Page 65 of Inheritance

And just grinned at his son. “Hell, ghosts are just people who aren’t ready or able to move on or recycle. You can bet I’m going to haunt this place after my time comes.” He pointed at Sadie. “Get used to it.”

“You already haunt this place.”

At her dry response, he let out another boom.

“You give me a call next time you’re coming into the village. I’ll take you to lunch. I like taking pretty girls to lunch. Keeps me sharp. Eddie, say hello to Sonya, Collin Poole’s niece. Eddie’s my latest victim.”

He said, “Hello,” and grinned at her. “Ace, you’ve got that conference call in five minutes.”

“Work, work, work.” He gave Sonya’s hand another clutch and squeeze. “Don’t you be a stranger.”

He strode out on a wave of energy.

“Well,” Sonya began, “he’s—”

“A character?” Deuce finished.

“I was going to say amazing.”

“And another falls under his spell. Be careful. He’ll end up getting your life story and deeply buried secrets out of you inside of five minutes.”

“I bet he would. Thanks again. I’d better get back to my haunted manor.”

She realized as she went out that she’d only been half joking. And that she’d better shake that off.

After checking the time, Deuce walked back, past his father office, past his son’s assistant’s office where Jill clicked away at a keyboard, and into what had been the kitchen when he’d grown up in the house.

Now, transformed, it served as his son’s office, with a view of the backyard through the windows. Trey sat at a desk Collin had given him when Trey passed the bar. A desk from the manor’s attic, and one Trey had lovingly refinished himself.

Trey held up his index finger as he talked on the phone, so Deuce took a seat. As he did, the dog dozing beside the desk got up, stretched heroically, then walked over for a pet.

Even as he scratched the dog between the ears, he could see his mother at the old stove, stirring up oatmeal she claimed would stick to his ribs before he walked to school. See himself sitting with his father at the kitchen table having his first (legal) beer.

See himself and Collin sneaking cookies from the jar on the counter.

Now where the counter had been, a shelf held law books.

A good old house, he thought, and as a good old house should be, full of memories. It served a new purpose now, made new memories now, and had for nearly as long as his son had been alive.

And he was glad of it.

Trey hung up, puffed out a breath. “Heidi Gish got another speeding ticket.”

“Lead foot.”

“She wants to take it to court and sue the state trooper who clocked her doing ninety-four because, she claims, he was rude. She’s going to have her license suspended this time. She doesn’t want to hear it,or that, this time, it’s going to cost her more to try to fight it than to suck it up.

“Anyway. How’s your day going?”

“I just met with Sonya.”

“Right.” Trey looked at the time. “Forgot.”

“I can’t fault the way she’s handling this. But I find myself annoyed with my dead friend for not reaching out to her, talking her through it, answering her questions before he died.”

“He might have down the road. He had to think he had plenty of time left.”

“Did he?”

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