“You two need to suck it up and stop acting so weird,” Zander intoned. “They’re both able to do strange things and they’ve bonded over it. I would like you guys to imagine how it’s been for them – how hard it is to always be the different one – and understand that they’re merely thrilled to find someone they can relate to.”
Jack had the grace to look abashed. “I didn’t think they were going to run off together,” he grumbled. “I merely thought … um … .”
“Fine,” Jared said. “We’re idiots. We were a little worried and we spent half the afternoon talking about it. Are you happy, Heart? I feel like an idiot and you win.”
“I won when we met,” Harper clarified. “As for the rest … I am happy. I’m happy to be with you and I love my new skirt. I’m also happy that I got to spend the afternoon with Ivy and meet her aunt. We are not in danger of falling for one another in the way you seem to be worried about, though.”
Jack’s cheeks burned as he rubbed his hands over them. “I feel kind of stupid.”
“You should,” Ivy said. “Since I love you, I’ll forgive you.”
Jack cracked a smile as he leaned over and pressed a kiss to the corner of her mouth. “I like the skirt.”
“Thank you.”
“I love you.” He smacked another kiss against her lips. “You and Harper need to take it down a notch, though. You’re starting to creep Jared and me out. We can’t help it if we love you to distraction.”
“Oh, that was smooth.” Jared flashed an enthusiastic thumbs-up. “You clearly know how to handle your woman.”
Ivy and Harper adopted twin scowls of disgust.
“I know not to refer to her as ‘my woman’ unless we’re about to play a dirty game,” Jack said, carrying his drink to the couch in the middle of the bar area and taking a seat. “Come over here and tell me about your day, honey,” he prodded, tapping his lap enticingly to get Ivy’s attention. “I wasn’t lying about missing you.”
Ivy obligingly sat, grabbing Jack’s beer from his hand and taking a swig before handing it back. “I missed you, too. Did you get anywhere on Tabitha’s death?”
Jack filled her in on their day, which peaked with the discovery of the car and ended with interviewing other guests who attended the party. “Everyone remembers seeing Tabitha there. They all say she was completely bombed but that it wasn’t out of the ordinary. No one remembers her leaving or spending a large amount of time with any one particular person.”
“So what does that mean?” Harper asked, settling on the couch next to Jared and resting her hand on his thigh.
“It means that someone else drove her car,” Jared replied. “Her legs weren’t long enough to reach the pedals so someone else had to put the car where it was.”
“Have you considered that she was too drunk to drive?” Shawn asked. He kept casting curious looks in Zander’s direction, perhaps wondering why his boyfriend was glaring holes into the back of Jared’s head, but otherwise he remained fixated on the conversation. “Maybe several people agreed to go to the woods together – maybe to smoke a joint or for some other reason – and she accidentally got left behind.”
“That’s a possibility we haven’t really considered,” Jack admitted. “That still leaves a lot of questions in the air. If she did go out to the woods and got separated, how come no one reported her missing?”
“I don’t know,” Shawn replied. “I think your scenario is more likely – that whoever moved the car had a hand in killing her – but it doesn’t seem like you’re happy with any of the answers you’ve come up with.”
“That’s because we haven’t come up with any answers,” Jack said. “We have theories and ideas, but we have no answers.”
“What did you guys do today?” Jared asked Harper, playing with the ends of her hair as he changed the conversational topic. “I know you went shopping, but did you do anything else?”
Harper nodded. “We had a séance and talked to Tabitha’s ghost. Ivy saw her and everything.”
A hush fell over the room.
Jack, who had been running his hand up and down Ivy’s back, stilled. “Excuse me?”
“Well … .” Ivy wasn’t sure what to say so she shrugged.
“You had a séance without me?” Zander practically exploded as he stalked to the area on the other side of the couch so he could stare down Harper. “Why would you possibly do that?”
Harper was caught off guard by her best friend’s vehemence. “You were at a wine-tasting event. How did that go, by the way?”
