CHAPTER SEVEN
CASEY FELT A CHILL. She finally understood why Finn had spent the winter in the Crenshaw looking for a killer. “You’re still in love with her. You’re in love with a...ghost.”
His laugh seemed to chase away the shadows in the room as he shook his head and locked eyes with her. “I was the same age as Megan, seventeen, when I fell in love with her. I’m not a teenager anymore.” He shook his head. “I knew in my heart she and I wouldn’t last. The only reason it happened at all was because Megan’s parents had grounded her, so we saw a lot of each other for a couple of months before she was sent away.” He looked shy. “She was my first love. I’m sure you had one and know how that is.”
She had, and she knew that the memory had only gotten sweeter over the years. First love was like that: a fantasy that ended with him moving away before it could bloom. And die. But she had no intention of sharing that with Finn.
“If Megan was grounded,” she said instead, “how did she end up working the summer at the Crenshaw? Wait. You said she was sent away?”
“Her father thought it was best if she had a job far away for the summer. He knew your grandmother and asked for her help. He sent Megan out here hoping she would grow up and start taking responsibility for her actions. He’d hoped your grandmother would have a positive influence on her.”
“My grandmother never mentioned that,” Casey said, feeling a jolt of surprise and anger. That explained a lot. No wonder her grandmother refused to take sides between her and Megan. Megan wouldn’t have been the first young person Anna had taken under her wing. It could also explain why Anna felt guilty about Megan’s death, Casey thought, her heart aching. Why Anna was positive that she’d seen her ghost.
“A few nights before Megan died, she called me,” Finn said. “She was crying. She wanted to come home, but her parents wouldn’t allow it. She hadn’t been in Montana all that long and was demanding they let her come home. They weren’t having it. She said she was scared. That she didn’t feel safe. I was trying to reassure Megan when she said she had to go. Someone was at the door. I heard her say, ‘Oh, it’s you,’ and then the phone was disconnected. I tried to call her back numerous times over the next two days, but each time it went straight to voice mail. I never spoke to her again.”
Casey met his gaze. “You shouldn’t feel guilty.”
“She’d wanted me to go to her parents and plead her case. Like I said, her parents didn’t know about the two of us.” He shrugged. “I guess I knew they would disapprove of her dating the gardener’s son, especially behind their backs. I regret not having the courage.”
“You really don’t believe that they would have listened, do you?”
“Probably not. Megan had a tendency to overdramatize everything, so I didn’t really think she was in danger, either. But I still should have tried. I think I knew that once they found out about the two of us, it would be over. Not that Megan and I could have lasted over the long haul anyway, but they wouldn’t have liked that we’d been together while she was supposed to be grounded. I thought it would make things worse for her in the long run.”
He felt guilty for not believing Megan was really in trouble. Casey understood the weight of guilt he’d been carrying around. She’d been carrying around her share from that summer for years, too.
The reminder that one of these people was probably a killer made her shudder. “I hope you know what you’re getting yourself into.”
Finn nodded. “I have some idea. I just don’t want anything to happen to you. That’s why I want to buy the place. All you have to do is pack up your grandmother’s things. I’ll take care of everything else.”
“You think you know me because of my grandmother’s journals, but I’m not that girl anymore.”
“I’ve noticed.” He smiled at that, making her remember the way he’d looked at her earlier when he was half-naked. “I wouldn’t mind getting the chance to know the woman you are now. But, unfortunately, I don’t think this is the right time. I thought you’d sent the invitations and knew what you were getting into. When I realized you hadn’t—”
“Hey, you two!” Jason called directly behind Finn. Neither of them had heard him approach. She saw the way Jason was studying the two of them, too inquisitive, too amused, given the smirk on his face. Clearly, he thought something was going on between them.
Casey took a step back, surprised at how close she and Finn had been just a moment before—and not just physically. They’d been looking into each other’s eyes. She’d felt something that scared her. He was a stranger she wasn’t even sure she could trust. But she could understand why Jason thought he’d seen something...intimate between them.
“We’ve got a fire going at the old firepit,” Jason said. “The beers are on me. Come join us. We’re going to be talking old times, and it wouldn’t be the same without you, Casey.”
She could feel Finn’s sharp gaze on her. He’d been watching her and Jason earlier. No way had he missed the look Jason gave her or how uncomfortable it made her.
“If what we have to say about Megan doesn’t make her ghost appear, then I don’t know what will.” Jason laughed. “You won’t want to miss this,” he said, grinning at Finn as if they, too, shared a secret. She realized they had both been in love with Megan, probably still were.
Jason turned and headed back down the stairs. She and Finn hadn’t moved. Neither of them spoke until they heard him on the lower level.
“I wouldn’t go down to the campfire if I
