Chapter 25 — The Locket

Richard entered the bedroom carrying a tray ladened with breakfast; bacon and scrambled eggs, orange juice, tea, and a red rose. “Good, you’re awake. I thought breakfast in bed would make up for the terrible night’s sleep.” He smiled as he set the tray on the bed.

Tess eased her aching muscles into a sitting position. Between the pipes and thoughts of the gut-wrenching day, she had slept badly. Neither spoke as she ate, but Tess could feel the tension in Richard. His jaw twitched, and Tess didn’t think it was from lack of sleep. What’s wrong?” she asked.

“You were cuddly when we went to sleep, but then you moved to the edge of the bed and stayed there the entire night.” It seemed to Tess like a reprimand, but then his next words were of concern. “You had a horrific day yesterday. I’m here for you, and yet I sense you are pushing me away when you need me most.”

Tess placed her cup on its saucer with deliberation and gave Richard a straightforward look. “I guess I still can’t believe that a man of your stature wants me. I keep thinking that it could end at any moment. I have this thing in the back of my head. You’ve just started the divorce proceedings. I don’t want to get hurt.” And the truth was—she was in a bit of a mood—still brooding over Sawyer.

“Trust me, I’m in this for keeps,” he declared. “I’ve met the woman of my dreams, and I don’t want to wait.” He looked like an excited little boy when he said, “We can move on with our lives now. My parents guest cottage has been completely remodeled and renovated. I want you to move in with me. It’s perfect for the two of us.” He cupped her chin and forced her gaze. “I love you, Tess,” he said. “I’ve done what I needed to do. Do you have anything to tell me?”

“Like what?” Tess answered, avoiding the question. Everything had happened lightning fast in a matter of weeks.

“For crissake, Tess, I’ve filed for divorce. Did you break it off with Sawyer?”

“Oh, that… I think so…” Tess thought back to her last conversation with Sawyer. He seemed pretty definite, yet she couldn’t help but feel conflicted over it.

There were no gray areas with Richard. His forehead creased in a frown. “You either broke it off, or you didn’t.”

“Yes, I broke it off.” It was a half-truth. Sawyer was the one to break it off.

“Thank God it’s over,” Richard said, looking immensely relieved.

She nodded, but somehow it didn’t seem that easy. Her emotions were still raw.

“I have something for you.” His excitement was contagious, but there was something about the timing. It almost seemed like the gift was contingent on her breaking it off with Sawyer. Her look was one of disbelief when he pulled her mother’s locket out of his pocket and held it in his open palm.

 “I never thought I’d see this locket again,” Tess said as he dangled the locket in front of her and then placed it in her hand. Her voice cracked with emotion. “How did you manage to get it?”

“The sheriff paid Mac a call and made him an offer he couldn’t refuse,” Richard said. “Mac could come up with the necklace and the thousand dollars that he stole from you, or go to jail. His wife overheard everything. She was wearing the necklace and took it off and handed it to the sheriff. Then Mac took out his wallet and counted out ten one-hundred-dollar bills. The money is on your dresser upstairs.”

“You amaze me.” In an instant, Richard had become a giant in her eyes. He said what he was going to do: and did it. She gazed at the tarnished necklace and the gold heart in her open palm.

“Do you want to put it on?” Richard asked.

Tess’s superstitions overrode her need to wear it. “No, I want to cleanse it of bad vibes. Then I’ll put it in mom’s sweater pocket for a while to re-establish her connection with it.

Richard frowned. “Now, you sound like Stephanie with this mumbo jumbo about spirits.”

Tess was taken aback by the intensity of his comment, but thought better of defending herself, not wanting to spoil the moment.

“I’ll drop it by the jewelry store and have it cleaned,” Richard said.

Tess closed her fist, holding the locket tightly. “No. I hate to part with it. I have some jewelry cleaner at the cabin. I’ll stop by the cabin and pick it up when I run my errands today.” She paused. “I’m surprised Mac didn’t put up a fight. He has a mean side.”

Richard gathered her in his arms. “The sheriff said Mac didn’t put up an argument, but he didn’t have a good feeling about Mac. His wife looked scared of him. For that reason, the sheriff conducted an investigation. Mac preys on widows and lonely women. After he takes their money, he finds a reason to get rid of them and moves on to the next one. The sheriff is going to go back and try to get her some help. Try to get her out of there.”

“I want his wife to have the thousand dollars. We’ll give it to the sheriff to give to her.” Tess said. “Someone has to help her.”

“Social services will help her,” Richard said. “That was your mother’s money for her medication. You keep it.”

