Page 8 of Road Trip With the Ghost Hunter (Love Along Route 14 #10)

Lucas

The “living ghost town” of Missouri was a bust. Sure, the place looked creepy as fuck, but if there were ghosts, they were either sleeping or on vacation. I felt stupid every time I spoke into the spirit box, asking, “ Is somebody there?”

It was eleven eighteen. I was out later than planned.

Lies. I knew exactly why I lingered. The cute, pint-sized, gorgeous Asian spitfire sleeping in the same bed I’m supposed to just lie on and pretend I wasn’t tempted to pull her close against me.

I kept dreaming of running my hands through all that long, wavy, ebony hair.

That mouth. Fuck, that mouth. So full, yet perfectly fit her face and features.

She drove me crazy every time she rubbed that blackberry chapstick on them.

The scent lingered after. Only reason I knew the damn flavor was because she repeated what it was every time she offered and I refused.

It was a running joke for her at this point.

Yeah, I wanted some, but from her lips not the damn stick.

I tightened my grip on the steering wheel.

Eighteen months since I got rid of Amanda’s cheating ass.

Five months since I lost Uncle Filip. I was not in the headspace to fuck around.

And the last person I’d mess with was Li.

I saw the pain and darkness that pulled at her when she didn’t think anyone was watching.

But I always was. I couldn’t help it. How else did you explain me taking her, a complete stranger, along for this crazy road trip?

Getting out of the car, I grabbed my pack and circled around to the front. A shadow caused me to jerk when I recognized it was Jeremy sitting on one of the rocking chairs on the front porch.

“Whiskey?” He raised his own glass, offering.

“Yeah,” my voice croaked. Clearing it, I sat in the adjacent rocking chair. Jeremy poured me a glass and handed it over.

“Cheers,” he said, raising his to meet mine.

“Cheers,” I replied.

I sipped slowly as the caramelized liquor coated my tongue. I raised my brows in appreciation when the smoothness of the whiskey went down nicely.

“I know,” he said with a smirk. “Mark’s family makes some damn good whiskey.”

“That they do,” I agreed, taking another sip. “Damn.”

Jeremy’s deep chuckle blended with the chirp of the crickets while fireflies flew around the veranda, as Dawn called it.

“Late night,” Jeremy observed. I took him for a no bullshit kind of man. I preferred that.

“Had something I had to do.” I took a bigger sip this time.

“Worth the trip?” he asked.

I sat with the question for a second. Was it? “Takes patience,” I justified against my own emotions saying, screw this ghost hunting nonsense.

“Better man than me,” he weirdly replied.

“Come again?”

Jeremy glanced over after drinking. “Beautiful woman in my bed, waiting all night for me, having dinner in your room alone. Hard to drag me away. Especially if my trip wasn’t even fruitful.” He stared out at the driveway. “But, that’s just me.”

“It’s not like that,” I defended. “We’re acquaintances, at best. Met this morning.”

“Never would’ve guessed,” was his response.

“We hadn’t meant to share a room at all. You were all booked up.” My body grew more tense with every need to make him see. Li and I were strangers who were headed in the same direction and would never see each other again after this trip.

“You’re thinking awfully hard over there. Want to talk about it?” Jeremy asked.

“I just met her, man. I can’t go there.”

“You know, it’s funny, thinking back to how I met Dawn,” he started.

“She had just moved here from Chicago to help out a friend. They had come out to watch the baseball game at Let’s Score.

It’s a sports bar here in town. Foolish girl came dressed down in Sox gear like she was still back home.

Had no clue they were our biggest rival. ” He laughed at the memory.

“I’ve been a baseball fan my whole life, and I might be the only person in Missouri who loves the Royals and Cards equally. But damned if she didn’t make me want to cheer for that stupid team.”

“We got into a debate about history and sports.” He pulled his ball cap lower.

“At some point, I made her laugh and damn, that’s when I knew.

That woman was going to wreck my world and bring so much damn light into it.

Didn’t even take twenty-four hours. Hell, I hadn’t even known her one night.

” Jeremy looked me in the eye. “When that happens, you don’t waste time with logic.

Fuck what society, family, people say. I knew I’d marry that woman before I left the bar.

” He took another sip. “Best ten years of my life.”

We finished our whiskeys in silence after that.

It was comfortable sitting there with him, but inside, my mind and body were tumbling around.

I knew what he meant with that story. I didn’t feel the need to explain.

While that was sweet, it was also rare. And just because I was attracted and yes, drawn to Li as well, didn’t mean it was or ever would be anything more.

“Not sure you’re still hungry, but Dawn left you a slice of her best down-home pie.

It’s lemon velvet cream, and believe me, you don’t want to leave Heartstone without having a slice.

It’s in the kitchen.” Jeremy got up, took his bottle of whiskey, and headed for the front door. “Have a good night, Lucas.”

