by B. Groves
Until that meeting, she would continue her search for clues and try to find her brother.
Claire stood and eyed the room. She felt guilty she tore the place apart like this, but she remembered the box containing the golden butterfly brooch that set off these chains of events in Claire’s memory.
Rose had been trying to send her a message beyond the grave and giving her the gift of finally putting her brother to rest.
Claire would clean up during the weekend and stepped onto the balcony for some fresh air.
Was she angry with her family? Oh, yes. She was beyond angry. She was downright enraged, but she felt that there was so much to this story and her memories would come when she least expected it.
Claire opened the lock on the double doors that led to the balcony. This would be the first time she would be setting foot on it.
She tested it first since the outside of the house needed work, the wood may have been weak from years of neglect and the last thing she needed was to fall through.
The wood creaked and protested as she took a tentative step outside, but it seemed sturdy.
The rush of frosty air refreshed Claire’s mind as she took more tentative steps farther outside.
The balcony was covered in dead in leaves and branches, and she made a note to clean it off soon.
She found the railing loose, so she decided not to lean over it to take in the night air and let the distant sounds from the town of Lingate soothe her troubled mind.
The temperatures were expected to drop into the high 20s that night, but Claire didn’t care. The cold air felt good against her skin as she closed her eyes absorbed the sounds.
It wasn’t much since most natural sounds were dormant this time of the year, but the white noise from town was enough for now.
Claire’s tense muscles unwound, and she thought she would doze after relaxing outside.
“Claire!”
Claire jumped when she heard the sound of a child’s voice screaming her name.
Her eyelids flew open, and she found she wasn’t in the other world where her brother resided.
“Come inside,” David said.
Claire turned around to see her brother standing in the doorway of the balcony.
She wasn’t afraid when David’s spirit appeared, but seeing him in her world and transparent was freaky as hell.
“What is it?”
“Come inside, right now,” David said with an urgency in his voice.
“Why? What’s wrong?”
David’s transparent form jumped up and down. He ran inside down the hallway. Claire noted she didn’t hear a sound and then ran back to the doorway.
“Get in here,” David said with anger tinting his small voice.
Claire did as she was told. If David had something more to say about their past, she was ready to listen.
“David, how come I’m not in your world?” She asked when she walked inside.
Instead of answering her questions, the double doors swung closed behind her with no human interaction.
The locked clicked and all was still again inside the house.
Claire stood there in stunned silence not believing what she just witnessed.
She didn’t know if she would ever come out of her trance until lights in the distance caught her eye.
She hurried to the double doors, and the retreating taillights of a car disappeared down her driveway.
Fear overtook her. She was shivering all the way down to her core. Who the hell was sitting inside their car in her driveway? How long were they there? Were they scoping her out to rob her? All these imagined scenarios flew through her mind about being tied up and robbed at gunpoint…or worse.
With her heart pounding against her chest, she shakily pressed the code on the alarm and stood against the wall breathing deeply trying to calm her thoughts. This was the first time she ever regretted selling her grandfather’s guns.
Was she in danger? Should she call Mac?
“You’re okay now,” David said.
Claire was startled by her brother’s voice, and she looked down to her left to see his small transparent figure smiling up at her.
“You’re safe,” he finished.
“Who was that? Were they trying to hurt me?”
David’s mouth turned down in disgust.
“Aunt Sue.”
Claire then watched in awe as David faded in front of her eyes.
23.
M ac secured another officer taking over part of his shift. Usually, on Saturdays, it was practically impossible to leave his shift early. Not that Mac ever asked for favors on a regular occasion.
“Must be a special occasion,” Joe said walking by his desk as Mac finished up his reports for the day.
Mac didn’t want to reveal his plans for the night. Elijah kept quiet about his date tonight with the infamous Claire Westcott since Mac threatened to punch his teeth out if he spread it around the department. His fellow officers were sometimes worse than middle school girls.
He talked to Claire earlier. He could hear the tension in her voice. She said she was tired and would take a nap before they went out that night, but said she looked forward to their date that night.
Mac smiled when she complained about a blogger from the local gossip column contacting her.
“She wouldn’t take no for an answer,” Claire said, frustrated at the woman.
“What did she want?”
“An exclusive interview…” Claire’s voice held a tone of sarcasm. “Let the town get to know the granddaughter of Rose Kinsey. I told her she could read my bio on my website. She huffed and said I was exactly like Rose and hung up on me.”
Mac laughed and hung up his phone.
He left the station, drove home, showered and shaved. He thought about picking up flowers on the way to Claire’s house.
He questioned that idea. Did women even like that kind of thing anymore? Would she appreciate them?
His parents had been married for over forty years, but times had changed since they were younger.
He had the perfect venues picked out for the night and when he talked to Claire about it, she seemed excited.
