a photo straight out of a Better Homes and Garden spread. When I rushed outside, I realized it was an illusion. Scared the bejesus out of me. I thought it was stress or something.”
“I can sense a strong energy outside the window.”
“An entity?”
“No. Residual. More like a recording. Something important happened out there. The strong emotion tied to the area is looping around and around, playing itself out, and then repeating.”
Natalie tapped her fingernail on the table. “How come I’ve never experienced this phenomenon before?”
“I don’t know, Nat. I’ve always sensed a psychic spark in you, but you never brought it up or asked me any questions, so maybe you just blocked it. Or maybe it’s just something to do with this house and these ghosts.”
Natalie thought of everything else she had blocked in her life, including herself. She opened her mouth, but before she could speak, a crash and yell sounded from the stairs and brought them to their feet. Natalie was the first one out the kitchen door. She found Josh at the bottom of the second floor landing swearing and holding his ankle. His face was angry and red. “Who the hell pushed me?”
Natalie looked behind him. “There doesn’t seem to be anyone else there. Are you all right? Do you want me to call an ambulance or something?”
Josh twisted his neck to look up the stairs. “I could have sworn someone was behind me. I thought it was one of my guys.” His voice trailed off when his two laborers entered the front door with another load. “Really.”
Colleen clucked over him. “It might have been a loose floorboard, dear. Maybe you were going too fast and missed a step,” she said sweetly. “Would you like me to get some ice for that?”
Natalie bit back a giggle. She was just talking with her mother about spirit doorways, ghosts, and psychic energy in the house, and she was blaming the man’s own clumsiness? God, she loved her.
Josh looked more embarrassed than hurt. “No, thanks. This here is the last load. Ms. Chambers, I have your inventory list.” There was no sign of his leering at her now. “Could you please check this stuff off?”
As soon as Natalie reached the top of the stairs, the air seemed to rustle around her. It was faint, but she could definitely hear a trace of laughter. She looked down the hall.
“Sarah, did you push that nasty man?” She stood there for a few moments, but she didn’t see or hear anything else. Maybe her haunting could have its fun moments. It certainly seemed to be protective.
Natalie looked out the floor-length windows in the turret. She was once again struck by how much she loved this room and the endless view of the ocean. Natalie pulled out her copy of the inventory list. She spread it out on the corner desk to compare the two. Everything was numbered and so organized it only took a few minutes to ascertain that all her paintings were there and in good condition. She was filled with anticipation bordering on Christmas morning excitement. She couldn’t wait to start painting. She carefully closed the door at the bottom of the stairs to keep the cool air in place and joined her mother in the living room, who was entertaining the work crew with her tarot cards.
Josh took the finished checklist from her hand and limped toward the door. “We appreciate your business. I’m off to make my fortune and meet the woman of my dreams according to the cards and your mother. Let’s go, guys.”
After they left, Natalie looked at her mother, amused. “The cards didn’t really say that, did they?”
“No, but I had fun.”
“Mother.” Natalie laughed.
Chapter Eight
Natalie wondered if she would ever tire of watching the sunshine bounce off the ocean, but it was so bright she was glad she was wearing her Ray-Bans. “This is so charming. I love it!”
“I haven’t been able to come very often, but now that you’ve moved here, I hope to come here more frequently. It’s hard to
“I can sense a strong energy outside the window.”
“An entity?”
“No. Residual. More like a recording. Something important happened out there. The strong emotion tied to the area is looping around and around, playing itself out, and then repeating.”
Natalie tapped her fingernail on the table. “How come I’ve never experienced this phenomenon before?”
“I don’t know, Nat. I’ve always sensed a psychic spark in you, but you never brought it up or asked me any questions, so maybe you just blocked it. Or maybe it’s just something to do with this house and these ghosts.”
Natalie thought of everything else she had blocked in her life, including herself. She opened her mouth, but before she could speak, a crash and yell sounded from the stairs and brought them to their feet. Natalie was the first one out the kitchen door. She found Josh at the bottom of the second floor landing swearing and holding his ankle. His face was angry and red. “Who the hell pushed me?”
Natalie looked behind him. “There doesn’t seem to be anyone else there. Are you all right? Do you want me to call an ambulance or something?”
Josh twisted his neck to look up the stairs. “I could have sworn someone was behind me. I thought it was one of my guys.” His voice trailed off when his two laborers entered the front door with another load. “Really.”
Colleen clucked over him. “It might have been a loose floorboard, dear. Maybe you were going too fast and missed a step,” she said sweetly. “Would you like me to get some ice for that?”
Natalie bit back a giggle. She was just talking with her mother about spirit doorways, ghosts, and psychic energy in the house, and she was blaming the man’s own clumsiness? God, she loved her.
Josh looked more embarrassed than hurt. “No, thanks. This here is the last load. Ms. Chambers, I have your inventory list.” There was no sign of his leering at her now. “Could you please check this stuff off?”
As soon as Natalie reached the top of the stairs, the air seemed to rustle around her. It was faint, but she could definitely hear a trace of laughter. She looked down the hall.
“Sarah, did you push that nasty man?” She stood there for a few moments, but she didn’t see or hear anything else. Maybe her haunting could have its fun moments. It certainly seemed to be protective.
Natalie looked out the floor-length windows in the turret. She was once again struck by how much she loved this room and the endless view of the ocean. Natalie pulled out her copy of the inventory list. She spread it out on the corner desk to compare the two. Everything was numbered and so organized it only took a few minutes to ascertain that all her paintings were there and in good condition. She was filled with anticipation bordering on Christmas morning excitement. She couldn’t wait to start painting. She carefully closed the door at the bottom of the stairs to keep the cool air in place and joined her mother in the living room, who was entertaining the work crew with her tarot cards.
Josh took the finished checklist from her hand and limped toward the door. “We appreciate your business. I’m off to make my fortune and meet the woman of my dreams according to the cards and your mother. Let’s go, guys.”
After they left, Natalie looked at her mother, amused. “The cards didn’t really say that, did they?”
“No, but I had fun.”
“Mother.” Natalie laughed.
Chapter Eight
Natalie wondered if she would ever tire of watching the sunshine bounce off the ocean, but it was so bright she was glad she was wearing her Ray-Bans. “This is so charming. I love it!”
“I haven’t been able to come very often, but now that you’ve moved here, I hope to come here more frequently. It’s hard to
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