Kiss and Make Up (Bachelors of Buttermilk #3) (15 page)

He had to chuckle to himself. How many times had sixteen-year-old Josh fantasized about getting Caitlin in the backseat of
his
car? “Well, the good news is I don’t think Mary can leave the theater. At least she insinuated that she hasn’t.”

“Interesting. So she’s been there all this time, but only made herself present after I bought the place.”

He put his arm around her and she nestled in. “Seems so.” He paused, adding, “She still insists Adam is your soul mate. She loved your engagement photo.”

Caitlin sat up at that news. “Then our plan is working.”

“Yeah . . .” His voice trailed as he glanced out the window toward the theater. “I don’t know if this means anything, but she thinks for some reason that you and Adam found the blue box. I don’t think she realizes that our names are on it.”

“What do you think it all means?”

He shrugged and turned back, wrapping his arms around her. “I’m not sure, but something she said leads me to believe she thinks you two need to get married so she can cross over.”

“Why do you think she’s so infatuated with my grandfather’s movie?” Caitlin asked, resting her head on his chest.

Good question. Josh moved his hands up and down her back. “I’ve been wondering the same thing. She lights up every time it starts. Even if she wasn’t romantically involved with your grandfather, maybe they were friends.”

“Maybe.”

“I’ll have to ask her next time.” Josh glanced out the window toward the theater. How was he going to get Mary to open up? Maybe when he got back, he could pry a little deeper into her past. Find out who this fiancé was who dumped her the night before her wedding.

“Hey,” he felt a tug on his arm, “I was thinking of picking up takeout at the Star Lite tonight. Want to come over around six?”

He brought his lips down to Caitlin’s forehead. “I’m sorry, baby. I’m headed back to Manhattan tonight.”

“You are?”

“My flight’s later this afternoon.”

Her head lifted off his chest, and she removed her arms from around his middle. “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

“I’m sorry. My assistant just sent me an e-mail confirming the meeting time. She booked the flight. I told you last week I’d have to go back and present the perfume.”

Caitlin’s face fell at that news. “I know.”

“It’s only for a couple days. I will be presenting the sample to the higher-ups the day after tomorrow. I’ll get a flight back right after the presentation. I promise.” He added, grinning, “I’ve asked your soon to be ex-fiancé to stay with you.”

“Scandalous,” she said, sighing. “I guess if you must go.”

“I’ll be back in two days.” Josh leaned over and kissed her, coaxing her soft lips open.

“What was that for?” she asked a minute later, bringing her legs up and placing them on his lap.

“Just a reminder that I’m coming back.”

“Hmmm . . . very nice . . . but . . .” She kicked off one of her black ballet flats and then the other while unbuttoning her black, buttoned top until her satin red bra was exposed. She leaned back on her elbows. “I think I’ll need a much stronger reminder.”

Josh smirked. Was his high school fantasy coming true sixteen years later?

“That is . . .” She lowered her lashes. “If you can tolerate me.”

“I think I can.” Josh leaned in, smiling down at the woman he loved. Minus the ghost and all her shenanigans, he and Caitlin were finally in a good place.

“
M
orning
, wife-to-be until we stage the breakup to end all breakups.” Adam sauntered across the kitchen and joined Caitlin in front of the sink. He reached for a banana from a mosaic fruit bowl her mom had given her one Christmas and peeled it.

“Very funny.” She swirled her finger in the soap suds, giving him a flick. “But I bet you
have
given our breakup a lot of thought. How do you propose we do it?”

“Not sure yet, but it’s got to be epic and very public. Like a loud argument between us at the Star Lite at the peak of their dinner hour that leads to a food fight. BBB Burgers and chocolate milkshakes flying everywhere.”

Caitlin rolled her eyes at that visual and filled two coffee cups, handing one to Adam. “I’m sure Mel and Betty would just love that. I think we should do something a little less messy.” She snapped her fingers. “I know. Why don’t we say that the more we did to fast-track our engagement, the more we realized that we didn’t really have much in common and shouldn’t get married.”

