Aunt Betty's B&B
"Welcome to Cloverton! Home of Aunt Betty's Bed and Breakfast proudly owned and operated by none other than our very own Penny Parker!" MacGyver proclaimed as he turned his Jeep onto Main Street and cruised the two lane road lined with several storefronts on either side that comprised the downtown area of the small town. It had been nearly ten years since Mac first visited here with Penny to check out the large Tudor Revival style mansion she had inherited from her aunt and it appeared nothing had changed. In fact, he highly doubted anything about this town had changed since the 1950's.
"I still don't feel right about leaving Cynthia alone at Challengers," Joanna protested from the passenger seat.
"She gave us her blessing, remember?" Mac reminded her. "Besides, it's been a crazy summer and in a couple weeks you'll be starting your new part-time job at the high school. I thought this would be a good chance for us to spend some time together, just the two of us."
"You did call Penny to let her know we're coming, right?"
"Yes. I called. Now would you stop worrying! All you have to do for the next few days is relax. Do you think you can handle that?"
"I guess I can try."
MacGyver glanced over to find Jo smiling playfully back at him and his heart squeezed in the most delightful way.
A few minutes later, he parked the Jeep in front of the large house. The masonry base, stone chimneys, and upper stories done in stucco and timber were all familiar. However, the overgrown trees and shrubs had all been trimmed and colorful flower beds scattered throughout the yard gave the old place warm appeal. He climbed from the driver's seat and met Joanna at the back of his vehicle, ready to open the hatch.
"MacGyver!" a bubbly female voice called. "Joanna! I'm so glad you're here!" Penny Parker skipped down the front steps and engulfed them each in an enthusiastic hug.
"It's good to see you too, Penny," Mac chuckled. He opened the back of the Jeep and went to reach for a piece of luggage when Penny put a staying hand on his arm.
"You can get your stuff later," she told him. "First, I want you to see your room. Oh! I just know you're gonna love it!" She flashed her famous smile before unwittingly turning her back on her new guests, assuming they would follow.
As MacGyver and Joanna climbed the grand staircase, Mac's head swiveled to take in the changes that had been made to the house. His memory of a dreary, shadowy shell was soon quashed by the bright, welcoming warmth the home now exuded. He followed the two women down the long hallway to the corner room where Penny stopped beside a closed door.
"Oooh, this is so exciting!" Penny cried, her body quivering with barely contained excitement. Jo tossed Mac a grin over her shoulder just as the younger woman threw the door open.
"Ta da!" she exclaimed as her guests warily crossed the threshold.
In the center of the large room accented in red and gold stood an ornately carved king size canopy bed, its comforter littered with pink rose petals. Mac watched as Joanna moved forward and picked up a piece of the velvety flower, gently rubbing it between her thumb and forefinger, a questioning look on her face. MacGyver shrugged and took a step back, bumping into a standing silver ice bucket. He pulled out a chilled bottle.
"That's sparkling grape juice," Penny explained with a knowing grin from her position just inside the doorway. "I know you don't drink...well, at least you never used to...and I figured Joanna doesn't either...or at least she wouldn't mind-"
Mac held up a hand to silence his friend. "What is this all about?" he asked.
Penny's gleaming smile fell just a fraction. "It's the honeymoon suite! I wanted to make it extra special for you!"
"Penny," Jo replied gently albeit with a slight blush, "We're not on our honeymoon."
"But I assumed when MacGyver called to tell me he wanted to bring you someplace special that you two had gotten married." Penny's frown deepened and tears began to pool in her eyes. Mac walked up to her, took her shoulders in his hands, and ducked his head so he was looking into her eyes.
"Penny, don't you think that if Jo and I had gotten married we would have invited you to the wedding?"
"Oh, I never thought about that," she said quietly. "But you could have eloped!" she stated hopefully. Mac shook his head.
"I'm such an airhead," Penny moaned, tears threatening to fall. "I went through all this trouble because I wanted to do something really special for you guys and I blew it!"
"It really is lovely, Penny," Joanna said. "It means a lot that you went through all this trouble just for us."
"Really?" the younger woman asked, rallying just a bit.
"Really," MacGyver assured her.
"I just thought of something else," Penny wailed. "I don't have any place else for you to sleep! I booked all the rooms because I thought you'd be sleeping...well, you know...together! I mean, it's okay if you do...it's not like it's any of my beeswax...but I suppose I could figure out something if you don't…"
"This will be just fine. We'll make it work," Joanna declared, once again coming to the rescue.
