Ghost of a Chance

by Kris T. Bethke

  Derek nodded eagerly. “I just have to give them thirty days’ notice, so I’ll have to pay for March, but I can leave whenever I want.”

  “Good. I like my place. But I think I’ll love it with you in it.” Blake turned his attention back to his food. “Plus Sam is right across the street.”

  “And you like living that close to your brother,” Derek said knowingly.

  “I do.” Blake didn’t hesitate. Derek knew how close they were, how they’d been each other’s support.

  “Then I’ll move in with you, and in the future, if we decide we want a new place, we’ll get it together. Or not.” Derek leaned forward and ran a hand down Blake’s arm.

  Blake shivered and gave Derek a smile. “When?”

  “I can move this weekend.”

  Blake gave a single nod. “Perfect.”

  IT felt like it had been ages since Blake had ghostwalked, but it had only been a week since he’d taken a case and helped a lost spirit. And Blake knew exactly who he wanted to help. With nothing urgent or pressing, he could choose whichever case called out to him, and Jeremy had been on his mind. Jeremy had been cut down in the prime of his life after a sudden and brutal bout with an aggressive form of cancer. By all accounts his passing was peaceful, and his friends and family said he’d been ready to pass when the time finally came.

  Blake felt a powerful need to help him cross to the other side.

  He and Derek meditated, settled and centered, and then King came in to kill him. When Blake woke in the spirit realm, he wasn’t surprised to be standing next to Derek in their office. He kept his gaze fixed on Derek’s face and studiously avoided looking at his own body. Derek must have sensed his presence or perhaps just his feelings, because he kept working, cleaning Blake’s body, and said, “Go on now, baby. You’ve got a job to do.”

  Blake sent affection and appreciation down their bond and then forced himself to leave Requiem and Derek behind.

  Even though he carefully concentrated on Jeremy’s spirit, it took him a while to find him. When he did, it was on the edge of a vast lake. Jeremy’s love of sailing and the water had been mentioned in the report, but not a particular location.

  “Jeremy?” Blake called tentatively as he approached the young man. Jeremy didn’t show any sign that he’d heard or even that he was aware of Blake’s presence. Blake got closer. Had his spirit been alone too long that he didn’t even recognize another when it came along? That shouldn’t be. Blake had helped older souls than Jeremy’s cross. He tried again. “Are you Jeremy? I’m here to help you.”

  The kid didn’t turn, didn’t bother to give Blake any of his attention. Cautiously Blake walked a little closer, until he could see what had Jeremy’s focus. A huge sailboat glided gently on the water. It was magnificent. No wonder he didn’t want to look at Blake.

  “Amazing boat,” Blake murmured. He needed to make a connection with Jeremy if he was going to help the young man cross. “I wonder what it’s like to be out there. I’ve never been sailing.”

  Blake chanced a glance in time to see Jeremy’s face contort from a look of peace to one of pain. Internally Blake winced. He’d made the wrong choice. He wanted Jeremy to talk to him, to trust him, but that wouldn’t happen if all Blake did was remind Jeremy of what he couldn’t have.

  Blake tried again. “Jeremy—”

  “So. They finally sent someone to help me. Isn’t that nice? I’m finally worthy of someone’s time?” The sneer in Jeremy’s voice caught Blake off guard, and he stopped short.

  Blake thought Jeremy would be a sad, lonely spirit. But the vehemence in his tone didn’t bode success. He had to get back on track. Studying Jeremy, Blake could see the weariness, the anger, and the hurt, all there in his expression. He opened his mouth, but a sharp gesture from Jeremy made him snap it shut.

  “Oh, don’t look at me like that,” snarled Jeremy. “You think I don’t know that some people have trouble? That I wasn’t stuck? I’m not dumb, you know. I know how it works. What Requiem does and why. But I couldn’t move on. Didn’t know how. I’ve been trying to cross, waiting for eons for help, and no one came.”

  Blake steeled himself and took another step closer. “Jeremy, it’s only been six months. I know it felt like longer, but I can help you now. You can have peace.”

