Chapter 17

Chapter

Seventeen

KEIR

“Help me, Sannndy!”

I snapped awake to see a man standing in the corner of the spare bedroom where I’d slept the previous night. Sibley was sleeping in my childhood bedroom, so I’d taken Keith’s. It seemed she’d accepted I wasn’t her husband, but I had no idea where that left us.

“Wh-Who are y-you?” My voice was barely coming out as my throat was tight with fear. I could see through the man! I was suddenly engulfed in a sense of déjà vu that was overwhelming. What the fuck?

“Sannndy!” He was moaning too damn loud, and it was freaking me the fuck out.

The voice dropped an octave, but the volume was still there. Since it was dark outside, I didn’t want to wake anyone in the house, especially since the man was calling for Sibley’s dead brother.

“Shh! You’ll wake everybody. Who the hell are you, and what do you want?” I sat up in bed and watched what I believed to be an apparition pace the bedroom. I’d never considered whether the house was haunted, but then again, I was sure I hadn’t grown up there.

“I’m Horace Green. You’ve gotta help me. Where’s Sandy?” Thankfully, he was talking quietly.

Horace Green? A ping of something familiar bounced around my brain. “Are you, uh, unalive?”

“Yeah. My funeral is in a few days. I must find Rachel. Where’s Sandy?”

My breath hitched. “Rachel? My niece, Rachel?”

The man nodded. “Rachel’s my daughter, and I love her. I’d never hit her.”

The man stared at me as if begging me to believe him. “Rachel is a wonderful girl. I’m sure you’d never hurt her.”

The ghost stopped and stared at me, his hands in front of him as if trying to convince me of something. “My beautiful Rachel. She was my snuggle bug. She loved me. Her mother told the lie that I was a bad man, but I wasn’t, I swear.”

“You wanna tell me what happened?” I slung my legs over the side of the bed, pulling the blanket over my lap as I prepared to listen to the spirit. I was doing my best to be respectful of the man.

“Naomi hooked up with a jody at Fort Riley while I was deployed.”

“What the hell is a jody? Is it a guy named Jody?” I didn’t speak Army.

Horace sneered at me, the dead bastard. “A jody is the spouse of a female soldier, and it happens more than you’d think. The guy’s wife was coming home from deployment in Japan, and Naomi told the man she was done with their affair. He didn’t like it and beat the hell out of her. If he got into trouble on base, his wife, who was a captain, would pay for it by losing rank because she didn’t have her house in order. The bastard threatened to rape my daughter if Naomi ever told anyone he’d hit her.”

That sounded pretty fucking awful. “So he was a dick?”

“I came home a week later, and Naomi admitted everything. She’d been staying with a friend off base because she was scared, so nobody had seen the bruises on her face. When she told me what happened, I hunted the motherfucker down and nearly beat him to death. How dare he touch my wife or threaten my daughter with something so heinous.”

Horace’s voice had risen again, but I didn’t try to quiet him. He deserved to be angry if there was any truth to the story that he was telling me. “What happened to you after you beat the man up? Which was totally justified, by the way.”

He sat on a chair in the corner. “I ended up in the brig. I knew one of the MPs who arrested me, and I told him what really happened. He talked to his CO, who recommended I be redeployed instead of going to the brig and getting dishonorably discharged. I got busted to a Pfc. and sent to Afghanistan.”

God, that sounded horrible. “Okay, then what?”

“The local police pushed Naomi to press charges against the guy who hurt her, but she was too afraid of him. She ended up saying I was the one who hit her, but the Army pushed back because the timing didn’t work. She moved to Topeka and got a restraining order against me, but I was out of the country by then. I was worried about Rachel because I wasn’t around to protect her, so I reached out to Sandy.”

Horace stopped pacing and stared at me as if he were waiting for me to say something. I was speechless. For reasons unknown to me, I needed more information, and I needed to help the man.

“I’m sorry to tell you that Sandy is dead. You didn’t speak to Naomi much after that, did you?”

The man hung his head. “No. I got a letter from Naomi when the divorce papers came. She said she was sorry for what she’d done, but she’d had no choice. I couldn’t blame her. I’d been gone too long and hadn’t been there to protect her and Rachel. Naomi said she had to disappear because of the threat against her.”

