Maddie and Wyn

by Cameron Dane

  “I didn’t know Aunt Estelle had this,” he murmured, picking up the frame to get a closer look.

  Reaching in to tilt the frame, Ethan said, “Oh, yeah. That’s from Christmas the first year after Aidan and I got back together. At the party we had at the cabin.”

  Wyn rolled his eyes so hard he was surprised he didn’t strain a muscle. “No shit, Sherlock. I was at the party. Obviously.” He pointed to himself in the photo. “What I was wondering was how Aunt Estelle got it. She wasn’t one to carry a camera around herself much. Did she ask you for it?”

  “Yeah.” Ethan got back to piling paperbacks in a box. “I showed her all the pictures that were taken. She asked for this one, among a few others. I made copies for her.”

  Still locked on the photo, thinking about how few pictures sat on the mantle at his apartment—almost all of them ones he’d taken when boxing up their mother’s house—a second hole opened up next to the first inside Wyn, slicing into his very being.

  Clearing his throat, Wyn wondered, “How come you never made copies for me?”

  Ethan whipped around to look at Wyn. “Because you never even asked to look at the photos, let alone expressed an interest in having a few. Why?” The longer Ethan studied Wyn, the more his forehead bunched into a series of pointed V’s. “Do you want one?”

  “No,” Wyn replied quickly, and even put the photo back on the shelf. “I was just curious.” Feeling like a dancing monkey on display all of a sudden, Wyn turned away from his brother. “Can you go get me one more box? I think that should be enough to pack away these last few shelves.” He kept his head down and grabbed a candy dish off the shelf, trying to look normal and busy.

  A long pause reigned between the men, wherein Wyn was sure Ethan was trying to bore a hole into the back of his head. Eventually, Ethan answered, “Sure. Be right back,” and left the room.

  The moment Wyn knew he was alone, he exhaled and slumped forward against the built-in shelves. Knowing that his brother’s too-perceptive gaze wasn’t on him for a few seconds, Wyn studied the picture once more. They’d been happy in that blink of time, him and Estelle and Maddie. Ethan had snapped his camera in exactly the right moment to capture the feeling forever on film. Although Wyn hadn’t known the truth in that forever imprinted moment, he’d later figured out that Maddie hadn’t been smiling because Ethan had prompted her to, but rather because in that second she’d been looking at Wyn and laughing at something he’d said, and her heart had been exposed in her eyes. Wyn’s chest ached again, and he hated himself for the pain that wouldn’t go away.

  Maddie would never look at him again the way she had the night of that party. One jackass-like, asshole move on his part four years ago had forever ended any chance of having Maddie Morgan as a friend again, let alone something intimately more.

  Idiot. Wyn turned a snarl inward, on himself. You might as well be your father.

  Unbidden, Wyn picked up the picture and folded it face down in a small pile of Estelle’s items he wanted to keep for himself, not sure if the move was designed to punish himself or take a small gift to help remember the past.

  He just knew he needed the picture, as he knew he would never have the real woman in his life again.

  Chapter 1

  Crrrreeaaakkk!

  Maddie jerked upright, out of a deep sleep, fully awake in the blink of an eye, and rushed to her bedroom window.

  That noise. That heavy yet high screeching sound, Maddie knew what it was. The iron gate entrance to the overgrown formal garden on Corsini land—correction—Maddie’s land.

  No fog hovered murky over the garden to use as an excuse, to make her think her mind was tricking her, tonight Maddie leaned out of her open window on the second floor of the Victorian home and spotted the shadowed figure in white dash into the overgrown bramble and flowers and then into the bush-lined maze and disappear.

  “Not this time.” Not even pausing to put on slippers, Maddie bolted down the stairs in her T-shirt and cut-off sweats, quickly unlocked and bounded out the front door. “I’m finally going to see you.”

  Running across the wide porch and down the steps, Maddie sprinted across thick grass, rounding toward the side of the house, in the direction of the old gated garden. The creaky gate remained fully open, and Maddie rushed through it, shouting, “Where are you? Don’t leave!” as she pursued the nocturnal visitor.

