Griff put his hands on his hips and sighed. “Okay, so maybe the guy is unhinged because of what happened to his sister. We shouldn’t be anywhere around that guy.”
Conflicting emotions danced around inside her. “You are two of the screwiest men I’ve met in ten years. At least with my ex I understood what he was and who he was. With Dougray and you there’s always this mystery that never gets explained.”
She took one deep breath, or at least she tried to. Granted it was high altitude in the area, but this felt as if the air had thickened, clogging the lungs and the senses. When she glanced over at the house, what she saw there was the final straw. The roses bushes lay strewn apart and destroyed. Obliterated by something…she didn’t know what. “What happened to the rose bushes?”
“Beats the hell out of me. They were like that when I came down here, too. I’m sure there’s a logical explanation for all of it.”
“Maybe Dougray is right.” She couldn’t believe she gave credence to the idea. “What if there is something off about the house?”
At first he stared at her blankly, his sunglasses shielding her from knowing exactly what he thought. “Don’t tell me you’re starting to think this McPhee character is an okay guy.”
She shook her head, more confused than she could remember in a long time. “No. But he reacted strangely when he saw my sketch of the rosebushes. Why did he do that?”
“I don’t know.”
She tossed an exasperated look his way that must have given him incentive to change his mind.
“Fine. Let’s go back to the resort and have a drink. Maybe we can work out what the hell is happening,” he said.
So she followed him, deliberately avoiding looking at the house again.
* * *
The hassock by the huge pine tree looked like it could hold both of them.
That odd thought popped into Cassie’s head as they took their bottles of lemon flavored water out to the recreational area behind the resort. No one else was in the area, which included a playground, picnic tables under trees, a horse shoe pitch, volleyball, and a fenced off heated pool. She could look at the water in the pool without reacting in a panic. She was proud of that much.
They settled at a big round table with an umbrella near the back entrance to the resort. Since the umbrella shielded them from direct intense sunlight, she took her hat off and shook her hair out. She felt Griff staring at her, but his sunglasses were so dark she couldn’t see the expression in his eyes. Eager to talk, she unzipped the backpack at her feet and retrieved her sketch pad.
She opened it to the roses, and shoved the pad across the table toward him. “McPhee had a strong reaction to these roses. He asked me where I’d seen them, and I explained that I saw them at the house.”
He drew his sunglasses off and lay them on the table. “I’ll be damned.”
“What?”
He looked up at her. “When I went down the hill I was curious about the house. I wanted to understand why the roses are blooming one day, dead the next, then alive again.”
She gave him a sardonic smile. “You didn’t just leave because you didn’t want to answer my questions about your past?”
“That too.” He tapped the sketch of the rose with his index finger. “But the roses…the house pulled me there. I went there because I was curious.”
“Not because you feel there’s anything…well, weird about the place?”
“Weird?”
“You know.” How could she say this? She decided coming out with the bald truth would work best. “Haunted?”
“You believe in the paranormal?” His tone was laced with disbelief and maybe a tad scorn.
“I’m a skeptic for the most part, but there are things have happened to me that aren’t easy to brush off.”
He stared at her a long time before ducking his gaze to the sketch of the rose bushes. “What makes you think the house is haunted?”
“Why did you want to go back there?” She persisted. “Was it just because you were curious about what we both saw? Or was it because you didn’t want to argue with me?”
He rolled his eyes. “Cripes, Cassie, you are a bulldog on the questions.”
She snorted a laugh. “Yeah, well, so are you.”
He puffed air out between his lips. “Like I already said. I was curious. And before you can ask, no, I don’t believe in the paranormal.”
“Because you’ve never experienced anything you couldn’t explain?”
“I didn’t say that. I figure there’s a logical explanation for everything. Just because we can’t come up with one right now doesn’t mean it’s all woo-woo.”
She shifted in her chair, sinking down farther to get more comfortable. Unfortunately the hard wood didn’t give an inch. “Okay, do you have any theories?”
“Yeah. Someone moved in there since Sunday.”
She sensed he was hiding something again, leaving her in the dark. “What happened when you went down to the house by yourself?”
He kept his gaze on the sketch pad, flipping to the picture of the Point she’d drawn on Sunday and the one she’d drawn today. “Like I said before, I walked down the driveway and checked out the rosebushes. I didn’t see tire tracks, but it looked like they’d been run over.”
“Do you think Dougray did it?”
“I didn’t see him with a car, did you?”
“No.” She drew her hands through her hair, wishing she’d tied it into a ponytail this morning. “Did you see anyone else at the house?”
“Not a soul. I went up to the front door. I didn’t knock.”
When his gaze met hers, she saw confusion within him. “You could have cleared up the mystery of the possessed roses if you talked to the people who’ve moved in.”
“I don’t think anyone was home. The house felt empty. But not.”
That statement threw her. “Okay, now you’re freaking me out. What do you mean by it was empty but it wasn’t?”
He made a sound of contempt down in his throat, a sort of growl. “I don’t know.”
She smiled to take the sting out of her next words. “Sounds woo-woo to me.”
“When I was in the sandbox my instincts kept me from getting my ass shot off on more than one occasion.”