I stared at the apparition and tried to put myself in his shoes. What a horrible place to be. He couldn’t protect the people he loved. That had to be the worst feeling in the world.

Somehow, I felt comfortable with him, which was shocking to me. Something about the exchange seemed oddly familiar, though heaven knew why.

“Why did you tell all of this to me?”

Horace stared at me for a minute before he chuckled. “You’re the Gatekeeper. I’m hoping you’ll help my daughter understand that I love her.”

I was flabbergasted, which wasn’t a word I used easily. “Gatekeeper? What’s that?”

Horace snickered. “I have no idea. It seems important that you know I had no one to meet me when I died. I hope you’ll help me. Key doesn’t seem to be able to figure it out. He needs you.”

“Who’s Key?”

The man…spirit…stared at me. “He’s your soulmate, I’d guess. You’re lucky. I never found mine.”

Soulmate? Was he the blond man who haunted my dreams?

“Where is he?” I needed to find my way back to my life. Maybe Horace Green could help me?

“Keirnan?”

I glanced toward the door, and when I turned back to where the man had been standing, he was gone. Did I have a soulmate who wasn’t Sibley?

I shot up from the bed and frantically scanned the room as I tried to catch my breath. What the fuck was that? Who was that guy?

“Keirnan?” There was another knock on the door.

I opened it to see Betty. “Yeah, uh, you okay, son?” Hell, was I okay?

“Uh, yeah, Mom. I had a weird dream. Musta been talking in my sleep.” Betty was already dressed. “Where are you going?”

“Down to the barn to help Dad milk. He’s getting the cows up right now. I’ll turn on the coffee pot before I go, but you should try to get some more sleep. You look worn out.”

“I’m fine, Mom. How about I go help Dad? You can stay inside this morning and make breakfast or something. I should have been helping all this time I’ve been here. I’m sorry I’ve been a selfish ass.”

I knew she wasn’t my family, but it seemed I owed her an apology on her son’s behalf. I hoped when Keirnan returned to his life, he’d get the damn hint and be a better son.

“If you’re sure, honey, I’d appreciate it. I know Dad would like to spend the time with you.” I nodded and closed the door to dress.

Five minutes later, I hurried down the stairs and bundled up, sliding on the old snow boots of Ronald’s to get to the barn where I’d change into muck boots.

As I approached the barn, I could hear Ronald singing. It was an old, old song I didn’t recognize, but it had a bouncy rhythm and the cows seemed to like it. They were trotting up the hill to the pen behind the milk barn.

“Hey, Dad. Where do you want me?”

Ronald jumped a little as he turned around and grinned. “Good morning. If you’ll just stay here and keep the gate open until they all get in, I’ll go inside and get set up. Just close the gate when you don’t see any more cows and come inside. You can feed the four bottle calves in the barn.”

I wasn’t sure what that meant, but I was game. Whatever needed to be done.

Twenty minutes later, I walked into the barn, where it was nice and warm. “Gate’s locked, and they’re lined up waiting for you. What next?”

Ronald was filling the grain bins for the cows being milked as I’d seen Keith do when I’d helped the previous night. “Uh, go into the washroom and get the clean bottles for the calves. We’ll fill them after we start milking, and then I’ll help you feed them. They get a little too wild for your mother, so she runs the milkers while I feed them, but I can show you if you’re interested.”

I damn sure didn’t want to put those cups on the cows, so feeding calves it was. I went to the other room where there was a large sink and a drying rack with four big square bottles placed upside down to dry.

Some large nipples and rings that went around them lay flat on the rack, so I grabbed all of them and took them back into the milking room. I put everything on a table before I changed my boots for the rubber muck boots and traded my thick coat for a wax apron.

Ronald was staring into thin air, a frown on his face. “What’s wrong?” It wasn’t hard to tell he was upset. I didn’t know the man very well, but I was concerned.