"Yeah. I could always sleep in the bathtub," Mac teased, but the old joke fell flat.
Joanna continued to address Penny. "That bed is so huge Mac and I won't even know the other is there. We can even put pillows down the middle. It's no problem."
What she said was true and right, yet he felt unduly disappointed that she planned to keep her soft warmth well away from him. Then again, with those kinds of thoughts running through his head, perhaps her plan was wise. If not, there was always the bathtub.
XXXXX
"What in the world did you pack?" MacGyver complained as he hefted Joanna's suitcases out of the Jeep.
"Just the basic necessities and a few books," she replied airily.
"It feels more like everything but the kitchen sink and an entire library."
"I like to have options," she shrugged, picking up a small wicker basket with a hinged, quilted cover.
"What's that?"
"My knitting."
"You knit?"
"Yeah. I knit hats and scarves to donate to my church's winter clothes drive," Jo explained then grinned cheekily. "There are still some things you don't know about me, Mac."
They were about to enter the house with their belongings when they heard a high-pitched squeal followed by the crash of a metal rain gutter on the porch's concrete overhang. They automatically cringed.
"Oh, terrific!" Penny exclaimed as she stood on the lawn surveying the damage. "Now what am I going to do?!"
"Why don't you tell me what you were doing in the first place?" Mac asked, abandoning the luggage to join his friend, Joanna close behind.
"I was trying to clean out the gutters before the next rain and now look what happened," she pouted, her shoulders slumped in defeat.
"Don't you pay someone to do that kinda stuff?" he inquired.
Penny let out a huff. "I did until last week."
"What happened last week?"
"My handyman was cleaning out the gutters in back when he fell off the ladder and broke his leg. He won't be able to work for six weeks!"
"So, hire someone else," Mac suggested.
"It's not that simple," Penny replied softly, literally wringing her hands.
"Why not?"
"Well, before the ladder incident my cook was frying chicken for supper when the pot tipped over and the oil burned her hands. She quit on the spot! With two freak accidents in one week some of the townspeople are saying the house is-"
"Don't tell me they think it's haunted," MacGyver interrupted.
Penny nodded silently, her eyes on the ground.
"We've been through this already. There's no such thing as ghosts!"
"And I'm not the one saying it's haunted!" Penny shot back. "In fact, before I opened for business, I had a séance just to make sure."
"Aw, Penny!" Mac threw his hands up in the air in exasperation and turned away but she ignored him.
"Anyway, the house got a clean bill of health," she proclaimed.
"Don't worry, Penny. Mac and I will help out while we're here," Jo promised.
Mac spun to face the two women. "No! No way!" he protested. "We came here to relax and that's exactly what we're gonna do!"
Joanna grabbed his arm and pulled him several yards away from the house.
"What has gotten into you?! Penny's your friend and needs our help! She could've gotten killed trying to clean those gutters by herself!" Jo exclaimed, her steely gaze boring into him.
"That's exactly my point!" he spat back. "My friend's always need my help and I'm getting sick and tired of being their go-to guy! Penny's been running this place for years and has apparently been doing just fine without me. She can manage on her own."
"I can't believe you just said that!" Joanna responded, her tone conveying both shock and disappointment. "If you want to kick back and relax, fine! But I'm gonna help Penny! And you can sleep in the bathtub!" She turned and strode purposefully toward the house.
"Fine!" Mac called to her retreating figure, slapping his palm against his forehead when he realized how selfish and childish he sounded. He hurried to catch up so he could apologize as well as agree to assist with the B&B. He had let his pent up frustration get the better of him. There was no way he would deny Penny his help. He entered the foyer to find Joanna standing stock still, watching a heated argument between their host and one of her guests.
"And I'm telling you that I had the entire house rewired and brought up to code. I don't know what's wrong!" Penny insisted.
"Well I suggest you find out my dear! And when you do, I'll be in my room handwriting my notes!" an older gentleman with a grey mustache and reading glasses replied frostily.
"What was that all about?" MacGyver asked once the man had returned upstairs.
"Oh, him," Penny replied dejectedly. "That's Mr. Bidwell. He says he's an author who needed a quiet place to work on his next novel but all he's done since he arrived a couple days ago is complain. Right now he's upset because his electric typewriter isn't working and he insists there's something wrong with the electrical sockets in his room."
"Did he ever consider that there might be something wrong with the machine?" Mac asked.
"That's it, MacGyver! You're a genius!" Penny gushed. "Why don't you go and see if you can fix it?!"
