Ghostly Touch

bottle up and took a drink. The beer had a nice oat flavor to it, soft and mellow on the palette, with no after bite. “Mmm, this is really good. And for me to say that, you know it’s good because I’m not much of a beer drinker.”
                  “Maybe that’s because you’ve never had real beer before,” Connor said with a crooked grin.
                  “You may be right,” she agreed with a laugh. “Well, don’t just sit there, eat.” They laughed and talked as they ate and when they were finished, went into the living room.
                  “I like the way this house feels,” Connor commented as he propped his feet up on the worn footstool. “It’s old and homey. Reminds me of my grandmother’s house.”
                  “Thank you. Most of the furniture belonged to my grandmother. My mother did replace a few things over the years and added to what was here. I’ve left it basically the way it was while I was growing up.”
    Connor tipped the beer bottle to his lips and swallowed the last of the liquid. “Would you like another one? ” Zula offered.
                  “I’ll get it,” Connor said, coming to his feet. “No need for you to wait on me. You want another?”
                  “Sure.” Zula nodded, and watched Connor push the swinging door open to the dining room. He seemed so relaxed and Zula liked that a lot. He was easy going and appeared to have a great sense of humor and healthy outlook on life, from what she could tell about him in the short time she’d known him, he was nearly perfect.
                  “Here you go,” Connor said as he entered the room with two beers in one hand and another slice of pizza in the other.
                  “Thank you.” Zula accepted the beer.
                  “I would’ve brought you some pizza too, but you didn’t even finish your second slice so I figured you’re full.” He dropped onto the sofa and set his beer on a coaster on the coffee table. He took a large bite of pizza and washed it down with a drink of beer.
                  “No, I’m full. Pizza is kind of heavy and I don’t eat heavy foods very often. I prefer to stick with lighter meals. Salads, grilled chicken, seafood, that sort of thing.”
                  Connor nodded as he took another bite. “That all sounds good,” he paused and looked at Zula, “for an appetizer.”
                  Zula couldn’t help but chuckle. “I think our habits are just a little different.”
                  “They sure are. I’ve wanted to ask you something, so I hope I don’t offend you.”
                  “I’m sure you won’t, but I reserve the right to refuse to answer.” Zula smiled.
                  “Deal.” Connor sipped his beer. “I’ve heard all the stories about your grandmother and her mother before her, and I was wondering if there’s any truth to it?”
                  Zula nodded her head slowly and took a drink of beer. “I was wondering how long it would take before you asked. And no, it doesn’t bother me at all to talk about them. I had nothing to do with any of it and what happened isn’t any more my fault than it is yours.”
                  “I read the town history book down at the library. They really did hang, drown, and burn your great-grandmother at the stake, didn’t they?”
                  Zula nodded. “They did. But there is more to the story. She was madly in love with this man, but he was much older and not exactly the type of man her parents wanted for her. Her father ran him off and found a different, more suitable man for my grandmother to wed. It wasn’t love, but she said he took good care of her.”
                  Connor looked at her, and then laughed. “What do you mean ‘she said’?”
                  Zula glanced away and took a breath. Then she tipped up her beer and took a long drink. Oops , she thought. “I just meant that it’s the story that’s been handed down in my family. Her father told her that the man had taken a hundred dollars in exchange for leaving for good. He was actually trying to sneak my great-grandmother away when her father and the local sheriff caught and killed him, and then dumped his body in the old mining shaft.”