Page 19 of Ghost

“Well, that’s good.”

“Yeah, they’re all real nice. They said I could come play with them any time.”

“That’s great. Maybe Goose can show you a few more tricks.”

“Yeah! He said if I practice, I could get as good as him.” Toby’s grin stretched from ear to ear as he told me, “And one day, I’ll...”

His words trailed off, and Toby’s chatter came to an abrupt halt when Ghost stepped into the room. Clearly intimidated, he lowered his head and went back to eating his spaghetti. It was disappointing to see that his excitement had been dampened by Ghost being there, but I couldn’t exactly blame him. Ghost’s presence filled the room like a looming cloud, heavy and dark, and it caused an immediate shift in the air.

I tensed, clutching the plate I was washing a little tighter as his cold, piercing blue eyes made their way over to me. I could feel the weight of his stare as he stepped over to me and said, “You don’t have to do that.”

“It’s the least I could do.”

“Hmmph,” he grumbled as he made his way over to the fridge. His long hair was pulled back, which made his blue eyes seem even more intense, and he was wearing his cut with jeans and boots. His keys and change rattled in his pockets as he moved, and I found it both daunting and comforting at the same time.

Toby was completely entranced as he watched Ghost pull out a bottle of water from the fridge and shut it with a solid thud. “You two been getting any sleep?”

Even though he didn’t look at me as he spoke, I knew the question was directed at me, so I answered, “We got a little. It’s going to take a bit to get our schedules back on track.”

“You and me both.” He opened the bottle and took a drink before glancing over at Toby. “Heard you took Goose for a spin on the pool table.”

Toby nodded, and his voice was barely a whisper as he muttered, “Uh-huh.”

“Did you beat him?”

“No, but I’m gonna keep practicing.”

“That’s good. Glad to hear that.” Ghost’s mouth twitched, almost like he was amused. “You got some fight in you. Gonna need that.”

Toby nodded again, more eager this time, and I could see the tension in his shoulders start to subside. Ghost turned and headed for the door.

The room remained silent until he disappeared down the hall. When I was certain he was gone, I let out the breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.

I had no interest in men—not after everything I’d been through with Dylan. I’d built walls so high that it was hard to even imagine letting someone in again.

But there was something about Ghost that caught me off guard.

There was no denying that he was attractive. He had the whole tall, dark, and handsome thing going for him. But it was more than that. He was strong and fierce, and he had this eerie calm about him, which made me wonder if anything ever got him rattled. I was still staring at the doorway when Toby whispered, “Ghost is scary, huh?”

“I’m sure he’s not so bad once you get to know him.”

“Maybe.” He picked up his plate and brought it over to me as he said, “But there’s no way he’d ever be as cool as Goose.”

“I’m not sure anyone could be as cool as Goose.”

“You’re probably right.”

Toby chuckled, and the sound of his laughter warmed my heart. I had no idea what the future held for us, but for the first time in a very long time, I felt hope—and that was something I thought I’d never feel again.

I tried to hold onto that hope as we finished cleaning the kitchen and made our way back to our room. We watched some TV, and it wasn’t long before we’d settled in for the night. Even though he’d slept for the better part of the day, Toby fell asleep pretty quickly. I was exhausted and wanted to do the same.

But as soon as I closed my eyes, I felt the memories creeping back in. It had been days. They were just as fresh as they were the first night. I tried to push them from my mind, but it wasn’t long before I heard,“There’s my girl.”

It was just a dream.

It was just in my head.

But mybreath hitched when I remembered the sight of Dylan standing at the bottom of my front porch steps with a sinister smirk. It was hard to believe that I ever cared for him, but I did. I thought he was a good man who was going to love us and take care of us.

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