The Wells Brothers: Luke (26 page)

“Please tell me,” he staggered
over to the kettle, “that you got those camcorders after the sun came up.”

“Absolutely,” she answered
cheerfully.

“And you took someone with you.”

“Everyone was up but you,
Lukey-boy.  You’re looking a bit weary this fine morning.”

Trying to blink out the grittiness
in his eyes, he poured hot water into a cup.  “We sat out there until long
after midnight, how could you possibly be so perky this morning?”

“I slept like a log when we got
back.”

Luke hadn’t slept that well. 
Zombies had been coming for him all night brandishing broken tree branches.  If
this was how ghost hunting was going to effect him, he could only pray that
Mikki was speaking the truth when she’d told him that she and Elspeth headed
out alone only a couple of times a year.

“How was the stake out?” Aaron
shut the laptop, getting up to place it on the kitchen bench as Elspeth placed
the platter loaded with toast into the middle of the table.

“Uneventful,” Luke replied.

“Oh, don’t be so sure,” Mikki
said.  “I haven’t watched the footage yet.  We might have caught something, you
never know.”

Inhaling the scent of coffee
drifting up from the mug, Luke sat down at the table across from her and
frowned.  “You should have woken me up.  Or did you take Aaron with you?”

“Whatever for?”  She unplugged the
camcorder lead from the laptop.

“Because we would’ve done a quick
scout around in the light of day to make sure no one had been there.”

Bent over re-tying his shoelaces,
Ryan glanced at him over the edge of the table.

“Someone was out there last night?”
Aaron queried.

Taking a seat, Elspeth unscrewed
the jam jar lid.  “Did you see something?”

“Nope.”  Following Aaron’s
example, Mikki stood up to take the laptop and camcorder to the kitchen bench.

“Yes.  We heard a stick break.” 
Taking a slice of toast, Luke spread Vegemite on it.  “Could have been an
animal, but you can never be too careful.”

“I’ve been out to the graveyards
alone before.”  Mikki resumed her seat.

“I’d still have preferred you let
me check around first just in case.”

“There was no sign of anyone out
there,” she argued.  “The graveyards were undisturbed.”

“What about around the graveyards?”

“Aren’t you taking this
over-protectiveness a little too earnestly?  It’s broad daylight.”

Chewing on toast, he regarded her steadily.

She was surprised.  “Wow, you’re
really serious about this, aren’t you?”

“Never doubt that your safety
isn’t serious to me.”

“Oh.”  That took the wind out of
her sails.

Mikki looked at him as though
seeing him for the first time, her regard quizzical.  Let her think all she liked,
she’d soon realise that Wells men were dead serious about the safety of their
women.  Hell, it was why he was prepared to go with her and Elspeth when they
decided to go on ghost hunts alone.

Elspeth smiled as she poured cream
onto the toast she’d loaded liberally with jam and cut into it with a knife and
fork.

Ryan ate silently, his gaze distant
as he gazed at the far wall.  Luke would bet his last dollar that Ryan was very
well aware of what was being said.

Leaning back in the chair, Aaron rested
his ankle on his opposite knee.  “You’re concerned.”

“Just cautious.”  Luke took his gaze
from Mikki to look at his older brother.  “A lot of people know we’re here. 
It’s not inconceivable that someone could be snooping around, wanting to know
what’s happening.”

Aaron nodded.

“You really think that, too?”
Mikki asked.

“You never know with people,” he
replied.  “Anyone, anything, you can never be too careful.”

Luke’s lips tightened a bit. 
Shit, Mikki and Elspeth and their ghost hunting
alone
.  Remembering his
shared banter with Mikki the previous night, it hit him hard.  Alone.  She and Elspeth
had gone alone several times.  Two women
alone.
  He looked at her
sitting across from him, her expression plainly saying ‘What did I do now?’ as
she returned his gaze.

“No more going alone,” he said.

“What?”

“I wasn’t joking last night.”

“I was.”

Okay, they had kidded around but
now he was dead serious.  Going by the mulish look in her eyes, though her
expression was pleasant, she hadn’t realised.  In fact, she was probably ready
to buck his decision.

Oh boy, he was having it out with
her later, that was for sure, but not right now.  He never aired dirty laundry
in public.  If he and she were going to have their first couple’s tiff it
wasn’t going to be with witnesses.  They might enjoy it, he and Mikki wouldn’t.

