Death by Haunting Read Free Page B

disgust. “I mean, who gave you the legal right to make such a decision, to send a gravely ill man clear across the country? He could have died en route.”
    “Matt gave me Power of Attorney. I am his legal guardian if he is incapacitated, as he is mine. You know that, Franklin. When I fell off the cliff, he was making all the difficult decisions until Asa arrived.”
    “You never left us alone,” Franklin accused. “You got Matt to live here. You slept with him. You were constantly interfering in our lives. We could have made a go of it, if you had stayed out of the picture.”
    “Franklin, listen to me. Matt wanted to live here. He didn’t like city living. The truth is that Matt and I were close long before you came into the picture. I could say that you interfered with my relationship with Matt.”
    “You are such a liar. You seduced him.”
    “I feel very guilty that my relationship with Matt stepped over normal boundaries on your watch, but that it happened – no. It was a wonderful experience . . . one that I will cherish for the rest of my life.”
    I grabbed his hands and refused to let go. “Franklin, don’t turn away. He needs constant care if he is going to recover. His insurance will not cover that. The nursing care is only for a few hours a day. Matt was going to be released from the hospital. He didn’t have the medical backup he needed and I’m not strong enough to have cared for him.”
    “I could have helped.”
    “No, Franklin. You have a job. You have a life, friends. Matt would not have let you give up your daily routine to help him recover. He’s too proud.”
    “I love him.”
    “I love him too, but did you ever think that our love is a burden? Did you ever think that Matt wants to be free of us?”
    A tear escaped Franklin’s eye.
    “Meriah has more money than God. She can afford to pick up what the insurance won’t cover. She has placed him in her guesthouse and he has around-the-clock nursing care. Plus he has a reason to be there. She is going to give birth to his baby in a few weeks. Surely that will give Matt a reason to recover, a reason to live. That baby will give Matt strength.”
    “He won’t ever come back. Meriah will get her claws into him.”
    “We’re no good for Matt.”
    Franklin stood up. “You’re no good for Matt. I’ve had nothing but misery since I’ve known you. Shootings and accidents that a normal person should not go through. You’re a jinx, Josiah Reynolds; a bloody noose around our necks. And you’ve destroyed us. Came between me and the only person I will ever love. God, I hate you. I really hate you!” Franklin rushed out of the house, slamming the door.
    Baby looked at me with a confused expression.
    “Let him go, Baby. Let him go,” I murmured. “He’ll be back when he sees that I made the right decision.”
    But what worried me was that Franklin might be right.
    Maybe I was a jinx.

5
    “I take it that it didn’t go well,” suggested June when I plumped down on the bed next to her.
    I had a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle, the most expensive bourbon made, which I had swiped out of the downstairs liquor cabinet. I could never afford it and had spent some time drinking it in the den before taking the elevator to her Ladyship’s bedroom where June was currently ensconced.
    I took a swig, shuddering slightly when the golden brown liquid hit my system. “He hates me. And I don’t blame him, June. I would hate me, too.”
    “Franklin will get over it.”
    I shook my head. “I don’t think so. This runs very deep with him. Franklin feels betrayed by both Matt and I. I mean me. No, it is I. Isn’t it? His love for Matt is what Franklin says it is. I think Matt is the only man Franklin will ever love and I just sent his lover boy thousands of miles out of reach.”
    “Grammatically, it’s me. You did what was best for Matt. He must realize that Matt wanted to go. Helped make the decision.”
    “Franklin doesn’t want to see that.