“No, the locket is enough. The poor woman needs the money more than I do. I can’t thank you enough,” she said, her eyes looking deeply into his. “The locket means the world to me.”

His expression turned serious as he said, “I have a small pistol, and I want you to carry it. Don’t hesitate to use it.”

“Do you think he’s dangerous?” Tess asked.

” It doesn’t matter what I think; I’m not taking any chances.” He kissed her—a long, lingering kiss. “I have an appointment at the office. I’ll have the deputy go with you to pick up what you need from the cabin.”

“Oh no, that’s not necessary,” Tess said. “I’ll take Buddy along.”

“Are you forgetting? Owl Creek is a coyote haven.”

“I’ll put him on a leash,” Tess said. “Stop worrying so much.”

“Don’t be gone long,” Richard said sternly. “Mother invited us to dinner. We’ll move into the guest house tonight.”

“That’s very generous of her,” Tess said. Any reservations that Tess had held had disappeared with the locket. “There isn’t any reason we should lose another night’s sleep. I adore your mother. It will be nice to have family close. Good thing we didn’t unpack the suitcases.”

“Mother will be ecstatic,” Richard said. “I’m going to call her now.” 

They had coffee in the drawing room before Richard left for the office. They settled back on the love seat. Tess put her feet on the ottoman. There was a nervous excitement about Richard. He looked at her with a question in his eyes. “You seem preoccupied. Aren’t you excited about starting our lives together?”

Tess set her glass down on the side table. “I’m concerned about your parents, and Daniel and Marguerite. There’s never been a divorce in either family. They wanted me to be your mistress to avoid divorce.”

“They took it well,” Richard said. “We’re adults. We don’t need to ask permission. I don’t want to wait.” He cupped her chin and forced her gaze. “My parents love you. They want you in the family.”

It was slowly sinking in. Richard wanted to start living together today. It seemed that his family approved, but they hadn’t talked about her family. She didn’t want to burst Richard’s bubble, he was brimming over with happiness, but she had to tell him.

 “You know there are ghosts here, Richard. It came up at the dinner, and I warned you last night that they’re here. They’re my family: My Aunt Nettie, my mother, and my Uncle Edwin. I have not seen my father, but he could be here.”

He surprised her when he said, “I know you’re worried about ghosts being here. All I’ve heard are clanging pipes, but to appease you, I called the priest. He’s coming this afternoon to do an exorcism.”

Tess drew back, her face registered with shock. “Exorcise my family from their own home? No. Absolutely not. I couldn’t do such a thing.”

“They shouldn’t be here,” Richard said firmly. “They need to move on to wherever spirits go… but they absolutely can’t live her. They will disrupt your life.”

Tess stood. She put her hands on her hips. “They are my family, Richard, and I will make that decision.”

“Don’t get so riled up,” he said, standing and taking her into his arms. “I’ll cancel the exorcism.”

Her green eyes flashed. “I would never hurt my family. They’re here for a reason. If you want me, you’ll have to accept my family. As ghastly as it may seem… they’re all I have. I welcome their presence.”

“I’m so sorry,” Richard said. “I thought you wanted them gone.”

“Not if they don’t want to go,” she said with a note of finality.

Richard spoke haltingly. “A few ghosts will not scare me off. I don’t believe in ghosts, but you do. I was trying to help.”

They kissed and made up. Richard canceled the exorcism and left for the office.

Tess went to the window and looked out over the vast estate, wondering what her mother and Aunt Nettie might be up to. She heard Richard’s words but knew most people talked bravely about ghosts until they had their first encounter. She wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do if they appeared—breathe deeply for the scent of lilacs; discretely look for anything at all that might be out of kilter; whisk him away before he had an encounter with one of them? She did not know what form they might take, and she wasn’t sure a realist could withstand the shock. It was different for her; she’d been brought up with ghosts. Tess was fearless, though sometimes they surprised her when she didn’t know they were around.

 Yesterday had been the worst day of her life, and today was a new beginning. Another chapter would begin. She was thankful that Buddy was alive, and she had a man who loved and wanted to commit to her. There was a certain moroseness leftover from losing her best friend ever. Maybe over time, the sadness would go away, and she would forget Sawyer. But her heart told her she was lying to herself. She loved Sawyer and would find a way to help him fight his demons.

She shook off her doubt, and got dressed. The day was half over. She had to go back to the cabin and pick up a few things. She put the pistol in her hand bag. She didn’t want to use it but she was an expert marksman. There was not a question in her mind that she would take down the coyotes.