little over a month
ago, and this is my first trip here.”
“That’s too bad, since I’m sure Grandfather would have been
happy to help with your book. He always liked beautiful blondes.”
Ben’s arm tightened around her shoulders. “Let’s go, Lexie,”
he said as he steered her toward Nevermore’s front stairs.
“It’s been nice meeting you, Lexie,” Jeremy called after
them. “I look forward to getting to know you.”
“Why did you claim to be an aspiring novelist?” Ben asked
when they were inside Nevermore.
“You clearly won’t get a lot out of Jeremy, so it’s up to
me,” Lexie said. “I figured he’ll assume I latched on to you just so I could meet
your grandfather and maybe hit on me. I thought it was inspired.”
“And unnecessary,” Ben said. “You’re with me. Jeremy’s going
to hit on you.”
# # #
“ No …”
Lexie bolted up in bed. The word was thin and metallic,
scraping down her spine like a steel blade.
Then silence.
She jumped out of bed, grabbed her robe, and raced into the
hallway.
CHAPTER 5
“That’s Dylan,” Ben said as he sprinted down the hallway.
“What’s going on?” Lexie asked, running behind him. Her
heart was hammering like a woodpecker on speed.
“Damned if I know.”
By the time they reached Dylan’s doorway, the screams had
stopped. Ben opened the unlocked door and flipped on the overhead light.
“What’s wrong?”
Lexie had been braced to see Dylan’s dead body, but he was
sitting up in bed, his face nearly as white as the sheet he clutched. His gaze
was fixed on an overstuffed chair against the wall.
“Grandfather.” His voice was low and wobbly. “Grandfather
was here, in this room.”
Cecilia hurried from the hallway to her brother. “You were
dreaming.”
“Or drunk,” Jeremy said, stepping into the room and
tightening the belt of his black silk robe.
“I wasn’t. He woke me up.” Dylan pointed at the chair. “He
was sitting right there.”
Ben walked over to the chair and pointed to the floor lamp
beside it. “Are you sure you didn’t mistake the lamp for Grandfather? In the
dark, the white shade might look like Grandfather’s hair.”
“It was Grandfather.” Dylan’s voice was stronger, steadier.
“He was sitting, then he got up and disappeared.”
“Grandfather’s dead, Dylan,” Cecilia said softly. She sat
down on the bed beside him, her scarlet robe a vivid contrast to his pale face.
“I know that. I meant it was his ghost.” Dylan released the
sheet and turned to Cecilia. “You remember how we used to hear things when we
stayed here. Things that couldn’t have been trees or the wind or an old house.”
Cecilia nodded. “We always thought Grandfather had staged
it.”
“But what if he didn’t? What if the house was haunted
before, and now Grandfather’s joined the party?”
“What did he do?” Ben asked. “Just sit and look at you?”
Now that her anxiety about Dylan had lessened, Lexie noticed
that Ben was wearing only a pair of running shorts that accentuated a tight
butt and a muscular chest with a light dusting of hair. She immediately
refocused on Dylan.
He was shaking his head vigorously, his loose hair flapping.
“Grandfather told me he knew what I’d done and asked why I’d done it.”
“Then what?” Seth asked.
“Then I screamed, and he disappeared.”
“I can certainly understand your dreaming about Grandfather,
being at Nevermore so soon after his death,” Ben said. “We’ll probably all
dream about him.”
Dylan shook his head again. “It wasn’t a dream.”
“We’ll discuss it in the morning.” Ben headed for the door.
Dylan grabbed Cecilia’s arm with both hands. “I can’t sleep
here. What if he comes back?”
Ben turned back toward Dylan. “You can sleep in my room.
I’ll sleep in here.”
“Do you think staying here’s a good idea, Ben?” Cecilia
asked.
He shrugged. “I’m not in the mood to share my bed with
Dylan, and Aunt Muriel
ago, and this is my first trip here.”
“That’s too bad, since I’m sure Grandfather would have been
happy to help with your book. He always liked beautiful blondes.”
Ben’s arm tightened around her shoulders. “Let’s go, Lexie,”
he said as he steered her toward Nevermore’s front stairs.
“It’s been nice meeting you, Lexie,” Jeremy called after
them. “I look forward to getting to know you.”
“Why did you claim to be an aspiring novelist?” Ben asked
when they were inside Nevermore.
“You clearly won’t get a lot out of Jeremy, so it’s up to
me,” Lexie said. “I figured he’ll assume I latched on to you just so I could meet
your grandfather and maybe hit on me. I thought it was inspired.”
“And unnecessary,” Ben said. “You’re with me. Jeremy’s going
to hit on you.”
# # #
“ No …”
Lexie bolted up in bed. The word was thin and metallic,
scraping down her spine like a steel blade.
Then silence.
She jumped out of bed, grabbed her robe, and raced into the
hallway.
CHAPTER 5
“That’s Dylan,” Ben said as he sprinted down the hallway.
“What’s going on?” Lexie asked, running behind him. Her
heart was hammering like a woodpecker on speed.
“Damned if I know.”
By the time they reached Dylan’s doorway, the screams had
stopped. Ben opened the unlocked door and flipped on the overhead light.
“What’s wrong?”
Lexie had been braced to see Dylan’s dead body, but he was
sitting up in bed, his face nearly as white as the sheet he clutched. His gaze
was fixed on an overstuffed chair against the wall.
“Grandfather.” His voice was low and wobbly. “Grandfather
was here, in this room.”
Cecilia hurried from the hallway to her brother. “You were
dreaming.”
“Or drunk,” Jeremy said, stepping into the room and
tightening the belt of his black silk robe.
“I wasn’t. He woke me up.” Dylan pointed at the chair. “He
was sitting right there.”
Ben walked over to the chair and pointed to the floor lamp
beside it. “Are you sure you didn’t mistake the lamp for Grandfather? In the
dark, the white shade might look like Grandfather’s hair.”
“It was Grandfather.” Dylan’s voice was stronger, steadier.
“He was sitting, then he got up and disappeared.”
“Grandfather’s dead, Dylan,” Cecilia said softly. She sat
down on the bed beside him, her scarlet robe a vivid contrast to his pale face.
“I know that. I meant it was his ghost.” Dylan released the
sheet and turned to Cecilia. “You remember how we used to hear things when we
stayed here. Things that couldn’t have been trees or the wind or an old house.”
Cecilia nodded. “We always thought Grandfather had staged
it.”
“But what if he didn’t? What if the house was haunted
before, and now Grandfather’s joined the party?”
“What did he do?” Ben asked. “Just sit and look at you?”
Now that her anxiety about Dylan had lessened, Lexie noticed
that Ben was wearing only a pair of running shorts that accentuated a tight
butt and a muscular chest with a light dusting of hair. She immediately
refocused on Dylan.
He was shaking his head vigorously, his loose hair flapping.
“Grandfather told me he knew what I’d done and asked why I’d done it.”
“Then what?” Seth asked.
“Then I screamed, and he disappeared.”
“I can certainly understand your dreaming about Grandfather,
being at Nevermore so soon after his death,” Ben said. “We’ll probably all
dream about him.”
Dylan shook his head again. “It wasn’t a dream.”
“We’ll discuss it in the morning.” Ben headed for the door.
Dylan grabbed Cecilia’s arm with both hands. “I can’t sleep
here. What if he comes back?”
Ben turned back toward Dylan. “You can sleep in my room.
I’ll sleep in here.”
“Do you think staying here’s a good idea, Ben?” Cecilia
asked.
He shrugged. “I’m not in the mood to share my bed with
Dylan, and Aunt Muriel
Similar Books
