Narrowing my eyes, I considered sending out a tiny bit of magic to warn whoever it was off. I didn’t, of course, because he was more than likely human. I couldn’t tell from the distance but the odds of him being supernatural were slim.
He sure as hell was staring hard. “Creeper,” I whispered and shut the blinds. I crawled back in bed, deciding that I needed to check around about the disturbing neighbor.
Something was way off about him, and I was going to find out what.
Chapter Three
For the first time, possibly ever, I was awake before the rest of the house. For sure I hadn't been the first one up since Wallie was a little boy. I used to try to get up before him to make sure he didn't get into any trouble around the house.
That had stopped the minute he was old enough to be trusted not to completely burn the house down.
Stretching, I thought about life in Shipton. I’d gotten so used to having Alfred around. He was always up early and had coffee made. I missed my ghoul. Not just because he did all the housekeeping and cooking.
No, really. I enjoyed his quiet company. He made me feel settled and comfortable, even though he never said a word.
Another person I’d grown used to having around was Olivia. At least a few times a week, she’d show up at the house earlier than I liked to get up. I thought she did it on purpose, plotting to one day make me a morning person. Not happening. Ever.
Pulling out my phone, I found the contact for my bestie and pressed it.
Olivia’s perky voice answered on the first ring. “Morning Ava! I was going to call but Sam said to let you adjust. Then, I thought of texting you this morning...but wow, it’s early for you. Are you okay? Do you need bail money?”
I laughed so hard I had to cross my legs. “Why would I need bail money?”
“I don’t know. It’s before seven so I figured… Anyhoo. How are you?”
I narrowed my eyes, though it didn’t do any good because Olivia couldn’t see me. She was flustered about something. I could tell by the way she chatted randomly. And she knew I was too old and boring to do anything that got me arrested. I guessed I could’ve been picked up for raising the dead in a public place. But I only did that the one time. Good thing it had been around Halloween and the residents of Shipton thought we’d been putting on a play in the cemetery. It had worked out.
“What’s wrong?” I asked my BFF.
“Why would anything be wrong?” Her voice shifted from chipper to bitter faster than Snooze when I turned on the can opener. That fat cat was fast when it came to his tuna.
With a sigh, I challenged her. “Your tone tells me there’s something bothering you. Do you need bail money?”
“Just hold on to it. I might need it.” She meant it as a joke, but I heard the serious note in her tone.
Propping my feet up, I settled in for a long talk. “Spill.”
There was a pause before Olivia spoke. “I just got off the phone with Jess.”
I waited. When it was clear she wasn’t going to volunteer any information, I decided to drag it out of her. She couldn’t leave me hanging like that. “And? Is she coming to visit? What about Devan?”
I hadn’t ever seen either kid. All I knew was Olivia’s older children were at college in Chicago. She didn’t talk about them often, and if I asked about them, she replied in short, clipped sentences.
“No, they aren’t coming for spring break or the summer.” Her voice fell flat. My chest tightened. I couldn’t imagine being so far from Wallie and not seeing him. I couldn’t have said when she might’ve seen them last.
“Tell me,” I urged, sensing that she wanted to talk about it or vent. “I’m here for you. Even if I am eight hours away, or by plane a couple of hours.”
“You know I was married before.” She laughed softly. “Of course, you do. I had two kids with the asshole.”
“Yes, I remember you mentioning it.” She had married Carter Phillips, the star quarterback of Shipton High. Had two kids and lived the high life. Nothing Olivia wasn’t a stranger to since her family had always had money.
She sniffled. “The marriage was shaky from the start. I’ve grown enough to know I didn’t help matters. I stuck the kids with a nanny while I did everything every other rich wife did. I wasn’t a mother to them, not properly. Not like with Sammie. They grew up to hate me.” Olivia let out a breath then sniffed. “Carter and I fought all the time about all the petty shit I did. I didn’t see it, didn’t see who I was until I lost everything. Carter packed up the kids and left one day. The next time we talked was in front of the judge.”
Damn. Talk about karma. And I truly felt bad for Olivia. Carter could have tried harder. Then again, I hadn’t been there. I didn’t know how bad it was. But to take the kids? “I’m so sorry, Liv.”
“It’s my fault. I just hope that one day Jess and Devan will forgive me.” She sniffed again. “I’ve been trying, reaching out a lot. Anyway, I hear Sammie stomping around in his room. Let me feed him. Thanks for calling.” She obviously wanted to be free from this conversation. It had to be hard to talk about.
“No problem. You can call me any time to talk. I’m here for you.”
“Thank you. Talk to you later.” She ended the call.
I set down my phone and stared at the ceiling. As I contemplated getting out of bed and getting started with the day, the ghostly feeling returned. I jumped out of bed. "Clay?" I whispered. Grabbing my old robe from the back of the closet door, I slipped out into the hallway, but the feeling just got stronger. My skin tingled as I moved down the hallway and crossed to the living room. Before entering the kitchen, something cool brushed up against me, like from head to toe. Startled, I whirled around, but nothing was there.
No. That wasn’t true. I was sure Clay was there and was trying to make contact. But why? Why was he there now? And why did he need to talk with me? It just didn't make sense that he'd show up now after all this time.
Not that I wasn't happy to feel him again. Actually, my feelings were strongly mixed. I'd begun to move on. So then, guilt washed over me for realizing I'd been in the process of moving on and that felt disloyal to Clay.
Grief was a, well, it was a bitch.
After one search around the living room, then a quick spin around the den and office, I went into the kitchen and proceeded to make coffee. Thankfully, it had been among the items Wade had brought the night before. The dark, rich go-go juice always made it easier to think. I got the water added to the reserve tank and caught something dark moving to my left. Jerking my head in the direction where I would've sworn something moved, I frowned. Nothing.
Okay, I might've been going crazy.
As I reached for the sugar, the entire canister moved. Like several inches across the counter away from me.
Nope, nope, nope.
Breathing heavily, I sent out my senses, putting magic in the mix, searching for whatever was haunting my house. I sucked in a breath when I felt Clay so suddenly and so strong it was as if he were standing right beside me. My pulse kicked up several beats per second which I was sure wasn’t healthy. Especially for someone my age.
Whirling around and around, I stopped, somehow. Why I halted in the exact spot that I did, I had no idea, but I lifted my hand and reached out. A cold sensation wrapped around it and with a squeak I jerked it back. Clay was here. "Oh, my." Tears filled my eyes. "Clay?"