“Lying? I don’t get that kind of vibe from you. You seem like a straight shooter.”
“The truth is I spent a lot of years lying, and it took me right to the altar with someone I never should have married. I was pretending to be something I’m not: straight. Suffice it to say, I’ve known for a long time that men weren’t for me, and I longed to come out. I was just too scared to make the leap, and then one day I said, ‘screw it.’ If I didn’t do something I was going to implode.”
Lorna’s smile grew warmer, and she reached across the table to lay her hand against Renee’s cheek. “I’m awfully glad you took that brave step.”
She smiled back at her. “So am I. I’ll tell you honestly, at the time, it sucked. I still feel horrible about hurting my husband, but I’d feel worse if it I had let the lie go on any longer. He deserved better than what he got from me.”
Lorna came around the table. She brought her face to Renee’s, her kiss so sweet it made her knees weak. Good thing she was already sitting down. She brought her arms up to wrap around Lorna’s neck and let her fingers weave through her soft, damp hair. It was like being in heaven.
She almost tipped over in her chair at the same time Lorna jerked away when an angry male voice in the doorway roared, “What the fuck are you two doing?”
*
White-hot fury ripped through Jeremy’s body the second he stepped into the kitchen. The explosive anger that filled him was deeper than he’d ever experienced before. To see Lorna and Renee kissing ignited his rage like a crematorium furnace. It was all he could do not to run in, grab Lorna by the hair, and tear her away. What they were doing wasn’t right, and he refused to stand by silently and watch her disgrace herself in such a way. It had to stop this instant. People were already talking in low whispers about the two of them and it was horrifying. He was not about to allow his family to live under a cloud of shame and embarrassment.
“Jeremy,” Lorna said in a loud, sharp voice that broke through the red haze of resentment and made him whip his head around. Her cheeks were crimson, her eyes wounded.
The sight of her misplaced hurt feelings made him even angrier. “Do not speak to me in such a tone.”
“Jeremy!”
This time her tone was full of surprised annoyance, and yet it was forceful enough to make it through the fog. His head felt thick and heavy, his vision a little blurry with everything just a touch out of focus. A tinge of nausea worked in his stomach, and all of a sudden, it kicked up in intensity to double him over, his arms crossed over his stomach. He peered up at Lorna and wondered at the dark look on her face. She looked angry.
“What?” Man, his stomach hurt and his head…it felt like someone had coldcocked him. If he’d been out pounding down brews with the guys it would make sense. A peaceful night with the woman he loved should have resulted in feeling great.
Her expression morphed from anger to puzzlement. “What exactly was that about? Since when have you become the morality police?”
“What was what about? Got no idea what you mean. Morality police? Me?” Man, he needed to sit down. The fuzziness in his head was playing havoc with his equilibrium. It was either sit down or fall down, and he’d prefer the former.
“I mean your nasty question and rude expletive.”
“Lorna, you’re not making any sense. I haven’t said a thing. I just got here. And you know as well as I do that I’m not into passing judgment on anyone. Not my style or my inclination.”
Lorna and Renee shared a glance. He didn’t get the look that passed between them. Not the glance. Not Lorna’s question. All he really knew was that he felt like crap, and the only thing he could figure was he must have picked up a flu bug somewhere along the line.
Lorna pulled out a chair and pushed him into it. “Sit down. You’re about ready to drop like a sack of rocks, and I don’t want to be the one to pick your big butt off the floor.”
He’d take exception to the big butt remark if he felt better. “Thanks.” He laid his head on his arms and closed his eyes. The nausea in his stomach eased a little, but only a little.
“Okay, bro, what we’re wondering about is why you came through the door like a bull yelling me and Renee. Seriously, what was that about? Despite what I might say to you, it really isn’t like you to be a jackass.”
“I wouldn’t do that, Lorna. Why would I?”
“Because we were kissing and apparently that’s a problem for you.”
