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Marley laughed as she pulled up to the top of the hill. Two rows of run down wooden buildings bordered the road, and she gestured like a tour guide. “Welcome to Buzzards Gulch, Sweetheart’s very own ghost town.”
Marley picked up her drink and watched him as he stared through the windshield, trying not to admire his profile. “No kidding. No one has even mentioned this place.”
“Because we don’t want a bunch of tourists up here traipsing around and destroying it. Pass the artichoke dip, please.”
Luke distributed the food with a chuckle, and once she’d taken her first blissful bite, she continued, “Now, as you probably know, this area all the way to Coloma and Auburn was known as Gold Country. ‘There’s gold in them there hills’ should have been our slogan. Behind that hill is the Consumes River and the gold panners used to hike down there, hoping for a big payload.” She popped another artichoke dip-covered pita chip in her mouth, and chewed before continuing, “We used to sneak up here in high school at night and scare the piss out of each other. And make out, of course.”
Luke chuckled. “You’re telling me that a freaky ghost town was your lover’s lane?”
“Uh huh. Something about the danger of a spirit coming after us made it hotter.”
“I can see that,” he said.
They ate silently for a few moments and Marley worried that Luke would get the wrong impression of why she’d brought him up there. “Not that I’m planning on jumping you. It’s broad daylight for one reason.”
“The thought never crossed my mind,” he said, crunching on an onion ring.
Once the food was finished, Marley stepped out. “Come on.”
They walked along the right side of the town and Marley told him what each building was. “This was the whore house. Of course, Buzzard Gulch was mostly men, and the few wives that did live here wouldn’t have dared complain about a house of ill repute. And back that way is the cemetery.”
Marley turned and started walking backwards. “Is this boring for you?”
“Not at all. I am fascinated. Besides, the fact that you’re showing an outsider like me this place makes it more special.”
A warmth spread through Marley’s chest as they walked through the long-broken gate, and headed along the trail through the headstones. “My sister and I used to come here and make up stories about the people’s lives.”
“I didn’t know you have a sister.”
“I had a sister. Beth. She was four years younger than me.” Marley stopped in front of Virginia Rawlins’s grave. “Miss Rawlins was brought out here as a mail order bride, but her betrothed was swept down river and drowned before she arrived. Instead of marrying another man, she became the school teacher and lived her life secretly writing fantastic dark poetry.”
“How do you know that?”
“I told you, we used to make up their stories. You try it.”
Luke walked ahead of her and stopped in front of another grave. “Alan Wick. He died when he was thirty-two.” Luke stroked his chin as though he was thinking hard. “He was the brothel owner with a heart of gold who died from an allergic reaction to the barley in his beer.”
She laughed as she skipped ahead of him. “Okay, not bad.” Marley went to another, and ca
lled out, “Fergus McGovern was from Scotland, and was the local sheriff until he was killed in a duel. Before he died, he said, ‘I’ll haunt ye till ye cock up yer toes, ye filthy bugger.’”
Luke guffawed, shaking his head. “You realize this is incredibly morbid, right?”
“We found it entertaining.”
“You don’t talk about her much, do you?” he asked.
She stopped in front of the grave of a sixteen-year-old boy and cleared her throat, trying to get past the lump in her throat to speak. “No I don’t.” Why had she even brought up Beth to him? She hated talking about her with anyone, didn’t like the sad, sympathetic looks people gave her.
Silence stretched between them as they continued weaving through the gravestones and then, Luke asked, “Hey, is that bench new?”
Marley nodded. “Yeah, people have been trying to fix this place up for years. For a long time, the town council had talked about restoring it and actually organizing guided tours through it, but the town voted no. Still, people bring offerings up when they can.”
“Offerings huh?”
“Yeah, like this bench. And someone keeps the trail to the river clear, and when the roofs and floors collapse, we come up and fix them. If you actually look into a few of the buildings, you’ll notice the newer boards.”
Luke put his hands up on a low hanging oak tree branch and the smile he sent her way made her stomach flop over. “This is really cool. Thanks for sharing it with me.”