  With each churn of her legs, a rough and hard-paver path chilled the soles of her bare feet, but Maddie didn’t slow down. Trees, whose overgrown branches reached out into the path like the gnarled hands of an old witch, had her bobbing and weaving to avoid a switch smacking her in the face.

  Finally, into the maze Maddie flew, moving on memory through the first half of the puzzle. Through spaces created by growth of the untended bushes, Maddie glanced ahead and to the right and left, searching for that blur of white. Nothing but shadows backlit by the moon and stars existed all around her.

  A courtyard with benches, statues, and a fountain sat in the center of the maze, but other than a quick glance around, Maddie didn’t stop. She pushed through the other half of the maze easily, rushed along the matching path and overgrowth to the back end of the garden, stopping just short of a closed gate. She hadn’t expected it to be open; the latch was rusted closed and wouldn’t budge; it had been that way since Maddie moved into the house.

  Shoot. Her elevated heart rate slowing, Maddie circled the entire perimeter of the enclosed garden, following the wrought iron fence line. Nobody was there. Everything appeared as it should be. She supposed it was technically possible for someone to climb the ten-foot fence and get away, but the intricate design had scrolls between the bars and spear-like tips every six inches along the top, making a quick escape for a mortal unlikely. She got away again.

  After closing the front gate and sliding the bolt lock into place, Maddie trudged across the front lawn to the Wedgewood blue home, with its many peaks and balconies and turret. On the other side of the house, a pebbled private road separated the house from the huge open grass field spanning to the garage. Maddie could see the back and one side of Corsini’s from her vantage point. The proper floodlights were on outside; everything appeared quiet and undisturbed, as it should be.

  Her mind swirling with a possibility that nobody in her life would believe, Maddie strode across the gray-washed porch, into the house, and locked the door. Common sense dictated that she walk through the house, starting downstairs with the living room, kitchen, study, and myriad of other oddly shaped, sometimes strangely placed rooms. Flipping on a light and checking each space—some of them not touched in the last six months other than for a basic cleaning every once in a while—Maddie checked for signs of activity and life, knowing she wouldn’t find anything. This wasn’t the first time she’d done this ritual in the dead of night since purchasing this house.

  After completing a similar check on the second level of the home, Maddie crawled back in bed, stacked her hands behind her head, and settled into the soft mattress covered by a cloudy comforter.

  She was pretty sure she couldn’t deny the truth of her situation any longer: this house—no, this land—definitely harbored a ghost.

  Amazing.

  Maddie drifted to sleep, a soft smile tilting her lips.

  * * * *

  A day later, Wyn savored the first bite of a hand-tossed mushroom and pepperoni pizza, let the tangy flavor of the sauce meld with the rich cheese and toppings in his mouth, and then groaned at the delicious goodness. Without pausing to take a sip of his drink, he took another huge bite and devoured better than half the slice.

  Sitting across the table, his brother-in-law and good friend Devlin Morgan chuckled, pausing with his slice of pizza inches from his lips. “You act like you haven’t eaten in a year.” The moment the words passed his lips Devlin’s face fell and the color leached out of his skin. “Shit. I’m sorry. With you and Ethan dealing with your aunt’s death and estate for the last six months, maybe you don’
t eat the way you should.”

  A lump filled Wyn’s throat. He had a hard time swallowing his food, barely managing while waving aside Devlin’s concern. “We’re doing all right. The house has been packed up for a while. We put it on the market as a fixer upper for what we thought was a good price. E and I couldn’t see updating it and making choices about kitchen designs and bathroom colors only to have someone come in and say ‘oh, it would have been perfect if you’d only chosen white cabinets for the kitchen instead of gray. I hate gray kitchens.’ But the house hasn’t had any decent offers.” Shrugging, Wyn inhaled the merging scents wafting off his pizza and tried to get his appetite back. “Now we’re having to consider if we want to do some updates or just accept the next lowball offer we get.”

  “That’s a tough one,” Devlin answered, in between blowing on his slice of the pie. “All I can offer is that you should both be brutally honest with yourselves and then trust what your guts tell you. You both have good ones.”

