The Ghostly Hideaway (12 page)

“Dinner will be ready in about a half hour. Chrissy,
dear, you need to mash the potatoes while I make the giblet gravy.
Andy and Candy, you need to go wash your hands and peel the
hard-boiled eggs. Quickly, now. Johnny, would you please bring in
another load of wood for the fireplace in the dining room and Ed,
we need another load of wood for the family room and the living
room as well.”

“What can I do, Penny?” Lydia asked.

Penny grinned at her. “I told you I would need you
to make the coffee, if you will. There’s the coffee pot; the coffee
and filters are in the cabinet above it. And the ‘secret
ingredient’ is in the drawer below it. Take care the kids don’t see
you get it out. We may need more coffee later.”

They both chuckled and Johnny, as he was coming
through the back door with the load of wood, almost dropped the
whole bunch when he heard his grandmother’s laugh. He sighed
happily and went on into the dining room, shaking his head in
amazement at the change in her. He still had a difficult time
believing it, but it was something he was most definitely happy to
have the chance to get used to.

As they took their seats at the table, they clasped
hands around the table and Ed asked the blessing. “Dear Father, we
are very thankful today for many different things. We thank You for
Johnny and Chrissy’s new found love; we thank You for a new friend
and neighbor, Lydia; we thank You for making this place our home;
we thank You for the chance to work and earn our daily bread; and
dear God, we thank You for this meal and the hands that prepared
it. Keep us all in Your love and protection. Thank you, Father.
Amen.”

The meal was scrumptious and everyone enjoyed it
immensely. After they had gone into the family room, they noticed
that Candy and Andy were conferring in whispers over near the
fireplace.

“What are you two whispering about?” Penny wanted to
know. “I think I’ve told you that it isn’t nice to whisper in
public, haven’t I?”

“Yes, Ma’am, but we have a question for Mrs. Thorne,
if it’s alright.”

“I suppose it will be okay unless it’s something too
personal."

“That’s what we were trying to decide—if it was too
personal.”

Lydia spoke up. “We’re all friends, here, so ask
whatever you want to, Kids.”

They looked at their mother and waited for her nod
of approval. “Well, since Johnny and Chrissy are getting married
and we’re all going to be sort of related to each other and—“ Candy
began.

“And since we don’t already have one and Chrissy
will—“ Andy took over.

“Well, we were wondering if we—“

“—if you could be our grandmother, too?" They both
looked hopefully at Lydia who by this time was smiling brightly
through unashamed tears of joy.

“I think that is undoubtedly the most wonderful idea
anybody ever had. Yes, yes, yes. I want very much for you to call
me ‘grandmother’ and I will be proud to have such wonderful kids
for my grandchildren. I think this is absolutely the happiest day
of my life." Of course, there were hugs all around and more
sniffing than at a snuff-users convention. The box of Kleenex was
passed around and used generously.

Before long, Johnny and Chrissy had wandered off to
the living room and were busy making plans of their own. After a
while, they came back to the living room and said they had an
announcement.

“We’ve set a date for the wedding." Johnny
started.

“We want to get married on February fourteenth if
that works for everyone. And do you think we could have the wedding
here in the living room? We thought Daddy could walk me down the
stairs,” Chrissy looked up toward the upper regions of the house,
“if the ghosts will allow it, that is." Everyone laughed but each
of them rather expected a door to slam or something. Lydia looked a
little nervous but they had explained to her earlier about the
weird events that had taken place since their arrival.

“I don’t know of anything that would keep that date
from being perfect.”

“I have one question,” Lydia said hesitantly. “Will
that leave enough time for your parents to get here from
Ireland?”

“Oh, Grandmother, you truly won’t mind if we invite
them? I was so afraid their being here would make you
uncomfortable. Chrissy, now I know our wedding will be absolutely
perfect.”

“It’s high time I put all that nonsense behind me.
With any luck, I still have a good-sized chunk of life yet to live
and, by golly, I’m determined to live it. Just think, I’ve got two
new grandchildren now, a new granddaughter come February, and who
knows, maybe one of these days I’ll even have a great-grandchild to
spoil. If it’s alright, I’ll practice on these two." Lydia reached
out for Andy and Candy and pulled them close. Chrissy and Johnny
were looking at each other being a bit embarrassed but with enough
warmth that they didn’t actually need the fire in the fireplace.
“We’ll get in touch with Bruce and Janet as soon as possible so
they have time to plan.”

