Where I Belong

by Charlene Bright

  “Thanks, Mrs. Michelson. It sure does smell good.”

  “Call me Brenda, Drake,” she said. “There’s coffee there if either of you would like some. I’ll be right back.”

  As she left the room, Drake saw Mac watching her. When she was gone, he said, “Told you she was pretty.”

  “Shut up.”

  Drake was laughing when Sophie came down the stairs. He stopped at the sight of her. Suddenly his mouth was completely dry and all he could think was, I want to kiss her again.

  She was wearing jeans and a simple beige sleeveless blouse that snapped up the front, but damn did she wear it well. Her dark hair was shining as usual, and her blue eyes had a warm glow that he couldn’t help but hope was left over from their kiss.

  “Hi guys.”

  “Hi Sophie,” Mac said. The poor guy looked like a nervous wreck. Drake felt bad, but he had to keep reminding himself that this was good for him. He needed to get out and socialize.

  “Hi Sophie,” he said himself. He wondered if he should kiss her cheek. He did that with Brooke all the time … would she be okay with that?

  “Is Mom in the kitchen?”

  “Here I am.” Brenda came out, mouthwatering smells wafting out with her. “You can all come into the dining room now,” she said. “It’s all ready.”

  Sophie went first, and Drake helped his uncle through the doorway. He parked Mac in the spot where Brenda had kindly cleared the chair out of the way, and then he took a seat next to him. He wished that he didn’t feel so nervous all of a sudden. Brenda passed the food around to her right, and once again Drake noticed Mac stealing glances at her.

  When everyone had their plates filled, Mac said, “This place is really starting to look good.”

  “Thank you,” Sophie said. “It’s mostly thanks to your nephew.”

  Drake warmed at the compliment. “Right, because I’m the one who works sixteen hours every day around here.”

  Sophie shrugged. “What I do is mostly behind the scenes. The inn is looking really good thanks to your hard work.”

  “So you’re thinking you’ll have it ready by the Harvest Festival?” Mac asked. Drake hadn’t told him anything about how stressed Sophie had been, so he had no idea of the can of worms he was potentially opening. Brenda did, however.

  “We’re sure it will be ready,” she said with a smile. “Sophie tells me you’re quite the artist.”

  Mac’s face actually turned red. Drake was having fun watching him; he’d never seen his uncle with a crush. “I like to make things out of wood,” he said. “I’m not so sure it qualifies as being an artist.”

  “Well, the way Sophie was going on, I’m sure you’re just being modest,” Brenda said. “I’m looking forward to seeing some of your work.”

  Mac thanked her and then took a long drink of his water. Drake glanced over at Sophie. Her pretty blue eyes were trained on his face and he needed his own long, cold drink of water—possibly followed by a long, cold shower. He smiled at her, and she smiled back. He wondered if there was any way he could get her alone tonight … just for one more kiss.

  “Did the realtor tell you the history of this old place?” Mac asked Sophie. Drake gave him a look, trying to stop him, but he forged on ahead.

  “Not really … does it have a history other than being a bed and breakfast?”

  “It actually has quite a colorful history—”

  “Uncle Mac, I’m not so sure—” Drake tried.

  “I want to hear it,” Sophie said.

  Mac smiled at his nephew and then looked at Sophie and said, “This house was built in 1915, but on the foundation of the one that was here before. That house was built in 1790 for the man who actually founded Brook Haven.”

  “Wow,” Sophie said, looking fascinated. “I wonder why she didn’t tell me that.”

  “She was probably worried you’d run off like all the other interested buyers—”

  “Uncle Mac! I just don’t think this is appropriate dinner conversation,” he said with his eyes still on his uncle. Mac looked amused. Sophie could tell that he was having fun. Drake said he didn’t get out often; he shouldn’t be denied a few minutes in the spotlight.

  “I want to hear it,” Sophie said.

  “Okay, but don’t say I didn’t warn you,” Drake told her.

