by Rose Pressey
Mae, Anthony, and Seth followed as I stepped up the porch.
“Hi there,” I said.
“Hi, yourself,” Callahan said.
“How'd you guys get here?”
“I drove.” Mindy gestured toward her car.
I'd been so distracted I hadn't noticed when I pulled up.
“I can't believe it happened to me,” Mindy said. “I don't know why I did the things I did. I mean, I remember doing and saying them, but the whole time, it seemed right. I can't believe the things I said to you.”
“It wasn't you talking, it was Becky. Please, forget it. I want to put this whole mess behind us.”
Callahan stood. “Well, I can't believe I was zapped with two different magic spells in this short amount of time. My whole life I was unaware of this strange stuff going on around me.” Callahan stepped closer to me. Just wait until he heard what I was going to tell him. He really would think things were strange. Would it be too much for him to handle?
Mindy hugged me. “I'm going to leave you two alone. Call me in the morning. We need lots of doughnuts. I believe I owe you a couple of blueberries?”
“I love you,” I said.
“I love you, too.” She squeezed harder.
“And don't ever make those wisecracks about me again.” I wiggled my finger.
“Don't let me get around evil witches again and I won't.” She laughed.
Callahan and I watched her step from the porch and climb behind the wheel. After waving one last time, she took off down the driveway. It was just the two of us now. Well…technically not just the two of us. Mae and Seth had grabbed the rocking chairs and were all eyes for what was about to happen. Anthony turned his back like a small child sulking.
“Can I come in?” Callahan asked while looking down at his feet.
Having this gorgeous man in my house would be dangerous. And that’s exactly what I wanted…Callahan. An image of us in bed with clothes scattered around the room flashed through my mind again. I wanted it to be more than a daydream, but I didn’t know if Callahan felt the same way. I guess I was about to find out. After opening the door, I stepped inside and he followed.
“I love your house. How old is it?” he said, quietly.
“It was built in 1831.”
“You did a lot of remodeling, I guess?”
“Yes. Well, actually the people who owned it before me did all the hard work. My grandmother helped decorate it.”
Enough of the small talk. My heart thumped and my stomach tumbled.
“Well, it's great. Very cozy. I feel like I could sleep forever here and then have a big stack of pancakes in the mornings while watching the sunrise over the hill back there.” Callahan fixed his gaze on me. The longing in his voice made my stomach dance with desire.
I'd like nothing more than to see Callahan first thing in the morning stretched out across my bed.
“Larue, I’m so sorry for everything.”
“What are you sorry for? You’re the one who was attacked with another spell. I’d say this magic is out of hand around Magnolia.”
“When you explained what had happened, well, the magic had already taken hold. My mind was fuzzy.”
“Don’t apologize. Um, about that conversation that you overheard.”
“Larue, you don’t need to explain anything to me. We never said we were dating exclusively. You’re a beautiful woman and I know other men would be crazy not to be attracted to you.”
Well, he was taking it awfully easy. How very mature of him. What did I want from him? For him to start weeping uncontrollably? We’d only been seeing each other a short time—still very shaky ground.
“I understand that, but before you go on, will you let me tell you the truth?”
He stared, then said, “Sure. I’m sorry. Please continue.”
Was I really about to tell him the truth? I paused. “There’s something I need to tell you.”
“You can tell me anything.”
“The truth is…I can speak with ghosts. You know, like the psychics you see on TV. The Ghost Whisperer. Please don’t think I’m crazy.”
“What? Is that all? Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
Before I could answer, Callahan scooped me in his arms and placed his lips firmly on mine. His touch was warm and soft and my legs almost went limp with each movement of his tongue. There was one last thing I needed to take care of before things with Callahan went any further.
Chapter Forty-Seven
“You know what time it is, right guys? I have to make room for the next batch of ghosts. There’s always a next batch.”
I stared ahead, absorbed in my thoughts. So the time had come to convince the gang to move on.
Seth stood beside me and I patted him on the back for reassurance. Could he feel my touch? I guess it was the gesture that counted.
“You know, a girl needs her privacy once in a while. And like I said, before long I’ll be going on another investigation. You all know what happens on ghost hunts. There’s not enough room in my life for any more spirits.”
Seth had a sheen of tears in his eyes and I wiped the moisture from my cheeks.
“We’re going to do a little exercise. Is everyone ready? Everyone picture the light, and then envision your loved ones.”
“I don’t see a light,” Anthony said.
“Clear your mind of all other thoughts and try to envision the bright ray, and then when you do, walk toward that light.” I pushed my hands forward as if I was pushing them toward the light.
It was hard to look them in the eyes. It never got any easier. As much as I complained, I liked my ghostly friends. They were just that…friends. No matter if they were living or dead. But sometimes you have to let friends go when you know it’s the best thing for them. That’s what friendship is all about.
They stared at the ground. Suddenly their shoes were extremely interesting. I couldn’t say which one I’d miss the most. Sure, I could do without Anthony’s constant flirting, but he really was adorable. And Mae West. What could I say? How many people would love to spend just a few hours with her? Now I was sending her away.
“If you picture the light, it’ll appear. I promise,” I pressed.
“How do you know?” Anthony asked.
“Because I’ve done this a time or two,” I said.
“How do you know what’s on the other side?” Anthony crossed his arms in front of his chest.
“Well, I don’t for sure. You just have to take a leap of faith.”
“You sound like you should be writing greeting cards.” Anthony smirked.
See, that’s why I’d miss these guys. Always with the wry comments.
“I’m sure you could always come back, if it isn’t what you want.”
