Grave Delight (A Maddie Graves Mystery Book 3) (16 page)

“Well, I’m officially impressed,” Nick said, pulling the covers back so he could slide underneath them and cuddle up next to Maddie. “You stood up for yourself.”

“I stood up for us.”

Nick smiled. “You did. How do you feel?”

“Guilty.”

Nick’s smile turned upside down. “Why?”

“Because I only told them we were moving in together to win,” Maddie said. “For a second there I wanted to make them feel bad.”

“I always want Marla to feel bad.”

Maddie arched an eyebrow. “What about Cassidy?”

“I don’t know what you want me to do about Cassidy,” Nick said. “I feel bad for what I did, but I don’t feel bad for being happy. I’ve apologized. I don’t expect her to forgive me and let bygones be bygones. I’m still tired of putting up with that … face.”

“She’s very pretty,” Maddie said. “Her skin is … gorgeous.”

“That’s not what I’m talking about,” Nick said, poking Maddie’s side. “She looks at me like I posted naked photos of her on the Internet and then dumped her the next day. She made things as hard as she possibly could. That’s not my fault.”

“I’m not saying it’s your fault,” Maddie said. “I’m saying I feel bad about purposely telling her we were moving in together because I wanted her to feel bad. No, don’t say anything. I did. I didn’t think it long, and once the words were out of my mouth I felt horrible, but I did say it to win.”

“You’ve officially won, love,” Nick said, rubbing his hand over her flat abdomen. “I’m the ultimate prize.”

Maddie snorted. “You’re lucky you’re cute because your ego is just … out of control.”

“I’m willing to show you something else that’s out of control,” Nick said, pressing his lips to Maddie’s jaw gently. “Or … are you too tired?”

“I told you I’m fine,” Maddie said. “It was a rough few minutes, but I wasn’t really hurt.”

“You looked hurt to me.”

“I’m fine,” Maddie said. “Besides, I have plans for you tonight.”

“That’s exactly what I wanted to hear.” Nick eagerly yanked on his boxers as Maddie reached toward the nightstand on her side of the bed. When she fanned the paint wheel out Nick frowned, his boxers hovering over the side of the mattress. “What is that?”

Maddie feigned innocence. “It’s a paint wheel. I thought we were going to pick paint colors.”

Paint colors? Crap.
Nick pursed his lips. “I forgot.”

“We are moving in together,” Maddie said. “Don’t you think we should pick the color of our bedroom together?”

Picking paint colors wasn’t high on Nick’s to-do list, but he nodded his head anyway. She was intent on the paint colors. If they spent five minutes picking something out she would be happy … and then he would be happy. “Sure,” Nick said, tossing his boxers over the side of the bed and snuggling her close. “What color do you like?”

“I don’t know,” Maddie said. “I was thinking a nice blue would work. We don’t want something too feminine.”

Nick wouldn’t have cared if the walls were covered with flowers and photos of little shoes. “Blue it is. See? That was easy.” He ran his hand over Maddie’s stomach again, pressing his lips to her cheek. “Come here.”

“We have to pick a color first,” Maddie reminded him, internally laughing at the frustrated look on his face.

“We just did. We picked blue.”

Maddie fanned out the color wheel. “There are hundreds of different shades of blue.”

“Are you trying to kill me?”

Maddie ignored him. “I like a lighter blue. If we go too dark it will make the room feel smaller.”

“Maddie?”

“Hmm.”

“How about you pick the blue? I’ll like any blue you pick.”

“But … we’re supposed to be doing this together.”

Nick faltered.
Why was this so important to her?
“Mad, I don’t care about the paint. I care about sharing a bedroom with you. Paint it black. I really don’t care.”

Maddie jutted her lower lip out. “Okay.”

Was she playing him?
“Fine. We can pick paint.” Nick pulled his hand away and ran it through his hair. “Show me some blue.”

Instead of lifting the paint wheel Maddie leaned over and rested her head on Nick’s chest, batting her baby blue eyes up at him.

“What are you doing?”

“You told me to show you some blue.”

This time Nick couldn’t help but grin. “You’re just screwing with me, aren’t you?”

“Not yet.”

Maddie tossed the paint wheel onto the nightstand. “I don’t want to hear one complaint about the color.”

“Make it the color of your eyes and you’ve got a deal,” Nick said, wrapping his arm around her waist and tugging her the rest of the way on top of him. “That’s my absolute favorite color in the world. It always has been.”

“That is a vicious lie,” Maddie said, laughing. “You told me that red was your favorite color when we were kids.”

“I just didn’t want your ego to get too big.”

“Ah, well, that makes perfect sense.” They kissed, their hearts sinking into the same excited rhythm.

“Did you lock the door?” Nick asked, reaching for the lamp beside the bed. “I know Maude said she wasn’t coming home tonight, but I don’t want to take any chances.”

“I handled it, Nicky,” Maddie said. “Now shut up and kiss me.”

“Did I mention how much I love this new bossy side of you?”

“Yes. Now take your shirt off.”

MADDIE
was swimming in a sea of bliss, the warmth of Nick’s body anchoring her to a shared moment of pure happiness. She could see herself gazing out at the water, recognizing she was on the lake because the beach was speeding by, but inherently she knew she was still in bed with Nick.

Why was she flying over the water when she was really sleeping with Nick? The reality hit her quickly. She wasn’t flying. She was in a boat.

In her dreamlike state Maddie was caught between two worlds. Her heart was soaring, the feeling of Nick’s love washing over her with each breath he expelled on her neck. Her head was trying to understand what she was looking at.

