Donna Fletcher Short Story Collection Read online

  Amanda asked again. “What do you want from me?”

  He pointed at her.

  “You can’t have me,” she said. “Tell me how I can help you.”

  He continued pointing at her until he finally drifted away like a puff of smoke.

  Mitch immediately stepped away from her leaving a chill to run through her. She stared longingly at him.

  “I can’t,” he said. “I can’t come near you right now. I want to kiss you and not stop kissing you.”

  She wanted the same, though she wanted more than kisses from him.

  “We’re going out to eat; get dressed,” he ordered.

  She didn’t argue; they needed time away from here or perhaps a safe distance from each other. She hurried out of the room and upstairs to her bedroom. She would have liked for him to come with her but that would have been tempting fate. And at the moment she feared the consequences of being alone in the bedroom with him more than she feared facing the ghost.

  Within a few minutes she had changed into a red sweater and jeans and black heeled boots. She freed her hair giving it a good brushing and left it to fall free. She glanced at the portrait of Gram over the bed and smiled.

  People insisted that she resembled her, but she was nowhere near as beautiful as her or as elegant. Gram had a grace about her that she lacked. Perhaps it was all those years on stage, her every movement flowing like a lovely melody that captured the attention of the endless audiences she had played to.

  When Gram entered a room everyone took notice.

  “I miss you,” she said to the portrait and fled the room tears brimming in her eyes.

  Mitch waited at the bottom of the staircase for her and she stopped at the top when she saw him and attempted to collect her fluctuating emotions.

  “Damn, but you’re gorgeous,” he said.

  He said it with such conviction that it caused her tears to spill over as she flew down the stairs and into his arms.

  He held her tight, as if he never intended to let her go. “What’s wrong?”

  “I miss Gram.”

