Ghostly Interests (19 page)

“Dad … .”

Phil ignored his daughter. “Don’t you want to know why I’m off women?”

“No,” Harper answered.

“Yes,” Zander said, nodding vigorously as he ignored the death glare Harper lobbed in his direction. “I always love your dating stories.”

“I thought you said that people shouldn’t date until their divorces were finalized,” Harper reminded him.

“I say a lot of things, Harper,” Phil shot back. “Most of them don’t stick because I’m fickle and I lie to get my own way sometimes.”

Jared pursed his lips to keep from laughing out loud. Despite not being formally introduced he’d managed to ascertain that Phil was not only Harper’s father, but also a hilarious source of entertainment.

“What was wrong with your date tonight?” Zander asked, feigning sympathy.

“I went out with Margo Fields,” Phil said.

Zander guffawed. “Doesn’t she have a yard full of ceramic geese?”

“And a house full of cat needlepoint,” Phil said. “It was frightening. I thought I was walking into a pet store except everything was pastel and covered in plastic.”

Harper wrinkled her nose. “Plastic?”

“Yeah, she had one of those plastic covers over her couch,” Phil said. “I knew there was something wrong with that woman when she asked me out.”

“I think that was the first clue for all of us,” Harper deadpanned.

“I spent five minutes with her tonight and I wanted to deafen myself with Q-tips,” Phil said. “She cooked something that looked as if it might have been cat at one point.”

“How did you leave things?” Zander asked. “You didn’t tell her you would call her again, did you?”

“Oh, she doesn’t think I’m going to call her,” Phil said. “I excused myself to go to the bathroom and crawled out the window. I’m pretty sure she realizes that means I won’t be calling for another date.”

Harper’s mouth dropped open as Zander slapped the counter because he was laughing so hard. Harper risked a glance at Jared and found his shoulders shaking with silent laughter. “That is horrible, Dad,” Harper chided. “That poor woman … what is she going to tell people?”

“That her cats scared me away,” Phil said. “She can’t honestly think any man is ever going to think that’s okay.”

“You’re a terrible person,” Harper said, reaching for Jared’s beer again. He handed it to her wordlessly.

“Who are you?” Phil asked, finally focusing on Jared.

“I’m Jared Monroe.”

Phil shook Jared’s proffered hand and looked him up and down. “I apologize for not introducing myself sooner,” he said. “I assumed you were one of Zander’s friends and that I would never see you again once he decided you had too much ear hair or whatever his new dating issue is this week.”

“His date this week talked with his mouth full of food,” Harper offered.

“You’re not here because of Zander, though,” Phil said. “You’re here for my daughter.”

Jared stilled, surprised by the statement. “I … .”

“Who told you that?” Harper asked.

“Everyone in town is talking about how you went on a date with this guy last night.”

“It was not a date,” Harper growled.

“How did they even know?” Zander asked.

“Haddie Lewis was at the same restaurant,” Phil said. “She told everyone at the senior center this afternoon that Jared and Harper looked very cozy.”

“That’s a lie,” Harper protested.

Phil studied Jared for several moments and then shrugged. “You’ll do. If you’ve managed to gain my daughter’s interest you have to be doing something right and I won’t have ugly grandchildren if you two are responsible for them.

“I officially welcome you to my family,” Phil said, extending his hand.

Harper arched an eyebrow as Jared risked a quick glance in her direction. “Oh, yeah, I’m not looking like much of a prime dating option now, am I?”

Jared tilted his head to the side, considering. “If anything I’m finding you more and more attractive.”

“I seriously love you,” Zander gushed.

Harper was worried her best friend was going to have to get in line where that sentiment was concerned because the more time she spent with Jared Monroe the more she realized she couldn’t stop thinking about him either.

Her whole life was spinning out of control.

Twenty-One

“I think we should go back to the college,” Harper announced the next morning.

Zander looked up from his coffee, a blank look on his face, and immediately started shaking his head. “Why?”

“Because Annie Dresden is still wandering around as a ghost,” Harper explained. “She can’t be put to rest until her murder is solved.”

“And Jared told you last night he’s not going to ask you out until the murder is solved, too,” Zander said.

