The Guest House Hauntings Boxset by Hazel Holmes (novel books to read txt) 📕

“Brittany!” Sam called out, revealing the first real sign of panic in his voice. He dashed towards the sound without taking time to think of anything else. If this cost him his wife, it wasn’t worth it. Making her happy was the only thing he truly cared about aside from the lifestyle they lived.

His run was stopped midstride as he was tackled to the ground by a bulky body that hit him hard. The thud shook the attic. Nathaniel reached for the tranquilizer needle in his pocket as Sam gathered his bearings.

In that moment of a scramble, Sam saw the opening and punched Nathaniel in the face, sending him flying back in a mess of blood and excruciating pain. Color danced in his eyes as his ears rang, a deafening noise. Sam reached for his gun as he stood while Nathaniel lay splayed on the floor, half-conscious.

“Sam, what are you doing?” Richard asked.

Sam’s attention was diverted in the opposite direction as the family appeared. They all looked horribly distraught and disappointed. Sadness melted off them in black teardrops.

“This isn’t who you are,” Lyla said, shaking her head. “You and Brittany are so much better than this, so much more than this. How could you do this to us? Over a stupid dispute? Over money? A piece of property? I thought our friendship meant more than that.”

Before Sam could respond, Ezra barreled into him, knocking him off his feet. Nathaniel recovered just enough to bury the needle into Sam’s neck as Ezra wrestled the gun out of his hands.

Clara ran into the room and hugged her husband as Sam passed out and Nathaniel lay back. Finally, an end to their awful nightmare. As they kissed, Clara and Ezra could see the gold glimmer of a new beginning.

54

“Breakfast smells delicious,” Clara said as she walked into the bright kitchen full of crazy energy.

“I have something special for you,” Ezra replied, turning away from his cooking for just a moment so he could kiss his wife.

The couple had never been happier. The nightmare of what happened with Brittany and Sam still lingered in their minds. They still woke up to nightmares sometimes, they still double-checked to make sure their doors were locked at night, and they had difficulty trusting anyone aside from each other. Both decided to see therapists following the incident to help them move forward, and they secretly worried that bits of that trauma may never go away. The ghosts certainly hadn’t gone away.

Yet they were kind of glad to have the family there. They had the bed and breakfast of their dreams that drew in the literary, unique guests they wanted. Ezra and Nathaniel cooked incredible meals for them. Clara listened and heard so many interesting stories. She created the Victorian dollhouse of her dreams, while he was able to make the kind of food he always longed to make. They merged their passions and were making their dreams come true together.

“For me?” Clara asked as he handed her a plate of cream cheese crepes plated beautifully, with fresh berries adding color to the dish. Next to it was a cup of coffee with a heart Ezra made thanks to his careful studying of the latte art craze.

“Of course,” he said.

“Also, for you,” Nathaniel replied, handing over a plate with a hearty slice of brown bread and maple butter on it.

“You two are the best,” she said.

They had all formed quite the friendship since the incident. Of course, Ezra and Clara apologized as they should have and gave Nathaniel a much-deserved raise. He was simply grateful for the opportunity to work and learn under Ezra’s guidance again. He had already saved up a good chunk of money for his own bed and breakfast someday, and he worked hard to add to it. Meanwhile, Ezra took extra time to teach him the business side of things, so he’d be prepared once he had the funds to turn that dream into a reality.

“Nathaniel’s wife and baby girl are joining us today,” Ezra told Clara. “They’re enjoying their drinks already.”

“I’ll have to go talk to them,” Clara said. “Are they joining us after for…”

“Of course,” Nathaniel replied as the mood turned somber. “Liza is going to her grandmother’s house for the day, but Lucy and I will be there. We wouldn’t miss it.”

Clara nodded. “They’d be grateful for it. Crazy timing though, isn’t it? I heard Brittany and Sam were sentenced to life.”

She and Ezra hadn’t attended the trial that concluded the day before. It was too difficult for them and they wanted to move on with their lives. Still, they couldn’t help but be curious about the outcome. Clara wanted to know they’d be safe forever.

“They were,” Nathaniel assured her. “They’re going to get what they deserved all along. Most importantly, they’re never going to hurt anyone ever again.”

“That’s a relief,” she admitted. “I’ll let you guys get back to work. You better be ready to leave by one though.”

“We will be,” Ezra promised. Clara left the kitchen to go put on her mourning dress far too soon after she’d worn it last.

55

Just as they promised, Ezra and Nathaniel were ready to go by one o’clock that afternoon. The two couples piled into Ezra’s car together, hoping there would be strength in numbers. Though they’d spent many evenings having dinner together and going on various outings, the drive was silent. No one knew what to say. No one had anything they wanted to say. Sure, there was some closure in this, but it still wasn’t pleasant. Closure rarely was.

The tragic loss of life was still felt every day in the little ways the ghosts reached out to them. But it was moments like these that really hit them hard and made them relive that awful day all over again. It was heartbreaking.

Ezra’s mind went back to his father as they pulled up to the cemetery. He thought about that day so long ago when he heard of his