“Sandbox?”
“Iraq and Afghanistan. I believe in instinct. Nothing paranormal about that.”
She almost refuted his statement, but decided if she wanted him to reveal more of his thoughts and past, she couldn’t antagonize him repeatedly. They went quiet for a short time while she sipped at her water.
He closed her sketch pad and tapped the cover with his finger again. “I suggest we just forget McPhee’s problems and weird-assed roses at that house. But I think he’s right. You shouldn’t go back to the Point. Especially not alone.”
A chill rippled just under her skin. “I have no plans to go up there alone, especially when Dougray keeps turning up everywhere I am.”
Satisfaction filled his face, and for the first time in a while, he looked relaxed. “Good.”
Once more the quiet enveloped them. Only the whispers of a light breeze and birds chirping interrupted their quiet.
He stood slowly. “I have an idea. Penny seems like an A-number-one gossip. Maybe she can tell us something about the house.”
She grabbed her pack and water bottle, enthusiastic about his idea. “Now that makes sense. Hey, I think I’m starting to like this little mystery.”
He came around the table and stood close to her. “Don’t get too excited. Little towns like Bowmount are good at keeping secrets when it’s dirty laundry.”
He left her long enough to toss his empty water bottle and hers into the recycle bin nearby, then crossed the short distance to return. As he walked, his powerful male body called to her libido in a way no man had in years. Maybe ever. He was a mystery she might not solve, but that didn’t mean he didn’t continue to intrigue her on several levels. She didn’t like that at all, but she c
ould control sexual urges as well as the next woman.
He stood close again, looking down on her. His gaze was interested, a melting heat that warmed her from the inside out. With him so close and what had happened yet today, her emotions responded. She couldn’t deny the constant tug and retreat within her when this man got close, or when he spoke to her in that low, sexy voice.
“Thank you for coming back from the house. Back to the Point,” she said.
His eyebrows lifted slightly. “You thought I wouldn’t come back?”
“It crossed my mind.”
“I may be a rude bastard, but I’m not that much of a jerk.”
She laughed, genuinely amused by his assessment of himself. “I don’t think you’re that rude.”
His smile faded, his mouth compressed in a stern line. “I should have taken you with me. I wanted to give us both time.”
“I know. But you’re still not going to tell me anything about your past, are you?”
He bit his lower lip for a moment, and her attention caught on his well-cut, masculine mouth. “It’s a complicated past.”
“What do you think will happen if you tell me?”
She watched his face change from certain to uncertain, maybe confusion. “You’ll hate my guts.”
Surprised, she didn’t know what to say at first. Did she want to probe into his past, to keep digging for his truth if it meant something horrible?
“You’d care if I hated you?” she asked.
His eyes met hers. “Yes.”
She liked that, but she didn’t want to like it. Alarm bells went off inside her. She would not get involved with this guy any further than she already had, and if he wanted to keep secrets it was no sweat off her nose.
“Don’t look at me like that, Cassie.”
Her gaze flew to his. “Like what?”
“As if I’m going to hurt you.”
“I’m not afraid of you. Should I be?”
“No, but I see suspicion in your eyes.”
He frowned and cupped her cheek. The heat of his touch sent a wild thrill straight down to her stomach.
She placed her hand over his and kept her voice soft. “My ex kept a lot of stuff from me, including our financial situation. I’m not into men who can’t be straight with me no matter their past.”
He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and his skin brushed hers, but then he jammed his hands in his coat pockets. “God, you’re beautiful.” His voice went lower, deeper. “Anyone ever tell you that you’re gutsy?”
A low tingling throbbed in her loins in response to his compliment. “Hardly. But don’t think I’m fishing for a compliment because I’m not. I used to look for approval from men when I was much younger. I don’t do that anymore.”
“My sister Diane had issues like that. She got pregnant when she was sixteen because she gave in to her rat bastard boyfriend.”
“Thank goodness I never did that.”
“Diane decided to keep the baby, and my father…well, let’s just say she had to move out.”
“Why?”
“Dad was pissed and called her some unforgiveable things.” His face tightened, anger surfacing. “She moved to Colorado for a while and stayed with Aunt Delia, my Mom’s sister. But then Diane lost the baby two months into the pregnancy. She moved back home.”
He shook his head quickly, as if he wanted to shake loose the memories.
“The whole thing must have been horrible for her.”
He sighed. “You don’t know the half of it.”
She could give up on him right now if he wouldn’t be straight with her, but she reined in her impatience. Most people didn’t spill their guts to someone on short acquaintance. She’d chosen to reveal part of her past to him. There was no rule saying he must reciprocate.
Feeling a little as if she’d bullied him, she offered the proverbial olive branch. “I’m sorry I pushed you for information. We’ve only known each other…what? Less than a week? We only started really talking on Sunday. Why don’t we have dinner tonight and just talk. As new friends.”
Tension eased in his face and a crooked tilt to his mouth made him so handsome she ached.
“You drive a hard bargain,” he said.
“I’ve learned a lot in the last ten years to ask for what I want.”
“And you want dinner with me. I like that.”
