Ghostly Charms

by Lily Harper Hart

  “Lionel has to be your top priority. He might’ve been a crabby old man, but he didn’t deserve to die that way.”

  “No, he didn’t,” Jared agreed. “He deserved a better ending. I’m going to find out who did this to him. I can still do a little work on your guy at the same time. Once Lionel’s murder is solved, I can give your dream more attention. I’ll at least run Lucas Olsen and see what I come up with.”

  “Thank you.” Harper rested her cheek on his chest as he returned to rubbing her. “I love you, Jared.”

  They were simple words she’d said more than a hundred times, but they arrowed straight to his heart. “I love you, too.” He remained worried. She was more melancholy than she should be. This was a happy time. He wanted her smiling. “Are you sure you’re okay? I can call Mel and delay going into work for a few hours. We can go to town and have breakfast at the diner or something.”

  That was the last thing Harper wanted. “No. That’s not fair to you. You have work to do and I’m perfectly fine.”

  Jared didn’t believe that. She was still off. He knew her well enough to recognize that she would chafe if he tried to stick too close, though. She was an independent person, and if she believed she was screwing up his day, she would internalize it in an unhealthy way.

  “Well, we still have twenty minutes before I have to get into the shower,” he offered. “How about we stay exactly like this for those twenty minutes?”

  Her lips curved. “That sounds great.”

  JARED MADE A POINT OF PULLING away from the house and driving to the end of the short street before parking under a tree. He knew Harper would have to be directly looking to see he hadn’t left yet. While he didn’t want to lie to her — and would own up to what he was doing should she catch him — he also didn’t want to draw attention to his actions. It would agitate her, and that seemed like a bad way to go given the morning so far.

  He cut through the bushes and approached Zander’s house from the west. He pictured Harper sitting at the kitchen table, sipping her coffee, and was relatively assured she wasn’t looking out the window. That didn’t stop him from glancing across the street and studying the house they shared. There was no movement, which was a relief.

  Zander looked harried when he answered Jared’s knock on the door. When he saw who was waiting for him, his expression turned dark. “It’s not even eight yet,” he complained. “Why are you interrupting my morning beauty routine?”

  Jared was used to the attitude. Zander was nothing if not grumpy first thing in the morning. He knew better than commenting on it. “I need a favor from you.”

  Zander’s eyebrows winged up. “You interrupted my beauty routine and you want a favor? Did you have a big cup of crazy with your Wheaties this morning?”

  “I need you to spend some time with Harper.”

  “I always spend time with Harper.”

  “Yes, but I need you to stick close to her, take care of her.”

  Zander’s forehead wrinkled. “Do I even want to know what this is about? Wait ... did you change your mind about the small wedding?” Hope flared in the depths of his eyes. “I have some great ideas if you did. Just let me grab the binder I’ve been keeping.” He moved to disappear inside the house, but Jared grabbed his arm to stop him.

  “We haven’t changed our minds about the size of the wedding,” Jared insisted, pinning Zander with a serious expression. “You need to let that go. It’s our wedding and we both know what we want. No matter what you say, I know you want her happy. This is going to be one of the biggest days of her life; you can’t force your choices on her. That’s not the way this is going to work.”

  Zander let loose a dramatic sigh. “Ugh. Whatever. If this isn’t about the wedding, what is it about?”

  “She had a dream last night.”

  “Did your nipples grow teeth and try to attack her? That sounds like the nightmare to end all nightmares.”

  Even though he was there to ask a favor, Jared found his patience wearing thin. “Zander, I’m being serious. This is important to me. It’s important to her.”

  Perhaps reading something in the serious tilt of Jared’s head, Zander straightened. “What’s wrong? She’s okay, isn’t she?”

  This was the reaction Jared was expecting. “She’s upset. She’s trying not to show it, but she’s genuinely upset. I need you to watch her.” In short order, he described the dream to Zander, leaving nothing out but not embellishing as he pushed forward. “She needs you to stick close to her. I don’t want her dwelling on this all day.”

