She'd asked them to deliver the flowers to the old hotel just before they closed. So when she came down to the lobby, they were there, waiting. A sunflower bouquet - nice and bright for a young girl full of life at the time she died.
Never thought I'd be bribing a ghost to get rid of my dreams, she thought. Or getting specters drunk so I could hear their sea tales with the hopes of removing a jinx. At least the rum was already in her car, along with the longest and cheapest cigars they had. While I was at it, I got box of chocolate donuts - maybe Jack would appreciate it. If not, it was going to be a long ride back home, and they’d help pass the time.
As she pulled into the spot next to the garage, the sun had set and was fading fast. She turned off her lights and car engine, then sat awhile in the quiet evening. Even as she did, the porch light went on to the lighthouse main entrance. There was smoke coming from chimney of the keeper's quarters, which gave a wood scent to the air.
Maybe Jack's cooking something, Doreen thought, realizing she had rushed out without asking about dinner. "Hope my hosts don't wait for me," she said aloud. She suffered a twinge of regret for not thinking about her manners in the rush. With that, Doreen gathered up the package with the bribes in it, plus the bouquet, and got out of the car and onto the path.
At the door, she knocked and pushed it open when there was no answer, yelling, "Jack, you home?"
A muffled reply came from the closed door to the keeper's quarters.
Doreen noted that there was a fourth chair at the table, as well as lights in the sconces. Since they were still oil-filled and not electric, the odor of burned oil was tangible. Above was dark, except for a light at the very top of the stairs.
"Hi Doreen. Let me help you with that." Jack took the grocery sack and put it on the table. "Here, bring the flowers inside. I've got a vase there which is in a duplicate to the holder at the top of the stairs. She likes her flowers fresh."
Doreen followed him in to his quarters, snagging the donuts out of the bag as she passed by.
As she entered the small main room, she noticed it had a small table which was set with a white table cloth and lit candles in addition to a simple place setting on each side.
"Hope you didn't mind. I had an idea you'd be rushing out without eating so I made a little something for us both." Jack was talking as he went into what looked like a tiny kitchen and returned with some chicken-fried steak in a mushroom and onion sauce still in the skillet. "Sorry I don't have the serving dishes out - it's so close from here to there, I stored them all way years ago. Typical bachelor arrangement - don't dirty what you don't want to clean."
He motioned Doreen to sit while he dished out two helpings of everything on their respective plates. Taking the hot skillet to the kitchen, he returned with a small pot of asparagus and a salad made of greens she wasn't familiar with. "Dig in, I'll be right back."
Jack was in a smooth endless motion as he moved efficiently, taking her jacket to hang on the hook by the door along with the box of donuts she was holding and returning with a bottle of wine and two glasses in one hand, a jigger of salad dressing in the other.
Finally he sat. Doreen was fascinated in watching him and didn't move until he quit moving.
"Thanks for the donuts. Chocolate is my favorite. We can take some up with ice cream to the gallery afterward. Sometimes you get munchies while you're waiting and that climb is a long one, even for someone who is used to it."
Doreen commented, "This all looks great. And what's in this salad?" She found out she was ravenous and the salad was delicious.
"It's all local greens. If you know what to look for and how to raise them, you can almost have endless salad greens from native plants around here, plus I like some spinach occasionally. Oh, that asparagus is fresh picked this afternoon - but no, the steak is from a farm down the road a few miles. I do a lot, but not everything." He smiled at his own joke.
Doreen was relaxed and enjoying the food immensely. While the wine helped, it was having home-cooked, fresh-from-the-garden food that really made the difference. As well, having someone else cook was a treat - and it was amazing how simple food could taste so good. For a time, she forgot she was in a lighthouse as she was listening to Jack's humorous takes on how to raise and prepare food - a world away from nightmares, ghosts, and mysterious amulets.
They'd cleared their plates and just finished laughing at another of Jack's humorous anecdotes when they both heard a loud thud outside the building.