Spirit [New Crescent 2] (BookStrand Publishing Romance)

by Mary Lou George

  The sound of distant, musical laughter brought her to her senses. She snapped her head back just as Chase’s eyes flew open. He’d experienced it too—all of it, the spell, the passion, and laughter. He looked at her with confusion, as if surprised to find her there in his arms. Awkwardly, he straightened, stuffed his hands in his pockets, and took a step back. He seemed lost for words. Embarrassed, Reggie pushed off the bench and tried to flee.

  Lightning quick, Chase grabbed her wrist. They looked at each other. At long last, he spoke in a very measured tone. “Reggie. Let me explain.” He shook his head. “Or rather, I wish I could explain. I don’t really know what just happened here, but I stepped way out of line. I’m sorry. It was so strange. I wasn’t myself.”

  She stood staring at him, completely flattened by his words. Yes, it was strange, otherworldly even, but for Reggie it had been magical and here he was apologizing for it. He claimed he wasn’t himself, and she understood him perfectly…he wasn’t normally tempted to do such a thing with her. He was making lame excuses, tripping all over himself to apologize, to dismiss it. Damn him!

  As Chase continued to fumble for the right words, Reggie ceased listening to him. Feeling battered and raw, she pulled away and lashed out.

  “Enough McCann! Stop babbling. You act as if I’ve never been kissed before. Forget it. No big deal. So you haven’t had any in a while. I get it. Maybe you should find yourself a regular squeeze and lay off me. Forget it. It was nothing. I’m going home.” She pushed past him.

  “The hell you are! Is this nothing?” He pulled her into his arms and kissed her fiercely. This time, there was nothing other-worldly about it. In fact, this kiss was as earthy as it gets. He mated with his mouth, and Reggie felt her knees give out for the second time that day. With one hand entangled in her hair and the other around her waist, he pressed her closer and closer to him. Chase tilted his head back and inspected his handiwork. Her eyes were glazed, and her lips were swollen and moist.

  “There, that’s better,” he said with a satisfied smile.

  He was gloating! Actually gloating. Reggie wanted to punch him hard, but she knew she didn’t have the strength to make a dent, so she drew her dignity around her like a cloak and said, “So you can kiss. I never said you couldn’t.” Pleased with how unaffected she had managed to sound, she pushed away and walked around him, giving him plenty of room.

  He tried to reach for her again, but she put up a hand to forestall him. “I’m going home. I’ve had enough.”

  “I’ll walk you to your car.” When she started to object, he said, “Don’t argue with me.”

  She didn’t get a chance to. The crash startled them both. It came from the other side of the house. It sounded like someone was boldly poking around. Chase put a finger to his lips and silently moved around the corner of the house in what Reggie assumed was an attempt to catch the intruder red-handed.

  For a split second, Reggie considered staying put, but that thought didn’t please her at all, so she crept around the other side. If she played this right, maybe they could trap the guy between them. She was as tall as many men. Surely she could use the element of surprise to gain advantage. For once in her life, she was grateful she’d worn flats. Navigating the grounds would have been impossible in heels. She heard a scuffle, a grunt, and then the sound of running feet. Without thinking, she took off after the fleeing figures. He had a good head start and lost her easily. Defeated, she made her way back to the house. Chase came back shortly after her, empty-handed as well.

  He shook his head and gave her a dark look. In her own defense, she said, “I was running, and it occurred to me that I had no idea what I was gonna do if I caught him.” She made a theatrical gesture. “Take it away Chase.”

  Instead of berating her for chasing after the prowler, he laughed. “We’ve had some petty thefts around here lately. Nothing major. I just thought maybe I’d catch whoever was doing it, but he was too fast for me.”

  “You’re always were a better long distance man than sprinter. I guess some things never change.” When their eyes met, she knew without a doubt that he’d picked up the double meaning in her comment. Before he could say anything that would make her uncomfortable, she said. “I was on my way out. Still intent on walking me to my car?”

  Without saying a word, he bowed and let her lead the way.

  * * * *

  “That went well.” Chase muttered to himself as he got behind the wheel of his truck. He followed Reggie until she parked her car outside her parents’ front door. Instead of turning and waving to him in appreciation for his concern, she pretended he wasn’t there. He smiled. She wasn’t so unpredictable after all. He was glad she was home.

  To Chase, she looked as beautiful as ever. He couldn’t remember Regina Stanton looking anything but breathtaking, even at her worst. He’d had to force himself not to stare at her with raw hunger in his eyes. He’d missed her these past months. He couldn’t get enough of the sight of her. She defined the word animation. No still photography could ever capture that woman’s glory. Just when he thought he’d seen her every expression, he’d glimpse something new and be enchanted all over again. He sighed heavily.

  Driving home to his place, he remembered how she’d looked in the garden. Her golden eyes had mesmerized him. He’d longed to drink them in like he would a fine whiskey. She certainly intoxicated like fine spirits, he thought as he pulled up in front of his house.

