Page 10 of Road Trip With the Ghost Hunter

We got in the car and made our way to the Nighty Night bed and breakfast. The name had me skeptical because, honestly, what kind of childish name for a business was the Nighty Night? But, once Kathy suggested it, I looked it up on my phone and it was actually really nice and the reviews were high and complimentary.

Li grabbed my phone and squealed when she saw the pictures. “Yes. Absolutely, yes,” she said, wiggling in her seat. “Most definitely. That place has a magical bath, and I desperately need one.”

Ignoring the idea of Li, naked in a bath with bubbles, Kathy insisted she’d call ahead to reserve our rooms with the owner, Dawn. We pulled up to the large white house with blue-green trim. Not knowing where to park, I pulled up to the side of the house.

“Wow,” Li breathed out. “Have you ever stayed in a place like this before?”

We left our luggage in the car for now until we finalized our rooms. “Hotels, some Airbnbs, but never a Bed and Breakfast like this. My uncle,” I paused when my chest instantly tightened. Clearing my throat, I continued, “We would go camping a lot.”

I opened the front door, and the foyer led to a front desk. The place felt cool, and the scents were crisp and floral. Surprisingly, they decorated it with a mixture of small-town charm and modern touches. A curvy woman who looked about my age smiled brightly as we walked up.

“Are you two Li and Lucas?” she asked, coming around the front desk to greet us.

Li looked startled by her guess, but recovered quickly and smiled politely. “Yes. Kathy sent us?”

“I’m Dawn,” she reached out to shake our hands. Her natural, tight curls largely framed her face, and she had a gorgeous, big smile. “Welcome to Heartstone. Just one night? Can we convince you to stay longer?” She walked back around the front desk, opened a ledger, and started writing in it with a fountain pen.

“We have a tight timeline to Colorado. Can’t stay past tonight, I’m afraid,” I said.

“That’s a shame.” She looked up and studied me with eyes too assessing. “I have a feeling you and my husband would get along great. Are you a whiskey man?”

“I am.”

“Brilliant. Tonight, you two will have to sit out on the veranda and have some of his buddy’s family’s whiskey. Three generations. How about you?” she asked Li.

“I’m a whiskey gal,” she replied.

I looked down at her in surprise. “Really?”

“What? You didn’t take me for a whiskey drinker?”

“I figured you’d like some sugary abomination with candy in it.”

The indignation on her face made it so hard to keep a straight face. She poked my side. I jumped and almost doubled over. Her face glowed with excitement.

“No way. You’re ticklish?”

“Don’t even think about it,” I kept my voice firm.

“Oh. I’m thinking about it,” she laughed. “I have a weapon now.”

“You two are cute. I have your room ready,” Dawn smiled, grabbing a pair of keys and showing us up the stairs.

“I should grab our bags,” I offered.

“Oh, hun, wait till Jeremy comes out to help. Also, I can’t have you rob me the satisfaction of seeing your face when I show you your room. Come, come,” she insisted, walking up the stairs.

“You heard the woman,” Li smiled, nudging my side.

“Woman,” I warn, mock glaring.

She wiggled her fingers like weapons. “Oh, this is going to be too much fun.” Hooking her finger into my belt loop, she tugged me up the stairs before letting go to follow Dawn.

Was this flirting? It felt like we skipped over some polite barrier into a comfort that I was enjoying too damn much. Li was tiny, her frame also small, but her slight curves fit her body. Her ass was right in my face going up the stairs. I couldn’t freaking help admiring the heart shape of it in those too tight leggings.

At the top of the stairs, Li turned and looked over her shoulder, raising a brow.

Shit. Caught.

---