“You too, Jeremy.”

I sat out there a bit longer. It was officially after midnight.

Call me a coward, but I hoped Li would be in such a deep sleep that she wouldn’t hear me settle in for the night.

I grabbed the pie, which Dawn wrapped up like a homemade gift for a neighbor.

Twine ribbon and all. Shaking my head, I went upstairs and entered the dark room, except for the bathroom light, which Li left on so I could see when I came in.

That tugged on my heart. I walked quietly to her side of the bed, where she slept on her stomach, holding a pillow under her head.

Damn, she was beautiful. Her skin looked like soft porcelain.

Her hair tumbled all over the bed, even over on my side.

The covers rested at her waist, revealing a light gray, thin-sleeved PJ top.

All that soft skin. The temptation to run the back of my fingers down her arm.

I closed my eyes, berating my thoughts. I got ready for bed and slowly eased into my side. My mind still wired, I sat against the headboard and unwrapped my pie. I left the bathroom light on so I could see without waking Li.

I took my first bite and hell. I accidentally groaned out loud. That shit was good. Lemon-filled and tart but balanced with sweetness. So creamy. And her crust was buttery and flaky.

“I know, right?” Li’s sleep-soaked voice caused me to startle. That sleepy chuckle went straight to my dick. “Sorry,” she smiled up from her pillow. I hadn’t even noticed that she had turned over at some point, facing me. “What time is it?” her groggy voice asked.

“I’m sorry I woke you,” I said quietly.

“It’s okay. I was having a weird dream anyway.” She settled deeper into her pillow.

“It’s past midnight,” I answered. “And what was the dream?” She was eyeing my pie. “Didn’t you already have your own?” I teased.

The smile she flashed could’ve stopped my damn heart.

She pushed herself up and I held in my groan this time because that damn cotton PJ tank gaped open and gave me a full view of her firm petite breasts.

I focused on my pie. Next thing I knew, her finger was dipping into the cream on top and bringing it to her mouth.

I looked at her, offended, which caused a musical laugh of pure joy to come out.

Fuck, I was in trouble.

Leaning against the headboard, we were shoulder to shoulder. “My grandmother,” she quietly offered.

I looked over, her warm brown eyes focused on my shoulder.

I forked a bit of the pie and brought it closer to her.

Her eyes met mine with a smile in them. Li leaned forward and wrapped those full lips around my fork.

Swallowing, I watched every move with intense focus.

She moaned quietly, which did not help my body from behaving.

Fucker, stay down.

“I almost forgot how good that is. I convinced myself I must have dreamed it,” she said.

“Jeremy warned me not to leave town without a slice.”

“You saw Jeremy?” she asked.

I nodded while taking another bite. “Had that whiskey Dawn told me about. He was hanging out front when I got in.”

“And how did everything go? With your errand?” Her voice was soft, a little cautious.

“Not what I hoped.” I scooped another forkful and offered it to her.

She had no qualms taking it, which gave me a chuckle. She smiled around her bite. “What was the dream?” I asked.

Sighing, she leaned her head on my shoulder. “She was teaching me to make her hot and sour soup?” Lifting her head to look at me, she asked, “Ever had it?” I shook my head. “Are you good with spice?”

“Didn’t grow up on a ton of spicy food. Grew a better tolerance when I got older, but I doubt I could match whatever level you might be used to.”

Smiling, she leaned her head back on my shoulder. Her long hair draped over it. A faint floral scent filled me on my next inhale.

“It’s so good. We were in our kitchen. Kind of.

It was our kitchen, but different somehow.

Dreams never get it right. She was,” she stopped to laugh.

“She was chopping the largest mushroom in the world. Normally, we use wood ear and dried shiitake mushrooms, so no, they shouldn’t have been huge.

I mean, like, bigger than our heads, huge. ”

I chuckled. “What else?”

She sighed and stayed quiet for a minute. “I miss her,” she whispered.

I looked down at the top of her head. Her nose scrunched. I moved my arm to wrap it around her. Her head came up to face me, and even in the darkness, I saw her eyes water. “I know,” I said, my voice scratchy. Because I did. I knew exactly what she was feeling.

Her breath hiccupped before she broke. I pulled her in closer.

Li wrapped her arm around my chest and let herself cry.

There was a safety in letting go in a dimly lit room while the world was asleep.

Holding tightly as Li released, I let a few of my own tears I’d been holding back fall.

Remembering my uncle’s broken body in that hospital bed.

His head was swollen from the trauma after the fall.

The squeeze of his hand in mind before he took his last breath.

My chest stuttered as Li whimpered and held me tighter. We both released pain, still raw, and every moment we walked around pretending we were not wounded and bleeding felt like salt being rubbed in, waiting to be confronted later.

Two lost souls on a road trip.

Where will we end up?