  He kissed her then, a gentle, consoling kiss that soothed. He kept his arm around her as they walked to the door and opened it without a problem. Neither of them heard the chuckle that followed them out the door.

  ~~~

  They returned to the Chowder House and asked if Susie was working. She was and they were seated in her section. It was a quiet night, the place almost empty due to the storm so Susie could linger talking with them.

  “The Blackstone family was well known around here. If it hadn’t been for Thomas Blackstone this town would have died years ago. He got a lot of the businesses going. I remember meeting him when I was young, a big jovial man, always smiling. That is until his grandson died. No one saw him much after that.

  “Everyone here was really happy when your grandmother moved in. Businesses began thriving again from all the work your grandmother sent their way.” Susie shook her head. “The only thing no one in town could figure out was why Thomas Blackstone had left the place to Sophia Barnes. Why do you leave a mansion to somebody you never knew?”

  “My grandmother inherited Blackstone Manor?” Amanda asked shocked at the news.

  “You didn’t know that, honey? Your grandmother didn’t tell you?”

  Amanda was relieved that Susie got called away to pick up an order. She needed to collect herself and digest the startling news.

  “Why did Gram lead everyone to believe she bought the place?”

  Mitch reached out and took her hold of her hand. “I don’t know, but I do know that people don’t leave valuable property to strangers. There’s a connection there somewhere and we need to find it.”

  They finished their meal and returned home going straight to the computer but found nothing that connected Sophia Barnes with Thomas Blackstone. They continued their hunt well past midnight until finally their continuous yawns drove them to bed.

  They both stood staring at the bed after changing their clothes... in separate rooms.

  “I have to say something before we get into bed together,” Mitch said.

  Amanda waited.

  “I’m attracted to you, have been since I first saw you standing outside when I pulled up. I’ve had the urge to kiss you long before that damn ghost got in the way.” He shook his head. “I can’t get the thought of making love to you out of mind. It haunts me as much as the ghost haunts this house. I’ve never felt like this before and...” He took a fortifying breath. “I want to make sure it’s real because if it is I don’t think I’m ever going to be able to let you go.”

  Amanda couldn’t help it; she was so thrilled that she chuckled.

  His eyes turned wide. “Do that again.”

  “What?”

  “That little laugh.”

  She found it easy to do again, still delighted with the turn of events.

  “That’s the chuckle I’ve been hearing.”

  “But I haven’t done it before,”—she gasped—“I’ve been told repeatedly that I sound just like Gram when I do it.”

  “I should have known,” Mitch said. “The signs were obvious. There isn’t one ghost here, there are two.”

  “Gram is here?”

  “No doubt she’s the one affecting the lights. New ghosts have a tendency to do that where older ghost can materialize easily, though I wonder why she remains here.”

  The ghost of Michael Blackstone appeared so suddenly that they both jumped startled. Mitch didn’t hesitate, he skittered across the bed and wrapped his arm around Amanda.

  “Where’s Gram? I want to see her.”

  He pointed at her once again.

  “I don’t know what you want,” she cried out to him. “Please, I want to see Gram.”

  He disappeared as fast as he had materialized.

  “I don’t understand,” Amanda said close to tears.

  “I think I do,” he said and took hold of her shoulders and turned her around. “He wasn’t pointing at you. He was pointing at the portrait of your grandmother.”

  Amanda scrambled up onto the bed along with Mitch and each of them felt along the edges of the picture frame. Mitch found the latch and when he clicked it the portrait slowly moved away from the wall to reveal a wall safe. Attached to the combination knob was a note.

  Amanda grabbed it and read Gram’s message.

  The combination is hidden where you spent hours of play as a young child.

  Mitch helped her off the bed and she ran to Gram’s vanity dresser with the triple mirror. She would sit on the floor and watch her Gram get ready for parties or dinner guests, and while she did...

  She opened the bottom drawer on the right side of the vanity and took out a flora cloth-covered box and opened it. It was here her grandmother had deposited costume jewelry for her to play with and tucked among the mound of jewelry that had been so precious to her as a child was a folded piece of paper.

  Amanda smiled and hurried to the wall safe, quickly feeding in the combination. When the door popped open, the only thing in there was a brown leather journal. She took it out and hugged it to her chest.

  Mitch closed the safe and clicked the portrait so that it would return to its position.

  The two sat on the bed beside each other, Mitch’s arm going around her waist and moving closer.

  She snuggled against him glad he was there to share this with her and when she opened it a letter fell out. They both read along silently.

  My dearest Amanda,

  This letter will briefly explain everything and my journal tells the whole story. Let the world know if you want for it is a grand romance. Since you’re reading this Michael has succeeded in helping you find it. Please don’t mourn me. My time has come to an end there and I must journey on. But I could not leave you, my granddaughter, the love of my life, without explaining everything.

  Many years ago when I was young and just starting my acting career, I had volunteered my time with the USO. I danced with
many soldiers, handed out food and listened to their stories. One night I danced with an army officer and as soon as he took me in his arms I knew we were meant to be and so did he... that officer was Michael Blackstone.

  We had one glorious night together and he had to leave the next day, he promised me he’d be back and we’d be together forever, but he never came back. I feared the worst since I knew in my heart he loved me and meant to keep his word and return to me. It took almost a year to find out what happened to him and his death devastated me. I never found a love like him again, never found a man who could melt my heart with a simple touch or make my body quiver with just one kiss. Instead I went from marriage to marriage until I finally gave up.