  “It sounds like a creepy dream.” Zander rolled his neck and flexed his fingers. “I don’t blame her for being upset about that dream. It would upset me, too.”

  “It would upset anyone,” Jared agreed. “She’s trying to put on a brave face, though. I need you to watch her, give her a sounding board. I also need you to make sure she doesn’t take off trying to find that spot in the woods.”

  “You said she didn’t recognize it.”

  “That won’t stop her from looking.”

  Because he believed that to his very core, Zander nodded. “I’ll watch her. You have my word.”

  “I want you to do more than that. I want you to make sure she has fun. She’s ... sad. She’s trying to cover, but she’s upset. You’re the only person I know who can fix that right now. I’m trusting you to do just that.”

  Zander’s expression brightened. “Ah. You’re finally grasping my worth. I can totally do this for you. In fact, I have an idea that will benefit all of us.”

  The quick change in his demeanor had Jared scrambling. “I’m almost afraid to ask.”

  “It doesn’t involve you anyway.” Zander’s head was already spinning with possibilities. “This is going to work out great. We’re dead at work anyway. This is ... awesome.”

  Jared thought about pressing him further but ultimately opted against it. He didn’t have time. And, quite frankly, Zander knew what he was doing. If anyone could pull Harper out of her doldrums, it was him.

  “Do you need anything from me to make this day happen?” he queried. “Money or anything?”

  Zander snorted. “I’ve got everything under control. Trust me.”

  Jared was worried ... and yet placated all the same. One thing he could always count on Zander for was taking care of Harper. She was the one thing they would always have in common.

  “Thank you.”

  Zander’s smile was benign. “I love her, too.”

  “I know you do.”

  “I love her best.”

  Jared sighed. “I’m going to let that one go because you’re doing me a favor.”

  “That’s probably best.”

  10

  Ten

  Harper was still in her pajamas and sitting in front of her computer when Zander let himself into her house. He didn’t bother knocking because there was no one to complain with Jared gone. She didn’t even look up when he moved behind her.

  “Who is Lucas Olsen?”

  “No one,” Harper replied, moving to shut the laptop. She was frustrated because she couldn’t find mention of the name in southeast Michigan. Not anywhere. Not in the past few days, or weeks, or even months.

  There was simply nothing.

  She wasn’t a good liar under the best of circumstances. The circles under her eyes told Zander they were dealing with anything but ideal circumstances. Jared had been right to tap him for duty. He was obviously needed here.

  “That’s good.” He helped her close the laptop and fixed her with a bright smile. “It’s time to get in the shower. We have an appointment.”

  That was news to her. “We do?”

  He bobbed his head. “We do. It wasn’t easy to wrangle at the last minute, but I’m so charming Cecily couldn’t turn me down.”

  “Who is Cecily?”

  “She owns The Dress Is the Trick in Royal Oak. It’s a bit of a drive, but I think it will be worth it.”

  Harper’s brain wasn
’t firing on all cylinders so she found she was still behind. “I don’t understand.”

  “We’re going dress shopping.” Zander’s tone was no-nonsense. “If you insist on getting married by the end of the summer — personally, I would wait a year so you could really do this shindig up right, but I obviously don’t get a vote — then you have to start with the dress. It takes weeks to get them tailored correctly.”

  Harper worked her jaw. “Um ... you want to go today?”

  “Why not today?”

  “I ... don’t ... know.” Slowly, things started to clear for Harper. “Jared sent you over here, didn’t he?”

  Zander could’ve lied. It would’ve backfired on him, though. She would’ve let it go, at least for a time, and then questioned Jared about it herself. He was such a goody-goody that he would’ve owned up to it after one question. He certainly wasn’t the sort of spy Zander wanted on his teams when the Russians finally did invade.

  “He’s worried,” Zander admitted, opting to go with the truth. “After seeing you, so am I. Is Lucas Olsen the kid you dreamed about?”

  Harper scowled. “He shouldn’t have called you. I’m perfectly fine. I don’t want him spending his day worrying.”

