by Terri Reid
Clear Expectations
A MARY O’REILLY PARANORMAL MYSTERY
(Book Twenty)
by
Terri Reid
CLEAR EXPECTATIONS
A MARY O’REILLY PARANORMAL MYSTERY (BOOK 20)
by
Terri Reid
Copyright © 2017 by Terri Reid
All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/ use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author’s work.
The author would like to thank all those who have contributed to the creation of this book: Richard Reid, Sarah Powers and, the always amazing, Hillary Gadd. She would like to also thank Peggy Hannah, Mickey Claus, Terrie Snyder, Alex Boettcher and Nick Butzirus.
She would also like to thank all of the wonderful readers who have walked with her through Mary and Bradley’s adventures and encouraged her along the way.
Contents
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-one
Chapter Twenty-two
Chapter Twenty-three
Chapter Twenty-four
Chapter Twenty-five
Chapter Twenty-six
Chapter Twenty-seven
Chapter Twenty-eight
Chapter Twenty-nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-one
Chapter Thirty-two
Chapter Thirty-three
Chapter Thirty-four
Chapter Thirty-five
Chapter Thirty-six
Chapter Thirty-seven
Chapter Thirty-eight
Chapter Thirty-nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-one
Chapter Forty-two
Chapter Forty-three
Chapter Forty-four
Chapter Forty-five
Chapter Forty-six
Chapter Forty-seven
Chapter Forty-eight
Chapter Forty-nine
Chapter Fifty
Chapter Fifty-one
Chapter Fifty-two
Chapter Fifty-three
Chapter Fifty-four
Chapter Fifty-five
Chapter Fifty-six
Chapter Fifty-seven
Chapter Fifty-eight
Chapter Fifty-nine
Chapter Sixty
Chapter Sixty-one
Chapter Sixty-two
Chapter Sixty-three
Chapter Sixty-four
Chapter Sixty-five
Chapter Sixty-six
Chapter Sixty-seven
Chapter Sixty-eight
Chapter Sixty-nine
Chapter Seventy
Chapter Seventy-one
Chapter Seventy-two
Chapter Seventy-three
Chapter Seventy-four
Chapter Seventy-five
Chapter Seventy-six
Chapter Seventy-seven
Chapter Seventy-eight
Chapter Seventy-nine
Chapter Eighty
Prologue
The sounds from various New Year’s Eve celebrations drifted from televisions in the individual patient rooms to the darkened hallway on the fourth floor of the hospital. Two nurses sat at the nurses station at the end of the hallway across from the elevator banks.
“It’s quiet tonight,” Mandy, a recently hired nurse, said. “Is that normal?”
The veteran nurse, Barbara, nodded. “Yes, holiday nights are usually pretty quiet,” she explained. “And, thank goodness, the weather is good tonight, so we won’t have as many car accidents down in ER.”
Mandy looked around and sighed. “Is there anything you need me to do?” she asked. “I’m really kind of antsy.”
Barbara chuckled and nodded. “Let me take a look,” she said. She looked down at her inventory list, then turned to Mandy. “We’re low on bedsheets,” she said. “Would you mind grabbing ten more sheets from supplies?”
Mandy immediate stood up. “No problem,” she said. “Where’s supplies?”
“Take the elevators down one floor to three,” Barb explained. “Once the doors open, you’ll see a deserted nurses station on the right, just before the doors to an empty wing. That used to be pediatrics before we moved it to two. On the left, there’s a locked door with supplies.” Barbara opened a small drawer, fished out a set of keys and handed them to Mandy. “The key with the red dot is the one that opens the door.”
“Thanks,” Mandy said. “I’ll be right back.”
“Take your time,” Barbara replied. “I don’t expect a rush here.”
Mandy took the elevator down. It only took a moment to go from four down to three. The elevator doors opened to a dimly lit floor. She walked out and glanced to her right. The empty nurses station was just down the hall before the double doors that she assumed led to the now empty rooms. There were a few boxes on the counter that surrounded the station, but other than those, the station was empty.
She turned to the left and saw the door with the word “Supplies” stenciled on it. Walking over to the doors, she pulled out the key and inserted it into the lock. A light switch was conveniently located right inside the door, and Mandy switched it on. Bright light flooded the interior of the supply room. Metal shelves lined up in narrow aisles throughout the small room. She easily located the sheets and also found a plastic tub she could use to carry them upstairs. She piled the sheets into the tub, carried them out of the room, then turned off the light and locked the door.