They would be having dinner at a Cuban restaurant in downtown Lingate.
Even though most places were new, this restaurant had been in the same family for over fifty years.
Then he made sure she liked to listen to music. A live show with featured cover artists in one of the more upscale bars Mac had been to a few times.
Claire asked about any art shows, but with the holidays coming, there wasn’t much scheduled.
“Is there a First Fridays down here?” She asked.
Mac knew what she meant. First Fridays are block parties that feature local artists to showcase and sell their work. First Friday meant every first Friday of the month. They were like festivals that hosted not only by artists but local food vendors and other businesses. There was usually live music with a small stage set up at the end of a block.
“No, but the government has been thinking about it,” Mac told her.
Mac skipped the flowers. Claire didn’t seem like the flower type as he drove to Kinsey House.
He found his palms sweaty for the first time in ages. He was not one to outwardly appear nervous. This was his first real date in a long time.
He never had butterflies like this with Julie, but he figured it was because he and Julie came together when they were children and their relationship naturally progressed over time.
A part of him felt like he was betraying Jacob’s memory for trying to have a good time this time of year, but knew it was time to finally move on with his life.
They had a phone conversation about their date earlier.
“I feel like I’m betraying Jacob’s memory by trying to move on with my life,” Mac commented. “Does that sound strange?”
Claire didn’t hesitate to answer. “Me too. I feel like I’m betraying my family’s memory. I feel like letting myself h
ave a good time and relaxing is not what I should be doing right now.”
“We need to stop having those thoughts,” Mac said. “I’m really looking forward to tonight.”
Claire laughed lightly. “I’ve learned it’s okay to laugh. My grandmother once told me that death doesn’t stop your life. It just slows it down for a time.”
“Very wise woman,” Mac said with a smile.
“She was.”
“It’s stupid thinking this way. It’s not selfish.”
“It’s ridiculous on both of us,” she explained. “We aren’t, though. They would want us to do this. They would want us to live our lives.”
Mac agreed and pushed the thoughts of his son aside as he pulled into Claire’s driveway.
Mac’s nose crinkled when he thought of finding Rose again. This house had that effect on him.
Mac exited his car, and straightened his button-down shirt and rubbed his hands on his jeans.
Mac looked up to see the lights shining through the windows on the second floor and the outside light shining on the porch.
Darkness had settled into the area, so Mac couldn’t tell if Claire was still searching for her brother’s remains.
He wanted to tell her that she needed to accept that her brother was lost forever in the river. His gut was telling him a different story. One where David never went near that river.
Mac didn’t want to talk about all that. He wanted them to hit the town and have some fun.
Claire deserved a warm welcome to Lingate because of everything she’d been through already and Mac would make that happen for both of them.
Mac was about to walk to the porch and knock on the door when he glanced up to the balcony and froze.
He sucked in a loud breath and tried to blink several times trying to process what he saw.
A small figure was peering at him through the spindles on the railing. If one turned away, one would think it was just their imagination, but Mac’s instincts flared within his belly.
No. There was someone or something there. A small, dark figure.
Mac sucked in another breath. A child.
He could see arms, a head, and body.
Mac was mesmerized by the sight before him. The emotions and feelings he felt the day he found Rose came rushing back to him.
The memory of the front curtains being closed when he first arrived flashed through his mind, as did the moment he found the curtains open after his strange experience.
Mac’s mind went foggy, his brow formed sweat. He couldn’t move and could barely take a breath.
The same thing. The same feelings from the summer returned.
Mac stared at the balcony. His date, his life forgotten in that one moment.
David Westcott, his mind screamed. You’re seeing Claire’s little brother.
How the hell did he know that? How could he possibly know this spirit thing he was seeing was Claire’s brother?
“David?”
Did his ask that out loud? Did he say his name? Was he the one who showed him where to find Rose that day?
Yes, and yes, the inner voice answered.
Mac didn’t know how long he was standing there in a trance but came to when a voice echoed through his head.
“Mac?”
“Mac!”
Mac turned to see a beautiful vision standing before him.
Even in the dark, Mac thought Claire lit up the whole area.
Her dark blonde hair was curled at the ends and flowed over her shoulders, but she still had that one wild hair pushed back behind her ear.
She was wearing a pair of tight jeans that showed off her legs, with high-heeled ankle boots on her feet.
She had on a flowing white top underneath a maroon leather jacket. Her outfit was complimented with some kind of big cat print scarf.
Mac noticed the scarf was held in place with a butterfly brooch.
She looked stunning. Absolutely stunning.
Her eyes turned from surprise to concern and Mac realized her hand was on his arm. “Are you okay? You didn’t answer me when I called you four times.”
Did she call to him four times? Mac put his free hand to his temple and tried to remember Claire standing next him trying to get his attention, but he was drawing a complete blank.
