Chapter Four

Dennis pushed his chair away from the table and loosened his belt. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d made such a glutton of himself at the dinner table. After a day of getting to know her future husband’s friends and assured neither knew her, Alana decided to borrow the kitchen and cook them a meal. At first glance upon the Hot Bloody Mary soup, cod cobbler and blackberry and apple turnovers, Dennis doubted he’d survive, but much to his surprise and delight, the food was profoundly delectable. Completely taken by his friend’s beautiful fiancé, Dennis praised her talent in the kitchen and questioned if she had more delicious recipes up her sleeve.  She assured him she did and promised to prove it one day. 

Tara wasn’t as taken with the mix of textures and flavors. Perhaps it was the food, or perhaps it was because she was no longer taken with the chef.

After another night of inconspicuously following her mysterious house guest through the vacant and darkened parts of her house, the woman rapidly lost what little favor there was in Tara’s eyes. Tara didn’t appreciate her hospitality being violated in such a manner. Alana’s behavior was nothing short of vandalism. What made it worse was the fact that the woman could care less about the fact that she left these areas in so much disarray it would take ages to clean them up again. The fact that Tara found even more disturbing was that she seemed unconcerned about being discovered. Tara decided she would confront Alana about it after dinner.  It needed to stop, and Alana needed to explain herself, not to mention the fact that Tara was feeling sleep deprived.

Their table talk eventually came to the topic of how Mitch met and fell in love with Alana.

Tara couldn’t have been less interested.  She found their story lacking credibility and substance.

There were far too many holes to fill in.

****

Alana waited for Tara, Mitch, and Dennis to get comfortable in the den, with a glass of brandy and a warm fire, before she made her excuses by claiming a splitting headache and the desire for an early night. She hoped her hosts would forgive her.

After expressing their condolences, the men dove into a conversation about a new sports bar Dennis discovered.  They barely noticed when Tara excused herself and followed Alana up the stairs.

As Tara had expected, Alana went directly to the third floor. It was barely nine o’clock and the entire house is still awake. Mitch mentioned they would be leaving the following day. Perhaps her brazenness had to do with the fact that she hadn’t found what she was looking for.

“Is there something I can help you find?” Tara asked. 

She illuminated the room with a battery-operated lamp that she’d placed in it earlier that day.

Alana jumped, startled by Tara’s unexpected intrusion.

“Tara! I wasn’t expecting you,” she said in a tone that actually sounded accusing.

Tara couldn’t believe her ears. What type of response was this?

“I imagine you weren’t,” Tara said, indignantly.

“Get off your high horse!” Alana barked.

The woman’s striking blue eyes turned dark with irritation, causing Tara to pause. There was something familiar about that look that took her aback. She suddenly wished she was anywhere, but there. She didn’t like the mystery around what was happening. It felt wrong. It felt very wrong.

She needed air.

Tara started back down the stairs.

“Where are you going?” Alana bellowed. “Do you think you can hide it from me? I’ll find it.

You can be certain of that.”

Tara stopped in her tracks and shook her head to clear it. This was all so surreal. She had no idea what Alana was talking about.

“Lucy, leave us,” barked the all too familiar voice.

“Pa!” Alana gasped with a mixture of surprise, trepidation, and delight.

Tara turned to face her resident ghost. This time the old man was as solid as the rest of them. She was sure if she dared to reach out and touch him, his flesh would be warm and supple. The old man’s eyes smiled warmly, but she didn’t care.  Her legs were wobbly as she moved as best she could across the room and down the stairs without bothering to look back.

“Pa, how are you here?” Alana asked meekly.

Her words trailed down the stairwell as Tara made her way to her room. Falling into the soft folds of her down filled comforter, she closed her eyes and urged her body to succumb to sleep. All those nights of stalking Alana had finally caught up with her.  She was delusional. That had to be it. She couldn’t face yet another creature from the underworld or other world or whatever world. It was too soon after Dominic.

It was probably in her mind, a kind of aftershock. She heard of people suffering posttraumatic stress syndrome for years. The nights of sleep deprivation had caught up with her. That was all. A good night’s sleep would change things. A good night’s sleep would bring normalcy and order back into her life.

As she lay in her bed with the escape into blissful nothingness almost upon her, the serene glowing of a semi-opaque ball in the corner of the room caught her attention. She knew immediately Liam was making his presence known, but she wasn’t up to communicating with him or any other spirit or creature from another realm or world. She was tired. She felt worn out and run down.  She felt totally exhausted.

“Go away,” she groaned. Her words barely audible.