  “What if I don’t want peace?” Jeremy’s voice was a bark of discontent. “I didn’t want to actually die in the first place. It wasn’t fair.”

  “I know, I know,” Blake soothed and extended a hand. Oh, crap. He needed to get things under control and quickly. That poor, lost kid.

  “You don’t know. You get to come back to life when you die.”

  Blake made a soothing gesture. “It’s a quirk of the genes. I’m lucky. I know it. But trust me, it has its downside.”

  It was the wrong thing to say. Blake knew it the moment it came out of his mouth.

  “Downside? Are you serious? You get to live. You get to come back. You don’t die too soon and leave your entire life unfinished and leave behind people mourning you.” He gestured wildly, and his hand connected with Blake’s outstretched one. Then his eyes widened. He grabbed Blake’s hand tightly in his own. “You… you can go back. It feels like I could just….”

  “Jeremy, the light is right over there, if you let me take you there.” Blake tried not to let desperation into his voice. Staying calm was the only thing that would help him right then. He gave a gentle tug and tried to move in that direction. “I’m sorry you had to wait. I know it’s not fair, none of it. But I can help you now. Let me help you.”

  But Jeremy wasn’t listening. His visage twisted into something evil. “You feel like the real world, not like this place. I could go back with you, take your body from you.”

  “No.” Blake tried to pull his hand free, but Jeremy’s grip was too tight. Panic welled up, and he almost immediately felt Derek’s answering concern. He couldn’t let that happen, even if it meant he was trapped on the spirit plane. Jeremy couldn’t pull him into the light, because that was made just for a specific spirit, and another spirit couldn’t pass through. But it could work the other way. Jeremy would tag along if Blake went back. That would put Derek in danger, and it wasn’t going to happen.

  If he stayed long enough, his body would die. But even though he’d be trapped in the spirit plane, his loved ones would be safe. Derek would be safe. And Derek was worth permanently dying for.

  “Oh, yes.” The snarl was back and ten times stronger. Jeremy jerked on his hold and brought Blake a few steps closer.

  Fuck a duck.

  No. Blake wouldn’t allow it. And he didn’t have to. Derek’s love and worry were coursing down their link, and it helped to clear Blake’s head. There were protocols in place. Of course there were. If a ghostwalker got into trouble, there had to be a way to help them. All he had to do was let Derek know he was in need of assistance.

  He thought hard and pushed his feelings at Derek. A moment later he was certain the message had been received loud and clear. All he had to do was wait, and keep Jeremy from pulling him closer. He fought against the hold and attempted to get his hand free. No matter how much Jeremy pulled, Blake wouldn’t allow him to get any closer. Blake dug his heels in and struggled, knowing, if he could just hold on long enough, help would arrive. He didn’t have to wait long.

  Suddenly Sam was there, right at his side. His appearance surprised Jeremy, and he stopped struggling. Then Lois was there, and Tyler and Ivan and Michelle. His friends, his fellow operatives, appeared around him and forced their way between them. They pushed Jeremy’s spirit back until he had no choice but to let go of Blake’s hand.

  The ghostwalkers surrounded Jeremy and forced him toward the waiting light. Jeremy had no hope of fighting against so many, and within another minute, his spirit was forced through.

  Acute relief surged through Blake, and Derek’s answered back.

  “You okay, Blake?”

  Blake nodded at Sam and put a hand on his shou
lder. “I shouldn’t have let him touch me, not when I saw how vengeful and restless he was.”

  “He’s gone now. You should go too. Let Derek know you’re all right and have Michael pull us all back.”

  Blake winked out and appeared again in the office. Derek’s entire frame relaxed, the tension disappeared in an instant, and King was right there. Blake was surprised to see the anxiety on his boss’s face as well.

  “Pull him back, King. Now.”

  King didn’t waste a second as he pulled out the sword.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  DEREK knew the moment Blake was in trouble. It was a searing panic in his chest, and his adrenaline spiked and made his heart pound. He tried to let Blake know he was there, that he was worried, but only a few minutes later, the panic turned into a clear cry for help. Derek scrambled up, reached for the phone, and nearly knocked it off the table in his haste to dial King’s number.

