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By lunchtime, I had wondered if that was the last time I’d ever have ghost sex with Kipp. Would Nettie’s diary hold the answers I needed for not only myself, but for Kipp, too? Would this all end by tonight?
I hoped so.
Later that day, I had called Zach to let him know that Kipp was back. After a million questions and my answer of, ‘I don’t know’, Zach finally let me off the phone. Gretchen hadn’t found a spell to break the hold on Kipp, but she and Alexander were still looking.
At dinnertime, Amelia cooked us Lasagna, and after I helped her clean up, I had spent the remainder of the evening with Kipp. It had almost seemed as if we were normal—simply enjoying an evening together. But I didn’t let myself get caught up with that thought. It merely reminded me how much I wanted to do exactly that with Kipp—be a normal couple.
Little moments to remind me why I had to keep fighting and face down scary shit were a good thing. Especially seeing that now the night had settled in around me and thus came the reality I had to go out in it. We journeyed through the yard behind Alexander, and I was only too glad we hadn’t run into Wayde or Amelia when we exited the house, since right now I doubted I could come up with a good lie. But I wasn’t sure why I was worried anyway; Wayde had been absent all day, doing god-knows-what, which I discovered I didn’t care find out and was even happier he stayed out of my way.
Kipp had suggested only I carry a flashlight—a tiny one that hardly produced any light at all—to keep our presence in the barn hidden. Sadly, Kipp also told me to keep it off as we strode through the yard.
The dark night created all sorts of horrible shadows around me. There was nothing to fear, that much I did believe. But why did my heart race? Probably because there were horrible looking shadows around me, no breeze in the air, and the moon was hidden behind clouds, creating a pitch-black night.
The silence was eerie.
Alexander led us to the shed off to the right side of the house and after he opened the large wooden door, it creaked—one of those spooky creaks you always hear in scary movies right before someone dies—lovely!
Controlling the unease hammering my heart, I entered the barn behind Kipp. I flicked on my sad excuse for a flashlight and the barn looked about as old as the house, but not nearly as cared for. It showed its old age and was all withered. Between the boards of the wooden plank walls were wide cracks—cracks that someone could currently be looking through—and I scanned the gardening tools hanging up on the far wall, tools that could slice off my head.
I groaned, lowering my flashlight to avoid looking at any of that. If I kept looking around at all the scary stuff, it’d only create images of things that could kill me. The high levels of anxiety making me dizzy meant avoid that subject at all costs.
Alexander strode toward the back of the barn and I used my flashlight to guide his way. He stopped in next to a workbench with screwdrivers, hammer, and saws on top. There, he opened a drawer, and reached in. “Yes, it’s still here.”
When he turned back to me, he held Nettie’s diary, and I scrunched my nose, totally stunned. “Seriously? It doesn’t have any magical protection around it? And the drawer’s not even locked?”
Kipp nodded agreement. “You’re right—it seems too easy.” Dane sighed, clearly missing Kipp’s statement. “It is surprising that Wayde wouldn’t go to more extreme measures to hide the diary, but perhaps he doesn’t care any longer if you do find it.”
I turned to Dane and angled my flashlight at his chest to see his face. Weird feelings
whipped around me inside me to hear his advice. Not long ago, I would’ve punched him if he said anything.
He shrugged. “What could her diary really tell you? He might have used it as a way to hang something over your head. Make you believe that you needed it, when really you don’t. Besides, you bound the promise to help him—even if you find something in the diary, you still have to help.”
“That does make sense.” Kipp blew out a long frustrated breath. “Which, by the way, you will never make such a promise to anyone again.”
I rolled my eyes at him, as if I had a choice at that time, and he continued with a frown, “But maybe Wayde used it as leverage to make it appear like you needed to see the diary, when in actuality, you’d seen all you needed to already.”
While all that made sense; it actually didn’t. “I honestly can’t see him being that careless with it.” I shook my head at Kipp. “He wouldn’t’ have left it here like this; I have no doubt about it.”
Kipp’s eyes softened, and he leaned in toward me. “Tess, does it honestly matter? The diary is there. Go read it.”
Yes, why in the hell was I arguing with them?
I rushed toward Alexander, grabbed the book out of his hands, and slammed it down on the workbench. I raised my flashlight, cringing when my beam of light landed on a huge, hairy spider in front of me, whose eyeballs glowed under the light. “Lord, let something be in here that can actually help me.”
“What are you doing?”
At the low smooth voice, I gasped and spun around. Kipp instantly took a protective stance in front of me. Amusing to say the least, because he always did seem to forget he was a ghost and couldn’t actually protect me. It didn’t mean I didn’t appreciate the effort. Love always does make people—or ghosts—do crazy things.
I peeked around Kipp and anger blasted into every molecule of my body at who stood by one of the thick pillars in the barn. “Oh. My. God.” Would these damn ghosts never learn?
Sammy smiled shyly. “Can we talk—”
Why wouldn’t he go away? How many times could I possibly tell him that right now wasn’t a good time? I let my aggravation show and said through clenched teeth, “If you want me to help you, like I’ve told you before, you need to leave me alone until this is finished.”
“But—”
I raised my hand, cutting him off. “No.” I threw up my hands, more than aggravated. “Honestly, I have enough going on with the now. I seriously cannot take on your problems. Please. Please, you need to be patient. I promise I’ll do what I can to help you…later.”
