Chapter Six

Parker rose with sun and took a moment to listen to the birds greet the day. He stretched and pulled on his work clothes. Being the groundskeeper at Miss Dee’s B and B had always been his passion, but today, he couldn’t wait to get there. He brushed his teeth and hair and smiled. Today would be spent in the company of an auburn-haired beauty. A pounding on the bathroom door pulled him out of his reverie, banishing his daydreams to the back of his mind for the moment.

“Come on, Parker, hurry up. You’ve got a line out here,” Lucas yelled.

“I need to get my own place,” he muttered and yanked open the door. “I’m done. It’s all yours. I’ll be by this afternoon to pick up the next load of foliage for the fall festival.”

“Mrs. Hall have the organized chaos in hand as usual?”

“Yep.”

Parker walked to the kitchen and poured cereal and milk into a bowl. He pulled a pack of English muffins out of the cabinet. He split one apart and placed the slices in the toaster oven. He and Lucas could go through about three packs of those a week. Sometimes he swore they kept the local English muffin plant in business. He dug into his cereal while he waited for the timer to ding, letting him know the English muffin was ready.

What did Renee do to get ready for the day? Did she have a simple breakfast like him, or did she like bacon and eggs? Did she like coffee or tea or maybe just a glass of juice or milk? He finished his cereal and grabbed his English muffin from the toaster oven as Lucas walked in.

Lucas poured them both a glass of orange juice. “You looked deep in thought for a bit. Care to share?”

“I wanted to run over my list of what I need to do today.” Parker concentrated on spreading butter on the warm muffin halves. “That’s all.”

Lucas slid onto a chair directly across from Parker and stared hard at him. “Nah. It’s more than that. What’s your actual thoughts?”

“You got me. My actual thought was that you text me too much.” Parker dusted the crumbs off his hands and put his dishes in the sink. “I have to go or I’ll be late. See you after a while.”

He hurried to his truck and slammed the door. The sea captain appeared next to him. The drive was quiet for a few minutes before the captain spoke up.

“You should ask that girl to lunch when you see her today,” the captain said.

“I plan to.” He turned right onto Main Street, giving small waves to people who greeted him. “Renee said her grandmother acted like a matchmaker. Are you trying your hand at it now? I mean, you’ve never tried to match me up with anyone before.”

The captain chuckled. “Now why would I do that to you, my boy? I don’t like to interfere in your personal life.”

“I wouldn’t put it past you or her.” Parker turned right on Main Street. “And you interfere more often than not.”

The captain stroked his beard. “Only when you need a push in the right direction.’

Parker frowned. “Doesn’t someone else need you to haunt them for a bit? Maybe you should go check.”

The captain laughed as he faded away.

He drove toward the B and B. He had no desire to tell Lucas what his thoughts were. The brothers usually shared everything, but not this time. Even with his recent marriage, Lucas could still smooth talk any girl he met. Parker decided he’d keep the secret of Renee Tate all to himself.

****

Renee yawned and stretched. A quick glance at the clock showed five after six in the morning. She rolled over and groaned as she pulled the pillow over her head. She tried her best to ignore the infernal device as it counted down the minutes until it would make its obnoxious beep, forcing her to get up. She closed her eyes and pretended to sleep. When she looked at the clock again, certain it had been a half an hour, only five minutes had gone by. She gave in and threw the covers off.

She steamed herself in the shower and walked out of the bathroom. She allowed Parker to fill her thoughts while she dried her hair. She laid out jeans, a T-shirt, a heavy sweater, and thicker socks than yesterday. Now that she knew the terrain, she’d be better prepared. Her feet were still achy from the hike through the woods the day before. She never should have worn the thin tennis shoes she’d decided on.

“Good morning, dear,” Gran said when she appeared.

“Hi, Gran.” Renee dressed quickly before pulling on her socks. “Did you meet any nice ghosts last night?”

Her gran’s ghost gave the impression she sat on the bed. “I met a nice couple and a very sweet girl who said she saw you in town. She said it looked like you and Parker got along very well. I had such an enjoyable evening talking to them and the sea captain and a couple of lovely Victorian ladies.”

“Now you have ghosts spying on me?” Renee smiled. “You sneak.”

“Would I do that?” Gran laid a hand over her heart. “Heavens, no. She wanted to see if Parker had gotten some items he needed for something special and happened to see you two. She knew she had to tell me, since we are related.”

Renee laughed. “Of course she did. He’ll be here today to help me look around for your tree some more. I hope we find it soon. I can’t keep my shop back east closed for longer than two weeks. Are you sure you can’t remember the exact location?”

“It’s been over fifty years since the last time I saw it. You’ll have to bear with me.” Her grandmother hesitated before she answered. “I don’t think I’m supposed to cross over yet. Even if we do find it today or tomorrow, I believe I’m supposed to wait for a certain day.”

Renee sat on the bed to tie her boots. “Did the other ghosts tell you that?”

“Yes.” Gran got up and gave the impression that she paced. “They said there’s a ritual to be performed to open the gateway to the afterlife. I think we have to wait for the right time. When you spread my ashes, I don’t want you to have any problems.”

“You know I’ll do whatever you want me to, Gran. You tell me when, and that’s when we’ll do it.” She paused. “Do you think Gramps will come for you?”

“He promised me he would.” She floated to the window and looked out. “I believe he’ll be there. Not once in our fifty-two years of marriage did he ever let me down.”

