Bewitching You (10 page)

Her cell phone chirped on the seat beside her, and she pulled off the road into a convenience store parking lot to answer it. No sense in adding another distraction to her already preoccupied mind.

“Hello?”

“Rachel, it’s your mother.”

“Hi.” Darn it. Why hadn’t she checked the caller ID?

“I can’t talk long, dear, but don’t forget to meet me at the bridal shop at five for your dress fitting. Olga has a tight schedule and doesn’t like waiting.”

“The dress fitting,” Rachel repeated absently.

Seeing her wedding dress was the last thing she wanted to do.

“Don’t tell me you forgot. How many times have I told you to write down appointments in the day planner I gave you?”

“I can’t do it, Mom.” There. She said it.

“It’s a simple task that saves a ton of grief and keeps you organized, Rachel. I don’t see what the big deal is. I’ve done it since—”

“I’m not talking about the day planner, Mom. I can’t… I’m not feeling well. I can’t make the dress fitting.” Her excuse was only partially true. There wasn’t enough courage in the world to tell her mother the real reason she wasn’t going.

“Well, take some ibuprofen, have a short nap and meet me there at five.”

“No. I can’t make it. Not today.”

“But Olga—”

“Tell Olga I’m deeply sorry, and I’ll be sure to refer every bride-to-be I know now and in the future to her because she is such an understanding, caring, and highly skilled dressmaker.”

“Well…”

Lying to her mother was never easy, and in the past, she’d avoided untruths at every cost. Today was the exception. “I have to go, Mom. I’m going to throw up.”

A familiar chilled wind crept up Rachel’s back and underneath her hair before finally resting like a heavy hand on her neck.

Rachel snapped the phone shut and dropped it in her lap. “I’m losing my mind,” she said through fresh tears.

“Let me find it for you.” Hayes’s deep voice filled the car, and Rachel felt an invisible but very tangible finger wipe the tear away.

Chapter Six

“Not every man is bad.” Nana smiled sympathetically as she poured hot water from the teakettle into Sofia’s cup. “Your grandfather was a fine man.”

Sofia dunked her teabag up and down. Nana had insisted on making Sofia tea and a sandwich before heading off to help deliver the baby.

Agreeing to housesit and take care of the cat, Sam, had been an easy decision for Sofia. It wasn’t as if she’d had any major plans or a job...or a boyfriend. Nope, she was free to sit up in this dark, scary house—out in the middle of nowhere without a telephone or electricity to charge her cell phone—for a long,
long
time.

First, she had to convince her grandmother she would be fine by herself. “Yeah, I sort of remember Grandpa. He used to give me candy when Mom wasn’t watching.”

“He did?”

Sofia ducked her head and took a sip of tea. “I guess you weren’t watching, either.”

“No, I wasn’t.” Nana paused, then shook her head. “The point, dear, is that good men are hard to come by, especially for women with gifts. Trust me, honey, reading your grandpa’s dirty old mind on a daily basis wasn’t the highlight of our married life.” She sat down opposite Sofia and tapped her fingers on the table. “Although it was nice to know my husband still found me attractive after thirty years of marriage.”

Sofia cringed. “What was the point again?”

“The point? Right. Sorry. What I’m trying to say is this Gray fellow may or may not be the man for you, but you’re still young and you have a good head on your shoulders. You have plenty of time to find a man to fall in love with, and when you do, he’ll be special.”

“Thanks, Nana. You’re right.” The idea of being alone was becoming more and more appealing. Sofia loved her grandmother, but sometimes Nana was a little too optimistic.

Particularly when all she wanted to do was open the well-stocked liquor cabinet with the key that was hidden beneath the antique silver tray.

“All right, dear, I’ll be going now. You remember how to use the stove?” Nana stood and rested her hand on her hip.

“Yes, I do.”
The gas, no-electricity required stove
. Shoot. Forget about having microwave popcorn as a midnight snack, or heating up leftovers for breakfast. How did Nana live?

“Good. But don’t use it while you’re drinking, okay? I don’t want to come home to a burned down house.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Her cheeks blazed. Mind read once again.

Nana pulled out the liquor cabinet key and slid it across the counter. “You’re welcome to whatever I have, but don’t get carried away.”

Sofia nodded, avoiding eye contact.

“Heal your heartbreak however you choose, dear, but don’t forget that I love you.” Nana kissed Sofia’s head as she passed by on her way to pick up her suitcase.

“Love you too.” Sofia waited until the huge Buick left the driveway before she let a ragged breath.

Alone again.

~ * ~

Rachel locked her bedroom door and jammed a chair under the knob. How that would keep a ghost away, she didn’t know, but she had to try something.

Ever since she’d arrived home, the chill that was Hayes had wrapped itself around her, encompassing her, not giving her a moment’s rest. Still, she refused to acknowledge him, hoping he’d give up and leave.

“It’s okay, Rachel. All you have to do is agree to talk to me.” His voice breezed over her body, chilling it all the way to her ears.

God, it was freezing. She couldn’t take it anymore. She grabbed a quilt off her bed and wrapped it around her body, but it was useless. She was just as cold, if not more so. As if she’d pressed him through her skin and into her bones.

“Go away, Hayes,” she yelled, unable to hold her tongue any longer.

“That’s my girl.” He’d slipped behind her this time.