She shifted gears, trying to slow down the crazy attraction she felt for him. “Is your sister okay now? Or does she still let men push her around?”
“Huh. You kidding? Even her husband can’t get her to do something she doesn’t want to do.”
She enjoyed the chagrined expression on his face and chuckled. “I like her already.”
“I think she’d like you, too.”
“What about the rest of your family? Are they anything like you?”
His mouth tightened, and that’s when she knew she’d lost him. What she didn’t expect was when he cupped her face between with both hands and urged her closer. On instinct she gripped his biceps. God, he was so hard. So muscular. And obviously, he wanted to distract her. It worked.
“Let’s stop talking for one minute,” he said. “Forget our pasts and feel right now.”
Breathless, she managed a question. “Why?”
“There you go again, talking.”
His mouth touched hers, and she fell into his kiss. He didn’t urge her closer, but his mouth was intimate and searching. When he’d kissed her before, he’d held something back. This time there was genuine sexual heat. She swept her palms over his chest and moaned softly. His tongue sank into her mouth, caressing her with searching strokes that started a fire in her belly. God, he was delicious. She met his tongue, allowed it to flirt and caress hers. Sensual heat burned low and smoldered in her stomach. She’d never experienced the total rush of hot need this man’s kiss brought to life inside her.
His chest heaved with a deep breath as he released her. Their gazes clashed, and the tension between them singed her.
“Why did you kiss me?” she asked.
“I’ve never had a woman ask me that before.”
“There’s a first time for everything, Griffin.”
He smoothed her hair away from her face again. “Because I think you’re beautiful, and I couldn’t wait to kiss you again.”
If he could be honest this time, she could be candid right back. “I forgot how good a kiss could feel. It’s been so long.”
“Are you saying you’d like this to happen again?”
She smiled. “Hell yeah.
He laughed, and his eyes continued to smolder in a way that promised the next kiss would be even better.
“That’s a yes to dinner?” she asked.
“Dinner it is,” he said. “Let’s talk with Penny.”
Once inside the resort and back at the front desk, they found Penny and a young man who worked at the desk on occasion. He had a clean cut look with sandy blond hair, striking blue eyes, and a friendly smile. His name tag said Benson. Cassie thought he looked around twenty-five. They waited until Penny and the young man weren’t busy to approach the desk. Benson turned his attention to a computer at the far side of the counter.
“We have a mystery we need solving,” Cassie said to the older woman.
Penny rubbed her hands together. “I love a good mystery. Lay it on me.”
“You know anything about that house up on the hill that’s vacant?” Cassie asked.
“The lock box is off of it now. So maybe it’s occupied,” Griff said.
Penny’s expression went dark, her eyes serious. “Oh, that place.” She leaned her elbows on the counter and leaned toward them. She lowered her voice and glanced around the room. “It’s a dump.”
Cassie exchanged amused glances with Griff, and leaned on the counter to match Mrs. Cribb’s body position.
“We noticed,” Griff said. “What’s the history on the house?”
Mrs. Cribb’s mouth came open, but then she s
topped and frowned. “Why do you want to know? You don’t want to buy the place and move in do you?”
“Hell no,” Griff said with a smile.
“We’re just curious since we…” Cassie drifted, fumbling for an excuse. “The roses out front were blooming the other day like someone took care of them, and now it looks like someone’s taken a buzz saw to them. The lock box is off the front door. We thought maybe someone moved in. If not, maybe we need to call the cops and tell them the place is vandalized.”
Penny frowned. “I suppose someone could have bought the place without me hearing about it. I’ll admit it. I hear everything that’s going on in town, and that’s even without reading the newspaper.” She rambled on. “I hate reading the local paper. Nothing but politics and controversy. Really gets people all worked up.” She cleared her throat. “Anyway, the history is fascinating. The house was built in about sixty-five, I think. I remember when it was new-looking. The guy who had it built was a lawyer, and he had a wife and two little girls. Anyway, there were all these rumors about the family and the house. Kids that lived higher up the hill toward the Point used to run by it because they were scared.”
“Scared of a new house?” Cassie asked.
Penny almost whispered. “Yep. The lawyer had a couple of mistresses on the side. Not local girls. The wife used to hang out with this guy who everyone thought might be a homosexual, but turned out she’d had an affair with him.”
“Sounds like they both were screwed up,” Cassie said, referring to the affair and mistresses.
“Don’t you know it.” Mrs. Cribb’s eyes sparkled as enthusiasm marked her voice. “Kids in grade school were scared of the little girls. I was ten when they moved into the house.”
“Were you afraid of them?” Griff asked.
Penny tucked her hair behind her ears. “Sort of. They were so white with the blackest hair I’d ever seen. They had these thin lips and cold green eyes. About a year after they moved in they were just gone.”
“Moved out?” Cassie asked.
“Disappeared.” Mrs. Cribb’s eyes were scared now. “One day they were there, the next they weren’t. The police investigated because all their stuff was still in the house. All of it. Lunch was on the table with bites out of the sandwiches.” She rubbed her arms. “When I heard about that, it scared the crap out of me.”
Holding Out For A Hero: SEALs, Soldiers, Spies, Cops, FBI Agents and Rangers Page 122
