Page 10 of Sky’s Guide To Getting His Man & Banishing Ghosts (The Dreamwalkers #1)

Chapter

Eight

Skylar

“Heyyyy sexy,” I said as Ego climbed into my car.

He chuckled that deep, rich, beautiful sound that had the masses dropping to their knees in worship. “Shut the fuck up, man.”

Putting a hand to my chest, I batted my eyelashes at him. “But I’m just so honored to be in your presence. You’re Ego .” I fanned myself.

He took off the baseball cap and sunglasses he’d been wearing in an attempt to disguise himself and groaned. The lack of colorful makeup he usually wore helped, too. “I don’t need any of that from you.”

“Tell the truth.” I poked him in the side. “How far did you make it on the train before someone recognized you?”

He slumped back into the seat, closing his eyes. “Five minutes. Then I spent the next two hours signing autographs, taking pictures, and begging people to say that they saw me somewhere, anywhere, other than the train coming here.”

“I told you to have a car service bring you down.”

“I know, and you were right. I just wanted to experience it, you know? See the view and all that shit.” He sighed, rolling his head toward me and opening his eyes. “You look good, Skylar. Healthy. The fresh air must really be doing you some good.”

I gasped. “What does that mean? I always look good. And healthy? What am I, a horse?”

He laughed, and I stuck out my tongue at him. “It really is good to see you.”

Reaching over, I grabbed his hand and squeezed. “You, too. I’m happy you’re here. You’ve needed a place to escape.”

“You didn’t tell anyone, right? That we’re?—”

“Cousins?” I giggled. “Nope. I want to see if anyone realizes.”

“I can’t believe you never told Chance we were related. He’s your bestie.”

“Have you ever told anyone?”

He scoffed, affronted. “Of course not.”

“Of course not. We agreed to keep it to ourselves for a reason. Chance knows what a piece of work my dad is, and you’ve worked hard to hide your past from the world.

” I squeezed his hand one more time. “If and when you want to tell any of my friends we’re related, I have no problems with that, but I will forever keep that secret for you. ”

“Thank you. You’re the only person I can trust with everything. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

The words were right, but the sad loneliness lurking in the depths of his fathomless orbs hurt my heart.

He’d been through too much in his life, more than anyone should ever have to bear.

I’d hoped his fame would help heal some wounds, but it didn’t look like it.

Hopefully, his new sanctuary in Willowhope would soothe his soul the way it had mine.

“You ready to see your new place, Ego?”

“Ah. No. Stop. When we’re alone, you have to call me something else. Anything else.”

Anything but the name his parents had given him went unsaid. It was a family name, one that had only ever meant pain and suffering to him. “Okay, snot-nozzle,” I said playfully.

He shrugged. “Believe me, anything sounds better than Ego all drawn out like a love letter.”

“Well, when you’ve bewitched the masses.”

“ Ugh . I know. I’m so grateful to my fans, but…”

Pulling out of the parking lot to head down Main Street, I said, “But you need a break. You need to not be this alter-ego you’ve created.”

He snickered. “It’s such a dumb name.”

“You’re the one who went with the name we picked when we were five years old. You couldn’t have thought of anything better?”

“It had to be Ego. That weekend was the last good childhood memory I have.”

Blinking back tears, I cleared my throat. “Asshole. You’re getting such a big hug when we get to your new house.”

“I’ll take it. Hey, how do your friends think you landed this job?”

I giggled. “Luckily enough, I got to go with the truth. Don’t forget, your assistant did contact me to interview me for this gig without knowing that I was the one who found you this house and already planned to decorate it for you.”

Ego snorted. “She’s a good egg. I’m so fuckin’ thankful I found her. I don’t think I could’ve navigated fame without her.” He shook his head and looked out the window. “Does that say Daily Knead?”

“Yep. It’s the bakery. Wait until you meet Sonny, the owner. He’s a grouch. You’ll get a hoot out of him.”

“Does he have coffee? I could really use a cup.”

