24

To Nicole’s relief, the conversation had moved on from Cassidy by the time they got back to Ryan’s pickup.

“Here, let me move some of this junk and make room.” Ryan reached for a box as he opened the passenger side of the cab for her. “I’ve been collecting stuff for an open house.”

“What kind of stuff?” She picked up the other box, peeking into it as she handed it to Ryan.

“Décor,” he said with a slight tinge of disgust.

“But I thought you liked architecture and design.” She picked up a potted plant from the floor and handed it to him.

“Yeah, I do.” He squeezed the last of the items into the backseat and closed the door, and they both got in the front. “But I’ve got so much to do, and I doubt these things will make much of a dent on the McDaniel Mansion.” He started the engine. “My realtor insists I need to add some character and warmth to the place, so I’m trying.” He jerked his thumb over his shoulder. “I was taking this load over there tonight.”

“Need any help?” she offered.

“Sure.” He nodded eagerly. “If you really want to.”

“I’d love to.” She reminded him of the state of his parents’ home. “I’m not really eager to go back because I’m afraid I’ll feel responsible to clean up their messes.”

He shook his head. “Yeah, I know what you mean.”

“So where did you get all your décor stuff?” Nicole glanced over the seat to where the boxes and items were stacked, noticing there were even more things in the pickup bed.

“Here and there. Some of it’s from my condo, some from my realtor and a design friend who helps me out sometimes. I wish I could afford a real stager, but my budget is pretty wiped. The place would be pretty hard to stage anyway.”

“People will just have to use their imaginations.”

“Exactly.”

Before long they were at the McDaniel Mansion and Nicole was carrying one of the boxes to the front door. “This place looks different at night,” she commented as he unlocked the door.

He chuckled. “Scared?”

“No. Well, not really.”

“This place does have a reputation, Nicole.” He went inside and disarmed the security system. “But don’t worry. I’m on friendly terms with the ghosts. You’ll be safe with me.”

She laughed as he turned on more lights. “Wow, it looks beautiful in here at night.” She set her box on a large marble-topped entry table near the front door and looked around. “But I can see how these big spaces could prove a challenge to stage or decorate.”

“Hey, you’re an artist,” Ryan said. “I bet you’d be good at staging.”

She shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“Well, it takes a certain kind of eye,” he said. “An artistic eye. Wanna give it a try?”

“I’d love to!”

“How about I keep bringing stuff in while you put some things out?”

She agreed, and as he brought in load after load, she began to unpack the boxes and started setting things around. He’d already brought in a few random pieces of furniture, mostly large ones. As she played with the various pieces, trying them here and there, she felt like she was sort of getting it. But it would take more pieces to really bring the place to life.

“Hey, it’s looking better already.” Ryan set an oversized urn on the floor. “You really do have a knack for this, Nicole.”

“It’s fun,” she admitted. “But I’ve barely made a dent in it.” She began to tell him some ideas for bringing in items that would help. She pointed to the urn. “For instance, a bunch of tall branches in that, over there by the fireplace, would be a nice touch. Maybe a nicely stacked pile of firewood too. And you need something alive and green, like a plant, on that table.”

Together they played house for a couple of hours, moving some of the furniture items and arranging and rearranging. Slowly Nicole could see that they’d made improvements.

“Wow, it’s getting late,” Ryan said. “It’s past ten.”

“Time flies when you’re having fun.” She brushed her dusty hands on the legs of her jeans.

“Really?” he asked. “You had fun?”

“Absolutely. I think maybe I’d like to be a stager.” She grinned. “Well, not full-time. But it is fun. I can see that there is an art to it.”

“I should get you home. You probably have to work tomorrow.”

“The gallery’s closed on Tuesdays.”

“Oh, right.” He nodded. “So are you busy tomorrow?”

She shrugged. “I thought I’d do some painting.”

“Oh, yeah, that’s a good idea.”

“But did you have something in mind? You need help?”

“Well, if you wanted to continue helping me stage this, that’d be awesome.”