"Um, Penny, I don't know…" He caught Jo's reprimanding look out of the corner of his eye and cleared his throat. "Lead the way," he sighed.
After Penny knocked on Mr. Bidwell's door and introduced him to MacGyver, the man grudgingly stepped aside allowing Mac to enter. He immediately went to the old typewriter that, like the rest of the town, looked like it belonged in the 1950's.
"Nice looking machine," Mac mused.
"Indeed, my boy!" the author boasted. "I've traveled around the world with it. Made me the top-selling novelist you see today. Never gave me a moment's problem until I came here."
"Mind if I take a look?" MacGyver asked politely.
"Go ahead, if you must, but please be careful."
"You bet."
Before taking off the cover, Mac checked to make sure the machine was unplugged. He was not in the mood to get electrocuted today. Once he exposed the inside workings he surveyed each section carefully. Though not an expert in the field, he couldn't find anything obviously wrong. For good measure, he pulled out his Swiss Army knife, found the tool he wanted, and checked to make sure that all the wires were in place and secure. He carefully put the heavy cover back on and plugged it in.
"Go ahead, give it a try," he encouraged Mr. Bidwell.
The older man sat down in the chair and touched a key. It worked perfectly. He typed a word, then a sentence, then a paragraph.
"Well, I'll be!" he exclaimed. "What did you do to it young man?"
"Oh, nothing much," Mac hedged. "I just tweaked a few things."
"And I thank you for that. It works as good as new! Now please, be on your way. I have a novel to finish!"
"How did it go? Were you able to fix it?" Penny asked anxiously when MacGyver returned downstairs.
"Actually, I couldn't find anything wrong with the typewriter or the socket. I pretended to tinker with it, but it was fine. Mr. Bidwell is happily typing away as we speak."
"Gosh, that's kinda strange, isn't it?" Penny's eyes widened.
Mac shrugged. "Not really. It's an old machine and bound to act up at times. It probably has happened before but Bidwell would rather blame you than admit it."
XXXXX
The piercing ring of the alarm clock startled MacGyver awake. He slapped at it hoping to find the snooze button. He then turned and looked at the red glowing digits. Two in the morning?! He looked across the wide bed at Joanna. True to her word she was huddled on the far edge, seemingly still fast asleep, with a wall of pillows between them. At least he wasn't in the bathtub. Making sure the alarm feature on the clock was no longer set, Mac rolled over and went back to sleep.
Thirty minutes later the clock blared again. Mac shot up, grabbed it, and banged it against the nightstand. This couldn't be happening! He once again looked at Jo who had turned onto her back and was snoring softly. Deciding that perhaps there was something wrong with the wiring in the building, MacGyver leaned over and unplugged the digital clock before flopping on his back to stare at the ceiling until slumber claimed him once more.
A distant but persistent ringing coaxed MacGyver awake, his hand automatically searching for the button to shut off the alarm. But wait. Didn't he unplug it during the night? He sat up shaking his head. Apparently now he was dreaming about hearing the alarm! Joanna emerged from the bathroom, already showered and dressed for the day.
"Hey there, sleepyhead!" she greeted him cheerily. "I thought you were the morning person?"
"Did you hear the alarm clock ring just now?" he asked.
"No. Why? Did you have it set?"
"I don't suppose you heard it during the night?" he continued, ignoring her question.
"Nope," she shook her head. "I slept like a rock!"
"So I noticed," he groaned, peeling back the covers and slowly climbing out of bed.
"Mac? Is everything okay?"
"Yeah. I just didn't sleep very well is all. By the way, what are you doing up so early?"
"Penny and I are gonna try to recreate Aunt Betty's famous cinnamon rolls. You sure you're okay?"
"Yeah," he replied with a reassuring smile. "I'm gonna take a quick shower and I'll meet you downstairs."
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Penny was already in the kitchen retrieving ingredients from the pantry when Joanna appeared.
"How did you sleep?"
"Wonderfully," Jo replied. "I hate to say it, but I guess Mac was right. I really need some time away from work."
Penny smiled and handed Joanna an apron. Soon the two women were combining flour, sugar, and eggs and rolling out dough, all the while chatting amiably until a loud yowl from upstairs interrupted them.
"What was that?" Penny asked, fear evident in her eyes.
"I don't know, but it sounded like it came from my room!"
Together they bolted up the stairs and down the hallway, ignoring the guests peeking out of their rooms to see what all the ruckus was about. When they got to the honeymoon suite, Joanna pushed the door open and skidded to a stop so quickly that Penny almost knocked her over from behind. They gaped at MacGyver who stood in the bathroom doorway dripping wet, hair plastered to his head, towel wrapped around his waist, and scowling like a bear who had just been woken from hibernation.