Rachel swerved around and spotted him leaning against one of her pink-painted walls. A smile of victory was on his face, revealing his dimple. She didn’t know whether to be angry or overjoyed to be able to see him once again.

She gathered her wits and took a breath. “You have to leave me alone.”

His smile disappeared. “Not as long as you’re planning on marrying my brother. Tell me you’re not, and I’ll be gone forever.”

“Why don’t you go aggravate him? Why me?”

“Trust me. I’ve been doing my work on him.”

“Great. I’m glad to know you’re creating havoc even in your afterlife. Why can’t you let us be happy?”

“Happy?” He laughed. “Don’t kid yourself. Neither one of you is happy, especially you. And you’re not going to change that by marrying a man who doesn’t love you.”

The words hit Rachel hard, twisting a knot in her stomach. Down deep, she knew Grayson didn’t love her, but it hurt like hell to have that the assumption validated.

“Maybe he doesn’t love me…” She ground out the words. “But that doesn’t matter. He needs me. When you left him like you did, everything changed. He’s not the same man he used to be. It’s like he died inside when you died. I wouldn’t be doing him any favors abandoning him. I’m all he has left.”

“Don’t you think I know that? That’s why I’m here, sweetheart. To fix what I broke. I can’t go on—” He raised his arms toward the ceiling and let them fall to his side. “I can’t move on until you’re both happy, or well on your way.” He took a step forward, his gaze dark, pained. “And he’ll never be content if he marries you.”

“Thanks a lot.”

“Only because he’s not the man for you. You don’t love him. Not the way she loves him.” He mumbled the last sentence, but Rachel caught every word.

“Someone else loves Grayson? Who? Who are you talking about? Do I know her?” She pressed her palm to her chest. “Is he cheating on me?”

“No. The guy is too much of a goody-two-shoes to not be anything but completely loyal. I always hated that about him,” he said, but smiled and shook his head. “Anyway, it doesn’t matter who the woman is. Just know there’s someone out there who’s more his type.”

“That’s just great. Thank you, Hayes, for ruining my life from the grave. It’s not like you didn’t do enough damage while you were—” She stopped herself. “Just leave. Please.”

“Look, Rachel, you’ll find another man. Someone who will give you what you need, and considering how receptive you were to me the night we spent together, I’m pretty damn sure Gray’s not that guy.”

“Go to hell.”

He laughed half-heartedly. “That’s funny you say that, sweetheart, because seeing you about to marry my brother is hell enough for me.”

“Grayson needs me—” Rachel started to say.

But he had already faded into nothingness and was gone just like that.

“Fine.” She glared at where he’d been standing. “Leave me. That’s what you’re good at, after all.”

The small room was quiet again…and warm.

Rachel had never felt so lonely.

The doorbell rang out from the living room. No doubt Grayson stood on the other side of the door, waiting to take her to dinner so he could tell her about the promotion he’d gotten to make the start of their marriage easier.

The marriage she would never be able to bring herself to enter. How was she going to tell him?

~ * ~

Gray stuffed his hands in his pocket and forced a smile on his face when Rachel opened the door. “Hi,” he said, and stepped into her tiny apartment. He glanced around, looking from her flowery sofa to the rows of books she had lined on her bookshelf, to the burgundy rug on the floor.

But he couldn’t make himself look into her eyes. Not after being fired from his job. How foolish he’d been, to punch his co-worker, and in front of his boss too. Luckily, Beaver had agreed not to press charges as long as Gray agreed to leave the building and never step within a hundred feet of it.

Stupid
.

He’d come up with a backup plan, though. He’d get another job. A better paying one that didn’t include him kissing anyone’s ass.

“Grayson.” Rachel’s voice was low and careful, different from her usual false cheerfulness.

Intrigued, he met her stare. Her face was paler than normal, her lips were pinched together, and her red-rimmed eyes brimmed with tears. She was sad about something, which was rare. Gray hadn’t seen her cry since Hayes’s funeral, and never before that. The woman was good at controlling her emotions.

“You okay?” He reached for her but she stepped back.

“No. I’m not feeling well. Would you mind if I postponed dinner?” A tear ran down her cheek as she wrapped her arms around herself and shivered.

“What’s wrong? Can I get you something?”

“No. I don’t want anything from you.”

“Okay.” This was interesting. Since when did timid Rachel talk like this? “What’s going on, then? Are you angry with me?” Maybe she’d found out about him losing his job.

“I’m not a virgin.” She blurted it out so fast, Gray had to rewind and replay the words in his head.

Then it hit him.
She’s not a virgin
.

He had to admit it wasn’t a huge surprise. Especially after seeing the type of guys she used to date. He teetered on his feet before asking, “Was it the piano player from the restaurant?”

More tears streamed down her face as she shook her head, leaving Gray feeling uneasy. Warily, he took a step toward her, but she backed away.

“It isn’t that big of a deal,” he said. “It’s not like it happened when we were together, right?” He watched as her body trembled. “
Right
?”

“I’m sorry, Grayson.”

Oh.
Huh.
“Okay. When did it happen?” His mind was numb, and he couldn’t think of anything else to say or feel. Should he be jealous? Angry?

Should he leave and never look back? His life plan was falling to pieces in the span of less than a day, and he had absolutely no control over it.