  She ignored him and said, “Go ahead, Mac.”

  “Well, the original house was built for a wealthy man who came over from Wales in the early 1700s. He made his wealth in Europe by ‘questionable’ means, the legend goes. What those ‘questionable’ means were has to be up to the imagination, I suppose. When he arrived here, he invested in shipping businesses all along the East Coast. One of the biggest commodities shipped via the businesses he owned … were humans.”

  Brenda sucked in a breath. “Slaves?” she asked.

  “Slaves, yes … but also women. The story is that he brought women over to fill the brothels.”

  “No! Was this a brothel?” Sophie asked. Drake rolled his eyes and slowly chewed his food while his uncle continued his tale. It was apparent Drake had heard it all before.

  “No, it was his private home. But he did marry one of those women. She had three children and then she vanished mysteriously.”

  “Was she ever found?”

  “Not right away,” he said.

  “What happened to the children?”

  “They continued to live here with their father and his next wife, until she disappeared … and then the one after that …”

  “Uncle Mac—”

  “What?” he asked his nephew with a laugh and a twinkle in his eyes. “It’s a true story.”

  “You’re going to scare them.”

  Sophie rolled her eyes. “We’re not children.”

  “I’m a little scared,” her mom said, “but I want to hear the rest.”

  Mac grinned and continued. “Well, the old man somehow managed to misplace five young wives over a period of twenty-five years. Those five women produced sixteen offspring all together.”

  “Sixteen? He lived here with sixteen kids?”

  “Well, in the original house,” Mac said. “He died in 1762 of natural causes, and the house and the property went to his eldest son, who promptly evicted his fifteen siblings. The second eldest son objected, and the story goes that there was an all-out family brawl with only three survivors.”

  “Oh my God! They killed each other?”

  He nodded. “The three youngest children who were found hiding in the basement were the only survivors. The other thing they found down there was an underground tunnel and a tomb.”

  “A tomb?” Sophie’s pretty blue eyes were wide as she listened to the story. As annoyed with Mac as Drake was, he was enjoying her expressive face as she listened.

  Mac nodded again. “All five wives, I’m afraid.”

  “Oh no!” Brenda and Sophie said in unison. “Wow, this house does have a history.”

  “Well … there’s more,” he said.

  “Oh no. The three children?”

  “They grew up with a caretaker the court appointed to live here with them. Or—I should say—the many caretakers. They only lasted a matter of weeks or months in most cases before they reported that the house was ‘evil’ and they couldn’t stay in it.”

  “They thought it was haunted?” Brenda asked.

  “That’s what they thought … or some reckoned that it was perhaps cursed. The three siblings were embroiled in another battle over the wealth left behind by their father. Only one of the siblings survived. He ultimately ended up with it all.”

  “Oh my goodness. This wasn’t his house, was it?”

  “No,” Drake answered. “This particular house was built for the mayor of Brook Haven, and no one has had any troubles here since.” He gave his uncle another look, and Mac laughed.

  “What about the tunnels?” Sophie asked.

  Mac shrugged. “The realtor didn’t mention them?”

  “There are no tun
nels down there,” Drake said. “Uncle Mac, behave.” Mac laughed again and turned his attention back to Brenda.

  “Mrs. Michelson, this might well be the best meal I have ever had.”

  Brenda smiled. “Thank you, and that might well be the most interesting story I’ve ever heard. Is it true?”

  “Every bit,” he said. “I can show you the old documents in the library in town.”

  “I might take you up on that,” she said.

  “Be my guest,” Mac said with a wink.

  Oh my goodness, he is flirting with my mother, Sophie thought. She looked over at Drake, who was shaking his head at his uncle. He turned his head toward her when he felt her looking at him. She couldn’t help it—all thoughts of Mac and her mother vanished. Instead, the only thing she could really see was his dark, sexy eyes and those full soft lips. She wanted to kiss him again so badly.

