Whispers (Argent Springs) (12 page)

They ate in silence for a few moments, and Erin
searched her brain for something to say that wouldn’t spark another argument.

“I’m glad Kellan found those kids.” She inwardly
groaned at her lame attempt to force conversation.

He met her gaze. “Me, too.”

“He seems really nice. Have you been friends for
long?”

“Only since grade school.” He gave her a quick
smile before he focused on his dinner again.

Erin lifted her wine glass and took a swallow. She
had one friend she’d kept through her school years, although she hadn’t seen
much of Tori during the past few years. Her friend would love it here though.
Perhaps they could plan a trip together in the future, and she could introduce
her to Annabelle.

She caught Rick glancing at her before he quickly
looked away. His actions brought a smile. It seemed she was in Rick’s company
more and more despite the fact she’d planned on spending most of her visit with
Annabelle.

She had to wonder if this
was
Annabelle’s
attempt at playing matchmaker. If so, it came to her as a complete surprise.
She’d had no such indications that Annabelle had any ulterior motives behind
inviting her to visit Argent Springs.

The silence grew between them, and Erin found
herself repeatedly glancing in Rick’s direction to see if he was still watching
her. A couple of times she caught him doing the same.

“It sounds like you have a date with Allen,” he
said out of the blue, making her wonder how long he’d been stewing about it.

She glanced at him, but he wouldn’t meet her gaze.
“What makes you say that?”

He shrugged and then pinned her with a direct
look. “I heard him ask you out. I thought you said you weren’t interested in
dating.”

She almost laughed out loud. “Allen wasn’t asking
me on a date. He had wondered if I had some time and could volunteer at Nina’s
candy shop. Apparently she’s had surgery and isn’t able to hire any extra
help.” Take that Mr. Not Interested in Dating. He was obviously at least
somewhat interested in who
she
might date, and that fact brought her
more pleasure than it should have.

A spark of something, perhaps relief or happiness
lit in his eyes, and she quickly looked away, not wanting to travel any further
down that road.

Rick had said he wasn’t interested in her, but it
didn’t exactly feel that way at the moment. She wasn’t sure if she liked it or
not.

She finished her meal as quickly as she could,
hoping he didn’t notice. She swallowed her last bite of stroganoff and followed
it with the rest of her wine. “I hope you don’t mind, but I’m turning in early,
too. My toes are still icicles, and a long, hot bath sounds wonderful.”

He raised his brows, and then glanced between his
half-full plate and her empty one. She’d been busted. “Sure. No problem. I
didn’t expect you to keep me company all evening.”

A frown grew inside her, but she refused to let it
surface on her lips. She stood and carried her dishes to the sink, rinsing them
off and placing them in the dishwasher. “Do you mind starting this when you’re
finished?” She nodded toward the appliance.

He shook his head. “I do it all the time.”

“Okay.” She headed toward the doorway, hoping she
could make her escape without further incident.

“Hey,” he said, stopping her in her tracks.

She inhaled and pasted a friendly, but not-too-friendly
look on her face before she turned around.

“Annabelle has a hot tub just off the back deck. I
could uncover it for us if you’d like. That would warm you up.” A sexy grin
tilted his lips, making her all warm inside.

Temptation on a platter. The thought of both of
them being nearly naked, seeing his glorious chest muscles in the flesh while
snowflakes fluttered around them almost brought her to her knees. “That sounds
really nice, but I’m super tired. Maybe another day?” She mentally kicked
herself.

He nodded. “I understand. Maybe another time.”

She gave him a half smile and fled from the room
before she changed her mind. Most women would think she was crazy, but she
needed to strengthen her heart before she opened it for possible heartbreak
again. Not to mention, as far as she knew, he still waited for a woman named Melinda
to return.

Rick listened to Erin’s footsteps as she climbed
the hardwood stairs and made her way to her room. “Shit,” he whispered as he
rubbed the scruff on his chin. Erin had been serious when she’d said she wasn’t
interested in a relationship, and unfortunately, she was now constantly in his
thoughts. What the hell was wrong with him?

