The Ghost Who Was Says I Do

by Anna J. McIntyre

  Lily slammed her now empty glass on the coffee table and stood abruptly. “I have to go to the bathroom.” She marched out of the room without another word. A moment later Ian and Kelly could hear the bathroom door slam shut.

  “I’m sorry, Kelly,” Ian said. “I honestly don’t know what’s gotten into Lily.”

  “She doesn’t like me,” Kelly said, standing up.

  “That’s not true. She likes you.”

  “She certainly doesn’t act like it sometimes,” Kelly snapped. “And I’m sorry, Ian, but I think she’s keeping something from you. Why was she going into Marlow House when everyone is asleep? She can’t even tell us why she really went in there. She obviously didn’t tell you about Brian coming out this morning or how she had words with the new neighbor.”

  “What do you mean they had words?” Ian asked.

  “Joe told me that Brian told him the new neighbor was really upset about Sadie being off the leash. She practically demanded Brian give Lily a ticket.”

  “Lily got a ticket?”

  Kelly rolled her eyes. “No. But I guess the new neighbor was pretty upset Brian didn’t do anything about Lily or Sadie. Brian ended up giving the woman one of his business cards and promised he would intervene if there were any more problems. Maybe I can understand Lily refusing to tell Brian why she was over there, but to refuse to tell you?”

  “In fairness to Lily, she hasn’t really had a chance to tell me. I was working with you in the kitchen when she got up this morning.”

  “But she could have told you then. What’s the big secret?”

  Lily had just finished making the bed when Ian walked into the room.

  “Is she still here?” Lily asked as she tossed the throw pillows on the bed.

  “She just left. What’s going on that you couldn’t tell me in front of my sister?”

  Lily turned to face Ian and grabbed his hand. “Let’s discuss this in the living room.” She led him out of the bedroom and back to the sofa they had been using fifteen minutes earlier. Together they sat down.

  “What’s going on, Lily?”

  Taking Ian’s hand in hers, Lily looked him in the eyes. “Ian, I know you really wanted to go to Europe this summer.”

  Ian frowned. “You don’t?”

  “I do. But I really don’t want to go if I’m seven months pregnant.”

  Speechless, Ian stared at Lily, her green eyes boring into him.

  “You’re saying—how is that possible?” he muttered.

  “No one ever said condoms were a fail-safe form of birth control.” The corners of Lily’s mouth twitched into a smile.

  “Are you sure?”

  “If the pregnancy test I took this morning was accurate, then yes. That’s why I was over at Dani’s.”

  “That’s why you were throwing up.”

  “Yep.” Lily then went on to tell Ian about her suspicions, why she hadn’t immediately told him, and what had happened that morning. When she was done, she said, “I told Dani she could tell Walt after I told you. But I would rather not tell anyone else until I see a doctor to confirm it. Plus, I would rather be a few months along before I make an announcement. I…well…if something happened, I really don’t want to have to explain it to everyone.”

  “Nothing’s going to happen,” Ian said, throwing his arms around Lily and pulling her into a hug. “I love you.”

  Still wrapped in his embrace, she asked in a whisper, “You aren’t disappointed about having to cancel our trip?”

  “Nahh. It will still be there. And anyway, I’ve always wanted a motorhome.”

  Lily pulled out of Ian’s embrace and looked at him quizzically. “A motorhome?”

  “Sure. It would be a great way for us to travel with a baby. You’ve always said you wanted to see more of this country.” He grinned.

  Lily laughed and shook her head at Ian. “Here I’m thinking of how I want to fix up the nursery, and you’re working out a new travel agenda.”

  Ian pulled Lily back into his arms and kissed her nose. “We should probably hold off on the motorhome for a little while. At least wait until after the baby’s born and we’ve figured things out a little.”

  “Not sure that will ever happen—I mean figuring things out. At least, that’s what my mom’s always saying.” Lily leaned into her husband.

  “Can I tell Kelly? It might make her feel better. She thinks you don’t like her.”

