Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 76000 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 380(@200wpm)___ 304(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76000 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 380(@200wpm)___ 304(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
“If they won’t let that happen, I can’t live here.”
“June, the graves out the back door are closer. What’s the difference?”
“I don’t know.” She throws up her hands and walks in a circle. “It’s just creepier. If there are ghosts outside, they’re outside. These people could be roaming around the whole house.”
“I don’t believe in that.”
“You’ve smelled Rose at the lighthouse.”
“Right. She’s haunting the lighthouse, not where she’s buried. These people have better things to do than scare the bejesus out of you in the chapel.”
She narrows her eyes at me menacingly, and I want to kiss her senseless, but knowing her, she wouldn’t let me do that among the dead people around us.
“Are you mocking me?”
“No, ma’am. I wouldn’t dream of it, mostly because I plan on romancing you later. Let’s close this back up, and you can make some calls tomorrow.”
I lead her out of the mausoleum and close the door, and June lets out a sigh of relief.
“Do you want to talk about the rest of this basement?”
“I won’t be using it as living space,” she immediately decides. “I’ll use it as storage, but I won’t be hanging out down here.”
“Not even after they’re gone?”
“Not even then,” she confirms. “So, you can run the wires any way you want.”
“Makes my life easier.” I head toward the stairs, but when she doesn’t follow me, I turn back and see that she’s still staring at the now-closed door, frowning. “Are you okay?”
“I don’t like it,” she whispers, sighs, and then follows me to the stairs. “I guess it would be worse if they were in caskets, but still.”
“If you don’t want to work here alone, just call me whenever you’re going to be here. I’ll come over and help.”
“Isn’t it lame that I’m now afraid to be here alone when they were down there the whole time? Nothing has changed, so it shouldn’t matter.”
“You’re wrong.” I close the door to the stairwell, and she takes another visible breath of relief. “It has changed because now you know it’s there, but hopefully, it won’t be for long.”
“I hope you’re right. With my luck, the city will tell me that there’s so much red tape to exhume and move them that it could take years.”
“I think you watch too much television.” I cup her face in my hands and pull her in for a light kiss. “Breathe, babe. It’s going to be okay.”
“You’re right. I’ll ignore it for tonight. That usually works for me. I want to get a couple more walls framed in.”
“Let’s get started.”
“Where are you taking me?”
It’s been three days since we found the bodies in the basement of the chapel, and aside from seeing June on the job, I haven’t had the chance to spend very much time with her.
“Well, I haven’t seen much of you lately.”
“I know. I’m sorry. I’ve had a lot to do for Grandma with the party coming up in a few days, and work’s been busy. I just crash at Grandma’s in the evening.”
“It’s not a problem.” I reach over and take her hand in mine, lifting it to my lips so I can kiss her knuckles. “I want to spend some time with you that doesn’t involve work. So, I’m taking you out on a date, but I’m not telling you where we’re going.”
“Why didn’t you say so?” she demands. “I would have dressed a hell of a lot nicer than this.”
She’s in blue jeans and a green sweater, and the way she has her hair loose around her shoulders makes me want to run my fingers through it. She’s even wearing a bit of makeup, and that makes me smile because June usually hates makeup.
“I like you just the way you are. You look fantastic.”
“I could have looked better,” she says with a little pout, making me laugh. “Where are we going on this date? Just tell me.”
“Up to Lincoln City to look around town, play tourist, and have dinner. We can enjoy each other without being worried about starting rumors that you’ll have to deny.”
“Does it really hurt your feeling so much?” she asks, turning in her seat so she’s looking directly at me. “That I don’t want to announce it to the world that we’re together?”
“It’s not the world that I’m worried about.” I merge to the right lane so a little speedster can pass me. “I just don’t like lying to my sister.”
“You’re not lying,” she insists. “You’re just not telling. There’s a difference.”
“I don’t see the difference, and I’m not ashamed of you.”
She’s quiet for a long moment, so I glance her way and find her frowning at me.
“I’m not ashamed.”
“In my experience, if you keep something a secret, it’s because you’re ashamed of it or embarrassed by it.”
“Maybe a person just wants to keep something fun to themselves for a while so people don’t ruin it for them.”