Was I? Hell if I knew, but I heard the High Priestess talking to Carli and Cassi. Elyse’s tinkling laugh floated up to us as she teased her husband, Marc. I pictured Sky wringing his hands, letting King hold him up while he worried about why I was taking so long, and Lysandro’s lyrical voice was working hard to put Booker at ease. I’d missed this. I wanted to be part of it, so I squared my shoulders and nodded. “I’m ready.”
Scotty slipped his hand into mine, slotting our fingers, and squeezed. “I’ll be right beside you.”
We continued down the stairs, and I was so glad Scotty and Lysandro had encouraged me to run upstairs and change. Not just because I didn’t have my mini-freak-out in front of anyone else, but because all the friends I’d made last time I was here had come dressed like it was a party. A party for me.
They turned as one when we entered the room. I didn’t see disappointment or pity on anyone’s face, just happiness to see me.
“Uh, hi,” I said, giving a small wave like a goofball.
Eyeing my and Scotty’s clasped hands with interest, Sky stepped closer. “Chance and Jetty are outside. The ghosts all came, so he’s blocking the door.”
Scotty snorted. “I don’t think it works that way. I’m pretty sure they can pop in and out of anywhere they please.”
Elyse came up next to Sky, and he crooked his arm so she could link hers through his. “That’s true, but they really wanted to come, especially Stevie.” She looked pointedly at Scotty. “But they won’t disrespect Chance and come past him. But they warned him that if he came in, they were attached to him and his property, so they were coming, too.”
My nerves settled a little thinking about the sassy ghosts from the manor. “Of course they can come in. It sucks I won’t be able to see them, but Chance will speak for them, right?”
“He’ll do you one better,” Elyse said, winking at me. “As long as you don’t mind him setting a spell to make them visible here.”
“Can he do that?” I thought back to our trip to the boardwalk, and the story Sky told me about all the ghosts filling Cassi and Carli’s coffee shop, Witches Brew, and hustled for the front door, conscious of how fast Scotty’s feet could move since I tugged him along behind me.
I flung the door open, making Chance jump for Jetty, who caught him with a fond chuckle. “You guys can come in, and the ghosts are definitely invited in. Can you make them visible, Chance?”
He smiled gratefully. “Yes, and thank you. They’ve been driving me bonkers all day. Do you want me to make it so they’re only visible for ton?—”
“Always. Please.” I turned to Scotty. “Won’t that be awesome?”
“Oh, yay,” he said dryly. “Just when I thought I escaped them popping in from out of nowhere and scaring the crap out of me.”
I hadn’t been paying attention to Chance, so he must’ve been doing his thing, because the next thing I knew, Stevie, Trixie, Buck, and Harry were all standing in my foyer.
“Mr. Harry, you came, too?” I asked, delighted to see the formal old spirit.
“Of course.” He went to tug on his vest, then dropped his hands when he realized he was in a polo shirt and jeans.
“Nice threads,” I complimented him.
He flickered in and out of sight, and I knew that was his way of blushing.So cool. “It’s taking some adjustment dressing down, but I’m working on it.”
Buck kissed his head. “You’re doing great, love.”
Gah. Love in the afterlife; wasn’t that amazing? Wait. They weren’t alive anymore, and they’d found each other. Did that mean it would be possible for me, in my undead status, to maybe have more?
I side-eyed Scotty, smiling brightly and still holding my hand, in the midst of congratulating Harry for leaving the Willowhope Manor property, and I wondered.
Would it be possible?
Would he consider me an option?
Could he ever want more than to just be my anchor?
When I turned, gesturing them all into the great room, I caught Lysandro standing in the corner, smirking, and I wondered if he’d caught my train of thought. If so, then the fact he was smiling had to be a good sign, didn’t it?
Chapter 21
Scotty
“I’m reallysorry about all this,” I whispered to Chance once I knew Ego was paying attention to Harry and Buck and not to me. “I know how inconvenient it is to have your primary employee up and disappear.”
