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“Technically the third floor.”
“What?”
“Why would you walk into a building you know nothing about?” Kenzie shook her head back and forth. “Never mind, I don’t want to know. You know, if you weren’t such a baby and running from me every time you see me...”
“I don’t run from you.”
Kenzie scoffed at him for interrupting her. “Face it, Ramon. You’re scared of a woman like me.”
“I’m not afraid of you,” Ramon clipped. “I have something to do in here.”
“Like what?”
“I have a meeting with Alexander Ward.”
Dread washed over her. Thank God for the darkness. Heat crept across her face. She was sure a red tint would cover her freckles right about now. “You’re the one he wants to sell to?”
“If the price is right.” Ramon sighed. “And if I can make sure I follow some rules.”
So Alexander had listened to Kenzie’s advice on restoring the old buildings. The fact didn’t ease her irritation. “So you’re just going to buy up every important building in my life.”
“Here we go,” groaned Ramon.
“Here we go nothing, Ramon.” Kenzie bared her teeth in the dark. “You bought my family’s historic home.”
“I bought a business, Kenzie.”
When she heard the tone of his voice Kenzie’s hands went to her hips. “Are you mocking me?”
“No, I am stating a fact. I am a businessman. It goes with the territory and let’s face it, you weren’t in the position to buy the place.”
Though his words were true, it didn’t take the sting out of hearing them. It didn’t take the threat of tears rimming her eyes when Maggie once pointed out that Kenzie didn’t have...what was it she said? A pot to piss in to buy the place. Kenzie credited the plantation home for having sparked her love of history. She delved into the Swayne family tree and its contribution to Southwood. The Swayne family had lived there before the Civil War and harvested a pecan farm. Folklore said the family gave up the home in order to save the farm, which worked in their favor. To this day Swayne Pecans was the highest quality pecan seller in the States; it was passed on from generation to generation and still run today by her father, Mitchell Swayne, and his brothers. Technically she’d never lived in the house. No one from the Swayne side of the family had lived in the house for a hundred years. But that didn’t stop Kenzie from believing the home would return to a Swayne one day, preferably her. And Ramon had the nerve to turn it into a boutique hotel. Granted, the property never looked better, but she’d never admit such a thing to Ramon.
“You’re breathing heavy again.” Ramon moved close to Kenzie’s frame. Large hands pressed against her shoulders. “Take a seat, calm down.”
“I’m not going to calm down. I don’t have time for such luxuries, I’ve got a million things to do and prepare for and I don’t need to be stuck in some dark elevator with the likes of you.”
“The likes of me?” He flat-out mocked her with a hard laugh and an overexaggerated Southern drawl. The elevator shook a bit. Did the space between the walls get tighter?
Kenzie felt the floor beneath her against the back of her jeans as she sat down. She tucked her feet under her legs and adjusted her frame away from Ramon’s when he got down beside her and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. He smelled wonderful, like lemon icing. Kenzie’s stomach grumbled. What happened to her box? Did she drop it?
“What other things do you have to do? You can talk to me. Or have you forgotten we used to be friends?” Ramon asked her while his fingers rubbed the nape of her neck. Kenzie tilted her head against his shoulder. They’d been more than friends at one point. If she remembered correctly, this slick move with his hands toying with the hair at the nape of her neck had landed her in bed with him. Kenzie scooted away. “Tell me what’s going on.”
“I have three weddings to attend, and my baby cousin is getting married before me. Not only is one half of my family coming, I’m attending the wedding solo which means I’m going to spend several hours with the tilt-of-the-head-pity-look from them. Then I’ve got two weddings for my pageant girls and all of them are trying to set me up with their fiancés’ groomsmen and I’m desperate to take them up on the offer because at this year’s gala, I’m going to have my entire family in town, the Hairstons and the Swaynes.”
“Not the Hairstons and the Swaynes.” Ramon gasped dramatically before chuckling.
Kenzie elbowed him in the ribs and pressed her lips together to keep from smiling. “Shut up. You have no idea about family pressure.”
“I don’t?”
“No,” said Kenzie. “And did I mention the Miss Southwood Pageant is at the end of the month this year?”
“Hmm. Has it already been a year? Seems like just yesterday you were walking through the doors at Magnolia Palace and barking out orders.”
“You’re not funny.”
“Sorry, I feel like I should get you flowers or something.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s the anniversary of when we first met,” said Ramon, no hint of mockery in his tone.
A shiver ran down Kenzie’s spine. “And the celebration of the first time I’d been embarrassed in like a decade.”
“By me not escorting you to the final party? Do you know how many parties and events we went to? You had something planned every day for a week.”
“Well, after everything we went through...” Kenzie began clearing her throat. “If you weren’t interested, you should have said so, set the guidelines, not leave me hanging to get myself to the restaurant.”
“You’re mad because I stood you up?” Ramon asked softly. Kenzie responded by rolling her eyes. “I didn’t mean to hurt you, Kenzie.”
“I’m not mad about just standing me up. If you weren’t interested, you shouldn’t have started things up with me and then stopped speaking to me. And don’t try giving me a lame answer like, ‘It’s not you, it’s me.’”