“I’d be happy to,” she said. “And I have an idea.”

“What?”

“I just remembered all the stuff in your parents’ attic. I barely saw it when we found Bernie up there, but it looked like some—”

“You’re a genius!” Ryan grabbed her in a bear hug. “That’s perfect, Nicole!”

She couldn’t help but giggle like a schoolgirl as she enjoyed this unexpected embrace. She stepped back, recovering her composure. “It looked like a lot of antiques and interesting stuff up there.”

“They’re family pieces—things my mom won’t part with. Most of it is pretty old. But cleaned up a little, some of that stuff would be fabulous in here.”

“Would your parents mind?”

He laughed. “They’d be glad for me to do whatever it takes to sell this place. Dad’s been worried all along that I bought a white elephant. And since he helped with the financing, I’d say he’s got a vested interest.”

“Well, I’d love to help you,” she said as they went outside. “I think it’s fun doing this. And as much as I’d like to paint, I wasn’t looking forward to being sequestered in my room all day tomorrow.” She sighed. “It’s funny, when your mom first showed me the house, I imagined myself rattling around and maybe even getting lonely. Just me and the cat. You know?”

“And instead you’ve got Bernie and Gina and Alex to contend with?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, if you need a quiet place to hide away in when you’re not at work, feel free to hang here. I’ll loan you a key and show you how to work the security system tomorrow.”

“I bet that conservatory has great light for painting,” Nicole mused as they got into his pickup. “And maybe the ghosts will provide some creative inspiration,” she joked.

“Most definitely,” he said. As he drove her home, they put together a plan for the next day, agreeing to meet to go through the attic at eight.

“Maybe we can get Bernie and Gina to help us,” Nicole suggested. “Although I’m not sure they’re awake that early.”

“If we make enough noise moving stuff out of the attic, maybe we’ll rouse them.”

As it turned out, the noise in the attic did wake up the girls—they were both certain it was a ghost. “Kind of like payback for the time you scared me,” Nicole teased Bernie when both girls peeked into the attic, where Ryan was scooting a buffet cabinet across the floor.

“What’re you doing?” Bernie asked.

Nicole explained about staging Ryan’s mansion for an open house this weekend.

“If you girls want to help, I’ll treat you to an all-you-can-eat breakfast,” Ryan offered.

“It’s the McMunster Mansion,” Bernie told Gina. “It’s haunted.”

That was all it took to get Gina on board, and before long the four of them were moving various pieces down the stairs and into the moving van that Ryan had rented. Nicole and the girls followed him in the SUV, which she’d loaded up with a few borrowed pieces from the lower levels of his parents’ house. Things that Ryan assured her his parents wouldn’t miss while they were cruising on the other side of the globe.

Nicole had felt a tinge of sadness at seeing his parents’ beautiful home somewhat stripped, but since it was only temporary and Ryan seemed unconcerned, she decided not to worry about it either. She did inquire as to his insurance situation for the mansion, and he assured her it was completely covered.

It was nearly eleven by the time they’d unloaded everything, and since Ryan wanted to return the borrowed truck before noon, they agreed to pick him up and then go to a nearby all-day breakfast place that he claimed had the best grits in all of Georgia.

“I’ve never really been a fan of grits,” Nicole confessed after they enticed her to go for a totally Southern breakfast, including biscuits and gravy and grits. “But these are actually pretty good.”

“So maybe there is a Southern girl hiding beneath that Seattle exterior,” Ryan teased.

“You’re from Seattle?” Gina asked, obviously impressed.

Nicole nodded.

“That is so cool.”

“Yeah, they have Starbucks and good music and the Space Needle and all sorts of stuff.” Bernie parroted some of the things Nicole had recently told her.

“Seattle is a nice place,” Nicole conceded. “But so is Savannah. I’m surprised at how much of this city seems to agree with me.”

After breakfast, Gina and Bernie wanted to go back to the “McMunster Mansion” with them. “Only if you really want to work,” Nicole warned them. “We’re not there to ghost hunt.”

