My heart leaps again. I knew that the peace of the plane and road trip wouldn’t last.
“When I find this bastard, I’ll kill him,” I mumble.
“Well, you might get that chance sooner than you thought,” Ghost replies and then pulls away as if nothing was said.
“You must be the woman this man can’t stop talking about. Welcome to my home, Asha, I’m Ghost. Come on inside.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
ASHA
I don’t know much about Ghost, only that Kurt worked with him and he obviously trusts him more than he trusts anyone in the world.
That’s good enough for me.
We walk into his home with Ace and Bandit at our heels, their floppy ears swaying and tails swishing at the excitement.
If I thought the view from the car was outstanding, then this tops it by ten. Entering the foyer, all hardwood floors that flow out into an enormous open-plan living area. Stepping down three steps, we are facing a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows that give you an uninterrupted view of the valley below. It’s like the mountains surround us on either side of the house but we are in the peak of the triangle as they expand out, and you can see forest and rivers weaving across the valley right down to the floor full of flat cleared farmland.
“Wow,” slips out before I have time to activate my brain to be polite.
Ghost just bursts out with a loud laugh that is deep and raspy. “I’m guessing you like my place then.” He walks ahead of us into the kitchen that is all wood and seems to blend into the outside surroundings. “Can I get you both some breakfast and coffee? I’m guessing you haven’t eaten anything yet.”
My stomach picks that exact moment to rumble, and Kurt just laughs as he puts his hand on my lower back and we walk farther into the house.
“You have an amazing house, Ghost. No wonder you keep it hidden from the world. It’s like your own little haven.” Kurt pulls out a stool at the kitchen counter for me and then lifts me up onto it, kissing me on the forehead as he takes the stool next to me.
“I had to make some changes in my life, and this was perfect for what I needed. There is a small cabin on the property, which is where I lived originally until I built this house. I’ve cleaned it, ready for you two to stay there. I’m sure you could use some time to yourselves after the events of the last few days,” he says, smirking at us both.
“Sounds perfect,” Kurt says at the same time as I reply, “Thank you, Ghost.”
I’m about to ask more questions about building this showpiece of a home when I hear something that I never expected, and from the look on Kurt’s face, he didn’t either.
“Daddy.” A soft sweet voice comes from behind us, along with the soft patter of little feet running.
The dogs take off from where they were at my feet.
Looking over my shoulder, I see the sweetest little girl running up on her toes towards Ghost, giggling at Ace and Bandit who are jumping up and down next to her, excited to see her. Little brown ringlets bounce up and down with each step, and she’s clutching a stuffed bear under her arm and is wearing a pink nightie with unicorns all over it.
“Morning, my precious girl. Did you sleep well?” Hoisting her up into his arms, kissing her on both cheeks, Ghost pulls her in for a snuggle.
“Yes, Daddy. Are these your friends?” By the sounds of it, she was expecting us.
“They are. Bessy this is Kurt and Asha. Say hello.”
“Hello,” her little voice repeats while her big brown eyes look out from where her head is tucked into Ghost’s shoulder, under his chin.
“Hello, Bessy. Well, aren’t you a surprise,” Kurt says, glaring at Ghost.
“But a very cute surprise. How old are you, Bessy?” I ask, trying to break the awkwardness coming from Kurt.
“I’m five but nearly six when I’ll be a big girl.”
I could just take her and wrap her up, she is that adorable. “Six is when all little girls become big girls. I bet you are going to be so grown up when you turn six.”
Ghost gives her a little tickle which has her squirming and laughing. “Daddy, stop it!” she cries out.
“Where’s Mommy, Bessy?” he asks as he places her on the ground.
“I’m here.” I hear a woman’s voice coming from behind me. “Bessy escaped me before I had Eli changed.” Coming into view is a woman, cradling a small bundle wrapped in a blue throw that has farm animals printed on it.
She ruffles Bessy’s hair as she leans up and kisses Ghost and places his son in his arms. Next, she stretches her hand out towards us.
“Hi, I’m Cassie, Ghost’s wife. Welcome to our home. I know you must be special people because you are the first guests we’ve had since we moved up here.”
“Pleased to meet you, but I’m not sure how special a friend I am, since this is the first I’m finding out about you and the kids. The big fella here has a lot of explaining to do later.” Kurt takes her hand, and she starts to laugh.
“I’m sure it will all make sense soon. But first let’s get you and these kids fed before World War III breaks out over starvation, and that’s just Ghost I’m talking about.”
Leaning forward to take my hand, Cassie leans in and kisses me on the cheek. Her friendly smile puts me at ease straight away.
“Can I help you with anything?” I ask, feeling terrible we have just landed on their doorstep at short notice.
“God no, we have it all under control. Would you like a