  “He dropped by the house, which I think means he’s extra worried. He wanted to make sure he talked to me in person so I didn’t blow him off.”

  “Well, great.” Harper ran a disgruntled hand through her snarled hair. “I probably shouldn’t have told him about the dream.”

  Zander wanted to laugh. “You’re both goody-goodies when it comes to that stuff. You did the right thing. He did the right thing, too.”

  “Since when do you stick up for Jared? I thought you were convinced he was a friend thief.”

  “Oh, he’s a friend thief. He just happens to be one who loves my best friend with his whole heart. I can’t fault the guy because I feel the same way. And, like I said, he’s right. You need a distraction.”

  Harper believed otherwise. “I want to find Lucas Olsen. Maybe, since you know about it, you can help.”

  “Or maybe we should go dress shopping and entertain your suggestion another day.”

  “He’s dead, traumatized. I have to help him.”

  “And you will. You can’t go back in time and save him, though. I think you need to focus on something else, even if it’s only for a few hours. If you still feel this strongly about it after lunch, then I’ll help you do some research.”

  Harper sensed a trick. Zander’s least favorite thing was grunt work. “Do you promise?”

  “Yes, if you promise to try on at least ten dresses and let me veto the really ugly ones.”

  Yup. It was definitely a trap. “If I really like a dress you hate, I’m going to get it. You’ve been warned.”

  “I guess we’ll have to save that argument for later. For now, you need to get dressed. I’ll even take you to Starbucks for your favorite mocha before we head out. It looks like you could use the caffeine.”

  On that front, Harper couldn’t disagree. “Okay, but I don’t want anything really big or ... floopy.”

  “I don’t even know what that word means.”

  “You will when I show you an example.”

  “Fair enough.” He clapped his hands, causing her to jolt. “Chop, chop. Your future awaits.”

  Since she was out of points to argue, she slowly got to her feet. “Okay, but lace is out, too. I hate lace.”

  “I can tell we’re going to have a delightful morning.”

  Harper had to agree. Ah, well. Let the battle of wills begin.

  JARED BARELY HAD TIME TO SET up the search on Lucas Olsen before Mel tapped him to leave.

  “What?” Jared found he was grouchy. He had no doubt it was due to nerves over Harper, but he had no way of tamping down his agitation, so he didn’t even bother trying.

  “You’re in a lovely mood, huh?” Mel gave his partner a once-over. “What’s wrong with you?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Right. You’re always this grumpy lately. Oh, wait, you’re not. No, you’re the guy who has little hearts floating over his head because he’s so in love with a certain blonde.”

  Jared’s lips curved into a reluctant smile. “I am in love with her.”

  “So, I ask again, what’s wrong?”

  “She just didn’t sleep well. She had a nightmare.”

  Mel waited for him to expand. When he didn’t, an exasperated sigh escaped the older detective’s lips. “You’re going to have to get it together. I mean ... seriously. You’re getting married. If you let the fact that your significant other doesn’t get a full night’s sleep affect you, you’re going to be a sad individual moving forward.”

  “Are you saying you’re fine if your wife has a bad night?”

  “I don’t even notice.”

  “Well, that’s not the type of husband I want to be. Besides, it wasn’t a normal bad dream. It was more ... in-depth.”

  Mel arched an eyebrow. “I’m probably going to be afraid I asked, but do you want to expand on that?”

  Jared shrugged, noncommittal. When he first joined the department, Mel was the one who insisted he give Harper’s abilities a chance. When he first stumbled across a woman poking her nose into his case, a beautiful siren who claimed she could talk to ghosts and had insight from beyond the grave, he thought there was a legitimate chance she was a kook. Mel argued otherwise, which made him question his new partner.

