Page 68 of Ghost Walk
Clara Vance was half Agatha’s size, but buoyed by her own sense of moral superiority. She didn’t retreat as the larger woman bore down on her. “Iwon’ttake it back!” She exclaimed righteously.
Crap. Grace tried to get between them. “This isn’t going to resolve anything.”
“Grace donea interfere with them.” Jamie worked to extricate himself from Eugenia’s flopping appendages. “It will do no good.”
“Only the Lord can cleanse our town.” Clara proclaimed, dramatically spreading her arms. She had dark hair, round spectacles, and the kind of voice that was always shouting out answers in class. “Because youarea witch, Aggie Northhandler! There are evil forces at work in this town. I’ve told my father and he’s going to pray for…”
Agatha swung at fist at her preachy face. Clara’s shrieked and ducked to the side. Instead of pounding Little Miss Inquisition, Aggie struck poor Anabel Maxwell, who was still standing beside Clara, knocking the hideous wig right off her crew-cut head. Anabel’s horse-y snout exploded in a red fountain as cartilage cracked.
Blood splattered all over Clara and Grace.
Anabel wailed in pain and panic, clutching her broken nose. Yeah, that was going to leave a mark. Too bad plasticsurgery was still a long way off, because her schnoz was seriouslynotgoing to heal straight without some help.
Clara frantically wiped at the blood on her dress. “Eww!”
Aggie gave a smug nod, not even caring she’d just beat up the wrong girl. “Serves you all right!” She shouted at the bystanders.
Jamie shoved Eugenia aside and ran for Grace.
It was too late. Grace stared down at the gory spatter covering her hands and winced. Anabel’s blood had touched her. She had just enough time to look back up at Jamie and see horror cross his face.
He seemed to realize what was about to happen. “Grace, no!” He bellowed. “Donea…”
She vanished before she could hear him beg her not to leave.
Chapter Fourteen
June 26, 1789- All I can say is that HC can use a riding crop and bridal in ways no stable boy ever dreamed!
From the Journal of Miss Lucinda Wentworth
“And so Jamie Riordan was the biggest jackass to ever show his too-handsome face in our town.” Grace concluded with a nod. “Any questions?”
The tourists on the Ghost Walk all stared at her with varying degrees of incomprehension.
Jamie rolled his eyes towards the night sky. He knew he was being a jackass, but he couldn’t help it. New memories were crowding his head. The feel of her skin, and the taste of her lips, and the miraculous sensation of her mouth suckling him to completion. Not knowing what he was missing had beenmucheasier than actually missing it.
None of that was Grace’s fault, of course.
Just as it wasn’t her fault that Jamie could recall with crystal clarity the feeling of panic that had swept over him when she vanished right before his eyes. Two centuries did nothing to alleviate the desolation he’d felt when she’d disappeared and left him behind. It was a hell of a way to be convinced time travel existed. If he hadn’t died within a few days, he probably would have done himself in out of sheer hopelessness. No way in hell could he have lasted another fifty years, alone and longing for her. The best part of his life had been dying and finally being with Grace.
Except hewasn’twith her. Not really.
The need he felt for Grace was a tangible thing insidehis ghostly shell. But the divide between the living and the dead was an obstacle not even Jamie could break through. His new memories were making that crystal clear. He could never be with Grace the way she deserved. No matter how he tried to hide from reality, he’d known it from the beginning.
He should let her go.
Grace should have her Partner by her side. Someone to guard her and kiss her and share her world. Not a ghost, with only the memories of life. The miserable truth of it was what had sent him into such a foul mood
He should let her go.
That inescapable fact had been in the back of his mind for days, but spending just a brief time with her as a mortal brought it all to the surface. Given a choice, Grace would stay with him. He knew that. Their connection was too strong and her loyalty went too deep for her to ever send him away. But that would mean that she gave up her chance at a real life.
He should let her go.
Back on theSea Serpent, she’d looked up at him like he was husband material and hewasn’t. He was just an echo of a man. Jamie couldn’t stand by, invisible and selfish, while she wasted her life on a ghost. …No matter how much he wanted to.
He should let her go.
