We Interrupt This Date (32 page)

I finally powered off the machine and got up to draw
the drapes at the front of my office. Another few minutes and I’d
cleaned the coffeepot and even watered the droopy potted plant
Veronica had put in a corner near the door. So efficient. Too bad
my personal life wasn’t humming along so smoothly.

I’d just picked up my purse when I heard a thump from
the back of the house in the direction of the kitchen. I let out a
muffled shriek and backed up against my desk while I took stock of
the situation. This was exactly the type of ghostly manifestation
reported by the former caretaker, the one who had run out the front
door on his way to the main office to resign. All the construction
workers had left for the day, and I was not expecting anyone. I was
alone in the Blackhorn House and yet I’d distinctly heard a sound
that shouldn’t be there.

My heart felt like it was beating in time to a fast
tango. I scanned the room. Nothing appeared remotely promising to
use as a weapon. After all, if the intruder were a ghost and I used
a paperweight or even the coffeepot to bash him over the head, it
would presumably go right through him. What I needed was something
along the lines of a silver cross or a magic spell or something.
Where was Patty when I finally wanted her advice about the
occult?

Those thoughts streaked through my mind at warp speed
and then quick footsteps tapped toward my office. I whimpered and
ducked behind the desk, wondering if ghosts could see through solid
objects.

“Susan?” Veronica walked in and I hauled myself to my
feet, knocking over my desk chair with a clatter.

I put my hand over my heart. Yep, it was still there,
pounding away in triple time. “Good God, Veronica, you nearly gave
me cardiac arrest. I didn’t hear the door open, so I thought you
were an attack ghost.”

“I came in through the back door. You’re being
awfully silly for someone who doesn’t believe in ghosts.”

“I’d come off even sillier if a ghost waltzed into
the building and I failed to arm myself.” I righted my chair and
gave her a quick rundown of everything I’d accomplished during the
day.

Her expression brightened. “Perfect. And I’ve got
great news. Jack says most of the work will be done in less than a
week, so I’ve had a super idea for our grand opening. I’m going to
call the newspapers and local magazines and invite reporters and
their guests to enjoy a complimentary ghost tour followed by a
reception.”

“Sounds like fun.” I ignored the way my heart made an
extra hard thump when she said Jack’s name. Stupid heart had given
me nothing but trouble all day. “I can’t wait.”

“Just one thing—I’d like you to start the tour off in
an old graveyard, then come back here and show them the downstairs
of the house and give them the idea of what we’re trying to
accomplish. Don’t you think that’s a fabulous plan?”

“Yeah, fabulous.” I actually preferred not starting
out in the house. The Blackthorn House didn’t seem all that spooky
to me, other than a few creaks and groans and the sound of
Veronica’s entrance that I’d worked myself up over. But old
graveyards had a built in creepy factor I could take advantage
of.

“I’ll take care of the publicity and you prepare the
tour and the reception. You’ll have to do a practice run through
after you get your script ready, but that won’t be a problem for
you.”

“Script? Run through?” I knew my role of course, but
butterflies suddenly flitted around in my stomach.

Veronica patted my arm and made soothing noises.
“You’ll be fine. And after all, leading ghost tours is your new
job.”

“I know. It’s only that I hadn’t expected to start so
soon, but I’ll be fine once I get things set up.” The butterflies
gave way to a burst of real enthusiasm.

“Of course you will. You’re going to be a big
success. In fact, once the tours start, I want you to hire someone
part-time to help you in the office and fill in on the tours on
your nights off.” She dragged a small, tattered book out of her
purse. “I found this in a second hand shop and it’s a real
treasure. In chapter ten it gives the history of the house and even
tells about so-called ghost sightings here and in other parts of
Charleston. You can use it to work something up for the tour.”

I took the book and flipped through it. “Thanks. I’ll
be ready for a trial run in a couple of days. Um—about this person
I’m supposed to hire. I’ve always been the hiree. Are you sure you
want me to find someone on my own?”

“Don’t be silly. You’re the manager of Blackthorn
House Tours. Anyone you hire will be fine.”