Taking a calming breath, he smiled
pleasantly, turning his attention to breakfast.

Everyone fell into morning
conversation, discussing what they meant to do that day.   Luke intended to
keep working on designs and deciding what would be needed, Aaron announced he
was going to scout out the security a bit more to fine-tune some details, Mikki
and Elspeth decided to drive into town to top up on groceries and go to the
post office, and Ryan asked if he could accompany them as he had to go to the
pharmacist.

Luke almost warned him about
Elspeth’s driving but figured he’d wait to see if the man came back with any
fear in his expression.  That’d be an amusing test.

Aaron gave Luke a wry look,
knowing exactly what had produced the little smirk that Luke couldn’t quite
hide, but he didn’t say anything, either.  With a stretch, he announced he was
going for a walk, inviting Dog to accompany him.  Dog wagged his tail, looked
at Luke, and when Luke said “Go on, boy’, he took off gleefully after Aaron.

Now that everyone had peeled off
to do a few last minute things before getting fully into their morning jobs, Luke
went looking for Mikki.

He didn’t have far to look.  She
was waiting for him outside the room he slept in, one shoulder against the
wall, her arms folded, her gaze inscrutable as he neared.

Stopping directly in front of her,
Luke leaned his own shoulder against the wall, crossing his ankles and hooking
his thumbs into his jeans pockets.

“Something on your mind?” she asked
quietly.

“As a matter of fact, yes,” he
answered.  “And I want you to listen and not go off half-cocked.”  As her
expression darkened, he cursed silently.  “Not the best wording.  Sorry.  I
meant, please hear me out before saying anything.”

Pursing her lips, she studied him
before nodding.  “Okay.”

“I’m a Wells man, and we protect
our women,” he stated bluntly, being completely honest because that was the
kind of man he was brought up to be, but choosing his words carefully.  “My
concern for your safety isn’t meant to smother you.  I know you’re independent,
used to making your own decisions, but I’m really concerned to hear that you
and Elspeth sometimes go on these ghost hunts alone, just the two of you.  I’d
prefer it if you didn’t do it anymore.  In fact, I’ll be accompanying you.  I’m
not joking.”

She gazed at him with raised
eyebrows before replying in a reasonable tone, “Wow, that was good.  Now how
about you put it in your own words with what you’re really feeling?”

“I don’t think that’s wise right
now,” he replied carefully.

“Why?”

“I don’t want a fight.”

“You think I’ll get mad?”

“I’ve already been kicked in the
nut sack once, I’m not ready for a repeat performance.”

“Why will I kick you?”

“Because you have a bit of a
temper and my words may just offend you enough to have you firing up.”

“Intriguing.  But I’m not taking a
scrap of notice of your pretty words.  I want to know what you’re really
feeling.”

No, he didn’t think that was wise.

Leaning forward, she tapped his
chest with one finger.  “We can either tip-toe around this, Luke, or we can be
honest.”

“I am being honest.”

“Honestly you?”

“Honestly trying to be
reasonable.”

“So you’re not feeling
reasonable?”

“Red,” he almost barked out, “I’m
feeling pretty bloody annoyed right now.”

“There you go.  Let it all out. 
What are you feeling pretty bloody annoyed about right now?”

Man, she was playing it cool,
standing there with a raised eyebrow, refolding her arms as she waited. 
Annoyingly cool.

“You sure you want to do this?” he
asked.

“Oh, absolutely.”

“Fine.  I’m annoyed that you and
Elspeth go off alone on ghost hunts. The two of you alone.  It’s dangerous,
it’s foolhardy, and I’m not going to let you do it again.  There.  I’ve told
you.”

Those lush lips pursed as she eyed
him narrowly.

He eyed her right back, just
waiting for that flare up.  Didn’t take long.

Her eyes flashed.  “Luke Wells, we
are not foolhardy, we know what we’re doing, and we don’t need a bloke around
to tell us what to do or for protection.”

“Don’t care, I’m going to be right
beside you both to make sure you’re safe whether you like it or not.”

“Is that so?”

“Hell, yeah.”

“Do you have to be such an
overbearing dick about this?”

