Hexes and X's (Z&C Mysteries, #3) Read Online Free Page B

gosh! Is he referring to marriage? I hope not.
    He continued, “I’m changing jobs. The last one didn’t work out the way I expected; and, well, I have got to move on. I’m also going to need a place to stay.”
    “I don’t want any renters .” Claire played dumb.
    “No, that is not what I’m talking about.”
    “Are you by any chance talking about marriage? Because that is a big discussion.” She was thinking about giving him all the reasons she would never go back to him.
    “There is nothing to discuss. I have already moved on with you.” He pulled out a paper from his back pocket. “I just made a little list for us to agree on.”
    “Just for the heck of it, Jack—what guarantee would I have that you wouldn’t find fault and leave me like last time?”
    “That is why I made this list, so I won’t want to leave.” He handed her the paper.
    1. Wean yourself from your mother. You have me.
    2. No prenup.
    3. No Quit Claim for me to sign.
    4. Have respect for my decisions.
    “There are a couple more to talk about, but we can work that out later. Uh, what would you want on your list?”
    “Love, nurturing, equality. I tell you what… I will think this over and answer you tomorrow.” Claire was too tired to deal with Jack and his list tonight.
    Claire watched Jack slip into his bedroom down the hall, before entering her own. A soft light was left on. If her mother was awake, she didn’t stir, so that left Claire trying to figure out how she was going to handle her predicament.
    The wind sounded like a train passing a cheap hotel at seventy miles per hour, until she fell asleep. Still, wheels continued to clack over rails throughout the night, like a locomotive barreling around corners; but it was a screech and whistle that finally jarred Claire awake.
    Claire turned over on the mattress for her fiftieth time, but saw something at the edge of her bed that startled her. It was like a bizarre scene from a scary movie—her mom sitting up, unmoving like a statue, eyes focused on the door.
    The train whistle sounded again. As Claire’s sleep-fog lifted from her mind, she realized it was actually the long screech of a high-pitched scream.
    “Well?” Claire was waiting to find out what her mother thought about it. “Are we going to take a flashlight to a slash fight?”
    “Honey, you have turned into a rather talented poet.” Zo got up and reached under a pillow. “No, I think we should take this cute little .22 automatic with hollow point long rifle bullets, ’cause you still don’t believe in ghosts, right?”
    “I didn’t say that…”
    The two slipped on robes and slippers in a couple of seconds. Zo led the way with her little tempered steel cutie and Claire followed along with her flashlight in hand. Another high scream whistled through the rafters.
    “Crappers!” exclaimed Zo. “That was in the attic. I am sure of it.”
    “Shouldn’t we be running the other way, Mother?”
    “What if it is somebody injured? There are thirteen other women who have access to this house. We need to find out what is going on… or go home.”
    “I knew that,” said Claire, obtaining resolve. “Where the heck is Jack in all this screaming?!”
    “Let him sleep in the sounds of the storm,” her mother advised.
    Claire took off the silver skeleton key held around her neck by a sturdy silver chain. She turned it in the attic door’s lock. It didn’t open, so she turned it the other way and, yes, the door cracked open. Zo led the way as Claire lit the stairs ahead. Finally, they exited onto the attic floor. Zo reached over and flicked up the attic’s light-switch, but nothing happened. Claire flashed her light around.
    “What’s the first thing that you notice here, Claire?”
    “A pair of drag marks on the floor. What could have been moved to look like that?” The glow of the flashlight dimmed to a faint yellow. “We aren’t needing that to happen!” she whispered.
    “Why are you whispering?