Benjamin sat down in his office chair and prepared his lectures for Monday. When he’d entered his forties, he’d decided keeping an exact routine would eliminate a lot of wasted energy. He got up at the same time, ran his classes and labs on time, and ate his meals by his watch. Now that Jenny was in his life, he’d make adjustments.

He smiled to himself. She was in his life once more.

When Ketch caught him at his desk eating his lunch a few minutes later, Benjamin simply paused to check a few points on the project so Ketch would be ready to run the survey results.

“Dr. Monroe, you’re not going to believe what some people are attracted to. I’m getting an education just reading the answers people wrote down.”

Benjamin nodded as he checked the findings.

Ketch continued, “You’d think it would be beauty or brains, but it’s not. They talk about how their partner smells, or how she feels naked beside him, or how he whispers against her throat. One guy even said he gets turned on every time his mate hiccups.”

Ketch shook his head. “Name a body part and someone is attracted to it. Except elbows. Seems no one is attracted to them.”

When Ben finished a final check of the survey and looked at Ketch, the big ex-army ranger leaned back in his chair.

Ben had known Ketch for a few years, and for once the guy looked happy, really happy.

“Anything else you need?” Ben asked.

“One question that has nothing to do with the survey.” Ketch hesitated. “I figured you could answer since you grew up around here, Professor. I was at an old house this week, working on a broken-down porch. It looked like it was built seventy or eighty years ago, but it’s different than any building around here. There’s something old-world about it. Like it was crafted by a master.”

“The house on Primrose Hill,” Ben said simply.

Ketch looked surprised. “You know about it?”

“Sure. My dad’s farm borders one side of the place. At one time I heard the story surrounding it, but I’ve forgotten the details. In high school, kids used to whisper that Primrose Hill is haunted.”

Ketch leaned forward. “Mind telling me what you remember?”

Ben hesitated, then began. “My dad said it was built by a foreigner, Frank Raine’s brother, if I remember right. Raine and his wife lived out there, but the brother came around now and then to work on the house. Tony was his name, and he built it between other jobs. Frank, the older brother, had an injury from the war and could barely stand without a cane. My dad helped the younger brother haul lumber a few times back in the sixties.