The golden ball obediently shrunk into nothingness while her body succumbed to a slumbering abyss.

****

Alana was overly eager to be up and, on the road, the following morning, barely allowing Mitch the opportunity to say good-bye to Tara and Dennis.  Although he found her actions most unseemly, he said nothing. His romance with Alana was fast and furious and there would be many moments of surprise for each of them as their personalities and behaviors surfaced. He guessed his fiancé’s unseemly rudeness was just one of many surprises to come. Making a mental note to speak to his love about her behavior when they were alone, he did his best to cover his embarrassment through smiles and hugs as he thanked Tara and Dennis for their hospitality and assured Dennis that he’d check out that sports bar real soon.

After experiencing Tara’s storm induced plight first hand, Dennis decided to stay with his sister and help her get things back under control.  The sun’s intense rays mercifully melted a great deal of snow that accumulated during the storm, so it was easy for Dennis to maneuver the small tractor effectively. Tara watched Mitch’s Jaguar weave its way down the neatly plowed driveway and shook her head. She wondered if last night really happened. She was overly tired, after all.

Alana certainly showed no signs of their encounter when she hugged her good-bye.

Tara sighed.

Alana managed to escape explaining her incessant rummaging through the house. The sly fox managed to avoid her right up to the point of their departure. She may be questioning her encounter last night, but she was certain Alana’s rummaging was real. The mess that awaited her attested to it.

Misinterpreting Tara’s scowl as a lover’s scorned, Dennis stepped up behind his sister and wrapped his arms lovingly around her, pulling her back against him so that her head rested against his strong chest.

“Time marches on, sis,” he said with a sigh.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” she asked defensively.

“It means just what it means,” he said. “Time marches on and things change... people change... we change.”

Tara sighed. She had no clue what Dennis was referring to and wasn’t in the mood to bother figuring it out. She patted him on the back of his hand and gently twisted free. She wanted to go back inside and rest a little more. Even thought it was in a part of the house that went unused and could stay as is indefinitely, just thinking about Alana’s mess made her feel overwhelmingly exhausted.

“I think I’ll feed Sugar,” Dennis tossed the words over his shoulder as he made his way off the porch. “Maybe I’ll do a little clean up while I’m there.”

“Do you want my help?” Tara asked, secretly hoping he’d decline her offer.

“I lit a fire any man would be proud of in the study,” he said. “Why don’t you go inside and curl up in front of it?”

“I won’t argue with you,” Tara replied as she slowly shook her head. “I don’t know why I’m so tired,” she said, more to herself than to him.

“Entertaining can be exhausting. Plus, it’s only been a couple of months since... you know.  Of course, you’re tired. It will take a long time to heal.  Don’t rush it,” Dennis said affectionately.

What they endured was so unfathomable that sometimes he had trouble believing it happened. He could only imagine the pain, guilt and denial his sister wrestled with after watching her close friend and mentor being ripped to pieces and knowing it was she who brought Dominic into their lives. He didn’t blame her, but he knew she blamed herself.

He wondered if she would ever trust a man again. He hoped so.  He knew for a fact that Brandon loved her and if his observations served him right, his sister had been pretty keen on Brandon.  Had Dominic not thrown himself into the mix, he was pretty sure Tara and Brandon would probably be a couple by now. 

The thought of Brandon reminded him about the e-mail he’d received just that morning from the very man. His new friend and demon survival comrade was actually in the area. A visit from him might be just what Tara needed.  He reached for his smart phone and shot off a reply to make sure his friend knew he was welcome to come that very day if he could.

 He no sooner played cupid when he second guessed the wisdom in it. Tara was really looking poorly.  Maybe Mitch’s visit was too much for her. She might just need more rest instead of more company.  He hadn’t considered that in his desire to see her happy. He didn’t know how to undo his invitation. There was nothing to do, but tough it out and hope that Tara wasn’t overwhelmed when she saw Brandon at her door.

His shoulders felt heavy as he made his way toward the old building that housed his sister’s prized equine friend. About half-way down the path, he squared his shoulders, shaking them as if he was shaking off an invisible weight, and then sucked in the cool air. There was nothing to do about it. Hopefully Tara would welcome Brandon with open arms and warmth and not hold him in distrust and disregard as she seemed to be holding all men except him these days. He had neither the heart nor the stomach for denying a man who was right next to him as they literally fought for their lives a visit. The ordeal bonded the men for life. Whether Tara liked it or not, she was bonded too.