“The wine tasted like feet, unlike the mushrooms Jack is constantly going on about like a little baby,” Zander replied. “It was terrible.”
Harper flicked her eyes to Shawn. “Was it really that bad?”
“It wasn’t good,” Shawn replied. “I don’t think it was as bad as Zander makes it out to be, but by the time we got to the last stop he’d worked himself into a lather so I just wanted him to keep drinking and shut up.”
“I heard that,” Zander snapped.
“I wasn’t whispering,” Shawn said calmly. “You need to take a deep breath and chill.”
“What’s his deal?” Jared asked Harper. “I thought he would be in a good mood after a day of drinking wine.”
“Apparently not,” Harper said. “He’s having a few … um … issues.”
“I figured that out myself,” Jared said dryly. “Do I even want to know what your issues are, Zander?”
“No,” Harper and Shawn answered in unison.
Jared ignored their very clear warning. “What’s wrong, Zander?”
“You are,” Zander replied without missing a beat. “You’ve completely broken my heart.”
Jared was flummoxed. “I’m sorry but … what?”
“You’ve crushed my heart.” Zander waved his hand in front of his face as if to ward off tears, steadfastly refusing to meet Jared’s gaze.
“Does someone want to tell me what’s going on here?” Jared asked, his tone dark. “I can only take so much in one day. I just came to terms with the fact that I’m not losing my girlfriend to another woman so I need someone to take pity on me.”
Jack snorted as Ivy elbowed him in the stomach and let loose with a firm headshake.
“What?” Jack was oblivious. “I think it’s funny.”
“It’s not funny,” Zander exploded. “It’s not funny at all. You’re stealing my bromance, you big galoot.”
Jack’s smile disappeared. “I don’t even know what to make of that.”
“Zander feels as if you’re trying to steal Jared away from him,” Harper explained. “I told him it wasn’t true but … once he has something in his head it’s impossible to get it out.”
“So instead of you and Ivy having a romance, now Jared and I are having a romance?” Jack shifted in his seat, keeping a firm hold of Ivy as he tried to hide his discomfort.
“Not a romance.” Zander’s tone was full of disdain. “A bromance. There’s a difference.”
“I still don’t understand.”
“I’ve been building a bromance with Jared for more than a year,” Zander explained. “He’s my best friend’s boyfriend. He’s going to be around forever. I’ve already resigned myself to that.”
“You’ve resigned yourself to it?” Jared’s eyes flashed. “I thought you and I were good.”
“We were until you let this guy steal our bromance.”
“Is this like when Jason stole your thunder?” Jared asked, referring to Zander’s childhood nemesis and a competition that refused to die.
“It’s not even remotely the same thing,” Zander replied. “You and I were building a bromance. Sure, it was slow, but it was happening. I had you drinking martinis. You helped me pick an outfit for that job the other day. That’s the stuff of great bromances.”
“Okay, well … I still intend to do both of those things,” Jared offered. “There’s no reason to get all … tizzified.”
“Ooh, good word,” Harp
er enthused. “It fits Zander to a tee, too. We should totally get a shirt for him with that saying. ‘Let’s get tizzified’ or something like that.”
Jared snickered. “I don’t think your buddy likes that idea at all.”
When Harper risked a glance at Zander she found him glaring at her. “I’m sorry. I blame Jared and his new bromance. It’s totally confused me.”
“Thanks a lot,” Jared said dryly.
“You know what? This is just a big game to you,” Zander gritted out. “I don’t like it.” He snapped his fingers to get Shawn’s attention. “Come on. We’re having martinis away from … these people.”
Shawn remained where he was sitting as Zander stalked off.
“Aren’t you going with him?” Jack asked after a beat.
Shawn shook his head. “It will take him at least an hour – an hour where he will be complaining non-stop, mind you – to notice I’m missing. I have plenty of time. I want to hear about the séance.”
And just like that the group was off on another tangent.
“We didn’t learn much, but it was neat,” Ivy said.
