Vanquishing Ghosts (Tess Schafer-Medium) Page 7

  "That among other things. There are many religions that don't believe people should be talking to the dead. It makes no sense because there are examples of it all through the bible."

  "Yes, but I believe those were angels they were conversing with and only those who were special in God's eyes could see them." He shrugged. "Don't quote me on that, Tess. I am not a bible expert by any means. I don't even go to church. I've been to a service or two over the course of my life but I am not affiliated with any particular religion. To tell you the truth, I'm not even sure what church I'd go to even if I was inclined to do so."

  "Well, first of all, everyone is special in God's eyes so that means any one of us has the ability to converse with or see angels. And secondly, I think it matters more how you live your life than whether or not you go to church. There are people who go to church and then go home and commit horrible sins. And there are people who have never gone to church but who live their lives in service and devotion to others."

  "True and I'm glad you see it that way. I have nothing against God, Tess, but I have no compulsion to go to church every Sunday to prove myself worthy to anyone."

  "Not everyone goes to church to prove their self-worth, Kade. Church, I think, is more about fellowship and being with others of like mind. Most of my family attends church. My parents prefer the Lutheran faith. Mike's family are Catholic and whenever we visited them, we attended church with them."

  Kade's brow lifted with humorous exaggeration. "What? They didn't think you a sinner in need of prayers for being a medium?"

  I bit my lip in slight consternation as memories of my past washed over me. "Mike didn't want his family to know what I did so we kept it secret."

  "You're kidding. Right?"

  I shook my head and said nothing. Although it used to bother me that I had to hide who I was with Mike's family, it seemed to overwhelm me with resentment now that it no longer mattered. I loved Mike and was devastated when he died but now that he was gone and my grief had receded, I was beginning to see things in a different light.

  Had he lived, I didn't doubt that we would have continued to enjoy a good marriage, but the strain of hiding myself from his family and business associates would have eventually put a bigger strain on our relationship. To live happily, we must be free to express ourselves for who we are and what we stand for. Our contentment in life comes from the fulfillment of our life purpose and doing what we were born to do. I was born to be a medium and Mike wanted to stifle that. How much that would have affected our marriage as time went on, I don't know but I did know this much ... I will never stay in a relationship that stifles me in any way ever again. If that was one of my lessons with Mike, then I learned it well and I had him to thank for it.

  "Well, I'll tell you right now that I've told my mother all about you and she can't wait to get a reading. She's hoping you can contact her aunt Gail. My mother's parents died in a house fire when she was quite young and her aunt Gail, her mother's sister, took her in and raised her as her own. Gail died of breast cancer a couple years ago and Mom's been pretty sad about it. She wasn't with her when she died and she feels that things didn't get said that she wished she'd thought to say."

  I hadn't heard this story and was glad Kade was opening up to me. How sad, though, for his mother. "I'm so sorry, Kade. How is it that your mother survived the fire?"

  "She wasn't with them at the time. She was staying the night with her grandparents. Her parents had just moved into a new house and were in the process of doing what we are doing now with your place. Since my mother was only about two at the time, she was left in the care of her grandparents until the house was made ready. It was hit by lightning their first night there."

  We were silent for a few respectful moments and then Kade decided to share more of himself. "My dad was an officer in the Army. Did I ever tell you that?" When I shook my head that he hadn't, Kade looked surprised by the oversight. "My God, we talk all the time, what the hell have we been talking about if you don't know anything about my family?" And then he added on a thoughtful note, "I know quite a bit about yours however."

  "I guess that means I talk about my personal life more than you do. Either that or I talk too much and you not enough."

  "We just have a lot to talk about. I don't see anything wrong with that." Kade leaned down to press a kiss on my mouth. "Dad served thirty years in the Army and he's still pretty much doing the same thing now as a civilian as he did when he was serving in uniform. Something to do with homeland security. He's a busy man, always gone somewhere. He and Mom live in Washington D.C." He paused to check my level of interest and seeing I was listening intently, he continued on.

