Inheritance (The Lost Bride Trilogy, #1)(114)

“I think he wanted to give us a little girl time. He’s coming tomorrow.”

“Okay then. I showed you mine, let’s see yours.”

“I’m working on Doyle Law Offices. I told you Trey’s mom’s a photographer. I got great stuff to work with.”

As Sonya toggled back to the home page, Cleo came around the desk. “That’s their offices? You said it was a Victorian, but wow. It’s beautiful. It looks so not stuffy attorneys-at-law. I like your color palette, picking up the tones of the house, not overwhelming it. Nice clean font on the text, clear info.

“That has to be Ace!” Delighted, Cleo pressed her hands to her cheeks. “Talk about adorable. Natty! That’s the word. How often do you get to use natty in a sentence?”

Nodding, she scanned the bio. “Impressive. Harvard man, could’ve retired fifteen, twenty years ago, but there he is in his natty three-piece suit with the law books.

“And next?”

“Deuce.”

“Mmm. Handsome, kind eyes, tie loosened. Why is that so sexy?”

In full agreement, she slapped Cleo’s arm. “I know, right?”

“I like how she took him making notes on a legal pad. Handsome, kind-eyed man at work. Oh, well now, and here’s Mr. Third Generation. All long and lean and yummy. It’s a great shot. He’s relaxed, but he’s listening.”

She went through the staff.

“Mrs. Deuce is damn good, as is my BFF. I really like the way you’ve got this easy flow going, and— Oh Jesus, Sonya!”

She laughed and laughed.

“Mookie Doyle, Legal Consultant.”

“I don’t know if they’ll go for it, but I couldn’t resist when I saw she’d taken his picture, too. And the way he’s holding his head, that look in his eyes.

“I’m here for you. Trust me. Oh, they have to use it. It’s genius. If I needed a lawyer, I’d be at their door.”

“We’ll see. I’ve nearly got it to the point I can show them the layout. I’m shutting down. Workday is done.”

In the kitchen, Sonya watched in some amazement as Cleo chopped garlic, peeled and chopped potatoes, a carrot.

“This is serious cooking.”

“I’ve been practicing,” Cleo said. “Since I’m living the dream, my contribution will not suck. We’ll eat reasonably decent meals under my watch. Let me get this going, then I want to see you make bread. Doesn’t that take hours?”

“Not this.” After walking into the butler’s pantry, Sonya came back with a bottle. “The secret’s in the beer.”

And as they spent the evening in the kitchen, at the table, Sonya realized Trey had been right. Some girl time did the trick.

Now and again, Clover joined them with a musical interlude. And now and again, doors opened or closed.

When they came back from walking the dog, all the kitchen cabinets stood open, and the counter stools were stacked on top of each other.

“I wonder if a kid died here.” Cleo started closing doors. “This is silly stuff, kid stuff. Pranks.”

“From what I’ve read so far, not all the children lived to adulthood. You could be right.” Sonya set the stools back in place. “Yoda plays with somebody sometimes.”

Even as she spoke, the ball she kept in the mudroom bounced out into the kitchen, where Yoda gave immediate chase.

“Like that?”

“That’s new, but yes. And I just realized how much you’re like Trey.”

“Please.” Cleo gave her hair a haughty toss. “I’m like no one.”

“You didn’t even blink. It’s the calm.” She followed Yoda when he raced to the mudroom, dropped the ball, and wagged.

Nothing happened.

“Not ready to have us watch yet,” Cleo decided, and tugged Sonya back into the kitchen. The ball bounced out again. “See?”

“I guess I should just let them play.”

“Why not? Want to watch a movie?”

“I could watch a movie.”

“And after, can I borrow the Poole book for the night? I’d like to read some of it.”

“Fine with me.”

A few minutes into the movie, Yoda came up to join them and fell asleep almost immediately. Tuckered out from playing with his ghost pal, Sonya thought.

When she let him out the last time, the ball sat on the shelf over the washer. Apparently Yoda’s invisible friend wanted to keep it handy.

As she got ready for bed, she decided she couldn’t be afraid or annoyed with a spirit that liked playing with her dog.



* * *



When the clock woke Cleo, she got up quickly. No need to wake Sonya, she thought—but grabbed her phone in case. She’d just run down for a look. Maybe this time, she’d see something.

What she saw was Sonya walking past her room.

“Woke you up, too. I was just going to— Hey, wait for me.”

She caught up, took Sonya’s arm.

For a moment, her friend stood, face blank, staring straight ahead. Then she jerked.

“What?” Sonya shuddered once. Then her head swiveled, and her breath caught. “What’s going on?”

“I think you were sleepwalking, or dreaming or something. The clock. I heard the clock, got up, and you were walking past my room.”