“Yes.”  He thought to add, “And
I’m not overbearing.”

“Luke-”

“You think a couple of blokes
stumbling across you and Elspeth alone would hesitate to attack you?  It’s not
the ghosts I’m worried about, Red, it’s the human scum that prey on people. 
People like you have a right to do what they want, but unfortunately people
like them roaming around make it unsafe.”

Mikki scowled, but there was
something in her eyes…

Straightening, he braced his hands
on his hips and leaned down to look her right in the eyes, feeling a muscle
jump in his jaw as he grated, “I’m going to make sure none of those scum have a
chance to destroy your interest and fun, I’m going to make certain that you
continue to do what you like in safety. I’m going to watch your backs the whole
time, and if you don’t like it, then…well…”

“Well?”

“Well, nothing.  This isn’t an
ultimatum.”

“It sure sounds like it.”

“It’s a fact.  It just is.” 
Leaning closer, he added tightly, “Don’t give me lip on this, Red.  I’ll follow
you anywhere on your crazy quest for ghosts.  I won’t be dogging your footsteps
when you’re with a group, but when you and Elspeth go it alone I’m your
back-up.”

Her mouth tightened.

“I’ll fetch you coffee, fetch you
soup, carry your damned bags of camcorders and meters and shit, and help set
things up.  I’ll sit in the bloody dark and cold, I’ll get cramp in my arse, my
balls will freeze off in winter and cook in summer, but I’ll be there every
step of the way.  There.  Said.”  Returning to his upright position, he glared
down at her.  “Your turn.”

Rather than flare up at him, she
studied him for the longest time.  He could just about see that brain of hers
ticking over.  Oh boy, this was not going to go well.

However, instead of reacting the
way he expected, she asked quietly, “You really feel like this?”

He nodded. 
Wait for it.  It’s
coming
.

“Wow.”  Looking down at the floor,
she chewed her bottom lip.

What was she thinking?  Damn, he
didn’t like not knowing what she was thinking.  He usually read women pretty
well, but then none of them had been his Red.  She was turning out to be a
sweet bundle of surprises.  Well, this might not be so sweet, but for sure he’d
expected her to flare up at him.  Red hair and all, right?  Red hair and
temper?

Eyeing her, he started to reverse
his opinion.  Maybe the red hair and temper were a bit of an oxymoron.  So far
he hadn’t seen a lot of temper, just a whole lot of spirit.  Big difference.

Mikki looked back up at him. 
“You’re the first man to ever volunteer to come with us to keep us safe.”

That had him blinking.  “Pardon?”

“No one has ever done that for
us.”

“Really?  What about your
brothers?  Your dad?”

She shrugged.  “They cared, warned
us about the dangers, but that was it.  My brothers have their families, and
Dad…well, he just ripped me about the danger and said we shouldn’t do it.  All
the males in my family had a go at me and Aunt with that.  But not one of them
volunteered to come with us just so we could continue to have some fun.”

“Really?”  He couldn’t believe
it.  “None of them?”

“No.  They just expected Aunt and
me to give up ghost hunting, to not go where we wanted, to wait for groups. 
They don’t understand how much fun we get out of it, our interest.  And we are
interested.  We hear about places groups don’t want to go, small places
sometimes with no big scares, we want to explore, and no way were we going to
let this stop us.”  She glanced back down at her sneakers.  “It sounds stupid,
doesn’t it?  We know it can be dangerous but we take precautions as much as we
can.  We let the police know where we’re going, we make sure the owners of the property
where the buildings or ghostly happenings occur know we’re going there, when
and where.  We have our mobiles charged, we tell our families, and we report in
to Dad every morning and every night for added safety.”

For the first time since he’d sat
at the kitchen table for breakfast, Luke relaxed a little.  “Did you ask them
to go with you?”

“I did a couple of times, just invited
them to have some fun, you know?  But they’re not into it and weren’t prepared
to go with us.  I wasn’t going to ask them to come for added protection, that’d
be kind of…weak.”

“Better weak than dead,” he
replied bluntly.

“You really want to go there right
now?”

Shit no, he wasn’t that dumb, especially
when she was talking to him instead of reaming him a new one.  He’d call that a
win.  Luke mimed zipping his mouth shut and tossing the key over his shoulder.