Page 6 of Haunted Spurs

I hear Nino’s resigned sigh. "It wasn't. He bought it off old Mrs. Miller, who had no idea what to do with the place."

I smile, pausing with my hand on the doorknob. It’s true—I bought a historic ranch that nobody else wanted. I got it for a steal. Apparently, around here, people are too superstitious to invest in an estate with a haunted reputation. But for me?

The fact that it comes with ghost stories is a huge bonus. It feels cinematic. It’s so damn cool! Just like the reality show idea the town council has been working on forever…

I take a breath and push the doors wide open.

“Howdy,” I say with an amused grin, strolling into the office.

The silence that falls over the room is immediate. The argument is abruptly cut off, broken only by Pedro’s frantic wing-flapping as he gets worked up, perched on the back of Nino’s chair. And by his piercing squawk: “HOWDY, HOWDY!”

Everyone turns, staring at me like I’m a supernatural presence.

I could swear Tina’s dyed-blonde hair—a voluminous, gravity-defying mass—somehow gets even more voluminous, like she’s been electrocuted. I wink at her, tipping the brim of my Stetson; yeah, I might be leaning into this cowboy thing a little too hard.

Nino jumps up. His formal suit strains over his belly as he leans both hands heavily on the desk, his eyes wide and glassy behind his glasses. “Ron! Were you… were you listening?”

“Only the best parts,” I reply, reaching down to pet Ollie as he curiously sniffs the rug. “Don’t stress about problems that don’t exist! I love the idea of you guys shooting a haunted reality show at my ranch. It’s a genius idea. But… on one condition.”

Aunt Tina goes from pale with embarrassment to feverishly excited in the blink of an eye. She shoots to her feet, her hands fluttering happily in the air, rustling the flashy fuchsia-print blouse stretching across her shoulders. Francis, for his part, his jaw drops. He pulls down the hem of his gray vest and starts frantically scribbling in his notebook.

“A condition?” Nino repeats, stepping forward. His forehead is already beaded with sweat. “Anything, just as long as the location is available!”

“I,” I say clearly, savoring the moment and the room’s expectant silence, “am going to be part of the cast.”

Aunt Tina lets out a high-pitched squeal.

“The stars have aligned!” she shrieks, the heavy rings on her fingers clinking as she rummages frantically through her purse. “I need to draft an agenda to present at the town meeting tonight!”

Nino dabs his temples with a handkerchief, his ruddy face lighting up with childish excitement. “I’m calling the tourism office right now! I want mascots out on the streets by noon. Suit up the Cursed Scarecrow and the Pumpkin Ghost, give them buckets of flyers! The whole county needs to know we’re casting for the show!”

Amidst this whirlwind of logistical chaos, Francis nearly knocks his glasses off his nose trying to push his way to the front. His long legs seem to tangle beneath him.

“Mr. Ron, please!” the reporter exclaims, planting himself in front of me, his eyes gleaming with small-town, Pulitzer-level ambition. “Give me an interview! Front page of the Elm Hollow Gazette. I need a quote. What drives the town’s mysterious new cowboy to lock himself in a haunted house?”

I just stand there in the middle of the room, thumbs hooked in my belt loops, with Ollie happily wagging his tail against my boots.

I grin, watching the three of them lose their minds with excitement. Yeah. This crazy little town is exactly the kind of stage I’ve been dreaming of. And I can’t wait to find out who’s going to be insane enough to get locked up with me at that ranch.

ELM HOLLOW GAZETTE

Local News, Mild Scandals, and Absolutely Essential Truths

by Francis Grande

(Reporter, Official Pie Contest Judge, Honorary President of the Chit-Chat & Chardonnay Club)

🔥 FRONT PAGE: EXTRA! EXTRA! HAUNTED SPURS IS HAPPENING (AND WE HAVE OUR STAR!)

Stop baking your pumpkin pies and put down that cider! Minutes ago, right inside Mayor Nino’s office, Elm Hollow TV history was made. The reality show at the infamous Miller estate finally has an official name: Haunted Spurs.

We all thought the new guy, Ron Willers, just bought a haunted ruin because of some eccentric obsession with haunted real estate. Instead, our cowboy with the killer smile (and let me tell you, up close in that Stetson, the man literally steals your breath away) just agreed to turn his ranch into a reality TV set, but under one crazy condition: HE is going to be in the cast!

With a pen still trembling with excitement, yours truly (Francis) managed to score the interview of the century while the town hall was still losing its collective mind:

Francis: “Ron, please! Give me an interview! What drives the town’s mysterious new cowboy to lock himself inside a haunted house for the cameras?”

Ron: (Thumbs hooked in his belt loops, eyes gleaming) “I love all of this. It’s electric. I’ve actually been thinking about a personal project… I’d love to film a documentary during the experience.”