“That has nothing to do with anything.”

“Don’t you even bother lying to me,” Zander scolded her. “You didn’t tell me about the almost-kiss or the fact that you talked to him about Quinn. I feel so … betrayed … as it is. If you lie to me about this I’m going to have to end our friendship.”

They both knew it was an empty threat.

“Zander … .”

Harper’s face was so earnest Zander couldn’t take it. “It’s okay, Harp,” he said. “You can like him. You’re allowed. He’s a nice guy. He’s handsome. He’s funny. He obviously has great taste in women. Please don’t ruin this chance before you even see if you can like him.”

“I don’t want to ruin this chance,” Harper admitted. “I … I’ve been thinking about him, too. Ever since I met him. There’s something about him … I can’t put my finger on it … but it’s as if I’m drawn to him.”

“Good,” Zander said. “You deserve a little happiness.”

“What if he breaks my heart?”

“You can’t go through life scared to try the things that might make you happy because they also might make you sad,” Zander said. “That’s not how this world works, love of my life. The best things in life come with risks.”

“What if he never accepts that I can see ghosts?”

“He already does,” Zander said. “He wouldn’t have come to the house if he thought you were a loon.”

“He doesn’t know about the other part, though,” Harper pointed out. “He doesn’t know I can … see the other side.”

“Give it time before you tell him that,” Zander said. “I’ve loved you my whole life and I still have trouble with that. It’s going to be okay. I feel it here.” He tapped the spot on his chest above his heart. “You need to open yourself up and let him get to know you. I’m not saying he’s going to be your forever, but I do think he’s got a shot of making you really happy.”

“He said himself he doesn’t think he wants to stay in Whisper Cove.”

“That’s what you heard because you were looking for a reason to let him go,” Zander countered. “Even if he gets a job in another municipality down the road it’s probably not going to be that far away. Stop looking at the negative. Look for a reason to hold him close.”

Harper sighed, resigned. She couldn’t argue with Zander for one more second. She didn’t want to. “Do you think he’s a good kisser?”

Zander’s handsome face split with a wide grin. “I can’t wait until you find out.”

“I’VE
decided that college boys bug me,” Zander announced, casting a derisive sidelong look toward a group of male students talking near the university center entrance. “Seriously, just … ugh.”

“When we were here the other day you thought they offered a lot of potential,” Harper reminded him. “What happened to change that?”

“I watched a real man come to our house with the intention of wooing you,” Zander replied. “These kids don’t have that potential.”

“Wooing me?” Harper raised a confrontational eyebrow. “Did we slip through a time warp and into 1832?”

“You know what I mean,” Zander said. “Jared was forthcoming and honest. He told you what he was thinking, he shared information, and he admitted he was still struggling with a few things. The only thing he forgot with his little visit was some flowers. I’ll make sure that doesn’t happen again.”

“I don’t even like flowers.”

“Bite your tongue,” Zander said. “All women should like flowers.”

“That’s like saying all men should like basketball.”

“I like basketball.”

“You do not.”

“I do, too,” Zander argued. “I love all the tattoos – you know I’m a sucker for tattoos – and I like all the butt patting they do.”

“You’re unbelievable.”

“And don’t you forget it,” Zander said, scanning the students milling about. “What do you want to do? Are we looking for someone who slept with the professor to question them about whether or not they think he’s a murderer or are we looking for possible suspects who might have hurt Annie?”

“Both.”

“Well, as long as you’ve got your head wrapped around what we should be focused on,” Zander snarked.

“I don’t know what I’m looking for,” Harper admitted. “I know that we need to find Annie’s killer and this is the only place I know to look.”

“I think you’re missing the obvious answer.”

“Which is?”

“Annie,” Zander replied. “She knows who killed her. It’s locked somewhere in her memory. Shouldn’t we be focusing on her?”

“Annie may never remember,” Harper said. “She doesn’t want to remember. Whatever happened was traumatic enough for her to block it out. What she is seeing is coming in flashes. She doesn’t want to remember being raped. It’s too hard.”

“I can’t imagine how hard that is,” Zander said, his face softening. “This is like looking for a needle in a haystack.”