"Wha...what happened?" Jo asked, biting back a giggle.
Mac's gazed was pinned on Penny. "I just ran out of hot water! That's what happened!" he snapped.
"But that can't be." Penny's expression was one of pure innocence and confusion. "I had an extra-large water heater installed just so something like this wouldn't happen!"
Turning serious, Joanna pushed past MacGyver, reached into the tub, and turned on the faucet.
"The water's just fine, Mac," she reported as it flowed over her hand. "Maybe you accidentally knocked the-"
"I didn't 'accidentally' do anything! I'm telling you, there was no hot water!"
"Well, there is now," Jo shrugged. "Why don't you get dressed and come downstairs. We'll go for a walk or something."
"Fine," Mac ground out as Joanna and Penny retreated, both of them giggling softly.
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"You've really done a great job with this place," MacGyver commented later that morning as Penny was giving him and Joanna a tour of the grounds. After a quick jog and a hearty breakfast including a fair facsimile of Aunt Betty's cinnamon rolls, Mac was feeling much more like himself.
"I really didn't do that much," Penny replied shyly. "I just hired people to do it for me."
"But they still used your ideas, right?" Mac cajoled.
"Well, yeah. I guess," she shrugged.
They were just about to round the front corner of the house when they heard raised voices coming from the porch swing.
"That's Mr. and Mrs. Jackson. They're here celebrating their sixtieth wedding anniversary." Penny whispered to Mac and Jo.
"Doesn't sound like they'll make sixty-one," MacGyver observed, earning slaps on either arm from his female companions.
"I'm tellin' ya, Iris, that girl is downright incompetent! I told her I wanted somethin' special for our anniversary and what does she do? She sticks us in a room with twin beds and a TV that's on the fritz!"
"Don't be so hard on the poor girl, George! After all, I heard she used to be an actress. What can you expect!? But I must say her cooking does leave something to be desired."
Mac's jaw clenched as he watched tears well in Penny's eyes. Sure, she might be a bit hapless at times, and she had a tendency to find trouble but that wasn't really her fault. Penny's greatest problem was that she had a trusting heart and childlike innocence about her. And MacGyver didn't consider that a bad thing. Suddenly they heard a loud clank, clatter, and then a thud followed by irate bellows and cries for help. Rounding the corner the trio saw that one of the chains securing the swing to the porch canopy had broken, causing George to crash to the ground and an overweight Iris to land on top of him. They hurried to make sure the elderly couple was okay.
"That's the last straw I tell you!" George bellowed, struggling to his feet as MacGyver put a steadying hand under the man's elbow. "We're packing our bags and going home!"
"Oh, Mr. Jackson, please wait!" Penny begged. "Let me make it up to you!" She threw Mac an apologetic glance before continuing. "The honeymoon suite just became available. I'll have your things moved right away!
"I'm sorry, young lady, but that's too little too late," he growled.
"Now George, be reasonable," Iris urged as she brushed the dirt from her dress. "It's not her fault the swing broke." Then she turned her attention on Mac and Joanna. "Are you the young couple staying in the honeymoon suite?"
"Yes ma'am," MacGyver replied.
"But didn't I see you arrive just yesterday?" Iris asked. "You can't be planning on leaving already!"
"Actually we-"
"George, we can't take that room away from them! Look how much in love they are...just like us sixty years ago! We're paid up to tomorrow. One more night won't make a difference."
"Well, I suppose not," her husband grumbled.
"Then it's settled! We'll all stay right where we are!" Iris declared. "But I do think George and I will be going into town for dinner this evening."
Penny sighed with relief as Mac put his hands on her shoulders.
"You okay?" he asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine," she smiled reassuringly.
"Then why don't you show me where the handyman keeps his tools so I can fix that swing?"
"Oh Mac, you don't have to do that!"
"I want to, Penny. That's what friends are for."
XXXXX
MacGyver stared at Joanna, longing and frustration warring in his heart. She was curled up in a wingback chair on the other side of the living room engrossed in one of her novels. The other guests, and even Penny, had retired for the evening and it was finally just the two of them. And she was ignoring him completely. This was not what he had envisioned when he planned this little getaway.
"I'm gonna get a snack," he announced. "Want anything?"
"No," Jo mumbled, not even looking up from the page.