Listen to me! I didn’t need to encourage them to return.
“Yeah, easy for you to say.” He scowled.
“You’re right, Larue. I do need to take a leap of faith,” Seth said. “It’s what you did, so I need to follow my own advice. Where are all the other ghosts? I mean, sure there are lots, but the fact that our loved ones aren’t here haunting like we are tells me something. I worried about Callahan before, but I know as long as he has you in his corner, he’ll be okay. I’m going for it. I’m going to miss that ninja warrior show.”
I laughed.
Seth moved forward, then all of a sudden a bright light appeared. It formed above the bookshelf at the top of the ceiling, and a long beam grew until it reached the floor. Seth walked forward. Tears formed in the corners of my eyes.
“I’ll miss you, Seth.”
“I’ll miss you too, dear. Tell Callahan I love him.” He smiled, then turned and walked into the light. The glowing beam engulfed him, wrapping him in the warm glow, then disappeared with him in it.
I hated to even look at Anthony, but I couldn’t avoid it forever. When had I taken on a motherly feeling toward my ghost friends? Why couldn’t they all be like Mrs. Williams? She was the ghost who sang t
o me in the shower every morning, and in bed, at the bookstore, in the car, well, you get the point. She’d been oh-so-cantankerous, I’d practically pushed her into the light. But who was I kidding? Even she had made me feel a little sad when she left.
“I’m really glad I met you, doll.”
“Oh, Anthony, I’m glad I met you too.”
“In another time and place, I would have made you forget all about the Callahan chap.”
“I know you would have.” I smiled.
“Off into the wild blue yonder. Wish me luck. Mae, I’ll see you up there.”
“You got it, gorgeous.” Mae blew him a kiss.
“See you later, alligator,” Anthony said, then turned to face the wall opposite us.
The light appeared again. It came from the same spot at the top of the wall—a bright, white light streaming all the way to the ground. He stepped into the glow and this time, it zapped him up so quickly, my eyes barely had time to register it. It happened that way for the ones with a lot of energy.
Now it was just Mae and me.
“Well, that’s that. What do we do now? Frankly, I’m glad we got rid of those two,” Mae said.
“What? What are you talking about? I thought you were going, too?”
“No, I just said that to get those two to go.”
“But you have to go now.”
“Darling, if I’ve learned anything about the afterlife, it’s that I don’t have to do anything I don’t want to. There’s nothing to worry about now.”
“So you’d rather just roam around a place where you can’t talk to anyone and they can’t talk to you?”
“What do you mean? I can talk to you, can’t I?”
“Frankly, I’d get tired of talking to me, if I were you.”
She laughed. “See, that’s why it’s not so bad. Your sense of humor.”
“You’re afraid of the light, aren’t you? You like to play the tough cookie, but sometimes you’re the soft chewy kind of cookie.”
“That’s one of the worst metaphors I’ve ever heard.”
I quirked a brow. “Sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it. Ah, I’m just messing with you, darling. I’ll go. Thank you for an entertaining time. Truth be told, I was worried about the kid. I’m glad you got him to cross over.”
“You were good to stay with him. But that’s why you stayed?”
“He needed someone.”
“Things have a way of working out, don’t they?” I asked.
“You do good, Larue. Keep up the good work.”
The light appeared again. Brighter than I’d ever seen it. Sparkling like a diamond. Silence filled the air. Everything seemed frozen in time except for Mae as she moved toward the bright light.
When she neared the end of the beam, she turned and said, “Why don’t you come up and see me sometime?” She wiggled her eyebrows and shifted her hips back and forth.
I laughed. And with that, she turned toward the light and began walking. The light grew brighter, as if the more it pulled her into it, the more intense it became; her energy was feeding it. As Mae neared the beam, I placed my hand to my eyes, shielding them from the brilliant glow. Then the glow was gone. Silence surrounded me. The ghosts were gone…and I felt as if someone had punched me in the stomach. Sure, they were a pain in the butt, but I’d miss them.
***
I stared at Callahan stretched across my bed fast asleep. So now what? I’d gotten the guy and sent the ghosts on their way. To say that I was blissfully happy was an understatement. I tiptoed out of bed and across the hardwood floor, grabbing my robe. Callahan had wanted pancakes and, even though I wasn’t the best cook, I couldn’t wait to surprise him with a big stack of yummy pancakes.
The house was quiet as I walked from the bedroom to the foyer. No ghosts for a change. Somehow, I had a feeling it wouldn’t stay quiet for long. Before I made it into the living room, a loud rap rattled the front door. Mindy stood on my front porch. I ran over and opened the door and Mindy burst through.
“Larue, you have to help me. I think there’s a ghost in my house. Unlike you, I don’t do ghosts.”
Great. Who would this one be?
About Rose Pressey
Rose Pressey enjoys writing quirky and fun novels with a paranormal twist. The paranormal has always captured her interest. The thought of finding answers to the unexplained fascinates her.
When she's not writing about werewolves, vampires and every other supernatural creature, she loves eating cupcakes with sprinkles, reading, spending time with family, and listening to oldies from the fifties. Yeah, she loves Elvis. She can't help myself.
Rose lives in the beautiful commonwealth of Kentucky with her husband, son and two sassy Chihuahuas.
Visit her online at:
http://www.rosepressey.com
http://www.facebook.com/rosepressey
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Rose loves to hear from readers. You can email her at: [email protected]
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-One
Chapter Forty-Two
Chapter Forty-Three
Chapter Forty-Four
Chapter Forty-Five
Chapter Forty-Six
Chapter Forty-Seven
About Rose Pressey