“Tell me about it,” Jack instructed. “I want to know what she had to say.”
15
Fifteen
Jack and Ivy were in a good mood when they got back to the cottage. Delicious food combined with new friends and hilarious conversation – Zander still wasn’t over the bromance problem when they left for home – made for a merry evening.
“You look happy,” Jack said as he stood with Ivy on the front porch and watched her unlock the house. “You had a good time today, didn’t you?”
Jack’s serious expression made Ivy wary. “I have a good time whenever I can. Today was just … different.”
“You don’t have to be embarrassed. I am a little bit given the fact that I was worried about how fast you and Harper were bonding, but I get it now. You’re uncomfortable talking about the things that keep happening to you – to us, really – but it’s easier when you’re with Harper because she can do magical things, too.”
“I’m uncomfortable when you refer to them as ‘magical’ things,” Ivy admitted. “It makes me feel like I’m a fairy from a children’s book or something.”
“Ah, but you are magical, honey. I’ve known that since the day I met you.”
Ivy snorted. “You’re drunk. It’s a good thing I’m the one who drove home.”
“I’m not drunk.”
Ivy cocked a challenging eyebrow. “Not even a little?”
“Nope. Not even a little.”
Ivy pushed open the front door and watched as Jack walked in ahead of her. He had a bit of swagger to his step, as if he knew she was watching, and when he almost tripped over the streaking cat as Nicodemus darted in front of him, Ivy couldn’t stifle her laughter.
“No, you’re not drunk at all.”
“I’m tipsy,” Jack conceded, removing his coat and following Ivy into the kitchen as she filled a glass full of water at the sink. “I’m pleasantly … tipsy.”
“I’ve never heard a man own up to being tipsy.” Ivy handed him the water and retrieved some aspirin from the bottle she kept in the overhead cupboard. “Usually you guys are far too manly for that.”
Jack grinned. “We both know I’m a big pillow of love where you’re concerned, so why fight it?”
“Pillow of love.” Ivy giggled. “You’re a big pillow of love who stole Zander’s bromance. You’ve had quite the day.”
“Yeah, that was weird, right?” Jack took the aspirin and downed the glass of water. “I didn’t think I would ever be in a bromance triangle.”
“As long as it’s not a romance triangle, I’m fine with it.”
“There could never be anything but a straight line where we’re concerned. I’m completely smitten with you.” Jack lowered his forehead until it rested on Ivy’s. “I love you.”
Ivy patted his back, doing her best to hide her amusement. “I love you, too. You’re still drunk.”
“Whatever.” Jack linked his fingers with Ivy’s and tugged her toward the bedroom. “Come on. It’s late and I have to get up early. I want to show you how smitten I am, though.”
“Oh, yeah?”
“Definitely.”
“I guess I’ve had worse offers today.”
“SO, DID YOU REALLY like the skirt?” Harper watched Jared’s face closely for a reaction as she stripped out of the item in question and moved it to a hanger in the closet.
Jared tugged his shirt over his head, revealing his chiseled chest, and nodded. “I think you looked cute. Of course, I always think you look cute.”
Harper made a face. “I was going for bohemian.”
“Can I ask why? You don’t usually go for the bohemian look. You’re more of a jeans and T-shirts type of girl.”
Harper’s turn was slow and deliberate. “You didn’t like it.”
“I didn’t say that,” Jared said hurriedly. “I just happen to like you the way you are. The skirt was pretty. You looked adorable in it, especially when you kept twirling because you liked the way it flowed out when you moved your hips.
“I’m not saying I didn’t like it, because I did,” he continued. “You looked beautiful. I’m just curious why you bought it. Is it because you wanted to look like Ivy?”
“I couldn’t look like Ivy if I had a million dollars for plastic surgery,” Harper countered. “I just liked the skirt and I was in the mood for something to remember the day. I really liked Ivy’s aunt. She’s fun and so much easier to get along with than my parents.”
“I think your parents are in a league of their own,” Jared said dryly.
