Evil lurked in that house, making Grace shudder. It didn’t take long for her to run back out of the house and jump into her compact SUV. No wonder it hadn’t sold.
The third house was a on the hillside, nestled in the trees with a cleared lot for organic gardening. The two-story craftsman was in decent shape. The only areas she’d recommend putting money into were the floors. They looked newer, but the scratches in them were a deal breaker for most buyers. They were so deep Grace wasn’t even sure they could be refinished. But at least the house felt welcoming. If someone had asked her, she wouldn’t even have guessed that the place was haunted. That didn’t mean it wasn’t; it just meant the spirits were silent that day and didn’t have an evil presence.
Grace did her tour, took more notes and photos, and then jumped into her SUV and headed home. She needed to figure out what to say to Mr. Saint to convince him to make some adjustments and then call him first thing in the morning.
Chapter Four
“Hello?” Grace called as she walked into her small two-bedroom beach house. The lights were on and her niece’s Jeep was parked in her driveway.
“In here.” Lex’s voice sounded gruff as it floated from the back of the house.
Grace made her way to the kitchen and stood in the doorway, watching Lex angrily chop an onion. She wore leggings and an oversized sweatshirt that hung off one shoulder. Grace chuckled, thinking all she needed was a hair scrunchie and she’d look like she walked right out of the eighties.
“It smells fantastic,” Grace said. A pot of water was on the stove along with another one full of red sauce. The package of manicotti pasta on the counter told her everything she needed to know. Her niece was making Grace her favorite meal. “What did I do to deserve this lovely visit?”
Lex glanced at her aunt and sniffled, wiping her weepy eyes with the sleeve of her sweatshirt.
“Whoa, sweetie. What’s wrong?” she asked as she moved quickly to her favorite person in the entire world, pulled Lex into her arms, and hugged her. When she pulled back, she pressed one hand to Lex’s flushed cheek and said, “What happened? Did you and Bronwyn break up?”
Her red eyes went wide with unbridled horror. “Gods, no.”
Relief rushed through Grace, and she blew out a breath. “Oh, thank goodness.” Grace took another step back and grabbed Lex’s hand, squeezing gently. “Then what is it?”
“Not a what. A who.” Lex tightened her fingers around Grace’s and then let go and went back to chopping onions. Only this time her strokes were measured and deliberate instead of angry and haphazard.
Grace leaned her backside against the counter and studied her niece. Her face was flushed, and her short blond curls were messier than usual, as if she’d been running her fingers through her hair. There was also a tinge of sadness in her eyes mixed in with her pure frustration. Usually Lex Marian had an easy laugh and was easy to love. Whoever had put her in this mood had just become Grace’s least favorite person. “I’m here if you want to talk about it.”
“It’s mom,” she blurted. Tears pooled in her pale blue eyes as she blew out a breath, shaking her head. “I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised. She hasn’t really gotten over the fact that I’m never going to marry Jackson Dixon.” A tiny shudder ran through Lex, and she visibly shook it off. “She still can’t stop talking about how cute our kids would’ve been.”
Grace blinked. “What? Surely she knows that you two never actually dated, right?”
“Of course she knows,” Lex spat, angry tears spilling down her cheeks. “Apparently that doesn’t stop her from wishing her daughter was straight.”
Jackson Dixon was one of Lex’s best friends. They’d met in grade school and had been practically inseparable up until graduation when they’d gone off to different colleges. Now they had both moved back to town and were rekindling their friendship. But there was absolutely no reason to believe they’d ever be a couple considering they were both same-sex oriented. “Did your mom actually say that?”
“She didn’t have to.” Lex dropped the knife and tossed the chopped onions into the simmering sauce.
“Okay.” Grace took a moment to decide how to handle the situation. She didn’t want to do anything to come between her sister and her niece. Alyssa had been shocked when