  "Mom was some sort of high profile secretary for several different military officers over the years but she's retired now. Not because she's too old but because she's tired of working and tired of the politics. Her words not mine." Kade gave a small laugh, obviously remembering a conversation he had with her. "Luckily for her, whenever Dad got transferred, she always managed to land a new job. I'm sure her security clearance and dad's connections had something to do with it."

  "So which parent is from Maine?"

  "My father's mother, Gramma Kate. Grampa Wade was stationed at Loring Air Force Base, which is now closed by the way, and married her within a month of their meeting." Kade looked at me, his eyes giving a significant message. "I guess us Sinclair men have slowed it down in our pursuit of women since then."

  Knowing he was referring to the fact that we had been pretty much exclusive with each other for two months now and had yet to sleep together, I decided to abstain from comment. The fact we hadn't taken that plunge was because of me and now that we were on the precipice of "doing it", I wondered what the heck had taken me so long to get here. My face burning with embarrassment for my long overdue plunge into commitment, I waved a hand at him. "Please continue with your story."

  Kade gave me a wink to ease my discomfiture and did as requested. "Grampa Wade served several tours in Vietnam and mom wanted to be near her family so Grampa managed to get his home base in Loring and that is where my dad was born and pretty much grew up. He was close to Gramma Kate's parents and visited them right up until their deaths. Our land comes through Gramma Kate's family and through Grampa Wade. He purchased quite a bit of land though we've sold a good bit of it over the years. He was an avid hunter and a fishing enthusiast so he naturally fell in love with the area. Grampa willed his fishing lodge to me because I loved vacationing there when I was growing up. I have ten acres on a small lake and it remains to this day, my favorite place to be. I can't wait to take you there."

  "I can't wait to see it. How far away is it?"

  "Just over four hours of driving time from here."

  "It might be a while then before I can get away. I really want to get my house in order..."

  Kade placed a finger on my lips. "No worries, Tess. We'll get there eventually. Right now we have a house to organize and a ghost to vanquish."

  "It's not a ghost. If that's all it was, then we wouldn't have too much trouble. This is a benevolent spirit, a very active one and I think the first order of business is to figure out who it is."

  "I'm guessing it's not the only one here though?"

  I shook my head. "No. I feel others but they aren't going to cause us any trouble."

  As if on cue to my words, a faint sweet aroma began to permeate the room."

  Kade lifted his head and sniffed at the air. "What the ... where is that coming from?"

  Lilacs! I couldn't help but wonder if the spirit causing it had anything to do with Mary's family. I'd recently helped them solve their own ghostly troubles and in doing so turned their family fortune around. If only Mary was in town right now, she'd help me do some research on the house and possibly help me discover who it is that's bothering us. But Mary was recently reunited with her estranged husband and she and her mother had gone to Georgia to pack up their house.

  Mary and her husband had decided to m
ove to Bucksport and help Mary's mother take care of her large, historic home. More importantly, they wanted to keep a close eye on the major archeological digging taking place in their back yard! I was so glad of their decision and very happy to see Mary's sadness melt away. And, I had to admit rather selfishly, I was glad to have a friend close by.

  Hopefully Kade and I would hit it off with her husband as well. Chances were good since he too was a member of the armed forces and would have that connection with Kade. Mary also used to be part of the military. Both were now retired after twenty years of devoted service. Her husband worked on heating and cooling systems while in the military and he now conducted his own business doing the same thing in the civilian world. He shouldn't have any trouble getting business in Maine. Although it was early autumn and the day temperatures were relatively mild and pleasant, it cooled off considerably in the evening. I was told to expect short summers and plenty of chilly weather. No matter, New York could be just as bad.

  "Where is that smell coming from?" Kade pushed up from the bed and sniffed around in an attempt to get a lock on its origin.

