Ghostly Charms

by Lily Harper Hart

  “I have plenty of money,” she reassured him. “As for the dress ... it’s everything I ever could’ve hoped for. It’s perfect. Even Zander agreed. It’s not fancy or anything, but he started crying.”

  Jared smiled at the picture she was painting. “That’s great. Do you have a photo?”

  She shot him a dubious look. “You can’t see my wedding dress before the big day. It’s bad luck.”

  “I don’t happen to believe in that superstition.”

  “Well, I do, and you’re not seeing the dress until the wedding. Besides, don’t you want to be surprised when you see me walking down the aisle?”

  “You’re going to be the most beautiful woman in the world regardless. If you don’t want me to see the dress before the wedding, that’s your decision. I’ll be good and not snoop. Is it in the closet?”

  The look she shot him was withering. “Please. Wedding dresses have to be altered. The one I found is a pretty good fit, but I’ve still got six weeks of alterations to muddle through. I’ll have it in plenty of time for the wedding.”

  “Fair enough.”

  She hesitated and then realized they could both use a laugh and went for it. “Um ... to warm me up and open my channels for picking the right dress — and, no, I’m not going to explain that because it’s too complicated — I tried on three of the ugliest dresses you’ve ever seen to get it out of my system. Zander took photos of that. Do you want to see?”

  She was so gleeful about the prospect Jared could do nothing but nod.

  She retrieved her phone from the nightstand and clicked on the camera. “You’re going to die laughing.” She scrolled with her finger and pulled up the first one. “Look how hideous this is.”

  His mouth went dry when he saw the photo. He couldn’t have described the dress. Those sort of things didn’t click in his head. He just saw her and a bunch of white fabric. He also saw her smile, the laugh in her eyes, and fell in love all over again.

  “Oh, God. You really are going to be the most beautiful bride ever.”

  When Harper turned to him, she found his eyes glassy with unshed tears. For some reason, his reaction made her want to cry. “I really love you.”

  “Oh, I love you more than anything.” He reached for her. “Come here. I want to show you.”

  She snorted. “Again? Apparently you are sugared and carbed up.”

  “Let me show you.”

  “Okay, but don’t wear yourself out. You need to save some for the honeymoon.”

  “I have plenty in reserve. Trust me.”

  14

  Fourteen

  Harper’s dreams were convoluted but no longer terrifying. This time she was expecting Lucas when he arrived in the woods. Unlike before, however, she didn’t panic when she found herself in unfamiliar territory. She simply prepared herself.

  “You’re waiting for me,” he noted as he loitered at the edge of the small clearing. “I didn’t think you would come. Not after ... well, not after.”

  Harper’s heart went out to him. “I’m not a fan of how you approached this,” she admitted. “You shouldn’t pretend to be someone else.”

  He made a protesting sound. “I wasn’t pretending to be him. I just ... I thought you would be more comfortable if you believed he was with you. It’s not like I touched you or anything.” He looked morose. “I’m not a skeevy pervert.”

  He sounded so bereaved when he delivered the last line that Harper couldn’t stop herself from smiling. “I didn’t think you were a pervert. You don’t have to worry about that.”

  “Really?” He was hopeful. “Will you help me?”

  “That’s why I’m here.”

  “Great. Um ... what do we do now?”

  “Well, for starters, I need you to come to me during the day. I know it’s difficult for you, but we have some things to talk about.”

  “Like what? I showed you what happened.”

  “Yes, but there’s not much to go on there. I need to know who killed you.”

  “I showed you.”

  Her lips curved down. He was adamant to the point of being combative and yet she was at a loss. “You showed me what happened to you. I appreciate that ... and kind of hate you for it because it’s something I’ll never forget. The face was blurry, though. I need you to tell me who killed you.”

  “What do you mean?” Lucas appeared genuinely puzzled. “I don’t understand.”

  That made two of them. “You showed me your death but ... the killer had no face.”

  “I don’t see how that’s possible. I showed you what I saw.”

  “Okay, but ... can’t you just tell me the name of your killer?”

  “I ... .” He hesitated, to the point where Harper had to break the silence or go insane.

  “You don’t remember who killed you, do you?” It wasn’t unheard of for ghosts to grapple with the notion of death. When they woke, many were convinced they were somehow dreaming and would be able to reclaim their lives. The trauma of their deaths was often enough to dislodge rational thought, and create holes in their memories.

  For some, mostly those who were killed by someone they loved, it was often a case of not wanting to see the truth. Given what happened to Lucas, Harper couldn’t help wondering if that’s what she was dealing with here.

  “Can I ask you something?” she queried, her tone light and friendly.

  He nodded, although his brow remained furrowed and it was obvious he was trying to remember what happened to him. The fact that his memory was clouded seemed to be throwing him for a loop.

  “How sure are you that a man killed you?”

  “I ... .”

  “Or a boy.”

  “I don’t ... .” He looked genuinely flustered. “Why can’t I remember? I showed you. I remembered when I showed you. I know I did.”

  “I don’t necessarily think that’s true,” she countered. “Tell me about Rain Porter. You followed her here. How come? Did she kill you?”

