A Ghost of the Past

by Mary Goldberger

  He turned to Shay and his eyes softened as he told her, “She wrote in her diary the day before she took you to her cabin that she needed to speak with you. She needed to confirm a suspicion that she had although she never mentioned what the suspicion was, and her last entry was written a few hours before she actually met up with you. She simply wrote that she was going to see you and that it was time for the truth to be told.”

  They all looked stunned and Shay said, “She wanted everyone to know everything from her husband’s infidelities to what she had done. She wanted it all aired out.”

  Shay closed her eyes and swayed as Cordial wrapped his arms tightly around. Shay continued as she allowed herself to be enclosed in his arms, “She had every attention of killing herself that day, but she held off waiting.”

  “What was she waiting for?” Ray asked pale and shaken in Todd’s arms.

  “Cordial,” Shay answered opening her eyes to look up into his silver ones. “She wanted to make sure that you truly cared about me.”

  Cordial hugged her tightly to him and looked at Barry.

  “What happens now, Sheriff?” he asked.

  Barry shook his head, “We cannot arrest Lucille as we have no evidence against her in connection with Charity’s death for Dillon is remaining silent about her involvement.”

  They all nodded their head although Cordial scowled at what Barry was telling them.

  “Sorry about the interruption,” Barry said after a moment. Then he smiled, “Congratulations, Cordial and Shay” nodding to the engagement ring on her finger and Shay blushed as the scowl was wiped off Cordial’s face to be replaced with a smile.

  Shay walked him out and as she came back into the kitchen, Vincent turned to a quiet and subdued Lucille who was looking her age for once.

  “Sign the divorce papers, Lucille” Vincent suggested quietly.

  She scowled, but said “I will have it at your lawyer’s by tomorrow.”

  She picked up her purse and headed out of the kitchen before she stopped and turned to Cordial.

  “You could have had someone so much better,” she said with a snort before she turned back around and continued out.

  Ray followed to make sure that she left and as she returned to the kitchen, Shay was laughing as Cordial chuckled.

  “That is the second woman who said that you could have better,” Shay said through her laughter.

  Cordial just shook his head as Todd and Ray realized what they were talking about, and they all were laughing leaving Vincent confused, but happy to see them all smiling.

  Later that evening, Cordial pulled up to Tad Parker’s house and Shay swallowed nervously.

  “This was a bad idea,” she moaned as Cordial parked the truck and climbed out coming over to her side. She opened the door and hopped out which caused Cordial to frown although his eyes laughed at her.

  “Shay,” Cordial assured her. “It will be fine. Let the evening progress naturally and we will deal with the rest afterwards.”

  He kissed her deeply relaxing her as she sagged against him for a moment.

  “Come on,” he said softly hugging her before stepping back and sliding an arm around her waist walking them up to the front door. As he rung the front door, Cordial squeezed Shay’s waist gently for encouragement.

  The door opened by a pretty looking woman with sparkling blue-green eyes and deep brown hair.

  “Hi, Cordial, Shay,” she said. “I am Anna, Tad’s wife. I am so glad that you accepted our invitation.”

  Shay looked into those blue-green eyes and she felt herself relax even more. Cordial was right; they could deal with the rest afterwards. Right now, they should accept what was happening.

  “Hi, Anna, it is a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for inviting us,” Shay said holding out a hand and Anna took it with a twinkle in her, and something else that Shay could not define.

  “Come in,” Tad said walking out from the kitchen.

  Anna laughed as she ushered them in and the door closed behind them as Cordial and Shay stepped inside.

  Epilogue

  Five years later

  “Mommy,” four-year-old Tessa cried out as she ran towards the kitchen.

  “Tessa, sweetie, be careful,” Shay said catching her daughter before she entered the kitchen. “Mommy just mopped the floor.”

  Then Shay looked at her sternly, “And what have I told you about running in the house, young lady.”

  Tessa nodded her head as she responded, “No running in the house.”

  Then she smiled as she looked up at her mom with her daddy’s silver eyes, “Sorry mommy.”

  “No harm done this time, young lady, but no more running in the house,” Shay told her sternly before lifting her into her arms. “So what is all the yelling about, sweetheart?”

  Shay tickled her a little so Tessa was laughing before she said with a slight frown, “Vinny is biting on my toys.”

  Shay chuckled as she headed for the playroom that Cordial suggested for the children. It had been five years since the “showdown” as Ray called it with Lucille and true to her word, the next day Vincent’s lawyer had the divorce papers sent to him signed and sealed.

  Vincent, even after all Lucille had done, was generous with her in the divorce settlement and it helped to expedite the divorce.

  What happened afterwards to Lucille was anybody’s guess because for two years they heard nothing from her until late one night Cordial and Shay got a phone call. Cordial was the one who answered the phone.

  “Hello,” he had said sleepily as Shay rolled into him and he wrapped an arm around her.

  “Cordial,” Lucille had said harshly and panicky. “Tell your wife to leave me the hell alone because I did as requested.” That was all she said before she slammed down the phone hard and Cordial had looked at the phone in disbelief. He hung up before looking down at an astonished Shay.