“This is just too good to be true. You’ve made me so
happy, Grandmother.”

“Oh! Enough, already. Hey, did anybody figure out
the secret ingredient in my pumpkin pies?” Lydia was desperate to
change the subject. Her new attitude was something she still hadn't
become accustomed to and she wanted to go slow.

“Hey, I almost forgot about that." Penny was
thinking about it. “I tasted nutmeg and cinnamon, I’m sure.”

“Sugar,” the twins said in unison.

“I’m figuring milk and butter,” Ed guessed.

“Maybe cloves or allspice,” Chrissy suggested.

“Pumpkin,” Johnny laughed.

“So far you’ve got the recipe down pretty good. But
you still haven’t come up with the magic touch." Lydia was
obviously enjoying this. “I think I may as well tell you. I use
equal parts of regular field pumpkin and striped or crookneck
pumpkin. I think it gives it a milder or softer taste.”

“It was soft, alright,” Candy chimed in.

“And delicious, too,” Chrissy agreed. Everyone
laughed. “Maybe Grandmother will share a bunch of her recipes with
me as a wedding gift. Wouldn’t that be wonderful, Johnny? It would
take me a while, I know, to perfect them as she has, but I could
have the basics from her and that would be a great start.”

“I’ll tell you what, Chrissy, why don’t you come
help me and you and I will fix dinner at my house for all of us?
Maybe we could do Christmas dinner for everyone up on Thorne
Hill."

“Oh, Lydia, are you sure that won’t be too much for
you to do? After all you are over fifty, I think and that’s quite
an undertaking.”

“It’s been thirty years since I thought about being
fifty but if Chrissy will help me, I can give her a sneak preview
of those recipes she seems to want so badly. Yes, I’d like that
very much. Will you do that, Chrissy?”

“Of course, Grandmother, if you’re sure you’re up to
it. I’d love to help and I’m sure we can put our Johnny to work,
too." Chrissy squeezed his arm and he grunted in mock pain.

Later on, Chrissy went with Johnny to take his
grandmother home and they took their time getting back home. It was
a long way around by the road that went up to Thorne Hill. They
were almost to the bend where the Wroe’s SUV had run out of gas
when Johnny stopped the car and pulled Chrissy into his arms.

“Just think, Sweetheart, in a little less than three
months, we’ll be getting married. Then you’ll be mine and I’ll be
yours for the rest of our lives.”

“Oh, Johnny, I already belong to you in my heart. I
love you more than you can imagine. I always thought my Mom and Dad
had a perfect marriage and I was just waiting until I could find
someone who I thought could be the other half of a perfect marriage
with me. I wasn’t sure I could ever find that someone but I’m so
glad I did. That first day I saw you coming across the yard,
whistling, I thought you were the cutest guy I’d ever seen.”

“You talk too much, Baby. Be quiet for a few
minutes" He effectively silenced her with a deep, intimate kiss and
though the late November chill was quite uncomfortable outside, the
sparks that were flying inside the car made it seem warm and cozy.
Johnny worked his hand up under her jacket and cupped her small
firm breast, caressing it gently. Chrissy gasped audibly when he
rubbed his thumb across her already taut nipple. His other hand was
massaging the quivering muscles of her stomach and working its way
lower. Her hands were tangled in his unruly red hair and her tongue
was tangled with his in their own little dance of love.

He swallowed her moan of pleasure and pulled her
closer. As his fingers touched her pleasure center, she cried out
in an ecstasy she had never felt before. “Oh, Johnny! What are you
doing to me? I’ve never felt this way before, ever. I’m not sure
what to do, Honey. I don’t want you to stop, but I’ve never—been
with a man before and I’m kinda scared.”

It cost Johnny, big-time, to put on the brakes but
he suddenly realized that Chrissy was as innocent as he had first
thought she was. And he just couldn’t see the woman who would be
his wife being taken for the first time in the front seat of a car.
So he backed off, got several long, uneven breaths, and shifted his
winter clothing that had become uncomfortably tight in several
spots.

