Haunting Danielle 27 The Ghost and the Mountain Man by Bobbi Holmes (great novels to read TXT) 📕

“Just do as I say, remember that. Follow them up to the mountains!”

“But—” Before Cory could finish his question, Caitlin reached over and gave his back a shove, sending him tumbling off the pier into the water below.

Cory’s eyes flew open, and he sat up in bed, the blanket falling off his bare chest. Darkness covered his bedroom, save for the moonlight slipping through his window, its blind open. Absently combing his right hand through his still damp hair, he sat there just a moment longer before climbing out of bed, barefoot and wearing just boxers. Cory stumbled to the window and looked out. Caitlin’s house was dark. But it was not Caitlin’s house anymore, it was Ginny’s house. He continued to stare out the window when he noticed headlights coming up the street. Standing in the darkness of his bedroom, he peered out the window into the night. A moment later, the headlights turned into Ginny’s driveway. He recognized the car. It was Ginny’s. The garage door opened, and then the car disappeared inside before the garage door closed.

Cory turned from the window and went back to bed.

Joe worked late on Friday, and instead of Kelly picking him up, he hitched a ride with one of his co-workers. When he arrived home, Kelly was already in bed, sleeping. After taking a shower and climbing into bed, he reached over to give her a kiss, but she groggily rolled away, apparently still asleep. With a sigh, Joe gave her a little pat, turned off the bedroom light, and then grabbed his pillow, giving it several punches with a fist before shoving it under his head.

He fell asleep quickly, but he didn’t stay asleep long. Something woke him up, and when he reached out toward Kelly, she was no longer there. He glanced at the alarm clock on the nightstand and saw he had been sleeping less than an hour.

Rather than trying to go back to sleep, he lay quietly in bed, waiting for Kelly’s return. The time ticked away. Eventually he looked back to the clock. Another hour had passed. With a sigh, Joe climbed out of bed.

He found Kelly in the study, curled up on the sofa with a blanket around her, the lamp on the end table on, but the overhead light off.

“Are you coming back to bed?” he asked in a soft voice.

Kelly looked up at the doorway. “In a while.”

Joe frowned and walked over to the sofa and sat down with Kelly. “Is something wrong?”

Kelly shrugged.

Letting out a sigh, Joe leaned back on the sofa. “Are you mad at me?”

“I’m not mad at anyone,” Kelly muttered unconvincingly.

They sat there in silence for a few minutes. Finally, Joe blurted, “I don’t really want six kids.”

Kelly frowned at Joe. “Excuse me?”

“I lied. I don’t really want six kids. That’s why you’re out here, right?”

“Why would you lie about something like that?” Kelly asked. “Were you trying to scare me? Did you want me to break off the engagement? Are you having second thoughts?”

“No!” Joe groaned. “Brian said you’d think that.”

“Brian? What does Brian have to do with this?” Kelly sat up straighter, the blanket no longer pulled tightly around her body.

“Brian has nothing to do with this. And I don’t want to break off our engagement. I’m in love with you, Kelly. I want to marry you,” Joe insisted.

“Do you love me as much as you loved Danielle?” Kelly blurted, immediately regretting the question. She hadn’t meant to voice it, but it had been in her head.

“Danielle? I was never in love with Danielle,” Joe said.

“Yes, you were,” Kelly argued.

“I will admit I was infatuated. And I thought she needed me,” Joe said.

“Needed you?” Kelly frowned.

“I don’t want to talk about Danielle. She’s not the one I want to marry.”

“Okay, then what’s this about six kids? Wanting them and then not. What was that all about?”

“I do want kids someday. And I will admit that I have been thinking maybe we shouldn’t wait to start a family, considering—”

“My age?” Kelly finished for him.

“No, actually, my age,” Joe grumbled.

Kelly sat up even straighter and leaned toward Joe. “Your age? Guys can be fathers when they’re a hundred.”

“That’s not what I’m talking about. I just realize I’m getting pretty set in my ways, comfortable. And if we wait much longer, maybe I won’t want kids.”

“So that’s why you said you wanted six kids?” Kelly frowned.

“No. I said that because…” Joe let out a sigh and reached out and took Kelly’s hand. “I was just trying to get your mind off everyone else’s business.”

“What do you mean everyone else’s business?”

“Just sometimes you get a little overinvested in other people’s lives. Like wanting to play matchmaker for Brian or worrying about who’s babysitting for Connor.”

“It’s just that I care,” Kelly insisted.

“I know. But sometimes…” Joe didn’t finish the sentence.

Kelly slumped back on the sofa, Joe no longer holding her hand. “Sometimes it’s annoying?”

“Well, I wouldn’t say annoying, exactly.”

“And you thought giving me six kids would take care of it?”

Joe shrugged. “I really wasn’t going to give you six kids.”

They sat there for a few moments. Suddenly, Kelly laughed.

Confused, Joe asked, “What’s so funny?”

“Oh, I totally missed my chance.”

“Chance for what?” Joe asked.

“When you said you wanted six kids, I should have…” Kelly flew into Joe’s arms and squealed, “Oh yes! Six kids! I am so glad you said that! That’s what I want too!” She peppered his face with kisses before abruptly stopping and sitting back on the sofa.

“You want six kids?” Joe squeaked.

Kelly frowned. “Oh, hell no.”

Joe chuckled and put his arm around Kelly, pulling her closer. They sat in silence for a moment before Kelly asked in a quiet voice, “You really weren’t trying to get me to break off the engagement?”

“Absolutely not. I want to marry you,” Joe insisted.

“I wasn’t really sure of that. Even before you said you wanted six kids.”

Joe pulled away from Kelly for a