Page 120 of Ghostly

“Maybe.” The corner of her mouth lifted. “You could start with another kiss…”

“That can be done.” He moved closer, their foreheads almost touching again, and rubbed his nose along hers.The tease!

She lifted on her toes. An inch more, half an inch, almost—

“Who the hell are you two?”

***

Gabriel and Ida jumped apart. Ida shrieked; Gabriel turned to the interrupting voice, ready for murder.

A short man in a horrific knitted vest stood in the hallway; light streamed in behind him from the still-open front door.

“That’s Shawn, the new tenant,” Ida said and, when Shawn’s gaze turned to her, covered her mouth. “Oh, god. I forgot he can see and hear me now.”

“What the hell? Who—are you burglars? You’re robbing me!” Shawn twitched, but didn’t reach for any weapon. “The audacity! I go out for the first time in a month, and straightaway, someone comes to rob me!”

“Sir, no, that’s not what we—” Gabriel extended his arm.

“I’m calling the cops!”

“We’re not robbers!” Gabriel boomed. “My name is Gabriel Vane.”

Shawn paused with a hand over his pants pocket. “The former tenant?”

He would’ve gone fornotorious lawyer, but sure. “You know of me?”

“The landlady mentioned you. Well, bragged about having you here.” Shawn rolled his eyes. “Why are you burgling my house?”

“We’re not burgling anything!” Ida said.

Shawn looked at her. “And where have you come from, a Renaissance fair?”

“She’s with me,” Gabriel said. “I forgot something in the house. Only came to pick it up, all right? There’s no need to involve the authorities.”

“The contract and the book are in my bedroom,” Ida whispered.

“And I think I left it in the bedroom upstairs. If you’ll allow us?” Gabriel made a motion to the stairs. Slowly, with eyes narrowed, Shawn allowed them to pass. He was in the exact same stance as they returned a minute later, Gabriel carefully waving the book to show him that was all they retrieved.

“You know what, I’ve had it with this house,” Shawn grumbled. “Constant cold spots, creaking, knocking, a pipe burst—”

Judging by quiet shaking coming from Ida, she was trying not to laugh.

“And on top of it, nosy ladies coming around to ‘take care of the garden.’” Shawn shook his head and slammed the house keys onto the console table. “I’m calling the landlady, and I’m leaving!”

“You do that, good sir.” Gabriel executed an exaggerated bow and shut the front door behind them. They walked down the path, and Ida tilted her face to the sun.

“So,” Gabriel said, “looks like the house is available again. Thoughts?”

Ida looked back. “It has always been my home.” Her sparkling eyes met Gabriel’s. “But it can wait.”

The front gate screeched as she opened it. The pointed end of her boot peeked from beneath the layers of skirts as she slowly, very slowly, made half a step out. “First,” she said, “I’m seeing the rest of the world.”

Epilogue

473 kisses later

Ida snapped the tiny moon-shaped earrings on and checked her look in the mirror one last time. She’d grown used to seeing herself in reflective surfaces, but sometimes, it still caught her off-guard. Her hair fell in slightly untamed waves over her shoulder, meeting the fuzzy peach-colored sweater. Sweaters—what a great thing! Not to speak of pants. Jeans weremagic.