The boat wasn’t big, probably about twenty-five feet from cabin to stern. Since the white edges were hazy, though, it was hard to ascertain what kind of boat she was on. In fact, Maddie couldn’t remember the last time she was even on a boat. When she was younger she used to love it when Nick took her out for afternoon excursions on his father’s boat. That was one thing they hadn’t done together since she’d returned. She made a mental note to ask him about taking a boat ride, and then focused on the dark figure behind the wheel.

It wasn’t a person – not the in the strictest sense of the word, that is. It was more of a shadow, a feeling. Everything emanating from it was malevolent. Given the lack of shape and form, Maddie couldn’t ascertain if she was looking at a man or a woman. She just knew it was evil. Why was she even here?

“You’re here because of me.”

Maddie snapped her head to the side, surprised to see Hayley Walker standing next to her. Unlike the dark figure on her left, Hayley was surrounded by an aura of white light on her right. “Hayley. Why are you here?”

“I’m not here,” Hayley said, hunkering down next to Maddie. “You’re looking for me. I know that. I’m not here, though. I didn’t … hold on.”

Maddie didn’t know what to say. Nothing like this had ever happened to her before. “Did you cross over?”

“I crossed over right away,” Hayley said. “I didn’t want to stay.”

“Why? Didn’t you want justice?”

“There was no justice for me, not in the sense you mean anyway,” Hayley said. “When I knew what was happening it was just easier to let go. This world has been nothing but … hard … for me. I was ready to go to a place that wasn’t about constant pain.”

“Did your father … hurt … you?”

“He never did anything else.”

“Did he … ?” Maddie wasn’t sure how to ask the question. How do you ask a teenage girl if the man who helped give her life also sexually assaulted her?

“I don’t like to think about it,” Hayley said. “It’s not important now. I am … beyond this place.”

“Then why are you here?”

“You called me here.”

“I did?”

“Your soul did,” Hayley said. “Your soul is searching for mine, even if you don’t realize it. They touched this afternoon.”

“I felt that,” Maddie said, her eyes sad. “I’m sorry about what happened to you.”

“I didn’t die there,” Hayley said.

“I felt you die.”

“You felt me lose consciousness,” Hayley countered. “That’s not where I died. Why do you think we’re here?”

Maddie considered the question. “No one saw anyone go to the cabin because they didn’t approach from the road. That’s it, isn’t it? They approached in a boat.”

“I would’ve heard someone approach from the road,” Hayley explained. “I would’ve had time to run. I heard boats on the lake all the time. It never occurred to me that one would be stopping here.”

“Do you know who came for you?”

“Darkness.”

“I need more than that.”

“I can’t give it to you,” Hayley said.

“Why not? Don’t you want someone to pay for killing you?”

“I’m not really here,” Hayley said. “You brought part of me to you, but it’s not all of me. I can’t give you the answers you want.”

“What can you give me?”

“I can only tell you that you’re close to discovering the truth of my death, but you may lose your own life in the search,” Hayley said. “Be very careful, Maddie Graves. You live your life on the edge of two worlds, and I think one of them would love to claim you early.”

Maddie swallowed hard. “Are you … happier?”

“I couldn’t be any sadder so ... yes … I’m happier.”

“Do you need me to tell anyone anything?”

“Tell Trevor I’m sorry and I should have listened to him,” Hayley said. “He wanted me to go to the police right away. He was right.”

“He’s upset.”

“I know,” Hayley said. “I’m not worried about him, though. He’ll be fine.”

“Can you see his future?”

“I could see his future before I died,” Hayley said. “He was always destined for greatness. This won’t stop him.”

“I’ll tell him.”

“I need you to tell Michael something, too.”

“Michael Jarvis?”

“He’s the best friend I’ve ever had,” Hayley said. “We were fighting when … he probably hates me.”

“He’s your best friend,” Maddie said. “He’ll always love you. That’s the way of best friends.”

“Probably,” Hayley said. “I need you to tell him that he was wrong about Trevor, but he was right about me. I was searching for something, and just because he couldn’t love me the way I wanted to be loved that doesn’t mean he didn’t love me better than anyone else in this world … or the next.”

Maddie choked up. “I … .”

“I’m out of time,” Hayley said. “You’re about to wake up. Look at the boat. Look at me. Remember the boat. Remember me.”

“I … I can’t see anything.”

“Look harder.”

“MADDIE!”

Nick shook Maddie gently, his heart rolling as she whimpered in her sleep. He pulled her flush against his chest, kissing her forehead as he tried to wake her without jolting her.

“Love, come on. Come back to me.”

Maddie’s eyes flew open and she burst into tears when she saw Nick’s concerned face.

“What did you see?” Nick stroked the back of her head as he rocked her.

“I talked to Hayley.”

“In your vision?”

“She’s not here,” Maddie said. “Her ghost isn’t here.”

“How do you know that?”

“She told me. She said my soul touched hers today and the only reason she came was because she was worried about me looking for her.”

“It’s okay,” Nick said, pressing a steady stream of kisses into her hairline as he held her. “It’s okay.”

“She didn’t die at the cabin.”

“But you said … .”

“She fell into unconsciousness there,” Maddie said. “She woke up on a boat. She wasn’t killed until she was on the boat. Then someone dumped her into the water.”

“Did she tell you who did it?”

“It was weird. She said she was there and yet she wasn’t there. She kept telling me to look at the boat.”

“Tell me about the boat, my Maddie,” Nick said, lulling her with small movements and soft kisses.

“It was white. It was about twenty-five feet long. It had black markings.”

“Could you see a name?”

“No.”

“Is there anything else?”

“No.”

“Okay, Mad. I want you to let it go now.”

“But … .”

“Let it go. I’m right here. I’ve got you. I won’t let you go. Go to sleep. I’ll be right here. I’ll be right here.”