Safe Landing

by Tess Oliver

  I smiled and shook my head.

  “What a shame my grandmother never saw the letters. Are they nice letters?’

  “Sebastian Middleton was very in love with your grandmother.”

  “I believe she was fond of him as well.”

  Darn it. That statement did not tell me much. I was hoping she would say Emily was madly and tragically in love with Sebastian. Then I could tell him and that would be the end of his unfinished ghost business. He could move on knowing she loved him and I would not have to think about the diary, or Hank, or Seth. Or that damn kiss that I had shoved out of my mind until just now. “I’ll take Dusty back to his stall so he can finish his hay.”

  “It’s been a pleasure meeting you, Brazil. I think this will work out nicely for Moses and me.” She reached up and patted Dusty on the neck. “And for the horses.”

  I smiled at her. “I think it’s going to work out great for me too.” On the way back to the stall, I contemplated lying to Sebastian about what Trudy had said. It wouldn’t really be lying. I’d just be embellishing it a bit. But something told me, he could tell if I wasn’t being honest. He seemed to have incredible senses, dead as they were, when it came to me.

  ****

  “Something happened today. I can see it in the flush of your skin,” Sebastian’s voice drifted over my shoulder as I finished an essay for English. It was the worst I’d ever written, but my mind had been jumbled all day.

  “The flush of my skin? You’re making that up because you’re curious if I talked to the Warner boy. You could just ask, you know.”

  “I’m not making anything up. You’re much more--much more pink than you were when you left this morning.” His mood seemed brighter. The cocky grin surfaced through the mist.

  “There is this strange, little star in the sky during the day called the Sun. You may have heard of it. It sort of follows us around while we are outside, and it causes us to get pink.”

  “Did you use this sarcasm on the Warner boy today? If so, I’m sure he has already fallen madly in love with you.”

  I laughed nervously. “I don’t think love would be the word to use. Mad--yes. But love--no. I sort of referred to him as a lump of shit today.”

  With a flash, Sebastian was sitting on my computer desk glowering down at me.

  “And why, pray tell, would you call him a lump of shit?”

  “Because he is one.”

  My homework books flew off my desk and crashed into the opposite wall. I jumped off the chair and backed away. “You know maybe your temper is what scared Emily away.” I heard the words spill out of my mouth before they could be stopped.

  But nothing else flew against the wall or, for that matter, my head. Sebastian vanished.

  “Don’t I get to explain at least?” I called into the air. “He called me a bitch.”

  As if someone had flipped a switch, he was back sitting on my desk. “What kind of gentleman calls a girl a bitch?”

  “That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you. Hank is a pig. He is a crude, despicable bully.”

  “Then forget the diary. You must stay away from this swine.”

  “No problem.”

  Sebastian’s form washed over the floor. He laid back and put his arms behind his head. The rose pattern on the area rug showed through his shirt and face. “I guess I will have to haunt you forever then.”

  I glared down at him. It was surprising how smug a ghost could look. I shrugged. “Go right ahead. Besides, when I die, I’m going to track you down in whatever world you’re floating around and annoy you for eternity.”

  I removed my boots and lifted them up to smile at the dust covering the brown leather. I drew a heart in the dirt. “I rode today.”

  “Rode what?”

  “A horse.”

  “You’d mentioned you were an equestrian. I owned a horse in England, but I never had one here in the states.”

  “I left mine behind in Boston, but I’m going to get him back one day.” After several hours at the stable, I was determined to buy Carrington back and bring him here to Pelican Bay. I placed my boots beneath my computer desk and glanced down at the ghost floating above my rug. “The horse I rode belongs to an older woman named Trudy.”

  He floated up to the window and gazed down at the beach.

  “She’s Emily granddaughter.”

  His image spun around to face me. “Why did you not tell me?”

  “Waiting for the right time, I guess. You do tend to overreact about things. Makes it tough to just blurt out info.”

  He floated closer. “What was she like? Was she beautiful? Did she mention Emily? Emily has a granddaughter? What did she say?”

