Page 42 of With All My Haunted Heart

“She didn’t tell you what happened on Friday?”

“Lou said you had a hard time finding a spirit who’d be a good fit.” Xander props one arm on the table and leans his chin on his fist, drawing my attention to the bright blue eye shadow running from his lashes to his brows. The pink circles of blush on his cheeks. “Why do I get the feeling that there’s more to the story?”

The frustration from Friday roars back to life inside me. How could she seriously pretend there weren’t any good fits? Yes, we ran into a couple shitheads, but there were at least two good choices that she turned away. Hell, I bet a few of the ghosts who turned us down only did because she was short with them.

It would feel good to unload, to tell Xander how horrible and disappointing the whole thing was. How useless I felt. How much her dismissals picked at old wounds.

But I can’t say any of that. She’s Louie. His childhood best friend and business partner. I won’t give him any reason to have to choose between us.

“We had a slow start,” I say, hedging my words.

You promised to give me the benefit of the doubt.

That you wouldn’t make me the bad guy without cause.

But she did give me cause, didn’t she?

I clear the emotion out of my throat and focus on Xander. “There were some duds along the way.”

Xander raises one eyebrow at me. “And?”

And she has completely unreasonable standards. She stood there, her cheeks pink with cold, gorgeous and infuriating and impossible.

“You have to wash your face. I can’t take you seriously looking like that.”

He flutters his lashes. “Oh please. I’m adorable.”

“Sure you are.” I roll my eyes and lean back in my chair. “Can I ask you something?”

“Obviously.”

I worry at the inside of my lip, trying to find the right words. “Am I missing something here?”

Xander sits back, his expression going suspiciously neutral beneath the makeup. “What do you mean?”

“There were ghosts the other day who could have been great here, at least on a trial basis. But Elle…I can’t get a clear answer about what exactly she’s looking for. I feel like I’m spinning in circles.” I pause, waiting for a reaction, but whatever Xander’s thinking is kept off his face. “Do you know what she wants? If you can give me some parameters—”

“Ghost selection is Lou’s thing.”

“But if it’s up to her, this place will be empty on Halloween,” I snap, the frustration bubbling out of me before I can stop it. But now that the dam is broken, I can’t hold the rest back. “You put just as much into this place, Xan. All your money. Everything you’d saved for retirement. You should have a say in making sure this place is a success. In making sure the investors actually invest.”

“It’s complicated, Pip.” The neutrality has slipped into something bordering on pity, which makes it worse.

“Then uncomplicate it for me! I’m working my ass off because she begged me to haunt this place, and now she’s sabotaging me at every turn”

He shakes his head. “I promise, she’s not sabotaging anything. The success of the B&B means more to her than anyone.”

I bury my face in my hands and massage my temples. I shouldn’t have said anything. I should have kept my stupid mouth shut. But in for a penny, in for a pound, right? “At least come with us next time. Help us compromise on some ghost standards so we don’t miss the deadline.”

Xander tries to run a hand through his hair, but it gets caught on the tiny neon hair ties. He pulls out the first one. “I’m sorry, Pip, but I can’t. I’m negotiating a snow removal contract with the landscapers tomorrow. Apparently, we’re already disastrously behind in setting that up, and the fees for ordering salt last minute are ridiculous.”

“You don’t need to hire mundanes for snow removal. I can set up sigils in the driveway that will melt it for you.”

“Really?” Xander’s eyes light up, and he pulls another of the elastics out of his hair.

I brush the crystal shards into a pile on the table. “They’d need to be refreshed occasionally, but it works great. That’s what I use for the sidewalk outside my office.”

Xander pulls the final elastic out and runs his hand through his hair. “We can’t afford to hire another witch to renew sigils for us.”