“Boring.”

She shrugged one shoulder. “Suit yourself. I like it.”

“No one would ever believe that you wouldn’t want to marry all this,” he joked, pointing at his solid abs.

She laughed back while silently preferring Josh’s.

“So where are the kids?” He pointed to the empty high chairs.

“Man, you must sleep like a log. Josh’s mom and dad were here an hour ago. The kids are staying with them for the rest of the week.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, and I’m going to see if Abby can sleep over tonight, so you are off the hook.” Caitlin leaned back against the counter. She’d called Jackie last night and explained that she just needed a few days to concentrate on their ghost problem but didn’t want to alarm her parents by asking them to watch the triplets.

Jackie didn’t hesitate to take them. She’d even hinted that a children-free zone might also give Caitlin and Josh some alone time once he got back. It warmed Caitlin’s heart to hear his mother was supportive.

Adam crossed the room and pulled out a kitchen chair, sitting down with his coffee and donut he’d helped himself to. She loved how her friend easily made himself at home. She suspected with his easygoing personality, he could do that just about anywhere.

“So, Caity Bug, if Josh has banned you from the theater and his parents have the kids, what are you going to do today with all this free time? Mani pedi?”

Caitlin blinked. She’d forgotten that Josh had asked her to stay away. In his “post-backseat romp” arms, of course, she’d said she would. At that moment, she would have done anything he asked.

However, her to-do list was several pages long. Maybe she could go in for a few hours and keep the front doors open if she needed to run out quickly. She sighed. Or needed someone to hear her screams for help.

Adam raised his eyebrow. “You’re going to work, aren’t you?”

“Just for a couple hours. What Josh doesn’t know won’t hurt him.”

“Well, I’m going with you. My dad doesn’t need me until the afternoon after the storm passes.” He pointed to the window, and Caitlin’s gaze followed. The clouds were, in fact, rolling in.

“It’s really not necessary,” she said. “I’ll be fine.”

“No way am I getting my ass kicked when Josh gets back if something happens. I’m going. End of story.”

Sheesh. Who knew Adam could be just as bossy as Josh. “Fine, but nothing’s going to happen. Mary’s been quite friendly since the water incident. Besides, if I don’t go, she won’t get to watch her favorite movie today, and
that
will surely piss her off.”

“Is that what Josh’s been doing? Watching movies with her?”

“Yep. And it’s only one movie played over and over. They talk a bit about our wedding before it starts.”

“Man, where was she in high school when Josh forced me to go with him to the theater all the time?” He laughed. “Even after we graduated. He tried to get me to come home junior year of college to see the high school senior play.”

“Really, why?”

“Do I have to spell it out for you? He wanted to see the leading lady ‘break a leg.’ He went alone that time, too.”

“He came to see me?” she asked, her heart picking up at that admission. “I didn’t even know he was there.”

Adam came over and gently tugged her ponytail. “Now you do.”

She smiled shyly and changed the subject back to the theater’s resident. “Since Josh isn’t here to watch the movie with Mary, perhaps we can sit with her. Although we won’t actually see her next to us—or hear her.”

“That doesn’t sound creepy at all,” he scoffed.

“It’s not that scary. Josh says she laughs all the way through the movie and then will request to see it three, sometimes four more times. Since we won’t be able to hear her request, we’ll plan on repeating it four times just to be safe.” She paused, adding, “It’s a comedy. You’ll like it.”

“Please tell me it’s
Animal House
.”

“What is it with men and that movie?” She shook her head and leaned back on the counter, sipping her coffee. “It’s an old picture starring my grandfather. It was playing opening night in 1937 when she—” Caitlin turned and peered out the window, her gaze resting on the lake.

“Drowned.”

“Yeah.” Bridget and Tom had already filled him in on the news clipping of Mary’s unfortunate death. Adam and Tom’s mother had confirmed to them that his grandmother did have a cousin named Mary, but she and her parents had moved out west when his mother was young, and she never saw her again. Caitlin had called Josh last night with that news.