  Once they’d all finished their meal and had once again complimented Brenda, they moved into the lodge room and Brenda brought out the cake she’d made for dessert.

  “That looks great, Mom, but there is no way I can fit anything else into my belly,” Sophie said.

  “Me neither,” Drake said.

  “I’d love a piece,” Mac told her. Sophie looked at Drake again, and they shared a knowing look and a private smile. Drake could see that Mac was flirting too. Sophie wondered what her mother thought. The next thing Brenda said told Sophie that she was either enjoying it or she hadn’t really noticed.

  “Why don’t you two go walk some of your dinner off?” she said. “I can entertain Mac while you’re gone.”

  “Are you sure?” Sophie said. “Mac, you won’t think me rude?”

  “Not at all. I’d love some time to get to know your lovely mother.” Sophie looked at her mother and saw her face flush. She looked back at Drake, who was already on his feet.

  “You want to take a walk?”

  “I’d love to,” he said.

  Sophie went upstairs and retrieved her sweater, and the two of them set off. Once they were outside, she said, “You know, I’m not sure if this is about pushing us together or having time alone with your uncle. Did you see what was going on in there?”

  Drake shook his head. “I saw my uncle misbehaving, that’s for sure.”

  “Oh, he was just having some harmless fun with that story … but seriously, do you see the way they’re looking at each other?”

  Drake laughed. “Yeah. I haven’t seen Mac look at anyone like that since … well, ever.”

  “I know, right? My mother doesn’t look at men like that, at least not since my father died.”

  He laughed again. “I guess they are adults—and human, so they’re entitled to a little harmless flirting. Speaking of flirting and things like that … should we talk about that kiss earlier?”

  As they walked along the gravel tree-lined path, the early autumn breezed tousled Sophie’s hair. Just a few short weeks ago when she and Brenda arrived in Vermont, the air had been warm and everything a dark, verdant green. The season was definitely changing and with it, it seemed that everything else was as well. She stopped walking and looked up at the sky. It was deep blue and dotted with a thousand specks of light. The moon was new and didn’t cast much of a glow, but the stars were out in full force.

  She loved it there—the air, the mountain, the countryside, and the town. She looked at Drake, who was waiting for her to respond somehow to his question, and said, “I think we should revisit it after I get the inn up and running.”

  He opened his mouth to speak and she stopped him by saying, “Just hear me out. I loved the kiss, Drake. I haven’t thought about anything else since. I like you a lot and I think that I’d like to explore that—no, I know that I’d like to explore that. But, with that being said, I know myself. I know that I’m going to wake up tomorrow morning, and the magic of this weekend that you and I spent together will be dulled by the fact that I lost almost two full days getting this place ready. I’m going to be nervous and tense and I’ll probably snap your head off a time or two. I promise that I’ll try not to, but I should apologize in advance just in case. I put everything I have into this place, and I have to see it through. I can’t get distracted right now. I can’t afford it. I’m so afraid that getting it ready in three and a half weeks is a crazy dream …”

  “My turn,” he said. She thought about objecting, but she nodded instead. He took her hands in his and faced her. “If you’re telling me that I have a chance with you after this place is finished, I can promise you here and now that I’ll work from sunup to sundown until it’s ready to go.”

  She smiled. “You already do.”

  “I’ll get it ready for you, Sophie. I’ll leave you alone in the meantime … no distractions. But if—when—I get this place in top shape for you, I’d like for you to do something for me.”

  “Besides paying you for your hard work?”

  He sighed. “Okay yeah, besides that.”

  She giggled. “Sorry. What do you want me to do for you?”

  “Go on a real date with me. I want to dress up and take you out to a nice restaurant in the city and go dancing, maybe take a carriage ride …” He had a light in his eyes, and she could tell that he’d already thought about doing all of that with her. It made her heart feel happy.

  “Okay,” she said. “You have a deal.”

  “I have one more request,” he said.

  She laughed. “I knew it.”

