Page 10 of Road Trip With the Ghost Hunter (Love Along Route 14 #10)

Lucas

Li stayed quiet during our gas break and for the next hour after that. She kept flipping through her horrendous music, but she didn’t ask any more questions or share any more about her grandmother.

I thought of fifty different questions I wanted to ask, but I couldn’t make myself say the words.

Why had I told her the truth? I should have just kept my mouth closed about wanting to talk to Uncle Filip again.

I knew most people wouldn’t understand the need that drove me, but I guess I figured she would.

Her loss was just as recent and as deep as mine.

Wouldn’t she want to talk to her grandmother again if she could?

Wouldn’t she give anything for one more day with someone who was obviously so important to her?

I listened to the quiet songs that filled the car.

Most of the songs she had chosen were more somber than what was playing this morning.

I figured that had more to do with our conversation and the mindset I left her in than anything else.

I wanted to break her out of her mood, but I had no idea how to make her smile again.

Another upbeat song started, and I expected her to change it, but she didn’t. I glanced over, and a gentle smile rested on her lips. Desperate to turn it into one of the ones I have seen before, I let out a playful groan.

“Please tell me you don’t love this song.” I didn’t mind it. I had a quick memory of a grade school dance, and my fifth-grade teacher swaying in the corner.

“You can say whatever you want about my music taste, but you do not disrespect Lionel Riche.” She got serious.

“Are you kidding?” I didn’t expect that reaction.

“Lǎo lao loved Lionel,” she informed me. “He was her hall pass.”

I looked over, expecting her to be smiling, but the same serious look was on her face. Hilarious laughter took over my body as I tried to picture an older version of Li crushing on the singer.

“Stop laughing.” She pushed at my shoulder.

“I can’t.” I remembered yesterday when she had her own laughing fit, and now I completely understood.

“So, who’s your hall pass?” I wanted to know what kind of competition I had.

That thought knocked the laughter right out of me. Was I fucking serious? There was no way I was about to get jealous of some random celebrity. I had to be losing my mind.

“I’d have to have a husband or a boyfriend in order to have a hall pass.” She shook her head.

I decided to let the conversation go. There was no need for me to push the subject.

“I don’t think my uncle had a hall pass.” At least that wasn’t something we talked about.

She was back to being quiet as I drove past the sign letting us know we only had about ten more miles to Basic Plaines.

“Is that one of the questions you would ask your Uncle if you could?” Her voice was just above the music.

“No.” I actually wasn’t sure what I’d ask. “I don’t think there’s anything specific. He knew so much about life, and I think I’d just want him to share whatever advice he could give.”

“Didn’t he do that when he was with you?”

“Not enough.” I didn’t think it would ever feel like enough. “Did your grandmother share everything with you?”

She had a contemplative expression that made me think she was really giving my question some thought.

“She shared the important things.” She smiled. “Family recipes I still can’t master. Jokes she found funny, whether I laughed or didn’t. Big regrets and the moments that made her the happiest. How she fell in love with my grandfather and how hard it was to keep going after my parents died.”

“So, there’s nothing more you’d ask her?” I felt a hint of jealousy. “Nothing more you’d want to know?”

“I’m sure there is, but at some point, I have to learn how to let her go.” She shrugged. “Nothing is going to bring her back, and I want her to be at peace. I have to believe that she is at peace. At some point, it has to be enough.”

Her words stayed with me all the way into Basic Plaines and through checking into our hotel.

I hated the idea of leaving her alone again tonight, but I wasn’t ready to let go. Not yet. Not until I knew my uncle was still with me. After all, wasn’t that what all the platitudes said?

Your loved ones will never leave you. They will always be watching over you. Whenever you need them, you will feel their presence.

Well, I didn’t feel shit and I was looking. I was desperate to feel something, anything.

I took Li to dinner as a way of alleviating my guilt. I made sure our conversation wasn’t as heavy. I wanted her to be in a better mood before I left.

When we got back to the hotel, she surprised me. “What time are we leaving tonight?”

“Excuse me?”

“I know why you’re here.” She sat on the edge of the bed. I didn’t put too much thought into the fact that I didn’t even bother thinking about getting two rooms tonight.

“I did some research after you left last night, and I learned the history of the legend of Parker Ranch. How it is supposed to be one of the top ten haunted places in the United States.” She leaned back on her hands.

“I figured that was why you wanted to stop here. I mean, it isn’t like there’s anything else in this town except the Route 14 souvenir shops. ”

She had a point. Basic Plaines was maybe the most perfectly named place in the world. Everything about this town was Basic as fuck.

“You don’t have to go with me.”

“I want to.”

“Are you sure?” She was the one who said we needed to let the dead go.

“Sure.” She sounded anything but.

I debated telling her no, but in the end agreed. An hour later, we were back on the road.

Parker Ranch was twenty minutes outside of town.

The history was that over a hundred years ago, a fire broke out in one of the barns.

A lot of animals died, along with three of the ranch hands.

Rumor had it that the owner of the ranch set the fire on purpose because he wanted to collect the insurance.

Ever since then, nothing has been able to grow on the land, and the few people who bought the property swore they saw the ranch hands still out in the field working with the animals that died in the fire.

People from all over had come out to check the place. Most had reported hearing strange noises, feeling a presence, or hearing the whine of the horse and the crackle of the wood as it burned. If there was any place I was going to be able to make contact with a spirit, it had to be here.

“This place is spooky.” Li shivered as we drove up to the ranch. They did tours every night for the ghost enthusiasts, and I had booked my spot a month ago.

“You can stay in the car,” I offered.

She shook her head back and forth. “Yeah, cause that would be less spooky.” I knew I shouldn’t have let her come with me.

Li held onto my arm as we walked into the main house.

It was hard to believe it was still standing, but apparently no other family had wanted to live in it.

The tour guide encouraged us to use our equipment.

They understood that this was a ghost hunter's dream, and they knew where their bread was buttered.

I pulled out my readers and went to work.

I kept an eye on Li just in case this all became too much for her, but I’d also be lying if I said I wasn’t happy she was here.

A part of me wanted her to understand why this was so important to me.

I also kind of wanted to prove to her there was nothing wrong with making contact.

To let her know it was okay to want answers.

We walked through the house on our own guided tour. I kept listening for any disturbance. Any change in temperature. Any sign that we were on the right track.

Someone yelled out that they saw something, and I ran from our room into the back covered porch looking for what they saw, but there was nothing.

“I don’t like this.” Li shook her head. She was standing in the doorway, looking over the back field. “We shouldn’t be here.” She shivered and put her arms around her waist.

“Do you see something?” The way her eyes were moving, I needed to know.

“We shouldn’t be here, Lucas.” Her voice rose. “All of this is wrong.”

“Li.”

“Why can’t you let it go?” She brought her eyes to mine. “Is this really what your uncle would want?”

“I…he–”

Something crashed behind us, and everyone on the porch jumped. I looked past Li to see a broken blue vase on the floor. The small markings looked familiar, but I couldn’t place them.

“That was–” Li wasn’t looking at the vase. Her eyes were still on the field. “Li?”

She didn’t say anything. She turned as fast as she could and almost knocked over a lamp in her haste to leave. I followed behind her as she ran through the house and right out the front door.