“So this woman, who may or may not be related to me, goes to see the movie and then comes back to the inn and kills herself. Is that what happened?”

Caitlin spun around. “That’s the mystery to solve. She looked so utterly happy in the photo taken in line.” She reached for her purse and pulled out the framed picture she’d been carrying since Josh gave it back to her. “What could have possibly happened just a few hours later to cause her to take her life?”

He studied the photo, letting out a low whistle. “Pretty gal. She definitely could have passed along the Reed good looks. So Josh is the only one who can see her?”

“Sheila and Jackie could see her, too, but Josh is the only one she’ll talk to.” She placed the photo back in her purse. “Shall we go to the movies?”

While Adam wasn’t that eager to reunite with his long-lost relative, he nevertheless gathered his things while Caitlin finished cleaning up. She promised herself she’d knock a couple tasks off her to-do list and call it a day by noon. Josh couldn’t fault her for wanting to stay on track for the opening. Then, she’d go have lunch with Jackie and the kids. Maybe they could go to the park this afternoon or stop by the animal shelter and see the kitties. The new veterinarian, Carter Manning, would often pop out with a kitten to let kids pet.

Thirty minutes later, Caitlin pulled into the theater’s parking lot. Her cheeks warmed at the instant memory of her tryst with Josh in the backseat.

It hadn’t even been twenty-four hours, but she missed him terribly.

Before he left for the airport, he’d stopped by the house and promised her that they’d be together soon. He’d tried to downplay it, but she could tell he was relieved that the triplets were with his parents for a few days.

He also insisted that Adam or Abby stay with Caitlin. She grabbed her phone and sent a quick text to Abby to see if she was free to stay the night. “See, Josh, I can follow your orders,” she said out loud to herself.

Except when it came to staying away from her theater. No ghost was going to keep her from realizing her dream. Josh would just have to understand.

Just then, Adam pulled up in his truck. She gave him a short wave and hopped out of her SUV.

Adam had really come through for her and was being a good sport about their fake engagement. He deserved to find his own true love, but Caitlin wasn’t entirely sure it was Rachel.

She hadn’t mentioned it to him, but she had seen Rachel laughing it up with a local winery owner in a corner booth at the Star Lite when she stopped by to pick up last night’s takeout. If they were dating, it was only a matter of time before that news would spread.

And Adam would be heartbroken. Maybe she should talk to Emma and Abby and see if he could be one of Emma’s Batter Up bachelors. He’d had his opportunity last year but decided not to take it. Perhaps it was time. Although, it would have to happen after their public breakup.

God, what if her name appeared in his bowl like his had in hers? She wiggled her nose. That was not going to happen. Best guy friend, yes. Her soul mate . . . well, that title hopefully belonged to Josh.

“So do you think Mary will be joining us?”

“I wouldn’t be surprised, and let’s keep up the happy couple pretense just in case. Apparently she flipped out on Josh when he suggested I could do better.”

“He said that? Asshole,” he kidded.

They headed to the front of the theater and Caitlin pulled her keys out of her purse and opened the lock. As they stepped into the lobby, the hairs on the back of her neck immediately stood at attention, and she whipped around. “Do you hear that?”

Adam glanced toward the auditorium. “It sounds like a cat crying in there.”

“Oh God.” Caitlin lowered her voice. “It’s Mary.”

“That’s her hollering?”

“I’m sure of it.” Caitlin took a couple steps in the direction of the noise, but Adam grabbed her arm.

“Caity, what are you doing? It’s time to go.”

She shook free. “Don’t you know what this means? If we can
hear
her, maybe we can
see
her, too. I’m going in.”

“Caitlin, don’t go in th—”

“She’s not going to hurt us.”

Caitlin headed down the hallway, turning on all the lights. She reached the double doors to the auditorium and took a deep breath, trying to suffocate the fear inside her. “I can do this.”

