Chapter 1
The stately historic mansion backdrop for the wedding was supposed to be romantic. Like something out of a fairytale, not a nightmare. When did anything ever work out according to plan though? Instead of being a storybook event, it was more like a scary movie. As I stood on the lush green front lawn, a wave of spookiness captured me. A cold breeze drifted across my skin, raising the hair on the back of my neck.
The two-story red brick and stone Italianate style home had a large wraparound porch along the front that invited visitors to come inside. But would anyone really enter without trepidation? I peered up at the cupola that protruded from the center of the home’s roof. Had someone been up there watching me? I thought for sure I’d seen a person move away in the blink of an eye.
Set on twenty acres in the middle of the country, magnolia, pine, and weeping willow trees dotted the landscape. A garden out back with roses in varying shades of blush and peach added haunting beauty to the setting. Still a spooky vibe surrounded this place.
Did I mention this wasn’t my wedding? No, I still hadn’t nailed down details for my nuptials to Brannon Landon, my handsome detective fiancé. His patience was wearing thin about that too. But I digress.
This was the setting for Tammy’s wedding. My best friend since high school. She worked with me at Bilson Library too. Of course, that wasn’t her only job. She was as busy as the bees in the garden out back. Tammy also held part-time jobs at the tavern in town and at Sue’s Savvy Hair Salon. She claimed she’d stop one of her jobs once she was married. Thank goodness she’d promised it wouldn’t be the library that she left.
I was pretty sure Tammy hadn’t picked this location because it was haunted. In fact, she probably had no idea that ghosts roamed the grounds. But I knew because a ghost was currently peeking out from around the side of the mansion, watching me specifically. The apparition of the woman wearing a long white gown practically stared a hole right through me.
Her dark hair fell in waves past her shoulders. Based on the attention focused directly on me, I assumed she probably had a message for me. All the while, I tried to ignore her. Did I really want this message? Ignoring her seemed almost impossible. She wouldn’t take her eyes off me. Needless to say, it was distracting.
When a hand wrapped around my shoulder, I spun and screamed. My mother’s eyes widened, and she stumbled back a bit.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake, Rip. Must you scare me like that?” She clutched her chest.
Sometimes when I looked at her it felt like looking into a mirror. Our dark hair and eyes were identical. My mother wore a pale pink dress that hit just below her knees with a scalloped neckline and cap sleeves. I wore an identical dress. Tammy had asked both of us to be a part of her wedding. I was Tammy’s maid of honor and my mother was a bridesmaid along with two of Tammy’s cousins.
“Sorry, mom, but in my defense, you grabbed me from behind.”
“I didn’t mean to startle you, dear, but maybe you’re a bit on edge. Just touching your shoulder shouldn’t elicit that kind of reaction.” She frowned, revealing the lines between her brow.
I couldn't tell her that it wasn’t just because she touched me. It was because I saw a ghost. A ghost that still looked our way. My mother believed in ghosts, but I tried to shield her from as much of the spooky stuff as possible. She worried about me enough without telling her about dark shadows and ghosts that sometimes liked to attack. I couldn’t tell her about all the times that I’d seen spooky paranormal happenings. Repeatedly. Time after time. At the library. At my house. Around town. Pretty much everywhere I went. It wasn’t unheard of for a ghost to pop up.
“Are you okay?” my mother asked.
“Oh sure, I’m fine,” I said.
My voice wavered just a bit as I glanced over her shoulder. The ghost was gone, but I had a feeling she’d be back. The worst part though was that I had no idea when the ghost might return.
“Oh, Rip, I know what’s bothering you,” my mother said.
Had she seen the ghost too?
My eyes widened. “You do?”
“Absolutely. You think that Tammy’s rushing into this marriage. That she hasn’t known this guy long enough. And I suppose I’ve had those questions myself, but I think she knows what she’s getting into. Plus, I really like the guy. He’s good to her, right?”
Tammy’s marriage to Matteo wasn’t what I’d been worried about, but now that she mentioned it, I had concerns. I hadn’t told Tammy about my feelings. I’d been torn between keeping my mouth shut to show my friend the support she needed or telling her of my concerns.
“He’s fantastic to her. I like him, but I don’t know… maybe there’s just something that I can’t quite put my finger on,” I said.
“Everything will be just fine. Now we need to get inside. She’s asking where you are. She needs help to finish getting ready and she wants your help.” My mother placed her hand on my back and guided me toward the house.
The last rays of sunshine beamed across the sky. Streaks of red and purple filled the fading blue sky. Soon darkness would prevail, adding to the creepiness of this old mansion. The weeping willows, oaks, magnolias, and pines provided plenty of places for ghosts to hide. Where was she? I scanned the surroundings, but she was nowhere in sight. Maybe I just needed to push the thought from my head. Likely the ghost would never show up again during our time here this evening. My mother and I headed across the grassy area toward the front of the house.
Wide steps led up the porch to the large wooden doors. People moved around inside as we stepped into the foyer. Tall ceilings and the grand staircase greeted us. To the left white chairs filled the parlor room that had been set up for the wedding. Tammy and her future husband would be married in front of the fireplace which was decorated beautifully with blush roses, white hydrangeas and soft pink peonies.
The winding staircase made of polished mahogany wood shimmered in the sunlight that beamed from the stained-glass window at the top of the stairs. The soft chatter of the guests filled the air. A woman played the harp in the corner of the room. Tammy was on the second floor in one of the bedrooms, which was currently her dressing room for the big wedding day.
As my mother and I made our way up the stairs, the treads of the old wood squeaked under our feet with each step. I glanced over my shoulder several times, wondering if the ghost had come inside with us. Yes, I still hadn’t gotten that apparition out of my head.
“What do you keep looking for?” my mother asked.
“Just making sure that you’re following me,” I said, trying not to let the worry sound in my voice.
“Of course I’m following you,” she said with a chuckle. “Sometimes you worry me, Rip.”
Sometimes? I thought it was most of the time. I needed to calm down because she was obviously starting to become suspicious of my behavior. If that ghost showed up again though, I wasn’t sure I would be able to hide my reaction this time. I would have to come clean and tell my mother about the mystery ghost. The last thing I wanted was for something like this to ruin Tammy’s day. She’d been planning her wedding since the sixth grade. No matter what, I wouldn’t let anything spoil it for her.
Part of the reason why I had so much experience with ghosts and other paranormal entities was that I gave a haunted tour in Devil’s Moon, Kentucky. In my opinion, Devil’s Moon was the most haunted town in the nation, but maybe I was a bit biased since it was my hometown. As far as I was concerned, I figured it had to be the most haunted. When I said ghosts lurked around every corner, I meant ghosts lurked around every corner.