  Within a few days, though, he began to realize that Harper was the real deal. Beneath that sunny flaxen hair and those big blue eyes, she was special ... and he was a goner from that moment on. Despite all that, Mel was still antsy when the topic of Harper’s abilities sprouted up. He didn’t like talking about it. Jared had come to the conclusion that it was his Catholic upbringing, but he didn’t care enough to delve deep. Instead, he told him about the dream. When he was finished, Mel looked genuinely perplexed.

  “I don’t recognize that name,” he said. “I think I would remember that story, too, even if it were older.”

  “I don’t think he’s an old ghost. Harper said he was wearing a hoodie. I just ... she’s bothered by it, and if this guy is coming into our bedroom — a place she should be safe — I want to come up with some answers. It will be better for the both of us over the long haul.”

  “I can’t disagree with you there.” Mel rolled his neck. “Well, have you run a search?”

  “I just started it. Then you interrupted me. What do you have?”

  “Artie Fletcher called. He says someone sold an item to him yesterday that we might find interesting.”

  “And what item is that?”

  “A mother-of-pearl straight razor.”

  Jared was dumbfounded. “Seriously? Does he have a description of our suspect? Why didn’t he call us sooner?”

  “Because he didn’t hear about Lionel’s death until he was watching the ten o’clock news last night. He said he didn’t even think about it. As for a description, why do you think I’m tapping you? We need to interview him. He might even have video footage, although the last time I checked, those cameras he’s got are just for show. He says he doesn’t need them because we’re far enough out we don’t attract the real dregs.”

  “It seems he attracted one this time.”

  “Yeah. It really does. We need to head over there, which means you need to put Harper’s ghost in the rearview for a bit. I know you’re worried — that’s written all over your face — but we have a job to do.”

  “And I intend to do it.” Jared was firm as he got to his feet. “Let’s go. The sooner we solve Lionel’s murder — and get this person, or individuals off the street — the better.”

  “Because you’ll be able to focus on Harper?”

  Jared nodded without hesitation. “She’s upset. I don’t like it when she’s upset.”

  “You’ll get over that eventually, too. I look forward to when my wife is upset. It means she’s not talking to me.”

/>   “I happen to like it when Harper talks to me.”

  “Yes, but you’re a weirdo.”

  “I guess we’ll have to disagree on that.”

  “You’ll realize I’m right eventually.”

  “I seriously doubt it.”

  HARPER HATED TO ADMIT IT, but the shop Zander chose was lovely. The dresses were understated — which was exactly what she wanted — and Cecily was an absolute dream. She seemed to read Harper’s mood right from the start.

  “Here’s the thing,” Cecily supplied, her expression grave. “You need to try on two dresses you absolutely hate first. That will open your channels to one you will love.”

  Harper was taken aback. “Is that really a thing?”

  “It is.”

  The blonde slid her eyes to Zander. “Did you put her up to this just so you could see me in an ugly dress?”

  “Of course not.” He rolled his eyes. “What a ridiculous thing to say. Besides, Cecily doesn’t have any ugly dresses.”

  “I don’t,” Cecily agreed, matter-of-fact. “I think it’s better to say that I have dresses that simply aren’t for you. There’s no such thing as an ugly wedding dress, or an ugly bride for that matter. Truly, I hate that word anyway.”

  To be fair, Harper did, too. Instead of fighting the effort, she opted to embrace it. “Okay, well, I don’t want anything that’s as wide as it is tall and I don’t like a lot of lace.”

  “Then I think I have just the thing for you.” Cecily’s eyes sparkled as she moved toward one of the racks at the front of the store. When she returned, she held a dress that made Harper cringe. “This has a bell hoop and it swishes when you walk. Some brides like the noise because it keeps the attention on them. I have a feeling you’re going to be the exact opposite.”

  “You’ve got that right.”

  “So ... let’s try it on.”

  Harper grabbed the dress and moved toward the dressing room, Zander on her heels. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”

  “Trust me. I’ve never had a bride leave unhappy. It’s my job to find the perfect dress for you. While you’re trying on that dress, and maybe another very similar, I’ll pull together a few I think you’re going to like. If you don’t like them, you can leave with no hard feelings. How does that sound?”