hart

  “And that’s exactly what I told her eight different times before and during our excursion,” Maddie said.

  “Why is she on such a health kick?” Nick asked, finishing his task and kissing Maddie’s neck before resting his chin on her shoulder from behind.

  “She said that she feels fat when she stands next to me.”

  Nick pursed his lips. Maddie was uncomfortable with people commenting on or even mentioning her looks. He found it both sweet and frustrating. “Don’t take it personally, Mad,” he said. “I’m sure she didn’t mean for it to hurt your feelings.”

  “It didn’t hurt my feelings,” Maddie clarified. “It … bothered me, though. Christy is beautiful. She shouldn’t feel like she has to change herself so other people will see it.”

  “Uh-uh. Does this have something to do with you feeling like an ugly duckling when we were younger? Is this a chick thing?”

  Maddie scowled as she glanced at him over her shoulder. “Did you think I was ugly back then?”

  Nick sensed a trap. Like most girls that age, Maddie went through a rough spot when she was about fourteen. It lasted until the summer before their senior year – when she seemed to blossom overnight – and then Nick found his friendship love had magically turned to another kind in the blink of an eye. Of course, because he was young and dumb, he never mustered the courage to admit his feelings before they were ripped apart for a decade.

  “Maddie, you have been the love of my life since I was five years old,” Nick said. “I could never think that you were ugly.”

  Maddie narrowed her eyes to dangerous blue slits. “You sidestepped that question.”

  Nick growled low in his throat. “You went through an awkward couple of years there, Mad,” he said. “I still loved you. I went through an awkward phase, too. Did you stop loving me when that happened?”

  “No.”

  “You’re the most beautiful woman in the world now, Mad,” Nick said. “What does it matter how you looked in middle school?”

  Maddie shifted and fixed Nick with an unreadable expression.

  “Are we going to fight?” Nick asked. “I keep waiting for us to have a big fight so we can make up. You’ve been trying to pick one for weeks. Is it finally here?”

  “Quack.”

  Nick frowned. “Seriously? Are you going to quack like a duck because you think you were an ugly duckling? Fine, Mad. That doesn’t bother me.” Nick moved toward the door. “When you’re done being ridiculous, I will be downstairs cooking dinner. I bought fresh vegetables for stir fry.”

  Maddie followed him, quacking incessantly as he descended the stairs.

  “That doesn’t bother me,” Nick repeated. “I … knock that off, Mad.” Nick swiveled quickly and grabbed Maddie around the waist, pulling her to him so he could press a smoldering kiss to her lips. Maddie sank into the exchange despite her determination to irritate him. Whenever he was close her skin hummed and she needed to touch him.

  When Nick finally pulled away his eyes were heavy-lidded. “Go ahead and quack again,” he whispered. “If this is the way you’re going to fight, I like it.”

  Maddie tugged on Nick’s belt loops and made a face. “You don’t play fair.”

  “Mad, I’ve been in love with you my whole life,” Nick said. “Everyone goes through an awkward phase when they hit a certain age. You’ve always been the most beautiful thing in the world where I’m concerned.

  “Now, am I happy you’re smoking hot? Yes, ma’am,” he continued, grinning as she scorched him with a diabolical glare. “I would love you no matter what, though. I fell in love with your heart and soul, Maddie Graves. The looks came later.”

  Maddie sighed. “It’s hard to be angry with you when you say things like that.”

  Nick spanked her rear end playfully. “We can still make up later if you want,” he said, heading toward the kitchen. “Why don’t you help me with dinner and tell me about the rest of your day, though?”

  “I didn’t do anything but hang out with Christy,” Maddie replied, padding after Nick and taking the butcher knife he handed her so she could chop vegetables. “It’s too hot for people to wander around town. What did you do all day?”

  “Watched people complain about the heat,” Nick replied. “I also had ice cream after lunch.”

  “Oh, man. I was hoping we could get ice cream after dinner,” Maddie muttered.

  “I think I can be persuaded to eat ice cream twice,” Nick said. “You’re just going to have to help me work off the calories again before bed. Maybe you can quack like a duck to get my motor running.”