“I’m glad you said that.” I nodded thoughtfully. “In
fact, I already have someone in mind—and I don’t mean my sister.”
DeLorean had called earlier to say she’d gotten an interview for a
teaching job. Besides, newfound understanding between me and my
sister or not, I would be too tempted to fall into my old habit of
assuming responsibility for her if we worked together. Neither of
us wanted that.

“Well—as long as it isn’t your friend Patty.”
Veronica bit her lip. “I know I said you could hire anyone, but I’d
really prefer—well, you know. Patty is a little too…goodness, I’m
at a loss for words and you know, that hardly ever happens to
me.”

I held up my right hand. “I swear it’s not Patty.
You’ll have to trust me, Veronica.”

“I do.” She gave me a quick hug. “Call you tomorrow.
If I have time. Between the Blackthorn House and the new Ashley
project I don’t have a free moment—but that didn’t stop me from
buying another building in North Charleston.”

When she got to the door, she turned and asked
casually, “By the way, did you get a chance to talk to Jack
today?”

I fiddled with my purse strap, winding it around my
hand like a tourniquet. I’d already suspected, but now I knew for
sure, she’d asked him to come to Blackthorn House to check on the
workmen so I’d have a chance to apologize. “Why did you have to
bring him up, just when I was starting to forget last night?”

“Because you’re one of my favorite people and I love
you and I want you to be happy and sometimes you’re your own worst
enemy.”

“Right. Well, you can stop worrying. He stopped by to
check on construction and I apologized exactly the way my mother
taught me during all those years of southern lady lessons for the
etiquette challenged. And, speaking of Mama, right now you sound
just like her.”

“You take that back.” She shook her finger at me.
“Not that I don’t like your mother, but I am not in her class when
it comes to meddling. I simply wanted to make sure there was no
trouble between my ghost tour manager and my contractor.”

“There isn’t.”

“Good. Oh, and did I tell you? We’re going to include
the attic in the tours, but not until we’re ready to go live. It
turns out that one of the former owners of the house is positive he
saw an apparition flitting around up there and noises, doors
shutting by themselves, and what sounded like people fighting.
Pretty creepy story, though I’m not sure he wasn’t simply imagining
things. Anyway, Jack’s workers have installed a new stair railing
to the attic to replace the old one that was falling apart and I
asked Jack to have them check the lock. It sticks.” She pulled her
Blackberry out of her purse and glanced at it. “Got to run. You
wouldn’t believe how many things are left on today’s list.”

I blinked and she was out the door as if she’d never
been there. But even though my ghost had turned out to be Veronica,
I didn’t want to spend another minute alone in the house today.

I drove home thinking about everything I had to do at
home. Telling Mama and DeLorean that they’d have to do for
themselves from now on didn’t mean I was abandoning them
altogether. DeLorean had gotten a ride over to the mechanic’s after
lunch and picked up my van. As soon as I got home for the day to
take over the care and feeding of Mama and Cole, she was leaving to
meet her friends for the outing I’d spoiled for her last night. I
had promised and I’d keep my promise this time. And I’d spend the
evening looking after Mama and Cole, though DeLorean had said Mama
was getting along much better on her crutches and had even hobbled
into the kitchen and peeled vegetables for dinner.

Maybe I should have had my tantrum years ago, I
thought, pulling into the driveway. Didn’t see how I could have,
though, since I simply hadn’t reached boiling point until last
night. I didn’t need Mama to tell me that you can’t eat the grits
until they’re cooked and buttered and on the plate.

DeLorean was dressed and pacing the kitchen
when I walked in. She snatched her purse off the counter the second
she saw me.

“Finally. I thought you’d never get
here.”

“Hey, what’s the hurry? Afraid I might change
my mind?”

“After last night, the thought crossed my
mind. Besides, if my interview goes well and I start work next
week, I need a night out while I still have a chance.”

Mama cleared her throat. She was sitting in a
kitchen chair holding Cole on her lap. Two disgruntled looking
Chihuahuas sat on her feet.

“I am so glad you are on time, Susan. I would
be more than glad to fix dinner, but I can’t watch Cole and cook
while I’m still on crutches.”

