Double Dating with the Dead

by Karen Kelley

  Yeah, it was run-down, the paint peeling, and the yard still had weeds.

  But haunted?

  No.

  He just didn’t know which side of the fence Selena was on. A con artist? If she was, then he had a duty to let the public know what she was up to. Right now, duty sucked.

  “Tell me you’re not being swayed by her,” Ken broke into his thoughts. “You’re still going to write the book, right?”

  “Unless she proves me wrong, then yeah, I’ll still write the book.”

  “Good, good.”

  They talked for a few more minutes. Then Trent closed his cell phone and slipped it back into his pocket.

  Why did the thought of writing this book about Selena make him feel as if he was the one in the wrong? Damn it, she was turning him inside out. Just like Celeste had. Exactly like Celeste had.

  Selena knew there was something different when she woke up the next morning. She just couldn’t put her finger on what it was.

  Slowly, she sat up in bed, running a hand through her hair. She’d slept through the night. She hadn’t even dreamed.

  That was it.

  Hell, now she couldn’t even dream a good orgasm.

  She sat on the side of the bed. This wasn’t going to work. She had to convince Trent there were ghosts. Speaking of which, what mischief were Dixie and Wesley thinking up now? They’d been way too quiet.

  “Dixie! Wesley!”

  “You don’t have to yell,” Dixie said as she popped into the room. “I’ve never been a morning person.”

  “Yeah, well, you two shouldn’t have borrowed our bodies.” She frowned. “I didn’t think you could without our permission. Damn it, I’m supposed to be psychic, but since I came here I barely have any sense let alone a sixth one.”

  “Did you find our bones?” Dixie said, switching to another subject.

  “No.” When Dixie’s face fell, Selena felt her misery. “I’ll keep looking. I just don’t know why I feel so out of sync.”

  “It’s because there’s too much going on. Spirits create a lot of electrical activity. We short-circuit some psychics. The storm didn’t help, either.” A slow smile curved her lips. “In one instance I guess it helped.”

  Heat rose up her face. Dixie could only be referring to sex with Trent. “You know about that?”

  Dixie snorted. “How could we not know as much noise as you two were—”

  “Enough! I don’t want a replay.”

  “If I were you, I’d want a replay.” Dixie hugged her middle. “The energy you two created was... fantastic.”

  Selena glared at the ghost.

  “Okay, okay, I won’t mention it again. You really need to loosen up, though. You know, once you’re dead you look at things a whole lot differently. You won’t worry so much about little stuff anymore.”

  “Until I’m dead, then, I think I will, if you don’t have any objections,” she grumbled.

  “But we didn’t watch or anything. We just felt your energy.” She shrugged. “So you and Trent like each other now?”

  “No, we argued.”

  “That’s fun, too. Then you get to patch things up.” Her brow wrinkled. “If you don’t carry it too far and get yourself shot. That’s not good.” She sighed, then looked at Selena again. “So what did you two argue about?”

  “He said my mother was wacky.”

  “She is wacky.”

  Selena arched an eyebrow. “It was the way he said it.”

  “Oh.” She paused. “How did he say it?”

  “My mother went to work for his mother. He thinks mine will corrupt his.”

  Dixie laughed.

  “It’s not funny.”

  “Yes it is.”

  Selena stood and went to the dresser, pulling out the clothes she planned to wear. “If you would only show yourselves, then he would know ghosts exist.”

  “You like him, don’t you?”

  She squared her shoulders. “Pffft. Of course I don’t like him.”

  “You had sex with him.”

  “That’s different. You don’t have to like someone to have sex with them as long as there’s chemistry.”

  “And this... chemistry—it was there?”

  Selena thought back to the way it felt having his hands caressing her. His mouth kissing her. She drew in a long, shuddering breath. “Oh, yeah, there was a lot of chemistry.”

  “I think you like each other but you don’t want to admit it.”