  I put up my hands up to stop the barrage of questions. “Whoa there, Spunky, give me a chance.” I tapped my chin. “Let’s see. She is very tiny and sweet. A little wrinkled around the edges but beautiful. Yes, we talked about Emily. And obviously she has a granddaughter because I was talking to her and she said Emily was her grandma so that makes sense, I think. And she said Emily was fond of you.” I slumped back on my chair. “I think that covers it.”

  Sebastian’s image blurred as he hovered near me. Cool charges of static electricity made the hairs on my arm stand up. “You are toying with me, Brazil. What else did she say? I must know.”

  “You see. Look at you. Your molecules or whatever you call the stuff are bouncing all over the place. I can’t tell you anything without you getting all kookoo bananas on me. She said Emily was fond of you. That was the exact word she used. Fond. I could have lied and said she was crazy in love with you but you are already a very unstable ghost. I didn’t want you to find out I was lying and do something crazy.”

  He disappeared instantly leaving behind only a swirl of moisture.

  “See. I can’t even tell you one little thing without you going all invisible on me. And I know you’re there and you’re listening.” I grabbed my sweats. “I’m going to change now so don’t look. Grump.” My stuffed hippo flew off the bed and smacked the back of my head.

  Chapter 13

  I’d never gone back and forth on something so much in my life, but by Saturday morning I’d decided to try for the diary again. I had not heard from or seen Seth since the kiss, and I’d solidly convinced myself that he had just used me to get back at his girlfriend. The last thing I needed was to go loopy for a guy who had no real interest in me. So Hank was my target, and I intended to get invited to his house so I could snoop.

  The party was on the beach so I dug in my drawers for my secret weapon-- my blazing blue bikini. But after trying it on, I was nearly blinded by the whiteness of my skin. So I covered up with a t-shirt and khaki shorts. I wouldn’t reveal the bikini unless desperate measures were called for.

  “Although things were grand back in my day, I have nothing but praise for the evolution of the swimsuit.”

  I sat down on my window seat to buckle my sandals. “Exactly how long have you been watching me?”

  “I assure you I am always the gentleman. I was merely noting that less is more when it comes to swimsuits.”

  I walked to the mirror and rubbed sunscreen on my face. “I’ve decided to try for the diary, after all.”

  The sound of paws and footsteps pounded in the hallway and Sebastian vanished. Mom stepped inside. “I’m glad you’re going to the beach party.” She stepped closer and reached up with her thumb to rub the white streak of sun block from my eyebrow. She thought I was going to the party to be social.

  I smoothed my hair back and tucked it behind my ears. “I’m going so I can flirt shamelessly with the school bully and get invited to his house, so I can steal an old diary for a lovesick ghost.”

  “Zilly,” she laughed, “the stories that pop into that head of yours.” She smacked my butt with the back of her hand. “Try to have fun.” She turned to leave then looked back over her shoulder. “Will Seth be there?’

  What was her obsession with Seth? I shrugged and grabbed my sunglasses from t
he desk. “He got suspended for fighting, so I don’t know if he’ll be there.”

  “Suspended? And he seemed like such a nice guy.”

  I kissed her on the cheek. “Aren’t you the one who always tells me that looks can be deceiving? See ya.”

  My new school was a lot smaller than the one in Boston, but the beach was crowded with the junior class by the time I’d arrived. Cheesy beach décor of fake palm trees and fishing nets had been set up to give the party a beachy feeling, which was kind of redundant since it was obviously a beach party. The involved moms who seemed to hang around the school wishing they were reliving their glory days were setting up portable grills and tables with sodas, chips, mustard, and buns. Apparently hot dogs were on the menu.

  I was happy to see that I wasn’t the only person whose skin color could be camouflaged in the white sand. Most of the other girls had already removed their cover-up clothes, but I wasn’t ready to part with mine. Hank’s bloated, blonde head was bobbing up and down in the volleyball game but I didn’t see Seth. I didn’t know if I was glad about that or not.

  “Hi, Brazil.” Julie was sipping a root beer and wearing a brown bikini to match.

  “Hey. So this is the famous junior year beach party.” Julie and I didn’t have a lot in common, and our conversations usually went to meaningless subjects.

