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“I know it did. There’s a reason it happened, though, and maybe it all had to do with Matt showing up in town?”
“Maybe, but I don’t think so.”
We kept walking as the fireworks behind us sped up into the finale before slowly stopping. Soon, all I could hear were crickets.
“Hollie?”
“Yeah?” I asked, looking up at the stars in the sky while we walked.
“Look where we are.”
Dropping my head, I stared at the dig site before me.
“Mr. Payton, what brings you by so late?” asked the police officer who was standing guard at the archaeological site.
“We were just out for a walk, and I wanted to make sure all was well,” Lucas stated.
The officer nodded and unlocked the gate to the fence that had been put up around the entire site.
Lucas took my hand, and we started toward the house.
“Lucas, why are we here?” I asked.
“I’m not sure,” he said as guided me closer to the rock foundation of the house. “Watch your step, Hollie.”
My eyes widened as I stared at the site before me. It was Charlotte’s house. The home where she’d lived and died.
Placing my hand over my stomach, I wondered what had brought us here. It wasn’t a mere coincidence we’d ended up walking here instead of going straight home.
“Come on, let me show you where we found the doll,” Lucas said before he went back to ask the officer if he could borrow his flashlight.
We walked over to where the team had clearly been focusing on digging. Lucas stopped and stared down at the ground.
“What is it?” I asked.
“Did she suffer?” he whispered. “Charlotte. When she was in this house and it was on fire. I pray she didn’t suffer.”
I glanced around, longing to bend down and touch one of the old stones. But I knew I couldn’t since it was a sensitive area.
Then suddenly it felt like I was on a ride, dipping and spinning as my heart dropped to the ground.
Lucas and I were standing in an old house that wasn’t very large. There was a fire going in the hearth and I could hear what sounded like a chair rocking back and forth. Dropping Lucas’s hand, I turned and gasped. A little girl sat in rocking chair, holding a baby doll.
“Charlotte,” I whispered.
She glanced up and smiled. “You came! I’ve been waiting!”
Lucas took hold of my hand again and whispered, “Do you see her too?”
Nodding, I led us both across the old wood plank floors. Stopping right in front of her, I bent down. The smell of smoke was overwhelming, but I couldn’t see any flames.
“Do you smell smoke?” I whispered.
Lucas squeezed my hand. “Yes, but I only see the fire in the hearth.”
“Is that our dolly?” I asked as I pointed to it.
Charlotte nodded her head. “Tis. My mama gave it to me. The bad woman hurt Papa, and she locked me in here. She told me I was going to go see my mama, but the smoke burns my eyes.”