He pulled out his cell phone and stared at it. It
seemed as though Melinda had completely disappeared from his life, and yet he
was still here waiting for her. Did that make him loyal or an idiot?

With renewed determination, he called Melinda’s
number, letting it ring until it went to voicemail. He ended the call and
dropped the phone on the table. He wouldn’t bother leaving a message. He’d
already left several and knew when she did respond, it would most likely be a
text telling him about all the new people she’d met at her design school.

Maybe Annabelle was right. Maybe he needed to face
the facts and let her go. He’d wondered more than once if Melinda had already
done the same but couldn’t bring herself to tell him.

Still he felt like he needed to look Melinda in
the face before he’d truly know if what they’d had was dead. Long distances had
a way of skewing things, and he wasn’t a man who gave up easily.

Either way, he wasn’t about to tell Annabelle his
thoughts. She was already far too relentless where his love life was concerned.
One word from him, and Annabelle would be sending out invitations to his and
Erin’s wedding. He chuckled at her unwavering quest to see him married.

Still, he couldn’t say he
minded
Erin’s
company. He hadn’t been lying when he’d told her if he
was
interested in
looking for someone, he’d be looking at her. His fingers itched to dive into
her riot of curls while he kissed that tempting mouth until she begged for him
to take her. He had no doubt that she’d taste like the most potent wine.

God help him.

He downed what was left in his glass, letting the
flavor simmer on his tongue, wishing he was tasting her instead.

Then he silently cursed himself as he shoved his
hands through his hair. He shouldn’t allow thoughts like that. They would lead
down a dangerous road. He’d made a promise to Melinda, and he intended to keep
it. For now, at least.

He tried her phone one more time, needing to talk
to her, needing to connect. When the phone clicked instead of going to
voicemail, he straightened in his seat. Shuffling noises came from her end of
the line as though maybe her phone was in her purse.

“Hello?” he said, knowing they’d connected, but it
didn’t seem like Melinda was actually on the other end.

More noises came through. Then he heard a woman
laugh.

“Melinda?” he said loudly into the phone. He
couldn’t be certain it had been her laugh, but who else could it be?

Then the line went dead.

“Shit.” She was somewhere having a good time and
obviously not taking his calls.

Even though she hadn’t answered the phone, it
seemed as though he had an answer to his question.

*        *        *

The sun glinted off the snow bright and early the
next morning. Erin peeked out her window, finding nothing but a vivid blue sky
overhead and already melting snow on the ground below.

She’d had a fitful night. Images of Rick had
swirled in her head, and her mind kept replaying the look on his face when he’d
invited her to share the hot tub with him. She was certain he’d wanted her at
that moment, and she’d felt a risky attraction to him as well.

Thank God the sun had finally arrived and had chased
away all her midnight dreams. It had been easy to think of him while lying on
her bed with nothing to distract her. To imagine how he’d taste, how he’d feel
lying next to her.

But he didn’t want a relationship, and she didn’t
either. What if she caved to her baser instincts and ended up disappointing him
like she had Craig? She was smart enough now to realize that Craig was equally
to blame in their failed marriage, but she wasn’t ready to see something
similar on her next lover’s face. That would be a devastating blow. Someday,
she was certain she’d find someone she trusted enough to let in her inner
sanctum again without it feeling so scary. But not now. Not yet.

And certainly not with a man who constantly cited
her for doing things wrong.

Except the stroganoff. He’d loved that.

She dressed for the morning and hurried
downstairs, certain Rick would have headed off to work like he had the previous
morning.

But no. When she entered the kitchen, he sat at
the table, a cup of coffee in one hand and the newspaper in the other.
Annabelle was absent.

“Good morning,” she said as she tiptoed in on bare
feet.

He glanced up, stared at her long enough to make
her squirm, and then he turned back to his paper. “Good morning.”

She watched him for a moment and then turned,
filling a cup with milk and setting it in the microwave. She glanced back at
him while it was heating. “Where’s Annabelle?”