  “That’s silly. I like Kelly. But sometimes—well, sometimes she can be a little intrusive. Like grilling me about this morning.”

  “She was just curious. And Lily, Kelly doesn’t do that to everyone. She does it to me because I’m her brother, and I like to think she does it to you because she thinks of you as a sister.”

  Lily let out a sigh. “You’re saying I need to make more of an effort with your sister?”

  Ian kissed the top of Lily’s head. “I get the feeling Kelly is a little jealous. But it isn’t because she sees you as some sort of competition for her brother’s attention.”

  “Oh really?” Lily didn’t sound convinced. She stayed nestled in Ian’s arms on the sofa, her feet now propped on the coffee table.

  “I think it’s Walt.”

  Lily frowned and looked at Ian. “Walt? Why would he have anything to do with my relationship with your sister?”

  “Not Walt per se—but the secret behind Walt. And Marie and Eva and Chris and Heather—”

  “You mean our shared secret?”

  “Kelly isn’t stupid. And I know she senses something is going on—that we all know something that she doesn’t, but she can’t put her finger on it.”

  “I guess I can understand that. But I do think part of it is that she resents the fact there are things in our relationship that are just between the two of us.”

  “That’s why I would like to tell her about the baby, that she’s going to be an aunt.”

  Lily turned to face Ian. “Can we just wait a little while? It’s not just Kelly, but you know she will tell Joe, and then Joe will tell Brian. And I really do not want all of Frederickport to know just yet. It’s not anything against Kelly. But if something were to happen…like I lost the baby—”

  “Nothing is going to happen.”

  “You sound like Dani. But, Ian, I had a good friend who got pregnant and found out pretty early. She was so excited, she told everyone. And then she had a miscarriage, and I swear, it was a thousand times harder for her because people kept asking how she was doing—how far along she was—it made it worse for her. I know there is no guarantee, but I’d like to be farther along and have a few doctor visits before I tell anyone else.”

  Ian studied Lily a moment and then nodded. “Okay. I understand. And you’re right, there is no way Kelly wouldn’t tell Joe.”

  Lily snuggled back in Ian’s embrace, and the two sat in silence for a few minutes, considering all the upcoming changes in their life.

  Twelve

  Marlow House’s new garage stood where the carriage house had once been over a century earlier. During his first life, Walt had converted the carriage house to a garage. Unfortunately, it had burned down, leaving the back end of Marlow House property vacant until Danielle decided to rebuild. The new garage housed Walt’s Packard and her Ford Flex.

  On Wednesday afternoon Danielle drove her car from the garage to Lily’s house. She parked by the sidewalk and waited for her friend. She didn’t have long to wait. A few minutes after she pulled up, Lily came rushing out of her house, purse in hand, ready to go wedding dress shopping.

  “You can tell Walt,” Lily said as she climbed into the passenger side of the car. The engine was still running.

  “So you told Ian?” Danielle asked.

  “I sure did!” Lily grinned. She closed the car door and fastened her seatbelt.

  “You look happy, so I take it he took the news well.”

  “He did. We were planning to start a family soon anyway, so it’s not like we didn’t want a baby. It will
be something I can throw at the kid when he—or she—is a brat.” Lily laughed.

  “What do you mean throw at the kid?”

  “Oh, you know—and to think I missed a trip to Europe for you!” Lily laughed again.

  Danielle pulled the car away from the sidewalk and started down the road. “You wouldn’t really do that.”

  Lily leaned back in the seat. “You never know…my parents loved to tell me and my siblings that the only reason they didn’t get a divorce was that neither of them wanted us.”

  “That’s terrible!” Danielle couldn’t help but laugh.

  “My mother thought it was hilarious. I finally had to tell her to stop saying that, it wasn’t funny.”

  Danielle chuckled. “I love your mom. But that is a little twisted.”

  Lily smiled and gazed out the passenger-door window. “So, which store do we hit first?”

  “We’re going to Astoria.”

  Lily turned to face Danielle. “I thought we were going to Portland?”

