Taking a deep breath, she turned back to where Kieran had apparently stopped on the path behind her – only to see absolutely nothing there at all.
Huh?!
Natasha blinked, staring at the empty path.
“Where… where did he go?”
She couldn’t help murmuring the words out loud, staring around her in open-mouthed surprise. She’d thought he’d have had to go back down the path to follow it to wherever he’d initially come from.
Well, that’s obviously what he did, he just… moved a lot faster than I thought he would,she thought, frowning.Maybe he really wasn’t kidding about needing to get a lot of stuff done.
She couldn’t help but feel just alittlebit miffed as she made her way back to her car, getting in and starting the engine. For all that Kieran had seemed genuinely delighted to see her and hadn’t been feigning anything about looking forward to seeing her tomorrow, he certainlyhadrun off pretty quickly!
Maybe I’m just grumpy because I’m hungry,Natasha thought as she guided her car back to the main street – hadn’t Sylvie told her that Mrs. James, their former substitute teacher, ran the diner here now?
Ah – there it is.
Natasha pulled into a parking space, still trying not to let her bafflement and slight annoyance overwhelm her. Up until he’d disappeared in a seeming puff of smoke – or gust of wind – Kieran had been a perfect gentleman and a lot of fun to be around, after all. And it wasn’t as if he’d justvanishedwithout a word – he’d told her he had things to do and that he’d better get back to them.
What were you expecting, a goodbye kiss?Natasha asked herself as she pushed open the diner door.Well, maybe notexpecting,but I can’t say I would have said no either –
“Is that Natasha Scott? No – don’t tell me, ofcourseit is. Like ol’ Eula would ever forget a face.”
Natasha found a smile spreading across her face at the sound of the voice from behind the counter – and she was mildly surprised to find that Eula James looked hardly any different to how she had back when Natasha had been in high school. Maybe there were a few more smile lines around her eyes, and maybe her dye job was, somehow, even more brassy, but otherwise she remained completely unchanged.
“Mrs. James,” Natasha said, letting her smile fully break free. “You remember me, then?”
“Please, it’s Eula.” The woman waved a hand. “We’re not in English class anymore, and you’re grown now – and looking good. You were always an ambitious one. You worked so hard in class.”
Natasha laughed, a little self-conscious. “Well, I really wanted to get into a good college, and I knew I’d need as much financial aid as I could get.”
“And we were all so proud of you when you went off to get what you wanted,” Eula laughed, her voice low and booming. “So what brings you back here now?”
“Oh, just a short vacation. Just thought I’d come and see how things were in my old stomping grounds.”
“Things’ve changed a little,” Eula said, as she began putting something together behind the counter. “Girdwood Springs is on the map, now.”
Natasha wasn’t sure she’d go quitethatfar, but she smiled and nodded. “Yeah. I can see there’s been some changes, that’s for sure.” She swallowed, a sudden curiosity rising up within her. “Do you get many people coming through here now? Strangers?”
“Oh, yes,” Eula said breezily. “Too many to count these days. For the skiing season especially.”
“Of course.” Natasha nodded. “But… just recently too? It’s just I met someone I hadn’t seen around here before, and he said he used to spend his summers here, so…”
“Can’t say that rings a bell, darlin’,” Eula said, but there was a spark of curiosity in her eyes. “You said he’s staying in town?”
“No, in a place over the other side of the mountain, on that land next to the parklands,” Natasha said, as Eula finished whatever she was making and began wrapping it. She paused, however, one eyebrow shooting up beneath her curled bangs.
“That old abandoned house? No, darlin’, you must be mistaken. No one goes up there. That place has been empty for a while.” She paused, leaning forward. “Besides which, it’s haunted.”
Natasha stared at Eula for a long moment, as Eula reached over the counter, putting down a wrapped sandwich in front of her.
“There you go, on the house,” Eula said, grinning. “A little welcome back present.”
“Oh – thank you,” Natasha stuttered, reaching out to take it. “That’s – that’s really kind of you. But uh, you said… haunted?”
“That’s right, darlin’.” Eula nodded sagely. “Everyone knows that.”
Well, I didn’t!Natasha thought – before thinking,Probably because there’s no such thing as hauntings!