That was messed up, and it still didn’t make sense. “So? I’ll repeat myself. I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Except in the back of his mind, something nagged at him, telling him he did know. The hint of a foreign emotion that didn’t leave him feeling good tugged at him in a way that was distinctly uncomfortable.
Especially after what happened last night in the rain. He didn’t intend to tell her that though. He didn’t intend to tell anyone. It was way too creepy and the kind of thing that didn’t need to be shared.
“It wasn’t just what you said,” she told him in a soft voice as she came over and put a hand on his head. “It was also your face. It was you, but it wasn’t. It was almost as if you had on one of those clear plastic masks. Freaky, if you know what I mean.”
As she’d related the brief encounter, a hazy memory was jogged. The sick feeling in his stomach grew stronger. He did remember, though it was as if it had happened from a distance and he’d been an observer. Now, however, as he let the thoughts settle in, the lingering feelings of outrage rolled back in, and vague, disturbing emotions rapped at his consciousness.
This was fucked up and he didn’t like it. He wasn’t that kind of man: the one who was holier-than-thou and hated anything that was out of the mainstream. One of the things he loved about Lorna was her independence and the way she stood up for herself. She didn’t let society tromp her down or people with small minds diminish her. For as long as he could remember, she was a role model to him and he would never, ever berate her. Certainly not for kissing a woman she was attracted to. If anything, that would make him happy because he’d know she was ready to move beyond the hurt Anna caused her.
So why did he now barge in here and act like a small-minded moron? He wanted to say that Lorna was been wrong and he hadn’t charged through the door like an angry bull, spewing ugly things as he did. If he could, he would deny it all, except deep in his heart, he believed her. There had been a brief time between the stairway and finding himself in the kitchen that he couldn’t clearly remember. One minute, he was stepping off the last step and the next, Lorna and Renee were looking at him like he had the plague.
The only question he had was what happened in those few minutes? He didn’t know and didn’t like what he was hearing. Apparently, Lorna wasn’t the only one in the family reacting to this place.
“It’s this house,” Renee said firmly, as if it were obvious. “It’s got you in its grip too. Come on, you guys. There’s something here. You can’t deny it, especially after what just happened. We have to find out is what it is. Personally, I believe it’s trying to reach both of you. How cool is that?”
He looked at Lorna and opened his mouth to say that was a crock. He closed his lips without saying a word and nodded ad. “You know, I hate to say it because I’m really not into that woo woo stuff, but I think Renee’s right. I don’t know about the cool part, but the reaching out to us might have some merit. I had a little incident last night that wasn’t me either. I’m pretty confident I’m not crazy in the strictly legal sense, so it’s got to be a ghost or an evil spirit.”
From behind him, Merry sidled up close and put her arms around him. She pressed a kiss against his hot neck. “What have I missed?”
Lorna chuckled and pointed to the sole unoccupied chair at the table. “You might want to sit down. This is going to take a while.”
Chapter Fifteen
When they finished bringing Merry up to date, Lorna dumped her cold coffee down the sink and refilled her mug with the fresh pot Ren
ee had made during the course of the tale. It wasn’t quite as good as her version of the stuff that only grew better and thicker with time on the warmer, but it would have to do.
“So there you have it,” Lorna concluded. “Either we have a ghost or we’re all going nuts, to put it in technical terms.”
Merry smiled, her face lighting up. She turned her bright eyes on Jeremy. “A ghost, how sweet is that? I love those reality shows about chasing ghosts.”
Jeremy frowned. “Mer, I hate to burst your bubble, but I don’t think it’s cool at all. Especially uncool when it turns you into a world-class asshole. Don’t get me wrong. I have my moments. This wouldn’t be one of them.”
She patted his arm, her smile still bright. “Don’t worry, baby. We’ll figure this out. I mean, after all, it sounds like Lorna and Renee have a pretty good start. We know the names of the family members, we have a mysterious disappearance, an untimely death of a young woman, and a big old house that’s trying to talk to us. This is so intriguing we might have to all collaborate and write a book when we have the mystery figured out or call in the ghost guys from TV. What do you think about our own reality show?”
