Page 10 of All You Want
Too bad I can’t tell her what happened afterwards, but Todd told me to trust him—that he has reasons and it has nothing to do with me. Seems there’s a criminal investigation that would be compromised if he was seen dating anyone local. I’m betting it has to do with the kidnappings of the dog and little Jessie this summer, but he wouldn’t explain or even give me a hint.
“Your Jessie’s very persuasive.” I giggle and flip my long hair over my shoulders. “Todd was yelling at everyone to leave when Jessie called him the big mean Sheriff of Naughty-Ham.”
Linx covers her mouth and chuckles. “She’s got a lot of spunk. Was she at all fearful of the ghosts?”
I know of Jessie’s struggles with nightmares after the firestorm, but she seems to have bounced back and is as friendly as ever.
“Not when she’s riding on the big sheriff’s shoulders. She called him Uncle Todd, and I had to correct her. Do you think someone told her?”
Linx appears amused as she sips her coffee. “She’s a perceptive kid. I didn’t say anything, but while she’s being cute, there’s a super sharp brain ticking away in there.”
“Maybe she’s figured it out already, but keeps her parents fooled. I hope this won’t cause problems when she gets older.”
“She’ll be fine. We Colsons tend to be a secretive lot, and she’ll fit right in.” Linx yawns, unconcerned.
Wish I can spill about my first kiss with Todd, but then again, sheisTodd’s sister, and it might be strange to hear about her brother in that way.
Besides, I’ve talked Linx’s ear off about never getting to first base with Todd. Now that I’m in, my loyalties are with Todd and keeping our little secret, which I hope will grow bigger and bigger and bigger.
We order our usual breakfast. I get yogurt with fruit because I’m always watching my weight, but active Linx Colson, a former firefighter, gets to wolf down a stack of pancakes with syrup and sunny-side up eggs.
“Why are you smiling so secret like?” Linx asks. “Aren’t you going to tell me how you got Todd to approve of your ghost hunt?”
“He didn’t approve because it was unexpected.” I squirm in my seat because my pants are too tight. “Flash mob showed up when I posted that Evan Graves was in town.”
“Sure, sure, you’re so innocent.” She chuckles. “I saw your ghost photobomb contest. Did you get any legit ones?”
“Not yet.” I bring up the social media site on my phone. “Since everyone was using their cell phones with automatic flashes, they weren’t able to capture the images Evan projected inside the mansion.”
“Shhh!” She cups both hands over her ears. “I don’t want to hear your secrets.”
“Why? So you can believe when real ghosts show up?”
“Maybe I like to keep the mystery. How do you know there aren’t real ghosts in that boarding house you renovated? I hear it has a colorful history.”
“If there are ghosts, Evan will find them and showcase their stories.” I lean back while Joey serves us our breakfast, then ask her, “Did you see any ghosts last night?”
She’s the owner of Joe’s Diner. Her real name is Josephine, but beware if you ever slip up and call her that. She has a non-identical twin, Vivi, who runs the general store. The Colsons weren’t miners, but people who sold the picks and shovels and got rich doing so.
“I saw a weeping woman,” Joey says. “But she wasn’t in my selfie. Vivi thinks she has a baby ghost in hers, but it looks more like a smudge on her camera lens.”
“She should still post it. I’ll let Evan judge if it’s a ghost or not.”
“Todd had a ghost hanging over his shoulders and another one on his arm.” Joey winks and nudges her sister. “You should have seen how bashful and shy he looked. Actually, I’d say he was quite spooked.”
“You think he’s on the verge of asking you out?” Linx spears me an inquiring look. “How’d the barbecue beef offering go?”
“We’re friendly.” I poke my fork into a piece of pineapple, wishing they’d drop the speculations.
“Whoa! What happened?” Linx places both hands on the table and leans forward, staring at me as if she were the school principal catching me in an act of mischief. “You’re usually so peppy about Todd.”
True. I’m prone to oversharing, and she’s used to me speculating and asking her for advice on what I can do to attract him.
I look down on my yogurt, stirring it around. Thankfully, Joey leaves to serve other customers, leaving me under Linx’s inquisition. I better think of some excuse fast, but for once, I’m drawing a blank. How to not give away the hot kisses and fondling that’s making me hot all over while acting like he’s just an acquaintance?
“I feel like I’m spinning my wheels with your brother.” I attempt a nonchalant shrug but am unable to meet her eyes. “He reamed me about not having an event permit, and I was only saved by Jessie. Then he got drawn into the flash mob only because he was too polite to yell at people while Jessie’s on his shoulders.”
“You’re saying Jessie tamed my brother and got him to bend the law.” Linx leans back and cuts into her pancake stack. “What happened after Jessie left? I thought you’d be crowing about catching the big, bad Sheriff of Naughty-Ham. He sure had a funny expression when he was looking at you. Maybe he saw a ghost.”