“That’s a bad analogy,” Harper countered. “It would be more like looking for a needle in a pile of other needles.”

“Thank you, buzzkill.”

“I don’t know what else to do,” Harper said. “It’s not like we’re missing anything at the office.”

“We’re missing Eric mooning over you and frothing at the mouth when he finds out you’re going to start dating Jared,” Zander said. “That’s going to be a heck of a meltdown, by the way.”

“I know,” Harper said, pinching the bridge of her nose. “I don’t know what to do about him. Molly was having a fit because apparently he was having a fit after Jared and I left the other day.”

“Yeah, it was pretty funny,” Zander chortled.

“I don’t think Eric finds it funny,” I said. “It was no different than Molly watching him freak out about someone else when she has a crush on him.”

“I wish he would get his head out of his butt and realize she’s a catch,” Zander said. “I think they might be good together.”

“I do, too,” Harper said. “That’s why I told her to date someone else.”

Zander furrowed his brow. “You did? Doesn’t that only exacerbate the problem?”

“I’m hoping that when Eric sees Molly with another man it makes him realize he does have feelings for her.”

“He doesn’t have feelings for her, hidden or otherwise, right now,” Zander said. “He’s too focused on you. He needs you to crush him so he can pout for a few weeks and then open himself up to moving on. He’s not going to even look at Molly until that happens.”

“I think you’re wrong.”

“Well, I know I’m right.”

“I guess we’ll have to agree to disagree then,” Harper said.

“I think we should place a wager on it instead.”

Harper clapped her hands together, taking Zander by surprise. “You’re right. That sounds like more fun. Okay, how do we want to do this?”

Zander smirked. “You’re feeling better about his Jared situation, aren’t you?”

“What?”

“You’re perking up,” Zander said. “I like to see you smile. If betting makes you happy we shall bet. I say we wager fifty bucks on the fact that Eric is not going to look at Molly until you and Jared are dating.”

Harper made a face. “That’s a really vague bet,” she said. “I’m fine with the fifty bucks. I think we need more of a time frame.”

“Go on.”

“I say that Eric and Molly hook up within the next six weeks,” Harper said.

Zander tilted his head to the side, considering. “Sold.”

They shook hands.

“Now, let’s find someone to talk to so I can justify buying a really fattening coffee because I need the caffeine,” Zander said.

“I … .”

“Well, hello again.”

Harper made a face when she heard Jay’s voice. It was just her luck the guy never seemed to go to class and instead spent all of his time acting like a proper jerkwad in front of the university center.

“Hello, Jay,” Harper said, pasting a tight smile on her face as she swiveled to face him. “It’s so nice to see you.”

He apparently didn’t understand sarcasm. “I knew you would be back,” Jay said. “I have a certain magnetism. Women can’t stay away from me.”

“That’s exactly why I’m here,” Harper said. “I came to see you.”

Jay’s eyes brightened. “Really?”

“She’s being sarcastic,” Collin said, stepping up beside his brother and shooting Harper an apologetic look. “I’m sorry to run into you like this again.”

“That makes two of us.”

“Three of us,” Zander corrected, narrowing his eyes as he regarded Jay as if he was something akin to a squashed bug on a windshield. “Don’t you ever go to class?”

“Don’t you ever dress like a normal man?” Jay asked, looking at Zander’s white linen pants and pink polo shirt as if he was wearing a clown costume.

“This is a mature style,” Zander said. “I know that’s something you wouldn’t know anything about, but it’s on the pages of all the top fashion magazines.”

“And in old episodes of
Miami Vice
,” Harper quipped.

Zander scorched her with a look. “I thought you were on my side.”

“I am on your side,” Harper said, smiling at him ruefully. “You do remind me of Sonny Crockett, though.”

“He was hot. You’re always drooling over him when we watch reruns.”

“So are you.”

“Wow, you guys are really old,” Jay said, rolling his eyes. “
Miami Vice
? Isn’t that the movie with Collin Farrell and that guy who played the blind dude in that music movie?”

“We are definitely old,” Zander muttered.

“Hey,
Miami Vice
was old when we watched it,” Harper pointed out. “It’s still a classic show.”

“Vintage,” Zander corrected.