“What if that’s true?”
“Whatever, Ramon.”
“Seriously.” Ramon reached to his side and found her hand. “I’d just finished the reconstruction on the hotel. I didn’t need to get into a relationship at the time. I’d just opened the hotel and you were a distraction.”
“A distraction?” Kenzie’s bottom lip poked out. “Gee, thanks.”
“You’re taking that the wrong way,” Ramon said. He gave her fingers a squeeze. “Kenzie, you are like your hair, fiery and spirited. I moved to Southwood to start my business, not get into a relationship. One night with you and I almost forgot everything I came here for.”
“Yet you still slept with me.”
“I am a man,” Ramon answered, “an utterly weak man who succumbed to the most beautiful, irresistible, sexiest woman on earth.”
And she was a woman, and the two of them together made such a pair in bed. Ramon was the first man able to coax out a primal desire from her. She wasn’t sure she’d ever get it again but was glad and irritated at the same time for at least having experienced the pleasure once—or half a dozen times. Kenzie licked her lips. The anger at him she felt disappeared. “Thank you for your apology.”
“Wait a minute,” said Ramon. “I didn’t apologize.”
“Yes, you did,” Kenzie replied. She pushed their hands onto his thigh and let go, patting his muscular leg before letting go. “You meant to.”
Ramon began to laugh. “What?” He patted Kenzie’s leg and chuckled. “I accept your apology also.”
Kenzie brushed his hand away. “For what?”
“For all your antics. I know you were the one behind loosening the salt shaker at that food truck at the park.”
The image of Ramon’s mountain of salt on top of his curly fries evoked a giggle. “I plead the Fifth.” She pushed his hand away.
“See, I knew you were behind all the crappy things done to me. At least I tried to be nice to you with my antics.”
“Are you going to admit to sending me magnolias this spring?”
“Why would I send you the first batch of flowers blooming this spring?” Humor flooded his tone. Their hand game stopped. Kenzie turned to face him in the dark. Without needing to see his face, she knew he was leaning close to her. She gulped. He’d remembered her favorite flower. Kenzie’s lips throbbed at the idea of kissing him again. Her heart raced with the idea of anything intimate between them again. He was a drug to her and getting addicted to him was not good for her soul.
“Kenzie,” Ramon said softly.
“Ramon... I...” Kenzie paused but she knew as she waited with her mouth open he was going to kiss her. Her world shook; her heart raced. And she swore her heart dropped.
“I think the elevator is about to fall.” In one quick movement Ramon pulled Kenzie onto his lap.
That familiar feeling of being on a roller coaster just before it went down the hill washed over her. Kenzie’s bottom lifted off Ramon’s lap. Her heart dropped. Ramon cradled her in his arms and absorbed the fall for her, protecting her once again.
* * *
There’d been no thought for his safety during the fall. Ramon just knew if the elevator made it to the floor there’d be nothing to absorb the hit. His first instinct was to protect Kenzie. When the elevator dropped, the hydraulics miraculously kicked in and the bounce jarred the elevator doors open to the lower level. Ramon hadn’t noticed the windows from the outside but the light spilled into the hallway where the doors opened.
“Okay, so this time I’m going to thank you,” Kenzie said, wiping the gray dust and dirt off her face.
The sound of her voice filled him with pride. She was okay. Ramon helped her, using his thumbs against her cheekbones, wiping until he saw the freckles. Relief hit him. His heart ached at the fear of something happening to her under his watch. Aside from family, it felt odd to care about someone enough to feel responsible for them.
Most of the businesses in Southwood had commercial space on the first level and residential on the next floor or two. This was a common usage in old towns. No one wanted to live away from their businesses for security reasons. Ramon understood the terror small African-American towns felt when angry white neighbors sought to destroy their homes. Since then, there had been subdivisions in Southwood, but people still lived in these split-plan residences. Without the use of cell phones or any other modern technology a postman in the past never knew when he’d have to meet an incoming stagecoach with the US Postal Service or send a telegraph.
Focusing back on the woman in his lap, Ramon blinked. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” Kenzie’s voice was weak but she tried to smile. “Just shaky.”
“That’s to be expected,” he said, easing her off his lap, where the proof of desire grew. That old, familiar, lascivious feeling crept through his veins. Logic fought the uncontrollable rush of excitement and impulse to touch her again. “Let’s get out of here before something else happens.”
Kenzie stood first but used his shoulders to steady herself, not realizing her breasts were in his face. Given what just happened, Ramon knew this was not the right time to reach around for her hips and pull her back to him. This was how things worked when he was around Kenzie. She took all common sense out of the equation, just as she had last summer when he needed to concentrate on business.
Ramon cleared his throat. “Let’s try to find a way out of here.”
Once he reached full height Ramon brushed off the debris from his jacket and did the same to Kenzie’s body. His hands smoothed over the soft contours of her hips and breasts. Again Ramon needed to mentally call out the starting lineup of the Yankees.
“Are you okay?” Kenzie asked him.
Ramon glanced down at his pants, afraid of what she was asking, but realized she meant after the elevator’s fall. “Yeah, I’m good.”
