Page 22 of Ghostly

Gabriel narrowed his eyes. A welcome wagon… “Do they do that for all new arrivals?”

“Probably. Small town and all that. Although if you ask me—really, a casserole? Could’ve at least gone with a fruitcake—I’ve got this recipe from my grandma—”

“That’s it!” Gabriel did a one-eighty and headed to the bakery, the closest of the three lairs.

“But the ATM…” Jason caught up with him.

“In a minute. Can you hold this?” Gabriel passed him the peeler and banged on the door to the bakery.

The door opened. “What on God’s green—oh.” Upon seeing him, Janice’s stink eye returned.

Gabriel lodged his leg between the door before she could close it. “I think I know what this is about. You and your two friends tried to welcome me to the neighborhood a week ago. I imagine you brought over some food, and I didn’t answer. Is that it?”

Janice crossed her arms. “We were trying to be good neighbors, Mr.…”

“Buren,” Jason helpfully supplied.

“But you weren’t interested. I assume you come from some fancy place where you care nothing for the fellow human being. So, we won’t disturb you, and in turn, please, do not disturb us.”

“The doorbell is broken,” Gabriel said. “I didn’t hear you.” He wasn’t quite sure why it was so important that these three women didn’t think the worst of him. He supposed it could be because if he were to live here for months, he’d need to buy food.

And he already had 49% of the general population in the city hating him.

“Oh.” Janice laid a hand on her chest.

“Listen. I won’t disturb you, but I’d like to get my occasional business in town done without being thwarted at every step. So how about, to make upfor the welcome wagon, you all come to dinner tonight?” Gabriel looked from Janice to Jason. “You’re invited, too. Plus ones for everyone, yes?”

Janice leaned on the door. “I suppose… I’d like that.”

“She’s just curious to see the inside of the house,” Jason remarked with a smile.

“Then dinner it is.”

Janice nodded, and Gabriel returned the nod.

“I wouldn’t mind my money back now,” Jason whispered to him. “Unless you have any connections that would get me one of those jackets with a discount. Then we can negotiate.”

***

When Ida came out of the deer statue, Gabriel was in the kitchen, unpacking groceries, and a stack of books lay on the coffee table in the living room.

“What are these?”

Gabriel yelped, and something fell to the floor. “Jesus! You move like a…”

She raised an eyebrow.

“Anyway, those are for you, from the library. All new releases, so I think you haven’t read—I mean haunted—them yet.”

“You got me books?”

“That way, you’ll have something else to occupy your time.”

So she won’t bother him. Oh, well, it was still nice. “No one ever brought me books before.”

“They should put that in the ghost manuals. ‘If you want your house ghost to be friendly and satisfied, sacrifice to them at least three books per week.’”

She laughed. “So, the town visit went well?”