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

month,” Danielle said. “First the kidnapping and then finding out about your parents. I just can’t imagine how you’re processing all this.”

“After this last week, the kidnapping almost seems like a lifetime ago. I never believed my father had anything to do with Bud’s death. But I feel a sense of relief knowing why Bud believed that and knowing he now has the truth. As for my parents’ death, in some ways, it’s like losing them all over again. And these what-ifs keep running through my head.”

“What-ifs?” Danielle asked.

“What if I’d come out of those bushes when Teddy had come here to talk to my father? I could have stalled him just long enough that when he got back to his house, my parents would already be gone.”

“That’s a big what-if,” Danielle said.

“Or what if I had pretended to be sick that morning instead of throwing a tantrum? Maybe my mother wouldn’t have gone over that day. She would have stayed with me.”

“Unfortunately, we don’t get do-overs,” Danielle reminded him.

“Are you sure about that?”

Danielle laughed. “You have a point. Sometimes we do get do-overs. For which I am most grateful.” She gave him a kiss.

When the kiss ended, Walt said, “As to your question, how am I processing all this? It’s much easier with you by my side.”

Blissfully relaxed, Walt reluctantly opened his eyes. He must have fallen asleep, he told himself. For a moment he thought he was in bed, but then he looked around. He sat in the side yard at Marlow House. Yawning, he sat up straighter in the chair. Something was different, he told himself.

No longer slumped back in the chair, he took in his surroundings. The landscaping had changed—lusher yet with smaller trees. Different, yet familiar. And what had happened to the outdoor kitchen? Frowning, Walt looked at the yard furniture—wicker. Marlow House hadn’t had wicker furniture since he was a child.

“Good, you’re here!” a woman’s voice called out.

Walt turned in the chair and looked at a beautiful young woman, a man at her side. A man—who could be Walt’s double.

“You look surprised,” she said softly.

Walt’s eyes widened as recognition dawned. He tried to stand yet felt physically incapable of motion. The woman—his mother—rushed to him, taking his face in her hands and giving first his right, then his left cheek a kiss. “You look wonderful,” she whispered and then kissed him again. “So much like your father.”

Speechless, Walt remained in the chair while his mother sat down next to him in a chair that hadn’t been there a moment ago. His father, still standing, held out his hand. Walt managed to stand up and accepted the handshake.

“You do look wonderful,” Alexander said. When the handshake ended, Alexander impulsively threw his arms around Walt, giving him an enthusiastic hug and pat on his back. Before releasing him, he kissed his son’s cheek and then took a seat in a chair that appeared on the other side of the one Walt had been using. Walt sat down.

Walt looked to his mother and then his father, who sat grinning at him, as if waiting for him to say something.

“This is a dream hop,” Walt finally announced, his voice calm yet his mind reeling.

Anna smiled. “We heard Danielle called these a dream hop. She’s a clever girl.”

“You know about Danielle?” Walt asked.

“Of course we do. We knew about her before you did,” Alexander said with a chuckle.

Confused, Walt frowned at his father.

Anna reached out and patted Walt’s knee. “Bud told us we needed to talk to you.”

Walt turned to his mother. “You’ve seen Bud?”

“Yes. He told us what happened, but of course we already knew. Unfortunately, there was nothing we could do about it. At least not directly,” Anna said.

“But we knew we could count on you,” Alexander said.

Still confused, Walt looked from his mother to his father. “I hope you can understand why I decided not to move on yet. It’s not that I didn’t want to see you,” Walt began.

“We understand, and we also knew it wasn’t your time. You had to wait for Danielle,” Anna told him.

Walt stared at his mother. “But I missed you. Why didn’t you come before—in a dream?”

Anna smiled at her son and gave his knee another pat. “We did a few times. I’m sure you’ll remember when you think about it. But just like Evan’s mother understood it was not in Evan’s best interest to stay on your side—even though he could see her—we realized visiting your dreams often was not in your best interest.”

“You know about Evan?” Walt asked.

“Certainly. His mother is a friend. A wonderful woman. She and I have a lot in common. And she asked me to have you tell Evan she got his message, and that she loves him too. Of course, she realizes he already knows that, but just like she loves hearing it, she knows he does too.”

Walt looked from his mother to his father and said, “I’m so sorry for what happened to you both. I can’t believe Teddy was responsible.”

“You need to stop thinking about it,” Alexander said. “It was a long time ago, and your mother and I are at peace.”

“Can you at least tell me what happened that day?” Walt asked.

“In Teddy’s defense, he didn’t plan to kill us. And I suppose his penance would not have been as severe had he not made certain choices. But he did and now must deal with the consequences,” Alexander said.

“What happened? You say he didn’t plan to kill you, but why did he?” Walt asked.

“When Teddy arrived that day, I had already told Maddie, and we were packing her things so she could come with us. Teddy was furious, and he and I argued. Afraid we were going to throw punches, and worried we were upsetting Maddie, your mother got between us, and Teddy pushed her away.”

“I fell, hit my head. One minute I’m trying to stop Teddy and Alex from fighting, and the next I’m standing outside my