  “Thanks. It’s one of those six of one, half a dozen of the other choices that once we make we have to live with and hope it’s what Aunt Estelle would have wanted.” Forcing his lips to part and to take another bite, Wyn chewed, allowed the flavors to hit his tongue; his stomach growled back to life. “That’s not the biggest reason why I’m so hungry though. I’m hungry because I’m getting sick of cooking for myself during the week.” In between taking a swig of ice water and another bite, Wyn added, “I didn’t use to have a problem with it, but now I’m to the point where I’d rather just have a bowl of cereal and call it a night.”

  Devlin’s brow scrunched. “I never had that problem. Before I lived with Garrick I almost always had Maddie with me. There wasn’t much time before that when I was alone.”

  With Devlin’s mention of his little sister, something the guy didn’t do much anymore around Wyn, Wyn paused with his second slice of pizza. A new twist in Wyn’s stomach killed his appetite for a second time in minutes. “How is Maddie doing these days?” He tried to keep his tone casual, even though his body had instinctually become alert. “Now that she’s running the garage I don’t cross paths with her at E and Aidan’s place anymore.” Which is probably how she prefers it.

  “She’s doing well, but she’s tired. The responsibility is immense, but Garrick tells me she’s doing a real good job.” Devlin suddenly grinned, and a soft chuckle followed. “If only her ghost would let her get some sleep at night.”

  Delicacy forgotten, Wyn leaned forward in his chair and uttered, “What?” His brain had heard the words, but he could not fathom them put together in the sentence that had just left Devlin’s mouth. “What the hell did you just say?”

  Devlin repeated, “Maddie says she has a ghost.”

  Every cop instinct in Wyn pushed to full attention, like a wolfhound on a new scent. “What the hell makes her think that?”

  “Open doors or garden gate every once in a while, noises sometimes, a few things missing, but every time she goes to investigate there’s nobody there. No trace that anybody was ever there.”

  “For her to then automatically assume it’s a ghost is insane reasoning.” Eating no longer even remotely an option, Wyn tossed some cash on the table and shot to stand. “Come on.” He didn’t pause for Devlin to follow. “We’re going out there right now.”

  Devlin rushed after Wyn, on his heels. “Wait, Wyn. No. I shouldn’t have said anything.” In the parking lot, he grabbed Wyn’s arm and pulled him around. “She wouldn’t want you to know.”

  His skin buzzing too hot, Wyn yanked his arm away from Devlin. “Yeah, no shit she wouldn’t. But this is a potentially dangerous situation. With all the rooms in that place, she probably has a goddamned squatter she doesn’t even know about, not a ghost. I’m involved now.” Wyn stood his ground, knowing his height and build were more menacing than Devlin’s impressive, athletic six-foot frame. “There’s no fucking way I’m ignoring this.”

  Glancing around the half-filled parking lot, Devlin lowered his voice and leaned closer to Wyn. “Garrick swept the house when Maddie told us about it.” Caution filled the man’s voice, and Wyn knew it was because there was always some fear when hinting at Garrick’s unspoken, secret past. Wyn was the only person in Redemption to which the two men had even offered a tiny bit of that history, of which Wyn suspected involved the law in some way. “There’s nothing there.”

  Wyn’s gut had led him into a life in law enforcement, and he didn’t intend to ignore the instincts shouting inside him right now. “I’m sweeping it again. That’s just the way it is.” He spun and strode to the driver’s side door of his marked vehicle, decision made, no matter what his friend argued.

  “Fuck, she’s going to kill me,” Wyn heard Devlin mutter, just before the guy shouted, “I’m right behind you!”

  Wyn started his car and tore out of town. Corsini’s was so respected for its history of honest, quality work for a fair price, it didn’t even have to be in the heart of town. People took their cars and trucks to the outskirts of Redemption, the inconvenience worth it because they knew they wouldn’t get ripped off, and would have a respectable, friendly exchange of services. And now Maddie owned a piece of it. And lived all by herself on the land, in an old house way too big for one person. Which is why it’s entirely possible she’s not there by herself.

