Spirits (Spirits Series Book 1) (22 page)

I shake my head, “I don’t expect anything. The look on your face is payment enough.” And getting to watch Blake half naked all day was definitely an added bonus.

“You don’t owe me either ma’am.” Blake smiles, “I’m happy to help. I will say I’m relieved you have a riding mower, I would not have wanted to push mow all this.”

Noah cuts his eyes to Blake. I don’t need to hear his thoughts
, the look on his face says it all, spoiled, lazy child.

I catch myself before I can say, Yes Noah I know when you were young you probably used scissors to cut the grass, instead I opt for rolling my eyes at him.

“Are we ready to start planting?” Mom can barely hide her enthusiasm.

“Uh, Blake and I should start getting ready, we have a date.” I remind her and automatically want to kick myself for using the d word. I’m not certain if he considers it a date… I glance at Blake shyly, he’s grinning like the Cheshire cat.

“Oh that’s right, in all my joy of getting the yard beautified it completely slipped my mind honey.” Mom admits as Noah looks at me disapprovingly.

“It’s okay, we still have a little bit, where should we start?” Blake tries not to glare at Noah and focus his attention on mom.

“Great!” She all but jumps with joy, “This place will be Southern Homes and Gardens worthy in weeks.”

Sure, if they did a haunted house article. I can see it now, most charming house in Savannah plagued by the
dead. Perhaps they could interview our landscaper, Noah. He could tell them all about his natural and unnatural time spent here. The tricks he’s learned to gardening over his MANY years. Okay I’m being ugly, I like Noah but I swear if I’m stuck doing this everyday I’ll shove his head in a potted plant!

Noah grins at me like he found a prize in a cereal box, “Blake you can help Mrs. Susan plant the trees over there and there,” he stops pointing and pulls a piece of paper from his pocket, “actually just follow the layout, it’ll be much easier.” He hands it to Mom, “Journey and I will get started on the shrubs then we’ll pull out the flowers.”

     “Any particular reason you’ve kept Blake and me separated today?” I ask once we start lugging the shrubs.

He looks at me dumbfounded, “Is that what you think I’ve been doing? I just thought it would be easier for you to work with me.”

“Easier would have been sitting on my butt driving in circles around the yard not breaking my back digging. Try again.”

“Fine, you caught me, I enjoy your company.”

“Like you wouldn’t have been around later to hangout.” I huff.

“That depends.”

“On what, were you planning a vacation for this evening?”

“No, I didn’t know if you were coming home tonight.”

“Of course I am. Like my parents are going to let me spend the night with Blake.”

“Well you are friends with his sister.”

“True but that means Blake and Carson would be there, not sure I can handle that situation right now.”

“To much temptation?”

I spin to fuss at him and end up slapping him in the face with the shrub.

He looks at me stunned. “I didn’t mean I thought you were loose, you didn’t have to hit me.”

“It was an accident but thanks for clarifying that. Anyway I meant both of them in the same house vying for my attention and I can’t choose, not right now.”

He nods, “I wasn’t trying to offend you, swear.”

“Alright. I really didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“Are you going to be late?”

“I’m not sure.”

“Where are y’all going?”

“Jeesh Noah, when did you become my father?”

“Excuse me for caring.”

“I’m not used to having friends, Kay was basically it, I had no social life minus a couple of I guess you’d say acquaintances.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well I thought they were my friends but they haven’t called or text so…”

“I don’t understand some people,” he shakes his head, “you are an amazing young lady and I’m sure you will make plenty of friends here. Just do me a favor.” He pauses and drops the shrub in the hole then takes the one I’m carrying and drops it in the next spot.

“What?” I ask as he gazes at me.

He gently takes my hand placing his other one on top of it, “Don’t forget about me.”

“I couldn’t, even if I wanted to, it’s hard to ignore someone you live with. Believe me, I tried to ignore Drew for countless years but it never worked.” I smirk and look away. Blake is once again giving Noah a death glare and Mom looks quite surprised. I pull my hand away, “I guess what I’m saying is you don’t have to worry about that okay?”

He smiles, “Excellent, you are the closest thing I’ve had to a friend in a long while.”

I nod and get back to work.

     Mom wipes sweat from her forehead, “I don’t know about you guys but I need a break.” She says slowly walking to the steps.

“I think it’s a good time to call it a day.” I collapse on the step beside her and Blake nods in agreement.

“We still have flowers to plant.” Noah says looking up at us
with a spade in his hand.

Mom chuckles, “Honey I wish I had your energy.”

He shakes his head and goes back to digging.

“Blake and I are calling it quits, we have to get ready, hopefully we still have the energy to go out.”

“I saved some just for you,” Blake slips me a smile, “and even if I didn’t I’d still happily take you out.”

Noah quietly groans and I have half a mind to throw something at him. 

“Well then let’s go shower, I’m filthy.”

“You can use Drew’s bathroom.” Mom informs him quickly.

“Yes ma’am.” Blake nods, “I’m going to get my bag out of the car.” He smirks before walking off.

“Seriously Mom?”

“What?”

“Did you really think we were going to shower together?”

“I just wanted to make sure I established boundaries.”

“Understood but have a little faith in me would you? I’m not… you know.”

She looks at me mortified, “A virgin?”

“What
?!” I shriek embarrassed, “No, I’m not a skank.”

“So you are a virgin?”

“Yes mom, ga.” I stand; ready to run from the conversation. Noah is fighting back laughter, I’m so glad my discomfort is entertaining to him.

She looks
relieved, “I’m so proud of you, that’s very uncommon these days.” She takes my hand and smiles, “Journey, I know we’ve talked about this before. Your father and I have taught abstinence however we are not naive. When you decide to have,”

“Mom!” I look at her repulsed, “Baring this conversation once was enough, we’re not talking about it again.”