  “Ha, ha.” Maddie’s mind drifted back to the lighthouse as she chopped. “Nicky, what’s the deal with the lighthouse?”

  “What do you mean?” Nick asked, measuring out soy sauce and dropping it into the wok. “You know about the lighthouse. It’s been there since long before we were born.”

  “Not that,” Maddie clarified. “Why hasn’t anyone fixed it up?”

  “To do what with it?”

  “I don’t know. You could make it a tourist destination. Someone could turn it into a really cute house.”

  “The state technically owns the lighthouse, Mad,” Nick explained. “The land belongs to the town, but they can’t do anything to the building without the state’s approval. They could take the building away from the state and upgrade it if they want, but the repairs would be huge and no one wants to take responsibility for the upkeep.”

  “And no one can get inside, right?”

  Nick cast a sidelong look over his shoulder. “What’s going on?”

  “I thought I saw something in the window when we were out there today,” Maddie admitted.

  “What?”

  “I think it might have been a ghost.”

  Nick licked his lips as he considered Maddie’s words. “I don’t suppose if you can tell if it’s a new or old ghost, can you?”

  Maddie ruefully shook her head. “It just looked like a ghost.”

  “We can go up there after dinner,” Nick offered.

  “You don’t have to do that,” Maddie protested. “You’ve had a long day. I was honestly just asking.”

  “I know you better than that, Mad,” Nick said. “This will eat you up until you check it out for yourself. Because you don’t want anyone to think you’re being an alarmist, you’ll end up going by yourself. Do you want to know why I don’t like that scenario?”

  “Because you’re an alarmist, too?”

  “So cute,” Nick cooed, flicking her nose. “I don’t like that scenario because if the ghost is fresh, that means there’s a body up there. If the ghost is old, I wouldn’t be as worried. Also, that building is closed. You would technically be breaking the law if you go in there without me.”

  “Would you arrest me?”

  “Probably not,” Nick replied. “I would think about punishing you other ways, though.”

  “What if I didn’t see anything but the glare of the sun and it’s simply an empty building?” Maddie pressed.

  “Then I will take you for ice cream on the way home,” Nick answered. “We will then be able to enjoy it before our nightly sojourn to the lake.”

  “Christy knows about that, by the way,” Maddie said. “She knows what we’ve been doing down there.”

  “Skinny-dipping?”

  “Shh.” Maddie lifted her finger to her lips. “I don’t want Granny to know what we’ve been doing down there. Are you crazy?”

  “You don’t want me to know what you’ve been doing where?” Maude Graves poked her head into the kitchen, her smile hinting at mayhem and causing Maddie to internally cringe.

  “Nothing,” Nick replied, swiveling to face Maude. “Where have you been all day? I heard through the grapevine that the Pink Ladies were up to no good. I thought about tracking you down … but it was too hot.”

  The Blackstone Bay Pink Ladies was Maude’s social group. Most of the time they sat around drinking bourbon-laced tea and plotting the
downfall of their arch nemesis Harriet Proctor. Sometimes they got out of hand and took it a step further. Maddie could only hope some catastrophe wasn’t about to hit.

  “You didn’t tell me that Granny was up to something,” Maddie scolded Nick.

  “That’s because you distracted me with quacking,” Nick said. “I was going to tell you. It honestly slipped my mind until she barged in here.”

  “Don’t worry about what I as doing,” Maude said. “I want to know what you were talking about when I came in. What have you two been sneaking off and doing?”

  “It’s nothing, Granny,” Maddie said hurriedly. “It doesn’t matter.”

  Maude looked to Nick for confirmation. While Maddie wasn’t keen on telling her grandmother certain things, Nick generally didn’t hold small truths back due to inherent prudishness.

  “Maddie doesn’t want you to know that we sneak down to the lake and go skinny-dipping when it’s hot,” Nick supplied, causing Maddie to smack his arm.

  “Nicky!”

  Nick’s grin was lazy when he reached for the baby corn. “I don’t really care if you’re horrified or not, Maude. I’m sure you understand.”