Despite the decrepit state of the building the ground floor wasn’t in a state of disarray. Dust piled on either side of the hallways. A half dozen doors stood outside the elevator shaft and Ramon grabbed Kenzie’s hand to help walk her through the threshold of the door he figured was the exit. A pile of ceiling tiles blocked them and they had to step over it. The red heels she wore were covered with gray dust and the fabric of her jeans was frayed at the knees.
If Ramon had to hold her hand the whole time, he was going to end up pressing her against the wall and kissing her senseless. They needed to get out of here. Alexander Ward should be here by now and Ramon didn’t want the man to think he’d changed his mind about buying the place. It did need a lot of work but he couldn’t beat the downtown location. “Wait here,” he told Kenzie.
Ramon left Kenzie’s side and jogged down the end of hall to the exit door. The silver bar wouldn’t budge. Damn it. Guided by the glow of her cell phone, he hurried back to Kenzie. “It’s locked.”
“Still no service. We can check some of these old offices,” Kenzie suggested, making her way to the first door. Ramon followed her inside to the empty space. The faded paper covering the glass offered light but not a view of people walking around outside. Since Ramon was taller, he started toward the window to peel off the paper but Kenzie did some cheerleading jump and tore off a corner, bringing the whole sheet down. Impressed with the move, Ramon clapped for her and she took a bow.
“Six years of middle and high school cheerleading,” she breathed, “are finally paying off.”
“Are you sure? You’re breathing heavier, unless you’re having another panic attack.”
Kenzie’s eyes widened and her face flushed a deep pink. “I’m older.”
“Ancient,” Ramon teased. He held his hand out for her to take. “Let’s check another room—no one is out on the street here. Maybe we’ll come across the stairs.”
“I think the stairs are filled with furniture.”
“Why do you think that?”
Kenzie moved out the door and explained. “When I was in high school, kids loved coming here and running through the halls, especially during Halloween. This place is haunted.”
“What?” Ramon scoffed and closed the door behind them.
“I’m serious. I heard some kids came out Halloween Eve and things would be rearranged from the last time. So they’d booby-trap the place with rearranged furniture and come back and things would be different the next day.”
“Sounds like kids were playing tricks on each other if you ask me.” Ramon imagined his older cousins doing the same thing to the younger group.
“Maybe, but I believe this place is haunted. I grew up hearing a story about the forties. My great-aunt came here and sent letters to her soldier boyfriend off in the war. She came here every day and mailed a letter. Her beau came back and married another woman from Peachville.”
Southwood bordered three other cities—Peachville, Samaritan and Black Wolf Creek—and had become home of their first post office. Like Southwood, the other cities were founded by citizens tired of the Civil War. Union soldiers tore through South Georgia and burned old buildings and land. When Confederate soldiers came home to nothing, some left and some stayed. Those who stayed worked with the lasting people of the land, former slaves and Native Americans, and rebuilt each city. All three worked in unison into the next century. With so many single women writing to shipped off military men during wartime, this soldier had probably met another woman.
“I think your aunt’s boyfriend was a player.”
Kenzie stopped walking and pondered his statement. Her lips twisted to the side and finally she nodded. “I never thought about it like that. But your belief doesn’t answer the question about the noises heard here. The theater next door flooded last summer, which is why we had to hold Miss Southwood at Magnolia Palace.”
“So?”
“So the flood started from here. The water has been turned off for decades.”
“I’m sure there’s a logical explanation.” They came to the next office. Kenzie took a step inside but Ramon held her back. “Let me inspect first in case there’s a ghost.”
“Okay,” Kenzie sang skeptically. “But if there’s a ghost demanding the blood of a virgin, you’re out of luck.”
His blood pulsed, as he knew firsthand Kenzie wasn’t a virgin, then settled with a splash of jealousy. Sex with her was addicting and it took everything he had to keep his distance. Clearing his throat, he entered the room. The smell of mildew assaulted his senses. Like the previous room the windows were boarded up with paper. Ramon moved to take the paper down before Kenzie.
“We’re looking out the back windows,” he deduced. “Let’s try a room facing the street.”
“Makes sense,” Kenzie surprisingly agreed. She turned and crossed the hall before he had a chance to exit the room and like before, did her cheerleading jump and tore down the papers. Bright light spilled into the room. Dust particles floated through the rays of sunshine. “Bingo!” She banged on the windowpane. Her red-tipped nails sounded off in a rhythmic beat and the hairs on the back of Ramon’s neck rose. He recalled what those nails had done to his back.
Ramon cleared his throat again. Kenzie turned and faced him. “I think we need to hurry up and get you out of here. You sound like your throat is closing or something.”
“Or something,” Ramon agreed. Sweat began to form under his arms. He took the jacket off and laid it on the desk once he entered the musty room. “Do you see Alexander out there?”
Her hand paused in midair, about to knock on the window, Kenzie turned to face him with a scowl on her face. “I’d rather he not be the one to rescue us.”
“History between you two?” Ramon inquired before holding his hand up and swallowing down his first bitter pill of jealousy. “On second thought, this is a small town. Everyone has dated everyone else at one point.”
