02 Ghouls Night Out - Larue Donavan Read online

  I didn’t want him to think I was ignoring him or not paying attention while he talked, but the shadow that roamed from tree to tree was freaking me out. If I told him, he might want to check it out and see if anyone was out there. By the looks of it though, this was no living person. The spirit was watching us from just beyond the trees, and it wasn’t a nice spirit—definitely not Casper the friendly ghost.

  The bad vibe was strong, shooting off this thing and flying all the way across the road. As long as it stayed over there away from us, we’d be fine, but if it came close, I’d have to tell Callahan. I couldn’t risk the consequences, just to keep my little secret.

  “That’s very sweet of you to say.” I looked over his head and straight at the figure standing behind the tree. Callahan didn’t notice my distraction as he took the wheel off the tire. “I love helping people. It’s a good thing this happened after the investigation instead of on the way, huh?”

  I’d keep him distracted by keeping the conversation going.

  “Yes, that wouldn’t have been good for Mark and Dallas. I’d love to hear about how you all met sometime.”

  “Sure, I’ll tell you all about it.”

  The figure darted to a tree that was just a little closer to us. One more move this way and I’d have to say something. The thing hovered a couple inches off the ground. It was completely black, but a white glow ringed the outer edge of its form. It didn’t have eyes that I could see, but if it had, I knew they’d be focused on us. If it hadn’t been for that glowing ring, I don’t think I would have been able to see the shadow the further away from the headlights I went. But I would have sensed the creepy thing’s presence.

  Callahan continued working on the flat. “You know, I've read some books on the paranormal.”

  “You have?” I quirked an eyebrow.

  “Actually, they were mainly spooky ghost stories.” His lips tilted at the corners.

  “I like spooky stories.” I fidgeted from one foot to the other.

  Little did he know we were in the middle of our own real-life, spooky story.

  “I could give him a real-life spooky ghost story.” Anthony walked to the other side of Callahan, staring at him intently.

  “Do it and I'll punch your lights out.” Seth shook his fist at Anthony.

  “I'm already dead, old man, in case you forgot.”

  I was so going to let them have it later.

  “Shut up, both of you,” Mae yelled.

  You tell 'em, Mae.

  Chapter Fourteen

  The smell of mossy earth and crisp leaves permeated the air. No other cars passed us on the isolated road. The sounds of crickets filled the night air. It was like being cut off from the world. In spite of how hard I tried, I still had fear…I was only human. But I wouldn’t let this thing know I had any fear because demons fed on it. That was something I’d learned a long time ago. I needed to suck it up. Toughen up. I wasn’t some helpless damsel in distress. I hunted ghosts, for Pete's sake. Life was not always bright, shiny, and perfect.

  I wasn’t sure what this thing wanted. Could it have been the demon Mark talked about at the home we had left earlier that evening? Had it followed us here? Had it attached itself to me? Cooper had now planted that idea in my head. Great. Having ghosts attached to me was one thing, but a demon was an entirely different level that I wanted no part of…been there, done that. Still have the T-shirt to prove it.

  I shifted from foot to foot again.

  “I’m getting a bad feeling about being out here. Something is giving me the creeps. Must be that shadow you saw. Is it still out there, Larue?” Mae asked.

  I nodded when I thought Callahan wouldn’t look up. She moved closer to me. “I hope he hurries up,” Mae said as she looked around.

  Callahan looked over toward the trees, but didn’t say anything as he turned his attention back to the tire. Did he see the spirit? Did the other ghosts see the spirit too? I couldn’t ask them, and they didn’t volunteer information.

  Just then, Seth said, “I’m getting that feeling, too.”

  Even the ghosts were becoming spooked. Now that’s what I call scary.

  “He’s almost finished, though,” Seth continued, trying to ease our fears.

  “I’m all done here,” Callahan said, as if he’d heard his grandfather.

  “Oh, thank goodness. I want to get out of here,” Mae said.

  “Well, it’s about time. I could have done it faster with my eyes closed,” Anthony said.