“Already gone. She had a breakfast date with Charles,”
he said without looking at her.

Erin lifted a brow. “A date? As in a
real
date?”
She’d been under the impression that Henderson had been the love of Annabelle’s
life, and she’d never find another.

“Mmm-hmm.” He turned the page just as the
microwave beeped.

She removed her cup and scooped in two spoons of
hot chocolate mix, stirring it.

“There’s an omelet on the stove if you want it.”

Erin lifted the lid off a frying pan, finding
cheesy goodness melted over eggs, onions and green peppers waiting for her. Her
stomach growled. The fresh mountain air left her ravenous. She’d have to start
hiking more, or she’d gain back the ten pounds she’d worked so hard to lose
last summer.

She slid the omelet onto a plate, grabbed a fork,
and carried it to the table. She returned for her hot chocolate, snagging the
can of whipped cream from the fridge on her way.

He looked at her, and she smiled. He briefly returned
the gesture before going back to his paper. The fact that she could barely hold
his attention made her wonder if she’d imagined the current that had run
between them the previous night.

“That was nice of Annabelle to cook for us before
she left.” She cut a bite of omelet and slipped it between her lips, enjoying
the way the sharp cheese blended with the soft eggs.

“She didn’t. I cooked this morning.”

“Wow, really?” Erin wanted to groan in
appreciation like he had the previous evening, but she didn’t dare encourage
him. “That was very thoughtful of you. Thanks.”

He shrugged without looking at her. “You cooked
last night.” He said it so matter-of-factly that she almost wanted to punch him
to get a reaction out of him. They’d never been alone in a room for this long
without having some kind of argument or without him managing to push her
buttons. It was kind of nice, but she missed the intense interaction.

“It’s really good,” she said, lowering her voice.
Like amazingly good.

He eyed her for a brief second and then looked
away.

She took another bite before she removed the lid
from the whipped cream and filled the top of her cup with the sweet, fluffy
cream. Annabelle had insisted that she remembered when she’d met Erin the first
time, she’d always loved drinking hot chocolate in the morning, made exactly
this way, and Annabelle had shared her affection for the warm, chocolate drink.

Erin couldn’t retrieve those memories of her aunt,
but it warmed her to know she’d had some sort of connection with Annabelle all
those years ago.

She stuck her finger in the whipped cream and
brought it to her mouth, licking her finger like Annabelle had said she’d done
as a child.

Just as she released her finger, she glanced at
Rick, certain she’d felt his gaze on her. She wasn’t wrong. He stared at her,
his eyes dark and intense. Then suddenly he folded his paper and stood, his
chair legs scraping against the wood. He snatched his empty plate and coffee
cup, placing them in the sink.

“I’ll see you later,” he said, and then he was
gone. The tone of his voice had seemed almost angry. A few seconds passed
before the front door opened and closed.

She stared at the empty kitchen doorway, wondering
what she’d done to piss him off this time. She replayed their short bursts of
conversation in her mind. Had she not thanked him enough for cooking for her?

She glanced at the paper as she took another bite.
Maybe he’d read something that had bothered him. She scanned the front page,
but couldn’t see anything inflammatory. Or maybe he’d just realized he was late
for work.

Obviously, she was not good at figuring him out.
Instead of worrying about his reaction any longer, she took a sip of her cocoa.
“Mmm…” she whispered into the quiet kitchen. So good.

The feel of something caressing her shoulder made
her jerk her head to the side. Of course, no one stood there. The house was
empty besides her.

She held perfectly still for a moment, her eyes
the only things moving as she searched the room. She had no idea what she was
looking for. Really, anything that would explain that feeling of being touched.
Her brain churned up what Annabelle had said about Rosa touching Henderson.

Suddenly, the subtle scent of lavender filled the
air, sending a shiver racing through her.

This was nuts. Seriously.