  Selena began to dress. “It doesn’t matter. He’s too close-minded. Our beliefs are too far apart. But if you did show yourself, he would know you do exist, and maybe we could have some kind of relationship.”

  “Too easy.”

  “And you have something against easy as opposed to hard.” She frowned when Dixie raised her eyebrows. “That’s not what I meant and you know it.”

  “It’s an unwritten law of the dead.”

  “What kind of law,” she asked with more than an ounce of suspicion. She’d never heard of ghosts having laws.

  “If we meddle too much, then it upsets the balance of things. We’d have to answer to the ghost tribunal.” She shook her head. “Not pretty. They’re really testy at times.”

  “I’ve never heard of a ghost tribunal.”

  “Like you know everything. Sometimes it’s people like you who really aggravate me. Some psychics are so positive they know exactly what’s going on when a person crosses over.”

  “I’ve never claimed... ”

  Dixie left in a poof. Ghosts could be so touchy sometimes. Well, she’d never claimed to know everything.

  She ran her hands through her hair and headed toward the bathroom. A few minutes later she looked more presentable and felt as though she could face Trent.

  Except Trent wasn’t in the kitchen this morning. There was a full pot of coffee, but no Trent. She poured a cup and went to the table. Odd how she felt as if something were missing.

  Did married people feel like this?

  Married people? She shook her head and laughed. Nope, she wasn’t even going there. Especially not with Trent. Sex with him was great, fantastic even, but they certainly weren’t a couple.

  Then why did she feel a rush of giddiness when he sauntered into the kitchen a few minutes later?

  Because the sex was that good, she told herself.

  “Morning,” he said.

  “Morning.”

  She covertly watched him go to the coffeepot and pour himself another cup before turning back toward her. She quickly lowered her eyes and took a drink.

  “Thanks for putting on the coffee,” she told him.

  He pulled out a chair and sat down. “I’m sorry I called your mother wacky,” he said without looking at her.

  That was it? Just I’m sorry? She frowned. “That was a very heartfelt apology. Thank you so much. I bet you thought long and hard before coming up with those exact words.”

  “Sarcasm doesn’t suit you.”

  “That’s only your opinion.”

  He set his cup down, his frown deepening. “I meant it when I said I was sorry. I thought that would be enough.”

  Maybe she was being a little testy this morning. Having sexual dreams, then the real thing, then being denied sex had a tendency to put her on edge.

  She took another drink of her coffee. “Okay, I accept your apology,” she grudgingly told him.

  “Thank you.”

  As long as it was coming from him and not someone else. “Your mother didn’t put you up to this, did she?”

  “I’m my own boss. My mother doesn’t dictate to me what I should or shouldn’t do.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “I forgive you.”

  Silence filled the room. She knew there was still a lot left unsaid. Words that needed to be said.

  “My mother is a little wacky at times, but she means well.”

  He didn’t say anything. Why didn’t he say anything? He should tell her again he didn’t think her moth
er was that wacky. By not saying anything, he was agreeing her mother was wacky. She clamped her lips together.

  He glanced up. When he noted her expression, his turned to confusion. “What?”

  “Nothing. Nothing at all.”

  He shook his head. “Something is bothering you. You might as well tell me and get it off your chest.” His eyes automatically lowered. He cleared his throat and returned his attention to his coffee.

  That one look. One heated look and she nearly melted into a puddle in her chair. She was such a loser.

  And he was right. She didn’t want to spend the rest of the day wondering what he was doing. Besides, she really could use his help finding Dixie and Wesley’s bones.

  Ewww.

  She kept picturing images from the Discovery Channel where people found bones with skulls that still had wisps of hair.

  Ewww.

  She didn’t want to see Dixie and Wesley like that. Having Trent with her would make it a little easier. So maybe she shouldn’t be so sensitive about her family.

  “It’s nothing. I love my mother very much, and I don’t like it when people talk about her. I guess I heard enough snickers when I was growing up. I refuse to let anyone talk about her now. I mean, what would you do if someone talked about your mother?”

