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“Vicariously?” He shook his head. “I’m not sure I believe in ghosts, let alone buy that idea.”
“Then let the proof be in the pudding.”
“What do you mean?”
“We’ve both admitted to sudden…inclinations.”
“Hormones and pheromones could account for those.” Grinning, he leaned closer. “Not to mention living and working in close quarters these past weeks.”
“It’s more than that, and you know it.” My pulse fluttered.
“Even if that’s so, how would last night’s apparition fit into your idea that Marianna and Mateo could or would want to relive their lives through us?” He raised his chin.
“Your guess is as good as mine.” Shrugging, I held up my palms. “But we know their time together was cut short—first by the war, then by Mateo’s misreported death. They didn’t finish what they started. Maybe they want us to tie up their loose ends.”
“That’s just more speculation.”
“True.” I nodded. “But last night, we both saw Mateo.”
“You saw the apparition, not me.”
“We agree we saw something. We can’t be sure what or who, but that entity led us to the watch and deed, which proves Mateo’s love for Marianna.”
“That’s true…” He rubbed his brow. “Until last night, she didn’t know he loved her, did she?”
“So, through dreams”—I glanced at the rocker—“Marianna showed us what may be the baby’s grave. Maybe she wants him exhumed.”
“We’re back to why?”
“I can only guess, but maybe she regrets the baby’s hasty burial. Maybe she wants their child’s memory to live on. You said even your grandfather’s realtor didn’t know whose gravesite it was.” I mentally replayed the past weeks’ sequence of events. “So far, these odd happenings have benefitted us.”
“What odd happenings?” He caught my gaze.
“Besides discovering the deed last night, we found the dime last month.”
“And these have helped us how?”
“The sale of that antique dime not only paid for the outdoor tasting room but was the reason I stayed. Even my car accident—”
“Now you’re adding your accident to the list of ‘odd happenings’?”
“Maybe…” I tilted my head, thinking. “It sounds weird, but we wouldn’t have met otherwise.”
“These incidents are just coincidences.”
“I don’t believe in coincidences, remember?” I tossed my chin. “But from the recent events, I think Marianna and Mateo are reaching out to us. We just don’t know what they want.”
“Or why they’d want to interact.”
“Maybe it’s to gain our trust.” I shrugged. “Or maybe it’s to gain our support.”
“I’m sorry.” Swallowing a smile, he shook his head. “I can’t take those assumptions seriously.”
“Why not? You know their information’s reliable—the deed proves it.” I took a deep breath. “Marianna and Mateo have earned my trust, and I think they’re entitled to our help.”
“For the sake of argument, why would Mateo want our help?”
“Unfinished business. Think of it from his perspective. Through no fault of his own, the War Department declared him dead. As a result, he lost his child because of complications brought on by his reported death, and he lost his wife to another man. Then, because of a misunderstanding, Marianna turned against him.”