Mac pushed himself off the couch and headed for the kitchen. As he entered the room he saw Joanna's knitting basket sitting on the small table in the corner. A skein of blue yarn and a pair of knitting needles sat next to it. Apparently she had been keeping Penny company earlier as dinner cooked and he repaired the television set in the Jackson's room.
He had just turned toward the counter when he heard a soft clink behind him. He turned and found one of Joanna's knitting needles on the floor. Not thinking much of it, he picked it up and put it back on the table which he assumed was slightly less than level, making sure it was still before rummaging through the cupboards for something to eat. He had just begun to spread some peanut butter on a piece of whole grain bread when he heard the clink again.
"Really?" he muttered, putting down his knife and once again picking up the knitting needle. This time he stabbed it securely in the skein of yarn.
Feeling satisfied, he returned to his snack and had just taken a bite when he heard the noise again. He turned and stared at the offending tool lying on the floor, noticing that its counterpart remained securely tucked away as he had left it. He moved to pick up the needle but stopped himself. Joanna could pick up after her own self! He was looking out the window into the starless night as he chugged a glass of milk when he sensed her presence.
"Mac, have you seen my knitting?"
"On the table," he grunted without turning around. "And pick up the needle on the floor while you're at it."
"There's nothing on the floor," she said, the confusion in her voice causing him to turn and look for himself. Jo was right. The needle was on the table, just as he had originally found it.
"What the…?! I'm telling you, I heard the needle fall and saw it lying on the floor," he insisted.
"Well it isn't there now," she replied, irritating him by pointing out the obvious.
MacGyver had had enough. He needed this day to be over.
"You going back in the living room?" he asked brusquely.
"No, I was planning on going upstairs."
"Then I'll turn off the lights." He brushed past her without a glance.
"Mac, is everything okay?" Jo asked, dogging his heels.
"Everything's just swell," he replied drily.
He was halfway across the room when he felt her reach out to him.
"Mac…"
Her voice was so soft and sweet he couldn't help but stop and turn toward her.
"Look," she continued gently, "I know today's been kinda-"
"Stop," he commanded huskily, putting his hands on her shoulders and squeezing gently. "Let's forget about today. Just now I acted like a dumb, selfish kid because Penny's goofy problems and your friendship with her got in the way of us spending time alone and I'm sorry."
He waited silently as Joanna looked around the room then back at him, a mischievous gleam in her eye.
"It looks like we're alone now," she whispered, smiling up at him.
"So it does," he grinned.
He pulled her toward him, lifting his hands to her face as she wrapped her arms tightly around his waist, bringing them even closer together. Her eyes fluttered close as his lips found hers, kissing her the way he had been aching to since they first arrived.
When they were both breathless, MacGyver broke the kiss, still cradling Joanna's face in his hands he leaned his forehead against hers.
"I think we should stop," he said, his voice ragged.
"Why?" she whispered against his lips.
"Because we're sharing a room," he stated huskily.
"So?" She playfully nipped his lower lip.
"We're sharing a bed." He nipped her back, enjoying the intimate playfulness she had initiated.
"So?" Her breath mingled with his. "Oooh!" she finally comprehended, pulling away from his touch. "Maybe you're right," she conceded, her cheeks flushed.
"Of course, I could always sleep down here on the couch," he suggested, already missing the warm softness of her body in his arms.
"It's not like you haven't done it before," she reasoned.
That was all the encouragement he needed. He reached for her again, closing his eyes knowing that his lips would find hers of their own accord, when suddenly he felt hands on his chest pushing him backward. His eyes flew open and his arms flailed instinctively in an attempt to keep his balance. He took a step back to steady himself, but his foot caught on the edge of an Oriental rug and the next thing he knew he was lying on his back. His view of the ceiling was quickly eclipsed by Joanna's concerned face.
"Mac! Are you okay!" she asked anxiously, kneeling beside him, her eyes wide with concern.
"What'd you do that for?" he moaned, rubbing the back of his head which had hit the floor with a sickening thud.
"Do what? I didn't do anything," she protested. "I didn't even have a chance to touch you!"
"What happened?! I thought I heard something fall!" Penny exclaimed, emerging from her private quarters and hurrying down the hall to the living room. Her eyes widened when she found MacGyver on the floor.
"That 'something' was me," he groaned, regaining his feet. "I tripped," he explained, glancing suspiciously at Joanna whose expression was innocence personified.
"I told you I didn't touch you!"
"Oh, yeah?! Then whose hands did I feel on my chest?!"
"I can't believe this is happening again," Penny moaned.
"What?" Jo and Mac asked in unison.