“Honey, I just want you to do it because you’re in love not curious.”

Noah snickers and I shoot him a dirty look.  “I get it, okay, now can we drop this?”

“As long as you promise we’ll talk about this later.”

“Sure, later.” Like when I’m on my
deathbed.

She looks pleased, “Have a good time, be safe, and make it back before the sun comes up.”

“I’ll be back way before then.”

“Bye.” Noah says sadly looking up at me.

“See you later, try not to work my Mom to death.” I smirk.

“Funny.” He glowers.

“I’m more worried about him working himself to death.” Mom says standing.

“I doubt that’s possible.” I chuckle and head for the back door.

     Blake is waiting in the parlor as I enter.  He turns and smiles, “You were a cute kid.” Ugh I hope mom didn’t frame any embarrassing pictures, like me in the baby bath or on the ‘big girl potty’. I glance around anxiously and breathe a sigh of relief, “Thanks, I bet you were too.”

He shrugs, “I guess.”

He’s so modest. I’m sure Carson would have said, ‘you know it’ or something to that affect.

“Uh, are you ready to do it, I mean it as in get ready and all so we can go.” I quickly clarify.

He bites down on his lip as he gazes at me.  Boy you have got to stop looking at me like that it make my mind run wild…

“Lead the way.” He says before my thoughts get out of hand.

“Gladly.” I murmur guiding him towards upstairs.

Stopping at the landing I point down the hall, “Last door on the right, I hope it’s not a mess. Towels and rags should be in the cabinet.”

“And where is your room?” He looks me over.

“Down there, last door on the right.”

“Good to know.” He winks and heads for Drew’s bathroom.

Ugh, perhaps I shouldn’t have told him. He’ll be done before, I’m sure his perfection is natural, and he’ll be waiting in my room.  I hurry down the hall to my room. I want to make certain I haven’t left anything embarrassing out like, bras, panties, or the occasional romance novel I read when I’m feeling sappy.  Good, it’s clean,
I’m not OCD but I don’t usually leave things scattered about. Though it would have been my luck today would have been the exception and a pair of granny panties I sometimes sleep in would have been out in the open. I grab my clothes and dash to the bathroom. The less time he spends in my room alone the better.

     I nearly slip and fall as I pull the shower curtain back.  Ka
dence is standing there smiling and for a split second I’m a little afraid of her, what she’s capable of actually. Her smile fades; crap she feels it, “Good grief Kay, you scared the crap out of me!” I say grabbing the towel and wrapping it around me tightly, “Where have you been?”

“With Rouge.”

“Really?” I moan.

“What’s your problem with him?”

“I don’t like him that’s all.”

“You don’t even know him.”

“And you do?”

“As a matter of fact I do. He’s kept me out of trouble, kept me from killing that Barbie doll you call
Daelynn, you should be nicer to him.”

“I still don’t trust him.”

“Yet you trust Noah.” She scoffs.

“Maybe, I haven’t decided.”

“Whatever. So who’s the hottie?” She licks her lips.

Some how I refrain from slapping her. “Blake. He and I are talking.”

“Whoa, what’s his quirk?”

“He doesn’t have one.”

She looks at me doubtfully, “Not that you know of.”

I roll my eyes. Why can’t a normal hot guy find me attractive? What’s so wrong about that? So maybe he isn’t completely ‘normal’ but he’s perfect in my opinion. “Whateves Kay, why can’t you just be happy for me?”

“I am, it’s just surprising. That’s all.”

It’s just that she’s used to all the cute guys flocking to her and treating me like I’m invisible. “I should finish getting ready.”

I believe she senses my annoyance.  “I really am glad for you, you deserve it.” She smiles, “Do you want me to do your makeup?”

“Do you think you still can? It’s been over a year.” I don’t want her making me look like a clown accidently on purpose.

She giggles, “Please, it’s like riding a bike, you never forget.”

“Okay, but more natural. I don’t want to scene it out.”

“Totally understandable. Is that what you are wearing?” She points to the purple mini skirt and black tank top.

“Yeah, is something wrong with it?”

“No, it’s cute.” She says digging through my makeup bag. “Sit.”

“Shouldn’t I get dressed first?”

“No you don’t need anything but your eyes done. I always envied your perfect complexion.”

“What? You always looked perfect Kay, everyone
was so jealous of you.”

“Huh,” she half laughs, “I wanted to be you on countless occasions. Sure you might have cared about what
others thought about you to an extent but no one knew. You came across as the screw you if you don’t like me type. Outside of school peer’s BS you have the perfect life. You’re smart, funny, pretty and your parents trust, care and adore you. So yeah I was envious of you.”

“My parents loved you Kay, they were so upset they hadn’t done more but they didn’t know what else to do besides have you over whenever possible.”

“That meant a lot to me. Remember the last vacation we went on?”

“How could I forget? Myrtle Beach for a week and we had a blast.”

“Yeah we did.” She laughs and continues with my make up, “I thought your parents were going to strangle me over the surfers.”

“Nah, they did want to put you on a tight leash though.”

“I would have found a way to get off, I always did.”

“Such a rule breaker.” I smirk.

“I was just looking for attention.”

“I know.” It makes me sad that she felt like she had to push the envelope. She’d still be alive had she not, no doubt in my mind about that.  It’s
quiet as she finishes my makeup. Not awkwardly so though, we’ve known each other long enough that we don’t have to talk every second. I can tell there’s something on her mind she wants to discuss and there are certainly things I want to ask her, however I don’t think now is a good time. I’d like to enjoy my date with Blake and not stress over Kay and my situation.