Nerds on Fire (11 page)

“
Right.” Trixi offered an
impish grin.

“
Go home now, girl, and get
my space ready. I plan to start moving this weekend.”

As soon as they were in the car, Trixi
announced Gran’s plans.

“
This weekend?” Katy piped
up from where she sat beside their dad in the front
seat.

Beside Katy, her father was quiet, but
he was humming with happy energy. “Dad, are you okay with
this?”

“
Actually, baby, I am. It
does feel right to take over the manse now. Your grandmother’s
heart isn’t in it these days.”

Katy winked at her over her shoulder.
“And Nina sure would look gorgeous as the lady of
Wintermyer.”

“
Yes, she would,” her dad
agreed with a very satisfied smile.

Trixi leaned forward. “You know,
before you can set her up in your new house, you should probably
ask her out on a date.”

Katy had discovered Nina and Dr.
Calhoun were no longer dating. “You haven’t asked her out on a date
yet?”

He sent them both a scowl. “I’ve only
been free of Chrissy for three days. I can’t jump right into a
relationship with another woman so fast. It’s not done.”

“
Maybe, but you’re only
feeling relief now. There’s no heartache involved,” Trixi pointed
out.

“
Right. I think it’s
different if you’re mourning the end of a relationship. You’re not.
You’re happy.”

“
True. I’ll see Nina after
the dust settles. I’ve got a big business trip coming up next
week.” He glanced at them. “We’re going to be really busy this
weekend if I’m moving and so is your Gran.”

Oh yeah
, Trixi forgot about the impending moves. “You haven’t packed
a thing yet.”

“
I’m guessing Gran already
has all her stuff ready.” Katy tapped her lips. “You better take me
to my place so I can pack a bag and come home with you. You’re
going to need all hands on deck.”

Chapter 12

Despite their
fears, the moves were uneventful. By Sunday evening, Gran was
safely installed in her new rooms with Trixi while Rylan had taken
possession of his ancestral home. It was nice to see her dad in the
place.

“
Are you happy, Daddy?” she
asked him after she helped him load the last of his things that
evening.

“
I am.” He looked content,
even though he faced more unpacking and additional work when he
finally tackled the house itself. There was some required updating
at Wintermyer.

“
Do you think Gran is?” she
asked hesitantly.

He smiled. “Yes, she is. I’d feel
guilty taking over her house, but I do believe this is what she
wants. You two are going to be good for each other.”

Her spine relaxed. “We’re going to
have great times together.”

“
Come for supper Thursday,
ten days from now. I should have things in order by then and be
back from the latest business trip.”

“
Sounds good,
Dad.”

He hugged her and then climbed into
his car and drove off. She could tell by his jaunty wave that he
was pleased with his life. Trixi should be happy with hers,
too...

Lurking somewhere in the darkest
corner was a little niggle of doubt, though. Maybe not doubt, just
the understanding that something was missing. She had a great
family, great home, great friends, and a great job. But a great
boyfriend sure would go a long way toward improving her
lot.

Her life was fine,
really
. Gran was here and
it was going to be fun.

Oh,
Gran
.

Trixi hurried back into the house. It
didn’t take her long to locate her grandmother in her suite of
rooms.

“
Ah, Trixi, girl, there you
are.”

“
I’m here, what can I do to
help?”

Gran gestured toward the empty
suitcases lining the bed. “Those can go on the highest shelf in the
closet.”

Retrieving her step stool from the
kitchen, Trixi climbed aboard to stow the cases on the tallest
shelf. They were still accessible but would be out of the
way.

“
You have everything
unpacked?” Trixi slid the last one into place.

Gran gestured to the closet. “It’s
finished. I still have to put the clothes away on the bed,” and she
indicated the chest of drawers near the closet with a casual wave,
“and then I’m finished.”

“
Excellent. I’ll go check
on supper.”

“
I’ll be out to help you
soon.”

“
When was the last time you
cooked?” Trixi wondered.

“
It’s been years, but it’s
high time I relearned the skill.”

A car horn honked nearby. Recognizing
it, Trixi hurried to the back door. Katy breezed in with a loaf of
bread, and a box that probably contained some sort of dessert. She
had made a Wintermyer run for some items Gran forgot. She handed
the bread and box to Trixi.

“
These are from Bernadette.
Am I too late to help Gran?”

“
Yes, so was I.”

“
She’s got everything put
away already?”

“
You girls already put away
most of my hanging clothes, so I didn’t have much to do. Now it’s
all finished.” Gran entered the kitchen and took possession of the
items Katy picked up for her. She left the room again.

Katy found a cutting board and knife
and set to slicing the bread.

“
Dad just left with the
last of his things.”

“
I missed him, too?” Katy’s
eyes clouded.

“
We’re going there for
dinner the Thursday after next.”

“
Oh good.” Katy expertly
sliced the bread. Gran returned, her hands empty.

“
I never thought being a
professional cutter was a good career for a woman, but you look
like you know what you’re doing there, girly.” Gran watched the
enviable ease with which Katy performed her task.

“
Katy’s good, Gran,” Trixi
said loyally.

“
I enjoy my job.” Katy
piled the sliced bread in a basket. “I’d like to work with Leo some
day.”

Trixi sent her a knowing look. “You’re
not enjoying your stint with Mark?”

“
Mark is a little scary
isn’t he?” Katy helped Gran set the table while Trixi checked the
vegetables.