****

The majestic antique grandfather clock chimed three o’clock as Tara roused herself from slumber. She must have been more tired than she realized to sleep such a deep sleep in her favorite overstuffed chair. It was a cozy chair, but not that cozy. Her body was so stiff she could barely uncoil it. Groaning at the resistance her legs and lower back gave her, she slowly prodded her limbs into a standing position. She still had time to surprise Dennis with a nice meal. He’d made such a fuss over Alana’s meal, perhaps it was time to show him she was just as adept in the kitchen.

As she grew more and more alert and took in her surrounds her brows knit together.

Something was amiss. The fireplace was cold, and it was dark outside. The only light on was the one on a timer set for seven pm. She felt the chill in the house as the feeling returned to her limbs. She wished she dared turn the thermostat up, but she didn’t want to over tax the furnace that was still in need of repair.

Things were so different here than in Manhattan. There you could find what you needed day or night, seven days a week. Fortunately, with the help of a good fire in the fireplace, the room could easily be tolerable again. She walked to the window and pulled the draperies aside. The full moon hung high in a crisp, clear sky, providing just enough illumination for her to see Dennis’s lone footprints leading to the stable. She gasped when it finally dawned on her that it was three o’clock in the morning.

How could this be?

After only a few short seconds of brooding, she decided to seek the cozy comforts of her bed and worry about how she managed to sleep so long and why her brother left her in such an uncomfortable position without tending the fire at another time. She found it amazing that she could even consider going back to sleep after such a long slumber, but her body longed to stretch out in the snug comfort of her cushy mattress and cuddle beneath the warmth of her down-filled comforter. The house felt incredibly cold. She jiggled the ancient thermostat and listened for the purr of the furnace. Satisfied that all was in working order, she headed up to bed.

Massaging the small of her back, she stretched it as far as she could to work out the knot in her lower back.  She would have to have a serious discussion with Dennis in the morning. She was sure he felt not disturbing her was right, but she’d have preferred he sent her off to the comforts of her bed and would make that perfectly clear in the morning... nicely, of course.

As she made her way up the grand staircase, Tara saw the old ghost standing in her peripheral vision. Too tired to deal with anything except making her way to bed, she pretended not to notice him.

****

The sounds of winter birds communicating their delight in a new day outside her thick leaded glass window combined with the rainbow of light from the brilliant sun’s rays that wove their way through the irregular glass added to the soothing ambience of her soft, warm bed. She stretched to her full length. With the exception of her brief ascent to her bedroom, Tara had almost twenty-four hours of uninterrupted sleep.   She felt truly rested for the first time in months.

She slipped her feet into her plush sheepskin slippers. Her hand hovered near her worn out robe before bypassing it for the thick, lush robe her Aunt Eva had given her for Christmas and then headed toward the kitchen for her morning ritual of coffee and an English muffin smothered with organic blueberry jam.

The house was uncommonly quiet.

Tara was tempted to pop her head through Dennis’s door to rouse him, but decided against it. He may not admit it, but he was also still recovering from the trauma of almost dying at the hands of Dominic. He refused to let her see it, but she knew. He needed his sleep just as much as she did.

Her brother had a penchant for aromatic foods. She’d make coffee and bacon. Perhaps the aroma would tickle his senses enough to prompt him to open his eyes and join her. If not, then she knew he was in need of recovery sleep and would leave him alone for the day. She smiled wryly as she contemplated the fact that his long hours of sleep would be achieved in the comforts of his bed and not split between his cozy mattress and an awkward overstuffed chair.

The sun’s rays caressed the antique lace curtains as they lined the row of windows in the breakfast nook. The combination of sunshine and antique lace gave the house a cozy and inviting feel. The draperies that layered some of the windows were added as an afterthought to help insulate against the cold. Their days were numbered. As soon as the house was brought up to snuff and insulated correctly, she fully intended to remove them.  They deterred from the charm of the old-world ambience she was working toward achieving.

While passing through the foyer, she glanced out the front door and saw a taxi slowly winding its way up the long drive to her front door. Wrestling with her irritation that someone would arrive at her home at such an early hour and her regrets at having to greet them in her robe and slippers instead of being properly groomed and dressed, she opened the door and stepped out onto the front porch. The cold winter air that assaulted her cheeks and bare ankles had a surprisingly soothing effect on her irritation.

The reprieve was short lived when she saw Brandon’s tall, handsome figure ease out of the back seat of the cab. She stood frozen in total disbelief while he pulled a weekend bag from the seat next to him and closed the door. Her fickle heart beat wildly as it began its ascent from her chest to her ears.

This couldn’t be!

