I smiled. “He does that.”
“It’s really quite humiliating.”
“He’s been humiliating me since he was eight.” I moved closer to assess the damage. “The only person who can beat him now is his grandfather.”
Finn snickered. “Nah, I let him win.”
My mouth fell open. “Don’t let Pa know that. He prides himself on his chess skills.”
“He taught you how to play?” Adam asked while succumbing to his loss.
Finn nodded. “He told me to always plan out your next three moves…in chess and in life…whatever that means.”
Adam peered up at me. “You can’t plan for everything.”
My nerves emitted in a chuckle. “I never planned on being here, that’s for sure.”
“It’s not all bad, is it?” he asked, packing up the chess board.
I gazed at my son who’d taken it upon himself to stoke the fire. “Not now. Not even in the slightest.”
Adam stood with the chessboard and grazed my arm as he passed. “Good,” he whispered before returning the game to the bookshelf.
“Can I see the rest of the house now?” Finn’s bright eyes stole my attention.
“Um…only if that’s okay with…” I turned to find Adam walking toward the door, and my heart plummeted. Perhaps we’d taken up too much of his time.
Adam stopped and turned back. “You guys coming?”
Finn leapt up and bounded out of the room while I followed at a slower pace.
Adam held the door open, waiting for me to walk through. “He’s a great kid.”
“He is.” I beamed with pride.
He brushed his hand over mine. “I’ve missed your smile.”
My lips parted, not for words, but for air.
“Which way?!” Finn called out from the top of the staircase, breaking our trance.
Adam ran his hand through his hair before pushing forward while I jogged to catch up with his strides.
“We’ll do the west wing first.” He pointed to the hallway ahead. “Then, we’ll head downstairs.”
Finn shot forward before freezing. “It’s not haunted, is it?”
“Of course not,” he uttered moments before his face dropped. He turned to me with a concerned whisper. “Is it?”
I winced. “Well…”
Adam groaned. “I don’t want to know.”
“You have nothing to worry about here.” Ghosts weren’t my forte, but I’d certainly picked up energies throughout the house that weren’t attached to its living occupants. Fortunately, I felt no evil, only love. It surrounded Liam and the rooms he enjoyed the most. I could only assume his late wife was waiting for her love to cross over.
Finn peered up at the paintings in the hallway. “It’s like Hogwarts.”
“My grandmother was an artist, and she loved painting landscapes. They’re all over the mansion.”