“
A little?” Trixi
repeated.

Katy pursed her lips. “Leo said Mark
made up some techniques before he even left residency. Or was that
during his fellowship? I can’t remember now.”

“
I’m not surprised.” Trixi
tapped the spoon she used to stir the veggies. “Still, he’s a
little too smart for his own good.”

“
Yes.” Katy bit her
lip.

“
Of course, so is
Leo.”

“
Leo is smart,” Katy
agreed. “But he’s not scary.”

“
Not like Mark, no. But Leo
is every bit as confident at his job. Leo is just more approachable
than Mark.”

Katy nodded. “Yes, I can see that. I
think both of them would be dangerous if cornered.”

“
If you think about it, Leo
more so because he doesn’t seem like a threat.”

“
I hadn’t thought of
that.”

Trixi tossed the spoon into the sink
then leaned against the island. “I wouldn’t rile up either de
Vosse.”

Katy’s lips curled into a mischievous
grin. “I rile Leo whenever I can.”

“
It’s been nice knowing
you, Greene.”

“
I’m not in the least bit
afraid of Leo. He’s amazing and he would
never
hurt me.”

With a silent sigh, Trixi wondered how
long it would take Katy to realize she was in love with
Leo.

“
No, he never
would.”

“
And Mark wouldn’t either.”
Katy rushed on with less vehemence, but with the same level of
confidence.

“
No.” Trixi didn’t allow
herself to even think about him. “Let’s eat,” she said, a little
dispirited because her life stretched out in front of her in a
long, endless cycle she didn’t have the faintest clue how to
break.

She and Gran waved Katy off later that
evening. Her spirits had revived in the presence of her best
friend. It was hard to be lonely with Katy around. Besides, she had
Gran and her grandparent was also uplifting.

For the first time ever, Trixi was
solely responsible for the safety of the house. Usually her father
performed the security check on all doors and windows. Since he
didn’t live here now, the task fell to her.

There was no one else to see to her
and Gran’s safety. It was scary.

She entered each room and checked all
entry points. In the conservatory, she would have missed a nearly
circle shaped crack in the far window if she hadn’t set out to
check every single window. These windows were double paned with a
coating to keep the glass together if broken from the
outside.

Her heart stalled in her chest before
she made a note in her phone to have the window repaired. Then she
checked every single window more thoroughly, but there were no
other odd cracks. So she reset the alarm, making certain nothing
else appeared suspicious. Her trash can hadn’t taken to roaming in
two days, so that was a plus. Once satisfied all was well, she
finally took herself off to bed.

This house was her heritage and it was
solely hers now. She had a duty to make certain when it passed on
to the next generation that it passed in good condition.

It was the
next generation
part
worrying her. Wasn’t it her responsibility to make certain
there
was
a next
generation?

An awful moaning woke her.

When Trixi finally sprang to full
awareness, it was to find herself upright in bed, staring into the
surrounding murky darkness. Her heart raced and sweat coated her
t-shirt to her chilled back.

She strained to determine what was
happening.

A long, low moan echoed again. There
were no clanking chains, and no white sheeted specter passed
through her bedroom, but the freaky noise was daunting
nonetheless.

Trixi tripped out of bed, but managed
to catch herself before she found her slippers and a robe. Then she
padded to the staircase. She wound her way downstairs through the
darkness because she knew the house so well.

Her goal was to check on Gran. The
moaning didn’t sound human, but one never knew.

Trixi’s slippers made no noise on the
kitchen floor as she passed through it and into the mudroom. Gran’s
door opened on to the mudroom. She heard nothing, but the door was
cracked.

“
Granny?” she
whispered.

“
I’m here,
Trixi.”

Widening the opening, Trixi slipped
inside. “What is that noise?” As though on cue, the wailing came
again, long, low, and hair-raising.

“
I don’t know. I haven’t
ever heard anything like it before. Since you’re here, I’m guessing
you haven’t either.”

“
No, definitely not.” Trixi
was certain of this much, anyway.

“
Interesting.” Gran’s
covers rustled as she shifted beneath them.

“
How is this
interesting?”

“
Because it’s never
happened before and I’m here now.”

Trixi didn’t even want to imagine what
she’d be feeling if she was in this house all alone.

“
What should we
do?”

“
Pop in some earplugs and
go back to sleep.” Gran offered up a sensible solution, as
usual.

“
Great advice,
Gran.”

“
Of course.” Gran slid
lower on the bed and repositioned her pillow.

Trixi tumbled off the bed to search
out her grandmother’s supply of earplugs. She found them and dumped
a few in the bedside table after handing a pair to her
grandparent.

“
Do you have some?” Gran
asked.

“
Yes, they’re
upstairs.”

“
Good. If you’re worried,
you come back down here and we’ll call the police. This is just
someone up to mischief. If we don’t react they’ll go
away.”

Since Trixi was inclined to agree, she
kissed her grandmother goodnight again before performing a thorough
recheck of all the doors and windows. She trailed upstairs then to
locate her own earplugs. Instead of reacting, she slid the earplugs
in and then settled down for the rest of the night.

This would all look different in the
morning.

Chapter 13

The nighttime happenings appeared completely
innocuous in the light of day, so Trixi brushed these newest
incidents off. Work went as usual the next day and into the
following week.

The moaning continued, and now there
was some sort of odd howling added to the acoustic offerings. She
expected rattling chains and a ghostly voice beckoning her to
follow some apparition.