The cab started back down the drive and Brandon reached the bottom step of her porch before she could find her tongue to speak.

 “What are you doing?” she almost spat at him.

Tara no longer trusted men. She especially didn’t trust herself around this man.  The only other man who pulled on her in this way was Dominic and look how that turned out.  The last thing she wanted was to expose herself to the possibility of losing her heart to another untrustworthy and possibly demonic stranger. 

Brandon stopped in surprise. “What?” he asked in confusion.

“I suggest you call that cab back here on the double because it’s mighty cold to be walking back to town!” Tara roared.

 “Dennis... your brother invited me,” Brandon replied. He was both startled and mortified by Tara’s greeting.

Dennis warned him to be prepared for this type of a greeting.  He stressed she was suffering post traumatic syndrome and developed a mistrust and hatred for all men, save Dennis.  He’d assured him it would eventually pass and that they needed to be patient.  While Dennis hoped Brandon’s visit would help heal Tara, Brandon hoped it would help spur her memories.  If he could just get her to remember him then she’d remember everything else and her pain would go away.

 His desire to see her, to be near her, was overwhelming, but he had no desire to hurt her or upset her like this. He never would have come if he’d known she was this bad.  Even with Dennis warning him he never imagined it this severe. Unfortunately, the cab was long gone.

“I thought I was welcome. I’m sorry, I didn’t realize. I didn’t know,” he apologized.

 “Dennis invited you?” Tara was at a loss for words. “Oof!” escaped her lips as she indignantly expelled the reserve of air her lungs were rigidly hanging on to. The two stood awkwardly on the porch for a moment before Tara gave in and offered him entry to her home on the condition he would call the cab company to return right away. “There’s coffee in the kitchen. You know the way. I’ll get Dennis,” she growled, “so he can explain himself to both of us.”

Tara darted up the stairs to wake her brother. He had a lot to answer for. Why would he even think it was okay to invite Brandon into her home when he knew she wanted nothing to do with anyone or anything that reminded her of that night and especially didn’t want a thing to do with men? What was going on in that mind of his? First, he left her sleeping all crumpled up in a chair and then he invited the one person in the world who would bring to life the memories she so desperately wanted to forget into her home -as well as potentially raise havoc with her heart- as a guest. This was too much, just too much! 

She flew into his room, fully prepared to rip into him about his thoughtless behavior. Only half a syllable escaped her lips when she saw the empty room and neatly made bed.

The room was a corner room. A row of oversized windows dominated the outer walls, offering an excellent panoramic view of the estate. Pulling back the heavy draperies, she scoped her snow-covered property for signs of where her brother might have gone. The only tracks she saw were those that led to the stable. Could he have gotten up early and gone out to care for Sugar? If so,

he was really going to spoil her.

Chagrined by her anger toward her brother when he was being so thoughtful about allowing her to sleep and helping her with her cumbersome chores, she ran to her room and quickly dressed in a pair of faded denim jeans and a thick woolen, light tan Irish wool sweater. She had no desire to face Brandon alone after the greeting she just gave him. She owed him an apology for her rudeness, but still wanted to speak with Dennis about it all. She would go out to the stable and discuss things in a calmer manner. There could be a very good reason for his invitation, although she couldn’t imagine what. She should at least give Dennis an opportunity to explain himself. Tara was so engrossed in going over her future conversation with Dennis in her mind that she forgot about Brandon until she almost ploughed into him while rushing through the kitchen toward the coat room.

“I forgot about you,” she stated flatly.

His closeness caused a stir in her that took her aback. She felt it when they first met.  It was a type of school girl flutter.  After all that happened she couldn’t imagine why she’d still experience this reaction to him. It was unsettling.

“So quickly?” Brandon smirked teasingly.

Ignoring his comment while she struggled to regain control of her fickle emotions, Tara continued, “Dennis is out in the stable. I’ll be right back.”

She hoped she sounded cool and aloof instead of as twisted and confused as she actually felt.

Eager to busy her shaking hands, she pulled on her boots and wrestled with her coat and scarf.

As an afterthought, she turned and said, “I made some bacon. Scramble some eggs for yourself if you want. You know your way around the kitchen.”

Brandon grinned, remembering the first breakfast they’d cooked together.

“Thanks. I’ll do just that,” he said with gratitude.

Tara cursed herself for her inability to be a bad hostess and headed out the back door.

“Scramble your brains while you’re at it,” she mumbled viciously, more for her own benefit than for his. She was infuriated with her body for betraying her. “Better yet, scramble mine. Maybe then I’d forget about you and all the other nightmares in my life.”