Hefting the tub back into her arms, she turned around and was surprised to see a little girl standing next to the empty nurses station. Mandy guessed the little girl was about eight years old. She had a hospital gown on and her hair was styled in two braids that hung on either side of her head. She must have wandered away from the pediatric ward on the second floor.
“Hey, sweetheart,” she said.
“I’m Mandy. Are you lost?”
The girl stared at her for a long moment but didn’t answer.
“Come on. I can bring you back to your room,” Mandy coaxed, not wanting to frighten the child.
The child didn’t respond.
Mandy put the tub down and looked back up, but the child was gone. Shaking her head in surprise, Mandy slowly stepped forward, her heart thumping in her chest. The little girl must have dashed behind the counter. That had to be where she was. “Little girl,” she called. “Where are you?”
She peeked behind the nurses station expecting to find the child hiding, but no one was there. All of the cabinets and desks that used to be behind the counter were gone, so just the shell of the counter stood around her. There was nowhere to hide. Nowhere to go.
A chill ran up Mandy’s spine.
She backed away from the station, her mouth dry and her heart pounding. She grabbed the tub of sheets and dashed to the elevator, beating on the button in desperation, not daring to look over her shoulder at the wing behind her. Finally, the elevator doors opened, and she nearly tripped getting in she was so eager to leave the floor. She pressed the fourth-floor button and gasped with relief when the doors opened into the bright floor.
“What happened to you?” Barbara asked, looking at the expression on Mandy’s face.
“Downstairs,” Mandy gasped. “On the third floor. There was a little girl, and then she disappeared.”
Barbara’s mouth opened, and then she closed it. “I’m so sorry,” she finally said. “I didn’t even think to tell you about her.”
“Her?” Mandy asked. “You mean what I saw was real?”
Barbara nodded. “Yes, people have seen the little girl ghost for years,” she replied. “No one knows who she is or why she’s still here.”
“Well, I’m never going to get supplies in the middle of the night again,” Mandy said, her voice still shaking. “That was the worst experience of my life.”
Chapter One
A fire was crackling in the fireplace. The lights in the room were dimmed and the television was showing a picture of Times Square, the New Year’s Ball still sparkling at the top of its flagpole. Bradley Alden looked down at his wife, Mary O’Reilly Alden, who was snuggled up against him on the couch and sound asleep.
He glanced at the timer in the corner of the television screen. Only five minutes remained until the countdown would start. He sighed. She had been so insistent about being awake for their first New Year’s Eve celebration as husband and wife. But he really wanted to let her sleep.
She snored softly and burrowed a little further into his arm, and his heart melted a little more. He’d only known her for a little over a year and yet she’d changed his life completely. He leaned down and kissed her gently. She’d changed his life for the better. She had not only brought his daughter back into his life but also love, family and hope. She and her crazy, paranormal gift had rescued him.
And she wanted to celebrate their first New Year’s Eve together. How could he refuse any request she had?
He leaned over. “Mary,” he whispered softly. “Mary, it’s almost time.”
She mumbled in her sleep. “Hmmmmm?” she asked, her eyes still closed.
“It’s almost time,” he repeated.
Her eyes burst wide open, and she sat straight up. “Is the baby coming?” she asked, still half asleep.
“No, sweetheart,” he said, chuckling softly while he pulled her back into his arms. “No, it’s almost time for the ball to drop. You said you wanted me to wake you up.”
Shaking her head, she looked up at Bradley. “Oh, wow,” she was finally able to manage as she pushed her hair out of her eyes. “I was having this strange dream. You were pregnant and I was trying to get you to the hospital in time.”
He kissed her forehead. “Did we make it in time?” he asked.
She smiled at him. “You woke me up just as we were getting into the car,” she explained. “Now we’ll never know.”
“I hated to wake you up,” he said.
She looked over to the television. “Oh! It’s almost time!” she exclaimed. She smiled at him. “Our first New Years as a married couple.”
He leaned forward and picked up a champagne glass of sparkling grape juice and handed it to her. Then he picked one up for himself. “I’m looking forward to many, many, many more,” he said softly. “Have I told you how much I love you?”
“Not in the past thirty minutes,” she said, a little breathless from the intensity of his gaze. “But, you know, I’ve been asleep.”
“I love you, Mary O’Reilly Alden,” he whispered and then kissed her.
“I love you, Bradley Alden,” she replied, leaning up and kissing him back. He deepened the kiss, and Mary nearly dropped her glass.
Suddenly, the crowd on the screen started counting backwards. “Ten, nine, eight…”
They broke apart and Mary grinned. “We don’t want to miss this,” she teased.
“Five seconds,” Bradley said pointedly.
“Four, three, two, one.”