  “Rain was ... Rain ... um ... .”

  “You know her.” Harper decided to focus on a single point. “You went to school with her, right?”

  “Rain and I went to school together,” he finally confirmed. “We spent a lot of time together because we were in several classes together. We were both smart.”

  “That’s good.” Harper beamed at him as a form of encouragement. “Being smart is very good. Did you spend a lot of time together outside of school?”

  “Not really. She had different friends. They ... um ... they didn’t want her to be smart so she pretended she wasn’t. The last few months before ... well ... it happened, she was pretending she wasn’t smart.”

  “How come?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t know. I think it was because her parents died and she wanted attention. I heard my mother saying that to my dad when I explained how she was purposely getting answers wrong on her tests.”

  “How did you know she was getting the answers wrong on purpose?”

  “Because she knew that material backward and forward. She was smart and ... this isn’t right.” He shook his head and turned toward the woods. “I need to remember. How could I forget? This isn’t right.”

  Apparently Lucas could focus on nothing but his memory loss. Harper was starting to regret pointing it out, but she didn’t see where she had an option if she wanted answers. “Lucas ... .”

  “I’ll be back. You wait here. I’ll be back.” He started in the direction he’d led her the previous night and Harper knew exactly what he was going to see. She couldn’t bear witness to that again.

  “Come see me during the day, Lucas,” she called out to his back as he hurried into the foliage. “I need to talk to you during the day. It’s important.”

  “I need to see.”

  “Lucas ... .”

  He was already gone, and she refused to follow. He would have to find her on his own. He had no other choice.

  HARPER AND JARED WERE ENTWINED WITH one another when they
woke the next morning. It was impossible to ascertain where her legs ended and his began, where her arms became his. They clung to one another, her face pressed against his chest, and he smiled when he woke and saw how they’d managed to sleep.

  Honestly, he had to bite back a laugh because he found it hilarious.

  “It’s too early for your brain to be firing on all cylinders like it is,” Harper complained, her voice thick with sleep.

  Jared shifted his gaze to her smooth face and smiled. Her eyes were still closed, her hair standing on end, but she had this placid expression on her face that made him giddy with love. “I’m not firing on all cylinders.”

  “Then what are you doing?”

  “Watching my lovely wife-to-be sleep.”

  “And how fascinating do you find that?”

  “You would be surprised.”

  “I think you’re just juiced up on some residual sex hormones.”

  He snorted. “And I think I love you.” He moved his mouth to her neck and made exaggerated chomping noises as she squirmed. “You’re so pretty.” Kiss. “And sweet.” Another kiss. “And the most beautiful woman in the world.”

  Harper was laughing so hard she was gasping for breath. It took everything she had to hold it together. “Stop. Oh, my ... that tickles. Jared!” She squealed as he rolled around the bed with her, tears coming to her eyes due to merriment.

  Just when things were about to turn steamy again, Jared’s phone dinged on the nightstand.

  “No, no, no!” His frustration was obvious as he glanced over his shoulder at the interrupting object. “Why? I was halfway there.”

  “You were more than halfway.” Harper propped herself on her elbows and watched as he answered the phone, rolling closer to him and pressing her lips against the ridge of his ear.

  “Hello.” He had to cover the receiver to make sure the individual on the other end didn’t hear him groaning because her lips were driving him crazy. He shot her a quelling look and forced himself to listen to the speaker. “Yeah, Mel, I’m up.” He didn’t look happy to be talking to his partner. “I’m not due in for more than an hour, though.”

  He trailed his hand down Harper’s slim back as he listened to what Mel had to say. Harper managed to convince herself he would be able to return and finish what they started until he bolted upright in the bed.

  “What?”

  All thoughts of romance fled as Harper sat with him. “What is it? What happened? It’s not Zander, is it? Rain didn’t go after him, did she?”

  Jared held up a finger to quiet her and then began nodding. “Give me thirty minutes. I’ll meet you there.” His expression was grave when he glanced at Harper. He wasn’t relishing sharing his news with her. “Something has happened.”

  Harper felt sick to her stomach. “It’s not Zander, right?”

  “No.” He rubbed his hands up and down her arms. “It’s not Zander. It’s not your parents. It’s not anyone you care about.”

  “Quinn?”

  His eyes darkened. “No. I don’t want you worrying about him at all. He’s not worth your time.”

  “I’m going to have to testify against him at some point, so he’s definitely going to be eating some of my time.”

  “This isn’t about him.”

  “Then who is it about?”

  “Rain. She’s gone missing. We’re not sure where she’s at or what she’s up to, but she’s definitely gone.”

  Harper understood without further explanation what that meant. “I’ll go with you.” She tossed off the covers. “You might need me there if things get out of hand with Ezra. I’m the one who started this.”

  “Rain is the one who started this,” he corrected. “I want you with me, though.” What he didn’t say was that he was worried enough about Rain’s state of mind that he legitimately feared for Harper’s life if the teenager decided she wanted payback. “We need to shower quickly. Mel is already on his way.”

  “Then come on. We don’t have any time to waste.”