Mac tried to save face. He took her hand off his arm and kissed it.
“I couldn’t find the words to tell you how beautiful you look,” he said with a grin trying to hide the real reason he didn’t hear her.
Mac glanced at the balcony again. No sign of a small figure.
He turned back to Claire whose eyes narrowed in doubt.
“Well, that was smooth,” she said with a smile playing at her lips. “But, seriously, are you okay?”
Mac wasn’t lying. He caught a whiff of a light floral scent and struggled to hide his reaction.
“How is that smooth when it’s the truth?” He asked.
If it wasn’t so dark out, he knew he would see a blush creeping up Claire’s cheeks.
“Thank you,” she said. “You don’t look so bad yourself.”
All the earlier emotions Mac was feeling from seeing the figure on the balcony were slowly fading away as they talked.
He grabbed her and pulled her closer to him. Claire let out a nervous laugh and their lips met.
Mac had to taste her sweetness before they left and it was worth when she opened her mouth to let him in.
Mac reluctantly pulled away and said, “I guess I should show you the town.”
“I hate saying this, but yes,” she said with a grin. “Let’s go.”
Mac had Claire up close and he could see tiredness in her eyes.
He thought about talking to her about what she was dealing with, but it would ruin their evening.
Mac let it rest for now, and let go of Claire to open the passenger door.
“Hungry?” He asked.
Claire settled into the seat and said, “Starving.”
As Mac settled into the driver’s seat, he noticed the glances that Claire was also shooting up to the balcony.
She turned back to him and gave him a smile, but her facial expression was very telling.
***
Mac never thought he would have a great time with anyone ever again. Losing his son had so much of a profound impact on his life that picking up the pieces was more difficult than he could have ever imagined.
He didn’t remember the last time he smiled so much or laughed so much that his face hurt.
He was happy too. From the look on Claire’s face as they listened to the band playing, she was light-hearted and happy as she laughed at the lead singer’s silly 80s jokes. Her smile never left her face the entire night.
When they were on their way home, Mac pointed out some points of interest that he thought Claire might enjoy later.
“How about some coffee?” He asked.
Claire turned to him in surprise. “It’s almost two in the morning. Is there any place open this late?”
“Yeah, Shirley’s place,” Mac answered.
Claire looked surprised again and smiled, “I didn’t know her place was open all night.”
“She likes the stragglers from the local bars that catch the munchies,” Mac commented.
“And, gives you guys more revenue if there’s trouble,” Claire pointed out. “This brings her more business and pays for your freebies.”
Mac laughed. “I’d deny that, but it’s true.”
Claire smiled. “I worked in a place like that when I was a teenager. The owner loved it.”
Mac was thoroughly enjoying himself. He didn’t know why he felt the need to get coffee. He guessed he didn’t want this night to end.
“Do you want the coffee?”
Claire thought about it for a moment and said, “I’m good. Besides, I have a lunch date with Shirley coming up.”
Mac didn’t show his emotions about Claire’s plans. He thought about the other day when Shirley had a strange ex
pression on her face when talking about Claire.
Claire’s eyes narrowed from noticing Mac’s facial expressions changing as they stood there by his car.
“If you really want coffee, we can stop,” Claire joked.
Mac shook his head and erased those thoughts. The only thing he should be concentrating on right now was how much he wanted to kiss her and do other things with her.
“Who needs the bitter taste of coffee when I have something sweet in front of me.”
Claire burst out laughing but returned his kiss. “You are on a roll tonight.”
“Is it working?”
Claire wrapped her arms around his neck. He could feel her warm body pressed against his. He hoped clothes wouldn’t be a problem soon.
Claire met his eyes and turned serious. “I don’t want to be alone tonight.”
“Claire, I want you to know you can tell me anything,” Mac said. “I know this has been rough on you.”
“Can you believe I’ve only been here a week?” She asked. A smile touched her lips. “But so much has happened, and I’m glad we met.”
Mac returned her smile. His heart lifted from her words. He never thought he’d experience emotions like this again. Julie had been the love of his life, and she would always have a place in his heart, but he had his doubts as he thought about their relationship years later. There were issues that neither one of them addressed and when Jacob passed it all come to a head.
He was now cautiously optimistic. He had baggage and Claire came along and had to deal with her baggage.
Didn’t they all have baggage?
“I want you to tell me anything,” Mac said.
Claire’s face softened, but Mac could tell she was holding back. “I know.”
That was all Mac would get out of her when she said her next words. “I don’t want to stay in that house. Living in that huge place alone is kind of weird.”
Mac was kind of relieved when she said she didn’t want to stay at Kinsey House if he was being honest with himself. It wasn’t only finding Rose, but something about that house gave him the creeps and he wasn’t ready to tell Claire about the figure he saw.