Jeremy shook his head and hugged Merry. “No reality show, and we’re definitely not calling in the ghost guys. This is something we have to do, and I’m thinking we keep it to ourselves.”
“I’m on board with that,” Lorna told him and Renee nodded.
Lorna did appreciate Merry’s take on the whole thing. The way Merry told the tale didn’t make it sound quite as crazy as it did inside Lorna’s head. Of course, Merry wasn’t the one seeing visions at all hours of the day and night. It was pretty weird when it was happening to her regardless of how rational Merry made it sound.
She’d actually been giving the visions a great deal of thought especially since yesterday afternoon’s fact-finding mission. “I think it has something to do with the relationship between the two women.”
“What relationship?” Merry asked.
Lorna considered the first vision she’d had as well as the one that hit her while on the beach. What she’d seen was much more than a simple physical relationship. She didn’t have to be a licensed professional to know love when she saw it, even if it was happening in a paranormal realm. What she knew was that the two women weren’t having sex as much as they were making love. There was deep emotion in what passed between them. That couldn’t be faked.
At the same time, the man she’d seen dragging who she now believed was Tiana away was as full of rage as the women had been filled with love for each other. It had to be John McCafferty, the man who’d built the house. The pictures they’d come across yesterday were grainy and his features blurred. Her visions were the opposite. His face had been clear enough to see the frown lines around his mouth and the deep creases at his eyes. It was not the face of a happy man. The lines in his face were not from smiling.
She turned again to Merry’s question. “Tiana was in love with another woman. Given where this house is located, she wouldn’t come into casual contact with very many people. Either someone came for extended stays, or the woman she loved was someone from nearby. I’m banking on the latter, which means her love was more than likely from the Makah Tribe.”
Merry’s eyebrows went up. “Oh, that had to fry her daddy’s ass. The nineteenth century wasn’t exactly the age of enlightenment, especially when it came to women. Why the Makah tribe? Couldn’t it be someone from town?”
Lorna shook her head. “The woman I see when this thing happens to me has darker skin and I just have a sense she’s Native American.”
Renee nodded. “Yeah, I’m thinking you hit that one right on the head. Daddy couldn’t have liked that in any way, shape, or form. Gotta think he was pissed to high heaven that his little girl liked girls. Toss in falling in love with an Indian, and he’s probably still rolling over in his grave.”
Lorna looked over at the sheet of paper Renee was doodling on. She had a kind of spreadsheet going that listed the cast of characters as they knew them to be. Tiana, her father, her lover. In the middle was the house.
“So.” Renee tapped her pencil on the paper. “Let’s try and figure out what this all means. Lorna, how about you and I take on the two women?”
She liked that idea for more reasons than one. The women intrigued her, but more than that, it meant she and Renee would spend more time together. That appealed to her on several levels. Their day together in Seattle had been wonderful. Best time she’d had in months.
Nodding, she smiled over at Renee. “Sounds good.”
“You want us to take on the old man?” Jeremy asked, leaning close to Renee to study her intricate notes.
Renee tapped her pencil on the paper. She looked up at Jeremy. “He seems to like you, so I think it’s the best place for you two to start. You might as well take on the ass headfirst.”
“I don’t know about liking me,” Jeremy said with a frown. “If he’s the one getting inside my head, he’s a bitter guy. Even though I don’t remember what happened afterward, I feel dirty when it’s all over.”
Merry kissed the side of his head. “Not to worry, my handsome man. I’m on your side, and now that I know what the bastard is up to, I’ll be on the lookout for any hint of intrusion. Nobody touches my man and gets away with it.”
He laughed. “That’s all well and good, my pretty one, but what exactly do you think you can do if he grabs my body again?”
“Easy. I’ll just kiss you so hard the old bat will be forced to leave. I have a hunch I’m not the kind of woman he’d like. He’ll hightail it and run when I lock lips with you, especially if I throw in a little tongue.” She laughed and proceeded to demonstrate what she meant.