“Oh, Johnny, please don’t be mad at me. I didn’t
mean to—“ Chrissy was very close to tears.

“It’s okay, Sugar. I didn’t realize—everything will
be fine. Just give me a moment to change gears.”

It was at that moment that Johnny sensed movement in
the road behind them. The other car’s lights had been extinguished
and the only thing visible was the brightly burning tip of a
cigarette.
Oh, shit,
he was thinking.
I hope that’s not
Ed back there. But this is a dead-end road; who else could it be?
Where would Ed have gone, though, at this hour of the night? It
couldn’t have been Ed anyway because this driver was smoking.
He saw the back-up lights come on when the other driver put the car
in reverse. Johnny knew there was a wide spot in the road just at
the bend and he threw his car in gear, slid around in the road, and
headed in the other direction. The other car had got turned around
and was speeding away. Johnny couldn’t get close enough to get a
good look at the license plate before it got out of sight. But he
did see that the rear bumper was missing. It was the same white
Honda Civic that the man he was sure was Norman Jones had been
driving.

It was becoming more and more difficult for Johnny
to convince himself he was justified in withholding this
information from Ed. What in hell would Norman Jones be doing
sneaking down the dead-end road to Ed’s place with his headlights
off at this time of night? It was after eleven o’clock. Speaking of
that, it was past time he should be getting Chrissy home, too. Her
folks might be genuinely worried about her.

“Johnny, what on earth is going on, anyway? Why did
you turn around and go after that other car and what was he doing
sneaking up behind us? You’ve been so quiet. What are we going to
do now? Oh, Honey, I’ve messed up everything, haven’t I? I’m so
sorry. I do want to belong to you all the way. It’s just that I got
scared and—“

“Chrissy, Baby, everything is absolutely alright.
I’ve been quiet because I was worried about that car that came up
behind us. I think I may know who it was and if I’m right, the guy
is undoubtedly up to no good. And I don’t know what to do about it.
Don’t say anything just yet to your folks. Let me think about
exactly how it needs to be handled. Okay? Don’t worry about us,
Sweetheart. We’re fine and we will finish what we started tonight;
but I definitely want it to be right for you, too. I love you more
than you can possibly imagine. Now, give me a little kiss and go on
in. Just a little kiss, Babe. I don’t want to have to take more
than one cold shower when I get home. Goodnight, my love, and lock
the doors when you go in.”

When Johnny got the car back home, he was still
worried about what might be going on at the Wroe place. He decided
to make a quick trip back down the hill on foot and make sure
everything was okay there. As he was coming down the hill, he had a
clear view of the road to Ed’s house all the way from the mailbox
to the house. And, sure enough, he could see car lights pulling up
to where he and Chrissy had been parked. Johnny turned off his
flashlight and made his way carefully and quietly past the house
and through the little wooded area almost to the road where the
white Honda was again parked. No lights were visible in the house,
which probably meant everyone was asleep.

He watched the man he was now positive was Norman
Jones as he sat in the car looking toward the house. After a few
minutes, Jones got out of the car and used a match to light a
cigarette. He stood and puffed on it for a few minutes, then tossed
it away and went back to the trunk of the car. The trunk lid
obstructed Johnny’s view but when Jones closed the lid, he picked
up a plastic jug from behind the car and started down the road
toward the house. He was close enough to hear liquid sloshing
inside the jug.

He’s planning to burn down the house with the
whole family inside. What should I do? If I tackle him and I can’t
stop him, there would be nothing to keep him from doing his dirty
deed.
Then he remembered Old Man Coy’s shotgun in the root
cellar. Ed hadn’t found the root cellar, yet; but Johnny knew
exactly where it and the shotgun were hidden. He had to hurry but
he also had to be quiet. If he frightened Jones away, he might come
back when Johnny wasn’t there to stop him. On the far side of the
hen house in the back corner of the yard still overgrown with
weeds, Johnny found the root cellar door and opened it quickly.
Just inside were the shotgun and the box of shells. He pulled them
out and loaded the double-barreled shotgun then slipped silently
toward the front of the house.