A barely discernible female voice laughed from
somewhere in the distance, and Erin stood, not sure if the voice had come from
within the house or from outside. She knew one thing—she wasn’t about to sit
around alone in a creaky, old house and freak herself out with crazy thoughts.

It didn’t take long for Erin to shove her boots on
her feet and head out the door. She didn’t feel particularly threatened, but
the thought that there really might be a ghost unnerved her.

She didn’t bother getting in her car. She wasn’t
going far, and most of the snow had melted from the roads leaving a muddy mess
as she crossed the street. She wiped her boots on a pile of snow that had been pushed
to the side on the opposite side of the street and kept to the sidewalk after
that.

She rounded the corner, turning onto Main Street
and headed toward Livia’s store. Inside, she found her new friend replenishing
the stock of mood rings next her cash register.

Livia looked up, an easy smile landing on her
lips. “Hey, Erin.” Her new friend wore her hair pulled back from her face showing
off a pair of long, dangling earrings embellished with turquoise. The natural
blue stones complemented her carefree style.

“Hi, Livia.” She paused for a moment, studying the
newly displayed rings, trying to come up with a plausible way to get
information without sounding like an idiot. “I know we don’t know each other
that well, but I’m hoping you can help me with something.”

Her friend stopped adding rings and focused solely
on her. “It’s sounds serious.”

No, not serious. Just awkward. And if she didn’t
ask, she’d still be wondering. “This might sound really weird, but have you
ever had a different kind of experience?”

Livia raised her brows with interest. “Umm…what
kind of new experience are you referring to?”

The more she thought about it, the more ridiculous
it seemed. “You know, never mind. I just…it’s…nothing.” She forced a laugh,
trying to hide her embarrassment.

“You’ve come this far. You might as well spill
it.”

She racked her brain for something else she could
talk about that wouldn’t seem so strange.

She had nothing. “Promise you won’t judge?”

“Oh, honey. I’ve seen weird, and you don’t even
come close.”

Erin hoped that was true. She’d felt a kinship
with Livia the moment they’d met and hoped to always be able to call her
friend
.
“I meant something a little paranormal.” She couldn’t believe she’d said that
like she was one of the crazy people on TV that she’d laughed at.

Reassurance flashed in Livia’s eyes. “You mean
like the ghost that haunts Annabelle’s house not to mention several ghosts around
town?” She said it so matter-of-factly, not at all concerned Erin might think
she
was a freak.

“You know about the ghost in Annabelle’s house?” she
whispered though no one else was around to hear.

“Sure,” Livia replied. “Grandma Sakima has mentioned
them on more than one occasion after being over there playing cards. Years ago,
I smelled the lavender everyone always says is Rosa.”

“I’ve smelled that, too. A bunch of times,” she
added as an afterthought as she mentally tried to calculate how many times
she’d had that experience. “Have you ever been…touched?”

Livia’s brows shot up. “Have you?”

“Today, I think. On my shoulder.” She was pretty
sure…mostly sure…maybe. Now that time had passed, she wasn’t willing to swear
on it. “At the time, it had felt very real.”

Livia seemed more interested than disturbed by her
declaration. “Honestly, I would be surprised if there weren’t any traces of
afterlife here on earth. Wouldn’t you agree? I believe we all contain a spirit
within us that is housed in our bodies while we’re alive, but I don’t think
that spirit dies when the physical body does, do you?”

“I don’t really know. I’ve never seriously thought
about it.” She’d come to Annabelle’s hoping to have her aunt show her how to
live outside the box, but this took things a little further than she’d
expected.

“Come with me.” Livia moved from behind the
counter and held out a hand. Erin took it, and Livia led them to the back of
her shop.

If Erin thought the front of Livia’s store held an
eclectic collection of interesting items, the back of her store had even more.
The walls were adorned with Celtic crosses, the Star of David, along with other
religious and pagan symbols. Erin glanced about the room in awe of what she
saw. A spicy vanilla incense stick smoked on the corner of her desk, giving the
room a warm and welcoming feel, soaking her in calmness, peace and happiness
all at one time.