Page 97 of Ghostly

Gabriel groaned and rubbed his face. “I’m sorry. I didn’t… I…” Where to start? He didn’t mean for any of this to happen? He didn’t mean to lose his cool with Natalie, didn’t mean to get involved with Wyn just because it was fun and he could, he didn’t mean to doom Ida for eternity—

Wynona’s hand landed on his thigh, gentle and reassuring. Surprisingly, her look was soft and free of blame. “It’s not as bad as you think,” she said. “The scandal. There’s still a way.”

“What?”

She leaned in. “Come back with me. We’ll figure this out together.”

Back?To the city? His job—did he still have a job? The concept felt so overwhelming; too much for his brain, still soaked in the protective numbness. “No, I can’t—”

“I know you’re all nestled in here, and you’re going for some kind of ‘one with the nature’ crap, but just think, Gabriel.Think.” She moved the hand to his chest. Warm, soft, alive. It felt foreign—but also good, and Gabriel could barely hold himself back from not asking her to embrace him because he needed a touch, any touch, any consolation.

“People only want a good story,” she said. “They’ll take whatever they’re given, whether it’s bad for you or somebody else. Right now, it’s bad for us.” Her hand slid to his shoulder, and she caressed it. “You know I’ve been doing well with my business? Gearing up for the fashion week in the fall. Two celebrities asked for gowns to wear on the red carpet.”

She leaned on the backrest, extending a hand over it. “Of course, you’d know that if you bothered to message me back.”

“Message you?”

“Yeah. I wrote to you months ago. About how everything was quiet and you could return if you wanted to.” She raised an eyebrow. “Don’t you remember?”

Months ago. When was that? When he and Ida were still trying to get the first tasks done? The memory of the contract and Ida ripped through his numbness, bursting in a wave of pain.

“Gabe?” Wynona held his chin and turned him to look at her, eyes shining with worry.

“No, I…” Maybe focusing on her would help. Her voice, her touch. “I never got them.”

“Probably the horrible internet connection in this place.” She scrunched her nose. “Anyway. With the scandal being brought up again and painted in all those disgusting details, it’s damaging both of our reputations. Luckily, there’s a great solution. We get back together.”

“What?”

“Together. Like a couple.” Wynona traced her finger down his arm. “Don’t act like it’s so outrageous. We had good times together.Greattimes.”

Did something flicker in the hallway again?

“We’d make a proper power couple, admit it. And that way, we don’t have to sacrifice anything. Quite the contrary. We save our careers and we rekindle… our love.”

Gabriel’s stomach churned, not from the coffee. “And how would that make things better?”

“Besides the fact you could finally have what you wanted, the public would get their story. But they’d get alovestory.”

A small voice in the back of his mind whispered that maybe, just maybe, this made a pinch of sense.

“It’s what we should’ve done in the first place! Show them we hold real affection for each other. The story of a despicable lawyer and his mistress would turn into a story about star-crossed lovers. My dastardly husband. You, the handsome hero who saved me from a horrible marriage.”

You always wanted to be a hero. A savior.

Not a failure.

She leaned back in. “Don’t deny you want this. I know you. I know you want to go back. And from the way our last night went…” Teasingly, she bit her lower lip.

Something rattled in the hallway. Gabriel shot up. “Wynona, I—”

She caught him by the sleeve. “I’ll let you think about it. I’m staying in a motel in town. Just the exterior gives me the shivers, so please, don’t deliberate too long.” She stood and pecked him on the cheek. “And think smartly.”

Gabriel waited until she left, then checked the deer-hog. “Ida?” No humming. He ran upstairs. “Ida!” He slammed the bedroom door open—and there she was, sitting on the bed, a few ruffles of her skirt sinking into the bedding, as if she couldn’t care about appearing normal.

“There’s no need to explain,” she said. “I heard everything. I saw—”

“You don’t know what you saw.”