Ghostly Fears

by Lily Harper Hart

  “It’s a great idea,” Zander argued. “This way you won’t have to do all of the heavy lifting.”

  “Zander, just ... stay out of this for a second,” Harper argued. “I need to talk to Mr. Jessup. I don’t want to agree to something that I don’t think is a good idea.”

  “Your partner already agreed,” Byron pointed out. “The deal is done.”

  “No, it’s really not.” Harper shook her head. “I’m not trying to be difficult, but I don’t like the way this sounds. You haven’t given us any specifics.”

  “And what specifics are you in need of?”

  “Well, for starters, how is this going to work? Do you have reason to believe your daughter died in the home?”

  “No. What does that matter?”

  “Her ghost might not be hanging around the house if she died elsewhere. I’ve found that it’s impossible to predict exactly how a displaced soul reacts. I mean ... it’s possible Jennifer returned to your home because that’s what she was familiar with, but it’s also possible she’s somewhere else entirely.”

  “Why do you think I’m hiring you? I can’t be bothered with logistics I don’t understand. That’s your job.”

  Harper made a protesting sound. “See, that’s another thing. You didn’t mention hiring us. You just said you wanted us to come out and hang around other people and look for your daughter.”

  “I’m aware that your time is valuable. I don’t expect you to do it for free.”

  Oddly enough, since Harper knew the girl in question, she probably would’ve volunteered her services for free. She’d always wondered what happened to Jennifer Jessup. It was one of those stories that never seemed to die because there was no closure. Byron’s attitude bothered her on so many different levels, though, she wasn’t sure where to start.

  “I don’t think it’s a good idea,” Harper supplied, making up her mind on the spot. “I can’t commit to something like this without more details.”

  “There are details in your invitations,” Byron replied, his tone clipped. “Payment information and expected duties are also outlined. I’m assuming you’ll want to talk with your business partner. Please call my butler either way when you’ve made your decision. Thank you very much for your time.”

  He started toward the door, causing another bout of irritation to flow through Harper.

  “We’ve already made up our minds,” she called out.

  “Speak for yourself,” Zander grumbled.

  “I just don’t think it’s our thing,” she added.

  “I expect you to reconsider when you’ve read the invitations. Have a nice evening.”

  With those words, he was gone ... and Harper was left with nothing but questions and an angry partner. She skirted around Zander and returned to her dinner, sliding to the floor as he glared at her.

  “Well, that was stupid,” Zander announced. “Do you want to tell me what you were thinking? Oh, wait, you weren’t thinking. That much is obvious.”

  “Zander.” Harper’s voice was low and full of warning. “Just let it go. I’m focusing on dinner. After that, we’ll leave and get out of your hair.”

  “Whatever.” Zander’s attitude was on full display. “I think we’ve actually managed to spend too much time with each other for once. I never thought it would happen, but there it is.”

  Harper couldn’t help but agree.

  2

  Two

  Jared wisely kept his mouth shut until they returned home. The usually warm and comforting relationship Harper and Zander shared was chilly and dark for the rest of the evening. Jared couldn’t wait to escape. If Harper’s reaction when they hit the street – and she could finally breathe again – was any indication, she wholeheartedly agreed.

  “Well, that was an interesting evening,” Jared quipped as they climbed the steps to their front porch.

  “I think we need a break.”

  He stilled. “You and me?” His heart shuddered at the thought.

  “What?” Her sea-blue eyes clouded as she looked at him. “Oh, you thought ... no. I wasn’t talking about you and me.” She shook her head and let out a nervous laugh. “I definitely wasn’t talking about us. I meant you and I should take a break from Zander. A few days of distance might be a good thing.”

  They were words Jared wanted to hear for a long time. He liked Zander — no, really — and he knew Harper adored the man. They had a bond that couldn’t be shaken, to the point where they were tragically co-dependent and finished each other’s sentences most of the time.

  When Jared first met Harper, he found her relationship with Zander to be troublesome. He couldn’t imagine not enjoying her presence, to the point where he sometimes wondered if love at first sight was really a thing because he seemed to be infatuated from the start. Zander’s refusal to give them room to grow, oxygen so the roots of their relationship could form a solid anchor, was a constant sore spot.

  Somewhere along the way, though, things had shifted. Harper’s happiness became the most important thing to Jared. She needed Zander. That meant Jared had to find a way to put up with the man because he needed Harper. Once Shawn entered the picture, things honestly got better. Zander no longer insisted on spending all his time with Harper and Jared. He had his own romance to focus on, and it was a welcome change.

  That didn’t mean Harper and Zander embraced the notion of distance. They were still all up in each other’s business. They were far too involved with each other, as far as Jared was concerned. Things were getting better, though. The new house helped. They were embracing independence while still maintaining their close friendship.

  However, the past few days had been a test and it appeared no one was in line to receive a passing grade.

