“I wonder how easy it is to sell a haunted house. Do you think there’s a big demand for them?”
Do you think the ghost will have a problem with me living here for the next few days?
And the biggest question of all: how easy will it be to sell a house that clearly needs work done? I don’t know about the inside, but the outside is a mess. The large wooden structure is begging for a new coat of paint, the shutters have to be replaced, and the roof has seen better days.
“Maybe the interior looks better.” Optimism plays bedfellow with my tone.
Charlie doesn’t respond.
I park the Cadillac behind a small, older-model blue vehicle and climb out. A painful cramp from being cooped up for so long seizes my left thigh—but it’s nothing compared to when I take a step.
My leg buckles under my weight, and I grab the door to keep myself upright.
Charlie scrambles onto the driver’s seat and whimpers at me.
“I’ll be fine,” I say, doing my best to reassure him. Charlie isn’t a fan of me being in pain. “My leg is just a little grumpy right now, but it’ll be a happy camper in a few minutes.”
All right—happy might be pushing it, but a girl can hope.
Charlie cocks his head to the side as if trying to decide if he believes me. Then he hops down from the seat, sniffs the ground, and wanders off to find somewhere to relieve himself.
“Don’t go on the grass,” I tell him. “Otherwise I’ll never find you again.”
I smooth down the silk organza skirt of my pleated pink floral sundress, which I’ve paired with my raspberry ballet flats. Dolce & Gabbana meets Tory Burch.
I’ll admit that I look better suited for a garden party with royalty than…than this place. But it’s one of my favorite outfits.
The sound of creaking wood pulls my attention to the house. Two women my great-aunt’s age are now standing on the porch that extends along the front of the building. Both are wearing jeans and T-shirts. Both are smiling at me.
I smile back at them. They’re nothing like my grandmothers. These two look like they could be a lot of fun. My grandmothers? Not so much.
And in case you’re wondering, sliding down the banister is not considered ladylike.Wow. Who knew?
Of course to my grandmothers, partying with your friends at the latest IT dance club is also considered unladylike.
“You must be Kate,” the taller, slightly heavier woman says. “I’m Meg, and this is Tilly.”
I take several steps forward, my gait slow and robot-like. “It’s nice to meet you. I hope you haven’t been waiting too long for me.” The stiffness in my leg lessens with each step, and I climb up the stairs without too much grumbling from my muscles and bones. Charlie joins me.
“Not at all. Anyway, here are the keys to the house.” Tilly passes me said keys.
A phone rings from Meg’s oversized, faux-leather purse by some unknown label. She answers it. “Oh. Is everything all right…? Okay…I’ll let her know.”
She ends the call. “That was Sophie West, Pine Meadow Ranch’s brilliant horse trainer. Or as the Daniels brothers like to call her, their horse whisperer. She’s unable to show you how to tend to Lady and Scoundrel, but one of the Daniels brothers is coming in her place—”
I put my hand up to stop her flow of words. “Lady and Scoundrel?”
“Yes, Charlotte’s horses.”
I can feel a slight frown form between my eyes. “Horses? No one said anything about horses.”
“Yes, Charlotte loved to ride, and she taught riding lessons. But now that she’s no longer with us, someone needs to take care of them. Anyway, as I was saying, Noah is the youngest and is still single. But I’m working on that.”She winks at me, and Tilly chuckles.
I’m not paying much attention to what she’s saying. My mind is still stuck on the previous part of the conversation. “What do you mean, someone needs to take care of them?”
I retreat a step, ready to flee home, but my flat heel catches on the raised piece of the wooden porch.
Sending me tumbling backward.
