inside, along with the floor lamp?”
“The more the merrier.” Cynicism dripped from her tone. She had told him to forget about the kiss, but she didn’t want to forget about it. She had to resist the urge to demand to know why the timing hadn’t been “right.” But that would have been stupid. She already had a good idea the answer revolved around his feelings for his ex.
She bent over and plugged in the extension.
After stringing the wire over the couch, he lugged the floor lamp into the secret room. She passed him the desk light and climbed in on her own, neither of them speaking.
The rain pummeled harder against the house, and Lara’s mood deteriorated with the weather. As Mark flicked on the lamps and adjusted the shades, a roll of thunder sounded, closer than before. She crossed her arms and leaned against the arm of the couch. “Maybe we should call it a night. The storm seems to be getting worse.”
He glanced around at the bare walls. Walking to the fireplace, he stooped and looked under the mantel. He ran his hands over the surface and knocked on the wood in several places.
She rolled her eyes to herself. All he cared about was her damned house. Now that he’d seen that the secret room held nothing of interest, she wondered if she’d ever hear from him again. The way things had gone between them so far, she shouldn’t even have cared.
Standing, he stepped to the window and squinted upward. He bent and tried to push it open. The frame seemed to be stuck in the casing, but after a second attempt, it skidded up a few inches. His third try freed the stoppage, and the window slid up into the overhead pocket. He ran his hands over the wall that obstructed the opening.
“The hole’s blocked up with brick. That won’t be easy to
undo, but you might want to look into it if you want to use this room.” He closed the window and turned around, giving the other walls a last glance. “I guess that’s about all there is to see in here.”
She stood and brushed off her hands. “So much for my fascinating secret room.”
“Do you still feel creepy about it?”
She shrugged. “Not at the moment.”
“Good. Well, I’d better leave before the lightning gets any closer.” Another rumble of thunder punctuated his statement.
Turning off the floor lamp, he carried it over to her and set it down. He leaned down to pull the plug from the extension cord, and she stepped back to get out of his way. While he wound the cord around one hand, she glanced around at the walls, inspecting them a final time.
The room looked absolutely ordinary. If the window could be unblocked, the space wouldn’t seem so spooky. Viewing the area where the couched jutted through the entrance, she could see that with a few pieces of furniture it might actually be cozy.
Making these observations, she felt normal for the first time in days, despite her disappointment over Mark. In a few minutes he would leave, and she would probably never see him again. She would get back to the life she’d started building since her divorce. Maybe she would even keep an eye open for someone reasonable to date.
When she turned back around, she caught him watching her and felt a tingling up and down her spine.
Okay, she conceded, so life wouldn’t be simple...but she would manage. She had so far.
He looked away and picked up the floor lamp, passing it out over the couch. With his long reach he was able to get the lamp to stand up on the other side. “Do you want to climb out of here before I put out the desk lamp, too?”
“Yeah.” She contemplated the side of the couch, remembering how he’d helped her climb over it the first time.
After a second of hesitation he held out his hand to her.
“That’s okay,” she said without meeting his gaze. “I can make it alone.”
Chapter 7
The ghost of Geoff watched his lovely Lara spurn his descendent’s hand. He smirked to himself. When she’d let the fool kiss her, his heart had
“The more the merrier.” Cynicism dripped from her tone. She had told him to forget about the kiss, but she didn’t want to forget about it. She had to resist the urge to demand to know why the timing hadn’t been “right.” But that would have been stupid. She already had a good idea the answer revolved around his feelings for his ex.
She bent over and plugged in the extension.
After stringing the wire over the couch, he lugged the floor lamp into the secret room. She passed him the desk light and climbed in on her own, neither of them speaking.
The rain pummeled harder against the house, and Lara’s mood deteriorated with the weather. As Mark flicked on the lamps and adjusted the shades, a roll of thunder sounded, closer than before. She crossed her arms and leaned against the arm of the couch. “Maybe we should call it a night. The storm seems to be getting worse.”
He glanced around at the bare walls. Walking to the fireplace, he stooped and looked under the mantel. He ran his hands over the surface and knocked on the wood in several places.
She rolled her eyes to herself. All he cared about was her damned house. Now that he’d seen that the secret room held nothing of interest, she wondered if she’d ever hear from him again. The way things had gone between them so far, she shouldn’t even have cared.
Standing, he stepped to the window and squinted upward. He bent and tried to push it open. The frame seemed to be stuck in the casing, but after a second attempt, it skidded up a few inches. His third try freed the stoppage, and the window slid up into the overhead pocket. He ran his hands over the wall that obstructed the opening.
“The hole’s blocked up with brick. That won’t be easy to
undo, but you might want to look into it if you want to use this room.” He closed the window and turned around, giving the other walls a last glance. “I guess that’s about all there is to see in here.”
She stood and brushed off her hands. “So much for my fascinating secret room.”
“Do you still feel creepy about it?”
She shrugged. “Not at the moment.”
“Good. Well, I’d better leave before the lightning gets any closer.” Another rumble of thunder punctuated his statement.
Turning off the floor lamp, he carried it over to her and set it down. He leaned down to pull the plug from the extension cord, and she stepped back to get out of his way. While he wound the cord around one hand, she glanced around at the walls, inspecting them a final time.
The room looked absolutely ordinary. If the window could be unblocked, the space wouldn’t seem so spooky. Viewing the area where the couched jutted through the entrance, she could see that with a few pieces of furniture it might actually be cozy.
Making these observations, she felt normal for the first time in days, despite her disappointment over Mark. In a few minutes he would leave, and she would probably never see him again. She would get back to the life she’d started building since her divorce. Maybe she would even keep an eye open for someone reasonable to date.
When she turned back around, she caught him watching her and felt a tingling up and down her spine.
Okay, she conceded, so life wouldn’t be simple...but she would manage. She had so far.
He looked away and picked up the floor lamp, passing it out over the couch. With his long reach he was able to get the lamp to stand up on the other side. “Do you want to climb out of here before I put out the desk lamp, too?”
“Yeah.” She contemplated the side of the couch, remembering how he’d helped her climb over it the first time.
After a second of hesitation he held out his hand to her.
“That’s okay,” she said without meeting his gaze. “I can make it alone.”
Chapter 7
The ghost of Geoff watched his lovely Lara spurn his descendent’s hand. He smirked to himself. When she’d let the fool kiss her, his heart had
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