Welcome back to Notes From a Romantic's Heart. Today, we're celebrating the fourth and final complete novel contained in the new paranormal anthology, Ghosts of New England: Last Light Point. We finished up with, A Promise Fulfilled, by best selling author, Peggy Jaeger.
After winning millions in a national lottery, local librarian Daisy Morgan sets out to revitalize the infamous Crow’s Nest Tavern. After saving the historic inn from the auction block, Daisy begins a major renovation only to discover some hidden secrets – and a few unearthly spirits – tied to the tavern’s history.
Writer Keegan Warren arrives to do a story on the revitalization of the tavern weeks before the grand re-opening. Keegan’s got a few secrets of his own about why he wanted the assignment – secrets that unfold no matter how diligently he tries to keep them hidden.
At her cry, Damien stopped inspecting the wall and shot to her side right before Keegan fell to the floor. Together, they caught him – just barely – and lowered him gently onto his back. Daisy cradled his head on her thighs as she sat back on her haunches.
“Should
I call 9-1-1?” Damien asked.
“Hang
on a sec,” she told him.
After
a few more rapid blinks, he focused in on her face, his eyes now opened wide.
“What-what
happened?”
“You
fainted.”
His
gaze searched her face, his mouth falling open to a stunned O. “I’ve never
passed out in my life.”
With
a careful shrug, she said, “First time for everything.”
Clarity
returned to his eyes at the same moment he realized his head was cradled in her
lap. Even in the murky lighting of the basement she could tell his ears had
turned red, his high cheeks following.
On
a jagged breath, Keegan shot his hands behind him as he pushed up to a sitting
position. His entire body shook like he’d just come in from the cold wearing
nothing but skin.
Shoving
with his heels, he crab walked away from her, furtively glancing around as if
searching for something. His gaze fell on Damien, then he stretched up to look
behind the man.
“Are
you okay?” she asked.
He
pushed to stand, all the while turning his head back and forth, his gaze
running around the basement.
“What
are you looking for?” Damien asked.
“Did
you see…I mean…I thought…there was…are we the only ones down here?”
It
was Damien who nodded this time.
“I
swore…you didn’t see…hear…anyone?”
“Come
on,” Daisy said, frowning. “Let’s get you back upstairs.” To the engineer she
asked, “You done?”
“Give
me a few minutes. I want to check a few things before I give you my opinion.”
“Come
find me.”
She
debated helping Keegan walk up the staircase. The flash that sparked in her
hand when she’d touched him before he fainted still stung.
Best
not to take the chance it’ll happen again.
She
held out her hand for him to go up ahead of her. He held on tightly to the
handrail as he slowly made his way back to the ground level.
Once
they were back in the bright light of the taproom his pallor was even more
noticeable. “Sit down.” She all but pushed him into one of the empty chairs.
“When did you eat last?”
“Eat?”
He shook his head a few more times, then stared down at his still-shaking
hands. “I went through a fast-food drive-thru. About six, when I got on the
road. Why?”
She
glanced down at her I-watch. “It’s after one now. Maybe that’s why you fainted.
I always feel faint when I go long stretches between meals. Let’s get you
something to eat.”
Moving
toward the back of the bar and then through the double swing doors into the
commercial kitchen, she didn’t even wait to see if he’d follow her.
“Sit
down,” she repeated when she saw him leaning against a wall in the kitchen.
Without
a word, he did as he was told.
PEGGY JAEGER writes contemporary romances and rom coms about strong women, the families who support them, and the men who can’t live without them.
Family and food play huge roles in Peggy’s stories because she believes there is nothing that holds a family structure together like sharing a meal…or two…or ten. Dotted with humor and characters that are as real as they are loving, Peggy brings all aspects of life into her stories: life, death, sibling rivalry, illness, and the desire for everyone to find their own happily ever after. Growing up the only child of divorced parents she longed for sisters, brothers and a family that vowed to stick together no matter what came their way. Through her books, she has created the families she wanted as that lonely child.
As a lifelong diarist, she caught the blogging bug early on, and you can visit her at peggyjaeger.com where she blogs daily about life, writing, and stuff that makes her go "What??!" You can out more about Peggy, as well as her social media links, at peggyjaeger.com.