“I don’t know how the hell we’re going to tell your mother about the loan, but I’ve gotta come clean with her. Signing the farm over to you and letting you deal with that son of a bitch is too damn selfish of me. It just won’t work, Keirnan. You’ve got a baby on the way. How’d I let you put that idea in my head?”

I stopped where I was and tied up the apron. “What?”

Ronald turned his head and stared at me. “What’s wrong with you? You act like you don’t remember any of the things we talked about on the phone last week before you decided to come out, son.”

What had I agreed to do?

I swallowed my nerves. “I’ve had a lot on my mind, Dad. Between work, the book, and Sibley’s pregnancy, I’ve been busy. Can you run it by me again?”

Ronald removed the milking cups from the udders, cleaning them and applying some salve before he reached over to push a lever that opened the door to release the six cows through the back of the milking shed.

He went to the other end of the line and opened the front door for six more cows to come inside. He quickly cleaned the udders before he sterilized the teats and hooked them up to the milkers.

Once they were underway, Ronald grabbed two milk bottles and left the room. I followed him out.

“I can’t raise my voice in there because it upsets the girls, but what the fuck is wrong with you, Keirnan? You told me that when you were here this week, we’d go to the title company, and I’d sell you the farm for a dollar.

“You told me you’d assume the debts that came with it, including the two-hundred thousand I owe Marcus Shannon, plus the interest. You said you could handle him, and after things were worked out, I’d buy back the farm from you for a dollar. You know what you’re doing, right?”

Ronald filled the bottles with powdered milk—according to the label on the bucket—and water before handing two of them to me. I put the nipples and collars on them and tightened the rings. When he was finished, we went into the barn to a stall where four black-and-white calves were bawling.

I opened the gate and let Ronald inside first, watching how he maneuvered the bottles for the calves to drink so I knew what to do. “Where are their mothers?”

Ronald rolled his eyes. “You’ve forgotten every damn thing about this place. They’re in the milking room. We control how much milk the calves get from their mothers to keep the cows’ production high. Anyway, you said you had a plan for handling Marcus Shannon.”

My mind immediately went back to the spreadsheets I’d seen on Keirnan’s laptop. Was he going to kill himself so the loan could be paid back and still leave Sibley with enough money to raise their child in the hopes Shannon would leave his family alone?

It was becoming far too clear what his plan was, and I damn well wasn’t about to do anything so stupid. I refused to let Ronald and Betty be harmed because of the debt they’d incurred.

“What did you do with the loan proceeds?” I hoped to fuck he wasn’t a gambler too.

“I was paying off the last bit of last year’s loan for seed. I didn’t get it through the bank this time. Darryl set me up with Marcus Shannon, instead. I also bought some equipment we needed, put a new roof on the milk barn, and built two pole barns for when the dry cows go out to pasture after they get bred back. More money goes out than comes in some years, son.”

I nodded. That was a fact of life, unfortunate as it might be.

Ronald continued. “We tried to be sure your sister, brother, and you never knew when we hit hard times. Corn’s been down for the last couple of years because of the bullshit overseas, so we didn’t make as much as we’ve made in the past. Darryl asked me to let his friends plant pot between the rows, and I almost said yes, but I’d have to let the corn go to seed, and your mother would have a fit. I’m doing my best to keep things goin’. This was my great-granddaddy’s farm. I don’t want to be the one to lose it.”

I could see the heartbreak on the man’s face, so I nodded. “I know, Dad. I’m not criticizing. I’m just trying to remember it all and get it straight in my head. You can still sell it to me for a dollar. We can sign the papers tomorrow, and I’ll handle everything like I said I would. I’m not gonna let you down.”

What the fuck was I saying? Had I lost my goddamn mind? Did Sibley know what I was doing?

I was guessing she didn’t, but I had to tell her. I needed to talk to her as soon as we finished the morning milking. I also had to come up with a plan of some sort to get the mob boss off Ronald’s and Keirnan’s backs.

No way was I letting anything happen on my watch to any of the people Keirnan loved. I was coming to care for them as well.

After a huge breakfast,courtesy of Betty not having to go to the barn that morning, I volunteered Sibley and myself to clean up the dishes so Ronald and Betty could go shopping for the Thanksgiving meal.