  Chase didn’t live on an estate like most of the other Old Families. He owned a garden center and lived in a small bungalow on the property. The money meant nothing to him. The principle, however, had gnawed at him for years. He supposed he should be grateful in a twisted way. By frittering away all of the McCann family money, his stepfather had done him a favor in the long run. Chase knew what a good hard day’s work meant, and he was proud of his ability to stand on his own. He’d refused help from Travis and Sam, who’d both offered whatever he needed. He was proud that he did it on his own.

  The only thing he’d managed to keep out of creditors’ hands was his mother’s garden center. When she was still alive, it had been merely a hobby business, an indulgent gift from Chase’s father. After her death, Chase had struggled long and hard to make it turn a tidy profit, but he loved the work.

  Standing on the step, he opened the mailbox and took out a stack of flyers and trade catalogues. Before entering the house, he ran a hand over the childishly painted mailbox. His stepsister Jade had painted it and everyday when he got the mail, he thought of her. She’d been such a roly-poly little thing when her father married his mother. Chase had fallen in love with her on the spot. She was six years his junior, but they’d adored each other from day one. Her father, Robert Adams, was an abusive son of a bitch who’d gambled away all they had. Adams had charmed his way into Mary McCann’s life, but soon after the wedding, his charm wore off, and the emotional abuse started. A fact she’d kept hidden from her son. Jade was helplessly aware of it because he’d been the same to her for her entire life.

  After his mother’s death, Chase did everything possible to get custody of Jade, but he’d had no legal rights over her biological father. In the end, it was Jade herself who’d made him stop the fight. With a world-weary look in her eyes, she’d told him that she needed to stay with her father. When he started to argue with her, she silenced him, displaying a maturity far beyond her fifteen years.

  “It has to be this way Chase.”

  He could still remember how she’d cried in his arms before saying goodbye.

  Distance hadn’t severed their bond however. Over the years, they didn’t see much of each other, but they’d stayed in touch. Jade would never discuss her father with him, and Chase couldn’t touch the man without hurting her, his sister. His hands were tied.

  He looked down at the mail in his hand and smiled. Of course, think of Jade and there she is. Her fluid handwriting was impossible to miss. She stubbornly insisted on writing letters. She used the phone and e
-mail sometimes, but she saved the good stuff for her letters. Chase looked forward to reading this one.

  A huge cat wound around his legs almost tripping him, and he frowned.

  “Still here huh?” He bent and scooped up the enormous creature. Damn he was heavy.

  “Well, you may as well spend the night then. Just this once.” He’d been saying those exact words to this cat for months now. It just showed up one day and walked in as bold as brass. And it stayed. It wouldn’t leave. Utterly comfortable in Chase’s home, the cat wouldn’t even go outside. Chase installed a cat door in hope of encouraging him to venture out, but to no avail. Yet, everyday when Chase came home, part of him dreaded the thought that the cat might actually be gone. He refused to admit it, though, so he and the cat lived in a sort of suspended commitment to each other.

  He saved Jade’s letter until he was ready to go to bed. With the cat curled up beside him on the bed, he savored the moment. It was a pleasure to read for enjoyment for a change. He glanced over at the proofs couriered to him that day and refused to feel guilty for not looking at them. He’d had a big day. Didn’t Ernestine ask Reggie to tell him to relax? Tonight he planned to take her advice. Jade’s letter was the perfect distraction, but when he’d finished and turned out the light, all he could think about was the look on Reggie’s face after he’d kissed her. He knew sleep would be very elusive that night.

  Chapter 7

  “You’d better turn that one over, man.” Sam Daniels pointed to a hamburger on the grill.

  Travis frowned at him. “What would you know, Trust Fund, you’ve never cooked a meal your entire life.”

  “That may be so, but I’ve eaten many times and to me, charcoal isn’t a condiment.” Sam took a deep gulp of beer and turned away. Travis looked at Chase for support, but got none when Chase shrugged and stayed silent.

  The three men stood on the patio in the backyard. Reggie and Gillian each set huge bowls of cold salads on the table. Ernestine sat at the head of the table with her eyes closed, her face turned up to the autumn sun.

  Having agreed to get down to business after they’d eaten, they conversed happily over lunch. Finally, Ernestine pushed her dessert plate away and said, “Gillian, that was delicious as usual.”

  Travis looked hurt. “Hey, I did the cooking. Don’t I deserve some credit?”

  Reggie lifted a shoulder and said, “So you burned a couple of hamburgers for us, big deal. But since you insist…” She patted his always disheveled hair. “That’ll do, pig.”

  Gillian laughed. “Oh, Babe, I loved that movie! I haven’t eaten pork since I saw it. Neither has Hank.” She looked down at the big white dog with apology.

  “That’s one of things I love most about you, Gill, your soft heart.” Travis leaned over and planted a kiss on her lips.

  Gillian smiled. “It’s my extraordinary mind you really love, though.” She turned to Reggie “We may as well get this thing started. What’s going on up at Bennett house?”

  There was no question as to who would do the talking. Reggie explained in detail what she and Chase had experienced. She made no direct reference to the passion ignited between them, but she knew Gillian could read between the lines. Chase acknowledged Reggie’s discretion with a small, private smirk. She pretended not to notice.

  When she finished, her audience said not a word. All eyes turned to Aunt Ernestine, who sighed deeply.