"Isn't it obvious?" their host asked. "I have a new ghost!"
"I am not having this conversation again!" MacGyver exclaimed, spinning on his heels and striding toward the far end of the room.
"Then how do you explain all the strange things that have been happening?" Penny challenged.
"I don't know! Accidents? Faulty plumbing and electricity? Coincidence?"
"I thought you didn't believe in coincidence," Joanna observed.
"Well I believe in it a heck of a lot more than I believe in ghosts!" he shot back.
Heavy silence shrouded the room.
"Look," Mac sighed, his voice calmer now. "Why don't we take a closer look at all these 'incidences' and try to find a logical explanation, okay?"
Penny perked up immediately. "Great! I'll go put on a pot of coffee!"
"Penny, wait! I-"
"I know you don't drink coffee, MacGyver. It's just a saying!"
"No. I was going to say that I didn't plan on having this discussion tonight. It can wait until morning."
Mac watched Penny's happy face crumble and he felt like a first-class heel. "Then again, why put off until tomorrow what can be done tonight." Penny's bright smile immediately returned and MacGyver felt as if he had just successfully navigated a minefield blindfolded.
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"You don't really believe in this stuff, do you?" Mac asked Joanna as they settled themselves around the kitchen table while Penny went to grab something to write on.
"Don't you want to put Penny's mind at ease?" she asked.
"You didn't answer my question."
"You didn't answer mine! But I'm not gonna say I don't believe." MacGyver pulled a face, but Jo continued. "People have been experiencing hauntings for centuries and there's been tons of pretty scientific and persuasive research done on the subject. I would think you could at least respect that."
"I do, but-"
"Here we go!" Penny came bouncing back into the room, took a seat and handed Joanna a pen and legal pad. "What's the plan?"
"We're gonna make a list of all the weird things that have happened, the people affected, and see if we can find a common denominator," Joanna explained. "Now, when would you say this all started?"
Penny thought for a while before answering. "I guess the beginning of last week when the cook burned her hands," she replied. "Boy, you should have heard some of the words that came out of her mouth!"
"Did you two get along?" Jo continued.
"I guess," Penny shrugged. "I mean, we weren't friends or anything. She thought she was too great a chef to be working at a B&B, but she wasn't, really. Some of the stuff she cooked was just awful! And she wouldn't try fun, new things. Like try to make Aunt Betty's cinnamon rolls." The young woman smiled warmly at Jo who smiled back, remembering their culinary experiment and subsequent success twelve hours earlier.
"Okay, what happened next?" Joanna asked, frowning as she watched MacGyver fidget in his chair.
"That would have to be the handyman falling off the ladder," the younger woman replied definitively. "I had been asking him to clean out the gutters for weeks, but he kept grumbling about being nagged by someone young enough to be his daughter. He finally gave in and look what happened."
Jo shot Penny a sympathetic smile as Mac headed for the refrigerator and a glass of juice. "Next?"
"Oh, you were here for that! It was when Mr. Bidwell's typewriter wasn't working."
"Right. And you said he had been complaining a lot."
Penny nodded vigorously. "You'd think if he didn't like it here he'd just leave!"
"Okay, we're up to number four," Jo announced.
"That would have to be Mac's alarm clock going off," Penny offered. "And number five would be when he lost hot water in the shower."
"I told you, some glitch in the wiring and a too-small hot water heater can explain those," Mac reasoned even as Joanna sent a quelling look his way.
"Does that take us up to the swing chain breaking while Mr. and Mrs. Jackson were sitting on it?" she asked.
"Yeah," Penny mumbled, chewing her lower lip. "I thought they liked me until I heard them talking about me."
MacGyver reached over and covered her hand with his. "Don't worry about it. We managed to get everything straightened out. And I'm sure they like you. They were just a little disappointed with their circumstances."
Penny smiled her thanks at Mac who had turned his attention to Joanna.
"I guess that brings it back to me and the knitting needles rolling off the table which, by the way, simply means the table...this table...isn't level."
"Well that's easy enough to check," Penny said, getting up and rummaging through a drawer before producing an old fashioned level and putting it in the middle of the table.
Everyone stood up so they could watch the little bubble which, once stilled, proved that the table was completely even.
"That can't be," MacGyver muttered.
Jo shrugged and motioned to the device. "The proof's right there."
Mac plopped back down in his chair and let out a huff. "Then I guess the final incident is me not being pushed back by Joanna."
"Right," she replied absently, already studying her notes.
"Did you find anything helpful?" Penny asked, peering over Jo's shoulder.