  Yeah, well, it would be kind of hard to turn the lug wrench with ghost hands, but to tell him that would have been plain mean. I agreed with Mae. We needed to get out of there before something bad happened. If this evil spirit had followed us here, it wouldn’t stop now. It would follow us everywhere we went. Then it hit me: what if the evil spirit was attached to Callahan? I’d have a real mess on my hands. That was the last thing I needed after what he’d just been through. And it would be my fault too, because I took him on the investigation.

  I didn’t know what the magic spell Brianna had cast had done to his energy. If it had been drained, he’d be susceptible to bad spirits. And I knew that. What had I been thinking in allowing him to go along? Hormones had fogged my logical thinking.

  Callahan lifted the flat tire into the trunk, collected the tools, and shut the trunk lid.

  He wiped his hands on a towel, then turned to me. “You’re cold. Come on, let’s get out of here.”

  Fine by me. The faster the better. I stayed close to the car as I walked toward the door, as if that would keep this thing from getting to us. Callahan opened the door. “Sorry about the flat. I must have found a nail somewhere.”

  “Don’t worry about it. Just one of those things. If you’re ever going to get a flat, this is the perfect night for it. It’s beautiful out here,” I said as I looked over his shoulder.

  Beautiful minus the evil spirit lurking around. The shadow had moved back to the tree closest to the car.

  When Callahan shut the door, the shadow zipped out of sight, through the trees like a bat in the night. Was it gone for good? What had it been? It was darker than anything I’d ever experienced and I prayed I’d never see anything like that again.

  “You seem a little distracted,” Callahan said as he turned the ignition.

  Whatever gave him that idea? Certainly not because I couldn’t stop glancing over at the wooded area.

  “I thought I heard something in the tree line there, but it must have been a deer.” I chuckled. “Just didn’t want a bear to get us.”

  Callahan laughed. “Yeah, a lot of deer this time of year. Bears, not so much, so I think we were safe.”

  I smiled. I was glad to be out of there, but the apprehension settled in my stomach. It would stay until I knew for sure that the thing in the woods hadn’t followed us.

  Surely, the ghosts in the backseat would have known if there had been an evil spirit haunting the house we’d been in. But what if the evil spirit hadn’t made itself known to them yet? It could have been lurking in the shadows, wreaking havoc and waiting for the right time to attack—the right person to attack. Maybe this was the right time and I was the right person? No, negative thoughts wouldn’t help. Besides, I could handle the demon, if that’s what it was. Did I want to handle it, no, but I could handle it if I had to. I’d had experiences with demons and I knew people who could banish them back to hell. I wouldn’t hesitate to call in my backup. The ghosts that followed me around could get a little ornery, but a demon was way more than a little cantankerous.

  The further away we got from that spot in the road, the better I felt. Maybe it was some evil spirit that lived in the woods. My grandfather had recounted scary stories to me as a child about the monster that lived in the area. I knew monsters didn’t exist, but maybe this monster of legend was really a spirit. Either way, as I watched the pavement move as the car drove forward, I was glad I had escaped a confrontation. And I hadn’t had to tell Callahan about my special talent.
Dodged the bullet. For now. I knew the time would come soon enough.

  “That was scary. I’m glad we got out of there,” Mae said.

  “Well, if this guy would have bought a real car, we wouldn’t have been in this mess.” Anthony snorted.

  “Any car can get a flat tire, you greaser.” Seth fumed.

  Uh-oh, the fighting again. This was going to be a long night. These ghosts were so going bye-bye as soon as I got a chance to get some alone time with them.

  Chapter Fifteen

  As we pulled up to my modest home, a sense of relief washed over me. My little haven never looked better. If only I could lock the ghosts out. I’d bought a small old farmhouse a few years back. When I saw the For Sale sign, I knew I had to have it. With my grandmother’s fabulous decorating sense, it felt like the coziest place I’d ever been. The kitchen made you want to sit down for a huge breakfast and the sofa invited you to hunker down with a good book.

  When I spotted all three of my unwanted guests lounging on my overstuffed couch as soon as we walked in the door, it was the last straw.

