Page 13 of Road Trip With the Ghost Hunter (Love Along Route 14 #10)

Li

The rattling of the bus engine vibrated against my head, that’s leaning against the window.

I didn’t know how many hours had passed.

I was stuck in the loop of his goodbye. And that kiss.

Every now and then, tears streamed quietly down my face.

It was too much. My breakdown last night was too much.

I scared him away, and worse, I think he felt guilty about it.

I hated that he felt any of that was his fault.

But what was I supposed to do? Beg him to let me stay with him?

We were strangers mere days ago. Only that didn’t feel right to say anymore.

How in just a handful of days could you feel like you knew someone to their soul?

That’s ridiculous. I’m not even a model of commitment.

Every job, I quit after a year. Every guy who wanted to commit, I ghosted.

Friends, I let slip through my fingers, one missed text at a time. Lucas deserved better.

I knocked my head against the window as red rock mountains came into view.

But damn it! He just let me go. He had to have felt it.

I knew he did. That kiss wasn’t like any first kiss I’d ever experienced.

Sure, it was the most heartbreaking, but it was also the most enlightening, bring-you-back-to-life kisses—not even just first kisses—I’d ever had.

Which made me irrationally mad. I could’ve gone without knowing what that felt like, only to have it taken away.

“Next stop,” called the bus driver. “Rustic Junction.”

The next half hour felt like swimming through water.

We arrived. I cradled his sweatshirt with lǎo lao’s shards against my chest, trying to juggle my suitcase and bags.

They actually weren’t expecting me till tomorrow, but hey, arriving early should speak favorably as an employee.

Was I really going to be a playacting saloon girl in this cosplaying western town?

Oh wow. This town takes the theme very seriously. I felt transported to America’s Gold Rush era. The saloon stood big and proud, almost in the center of town. There were wagons, horses, antique shops, and men and women dressed in western garb.

Sighing, I dragged my stuff as best I could to the Rustic Love Hotel, where I’d be staying until we finalized everything and found me an apartment. I made no plans. I just picked an online ad that sounded fun and road tripped my ass over here. And that lack of preparation was giving me hives.

A gorgeous older woman, entirely done up, greeted me at the front desk. “Hello, darling. Welcome to Rustic Junction. Can we get you a room?”

“Hi,” I dropped my stuff, carefully laying the bundled up sweatshirt on the counter. “Yeah. I have an interview tomorrow at Gun Blazing Saloon. I’m here a day early.”

“Oh,” she remarked, writing in the ledger. “Your name, Dear?”

“Li Cheng.”

She wrote my name down next to a room number, then looked up to study me. Her bright smile dimmed. “Oh, darling. What’s with the red eyes? Is that sadness you’re bringing with you?”

I gave her a tight smile. “It’s been a long few days. Months, really.”

“Well, this town might just be the remedy you’re needing. Once settled, head over and have a drink at the saloon. My daughter Melody is there. She’s great when you need an ear.”

I recognized that name. “Actually, I think that’s who I’m meeting tomorrow.”

“Oh! Perfect. Come, come.” She floated around the desk—no other way to describe it—her gauzy white dress danced behind her. “I’ll have someone take everything to your room. You leave all these heavy things here. Let me show you where you’re staying, darling.”

Still feeling like I was swimming through water, I barely noticed the details of the room. I nodded politely as Wynona spoke. She shooed me out the front and pointed me in the direction of the saloon. As if one could miss it.

Not going to lie, entering that place felt trippy.

Sure, some tourists were dressed in modern clothes, but most people were leaning hard into the Western vibe.

I found a corner seat tucked away under the stairs.

Grabbing my phone, I swiped through pictures.

Of course, I took pictures of him. Him driving.

His strong profile was grumpy because he didn’t want me taking his picture.

Driving, his hand holding mine on my lap.

I snuck that one without him knowing. Another image was Dawn and me taking a selfie. I took another at Kathy’s diner.

Did any of that even happen? Felt like a different life, and it was just days ago.

“Hey, Doll! What can we get you?”

A young woman with brown hair and jade eyes that sparkled with mischief stood with her hand on her corset cinched hip. “Oh. Um,” I thought. My first instinct was to ask for a whiskey. Only reason I hesitated was because it made me think of Lucas. “Whiskey sour and a shot on the side,” I ordered.

“Girl after my own heart,” my western waitress smiled. “I’m Melody Shoehorn. If you need anything, make sure to holler.”

“Wait. I met your mother.”

“Rustic Love Hotel. Indeed. She sent you over, I’m sure.”

“Actually, I’m supposed to meet with you tomorrow about a job here?”

Melody’s smile fell. “Oh, hun. Where did you come here from?”

I didn’t have a good feeling about where this was going. “Tennessee.”

“What’s your name?” she asked, sitting across from me.

“Li. Li Cheng.”

“Oh! Li. I sent you an email. You didn’t get it, I assume. The position was filled the day before yesterday.” She tried to maintain a bright demeanor, but I felt her sympathy.