  “I think you’re just crabby and need a good night’s sleep,” Jared countered, holding open the door so she could step inside. He wanted to help, but he knew better than saying anything negative about Zander. It wouldn’t go over well and simply result in another kind of fight ... and it was one Jared refused to engage in. He’d learned his lesson over the time they’d been together. Harper might find herself irritated and at the end of her rope, but she was always going to be on Zander’s side when it came to a fight. Jared was careful never to make her choose, and not simply because he was afraid she would occasionally pick Zander over him. It was also because he worried she would tire of having to choose between them.

  Quite frankly, he and Zander had come to a meeting of the minds. They agreed to get along better for Harper’s sake. Somehow that agreement fell by the wayside this week and Jared still wasn’t certain how it happened.

  “How about I make you some hot chocolate and we get comfortable in front of the fireplace?” he suggested. “You’re agitated and need to calm down. The best way to do that is hot chocolate.”

  She cast him a sidelong look. “How do you know hot chocolate will fix this?”

  “Because I know you.” He helped her out of her coat. “This isn’t as big of a deal as you seem to think it is,” he promised. “Seriously. You both had an off night — I didn’t exactly make things better — and now everyone is angry. I don’t think it helps that Byron Jessup stopped by and roiled up an already unsettled atmosphere. What’s his deal, by the way?”

  Harper sighed and rubbed her forehead. “Can we get comfortable before I tell that story? I’m still not exactly sure what happened there. I also want to see that invitation. Did you bring it with you?”

  He nodded and dug in his pocket, coming back with one of the envelopes. “It’s right here. Zander seemed excited at the prospect of being involved in this.”

  “That’s because Zander can’t see the bigger picture.”

  “And you can?”

  “I see ... trouble.” She took the envelope and stared at it. “I’m going to get into some comfortable clothes. Can you make the hot chocolate and meet me in front of the fire in ten minutes?”

  He nodded without hesitation. “Yes. Will you tell me e
verything that’s bothering you?”

  “Yeah, although I’m not even sure I understand everything that’s bothering me.”

  “Well, then we’ll figure it out together.”

  She mustered her first real smile in almost two hours. “That sounds like a plan.”

  HARPER WORE HER FAVORITE FUZZY pajama pants and one of Jared’s oversized sweatshirts when she returned to the living room. He had hot chocolate waiting on the table and a blanket settled on the floor in front of the fireplace. The room felt cozy and warm.

  “This is nice.” Harper beamed at him as he lifted the blanket so she could get comfortable next to him. “Do you know one of the things I like most about you?”

  “My rugged good looks?”

  “That goes without saying.” She giggled as he tucked her in tightly at his side. “I like that you’re fine when I would rather dress like this than go all Victoria’s Secret crazy.”

  “Well, as happy as I am when you decide to go Victoria’s Secret crazy — and that’s a delightful way to refer to it — I like it when you’re snuggly and comfortable, too. I happen to think this outfit is the epitome of sexy.”

  She laughed, warmth filling her face and causing him to want to burrow closer. He loved these shared moments. They were what he lived for.

  “Tell me about Byron Jessup,” he prodded, causing the smile to slip. He immediately regretted his impatience.

  “It’s kind of a long story.”

  “I like long stories.”

  “Right. Well ... it all started about nine years ago. I guess it was closer to ten now — man, am I getting old — and I remember the timing exactly because it was right around our high school graduation. It will be ten years exactly in May.”

  “Okay.” Jared was familiar enough with Harper’s moods that he knew not to push her. Allowing her to tell the story in her own time was best. “Drink your hot chocolate before it gets cold.”

  Harper did as instructed, making a happy groaning noise as the chocolate-y goodness hit her lips. “Oh, I’m pretty sure this is what Heaven tastes like.”

  He laughed, watching her profile as she sobered.

  “So, the Jessups are rich. I mean ... like Scrooge McDuck rich. They could fill a pool with gold coins and dive into it. That’s how rich they are.”

  “I’m not familiar with the name, but I gathered that from the way he was dressed. I’m pretty sure that was a twenty-thousand-dollar suit.”

  Harper had trouble wrapping her head around that. “Why would anyone spend that much on a suit?”

  “I don’t know. You’ll have to ask him.”

  “I think I’ll pass. Anyway, they don’t technically live in Whisper Cove. They live on their own island in Lake St. Clair. Jennifer went to school with us, though.”

  “I’m surprised, if they’re so rich, that she went to public school. You would think that they would get private tutors or send her to boarding school or something.”

  “I never really thought about it,” Harper admitted. “That’s true. Jennifer was always a nice girl, though. She was shy and you never would’ve known by interacting with her that she lived a life of rampant privilege.

  “I mean ... she participated in all the school fundraisers,” she continued. “She baked her own stuff for bake sales and sold wrapping paper on the streets. She didn’t wear expensive clothes. I’m sure she had name brand stuff, don’t get me wrong, but it wasn’t the sort of stuff that stood out.

  “She worked on the school paper, was nice to everyone, and tried really hard not to stand out. I think she was embarrassed by the money. I don’t remember thinking that back then, but looking back now, that’s how it seems to me. She really didn’t want people treating her differently simply because her father was rich.”

  “She sounds like a person who ascended beyond her circumstances,” Jared noted. “I mean, honestly, she could’ve gotten away with being a real little jerk to all the other kids. She didn’t go that route, though. A lot of kids in her position might have.”