  “We were. But Melony told me about a shop in Astoria that sells vintage wedding dresses. I figure it’s closer, and we’re getting a later start.”

  “I’m sorry about that.”

  Danielle shook her head. “Don’t be. Anyway, I’m anxious to see this shop. But I confess, I feel guilty making you miss school today. After all, you missed the last couple of days.”

  “That’s okay. I have it covered.”

  “Have you thought about what you want to do with school?” Danielle asked.

  “I’d like to finish out the year if I can handle it. Of course, many mornings like the last few, not sure.”

  “I’ve heard morning sickness goes away after a few weeks.”

  “My mom was sick for a long time when she was pregnant with my brother,” Lily told her. “But the upside, I feel much better today. I think part of it is the crackers I’ve been eating first thing when I get up.”

  “What about next year?” Danielle asked.

  “I’m not going back. I want to be a stay-at-home mom. I’m lucky—we can afford it. When our kids are ready for school, I might go back to teaching.”

  “Walt will approve,” Danielle said with a laugh.

  Since Joe was working a later shift on Wednesday and wouldn’t be home until after seven in the evening, Kelly stopped by the police station to bring him something to eat. The two stood in the front office together, Joe now holding the lunch box Kelly had just handed him.

  “I still can’t believe how snotty Lily was to me this morning,” Kelly told Joe.

  “You did say she hadn’t been feeling well,” Joe reminded her.

  “That was Monday, and she’s fine now. She must be fine; she went wedding dress shopping with Danielle today. And it would have been nice if they had asked me to go too. It sounded kind of fun,” Kelly whined.

  “I imagine Danielle can sense you aren’t exactly supportive of this engagement,” Joe suggested.

  Kelly frowned. “Neither are you.”

  “Because we both think the entire thing is odd.”

  “Since they’re getting married anyway, it would be fun to go dress shopping.”

  “I suppose if you want to be included in the wedding more, you might want to show a bit more enthusiasm.”

  “You don’t think that would be hypocritical of me?”

  “Kelly, it’s not like they asked for either of our blessings—or advice. And they are both adults. If they are going to do this, we might as well wish them the best.”

  “I suppose. It’s not like she’s marrying Jack the Ripper. I really could never support that.”

  Joe laughed. “I hope not.”

  “So how do I look like I’m more…I don’t know…supportive of her wedding?”

  Joe shrugged. “Not sure.”

  Kelly considered it a moment and then smiled. “I know what I can do!”

  “What?”

  “I’ll stop at the library and check out some bridal books. I’ll tell her I was over there picking up some books and happened to see them and thought of her. If I can win Danielle over, maybe I can get closer to Lily. After all, they are best friends.”

  “I’ve always thought you and Danielle were already friends,” Joe said.

  “Oh, come on, Joe, we’ve talked about it before. It’s like they all have this secret club, and we’re not included.”

  “I can’t believe you found one at the first shop you went to,” Walt told Danielle. She had returned from Astoria minutes earlier with a ravenous appetite. Fortunately for her, Walt already had dinner in the oven, roasted Brussels sprouts and a chicken dish. The two were alone in the kitchen, setting the table as Danielle told Walt about her wedding dress.

  “It’s so beautiful—a one-of-a-kind vintage dress. The fabric is silky ecru, with intricate lacework. It just needs minor alterations. They don’t do them there, but they recommended a local seamstress, so we dropped it off before heading home.”

  “Did you get a picture of it?” Walt asked.

  “Of course I did.” Danielle set a fork atop a folded napkin on the kitchen table.

  Walt stopped what he was doing and faced Danielle. “Let me see it.”

  “Don’t be silly; it’s bad luck for the groom to see the wedding dress before the wedding.”

  “Need I remind you, you are already my wife?” He grinned.

  Setting the last piece of silverware on the table, Danielle turned to Walt and gave him a hug. “True,” she whispered into his right ear. “But I’m not taking any chances!” She gave him a quick kiss.

  “You are superstitious,” he teased.

