LITMIR.BIZ

       CHAPTER FOUR

      GRACE HUMMED TO herself as she got ready for her meeting with Heather Scofield about the landscaping for Green Meadows. She kept playing the time she’d spent with Caleb the afternoon before over and over in her head. It had been a simple walk, but she couldn’t remember when she’d had such a good time with a man. She’d been so focused on work since Dad announced he was contemplating retiring, that she hadn’t even thought about dating in some time.

      Well, now she was thinking about it!

      There was a lot she appreciated about Caleb Blackthorne beyond his good looks. His devotion to his daughter touched her deeply. She liked the fact that he taught environmental studies. He was a man of principle. She’d meant to forgo billing him for the repaint job on the community center, but his reminder had convinced her she needed to let him make up for his daughter’s actions.

      Most of all, she’d loved just being with Caleb on that walk. They had a like appreciation of nature. She was always trying to identify birds and often spent free time reading nature magazines, so she’d been aware of everything around her, and he hadn’t cut in with forced conversation. They both had been comfortable just being together, listening to the sounds of birds flying and small animals scurrying around. She couldn’t have had a better time.

      She was smiling to herself just thinking about it when Heather appeared at her office door.

      “You certainly look cheerful this morning.”

      The smile turned to a grin. “I have a lot to be cheerful about.”

      That’s when she noticed Heather’s expression was just a little distressed. And, in addition to her portfolio, Heather held a sheet of paper gripped tightly in one hand.

      “Uh-oh. What’s wrong?”

      Heather crossed to her desk. “Sorry.” And set the paper down in front of her.

      It was a flier.

      SPOOKY TOURS... HOSTED BY VINCENT PRYCE shouted at Grace from the top of the flier, and it took her a moment to read the rest. See the old Whitman farmstead, where ghosts were responsible for the deaths of an old man and his wife! Now they are haunting the grounds, too.

      Choked up, she said, “If only there was something I could do to stop him!”

      “I don’t know on what grounds as long as he stays off yours,” Heather said. “I mean, he can drive down the street and say whatever he wants about the area. I don’t know that anyone can stop him unless he’s defaming someone who is still alive and who can sue him.”

      Grace’s stomach tightened at the thought of instigating a lawsuit. Not that it would go anywhere under the circumstances. “Well, maybe no one will want to go on that tour. At least not potential residents.”

      “The best way to calm people down is to get to know them personally,” Heather said.

      “I haven’t exactly had a lot of time for socializing this past year.”

      “I know you were really busy. But things at Green Meadows are winding down now.”

      Grace immediately thought about checking out Nellie’s Treasures as she’d vowed to do the other day. Then again, Nellie was only one person. And she was already a resident.

      “Any suggestions of where I can meet a lot of people at once?”

      “There’s a fund-raiser social being given by the Ladies Auxiliary of First Presbyterian Church the weekend after next. They’re raising money for a new air-conditioning system for the church offices. And this Wednesday is Pancake Day. You definitely should go to that to meet people.”

      “Pancake Day?”

      “The Sparrow Lake Creamery and Dairymen’s Association have a Pancake Day every year during the kids’ spring vacation so everyone can come. It gets townspeople invested in supporting the local dairy industry—the butter and cream and milk produced in this area.”

      “So it’s a breakfast?”

      “All-day breakfast at the Sparrow Lake Farmers’ Co-op.”

      Grace scribbled a note to herself even as she wondered if she would fit in at this kind of social event. “At the co-op?”

      “Right. The building has offices and meeting rooms. That’s where the Dairymen’s Association is located. I’m going around noon. If you like, we can go together, as long as you don’t mind that I’ll be bringing the twins. I can introduce you to people you haven’t yet met.”

      “Great. And I would love to see Addison and Taylor again.”

      Heather eyed Grace’s designer suit. “You might want to...um...dress down a little.”

      “So I fit in. Got it. Now at least I have a plan to influence people more than some transient ghost hunter. I can hope, right?”

      Heather’s expression remained cautious.

      Uh-oh. That didn’t bode well, Grace thought. “Is there a problem I don’t know about?”

      “Just a little one. There’s another reporter going around town, trying to dig up a story about the ghost sightings.”

      Grace groaned. “And I was just thinking what a nice day I had yesterday on the ‘haunted’ property. I say we get down to work before I lose my mind over this nonsense.”

      At her invitation, Heather took a chair on the opposite side of the desk. As always, she was dressed casually compared with Grace, today in pale green chinos and a matching spring sweater. Her light brown hair streaked with blond was pulled back in a ponytail, and her face was makeup free other than a swipe of tinted lip gloss.

      “So...yesterday...” Heather cleared her throat and with an interested expression lighting her pretty face asked, “What was going on?”

      “Oh. I, um, gave Caleb Blackthorne a tour of the area.” Grace tried to keep her tone casual.

      “Ah, I see.”

      She simply blinked at the other woman’s knowing tone.

      Heather went on. “Caleb Blackthorne is considered quite a catch to the unmarried women in these parts, you know. Good-looking, great job, beautiful home. Lucky you.”

      “It wasn’t a date,” Grace was quick to assure her. “The other day, his daughter, Angela—or Summer Storm, as she calls her artist self—created some problems at Green Meadows.”

      “So I heard.”

      Sparrow Lake was a small town with an active rumor mill, Grace reminded herself. Probably everyone had heard. “I wanted to talk to Caleb about his daughter, to see if I could get some insight on why she painted that mural, and I learned he teaches environmental studies at the community college.”

      “I know. I took a couple of his classes. Great teacher.”

      Grace thought about telling Heather she’d been considering taking his classes, too, but something stopped her.

      “At any rate,” Grace went on, “Caleb asked me about why we went green with the new community, and I offered to give him a tour of the place.”

      “A tour that put a big smile on your face.”

      “I enjoyed myself,” Grace admitted, then before Heather could question her more indicated the table along the wall. “That should give us enough room to spread out your blueprints, don’t you think?”

      “That it does.”

      Part of Grace wanted to continue

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