  “I just want one more kiss to hold me over. Three weeks is a long time.” Sophie smiled at him and nodded. He didn’t waste any time lest she change her mind. This time he slid one of his arms around her waist and the other hand rested softly against the side of her face and neck. He caressed her skin with his fingers, and she shivered. He used his thumb to tip her head back slightly, and then he slid his hand underneath her hair and held her head in place while he put his warm mouth on her neck. She wasn’t expecting that, but it felt so good that she tipped her head back even more to give him better access. He held her captive against him, but she didn’t want to escape as he planted kisses all across her sensitive neck and up to her ear on the side closest to his mouth.

  She felt his breath and shivered again as he whispered, “These don’t count toward the kiss.” Sophie giggled. She wasn’t going to argue with him. His head dove back down, and he planted a kiss at the base of her neck and then slid his lips upward until he reached her ear again. This time he didn’t speak. He just proceeded to plant kisses all around it. Sophie was glad he was holding on to her because her knees were beginning to feel weak.

  He used that one hand to move her head slightly again and before she knew it, their mouths collided. He kissed her slowly and softly all around the outside of her lips. He smelled so masculine that just the scent of him was driving her crazy. He ran his tongue along the seam of her lips next and this time, the shiver was a full body shudder. She let her lips part and wrapped her own hands up in his hair, pulling him in tighter. His tongue slipped in, and slow and gentle went by the wayside as their tongues tangled up in a sensuous dance.

  That, coupled with the feel of his taut chest and arms pressed into her and the way he continued to caress the skin on the side of her face and neck with his rough fingers, was overwhelming to her senses. It was absolutely without a doubt the best kiss that she’d ever had, and she knew going three weeks without another one was going to be as close to hell as she’d ever come.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  For the next week, Drake kept his promise and Sophie stayed so busy that the only time she really suffered for it was late at night while she lay in bed and remembered that kiss. She got the website up and running thanks to a good photographer and a lot of computer work her mom did for her. Brenda’s ankle was definitely broken, and Brooke had cast it and given her strict orders to keep off of it. She spent her time doing things inside the house that she could do sitting down.

  Meanwhile, Sophie finished furnishing the rooms and stocking
the linen closets. She made soaps and arranged them in lovely baskets to leave in each of the rooms. She also planted a small garden with Drake’s help, and slowly but surely she could see it all coming together.

  She was almost giddy on Friday afternoon when she got her first reservation for the weekend of the Harvest Festival. She ran outside where Drake was working on the shadow boxes on the windows in the back of the house to share it with him.

  “I have a reservation for two!” she squealed. He was up on a ladder and looked down at her and smiled.

  “That’s great,” he said. It was the first time she’d really looked at him today. His eyes were bloodshot, and he actually had dark circles underneath his pretty eyes.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Me? Yeah, I’m great. I’m happy for you.”

  “Will you come down here and talk to me?”

  “I’m working, boss.”

  “Drake … just for a second, please.”

  With a sigh, he sat his bucket and brush down on the window ledge and climbed down. He pulled off his leather gloves and said, “What’s up?”

  “You look exhausted. Have you been sleeping?”

  He smiled and said, “When I’m not thinking about you.”

  “Drake, I’m serious.”

  “So am I.”

  She smiled in spite of herself. “Well, that’s good to know because you’ve kept me awake a few nights yourself. But really … why do you look so exhausted? Am I working you too hard?”

  “No, not at all. I’ve just been kind of worried about Uncle Mac. Sam took the kits on Monday, and he hasn’t come out of the house all week. I take him dinner every night, but he rushes me out and I’m not even sure he’s eating. He doesn’t look good … I think he’s depressed.”

  “Oh no! The poor thing. Mom said she called him on Wednesday. They were supposed to go to the library. She said he didn’t answer and never called her back.”

  “I don’t know what to do. I thought about getting him a puppy or something, but I’m just afraid of making things worse. I feel terrible.”

  “It’s not your fault.”