“You kids need anything from the store? Sibley, honey, can I get you anything special? I’m gonna need to make pies again since Kathy and Keith took four of them to take to his folks’ house. We still have cobbler, but I can make anything you want.”

Sibley walked over to Betty and hugged her. “You don’t need to make anything special for me.”

“She’s craving meat.” Hey, it wasn’t a lie, and wasn’t a husband supposed to look out for his expecting wife?

Betty giggled and made a note on her shopping list while Sibley stuck out her tongue at me. It was nice to see her smile.

“Sibley, invite Cecilia and Ethan down. There’s no need for them to be home by themselves on Thanksgiving. We need to clear up all this anger between us and get back to bein’ one big family.” Betty carried some dirty plates from the table before she wiped her hands on a dishtowel and left the room.

Ronald had gone down to the barn to be sure everything was ready for the milk truck driver to empty the tank that afternoon, and when I heard Betty head upstairs, I leaned into Sibley.

“Let’s hurry and get these dishes loaded. Do your folks still have Sandy’s letters?” She glanced at me and nodded.

“Do you think I could read them? I had a very strange dream this morning that I’ll tell you about after they leave. I have a feeling we’re getting closer to getting your Keirnan back.”

Surprise showed on her face, but she nodded. We worked together to clean up the kitchen and leave it such that it would meet Betty’s approval, and then we grabbed coats and went to the Audi I hoped Sibley sold as soon as she told Keirnan how much she hated it.

We drove about a mile up the road to her parents’ large ranch house. “How many acres do they have?”

“About fifty. Ronnie mows and bails it a few times over the summer, so he has a little extra hay for the cows in the winter. Our families are intertwined, which is why I’m freaking out about Keirnan being missing and those documents you found on his computer. What happened while you were at the barn with Ronnie?”

I thought about not telling her, but Thanksgiving was Thursday, and Darryl, that fucker, had said I needed to call Marcus Shannon before Thanksgiving. I really didn’t have a choice, did I?

“I don’t think Keirnan was planning to kill himself. I think he was planning to be killed, which was why he wanted to ensure you would be okay if he ended up…” I couldn’t say dead. She didn’t deserve to hear it.

“How’d you figure it out?”

I sucked in a breath. I wasn’t sure if she’d believe me, though she did lean toward believing in supernatural and paranormal phenomena, what with her tarot and astrological charting business. I had to hope she wouldn’t write me off as a wingnut.

“Ronald and I talked in the barn. Ronald took out a huge loan with Marcus Shannon that Betty doesn’t know anything about. He did talk to Keirnan about it when he figured out that he couldn’t pay it back on Shannon’s timeline. They agreed that Ronald would sell the farm to Keirnan for a dollar. Keirnan seemed to think he could negotiate repayment with Shannon, but if Shannon killed him instead, you’d have the money to pay the loan from the proceeds of his life insurance that we found on that spreadsheet and still be able to live and care for your child.”

“God, what was he thinking?” A few tears rolled down her cheeks, and I felt bad for putting them there, but she needed to know the truth.

“I think he was trying to make sure everyone he loved was taken care of in the event he didn’t make it out of that meeting… Well, the meeting I’m supposed to set up for tomorrow.”

“So why do you want to read Sandy’s letters? Is he linked to this in any way?” Sibley appeared to be worried and confused, and I got it. Now was the time to test how much she was willing to trust me.

“I had a visit last night from a ghost. His name was Sergeant Horace Green, and he was looking for Sandy. I think he’s the mentor Sandy mentioned during his phone calls with you and your family, and I suspect he’s Naomi’s ex-husband. If he is, then the story she told Keirnan’s brother isn’t close to the truth. I want to see if Sandy mentioned anything about him in the letters.”

Sibley stared at me for a moment before nodding. “If you think you were visited by a spirit, let’s find out for sure. I had a friend in college whose grandfather created the Ouija board, and I’ve used it to reach out to my mom’s mom, though I’ve never had any success. Maybe we could try to reach out to your Horace Green to ask some questions?”

That was the best thing I’d heard since I’d arrived in Gilbert, Iowa. Maybe this mind fuck was coming to an end?