  "Spirit." I gave a small shrug at his questioning glance. "I'm not sure who it is, they aren't coming close enough for me to detect. But she wants me to know she's here." And because I already knew what he was going to ask next, I shook my head. "No, it wasn't her who shook the bed. I'm pretty sure that was a male entity though I'm profiling here a bit because I'm thinking a female, even a spiritual one, wouldn't be able to lift this heavy four poster bed of mine."

  "I thought you did your little thing," he twirled a finger about and waved his hand toward the room at large. "Didn't you conduct some sort of ritual to keep the spirits out of here?"

  "I did a ritual to keep the negative spirits out. I just told you ... this one isn't bad."

  Kade went over to the fireplace and knelt before it. "Is this useable?"

  I sat up and watched him warily, uncertain of his mood. "Yes, I had all the chimneys inspected and cleaned. Why?"

  "I don't suppose we have any firewood?"

  "There's actually a woodshed next to the back porch that is full. I think Sandy told me there was just over a cord available."

  "Excellent. I think I'll make us a fire." He strode from the room full of purpose and I got up off the bed and started thinking how best to rescue a night that had thus far not gone at all as planned.

  The lilac smell was gone and for the moment the room was clear of spiritual activity. Determined to keep it that way, I closed my eyes and called for Sheila. It was time to ask for help and maybe get this evening going into a much better direction. One that didn't include spirits making inopportune interruptions.

  Chapter 5

  After communing with Sheila and asking for her help in keeping the room clear of spirit activity, I unrolled a rug wrapped in protective packing paper. It was made of alpaca fur and a luxury I couldn't resist purchasing after visiting an alpaca farm about a year ago with my friends Charlene and Traci. It would be perfect right in front of the fireplace!

  Once I had it in place, ensuring to leave enough room for Kade to get around it to build a fire while also keeping it far enough away that no stray sparks would damage it, I knew I had indeed found the perfect spot. Visions of Kade and I lying on it in front of the fire tantalized my thoughts and raised my anticipation for the evening ahead. A lover of large pillows, I pulled several from the window seat overlooking the side of the house facing Silver Lake and scattered them about.

  Kade entered the room just as I was placing the last one. He took note of my work and nodded in approval, his eyes flaring with heat when they met mine. "Just what I was thinking, Tess, though I had no idea you owned a fur rug. It's perfect."

  "It's made from alpaca fur. It's thick and soft and feels yummy against your skin."

  "Yummy? It isn't a rug I'm wanting to taste."

  My face burning with the spread of growing passion, I lowered my eyes so he wouldn't see how strongly I was lusting for him. "Yes, well, I have a few ideas as well."

  Kade came around the rug and stopped next to me. When I looked up in inquiry, he pressed a kiss to my mouth. "I love you."

  My reserve gone, I let him see just how much I wanted him. We were in love. We wanted each other. There was no shame in that. I ran my fingers along arms that were presently loaded with wood. "I think I'll go slip into something comfortable while you get that fire going."

  Nodding with approval, Kade bent to nibble lightly at my ear. "Good idea. If comfortable means naked, even better."

  Laughing, I pushed him away and headed for the bathroom. My heart was pounding so hard it was messing up my breathing. Anticipation and excitement did that. I was feeling plenty of both.

  Glad to have Kade occupied, I took my time preparing myself for the evening ahead. Though I couldn't wait to be with Kade and had anticipated that this would happen, I neglected to shave my legs so a quick shower was in order. I wanted to be clean and smelling nice and free of leg hair when Kade saw me next! Perhaps that interruption was best after all.

  The bathroom was a spacious one, the glass shower stall separate from the garden tub which was a new fixture I totally adored. In no time at all, I was showered, shaved, and lightly perfumed. Not wanting to deal with wet hair, I had pulled it up into a bun and managed to keep it dry, so it didn't take long at all to brush it out until it fell in thick silken waves around my shoulders. Kade loved my hair and I loved that he loved it. I loved that he loved me. I felt so special having a man like him in my life. Satisfied with my toilette, I brushed my teeth, slipped on a white silk robe that barely reached mid-thigh and opened the door.