"I'm not sure," she answered, her brows knitting together. She aimed her next words at MacGyver. "Let's just say, for the sake of argument, that there is a ghost here. It seems the only people it bothers are those who've had run-ins with Penny. It's almost like he, or she, is protecting or avenging her."
"Then why, 'for the sake of argument' does he, or she, have a beef with me?!" Mac glowered.
"I have no idea," Joanna replied thoughtfully. "Maybe it gets a kick out of annoying you or making you think you're going crazy or something."
"And it obviously doesn't want me to have a love life, either," he mumbled.
"Aha! So you admit I didn't push you!" Jo exclaimed triumphantly.
"That's not what I meant!"
"You said it yourself, MacGyver," Penny goaded.
"Can we just get on with this?" he snapped.
"Fine," Joanna replied frostily.
"Penny, did you bring anything new into the house right before the cook's accident?"
"I bought some groceries the day before. Why?"
"I mean, did you find or buy some kind of object...maybe a decorative antique? It's pretty well established that ghosts can attach themselves to objects and wherever the object goes, so does the ghost."
Penny started to shake her head then stopped. "Wait a minute...on the way to the supermarket I stopped at this little pawn shop because I've been meaning to get rid of some of Aunt Betty's old costume jewelry and I ended up buying a ring!" At that, Penny shot up out of her chair and hurried to her quarters. Upon returning, she had the ring in the palm of her hand and held it out for Joanna and MacGyver to inspect.
"A silver skull?" Jo asked warily.
"Weird, right? But I don't know...it just seemed to call to me. Like I had to have it. Not that I ever plan on wearing it!"
"A death's head ring," Mac said under his breath so softly Joanna wasn't sure if she heard him correctly.
"What?" she asked, hoping for clarification.
"Nothing," MacGyver responded a bit too quickly. "I've had enough for tonight and I'm going to bed. If you two want to stay up and tell ghost stories, don't let me stop you."
Joanna watched as Mac emptied his glass of juice in the sink, exited the kitchen, and climbed the stairs. Something wasn't right. Rising from her own chair, she picked up the pad of paper and gave the pen back to Penny.
"I think we should call it a night, too," she suggested.
"But what about the ring? How are we gonna find out whose ghost is attached to it?"
"Let's worry about that in the morning, okay?" Right now, Jo was more worried about Mac.
Joanna opened the door to the honeymoon suite to find MacGyver lying on top of the bedcovers, staring at the ceiling.
"Wanna tell me about it?" she asked, climbing onto her side of the bed.
"There's nothin' to tell. I just got tired of all that dumb ghost talk."
"That's not true and you know it. I watched you turn three shades whiter than a ghost when Penny showed us that ring. You recognized it, didn't you?"
Mac suddenly sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and rubbing his eyes with the heel of his hands. "It just isn't possible."
"What isn't possible?"
"Murdoc always wore a ring exactly like that. It was like his signature," MacGyver ground out.
Joanna crawled across the bed until she was sitting next to Mac, a comforting hand placed gently on his back. She could feel his warm, taught muscles through the thin fabric of his shirt.
"There have to be hundreds of rings like that roaming around," Jo reasoned. "You can't really believe it could be Murdoc's?"
"Just like I don't really believe in ghosts?" he countered.
"Mac, think about this logically."
"I am!" he exclaimed. "That's the problem!"
Joanna must have looked as bewildered as she felt because he continued without missing a beat. "Remember when I told you how Murdoc posed as that rock opera director, Jacques La Rue? It was then that he fell in love with Penny. And Penny thought she loved him when he was Jacques. It makes perfect sense that he would want to protect her and harm people he believed hurt her. And me? Well, I'm just a great big juicy bonus!"
"Are you listening to yourself?" Jo asked incredulously.
MacGyver must have considered it a rhetorical question because he didn't respond.
"Look, first thing tomorrow morning the three of us will go to that pawn shop and find out where that ring came from. Chances are some kid found it in an alley and decided to cash in."
"You're right," he acknowledged, sounding more like himself. "I'm just letting this stupid house get to me...again."
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The next day, MacGyver, Joanna, and Penny were standing outside the Cloverton Pawn Shop when the owner opened for business.
"What can I do for you folks?" the tall, lanky man asked.
Penny placed the ring on the counter.
"We were wondering if you remembered who sold you this ring," MacGyver said.
"Sure do!" the store owner replied. "One don't quite forget a piece like that. At least not around these parts. Guy who hocked it wanted to get rid of it real bad, too. Didn't even haggle over the price."