“I’ll get on it soon as I change.” I brushed
my hand over Cole’s downy hair as I scooted past.

When I got upstairs, I realized I’d been so
busy thinking about my family and the ghost tour preview that I’d
stopped feeling bad about Jack for at least an hour. Progress, but
oh, so slow. I slipped into an old shirt and a pair of jeans and
before I went back to the kitchen I stopped at my desk to check my
mail. Two bills, four pieces of junk, and a flyer from Christian’s
college about an open house this coming weekend. It was the third
such flyer I’d received. I imagined the school must have an
ulterior motive for being so insistent—fundraiser plea, most
likely.

I studied the picture on the front of the
flyer. A tree-lined walkway led up to a stately brick mansion, now
doing duty as the language arts building. The campus was beautiful
I saw when I opened to the second page and saw a picture of a small
lake dotted with swans and another photo of benches conveniently
located in a park like setting. I should go. A road trip might be
just the thing to settle my mind and help me get started in a new
direction, and, like DeLorean, I was looking at my last few days of
freedom before the real job started.

Still musing over whether I should spend the
coming weekend in Virginia, I made my way back to the kitchen. Mama
had put Cole on a blanket and was at the stove stir frying
vegetables. Her crutches were propped against the counter.

“Mama, I said I’d do the cooking.” I picked
up a saucepan.

“A body could starve waiting. I am not one to
cause trouble in someone else’s house, goodness knows, but really,
dear, you need to stick to a schedule.”

“Yeah, and I need to date church people named
Stanley, stop airing dirty laundry in front of guests, and realize
I’m aging fast and grab the nearest available man before my looks
are gone.” I stopped for breath and wrinkled my brow. Whoops. Last
night’s “we are one happy family” session hadn’t exactly shaped me
up the way Mama had hoped. “Sorry.”

“I’m sure you’re tired from working and
that’s what is making you snippy.” Then after a pause, “I suppose I
shouldn’t have sounded so critical.”

Probably not. But at least she was
trying.

“It’s okay.” I leaned over and kissed her
cheek. “Now please sit down before you hurt your ankle again.”

I took over the cooking while Mama somehow
managed to hobble around on one crutch and set the table. Thoughts
swirled through my mind. No, they weren’t true thoughts because
they were so wrapped up in feelings, feelings that dragged me down
as if I were swaddled in a heavy, wet blanket. I longed for a
friend who’d listen while I unburdened myself. Instead here I was
stir frying vegetables with no one but Mama and Cole in the room. I
could imagine how things would go if I told Mama what was on my
mind. The conversation would start something like this:

“Mama, did you ever wonder why people are so
contradictory?”

“
Who’s contradicting? Certainly not me. I never
in my life cared to argue with anyone, though goodness knows there
have been times when I’ve been forced to put in my two cents. When
people simply will not do what’s right, I have no choice, but to
try to guide them.”

“
That’s not what I mean. It’s just that sometimes
I feel so mature and together and other times it’s like I’ve never
grown up and I’ve messed up my life and now I want someone to share
my life with me, but I’m not sure I deserve someone.”

“
You are nearly forty, Susan. Of course you are
mature, even though you don’t make the best decisions and that is
why you need to listen to my advice.”

Enough said. And then there was DeLorean. If I didn’t
have the life wisdom I felt I should have, she had even less. After
all, I was the big sister and she didn’t have much of a track
record of her own, though she’d finally started to show a lot of
promise.

I thought of calling Patty for a long chat, but, even
if she weren’t out with Kyle, she’d tell me to listen to the
Universe and trust the tarot. Veronica was out, too. She had so
many business deals going, I’d be lucky if she made it to the ghost
tour preview next Friday. She wouldn’t have time to listen to my
thoughts.

No, I was on my own. I was going to have to sort
through this stage of my life all by myself. And if determination
were any indicator, I would emerge from the sorting process a
better person. I lifted my chin and forced a watery smile in the
direction of the refrigerator.

“Susan, did you hear me?”

I jumped. “Yes, Mama?”