  Kade had been no less busy. Candles were lit everywhere. Some of them I recognized as my own, others I had never seen before. He must have brought them with him. On a low end table near the rug was a bottle of wine and two filled glasses. A bowl of strawberries sat next to them. Kade lay stretched out, leaning on a pile of pillows and looking sexy as hell. He wore a black robe that was as short as mine and from the looks of it, nothing else. He had nice legs and I admired them as I walked his way. My heart was pounding again, my skin prickling with excitement.

  I was halfway to him when I noticed an interesting smell permeating the air. A glance toward the nightstand next to the bed explained where the smell was coming from. Kade had lit some incense. At my questioning glance, he grinned and crooked a finger for me to continue my progress to him.

  "Did you know there's a metaphysical shop in town?" At my nod (I hadn't really explored all Bucksport had to offer as yet), he continued, his voice low and soft and causing shivers to quiver in my belly. "Well I stopped there on my way here and had a chat with the woman who owns it. Her name is Robin, you'll like her. Anyway, she suggested these candles." He waved toward the room at large. "Each one has some sort of purpose and is supposed to have special powers or whatever."

  I knelt down next to him and he handed me one of the wine glasses. "Powers?"

  "Harmony, peace, love ... that sort of thing. I'm sure you know that incense has special properties as well. Robin insisted that I'd need the sandalwood for protection. She said that when she found out where I was headed. You might want to talk to her, she might know some history on this house." He picked up his wine glass and tipped it toward mine. We clinked glasses then took a sip, our eyes meeting and holding as we did so. "I'm also burning jasmine for it enhances feelings of love." His eyes gleamed as they slid down my body. "Not that I need any help in that direction."

  I was so touched by his thoughtfulness that it brought tears to my eyes. I knew Kade didn't really believe in that stuff but the fact he was indulging me meant more than I could say. I reached over and lightly caressed his face, which he must have recently shaved because his skin was smooth to the touch. And hot. Our eyes met again and in the silence I finally noticed the soft background music. It was Kenny G. Perfect. He thought of everything. The only thing I came up with was the alpaca rug and shaving my legs!
r />   "Tess?"

  "Mmm?"

  "Come here."

  I couldn't resist the lure of his rumbling voice. I set my wine glass down and so did he and then I was in his arms. It started out slow. A few kisses, the settling of our bodies next to each other. But when his warm hands slid under my robe, there was no patience left for slow. Drawing in a breath, certain the room was totally robbed of oxygen, I pushed Kade's robe away from his shoulders and made quick work of exploring his broad chest. I loved the light dusting of dark hair that covered it, narrowing to a thin line as it headed south. He was nicely tanned and smelled like some sort of male scent that drove me a little wild for more. "Mmm, what are you wearing? Some sort of lust inducing spray?"

  Kade laughed, the sound husky and deep in his chest. "It's Axe for Men, I think it's called Temptation. As I was hoping to tempt you, I figured it couldn't hurt to douse myself in the stuff. Is it working?"

  In response, I lightly bit at his nipple and he laughed. "Great, I'm buying stock in the company." He pulled me close and nibbled at my ear. "You smell just as delicious. I want to gobble you up ... in slow gentle licks."

  My stomach curled and desire flooded through me, making me feel languid and hot and impatient for more. "Oh God, Kade, I love you so much!"

  "Baby, you have no idea what you are doing to me right now. I'm half afraid of embarrassing myself before we even get started. You have me that turned on."

  Could people orgasm just from talking? I felt as if I were about to burst. Aching for his touch, I cupped his face and pulled his mouth to mine. "Kiss me, Kade."

  He didn't just kiss me, he devoured my mouth, his tongue tangling deliciously with mine, his lips firm but soft and moving against mine as if trying out every possible angle. Our bodies squirmed impatiently together and as the heat factor soared, it became a near desperate need to get our robes off ... NOW. We each tugged at the others' and laughed as our arms became entangled in the sleeves making the whole thing very awkward and hilarious at the same time. Kade finally pulled away enough to get his off and out of the way and then he helped me do the same.