  “Blake’s in trouble. He needs help. Now.”

  “Hold on,” King said. Derek heard a low murmur, and Julie’s voice came over the PA.

  “Code Red. All available ghostwalker and anchor operatives, please get ready. Repeat Code Red.”

  Ghostwalkers would go into the spirit realm, find Blake, and assist him. But every minute it took them to get there—to find him, to help him—was a minute Blake was in trouble.

  “I’ll be there as soon as I send them all in,” King’s voice said in his ear. Derek didn’t even acknowledge it as he threw the phone down and raced back to Blake’s side. He took his cold, dead hand in his own and searched their bond.

  He felt Blake’s growing panic, and then felt it ease. The other ghostwalkers must have arrived. King entered at some point, but Derek hardly even noticed, focused as he was on his link to Blake.

  And then like magic, he practically felt Blake in the room. He sensed Blake’s need to come back. He was ready. Derek’s tension seeped out of him.

  “Pull him back, King. Now.”

  King did, without any preamble, and Derek clutched Blake tight as he bled and breathed with a smile on his face.

  Later they cuddled in their bed. When Blake was fit to get up and walk, they’d have to write their reports and probably speak to King in person before they could go home. Derek had to force himself to let go of Blake when it was time to check his vitals.

  “Hey, baby. You need to hydrate.”

  “I love you.”

  Derek froze with the water in his hand and then slowly turned back to the bed. Blake had propped himself up on the pillow and his grin was beautiful.

  “Say that again.”

  The grin grew wider. “I love you, and I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to say it.”

  Derek shook his head, crossed the distance, and then sat beside him. Instead of handing over the water, he pulled Blake into his arms and kissed him soundly. Then he opened the bottle and helped his ghostwalker to drink.

  “It’s not ‘so long’ really,” Derek murmured as Blake sipped. “It’s only been a few weeks.”

  “Feels like a long time. But that’s a good thing, I think. It feels like I’ve always loved you.” Blake took a long gulp and then handed the bottle back, even though he hadn’t finished it. “I was ready to die in there to keep you safe, and that’s when I knew that of course I loved you.”

  Derek started. “What now?”

  So Blake told him everything that had happened, and Derek’s panic and worry surged again at hearing it firsthand. He had to remind himself that Blake was fine, that Blake was in his arms, alive and well, to get the feelings to subside.

  “So I’m not going back. I’m not doing this again. Not when it could endanger you. Nope. Not gonna happen.” Blake’s tone was hard and firm.

  For a split second, Derek agreed. But then calm and logic prevailed. Ghostwalkers did that all the time, and situations like that happened. Of course a restless spirit would want to come back with a ghostwalker. Some were bound to try and get back to the mortal realm. But protocol usually meant that ghostwalkers went into the spirit realm in pairs or more when facing a vengeful spirit. No one had thought Jeremy was that way, but accidents happened.

  “Don’t make any rash decisions, B. What happened was scary, traumatic even. But ghostwalkers encounter—”

  Blake scowled and pushed himself upright so he was sitting on his own. “Don’t give me the company line. I know what I’m talking about. I love you, and I won’t let anything hurt you.”

  Derek reached out and eased Blake back into his hold. “I love you too. More than you’ll ever know. But let’s wait to give your notice. Okay? Maybe talk to Avery. What do you think?”

  “I think I know my own mind,” Blake grumbled. But then he relaxed into Derek’s arms and placed a kiss on Derek’s neck. “But we can talk to Avery. And maybe take that vacation to visit your family. I can’t—” Blake shuddered, and Derek squeezed him tighter. “I can’t go back in there right now.”

  “That’s fine, baby. I think we can use a break. I’ll call my parents when we get home. After you’re up and walking and once we’ve got our reports finished. Okay?”

  “Thank you.” Blake sighed. “I love you.”

  Derek chuckled. “You gonna keep saying that? I don’t mind hearing it. Not at all. But I’m just wondering.”