The trio looked at the man encouragingly and that was all it took for him to continue his story.
"Seems this guy was into buyin' stuff at estate sales and such. Said he'd been in L.A. when he'd seen this ring. Story goes it belonged to some big time secret assassin. The dude's been dead for over a year, but some of his possessions were found in an abandoned warehouse and sold off. But like I say, it's just a story. Probably to get people to pay more than the stuff is worth."
"Why was the man who sold it to you so anxious to get rid of it?" Penny asked.
"Can't rightly say. Some mumbo-jumbo about them poltergeists or somethin'. With what he was willin' to take, I wasn't gonna ask. Now, if you're thinkin' about returnin' that I'm 'fraid all sales are final."
"We understand," MacGyver assured him in a clipped tone. "Thanks for takin' the time to talk to us."
Penny retrieved the ring and the small group headed to the Jeep. The ride back to the B&B was completed in silence. MacGyver kept his jaw clenched and his spine stiff as his logical mind tried to make order of all he had heard and experienced. He glanced in the rearview mirror periodically, always to find Penny staring at the silver piece of jewelry in the palm of her hand.
When they arrived at the house it was to find guests milling about the gardens, enjoying the late summer day. Penny silently hurried from the car and into the kitchen to prepare the midday meal. Mac expected Joanna to follow her, but instead she followed him up the stairs and into their room. He sat down on the end of the bed and scrubbed his face with his hands.
"This has to just be a big, freakish coincidence, right?" Jo asked, sitting down next to him but keeping space between them.
"Right," he muttered.
"I mean, everything that's happened can't be because of the ring. And the odds of Murdoc's ring showing up here after all this time have to be astronomical. Right?"
"Yeah," he murmured.
"So what now?"
"I gotta convince Penny to get rid of that ring."
Joanna's jaw dropped and in any other situation Mac probably would've laughed. "You seriously believe Murdoc's attached to that ring?" she asked.
"No. But Penny does and that's what matters."
Minutes later, Joanna had taken over cooking duties while MacGyver spoke with Penny in the living room.
"You want me to what?!" she cried, causing him to flinch.
"You gotta get rid of it. Throw it into the deepest lake you can find, bury it in the middle of nowhere. I don't care, just get it out of this house."
"But I thought you didn't believe in ghosts," she challenged, fingering the silver skull that now hung from a chain around her neck.
"Let's just say I prefer to play things safe these days," he grinned.
"Fine," she frowned.
"Hey, I know how you felt about him when you thought he was Jacques, but that wasn't him. It never was. It was all an elaborate act. It meant nothing."
"Yeah, sure," she agreed softly before heading back to the kitchen, her downcast eyes never leaving the floor.
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"You all packed?" MacGyver asked from his side of the bed later that night.
"Yeah, I just wish we didn't have to leave so soon," Joanna bemoaned as she climbed under the covers on the other side.
"So then you wouldn't be opposed to coming back sometime?" He purposely flashed her the smile he knew she couldn't resist.
"I'd love to. But make it clear that we need separate rooms. I don't want Penny making any assumptions again."
Mac made a show of looking around until he found and caught her eyes.
"I don't know. I kinda like this one," he replied, his voice a bit raspy as he lost himself in the liquid chocolate depths. "Only next time we won't need the pillows as chaperones."
"What are you saying?" Jo asked suspiciously.
"Just thinkin' out loud," he replied smoothly, checking one final time to make sure the alarm clock was unplugged before sliding under the covers.
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In the room directly below the honeymoon suite, Penny lay on her bed facing the nightstand, staring at the silver death's head ring that seemed to be staring back. She thought back to that night so long ago when Murdoc had captured her, revealing his true identity, as Pete and MacGyver fought for their lives in an elaborate trap he had devised. She remembered trying to convince him that he was musical, charming, and romantic and how he told her she brought those qualities out in him. How he didn't know what it was like to smile until he met her. How he had fallen in love with her. And what was her response? She had called him insane right to his face, snuffing out any hint of hope or joy that may have been there. Now, in hindsight, perhaps he had possessed some good qualities. Perhaps he really had loved her. MacGyver wanted her to get rid of the ring. But what if Murdoc's spirit was, indeed, attached to it, and he was even now watching over her, protecting her, loving her. She gently took the ring, placing it safely in the drawer of her nightstand. What MacGyver didn't know wouldn't hurt him.
Author's Note: Please forgive Mac and Joanna if they seem a bit out of character at times. Staying at Parker House will do that to you!