“I hope I have that kind of marriage when I find my own Mr. Right.” Renee paced at the foot of the bed. “Did you find out what’s wrong with the woods? I can sense some type of entity, but I don’t know if it’s bad or maybe just a melancholy ghost. The night I arrived, I could hear someone or something groan. I think the woods are hiding something. I wish I knew what it could be.”

“No one mentioned a dark presence to me. I’ll ask around, though, if it will help you.” Gran floated over to the door. “You’d better hustle if you don’t want to be late.”

Renee hurried downstairs to get some breakfast. That annoying lump had formed in her throat again. After she’d spread the ashes, Gran would be gone forever. She needed to resign herself to her grandmother’s wishes. It wouldn’t be right to keep her from the peace she deserved.

Dee placed a tray full of warm cinnamon rolls on the table. “Good morning, Renee. Do you have a better appetite today?”

“Yes, thank you.” Renee inhaled. “Those smell delicious.”

“Help yourself. I’ve got to get more homemade bread for toast.”

Renee filled a plate with eggs, bacon, and some fried potatoes. She popped two pieces of bread in the toaster and took her plate to the table. She got her toast and smeared a lot of butter on both slices. Her vacation rules were in effect. No more diets until she arrived back in her apartment.

“Did you get enough to eat?” Dee asked, when Renee swallowed her last bite.

“Yes, thank you.” Renee patted her stomach. “I guess all the fresh air here has restored my appetite.”

A ding sounded from the kitchen. “Excuse me for a moment.”

“Parker’s on his way, and he seems to be driving faster than usual,” Gran whispered. “I think he’s excited to see you again.”

“He might just be late for work. Did you consider that option?” She glanced over her shoulder and frowned when her grandmother smiled. “I hope we can find the oak tree today.”

“You should ask him out again.” Gran blew a lock of Renee’s hair in her face. “You don’t want him to get away.”

“He’s not going anywhere,” Renee hissed. She frowned. After she spread the ashes, she’d be going somewhere. She’d be going home.

“Did you say something, dear?” Dee said, when she came out of the kitchen carrying a tray of warm bread slices.

Renee smiled and shrugged. The trip home didn’t sound so appealing anymore.

Dee looked past Renee’s shoulder and smiled, as a twinkle lit her eyes. She nodded, as if she agreed with someone. Could Miss Dee see and hear her grandmother? Maybe she wasn’t alone in her ability to communicate with ghosts. If so, it was possible Dee had heard everything Gran had said to her.

The front door opened, and Parker walked into the dining room. “Hi, everyone.”

“Hi, Parker,” Renee said. “Thanks again for the help yesterday. I really appreciate it.”

“My pleasure. Miss Dee, could I start work a little later today?”

“Not at all. Since a guest requires your help, that constitutes as work. You can tend to the grounds this afternoon. Do you have to take any deliveries to the festival?”

“A few. I told Renee I’d take her into town when I go.”

“Is that a fact?” Dee smiled at her, as she though she knew the answer. “Renee, do you think you’ll like our little town? After all, you’re quite the city girl.”

Renee nodded. “I believe so. I looked in some of the shops last night when we went to dinner. I’m anxious to explore inside all the stores. I can’t wait to see what they have to offer.”

“I’m sure you’ll find some items you might like.” Dee stacked the dirty plates. “Now, shoo, you two. You’d better hit the trails, and I have my own work to get done.”

They walked outside, and Renee took a deep breath. “Even the air here smells better than the city.”

“It helps we don’t have a lot of traffic.”

“Miss Dee sure had you pegged,” she said. “You don’t say much at all, do you?”

He shrugged. “No need. We’ll head north today.”

They started off across the lawn on the right side of the house. Renee shivered as the shade from the trees penetrated her clothes and seeped into her bones. Heaviness in the air clung to her skin, the damp air raising goosebumps on her arms under her heavy sweater. Her grandmother pressed closer to her, and she in turn moved closer to Parker, holding his arm.

“Do the woods feel, I don’t know, depressing somehow?”

He nodded and looked down at her hand on his arm. “This part of the woods has a sad history.”

She stepped away and waited for him to continue. When he didn’t, she prompted him. “What happened here?”

“A young mother ran away from her husband. She had her child with her. The husband found them, and it didn’t end well for her. He took their child, and the story goes her ghost still searches for the baby.”

“That’s awful.”

“Yeah. I hope one day I’ll be able to…” He stopped. “I mean, I hope she’ll be able to find peace.”

Curious choice of words, he’d started to say. Is it possible she and Parker shared the same secret? Could he also see and talk to ghosts? She shoved that thought to the back of her mind. The mystery in the north woods needed to be solved first. Maybe while she shopped in town this afternoon, she’d try to find out more about the woman. Maybe she’d be able to bring her the peace Parker wished for her.

At every tree, her grandmother said no. Renee hoped they’d find it today, but after more than an hour of searching, they still had no luck. “We have to find the oak tree soon, or we’ll run out of property.”

“Could your grandmother have been mistaken about the town where her tree is?” Parker asked. “There are other small towns like this one nearby. They all look alike.”

Renee shook her head. “Her will said specifically it was here in Garland Falls.” She sighed. “I guess our one option at this point is to search until we find it.”

“I guess so.”

As much as Renee wanted to find the tree and give her grandmother peace, she’d hate to have this time with Parker end.