“We want to help,” Bernie assured her.

“Great.” Nicole nodded. “Trust me, I’ve got a long list of stuff that needs to be done.”

“If we get tired, we’ll just walk home,” Bernie said as they drove through the historic district.

“Hey, look.” Nicole pointed to a house where workers were hanging red, white, and blue bunting. “Is that for July 4th?”

“Savannah does Independence Day up big,” Ryan told her.

“The whole town gets into it,” Bernie said. “All kinds of stuff to do.”

“And the fireworks show is the best,” Gina added.

“I guess that makes sense,” Nicole said. “After all, Savannah was involved in the Revolutionary War. That’s a pretty good reason to pull out all the stops.”

“Yes, we do have the Revolution. That’s something Seattle can’t boast about,” Ryan teased.

“That reminds me,” Bernie said as they pulled up to the McDaniel Mansion. “Dad is having a Fourth of July party.”

“Where at?” Ryan asked, sounding concerned.

“Grandma and Grandpa’s,” Bernie said as they got out. “Gina and I get to invite some of our friends.”

“Sounds fun,” Nicole told her.

“Hopefully Alex will remember to invite a cleaning service too,” Ryan whispered to Nicole as they walked up to the house.

She laughed. “Afraid he’s all out of baseball cards?”

For the next couple of hours, Bernie and Gina made themselves fairly useful washing windows, sweeping, and helping to move things around. But Nicole could tell they were getting bored. “You guys have been troupers,” she told Bernie. “I’m sure your uncle will think of some way to repay you for all your help.”

“Maybe we can do another ghost tour,” Bernie suggested. “And Gina could come.”

“I’ll be sure to mention that to him.” Nicole walked the girls to the front door, pausing to tweak a pair of potted trees that Ryan had just set on the front portico. These heavy pots were from his parents’ house, but the life this greenery brought to the main entryway was well worth it. Hopefully these improvements would help to sell the place.

She went back into the house, still playing with various pieces, moving stuff around, trying to get it just right. Certainly, the house wasn’t truly staged, because it wasn’t as if someone could just sit down and make themselves at home in here. But it definitely looked more inviting.

She carried a big vase of realistic-looking silk flowers into the conservatory. So far this was her favorite space. She had put the antique wicker furniture in here, along with a few pillows she’d borrowed from the Grahams’ sunroom. Then she’d added a few other touches that made the sunny room look almost ready for occupancy.

“This looks great,” Ryan said as he dropped a rolled-up carpet onto the marble floor. “I thought this rug might be nice in here.” He pushed it open with his toe, revealing what had probably once been jewel-tone shades, but which were now nicely muted from age and sun.

“That’ll be perfect.” She moved the wicker furniture to make room for the rug, helping him to get it positioned just right, then put the other pieces back in place. “I love this room.”

“So do I.” He gingerly eased himself down onto a wicker chair. “Will this hold me?”

“They’re sturdier than they look.” She sat in the rocker across from him.

“I don’t even know how to thank you for all your help.” He sighed. “I really appreciate it.”

“Well, for starters, the girls would like you to take them on another ghost tour,” she said with a grin. “I guess that works for me too.”

His eyes lit up. “I’d love to.”

“Cool. I’ll let them know.”

“I thought maybe I could thank you by taking you to dinner,” he said in a shy tone.

“Sure,” she agreed. “That’d be great.”

“I can’t do it tonight. Already have plans. I was thinking maybe later in the week.”

“Yeah,” she said casually. “Whenever it works . . . for both of us.” What she didn’t say—what she really wanted to say—was, “What about Cassidy?” She wanted to ask Ryan if the plans he had for tonight were with Cassidy, and what Cassidy would think about him asking Nicole out for dinner. Or perhaps he wasn’t asking her out on an actual date, like she assumed. Maybe he figured it was just friends sharing a meal. Whatever it was, she really wanted to know. She needed to get to the bottom of it. If it meant humbling herself to ask him . . . well, she was just about ready to do that.