  “Oh, please, I knew about that weeks ago,” Maude replied, disappointed. “I thought you were going to tell me something good.”

  “What do you mean?” Maddie asked. “How did you know what we were doing?”

  “I’m old, Maddie girl. I’m not blind and deaf,” Maude said, making a comical face. “Do you think I don’t know what you two are doing when you sneak off into the woods after dark? All that hand-holding and whispering isn’t fooling anyone.”

  Maddie was scandalized. “Did you tell Christy?”

  “No, but we’ve chatted about my suspicions a few times at the beauty parlor,” Maude replied.

  “Oh, no.” Maddie dropped her face into her hands as Nick rubbed her back. “Everyone is going to know.”

  “I don’t care,” Nick said. “It makes me look like a stud.”

  “Nicky,” Maddie scolded. “What about my virtue?”

  “Who cares, Mad?” Nick challenged. “We’re together. We’re going to be together forever. The only person who cares about this is you.”

  “I am so mortified,” Maddie muttered.

  “Well, start quacking like a duck again if it will make you feel better,” Nick suggested.

  “Is that some sort of weird sex game?” Maude asked.

  “No,” Nick answered. “What were you and your cohorts doing today? I heard some mighty bold talk that there was going to be a rumble in the Blackstone Bay jungle between you and Harriet.”

  “Oh, there’s going to be a rumble,” Maude said, straightening her shoulders as she brushed down her blue top. “Kids, I have an announcement to make.”

  “If you’re pregnant, just so you know, Maddie and I aren’t taking care of it,” Nick deadpanned.

  “You’re a charmer when you want to be,” Maude said, causing Nick to grin. “You’re also a pain when you want to be.”

  Nick’s smile slipped. “Fine. What is your announcement?”

  “I’m competing for Blackstone Bay’s annual trout queen,” Maude said, pausing to give Maddie and Nick time to applaud. When they didn’t, she fixed them both with hard looks. “Don’t you have something to say?”

  “Isn’t the trout queen pageant for little kids?” Maddie asked, confused. “I thought that was a little kid thing.”

  “They opened it up to women of all ages a few years ago,” Nick explained. “So far it’s been all people under the age of eighteen, though. Um … why are you running for trout queen?”

  “Because Harriet is running for trout queen and we can’t let her win,” Maude replied. “She wants to wear a crown in the parade and, well, I can’t let that happen.”

  “I still don’t understand,” Maddie confessed. “Why do you care if Harriet is trout queen?”

  “Because she’s evil and she should never win anything.”

  “But … .” Nick glanced at Maddie, unsure. “You know what? I think this is a great idea.”

  “What?” Maddie grabbed his arm. “What are you saying?”

  “It’s hot and this is bound to be entertaining, Mad,” Nick said. “What harm could come of this?”

  “You just jinxed us by asking that question,” Maddie pointed out. “You know that, right?”

  “I’m looking forward to your trout queen campaign, Maude,” Nick said, causing Maude to preen.

  “See, he knows how to be a team player,” Maude said, casting a derisive look at her granddaughter “You’re not going to bask in my glory when I win if you don’t adjust your attitude.”

  “I’ll get right on that, Granny.”

  3

  Three

  “Nicky, you can’t think that Granny participating in a beauty pageant is a good thing,” Maddie said a few hours later, hopping out of Nick’s truck and moving to the front of the vehicle with a plaintive look on her face.

  Nick extended his hand so Maddie could take it as they trudged toward the lighthouse.

  “She’s going to make a spectacle of herself,” Maddie said.

  “So what?” Nick didn’t understand Maddie’s discomfort. He found Maude’s whims delightful. Of course, he didn’t have to share genes with her.

  “Aren’t you worried people are going to laugh at her?” Maddie asked.

  “So what if they do?”

  Maddie pressed her lips together. She didn’t know if Nick was being purposely obtuse or merely trying to get under her skin, but she was at her limit. “Nicky, she’ll be upset if people laugh at her.”

