Carolyn Hector - Tempting The Beauty Queen

“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.”

“I don’t want Alexander to know I’m here. He purposely didn’t tell me about selling the place.”

Ramon wiped his finger against the dusty, cluttered desk. “Not too sure I want to buy the place after all. Seems like a lot of work.”

“Plus you need to make sure you maintain the history of the place,” she reminded him with a sweet grin.

“Oh yes, that it’s haunted.”

The sweet grin disappeared and Kenzie shook her head from side to side. The button Kenzie swore he’d ripped off had indeed disappeared and he was left with a view of her lacy white bra. Ramon swallowed hard and tried not to stare at the swell of her breasts. Dust flew from her curly hair. Her bun was now loose and her curls dangled.

“Laugh all you want. Try spending the night here.”

“I have several bedrooms at my hotel to choose from,” Ramon said.

Kenzie rolled her eyes. “Yes, I am well aware.” She took a step back and craned her neck for a better view out the window. “Let me get on your shoulders.”

The idea of Kenzie’s legs wrapped around his shoulders did something to him. “No.”

“C’mon, I’m not that heavy.”

Ramon rubbed his hands together and licked his lips. “As much as I like your legs wrapped around me, I don’t think doing it now that we’re friends again is a wise idea.”

Getting the hint, Kenzie pulled her blouse together. “Oh.”

“I’ll check.” He moved closer into the room and peered out the dirty glass. “There are more people.” Like Kenzie had done a few moments ago, he banged on the glass. Behind him his companion began pushing the desk against the wall. Before he had a chance to question her, she kicked her feet out of her heels and climbed on top of the desk. Ramon glanced down at the legs of the furniture wobbling. “That’s not safe—get down from there.”

“The two of us banging together will make more noise.”

Ramon paused at her statement. How could being trapped in a building be so erotic? “Kenzie.”

“Hey! Hey!” she screamed at the window.

The jiggling of her body made the desk move more. Ramon wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her off the top. She kicked the top drawer by accident and the compartment fell down, causing old papers to fall to the dust covered ground. Like a child on Christmas morning, Kenzie squealed in delight and shimmied out of Ramon’s eyes. “Oh my God, what’s this?”

“Old papers,” Ramon answered. He knelt beside her and as she whipped her hair off her neck he whiffed the sweet, magnolia scented products in her hair.

“But what kind? Look here,” she said, lifting up what looked like a legal document stapled to a blue construction-like paper. “Bank papers? Deeds? Oh, look.” Kenzie scrambled around the floor and found a brass key. “What do you think this is for?”

Ramon inspected it. “It’s too big for a desk drawer.” He stood up, went to the office door to close it, where he found a closet. “Throw me the key.” She did, but it landed on the floor halfway between them.

“I was a cheerleader, not a quarterback.”

Grumbling, Ramon retrieved the key. The lock turned but the door wouldn’t open. Humidity often caused wood to swell. Kenzie was already behind him when he shouldered the closet open. Musty air hit their noses.