Page 81 of Habibi: Always and Forever

HARRY’S SURPRISE

BUCK

“I don’t know why you’re so nervous,” Stevie, a fellow ghost, said.

His brother, Scotty, a heartbeater, nodded his head in agreement. “Harry’s so in love with you, it’s like he’s another person.”

He was in love with me. My Harry and I were in love with each other.

It was a dream realized that I’d never even known I really had.

Sure, back when I was alive, I’d thought maybe someday I’d do the whole permanent partner thing, and when I woke up dead, I’d been bummed about that missed opportunity.

But I’d been more upset about all the friends and family I’d never see again.

The experiences I’d never have. You know, basically, I’d been bummed about being dead.

From down the hall, I heard Harry saying in a clipped voice, “Mr. Chance, will you and Mr. Jetty kindly take that upstairs?”

The low rumble of Jetty’s response disappeared under the pounding of their footsteps as they ran up the stairs toward their room.

Scotty snickered. “They know you guys can materialize at any time, and still, they start grinding against each other wherever, whenever, unless we have guests.”

“Or you come in the room,” his brother added.

“That’s true. But they can see me at all times.

” That was true , since Scotty was alive and kicking, so to speak, the other two human occupants of the B&B couldn’t exactly ignore his existence when he walked into a room.

Not like how our ghostly presence seemed to slip their minds once they got their hands on each other.

I snorted. “Technically, I think as the psychic medium who owns this place, Chance can always see us. He just doesn’t let on unless we purposefully show ourselves to the rest of you.”

Scotty rolled his eyes. “Then they deserve Harry’s reprimands. Like really, get a room.”

Stevie floated up from his spot on the couch. “Chance owns the whole mansion, so technically all the rooms are his to utilize anyway he wants.”

The three of us laughed. The reality was, Chance and Jetty couldn’t keep their hands off each other, and there was nothing anyone—including Harry—could do about it. Apparently knowing ghosts were potentially around every corner wasn’t enough to snuff their ardor.

“Buck? Buck, where are you?” Harry called, still sounding salty.

“We’re out of here,” Scotty said, jumping up and double-timing it out of the parlor, while his brother Stevie simply dissipated out of sight. Those two were always together, so Stevie would reappear wherever Scotty went.

“I’m in here, my love,” I called out.

My neat and proper Harry blinked into sight near the doorway and snarled. “Why are you sitting around? We have a million things to do before the guests arrive and limit our abilities to perform our jobs.”

I patted a spot on the settee next to me. “Why don’t you come take a load off for a little while? Just sit with me.”

He glared daggers at me, planting his hands on his hips. “Buck, we’re not lazing about. We have a task list as long as my arm.”

Harry, my sweet, wonderful, often antagonistic, mildly grumpy Harry. He’d had such a stick up his ass when I’d first wandered into the B&B to see if they’d rent me a room that I hadn’t been sure he’d ever chill out.

As an apparition who’d been taking care of this beautiful building since the 1800s, even before his death, I hadn’t been sure he’d ever warm up to my much more laid-back approach to the afterlife.

But I’d won him over—in most ways. He still couldn’t abide my love of 80s hairband rock.

He didn’t care that it was a part of the fabric of my life growing up.

He said it hurt his ears and filled him with despair.

I wonder if he realized how dramatic he could be? Probably not.

“Well.” He huffed.

Sighing, I blinked out and reappeared in front of him, pulling him into my arms. “You need to relax.”

“There’s no time for that. We have a couple and a family with two children checking in this afternoon.

Everything needs to be perfect. We still have to get the food prepped for dinner, and you promised Mr. Chance that you’d have fresh-baked goods awaiting them when they arrive.

It does make the house smell so warm and homey when you bake. These are the small touches that…”

His voice droned on about the important role we played in running the B&B, but his form melted into mine.

If he relaxed any farther into my arms, our bodies would merge.

Not that I had any complaints with that, but we sure wouldn’t be getting any more work done today.

When his spirit beat within mine, with all the love and warmth shared between us circling together, I had no choice but to take him up to our room and do dirty, dirty things to him.

“You’re right,” I said, setting him away from me.

We had a full enough house tonight that Harry and I wouldn’t be able to do much but leave the food prepped for Chance or Scotty to take care of.