  “Do you want me to check the house for you?” Callahan asked.

  Great. Had the intruder followed us home? What about the dark shadow? Callahan couldn’t save me from it. He was only trying to help, but now I’d be paranoid. I was a big girl though…I could make a weapon out of the darnedest things…umbrellas, frying pans, or paperweights. If the evil spirit came lurking around though, a frying pan wouldn’t save me.

  “Sure, I guess so. Do you think someone would break in here, too?” I frowned.

  “No. No.” He waved off my concern. “I just figure it’s better to be safe than sorry. I’ll start with the kitchen. Is it back there?” Callahan pointed through the living room, toward the kitchen.

  “Yes, thank you.” It was kind of cute to see Callahan taking on the macho guy role.

  “Oh, please, don’t fall for his act. He just wants to scare the hell out of you so you’ll invite him to stay over,” Anthony said.

  I figured now was as good a time as any to have that ground rules talk with the gang before Callahan returned. When he walked out of the room, I knew it was my chance.

  “All right, people, we need to talk. You see that bedroom?” I pointed toward the door down the hall.

  They all nodded.

  “It’s mine. Do not enter.”

  I felt like a big sister trying to keep her younger siblings out of her room, as if I needed a ‘keep out’ sign on the door. I didn’t enjoy barking out orders—being the mean girl. But how else would I ever get any privacy? Bedroom and bathroom were off limits. I drew the line. Over the years, I’d rarely had a ghost obey my off limits rule, though. Oh well, I had to try anyway.

  “Do not wake me unless the house is on fire. No singing in my ear…” I pointed at Anthony. Though I had to admit, he sounded a heck of a lot better than the last ghost that had done it. Mrs. Williams sounded like a cat in heat being tortured.

  “You’re not allowing that man into your bedroom, I hope.” Anthony crossed his arms in front of his chest.

  “I hardly think that is any concern of yours,” I said.

  Callahan in my bed? Butterflies flipped and tumbled in my stomach worse than they ever had. I continued, “Basically, if you insist on hanging around, stay out of my business.”

  Yeah right. I needed an official haunting Larue information packet to hand out when I had these chats. The do’s and don’ts of haunting.

  Anthony stood, then turned his back on me, facing the fireplace.

  “No moving furniture, I like it the way it is. No pacing, that drives me bonkers. No opening and closing doors. Other than that, make yourself at home.” I plastered a fake smile on my face. “I’m not including you in this talk, Mr. Weiss, because I know you’re nothing but a gentleman. Nothing like these two devils.” I wiggled my finger.

  He nodded. “I quite understand. Thank you, my dear.”

  Callahan’s footsteps echoed across the hardwood floor as he emerged from the kitchen.

  “I’ll check the rest of the rooms, then I’d better let you get some rest.”

  I nodded. After everything that had happened, I doubted rest was an option, plus now I’d have thoughts of Callahan lying in my bed.

  When Callahan was out of sight again, I continued my lecture, “In case you didn’t understand, do not disturb. I’m warning you two.”

  Anthony mumbled something, but I couldn’t understand him. Probably better that way.

  “And Anthony… in case you ignored me the first time, my bedroom is off limits. Stay out,” I whispered.

  Anthony turned. A sly smile spread across his lips, showcasing his bright white teeth. Dare I say, the way his mouth twisted at the corner to one side was sexy? Yikes, what was wrong with me?

  “Who were you talking to?” Callahan asked as he approached.

  “Oh, it was the plumber on the phone. Yes, the toilet is running.” I gestured toward the hallway.

  Worst lie in the history of lies.

  “At one in the morning?” He scowled.

  “Oh, well, it was the voice mail. Yes, I listened to my voice mail and…” I chuckled. “I was talking out loud.”

  I wasn’t sure which was worse: for him to think I talked to myself, or to dead people. So now I’d lied about being in a play and having plumbing issues.

  “I can take a look at it if you’d like?” he asked.

  Way to kill the romantic mood. It wasn’t bad enough I had spiritual company, now we were discussing toilets.