  “Yeah.” Harper took on a far-off expression. “She was always really nice.”

  Jared’s fingers were gentle as he slipped a strand of hair behind her ear. “Were you tight with her?”

  “We were friendly. I don’t know that I would say we were tight. I was tight with Zander and I remember hanging out with her a few times. It’s just ... Zander sucks all the oxygen out of a room. He doesn’t always mean to, but he somehow manages it. I didn’t have a lot of time for anybody else, and since we both felt like outsiders it didn’t make sense to let too many people into our secret group.”

  “It sounds like Jennifer would’ve been a good fit, though.”

  “It does.” Harper bobbed her head. “Anyway, Jennifer participated in a lot of school functions. She was very academically minded. She was on the student council and a member of the National Honor Society. She was in the French club and donated her time at a retirement center. She was a very giving girl.”

  “And yet she died,” Jared noted.

  “No, she disappeared,” Harper corrected quickly. “We don’t know that she died. We simply know that one day she was no longer here and nobody has any idea what happened to her.”

  Jared’s heart gave a little heave. It reminded him of another story he’d heard upon arriving in Whisper Cove. This one involved Harper’s former boyfriend, Quinn, who was thought dead in a car accident. Since she could see and talk to ghosts, she spent months — years really — searching the surrounding fields and woods looking for his ghost. She wanted to help him pass over.

  It turned out, however, that Quinn wasn’t dead at all. In fact, he was very much alive ... and dangerous. He returned from the dead with an unbelievable story — one that had a soap opera twist — and tried to bond with Harper again. The truth eventually came out, but Harper was hurt in the process. Jared didn’t want that to happen again. Still, he was curious.

  “What are the specifics of her disappearance? I mean ... what happened?”

  “I’m not sure I ever heard the real story,” she admitted, sipping her hot chocolate. “There were several versions going around. The first is that she ran away. People said that she hated her father because he had a reputation for being cold and distant. People said she hid her allowance for a year and ran away with enough money to live on without ever working a day in her life.”

  Jared cocked a curious eyebrow. “Did you believe that?”

  “Not even a little. Like I said, I wasn’t really tight with Jennifer, but I liked her. We talked a few times. Once, for example, there was a talent show at school. Zander and I were doing an act together — even though I was mortified at the prospect because I’m tone deaf — and my parents came to watch the show.

  “I was backstage and terrified and I complained nonstop about my parents being there,” she continued. “I said I wished they wouldn’t come. Jennifer gave me this sad little smile that I didn’t understand. She said I was lucky that my parents bothered to come, even if it embarrassed me. She also said her father never once came to a single event at the school and only her grandmother bothered to at least try to be present for certain events.”

  Jared stirred. “Is that true?”

  “I don’t know. I don’t ever remember seeing Byron Jessup at anything.”

  “That had to be hard on her.”

  “I think it was.”

  “After meeting him tonight, he didn’t exactly come across as father of the year. I mean, on one hand, he’s obviously concerned about what happened to his daughter. He wasn’t exactly what I would call emotional, though.”

  “He never was. Even in the days right after she disappeared, he would go on television and barely blink while droning on about offering money as a reward for anyone who could find her. Even then I understood there was something off about his reaction. He was willing to invest money in her well-being but not love. It was ... weird.”

  “You don’t know that he didn’t love her,” Jared arg
ued. “Some people simply have difficulty expressing themselves.”

  “And I get that. I do. It was still weird.”

  “Did you believe Jennifer ran away?”

  Harper cocked her head, considering. “I guess part of me thought it was a possibility,” she replied after a beat. “She never seemed happy. I never saw her laughing simply for the joy of being happy. Her life was about obligation and the things she had to do. There were never things she simply wanted to do and enjoy. I don’t think she was allowed.”

  “That sounds like a very sad existence. Maybe she did run away. I would run away from a life like that. Was she an adult when this went down?”

  “Yeah. She’d just turned eighteen. Why does that matter?”

  “Because, if she was an adult, she wasn’t breaking the law. Even if someone found her, they would have no jurisdiction to drag her back. That could’ve been a deliberate decision.”

  “I guess.”

  “You don’t look convinced.”

  “That’s because I’m not. The thing is, Jennifer was always sad, but she was always trying to make her father happy, too. I don’t think she would’ve purposely hurt him by taking off, no notice or anything, and leaving him to always wonder. She was fairly straightforward. I think she would’ve at least sent a letter after the fact.”

  “How do you know she didn’t do that?”

  “Because he’s looking for psychics and ghost hunters to prove she’s dead.”

  “Good point.” That brought the conversation full circle and Jared had another question. “How come you don’t want to help? I mean ... it seems like you really liked her. Even though her father is a cold fish, this is the sort of situation where you could shine. Don’t you want to help that girl who was always so sad?”

  “Yeah.” Harper bobbed her head and answered without hesitation. “I’ve always wanted to help her. I even went out to the area near the island a few times when I was a kid hoping to see a ghost. I thought I could at least point the police in the right direction. I never found her … but I don’t think I tried very hard either.”