  She looked around. “This is it. I can’t believe I’ve waited eleven years for this. Check out those corny decorations.”

  I smiled. “Looks like a party store exploded out here.”

  Julie laughed. “You’re so funny.” She moved closer to me. “Is it true that you were the girl Seth kissed to piss off Gina?”

  Wow, that was an abrupt switch in subjects. “Unfortunately, yes. My lips were in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

  “Oh my gosh, how humiliating.” She began to pour her soda into the sand. “This stuff is flat.” It was like watching a tennis match with the way Julie smacked the subject back and forth from one place to another. “Everyone says he made the kiss look real.” Match point.

  “If you mean real in the sense that our lips touched, then yes.”I pushed my hands into my pockets and turned to watch the volleyball game. It actually looked fun, and it would be a way to talk to Hank. Although my resolve to flirt with him and get the diary had evaporated to little more than a puddle on my way here. I decided on my own topic switch. “Can anyone play in the volleyball game?”

  Julie nodded. “Just get in the line to rotate in. But I have to warn you some of the guys take it pretty seriously. They yell at you if you mess up. Oh, and then there is the rule.”

  “The rule?” The game started seeming less and less fun.

  “You have to play in your bathing suit. The guys made it up, of course. They just want to see the girls’ boobs bounce.”

  I glanced at the game. Everyone was stripped down to their swimsuits, and everyone was still pale from a long east coast winter. I would blend right in. I looked around the beach. Most of the sand was already covered with towels. “I need to put my stuff down somewhere.”

  Julie grabbed my arm. “I saved you a spot by me.” She dragged me over to her towel. I was glad because I hated to sit alone.

  I spread out my towel and sat to watch the game a little longer. That’s when I noticed Gina and some of her friends lying on towels near the game. She was wearing a yellow bathing suit, which was an unflattering color for anyone. In Gina’s case, it gave her skin a greenish glow. She was super skinny. Too skinny, in fact. No curves at all, just a belly button ring and a couple of shoulder tattoos. Julie must have noticed me staring at her.

  “Seth is out in the water. No one has seen them talk since the fight. It’s like the big drama of the day.”

  I squinted out to the water. The waves were rolling into shore carrying at least four body surfers at a time. It was hard to tell which one was Seth.

  “So what was it like?” Julie pushed open the lid of her suntan oil and began greasing her legs.

  I leaned back on my elbows. “What was what like?”

  “The kiss? What was it like kissing Seth Dallas?”

  “I’ve had better,” I lied. “Besides it wasn’t really a kiss. It was an act, remember.” Suddenly the game looked tempting again. I was here for a reason, and it definitely wasn’t to hang around with Julie all day and talk about the mock kiss. I pushed to my feet, unbuttoned my shorts, and slid them down.

  “Lucky. Your legs look like you work out.” Julie sat up and flicked her thighs with her finger. “Mine are wobbly and fat. Do you run or something?”

  “I did cross country for a few years, but I think it’s because I rode horses for a long time.” I folded my shorts and tossed them onto my towel.

  “This should be good,” Julie said. She was staring out at the water. She had the attention span of a ten-week-old puppy.

  I glanced down to the water. A very wet Seth strolled out of the waves with the top half of his wetsuit hanging down at his waist, exposing a great chest. His inky black hair dripped over his shoulders. I sucked in a breath. Julie did too.

  Seth was searching the beach for something. Gina, no doubt. I turned away, sure that I could not stomach their reunion. “Do you think they’ll let me leave on my t-shirt? I don’t want to burn.”

  Julie was still staring at the water. I half expected her tongue to flop out of her mouth. She shook her head. “I doubt it. Sort of defeats the whole purpose.” She sat forward. “Seth is so gorgeous. He’s not walking toward Gina.”

  Reluctantly, I pulled off my t-shirt thinking Sebastian owed me big time for this. Of course, I don’t know what a ghost could give me in payment. I tossed down my shirt and Julie gasped. “I know. I’m blinding white.”

  But Julie wasn’t looking at me. “He’s coming this way.”