  “Oh, you don’t have to do that. Some other time?”

  “Absolutely. I’m pretty good at things around the house. Maybe I can save you the cost of a plumber coming out.”

  “I bet he’s more than pretty good at things around the house. I’d say he’s damn good at just about anything.” Mae eyed Callahan from her spot on the sofa.

  Bite my tongue, I reminded myself.

  Having Callahan in my home almost made up for the break-in and my new ghosts, but as much as I’d like to see him tangled between the sheets on my bed, I knew now was not the right time. I wanted our experience to be special.

  He pulled me close. “I’ll see you later today. Thank you for taking me with you on the ghost hunt. It was very interesting. I’d love to do it again sometime.”

  My eyebrows rose. “You would?”

  “You sound surprised. Of course I would.”

  “It’s just most people aren’t into that sort of thing.” His arms around me felt so right, as if I could melt right into them.

  “I think more people are into it than are willing to admit.”

  Callahan kissed me again, placing his soft, full lips firmly on mine. “I’ll see you later,” he said softly against my lips.

  He eased away from my lips and flashed that amazing smile of his. My stomach dipped. With that, he turned and walked out the door. I watched as he moved down the drive.

  “Oh, quit fawning over him like a schoolgirl crush. He’s not so great,” Anthony said.

  Ignore him, I reminded myself. Just ignore him.

  Since Mindy had called me on my date, I figured it was fair game to call her on her non-date with Cooper. Something hadn’t settled right with me when I’d met him. The behavior between the two seemed strange. I knew I’d sleep better if she was okay and actually having a nice time with Cooper.

  When Mindy picked up, music thumped loudly from her end of the line.

  “Hey, I can’t hear you in here,” she yelled.

  “How’s it going? He’s not some perv, is he?”

  “Gotta go.”

  The music was gone; she’d hung up on me. That did little to ease my apprehension. It was very unlike Mindy, but maybe she figured she’d save the juicy details for in the morning.

  I shrugged on my ugliest nightgown, just in case Anthony got any wild ideas. I hardly thought he’d actually follow my haunting guidelines. After climbing into bed, I pulled the plush comforter up and
tucked myself in. The sheets felt good against my skin. I was so tired that there’d be no counting sheep for me tonight. My eyes grew heavy as I tried to erase the long list of crazy thoughts from my mind. That dark shadow still spooked me.

  After a couple of seconds, I felt the mattress ease down beside me, as if someone had sat on the side of my bed. Heat rushed to my cheeks. My lids sprang open. “What do you think you’re doing?” I pushed at Anthony, but my hand went straight through his spirit form.

  “Watching you sleep.” He had little metaphorical hearts in his eyes.

  “Anthony, I told you to stay out.” I pulled the cover up closer to my chin. As if it mattered—natural reflex, I guess.

  “You look like an angel when you’re sleeping. Not so much now, though. You’ve got that nasty scowl on your face.” He pointed.

  “Well, it’s no wonder. If you’d leave me alone, I wouldn’t have a reason for a scowl.”

  “You look like an angel…your smile is divine...” He sang the words.

  What was with me and ghosts who liked to sing?

  Chapter Sixteen

  As I sat on the stool behind the register at Book Nook, I tapped my fingers against the counter, then touched the necklace around my neck that Karyn had given me. My stomach rumbled and I glanced at my watch. Mindy hadn’t shown up yet. Mae and Anthony sat in the comfy leather chairs I had placed in front of the fireplace. I had always loved the idea of curling up in front of a fire with a book, and that’s what had given me the idea to place the dark leather chairs in front of the old fireplace in Book Nook. Seth was wandering somewhere in the history section.

  I moved to the front window to see if I could spot Mindy walking down the sidewalk. If she didn’t come soon, I’d give her a call. I hadn’t talked to her since last night when she was with Cooper. Then the thought hit me: what if he was a serial killer? No, remain calm. I was letting my imagination get the better of me. I’d been watching too many episodes of 48 Hours Mystery.