  “I get your point.”

  She crossed and uncrossed her legs at the ankles. “Are you going to help me hunt for bones today?”

  “You’re still on that kick?”

  She hadn’t expected him to jump at the chance, but she thought he might want to try to prove her wrong by not finding anything again today. She stood, taking her cup to the sink.

  “Yeah, I’m still on that kick.”

  “Okay,” he said after a long pause. “I’ll help you look.”

  There was a difference in his voice. Funny, but it was almost as if something had changed between them and it was more than the fact they’d had sex.

  No, it was more than that. He was less on edge around her. She didn’t feel like she was a bug under a microscope. She wondered if he noticed they were becoming... dare she even think it... friends?

  Chapter 21

  Trent wondered why the hell he was on his knees rummaging through another dirty, dusty closet.

  “Tell me again why we’re looking for bones?” he asked.

  Selena pushed strands of hair out of her face. “So that Dixie and Wesley’s spirits will be set free and they can cross over.”

  He tossed an empty box to the side. “Cross over what?”

  “To the other side.”

  He rested back on his heels. “You mean heaven?”

  She shrugged. “Well, yeah.”

  “What if they haven’t been good enough to cross over? What if they go to hell instead?”

  A box on the closet shelf tumbled down, hitting him. He came to his feet, rubbing his head. A good thing it’d been empty. It must have inched itself to the edge while he prowled around below, banging into the wall.

  He glanced toward Selena. She had an I-told-you-so expression on her face. “What?”

  But he knew what she was thinking.

  “It wasn’t a ghost that made the box fall. I’ve been bumping against the back wall, and I bumped it once too often.”

  “Wesley tipped it. He didn’t like your remark that they might go to hell. I have to agree it wasn’t a very nice thing for you to say.”

  Damn, she was sexy and beautiful as she sat in front of the dresser and went through the contents of the bottom drawer. She wore a black tank top and pink shorts that showed enough thigh to make his mouth water.

  “What?” she asked.

  He returned his attention to her face. “What?”

  “You were staring. I wondered if I had a streak of dirt on my face.”

  “It wasn’t your face I was staring at.” She even blushed pretty. Amazing. How could she blush after the sex they’d experienced?

  “We have to find the bones.”

  He could bring up specifics here, but she might think he was being a little crude. Instead, he said, “I’d rather make love. Do you know how much I’d like to pull your top off and unhook your bra? I want to hold your breasts in my hands, brush my fingers across your hard nipples.”

  She sucked in a deep breath and made to stand.

  “Trent,” Tye’s voice rose from downstairs.

  “Where are you two?” Paige’s followed.

  “My little brother has the worst timing.”

  “Yeah, well, my cousin isn’t any better.” Her words were raspy.

  “Later,” he told her, his gaze slowly roaming over her, noting the way her nipples pushed against the T-shirt. “I’ll make slow love to you. I’ll kiss every inch of your body.”

  “Stop, you’re killing me.”

  “Killing you? Hell, I’m killing myself. Maybe you should go downstairs first.”

  Her gaze lowered, and she saw the bulge in his pants. Hell, she couldn’t miss it. Again, he saw her blush and was amazed at how different women were from men.

  “I’ll tell them you’ll be down in a minute... I mean that you’ll be coming... I mean joining... Oh, to hell with it.” She jumped to her feet and hurried out the door.

  He laughed. He couldn’t help it.

  When he made his way downstairs they were in the kitchen eating sandwiches.

  “Paige brought us sustenance from her tearoom,” Selena told him.

  He still wasn’t sure about Paige. She proclaimed herself a witch. How loony could a person get?

  Unless it’s someone who talks to the dead. Or someone who makes love to someone who says they talk to the dead.

  That was it. He was the loony one, and everyone around him was sane.

  He took one of the sandwiches from the plate Selena held out. Chicken salad? He turned it over. On white bread. It looked okay.