“Happy New Year,” Mary said, tapping her glass against Bradley’s glass and then sipping the frothy juice. “Well, Happy New York New Year.”
“Happy New Year, sweetheart,” he replied, sipping his own. Then he put his glass down on the coffee table and took Mary’s from her and put it next to his. “Now, we have two choices.”
“Two choices?” she asked, slightly breathless as she saw the desire in his eyes.
“Choice one. We can stay down here and try to stay awake for the Chicago New Year’s celebration,” he offered.
She slid her hands slowly up his chest, then leaned forward and nibbled on his chin. “And choice two?”
His eyes darkened, and he slid his hands slowly down her sides. “We can finish celebrating upstairs,” he murmured, leaning over and placing soft, teasing kisses on her neck.
She felt the heat bubble through her system, felt her body respond to his touch. “You know,” she said, her voice slightly trembling. “There have been studies that say too much television isn’t good for a relationship.”
He gently nibbled on her ear lobe, and she gasped. “Oh, my,” she whispered. “I vote for choice two.”
He nodded. “Good choice,” he said. Standing, he bent down and lifted her up in his arms.
“Bradley, you’re going to hurt yourself,” she protested weakly.
“I think I can handle it,” Bradley replied, carrying her across the room with ease. “Besides, I read that chicks really dig it when guys carry them.”
She wrapped her arms around her neck and laughed. “Yes, chicks really do dig it,” she said and then kissed his neck. “This chick especially.”
He moved her towards the staircase, but her foot hit a tall, unlit candle on a hall table and sent it clattering to the floor. Bradley looked at the candle and then looked at Mary. “Oops,” he said with a grin. “Good thing Clarissa is having a sleep-over with Maggie.”
Mary grinned. “Good thing,” she said. Then she paused and looked at him.
“What?” he asked.
“The fire is really romantic,” she said. “And there’s no one home but us…”
He smiled down at her, thought about it for a moment and then shook his head and continued towards the staircase. “But who knows who might decide to visit us in the middle of…” he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.
“The night?” she giggled.
He stopped and looked down at his beautiful wife. Her eyes were alight with happiness and desire. Her lips were slightly swollen from his kisses. And her body was swollen with his child. He felt a wave of pure joy wash over him. He had to kiss her again, had to let her know just how much she meant to him.
“Mary,” he whispered, his voice rough with emotion. “I love you.” He tenderly kissed her, pouring his emotions into the mating of their mouths.
Mary felt heat pooling in her abdomen as he teased and tasted her. Humor fle
d and desire built. Finally, he ended the kiss slowly, unhurriedly sliding his lips over hers. When he lifted his head, he stared down into her eyes. “You are so beautiful,” he finally said, his voice hoarse.
“We should go upstairs,” she breathed. “Quickly.”
He grinned down at her. “Yeah,” he whispered. “I agree.”
Chapter Two
Bradley woke up the next morning and was surprised to discover that he was alone in his bedroom. Dressed in the tartan flannel pajama bottoms Mary had given him for Christmas, he slipped from bed and hurried downstairs. He could smell the bacon when he was halfway down the staircase, and when he arrived in the kitchen, he stopped at the kitchen door in amazement. There were platters of bacon, pancakes, eggs and fruit on the counter. Mary’s back was to him as she searched through the refrigerator.
“Are we expecting company?” he asked, coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist.
She leaned back against him, looked up over her shoulder and smiled at him. “Good morning, sleepy head,” she replied. “And no, we are not having company. It’s just you and me.” Then she looked down at her belly. “Oh, and Mikey.”
He leaned forward and kissed her. “Good morning,” he replied. “How did you sleep?”
“Like a rock,” she said, enjoying the warmth of his arms around her. “I can’t believe I woke up so early.”
He shifted his hands and laid them on her belly. “And how’s Mikey this morning?” he asked.
“Other than practicing river-dancing on my bladder, he’s great,” she said. She stayed in his arms for another moment, then sighed. “I suppose we should eat before everything gets cold.”
He kissed her neck. “I don’t mind cold food,” he whispered.
She turned in his arms, shook her head and smiled up at him. “Stop that, Bradley Alden. We are going to eat warm food this morning,” she said. She reluctantly slipped out of his arms, picked up two of the platters and brought them to the table.
Bradley picked up the other two and followed her. Then he pulled out a chair for her. “You sit down,” he insisted. “I’ll get the rest of the things from the counter.”
She sat down and placed a couple of strips of bacon on her plate. “I heard from Rosie this morning,” she said, biting the end off one of the pieces. “She said that Stanley is as cranky as ever.”
