Page 17 of Ghost of a Chance
She was here.And maybe on the verge of fixing her writer’s block.That was the end of her bitching internally about it.Maybe.Time to be K.L.and leave invisible Kirsty.
The door opened and the largest, shaggiest dog she’d ever seen bounded outside, tugging someone behind him.
Jasper.
As soon as Jasper hit the first step, he stumbled and took a huge leap down the other three as the dog bolted for a maple tree that still had a fair amount of leaves on its branches.Jasper landed solidly.She admired his athleticism.
As much as she didn’t want to watch him, her eyes were drawn to his long legs and those faded jeans that clung to his surprisingly taut butt as he chatted to the dog.He was too far away for her to hear what he was saying, but his tone was firm and patient.
He wore a hoodie and his black hair was more like it had been the night of the Dead Boys concert.Falling around his face and neck.It was wet from the rain, but Jasper didn’t seem to be bothered by it.
He pushed his hair back from his forehead, mussing it, which just made her fingers itch to touch him.There was a rugged, outdoorsy element to him.No more Mr.Khakis from the TV studio.
Sitting in her car, she was so tempted to put it in Reverse, but she’d already promised—and broken said promise—that she’d stop thinking about being back home.
She wished she could say that watching him didn’t make her hot, reminding her of what he felt like under her that night on his couch, when his mouth and body had driven her slowly out of her mind…
She reached for the serviceable black backpack that her mom had bought her senior year of high school, that yes, she still used.That Jansport had been built to last.It still had patches she’d sewn on senior year.TwoScott Pilgrim vs.The Worldones and then a few she’d added over the years.Most recently, she picked up a Dead Boys one off Etsy and would add that when she got home.
Tearing herself from admiring Jasper, she got out of the car.Plonking her Doc Martens straight into a puddle.The muddy water splashed up her leg, hitting her calf.She shouldn’t have been surprised when she felt the nudge of wet fur against the leg that was still on the edge of the puddle.
“Want a hand with your stuff?”His voice was low and gravelly, muffled by the rainfall and the barrier of her open car door.The tone was hesitant like he didn’t want to incur her wrath again.
She’d been a bit…let’s call it out of sorts when she was first cornered into doing this.He was partially to blame, but Kirsty could have said no.But being an author meant being a publicity whore even though she hated the spotlight, talking about herself, and engaging with strangers.
“That’d be great.I have a suitcase in the trunk and two writing bags.”
“What’s in a writing bag?”he asked, with slightly less hesitation this time.
She tried to get out of the car but the dog was looking up at her, tongue lolling out the side of his mouth.With a heavy sigh, because she couldn’t resist those big eyes, she held her hand out.He sniffed, then licked it and pushed his nuzzle under her hand.She scratched his nose.
“Who’s this?”
“Chewie.”
“Star Wars, right?”Her mom was a massive fan of the original trilogy and had raised her on the prequels.
She’d even dipped her hand to writing some Reylo fanfic under a pseudonym, envisioning them as a modern Scully and Mulder both trying to prove/disprove the actual existence of the Force throughout the galaxy at her mom’s suggestion.Mostly she’d just wanted to explore that crazy sexual tension they’d had inThe Last Jedi.Even though she was still mad—well, sort of—with Jasper and didn’t want to have anything in common with him, it felt good to know they’d at least have something to talk about besides music and his troublesome ghost.
“Yeah, I know.Nerd, right?”
He looked like a jock despite his unruly hair.She knew he had a lean muscled body under the hoodie.There was no way anyone would ever call him a nerd to his face.“Don’t diss my fandom.”
“Cool.So you’re into Reylo, right?”
“Who isn’t?But I’m a big fan of the OGs.”
“Han and Leia?”
“Definitely.What about you?”she asked, aware that this wasn’t what she’d intended to do.Get in, fake-solve the ghost problem and get out.
“Big fan of Obi Wan in the prequels and I likeThe Mandalorian.”
As if he was listening to their conversation and satisfied with her level of knowledge, Chewie finally settled down, taking his head off her boot.She eased her way around the dog.Jasper was already waiting for her, his biceps bulging under his hoodie while he hoisted her heavy bags with ease.
Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all.Determined to give herself a fresh start.She was armed with knowledge…and as her mom always said knowledge was half the battle.
Gia stepped out onto the porch.“Great, you’re here.”