  “Do you think I might have added some kind of potion that would vaporize you?” Paige’s eyes twinkled up at him.

  His frown deepened.

  “They taste great to me,” Tye said, taking another bite.

  “No, I don’t think you poisoned them.” He tentatively took a bite. It tasted pretty good. It also crunched. Nuts or something. Not bad. “What’s the crunchies?”

  “Dried bat wings,” Paige said without skipping a beat.

  “No shit?” Tye looked at the sandwich, then shoved the last bite into his mouth. “Tasty.”

  Trent arched an eyebrow. “See, you did put something in them. They make a grown man say stupid things.”

  Paige and Selena laughed.

  Tye reached for another sandwich. “Now you have a sense of humor?”

  Trent pulled out a chair and took a seat. Damn it, he shouldn’t feel this comfortable around a proclaimed psychic and a witch.

  But he did. That was the kicker. He felt too comfortable. The next thing he knew he’d start to believe in what they tried to feed to the public. Maybe he was more gullible than he thought.

  Tye bit into his sandwich, chewing thoughtfully as he studied Trent. “You’ve changed. Don’t tell me you believe in ghosts now.”

  “Don’t be stupid, Tye.” He looked around the table. Had he changed? Was Selena luring him to her side? He stood, feeling a sudden need to escape. “Thanks for the sandwich. It was good. I need to do some work, so if you’ll excuse me.” He left before any of them could say a word. He had to get his head on straight. Trouble was, since he’d been around Selena his whole world felt out of kilter.

  Maybe because all he could dream about, all he could think about, was making love to her, even if the career he’d carved out for himself was about to go flying out the window.

  Damn it, dead people didn’t walk around caught between two worlds. The idea was crazy, ludicrous.

  There were no such things as ghosts.

  Selena’s laughter drifted out to where he had stopped in the hallway. Like warmed honey, it drizzled over him. He closed his eyes for a moment and let his thoughts wan
der, remembering how it felt to hold her, to touch her.

  Man, he was in deep shit.

  Selena had felt Trent’s warring emotions. Did he think he was consorting with the enemy?

  “What’s his problem?” Paige asked. “He acts like we have leprosy or something.”

  “He wasn’t always like this,” Tye told them. “I remember when he used to be a hell of a lot of fun.”

  “Trent?” Paige asked. “The Trent that just walked out of here looking like he’d been sucking on a sour pickle?”

  “The one and only. If he wasn’t smiling, he was laughing. We had some fun times.” Tye smiled, apparently remembering some of them.

  “But Celeste changed him,” Selena said.

  Tye’s eyebrows rose. “He told you about her?”

  She nodded.

  “Who’s this Celeste chick?” Paige asked.

  “It actually started before Celeste,” Tye explained. “Dad had a massive heart attack. Trent dropped out of college to take care of the family. I was still in high school.

  “Trent jumped in with both feet, but it was like dropping into a bottomless pit. He didn’t have a clue what he was doing, and I was too young to help.

  “Celeste came along and almost took every bit of his money along with Mom and Dad’s. If the law hadn’t been on to her, she would’ve ruined us.”

  “So he set out to make the world a better place by grouping anyone who has different beliefs into one slot. No left, no right, just straight down the middle.” Paige shook her head, then turned her gaze on Selena. “You have to fix him.”

  Selena straightened in her seat. “Why do I have to fix him?”

  “Because your job depends on it?” Tye asked.

  “Because you can’t resist enlightening people?” Paige chimed in.

  “Because you like my brother?” Tye said.

  Paige rested her elbows on the table and focused her attention on Tye. “You think there might be something going on between them?”

  “Well, yeah,” Tye said. “I thought it was obvious. I mean, didn’t you see the way they look at each other?”

  “Now that you mention it... ”

  “People! I’m right here.” Selena bowed up. Damn, now she knew how ghosts felt, everyone talking about you when you were right there to hear each word.