  “Yes. And I also believe in ghosts.”

  He laughed, released her, and then gave her backside a playful swat as she went to finish setting the table. He walked to the oven and opened it.

  Danielle immediately stopped what she was doing and turned to Walt and wrinkled her nose. “Oh, that smell!”

  “The Brussels sprouts,” Walt explained apologetically. “I like roasted Brussels sprouts, but I forgot how badly they can make a room smell.” He switched on the exhaust fan.

  “Let me open the door, let some fresh air in,” Danielle suggested. “I don’t want that smell to go through the house.”

  “It’s cold outside,” Walt reminded her.

  “A little cold is better than that smell.”

  A few minutes later Walt and Danielle sat at the kitchen table, eating their dinner with the back door propped open a few inches.

  “I have something to tell you,” Danielle began.

  Walt looked up from his food. “Is it about the wedding?”

  “Lily is pregnant.” Danielle grinned.

  “She is? That’s wonderful!” Walt’s smile quickly faded, and he asked, “Certainly they aren’t going to Europe this summer now?”

  “No. They’ll have to cancel the trip. Plus, she doesn’t want anyone to know she’s pregnant yet, not until she sees the doctor.”

  “If she hasn’t seen the doctor, then how does she know she’s pregnant?”

  “She took a home pregnancy test.”

  “What’s that?” Walt frowned.

  “It’s a test women can buy at the store and take at home. If her urine turns the tester a certain color, it means she’s pregnant.”

  Unknown to Walt and Danielle, Kelly had parked her car in front of their house a few minutes earlier. When she spied the kitchen lights on and the gate unlocked, she decided to cut through the side yard to the back door. With an armful of bridal books, Kelly approached the partially open back door just in time to hear Walt say, “And the pregnancy test was positive?”

  Kelly froze in her tracks and listened.

  “Yes. It looks that way,” came Danielle’s voice through the open door.

  “Any chance it could be wrong?” Walt asked.

  “I suppose. But I doubt it.”

  “Considering the travel plans, a pregnancy is rather inconvenient. Frankly I’m surprised.”
/>   “It came as a shock to me too.”

  “I thought women had these things taken care of,” Walt noted.

  “What is that supposed to mean?” Danielle asked.

  Kelly turned and quickly made her way from the house and to her car without hearing another word of Walt and Danielle’s conversation.

  “You always tell me women these days can decide if they want to get pregnant or not. I’m just surprised Lily decided to get pregnant now, when they were planning a trip to Europe,” Walt told Danielle.

  “Fact is, even the birth control pill is not fail-safe. But in Lily’s case, she went off it because they wanted to try for a baby when they got back from their trip. They switched to condoms, which obviously didn’t work.”

  “While I should feel sorry for them, missing their trip, I must say the news of a baby is wonderful.”

  “Don’t feel too sorry for them. According to Lily, both she and Ian are thrilled. And frankly, I love the idea of a baby!”

  Joe got home from work and found Kelly sitting on the sofa, eating chocolate mint ice cream out of the carton, a pile of bridal books stacked on a nearby table. When he entered the room, he glanced at the books and then looked to Kelly.

  “We do have bowls,” he teased.

  “There was just a little ice cream left anyway.” She took another bite.

  Joe sat on the sofa next to Kelly and nodded to the pile of books. “I see you went to the library. When are you taking them to Danielle?”

  “I’m not.” She scraped up the last bit of the ice cream and ate it.

  “But I thought…?” He frowned.

  Dropping the spoon in the now empty carton, she looked at Joe. “I already took them over there.”

  “She didn’t want them?”

  Kelly set the empty carton on the end table. “Danielle didn’t know I was there. I went up to the back door, and it was partially open. She was in the kitchen with Walt. They were talking. And I was right. Danielle’s pregnant.”

  “She told you?”

  “Not exactly. They didn’t know I was standing there. And I left so they wouldn’t know I had overheard. It was both embarrassing and awful. You were right. Walt is a major jerk.”