  Wyn’s heart thumped hard and fast, pounding through his uniform shirt. He didn’t know if those extra beats came out of a healthy fear for Maddie’s safety or from anticipation at seeing the vibrant young woman and finally having a legitimate reason to go toe-to-toe with her again.

  * * * *

  Maddie, arms crossed tightly against her chest, stared up at Wyn Ashworth as if he’d grown another head. “Are you kidding me?” She was so shocked to have this man standing in front of her at all, let alone demanding entry to her home, she almost couldn’t produce comprehensible sound. “You really think I’m going to let you just waltz into my house and search it?”

  “Maddie, this is serious!” Wyn, his whole, big body wide and expressive, took over her cramped office. “Do you get that? You could be in very real danger.”

  Launching up on her tiptoes, Maddie got right in Wyn’s face. “Keep your voice down, and don’t talk to me with that tone.” She kept her voice low, but each clipped word was dripped in a shrieking scream. “Not at all, but especially not here. Not around my men.”

  Wyn glanced toward the windows that showed the garage. His cheeks turned ruddy, but he still shot back, “Then let’s take it outside. Let’s take it over to your house, and the issue will resolve itself.”

  Rather than answer, Maddie swung to her brother and glared him six feet into the ground. “I can’t believe you told him.”

  Devlin muttered, “I’m sorry, sis.” He at least had the grace to look embarrassed. “We were talking and it slipped out. I tried to stop him, but he had his own transportation and was determined.”

  Before Maddie could respond, Garrick knocked on the wall and then swung open the half-closed door. His focus alighted on Devlin, and his smile lit up the office. “Hey, beautiful. Ernie mentioned he thought he saw you come in.” With a few steps, Garrick entered the office, slid his hand across the small of Devlin’s back, and pressed a kiss to his cheek. He then, after a cursory sweep of Wyn, looked to Maddie and openly showed her respect by addressing only her. “Is everything okay?”

  Maddie forced an easy smile to her lips. “It’s fine, G. Thanks.” She didn’t want anyone to start chest bumping on her behalf, particularly not at the garage. She moved past the men, touching Garrick’s forearm along the way. “I’m going to step out for a few minutes. There’s something I need to take care of. If anyone needs anything, let them know I won’t be gone long.”

  Garrick nodded, and Devlin added, “Give me a minute, Maddie, and I’ll be right behind you.”

  Maddie didn’t even give her brother the respect of another glare. “I can handle myself.” Maddie exited without hearing Devlin’s
response. She was still more than a little pissed at him for spilling her secret to Wyn in the first place.

  While in the garage, Maddie kept her pace easy and her expression amiable. When she reached the exit, she even held the door open for Wyn. But the moment the heavy thud of metal rattling against metal sounded behind her, she picked up speed, moving somewhere between a fast walk and a run.

  Even walking across the field as fast as she did, Maddie couldn’t escape the heat Wyn—who was walking right next to her—emanated without even trying. As a girl and young woman, having reached her nearly six feet in height at the awkward age of twelve, Maddie had secretly viewed herself as too big and gangly, all arms and legs and neck, and always too tall and clod-like around boys, teenagers, and eventually men. Not with Wyn though. In addition to his superior height, his shoulders were so wide, and his back so strong, and his frame so commanding, Maddie actually felt small around him. And often, when she was out of her depth and uncomfortable with the way her body heated so naturally for him, she felt overwhelmed by him, and her guard instinctually went up.

  With the July heat bearing down on her through her coveralls, Maddie wiped beads of sweat from her face, even as goose bumps popped up on her arms under her sleeves. “You don’t have any right to do this.” She didn’t look his way, she didn’t have to; his presence dominated the airspace between them. “This is my home, and I did not go to the police with any official concern or complaint.”

  In a few strides, Wyn moved in front of Maddie. He walked backward, facing her, and without doing half the work she did, he looked like he was strolling. “I know you don’t like me anymore, Maddie.” His jaw clenched then, and his already blunt features turned to granite. His step hitched too, but he got back on his reverse stride and said, “I get why you feel that way, but this is serious. There is a legitimate chance that someone is squatting at least part time in your home. You could be in very real danger.”