Jeremy’s smile warmed Lorna’s heart. He loved Merry deeply, and that made her incredibly happy. They were good together, and the word forever popped into her head every time she saw them like this. She wished them every happiness and was envious all at the same time. She wanted to believe that same kind of kinship was in her future though she didn’t hold out much hope. So far, she’d pretty well sucked at the forever thing.
“I like this plan.” Her gaze met Renee’s. What she saw in her eyes made her heart beat faster. A glimmer of something close to hope happened when those eyes met hers.
Did she dare let herself hope? Or was she setting herself up for failure yet again? There was a time she’d believed what she and Anna had together was the stuff forevers were made of. How wrong had she been on that count? Hopefully, she had a better grasp on it now.
She stood and smacked both hands on the table. “All right then, ladies and gentleman, let’s get cracking and figure out this mystery.”
*
When Jolene came in through the back door with three green grocery bags in her hands, they were all still sitting at the table. Jeremy jumped up and ran over to take them from her.
“Thanks,” Jolene said with a smile, patting him on the cheek when her hands were free. “So very nice to have a handsome man carry my groceries inside. It’s been a very long time since I’ve enjoyed that kind of luxury.”
He laughed as he put them on the counter. “Any time, Jolene. Do you have more in the car?”
“Yes, if you don’t mind.”
“Be back in a flash.” He trotted out the back door toward her car.
She actually had a lot more in the trunk. Apparently, she was anticipating the continued stay by all of them, and he was okay with the idea. Given his and Merry’s current unemployed status and the freaky things going on around here, he was more than willing to make camp a little longer than he’d intended to. Besides, it was beginning to feel like they were a big family. It had been just the two of them for so long; it was quite nice to be part of something bigger.
Besides, truth was he wanted to know exactly what was happening here. He hesitated to say haunted house, but only briefly. If there was ever a series of events designed to make a believer out of him, this was it.
; When the last bag was on the counter, he had a thought. “Hey, Jolene, you’ve lived around here for years, right?”
She smiled and nodded. “Indeed I have. I’ve lived on the coast all my life so that’s quite a few years.”
“Great. Then maybe you can point us in the right direction. We’re trying to find out more about the original family that lived in this house as well as a young Makah woman. Where would we go to dig out historical records? Renee and Lorna found some info when they were in Seattle yesterday, but we’re looking for the kind of info you typically find locally. The people talk kind of stuff.”
“Oh,” she said as she began to pull items out of the bags. “That’s an easy one. Go into the library in town and ask for Lettie. She runs the historical room. They have impressive records on the area including the history of this place. For the young Makah, head over to Neah Bay and ask for Alden Swan. He’s a tribal historian, and if anyone can give you a wonderful recollection on elders, he’s the one. Nice man too. I’ve known him for years. I’ll admit I actually had a crush on him once upon a time.”
Renee laughed. “Mom! Really? I never knew.”
Jolene shrugged. “I might be your mom, but I’m also a woman, and I had needs back in the day. Not so much these days though.” She laughed as she continued to pull items from the numerous grocery bags.
With a finger stuck in each ear, Renee chanted, “La la la, too much information, mother.”
Jolene said, “Out with all of you. I have work to do, and you all have homework to do.”
Jeremy was ready. He wanted to know more and to understand what could possibly have happened here to leave souls lingering for such a long time. He also wanted some alone time with Merry. The chance to play private detective had a certain macho appeal to it, and she was the perfect partner. Watson and Holmes.
In town, they headed to the library. At the intake counter, he stopped and asked for Lettie. It was a toss-up what surprised him the most, her pierced nose or the fact that she was not even thirty. The name Lettie conjured up the image of an older woman with gray hair and blazers. Not for this Lettie. She was six feet tall wearing skinny jeans and a flowing blue top. Her black hair reached her waist and a red stone glittered in her nose.
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