  Blake harrumphed and elbowed him in the ribs. “Go write your report. I want to go home and eat spicy chili with homemade cornbread. And make plans for you to move in with me and for our vacation. You can make me chili and cornbread, right?”

  Derek scoffed. “Of course I can.”

  “Good. So can we do that? I want to start the rest of our lives together.”

  “We already have.” Derek kissed him again and got up to retrieve his tablet. That sounded perfect to him.

  Epilogue

  AFTER two weeks in Sacramento and another week in Avery’s quaint home on a mountain in New Jersey, Blake and Derek were back at work. Blake was still a bit reluctant. He couldn’t escape the feeling that something bad could happen again. But his time away had put things into perspective.

  He was made to help lost souls, and there was no way he could turn his back on his calling. More than that, he remembered that he was trained to deal with any situation that arose, that he’d actually been involved in numerous cases over the years that hadn’t gone as planned. In his panic he’d forgotten that. His desire to keep Derek safe overrode all rational thought.

  But being away had helped him remember. Blake liked Derek’s family—even if they took the love of his life for granted—and he’d been pleased to meet them. Seeing where Derek had grown was fascinating. But as much as he enjoyed his time in Sacramento, he was just as happy to leave again.

  Visiting with Avery was better. Not only did Blake feel comfortable in the solitude of his home, but Avery gave Blake tips and tricks to implement when he walked in the spirit realm. The instructions were truly helpful, and Blake felt more prepared than ever to get back to work.

  Settled in his chair, breathing with Derek, feeling him there with him, Blake relaxed and focused on the task ahead. That was his life—helping souls and then going home with the man he loved at the end of the day and being cared for and cared about. He couldn’t be happier.

  Just a few months earlier, when he first saw Derek standing in the conference room, he was sure everything had gone to shit. Now he knew where his life had been leading since the very beginning.

  And he was happy.

  “Ready, baby?” Derek’s voice washed over him, and Blake nodded.

  “I love you.”

  “As I love you.”

  It was all he needed to hear.

  KRIS T. BETHKE has been a voracious reader for pretty much her entire life and has been writing stories for nearly as long. An avid and prolific daydreamer, she always has a story in her head. She spends most of her free time reading, writing, or knitting/crocheting her latest project. Her biggest desire is to find a way to accomplish all three tasks a
t one time. A classic muscle car will always turn her head, and weekend naps are one of her greatest guilty pleasures. She lives in a converted attic with a very fluffy cat and the voices in her head. She’ll tell you she thinks that’s a pretty good deal. Kris believes that love is love, no matter the gender of the people involved, and that all love deserves to be celebrated. And she loves to hear from readers, so feel free to drop her a line.

  Email: kristbethke@gmail.com

  Blog: kristbethke.com

  Twitter: @KrisTBethke

  Facebook: www.facebook.com/people/Kris-T-Bethke/100014524539852

  Coming in February 2018

  Dreamspun Beyond #13

  Chasing Thunderbird by j. leigh bailey

  A legendary love.

  Ornithology professor Simon Coleman’s reputation is at risk, and the only way to save his name is to prove thunderbirds are more than creatures of Native American myth. Grad student and part-time barista Ford Whitney has a lot on his plate, but it’s also his duty to make sure the resident bird nerd doesn’t discover shapeshifters—like himself—live on campus.

  When a series of incidents related to Simon’s search put him in harm’s way, Ford’s instincts kick in, and they become closer than is strictly proper for student and teacher. Ford is forced to reveal his secrets to Simon, and their relationship is put to the test—Simon must choose between salvaging his reputation and protecting the man who protected him….

  Dreamspun Beyond #14

  Lover, Lover by Liv Olteano

  Twin souls reunited.

  Drew’s always been a fighter: first in martial arts competitions, and now as a dreamcatcher—keeping the people of Seattle safe from spaga attacks that would drain their life force in their sleep. All he has to do to become a full member of Team 32 is complete his first mission.

  But the first person he must defend is his ex, Angelo… the only man Drew ever loved, even if he was the one to leave. Drew never got over Angelo, and it seems Angelo might feel the same, despite the heartbreak he suffered at Drew’s hands.