  “Has anyone else working there experienced anything like what the two of you have?” the old lady asked.

  Reggie looked to Chase, and he said, “No. There’s been an unusual rise in the number of small accidents and fights on site, but there’ve been no reports of anything like what we felt.”

  “Okay, that could mean you’re the only ones who can feel the energies. Others may be affected by them, but on a much more shallow level. And Reggie, my dear, it’s definitely directed at you.”

  “Since I’m the only one who saw something visual manifest?”

  Ernestine nodded.

  Reggie raised a fist in the air without enthusiasm and grumbled, “Hurray for me.”

  Her sarcasm was ignored.

  “By the sounds of it,” Ernestine said, “the spirit in the garden is Constance McCann. It makes sense that she’d hang around given the mystery surrounding her life and death. She was a Guardian at one time; all that power had to go somewhere. She’s chosen you Reggie. Probably did so a very long time ago and that’s why you’ve always felt so connected to the place.”

  “She’s manifesting to me now because she doesn’t want Bennett House restored?”

  Ernestine shook her head. “I don’t think so. She’s not angry. She’s playful. She’s doing this because she can. Constance finally has the power now and doesn’t care how she got it. Fool. Reggie, you are going to have to communicate with her and warn her.”

  “Warn her? Of what exactly?” Chase asked.

  “A spirit doesn’t just suddenly find power. It’s taken from someone or something. If my guess is right, that other entity in the library has something to do with Constance’s renewed strength, and she’s ignoring it. She always was a bit too selfish and naïve to be an effective Guardian.”

  “Just how do I communicate with her?” Reggie asked. “The human race has made great strides in technology but I don’t think we’ve cracked the whole, talking to dead people thing just yet.”

  Gillian said, “I could try. I can do it easily enough with the living, conscious or unconscious. Maybe I could connect with Constance?”

  Travis started to object, but Ernestine silenced him with a look. “No. Gillian, you must stay away from that place until Reggie and Chase have dealt with the energy in the library. You and I as Guardians would be an irresistible temptation to the entity. I’m too old, and your power is too new. No. This is Reggie’s destiny.”

  Travis looked at Chase and Sam in silent agreement. He said, “That settles it then. The three of us will help Reggie.”

  “No.” Ernestine shook her head earnestly. “Chase alone can help her. He is Constance’s descendant, and as such, he’s connected to Bennett House too. Anyone else runs the risk of becoming food for that entity. Chase has already faced it and broken free. That gives him a slight upper hand. We can’t risk anyone else.”

  Sam said, “Since no one else is going to ask the question, I will. So what’s the Big Bad in the library?”

  Reggie answered with certainty. “Vincent Bennett, Constance’s husband.”

  “You’re right, Regina.” Ernestine took a sip of her coffee. “It can only be him. I’ve long suspected he used some pretty powerful dark magic to win Constance. Even she wouldn’t have married him without some sort of unnatural manipulation.”

  Chase asked, “Do you think she has any idea of what Vincent’s up to?”

  “On some level, she does, but she doesn’t want to deal with it. She’s probably too blinded by the recent infusion of power to think straight. It’s up to you, Reggie. You’ll have to snap her out of it.”

  “And just how do you suggest I do that, oh great swami?” Reggie bowed.

  “Insolence doesn’t help, dear, but since you seem to need to make silly jokes, I’ll overlook it this time.” She patted Reggie’s hand. The rest of them had to resist the urge to laugh. Ernestine continued. “I can’t tell you how. You’ll know or she could never have appeared to you in the first place.”

  “No disrespect, Aunt Ernestine, but that’s not good enough. You have to tell us more.” Sam said.

  “I can’t answer all your questions.” She nodded her head at Gillian. “And neither can Gillian. Regina, my girl, I suggest that you connect with Constance as soon as possible. Leave the library alone. The time will come when you will have to face that evil, but for now, don’t let anyone go near it.” Then the grand old lady dropped the bomb. “Reggie, you should move into Bennett House for the time being.”

  “Are you crazy?”

  “Hell no!”

  “Over my dead b
ody!”

  Chase, Travis and Sam all answered at the same time. Reggie and Gillian couldn’t help giggling as the old woman put the three of them in their place. When she was done, they looked like three very unhappy chastised little boys, and she continued uninterrupted.

  “Reggie, you were right to seek advice. I know I haven’t told you much, but trust me, it’s best you act on your own instincts without any more interference from me or Gillian. This thing is powerful, and if it’s not handled right, it could spell disaster. One that could send shock waves farther than any of us can imagine. Reggie, you have the strength. Trust yourself. I believe in you.”

  Ernestine smiled gently. “Sam, You may take me home now.” He opened his mouth to object, but thought better of it when Ernestine arched an eyebrow.

  After they’d left, Chase pinned Reggie with a blue-eyed stare. “If you’re moving in, then so am I.”

  “Yeah, good luck with that,” Reggie said casually.

  “Luck has nothing to do with it.”

  She narrowed her eyes at him and affected a bored sigh. “Ernestine seems to think it’s the thing to do, moving into a haunted house. All the kids are doing it.”