  When I found out that I had inherited Blackstone Manor I was shocked. Never had anyone in the Blackstone family contacted me until that day and even then it was done through a lawyer and he even wondered why the house was left to me.

  I found out why the first night in the house when Michal came to me. In dreams he explained everything to me. How it had taken him years to finally be able to communicate with his grandfather and how in the end it had been his grandfather’s idea to leave the house to her so that Michael and she could be together.

  Oh my darling, Amanda, I had never been so happy to see him and feel his touch again after all those years. It may seem crazy to you but the many years spent there with him were some of the best years of my life. I felt alive again and even more startling, I didn’t fear death for I knew Michael would be there to greet me and we would finally be truly together.

  Know that I am happy and that I love you dearly.

  One last important thing, in your dreams you'll find the truth. It is there that your yearning desires conjures the man of your dreams and brings him to you, though I gave a bit of a nudge in the right direction. You have talents you’re just beginning to learn about, but then perhaps Mitch Connell can help you develop them.

  Kisses and hugs, my darling, live and love well!

  Gram

  P.S. How appropriate it would be if Blackstone Manor became a center dedicated to gathering data on ghosts and teaching those with a talent for seeing them. You could call it The Sophia Barnes Center for Ghostly Phenomenon.

  Amanda jumped out of bed and hurried to the table next to the pink velvet chaise lounge. She ran her finger along the stack of books piled there and eased one out. She rushed back to the bed beside Mitch and flipped through the pages and stopped at a picture of him speaking before a large audience. Tucked in the page was a picture of Amanda taken about a year ago.

  “I remember now. One day when I was young I had told Gram that I had seen a ghost looking out one of the windows while in the backyard. She told me it was nonsense and after a heated debate I stomped off and told her that it was easy to see ghosts and I didn’t know what all the fuss was about, and one day I would prove it to everyone.” She shook her head. “But all thoughts of ghosts faded over the years until, I had completely forgotten it all.”

  “No, you tucked it away until the time was right and you were ready.”

  Amanda smiled. “She left the books where she knew I would easily find them; her chaise had always been a favorite spot of mine for reading. She placed you in my thoughts before any of the strange activities started.”

  “I like your grandmother.”

  The chuckle sounded loud and clear and they both smiled.

  “I think she likes you too,” Amanda said and wasn’t surprised to see Michal Blackstone materialize in his favorite corner.

  He smiled and nodded at them.

  “Take good care of my Gram and give her a kiss for me.”

  He nodded, waved and just when she thought he would vanish, her grandmother suddenly appeared. She was younger looking, so very beautiful and wore the happiest smile. She blew Amanda a kiss and then Michael slipped his arm around her and together they vanished.

  Amanda hopped out of bed and ran to the spot where her grandmother had stood. “It’s over,” she said with a bit of sorrow.

  “No, it’s not,” Mitch said advancing on her. “It’s just beginning.”

  A shot of desire hit her like Cupid’s arrow and spread like wildfire.

  “You do realize that it was me you conjured in your dreams, me who touched you, me who you desired.”

  “It makes sense,”—she shook her head—“and then it doesn’t. I had been reading your book before I fell asleep and had seen my picture next to yours, so I suppose one could say it was a subliminal suggestion that conjured the dream.”

  He scooped her up. “You have a special gift, Amanda. You travel the dream world and bring people into it. Your unique talent can be an asset to my business and I could use a partner, but first... it’s time that dream became a reality.”

  “I always believed that dreams could come true.”

  “Tonight, Amanda, I’m going to make all your dreams come true.”

  He carried her to the bed and as he lowered her down... the lights went out.

  ~ The End ~

  This is an original short story, not based on any characters from a book, though I have thought that Mitch and Amanda’s skills would make for a great ghost hunting series.

  Titles by Donna Fletcher

  Single Titles

  San Francisco Surrender

  Untamed Fire

  Rebellious Bride

  The Buccaneer

  Tame My Wild Touch

  Playing Cupid

  Whispers on the Wind

  Series Books

  Wyrrd Witches Series

  The Wedding Spell

  Magical Moments

  Magical Memories

  Remember the Magic

  The Irish Devil

  Irish Hope

  Isle of Lies

  Love Me Forever

  Dark Warrior

  Legendary Warrior

  The Daring Twin

  The Bewitching Twin

  Taken By Storm

  Highlander’s Bride

  Sinclare Brothers Series

  Return of the Rogue

  Under the Highlander’s Spell

  The Angel and The Highlander

  Highlander’s Forbidden Bride

  Warrior King Series

  Bound To A Warrior

  Loved By A Warrior

  A Warrior’s Promise

  Wed To A Highland Warrior

  Highlander Trilogy

  Highlander Unchained

  Forbidden Highlander

  Book 3 – coming late spring 2013

  About the Author

  Donna Fletcher is a USA Today bestselling romance author. Her books are sold worldwide. She started her career selling short stories and winning reader contests. She soon expanded her writing to her love of romance novels and sold her first book San Francisco Surrender the year she became president of New Jersey Romance Writers. Donna is also a past President of Novelists, Inc.

  Drop by Donna’s website www.donnafletcher.com where you can learn more about her, read her blog, and enjoy her short stories.

  Want to be alerted to Donna’s book releases? Sign up for Book Alert. Send Donna an e-mail at mailto:[email protected] with Book Alert in the message box and you’re all set. Book Alert will keep you updated about Donna’s releases.