“I know. It’s just … it was fun. It was nice to be able to see a ghost with someone else for a change. Most of the time I know you and Zander simply believe what I’m telling you, but it’s different when someone else can see with you.”
“And why do you think Ivy could see with you this time?” Jared was honestly curious as he sat at the end of the bed and removed his shoes. “She couldn’t when you were in the woods.”
“Do you want to know what I honestly think?”
Jared nodded.
“I think that if she opened herself up to it she probably could’ve seen Tabitha that day in the woods,” Harper explained. “I think she sells herself short. I think she’s not comfortable being different. By framing our call to Tabitha around the Ouija board, Ivy had a reason to believe she might be able to see the ghost … so she did.”
“That sounds very clinical.”
Harper shrugged. “I don’t know how else to explain it. Ivy can do a lot of things. I think she’s stronger than me.”
Jared slid his arms around Harper’s naked waist and tugged her to him, positioning her between his legs and resting his chin on her chest as he tilted his head up. “No one is stronger than you. Ivy may have more abilities – and quite frankly, after talking to Jack, I’m glad you don’t have the abilities that Ivy has because she struggles with them – but you’re still the strongest person I know.”
Harper ran her fingers through Jared’s dark hair. “Thank you. That was sweet. I’m still impressed with Ivy.”
“As long as you don’t run off with her, you can be as impressed as you want.”
Harper giggled, genuinely amused. “Yeah, you guys were kind of cute with how worried you were. Like we would run off together. We’re far more likely to want to turn into a foursome than a rearranged twosome.”
Jared balked. “What?”
Harper couldn’t hold back her giggle. She wanted to mess with him a bit longer, but she couldn’t hold out. “You’re so easy to screw with.”
“Ha, ha.” Jared tightened his grip on Harper’s waist. “I’m glad you guys found each other. We’ll be leaving the day after tomorrow, though. You’re going to have to say goodbye.”
“No, I’m not.” Harper shook her head. “Whisper Cove and Shadow Lake aren’t all that far away from one another. We can call … and sen
d emails … and text. Zander showed me how to do that Google Hangouts thing and I thought maybe we could do one of those once a month or something. They can visit us when they have time. We can come back up here. Heck, we can meet in the middle every once in a while to shop or something. That’s only a two-hour drive for each of us.”
Jared couldn’t hide his amusement. “I see you’ve got this all figured out.”
“I do. I like her. I’m not going to say goodbye. That doesn’t mean I won’t be happy to get home and spend some quality time with you. We haven’t had a lot of time to ourselves this trip, and I’m sorry for that.”
Jared shrugged, noncommittal. “Sometimes life doesn’t work out exactly how you think it’s going to work out. That’s okay. It’s not as if I feel neglected. A lot of this is my fault. I want to see the investigation through to the end because … well, I just do. I feel like it’s my job even though it isn’t my job.”
“What happens if it’s not solved before we leave?”
“Then I’ll have to let it go.”
“Do you think you’ll stay in touch with Jack once we go?”
“I don’t know.” Jared wasn’t being cagey. He simply didn’t have an answer. “I like him, but we’ve hardly bonded in the same manner that you and Ivy have. I’m sure we’ll be fine seeing each other again – and I know we will because you and Ivy will make sure of it – but I’ve got plenty to keep me busy in Whisper Cove.”
“You have your bromance with Zander to resurrect,” Harper teased, causing Jared to groan. “That’s going to take some effort.”
“Yeah, he’s a lot of work.” Jared squeezed Harper’s hips. “He makes me tired.”
“He’s worth the work.”
“That’s the only reason I haven’t killed him yet.” Jared pressed a kiss to Harper’s flat stomach. “Now, since we haven’t had a lot of time to spend together, let’s not waste what we do have worrying about Zander. How about we play a quiet game, just the two of us, and see where the night takes us?”
Wicked Ghosts_A Harper Harlow and Ivy Morgan Mystery Page 14
