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He was moving in with Carmella—or perhaps they were getting a place together. Either way, this house wasn’t going to be his much longer.
“You should’ve told Maggie already,” Carmella said. “She’s been worried for nothing. She went so far as to find help for you when you don’t even need it. What’s Ava going to do when the truth comes out? You’re being unfair to her as well.”
My chest ached. If this house wasn’t going to be Dez’s much longer, it wouldn’t be mine, either.
Dez let out a sigh. “I’m working on a plan.”
“No, no more plans. No more schemes. No more ghosts, for heaven’s sake. You need to talk to Maggie, then Ava. Once this is all out in the open, then we can figure out the best course of action. All these secrets are only hurting people.”
“I know.” He sounded properly chastised. “And I will.”
“When?”
“Soon.”
“I’ve heard that before, Dez.” Exasperation punctuated Carmella’s sentence loud and clear.
“I need to tread carefully. You know how Maggie feels about Penny.”
“I also know how she feels aboutyou. She wants you to be happy. And you are happy, aren’t you?”
“Of course, my little ghost.”
I could practically hear her eye roll as she said, “Please stop calling me that.”
He chuckled. “Of course, mylove.”
“That’smuchbetter.”
There were some kissy noises, and I actually slapped my hands over my ears so I didn’t have to hear them.
I needed to talk to Maggie. Now. Right now.
“Ava?”
I jumped a mile high at the sound of Sam’s voice. Grabbing my heart, I said, “Sam!”
The noises above us quieted.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“Um, actually, I need to go. Can you help Dez finish cleaning up?”
Confusion swept across his face. “Sure.”
“Thank you.” Impulsively, I leaned up and kissed his cheek. “I won’t be long.”
Normanquabarked as I darted around him and headed for the square as fast as I dared in this heat. It took me nearly ten minutes to get to the coffee shop, and I knew to go to the back door and knock, since it was after two o’clock.
A second later the door opened and Maggie’s eyes widened in surprise at seeing me. I said, “Can I talk to you a minute?”
“What’s wrong? Get in here, sit down. I’ll get you some water.”
I was wobbly as I followed her into the front of the shop. Only half the chairs had been put up on the tables, so I sat down in one that was still on the floor and wiped my brow.
All the way here, I’d debated how to tell Maggie what I’d seen, what I’d overheard.
Maggie set a cup of ice water in front of me. “My goodness, what’s happened? Do I need to call a doctor?”