  They both had an suspicion about what was happening with Lucille, but no one would ever believe them so they shook it off and went back to sleep.

  A few days later, Barry had called to see them and tell them that Dillon was claiming Charity was haunting him so he was placed into in an asylum where unfortunately he took an overdose after a month of being there. Cordial and Shay had looked at each other before shaking their head at the information confusing Barry but they could not explain to him and he nodded his head in understanding.

  As Vincent wanted, Cordial and Shay got married almost six months after Todd and Ray so both his children married as he wanted.

  Shay and Ray ended up being partners after all in a business after Shay catered Ray’s wedding as she promised.

  As for Vincent, he actually got to meet two of his grandchildren before he passed away.

  Tessa was born almost a month after Cordial and Shay were married, and Vincent had been delighted to be able to meet her.

  A few months later, Ray and Todd had discovered they were pregnant, and in nine months, they had a beautiful baby boy they named Tony after Todd’s father.

  Vincent was able to enjoy two years of Tessa’s life and a year of Tony’s life before he finally passed away. In the same month, Shay discovered that she was pregnant with her and Cordial’s second child so when their bouncy baby boy was born they named him Vince in remembrance of Vincent. Shay shook her head out of her thoughts as she entered the play room.

  “Vince,” she said with a narrowed look and he smiled at her with his toothy grin.

  “Sorrow, sissy,” he said as his green eyes so much like her own flashed with innocent child mischief.

  Tessa huffed and crossed her arms over her chest as Shay lowered her to the ground. After putting Tessa down, Shay settled herself down on the carpet and suggested, “Let’s build a castle while we wait for Daddy. Also Aunt Ray and Uncle Todd are coming over with Tony and baby Lida along with Grandpa and Grandma.”

  It had been confirmed that Tad Parker was indeed the biological father of Shay and Shay had been nervous that her pr
esence would put a strain on Tad and Anna’s relationship, but after finding out she was pregnant, Anna had been delighted. Anna had confided to Shay some time later that when she first found out about Shay she had been upset and hurt until she and Tad had sat down and talked. Once Tad told her about Shay’s mom which was before they even met, she relaxed although she still had been a little resentful until she was told that Shay would not interfere if Anna would be hurt in the process. That was what made Anna realize she was being just a little selfish to Shay at least because it was not her fault of who her birth father was so she met with Shay and fell in love with her. When she found she was carrying a child, Anna had been so excited because not being able to have children herself, she thought that grandchildren would be out of reach and now she had two that she adored and spoiled just like her husband.

  Tessa’s eyes lit up as she settled down next to her mom and brother on the carpet as they began to build a castle.

  “That is the most lopsided castle I have ever seen,” Cordial said from the doorway sometime later and both children jumped up running over to him.

  “Hi Daddy,” they cried as he swung them up into his arms.

  “Hi, my precious ones,” he said giving them both a kiss and a hug before sending Shay a loving look as she began to pick up the blocks.

  “Let’s help mommy,” he suggested as he put them down.

  Together, they cleaned up the blocks and headed back downstairs where Shay veered off into the kitchen to start dinner.

  An hour later, Ray and Todd arrived with their children followed almost immediately by Tad and Anna, and the house was full of laughter as the adults settled into the living room and the children went into the playroom except for baby Lida.

  They laughed and talked until dinner was ready, and Shay called them five minutes early so that the children could wash their hands and face before coming to the table. This task was relegated to their dads, grandpa as Shay and Anna set the table, and Ray fed Lida. Dinner was a joyful affair something they tried to do at least once a week with everything going on in their lives.

  Ray and Todd left a few hours later as Cordial and Shay put Tessa and Vinny to bed after their baths given to them by their grandparents who left shortly after they were tucked into bed.

  Cordial helped Shay clean up as they talked about work, the children and other little small things.

  As they reached the door of their room, Cordial swung Shay up into his arms and she giggled as he opened the door.

  He walked in dropping her on the bed before going back and shutting the door making sure the baby monitor was up so they could hear the children if they cried or got up.

  “Mommy and Daddy time,” Cordial said with a growl as he stalked to the bed and Shay laughed as he fell on her. All laughter subsided though when he kissed her senseless and then there was no other noises as she curled her arms around him holding him closer.

  Much later that evening, Cordial ran a hand through Shay’s black hair and he asked what he always wondered about and for some reason it was on his mind tonight.

  “So if Dillon and the others did not sabotage your car then who did?” he asked absently as Shay lay on his chest.

  Shay tilted her head back to look at him and her green eyes took on a wicked gleam, and Cordial shook his head, “Impossible.”

  “Can you explain what happened to Lucille and Dillon?” she asked cuddling closer to him.

  Cordial shook his head again before saying gruffly, “Let’s just go to sleep.”

  Shay laughed softly as she drifted off to sleep and Cordial smiled down at her before he snuggled his face into her hair.

  “Thank you, Charity,” he whispered into the night as he curled around his wife, the love of his life.

  He could have sworn before he fell asleep, he heard “You are welcome, Cordial” as the night drifted on and they fell into a peaceful sleep until the morning.

  The End

  10

  M A Goldberger