We’d do the dishes later after all the heartbeaters were asleep, but that would leave us plenty of time in between for a stroll out to the pond and for me to pop the big question.

“I am?” he asked, blinking up at me. Then he shook his head and stepped back, putting more distance between us as he tugged on his vest.

I really needed to get him to update his wardrobe at work. I’d coaxed him into cargo pants and button-downs for our dates, but he hadn’t given up the 1800 butler-wear during working hours yet.

“Of course, I am. There’s much to do. I’ll meet you in the kitchen.”

Looking at the blank space he left behind, I smiled fondly, then followed. Like he knew I would. Like I always would.

* * *

I t ended up being a long and busy afternoon.

I’d baked a pound cake and cookies to put out for the guests’ arrival.

Then, because I was hoping that tonight would be a lovefest, I’d gone ahead and prepared an egg and bacon casserole for Chance or Scotty to slide into the oven in the morning, and pecan rolls for those with a sweet tooth.

I’d asked Harry to meet me in the garden right behind the house for an evening stroll, and it made me happy to see him waiting for me already. “Fancy meeting you here,” he said as I swaggered up.

“Mm, you look like a snack, love,” I rumbled in that tone that I knew got his motor running.

Harry’s form blinked, and his cheeks pinkened. Once he regained his composure, he squared his shoulders. “Are we going for a walk or what?”

Chuckling, I grabbed his hand and guided him down the path. “Indeed we are.”

We’d gotten lucky that Chance, the psychic medium who owned the property and his boyfriend, Jetty, were busy with the guests.

But Elyse, his clairvoyant mother, and her husband Marc, along with the other witches, Skylar and the High Priestess, and the dreamwalkers, Kingston and Pops, were off property tonight.

Scotty and Stevie knew what I was up to so that completed our found family, leaving us blessedly alone while I wooed my man.

It was a pleasant evening as the sun began its descent across the sky.

The sounds of insects and critters accompanied us on our stroll out to the pond.

Harry was quiet, peaceful in a way he hadn’t been before we began our relationship.

It made my heart happy knowing that I’d played a part in this softer, more relaxed version of the man.

“Oh, there he is.” A fluffy bunny hopped out from the bushes, and Harry squatted. The little guy came over for a few pets, nose twitching as he soaked up Harry’s affection. I knew the feeling. “Do you think he recognizes me?” Harry asked in a soft voice.

Harry had always been an inside person, both in life and death.

Convincing him to spend time with me in the great outdoors hadn’t been easy, but he’d embraced nature and the way it had of washing away the stress of the day.

He’d also made a friend out of this little guy.

“I’m sure he does. When I come out by myself, I don’t get more than a glance. ”

Harry looked up at me over his shoulder. “Isn’t it wonderful that the animals can see us?”

Smiling, I nodded. “It is. They don’t have human constraints to limit what should be natural.”

He hummed, giving the little rabbit a bit more attention before it hopped off. Standing, Harry dusted off his hands, then leaned into me. “This is nice.”

“It is.” I kissed his forehead. Any time I spent with him was good, but the longer we were together, the more he believed that we were each other’s forever—soulmates destined to be together—the better it got.

The ease with which he sought me out these days, the evenings when he rested into me, seeking solace in the comfort of my arms…

I’d never known that another person could make my soul feel so full.

The break in the tree line that separated the back gardens from the water opened in front of us, and Harry gasped, both hands flying to cover his mouth.

My smile stretched wide at the sight. I’d put Scotty and Stevie in charge of organizing my surprise while I kept Harry busy in the main house.

I knew that my ghostly friends who resided out at the pond would help them, and they’d exceeded my wildest expectations.

Fairy lights and garlands of tiny flowers and greenery had been strung around tree limbs and across bushes.

Flashes of silver and gold ribbon fluttered in the breeze like strands of tinsel.

A bed of blankets and pillows awaited us, perfect for snuggling my love.

Did we need such comforts in these bodies?

No, but it was just appealing and romantic now as in life.

“Buck, what’s happening?” Harry asked, sounding awed.

His wide-eyed amazement made me appreciate our friends—whatever side of life they were on—even more. “Since I can’t really wine and dine you, I wanted to create something special for you.”

“But how? When?”