My chest felt as if a cascade of bricks had fallen on it. In true Li fashion, I’d been avoiding my emails. I dreaded hearing one more thing from lawyers, insurance companies, funeral homes, and real estate agents. Fuck my life.

I knocked my head on the table and groaned. Of course. This was my luck. I truly was homeless now.

“Oh, hun. I’m so sorry,” Melody said, squeezing my hand. “I’m gonna get you that whiskey. Be right back.”

I heard her shuffle away in her big skirt.

This was it. I didn’t have a backup plan.

I naively came so assured I’d have this job and a place waiting for me.

I had enough saved to hold me over until I started getting paid.

My eyes welled up. A desperate hopelessness rushed over me. The thunk of a glass hit the table.

“Alright,” I heard Melody say as her skirt rustled as she sat. “Come on. Let’s do a shot to wash the emotions down first.”

I raised my head and stared at her.

“Oh, hun,” she cooed, scooting my whiskey shot toward me. “Together,” she said softly while picking up her own shot.

Nodding, I straightened up, wiped my face, and raised my shot. “To unfucking my life,” I said.

A surprised laugh bubbled out of Melody before she nodded. “To unfucking our lives,” she said, then clinked her shot glass to mine.

An hour, hell, could have been five hours, we sat, and I spilled everything.

One whiskey shot at a time. At first, I just talked about meeting Lucas, but once the liquor settled in my empty stomach nicely, I talked about losing lǎo lao and the ghost hunting trip that obliterated any chance of seeing if something could happen between Lucas and me.

Thankfully, I didn’t turn into a sobbing mess.

Melody held my hand, listening. “That gorgeous man misses you. I guarantee it,” she said. I showed her his picture. “Listen, Li. The saloon isn’t hiring, but I’m sure I can ask around and we’ll find you something.”

Did I even want to stay in Rustic Junction? The novelty of playing a saloon girl faded fast. I tipped back the last dregs of my whiskey sour. In the time I poured my heart, Melody brought over a whiskey bottle and poured me two more shots. I wasn’t drunk—thank goodness, but I was definitely tipsy.

“That kiss,” I said, resting my head on my outstretched arm, which was the one Melody was holding.

“I’ve had one of those kisses before,” she said, sighing. “He’d been passing through town. It was his last night. The best and saddest goodbye kiss ever.”

“Yes,” I raised my head and hissed. “The mixed emotions and memory of it will haunt me forever.” Melody’s eyes focused on something over my shoulder.

“You want to hear something entirely bat-shit crazy?” She hummed affirmatively while still watching whatever she was watching.

“I think I fell in love with him? How? It was only a few days. That’s not real!

Who falls in love with someone they met just days ago? ”

I was outraged at my own stupid emotions. I’ve never been the type to fall for a guy easily. I’m the one who could walk away and not even think of them a week later.

Melody’s face broke into a smile. My brow furrowed. “What are you,” I started, turning to look at what she was focused on while I rambled and bled my emotions. My heart stuttered and my breath caught as my eyes widened.

“I had some crazy revelations, too.”

“Lucas,” I whispered.

I whipped my head to Melody. “Am I that drunk, or do you see him too?”

Laughing, Melody released my hand, patted it, then stood. “I’m gonna take this.” She took the whiskey bottle, stacked our shot glasses, and headed back to the bar, smiling.

Before he could take the seat Melody just vacated, I abruptly stood. “No,” I demanded. “You don’t get to—what are you doing here? How are you here?”

There was that irrational anger from before.

“Li—“ he started.

“You left me!”

“I know.”

“It was so easy for you to just say goodbye,” I cried.

He shook his head. “It was the hardest thing I’ve had to do next to saying goodbye to Uncle Filip.”

“Don’t you dare say that and not mean it.” I shook my head, and stupid tears returned.

Lucas pulled my body into his, holding me as my arms folded and became trapped against his chest. “I’m sorry I let you go,” he said quietly. “I thought you needed me to.”

My head shook back and forth, tears dripping off my chin. Lucas delicately brushed them off my cheeks. “How are you here?” I whispered.

“I came as soon as I could. I just had to sober up first.” When my expression questioned, he smiled. “Are you staying anywhere? Can we talk? Without,” he tipped his head toward the saloon.

I turned my head and saw we had an audience. Well, shit. I tucked my head against his chest to hide. It vibrated with the deep chuckle he released, and I almost whimpered because hearing it felt so good. I missed him so much. I breathed him in. My hands, at his chest, gripped his shirt.

While his arm wrapped tightly around my waist, Lucas’s lips pressed on my head. “Let’s get out of here.”

I nodded and let him lead us out. I caught Melody’s smiling face.

She gave me a very enthusiastic thumbs up, which made me laugh.

I couldn’t believe he was here. His firm body holding mine felt like a dream.

The sun beamed as we stepped outside. My tipsy brain hissed, but I just used the excuse to press my face closer into Lucas’s body.

I knew the likelihood of finding forever with this man was slim to none, but please, Universe, God, whoever, whatever was listening…let me keep him.