  MEL AND EZRA WERE STANDING IN FRONT of the apartment building on Blinker Street when Jared and Harper pulled up. Ezra looked to be gesturing wildly as Mel glanced over and did the biggest double-take. It was obvious he was surprised to see Harper. Wisely, he kept that observation — or complaint as it were — to himself.

  “Have you found her?” Ezra asked anxiously as Jared closed the distance.

  “We haven’t even started looking yet,” Jared admitted. “We did swing by the park on the way here, just to see, but it was empty. It’s too early in the morning for the kids to be hanging out.”

  “You have to find her.” Ezra’s voice cracked as he made the demand. “I know what she did yesterday was ... well, terrible ... but that’s not who she is. She’s just upset. She can’t seem to get her bearings.”

  Confused, Mel glanced between faces. “It seems I must be missing part of the story. What happened yesterday?”

  “It’s my fault,” Harper volunteered. “I’m the one who caused this.”

  “You’re the one who caused Rain to disappear?” Mel was obviously dubious. “How did you manage that? Did you tell her about seeing ghosts and freak her out?”

  “Kind of,” Harper hedged.

  “Oh, geez.” Mel pinched the bridge of his nose and looked to the sky. “Somebody tell me ... and make it snappy.”

  Jared did the deed, leaving nothing out. Since he was at the heart of matters, he felt this was his job. When he was finished, Mel was incredulous. He wasn’t angry with Jared, though. No, his fury was pointed directly at Ezra.

  “Does she think that’s funny? Does she have any idea the damage she could do to Jared by claiming something like that? He was trying to help her, keep her out of trouble. That’s not how to pay someone back.”

  Helpless, Ezra held out his hands. “I don’t believe her. You don’t have to worry about that. We argued last night after Harper and Zander left. I told her that she couldn’t go around saying things like that and she ... melted down.

  “She said it didn’t matter what she said, that nobody ever believed her, and she was sick of being ignored,” he continued “I tried to calm her down. She’s always been a little high strung. It’s only gotten worse since our parents died. Still, I thought I could talk her down. I figured we would talk things out and she would see the error of her ways.”

  “I’m guessing that didn’t work,” Mel said dryly.

  “No. She screamed at me, threw a picture frame at my head. It held the last photo we took together as a family. I came home the spring before they died and my mother insisted on a photo in front of the house. I thought it was corny at the time but ... .”

  “You’re glad you have it now,” Harper finished.

  He nodded, solemn. “I’m so sorry for what happened yesterday.” He choked up as he spoke. “I didn’t mean to jump all over you. I believe that you were trying to help. No, really, I do. I know you don’t want to hurt Rain. It’s just ... she’s all I have left of my parents. I want to protect her.”

  “There’s a difference between protecting and enabling her,” Jared noted. “Luckily for me, I wasn’t all that worried when Harper told me what happened. There were witnesses who saw me walking her back to your gallery that day. All of my time was basically accounted for, every second.”

  “I never believed you touched her,” Ezra promised, earnest. “I knew you wouldn’t. You’re a good guy and she is ... so messed up. This isn’t the first time she’s told me that an older man came on to her. I believed her the first three times. I couldn’t believe her a fourth, though. I just knew she was making it up.”

  Jared pursed his lips, considering. “She’s done this before?”

  Ezra gnawed on his bottom lip and nodded.

  “When?”

  “Once with my aunt, who didn’t believe her from the beginning. That’s when things really started to deteriorate between them. I came for a visit because my aunt insisted and Rain kind of unloaded about her no
t believing the story. I thought some of the details were fishy, but she’s my sister. I believe you should always side with victims.”

  “But she did it again,” Harper said.

  “Yeah. Three times total, before Jared. I knew when she started talking yesterday that she was going to play this card. She can’t seem to help herself. I don’t know what’s wrong with her. She’s obsessed with sex, with people hitting on her and staring at her. It started within the last eight months or so. It’s ... troubling.”

  “Well, you might not want to hear it, but it seems to suggest sexual trauma to me,” Jared volunteered out of the blue.

  Harper snapped her eyes to her fiancé. “What?”

  “Sexual trauma,” he repeated. “What form that trauma takes is still up in the air, but Rain shows all the signs. She’s accusing people of being inappropriate with her because at one time someone was. I’m guessing she didn’t report it at the time because she didn’t think anyone would believe her and she regrets that now. That’s why, when you didn’t believe her about what I supposedly did, she melted down. It was confirmation that she’d been right the first time.”

  “That’s conjecture,” Mel argued. “You don’t know that’s true.”

  “No, but it feels true, doesn’t it? Your parents have been gone for a year, Ezra, and yet Rain didn’t start acting up until months after that. There had to be an incident that set her off. While it could’ve been the death of your parents, while tragic, that probably didn’t feel like a personal attack on her. Something else happened to turn the girl you remember into someone else entirely.”

  Ezra’s face was unusually pale. “Do you really think that’s true?”

  “I do. I think she desperately needs to talk to someone, admit what happened, and do something to make that individual pay.”

  Harper cleared her throat to get everyone’s attention. “You said her demeanor changed about the time Lucas Olsen died.”