Page 12 of Ghost Girl

‘Everything okay?’ Dakota asked in her sweet voice as she sidled up to me as soon as I stepped back into the room. She handed me a plate filled to the brim with tiny portions of my favourite foods, and I was irrationally annoyed that she’d paid close enough attention to know what I liked.

I pushed those feelings aside, aware that they came from a place of grief and longing rather than anything she’d done to deserve it. If anything, I was more annoyed with myself for being annoyed. She was a genuinely kind woman, and Blake was a lucky man to have found a second love just as wonderful as the first.

‘Thanks,’ I mumbled as I lifted a crab puff to my mouth. It was delicious, just like I knew it would be, and I gave her a small smile of gratitude.

‘You could probably slip out unnoticed in about ten more minutes. I could cover for you, if you like.’

I inhaled deeply before releasing it through my nose in a staccato huff. ‘That would be greatly appreciated, Dakota. Thank you.’

Her answering smile was bright and relieved. Our relationship was strained, and a sudden stab of guilt punched through mygut. That was my fault. I couldn’t let go of Kali, but that wasn’t Dakota’s burden to bear. She had enough to deal with trying to live up to a ghost, but I couldn’t help but keep her at arm’s length.

She tucked a piece of her dark brown hair behind her ear, and both the style and the colour helped me to remember that she was completely different from Kali. Dakota wore her hair in a short bob that she curled into gentle waves, and her hair was the colour of dark chocolate with caramel highlights, the complete opposite of Kali’s long, platinum blonde hair. It was natural, too, almost white, though despite the icy shade it never retracted from her warmth. A warmth that was mirrored in Dakota, whether I liked it or not.

And who the fuck did I think I was to hate a woman for being genuinely kind?

I was going to have to pick myself up by my bootstraps and stop being such an ass.

‘I can stick around for a little while longer, but only if you keep that…thingaway from me,’ I said, pointing my chin vaguely in the direction of Florence’s jealous eye twitch.

‘Oof. Yeah, I tried to stop Mallory from playing matchmaker, but it only seemed to spur her on.’

I blinked down at her in surprise. ‘You did?’

Continuing with the surprises, her hand patted my forearm, not a single claw in sight. In fact, her nails were cut short with rounded edges and painted a very respectable nude colour. And they remained blessedly out of my flesh.

‘Of course. Blake mentioned how much you hate being tossed at these women like a sacrificial lamb. I tried to at least curb her attentions towards a… well, I’d say a better option, but none of them are, are they?’

I chuckled, and she giggled, a moment of reprieve from my constant battle. Kali was gone, and though it hurt like a bitch, Ineeded to let her rest. There was no reason for me to take out my anger and grief on Dakota when she had never been anything but warm and welcoming to me. Even now, she was trying.

It was… nice.

‘So, where are you and the crew off to this time?’ she asked.

My entire being lit up at her question. I could tell she was interested and not just making small talk, and it was a pleasant shift from the constant dismissals I’d received in every conversation I’d had today.

‘Klamath County. There’s been a string of deaths down Highway 97, followed by sightings of a mysterious man. No prints, no tracks, the guy just disappears without a trace.’

Her eyes were wide as she took in the information, but then her brows dipped low and little lines appeared at the corners as worry set in. ‘Are you sure that’s safe? I mean, if this guy is somehow connected to the deaths, don’t you think you’ll be putting yourselves at risk? What if he comes after you just because you’re looking into him?’

Her concern was a breath of fresh air I didn’t know I needed until I felt it wash over me and fill my lungs, and I smiled down at her with a new tenderness I’d never allowed myself to feel for her before. ‘Don’t worry about me. It’s probably nothing. The Little Deschutes runs through the area. It’s more than likely just people being reckless and creating ghost stories out of nothing.’

She didn’t look convinced, so I kept going. ‘How about this? Why don’t I check in at the same time every day so you know everything’s fine?’

She relaxed ever so slightly at the concession, and it felt good to have someone other than Ashe, Mikey and Gloria care. ‘Okay. I know Blake worried as well, so I’m sure he’d appreciate it, too.’

This was news to me. My little brother cared, I knew that much, but we’d never had the kind of relationship where weopenly talked about our feelings. It was mostly just unspoken understandings.

‘Well, I’ll be sure to keep in touch while I’m on the job from now on, but a little ghost isn’t going to scare me.’

She didn’t return my smile, her expression one of deep concern. ‘And what if it’s not a ghost? What if it’s a serial killer or something?’

‘Then we leave and let the police do their thing,’ I assured her softly.

‘You don’t normally take these kinds of jobs, right?’ she asked.

‘What kind do you mean?’

‘The present ones. The ones where things are happeningnow.’

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