Pushing through, she took a step in. Adam was right behind her, but judging by the sheer terror on his face, he’d be fleeing the first chance he got and would, no doubt, pick her up and haul her over his shoulder.

She put her finger to her lips, ordering his silence, and then glanced down to Mary’s reserved seat. It was empty. “Mary, it’s Caitlin. Are you upset?” She took two bold steps forward and then three more. “I can’t see you, but I heard crying.”

“I’d like to see the movie,” the words shot up the aisle, paralyzing Caitlin in her tracks.

“Demanding little ghost,” Adam whispered.

“Shh . . .” She mustered all her courage and continued toward the empty seat. “I would be happy to play a movie for you. Same one, Mary?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, it’ll only be a second.”

“Where is Josh? He always watches it with me.”

Caitlin couldn’t help but smile. The ghost missed her movie companion just as much as she did. “He had to go out of town for work, but he’ll be back soon.”

Having an idea, Caitlin motioned for Adam to join her. “My fiancé is here. He’s Josh’s best friend. Would you like to watch it with him?”

Adam’s eyes widened at that invitation. “Oh, hell no.”

Caitlin lowered her voice. “I’ll go start it. You’ll do fine. Just talk about the wedding.”

“You owe me big time for this.”

Caitlin smiled and gave him a supportive squeeze. “Mary, this is Adam
Reed
.” She annunciated Reed for Mary’s benefit. “Adam, Mary.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Mary,” he said with trepidation. “I mean . . . um . . . er . . . I can’t see you, but you have a pretty voice.”

“Reed,” repeated the voice. “Please have a seat.”

“Okie-dokie.” Adam didn’t move from his spot.

“Sit down, honey, right next to Mary.” Caitlin pulled down the seat’s cushion. “I’ll start the movie and get you some popcorn and a soda. Tell Mary all about the surprise honeymoon you’re planning for me. I’m sure she’d love to hear all about it.”

“Extra butter, please,” Adam muttered his request and reluctantly took a seat. As Caitlin rushed up the aisle, she heard him awkwardly asking Mary how her day was going.

Caitlin headed into the booth and started the reel. She’d have sixteen minutes before she’d need to start it again. Plenty of time to heat up the popcorn machine and make Adam some.

How was any of this possible? Maybe Mary had the magic ability to make her voice heard since Adam could hear her, too.

It took a bit longer than she’d planned to heat up her machine, but thirty minutes later she took a hot bucket of buttery popcorn and a Coke back in with her.

“Hey, babe.” Adam glanced behind him. “Can you do me and cousin Mary a favor and hit replay?”

Caitlin’s eyebrow shot up. His light and breezy tone was much different than the “scared out of his mind” one he had earlier. Apparently, Adam and the ghost were hitting it off. “You got it, love.” She headed up to the booth but stopped. “Adam, can you help me bring down the snacks?”

“Sure thing, Caity-Bug!” He shot up out of his seat. “Be right back, Mary-Berry. Don’t go anywhere.”

Mary busted out into a fit of giggles to Caitlin’s complete astonishment. “Mary-Berry?” She shook her head and climbed the stairs to the booth.

“What? You asked me to talk to her?”

“And in thirty minutes you’re on a nickname basis?” Caitlin set the popcorn down on the new work table she’d ordered for the booth and handed Adam his Coke. “I should have known she’d be eating out of the palm of your hand.”

He grinned and reached into the bucket, grabbing a handful of popcorn. “I think you’ll be interested in what I learned,” he said in between bites. “That ghost likes to talk. Another trait of the Reed women. My grandmother back in her day could ta—”

“We’ve got sixteen minutes,” she interrupted. “Tell me everything Mary said.” She started the movie.

“Adam is not your soul mate. He’s hers.”

Her eyebrows knitted at that news. “But aren’t you related?”

“Not me.” He pointed at the screen. “That guy.”

Caitlin stared at the familiar scene of her grandfather and his side-kick doing slapstick.

“But my grandfather’s name was John, and he was already married to my grandmother when the movie came out.”