  “No, actually she won’t, Mad,” Nick said. “You would be upset if you were in that position, but you would never put yourself in that position. Maude doesn’t care if people laugh at her. Heck, she encourages it most of the time.”

  “But … .”

  Nick cut Maddie off before she could get a full head of steam. “I know you don’t like drawing attention to yourself, and I’m fine with that,” he said. “You wouldn’t be you if the desperate need to be the center of attention was one of your defining qualities. That’s not you, Mad. That is your grandmother.”

  Maddie rolled her neck until it cracked, her flaxen ponytail dipping to the side. Her face was bare of makeup – she rarely fixed her face up unless it was a special occasion – and she was dressed down in simple clothing. Nick still found her breathtaking. The only thing he didn’t like was the dark expression on her face as she tried to work things out in her head regarding Maude’s new endeavor.

  “I don’t want people to laugh at her, Nicky,” Maddie said. “I love her.”

  “Maddie, just because you love her, that doesn’t mean you can’t laugh at her,” Nick said. “She likes making people laugh. She likes making you laugh. She loves embarrassing you. Have you considered she’s doing this to beat Harriet and embarrass you? That would be her idea of a great day.”

  “I guess,” Maddie hedged. “What do you think I should do?”

  “I think you should encourage her,” Nick said. “I think you should be part of her queen team and help her practice for the show.”

  “No way!”

  “Think about it, Mad,” Nick said, scanning the lighthouse in the waning light as they approached. “If you’re on her side, you’re going to take the wind out of her sails. She likes irritating you. If you don’t let her get under your skin, she’s not going to get joy out of it so she’ll quit.”

  “Do you really think she’ll quit the pageant if I support her?” Maddie was intrigued.

  “No,” Nick replied, chuckling. “Her hate for Harriet outweighs her need to irritate you. I do think she’ll be less likely to go out of her way to bother you if you support her, though.”

  “I don’t know,” Maddie hedged, following Nick as he led her around the lighthouse. “What are you doing? I thought we were going inside?”

  “We are,” Nick said. “I was hoping you could see a ghost befor
e we’re forced to break the law. That would make my life easier.”

  Maddie stilled. “Is it illegal for you to go inside even though you’re a police officer?”

  Nick shrugged. “I honestly don’t know,” he said. “Technically I can claim we got a tip that someone was inside if we find something. I was just kind of hoping that wouldn’t become necessary.”

  “We’re not going inside,” Maddie announced, crossing her arms over her chest. “I will not be responsible for you breaking the law. That is just … .”

  “Oh, you’re such a prude sometimes,” Nick said, laughing. “I love you so much, Maddie.”

  Maddie’s grim expression faltered. “I’m not going to let you break the law because I thought I saw something inside of a deserted building. I was a hundred feet away.”

  “Mad, we’re going inside,” Nick argued. “You won’t be able to let this go unless you see what’s in there for yourself. I promise I won’t be arrested. I promise I won’t let anyone arrest you. It’s going to be okay.”

  “But … .”

  “No, love.” Nick shook his head. “We’re looking around outside so we can take advantage of the light. Then we’re going inside. That’s all there is to it.”

  “How are we going to see inside if it’s dark?”

  “I have an app on my cell phone to turn it into a flashlight,” Nick replied, not missing a beat. “Hopefully this won’t take too long. I’m not leaving until I feel you’re satisfied with our search. And, Mad? I know when you’re faking things.”

  Maddie pressed her lips together to keep from laughing at Nick’s inadvertent flub.

  “That came out wrong,” Nick said.

  “I’ll forget it this one time,” Maddie said, linking her fingers with Nick’s and following him to the back of the lighthouse. “If we get arrested, though, you’re going to be in big trouble.”

  “I’ll let you quack to your heart’s content.”

  Nick watched Maddie move around the heavy underbrush. Her movement was graceful, her face screwed up in concentration. All she was missing was a pencil skirt and glasses and she would look like the sexiest librarian on the face of the planet.

  After circling the building twice, Maddie shook her head. “I don’t see anyone. I don’t think there’s a ghost here. I was obviously imagining it earlier. We should go for our ice cream now.”