  I twisted around. Being drenched in saltwater did nothing to lessen his dreaminess. He stopped in front of my towel. His long lashes were clumped together with moisture, and beads of water rolled down the hollow in his throat.

  Julie pushed forward her cleavage. “How’s the water, Seth?” Her tone was whispery soft.

  Seth smiled down at her. “Not too bad. But I wouldn’t suggest it without a wetsuit.” He turned back to look at me, and he didn’t hide the fact that he was staring at my body.

  “Any good rides?” I asked trying to refocus his attention away from the neck down part of me.

  His gaze lifted. Little streaks of sand edged the side of his mouth. “Pretty flat out there.” Then we didn’t say anything. We just stared at each other. That stupid kiss had made things so confusing. Julie cleared her throat loudly. I looked past Seth’s shoulder. Gina was heading toward us. It’s tough to walk like a bad-ass in sand, but she was giving it a good go.

  “I’m going to join the game,” I said quickly and tromped off through the maze of towels without looking back. I wanted no part of the Gina and Seth saga. And I definitely did not want to be used.

  I got more than my share of stares as I walked up to the volleyball line. Hank noticed me right away, which, of course, should have been a good thing for my plan, but his leering stare turned my stomach. From behind some tall kid’s shoulder, I peeked over toward Julie’s towel where I’d left Seth and his evil sidekick, Gina. But they weren’t standing there. In fact, after a quick survey, I spotted Gina back at her own towel slouched angrily in her beach chair. Seth was nowhere in sight.

  The guys were playing rough, slamming the ball down over the net. Especially Hank. I knew how to play, but I worried that I would make an ass of myself. By the time I moved to the front of the line, my stomach fluttered like I’d swallowed a hummingbird.

  “Well, look who’s next,” Hank said as I rotated onto his team. His face and chest were red from the sun. Obviously, he was too macho to put on sun block. “Hope you know how to play, but if not, that’s OK. We just like watching you stand there in that blue bikini.”

  I bit my tongue and figured I would probably have teeth marks i
n it by the end of the day. A weak smile forced its way onto my face, which left Hank, who was no doubt waiting for my sarcastic response, speechless. He stood there with that all too familiar open-mouthed stare. I hadn’t noticed until now, how tremendously big his nostrils were. No wonder he hated Seth so much. It was hard to believe they were from the same species.

  A plump guy with red hair and a nose coated in white cream called the score from the server’s corner. The game was tie so far. The serve flew across the net and was lobbed back over. Naturally, it came right to me. I bumped it to the guy in front of me, who set it up, and Hank smacked it down hard on the other side.

  Hank’s chest bellowed out like a strutting rooster. He high-fived the guy and me. My hand stung from it, but I was working hard to be pleasant and chummy. Two more serves and it seemed as if I had a magnet inside of me that attracted volleyballs. I couldn’t get away from the friggin’ thing. My wrists burned from the ball smacking them.

  I assisted Hank two more times and we got the points. I could only imagine the humiliation I’d have to endure if I’d missed the ball. A blue bikini could only get a girl so far when it came to a testosterone plagued competition.

  My imagination did not have to reach far before I witnessed, first-hand, the consequences of blowing a point. We lost the serve on the next ball when a girl on our team popped it up and out of the court so far that Hank had to dive for it. He missed and plowed right through two girls who’d been watching the game. They both flew backward into the sand. One of them was unlucky enough to lose the can of cola in her hand. It smacked into Hank’s chest before spilling its sticky, brown contents on his white swim trunks.

  Rather than giving the girl a hand up, the creep picked up the can, and threw it at her. Then he turned to the poor girl who had sent the ball out of the court. “Hey, Tammy, give it a rest. Your flat chest ain’t worth having in the game anyway.” A couple of Hank’s friends snickered but no one else laughed.

  My hands balled into fists, and I could feel my nails cutting my palm. I wanted to pummel the guy’s horrid face. I glanced over at the two girls he’d tackled. Seth was helping them both to their feet. The smiles and twinkling expressions on both girls made it clear that their pain and embarrassment had been totally worth it.