“Don’t worry. I got you, snot-nozzle. We’re headed to Witch’s Brew Coffee Co.”

Ego spun his head, staring at the side of my face. “You’re kidding. A reportedly haunted town has a coffee shop named Witch’s Brew?”

Chuckling, I pulled off of Main into the parking lot that ran alongside the strip of shops that housed our destination. “Sure do.” I hopped out. Once Ego joined me, I continued, “They’re relatively new transplants like me. Carli and Cassi Hart.”

“Sisters?”

As I opened the door, I pointed toward the lovely ladies exchanging a hug behind the counter. “Wives.”

“Nice.” Ego passed me and walked in. It was obvious that the stunning brunette and adorably rotund blonde instantly recognized him by their rounded eyes and huge smiles. “Hello,” my cousin said, turning on the charm.

“Hello, handsome,” Carli responded. “What can I get for you?”

“And can I have your autograph?” Cassi asked with a giggle.

Her wife glared at her affectionately. “Way to be chill, wifey.”

Cassi shrugged, hip-checking her out of the way. “It’s not for me. I thought it would be a cool edition for the signature wall that Skylar suggested.” She smiled at me warmly as I joined them at the counter.

Ego quirked a brow. “And when did you suggest this wall, Mr. Reign?”

Waggling my eyebrows, I said, “The morning after your offer was accepted for your new place.”

Looking interested, Carli leaned her hip against the counter. “You’re moving to Willowhope?”

“Not full-time or anything, but I needed a retreat. You know how it is.” He smirked, and even Carli flushed. Cassi didn’t even try to hide her giddy delight at his presence in their coffee shop and peppered him with a thousand questions.

Since we missed the morning rush and the lunchtime customers hadn’t begun to trickle in yet, they had plenty of time to chat, leaving space for me to check in with Kingston.

Me: Helllllooooooo.

Me: How’s your day?

King: I’m tired.

I frowned. The circles under his eyes were becoming more prominent every time I saw him. At some point, he’d gone from sleep-deprived to full exhaustion. I’d hoped that the tree ordeal that Harry and Buck had solved would help Kingston get more rest. Apparently not.

Me: Is there anything I can do?

Me: Maybe have your gran make some of her special hot cocoa

Me: I know. Have you tried chamomile tea?

King: No, thank you. Doesn’t your new client arrive today?

Me: Yep. He’s charming Carli and Cassi right now.

Me: Once he’s had his coffee, we’ll head out to the new property.

King: Oh.

There were dots, then they disappeared. More dots…then nothing. More dots.

Me: You should come have dinner with us. He’s staying at Chance’s, so everyone will be there tonight to meet him. Elyse and Marc are coming over, too.

And dots. More dots.

King: Sorry. I’m busy.

King: All week.

What? Since when was he busy? If he wasn’t at work, he was at the pond behind the manor half the time.

King: Gotta get back to work.

Well, shit.

“Who you texting?” Ego asked, looking down at my phone.

I shoved it in my back pocket. “No one.”

He looked disbelieving as he handed me a steaming hot mug. “Cassi said this is your favorite.”

“You’re an angel sent from above,” I said.

Cassi giggled, but Carli shook her head. “You two go away. You’ll be bad for business.”

Ego put a hand to his chest, affronted. “Moi? On the contrary. I think I’d be excellent for business.”

“For sure,” Cassi agreed, nodding like a bobble-head.

“They’re not wrong, but I think it would be best if you keep a low profile until the work on your new place is done. Once you’re ready to establish yourself as a part-time resident, they’ll get used to you quickly enough,” I said.

Carli nodded her agreement, but Cassi looked doubtful.

Unfortunately, so did my cousin. He’d grown up longing to be seen, but I thought perhaps the last few years of fame had been more than he bargained for.

In the beginning, being thrust into the limelight had brought him joy.

Not so much anymore. He wanted—needed—anonymity.

“Where is the new place?” Cassi asked curiously.

I waggled my finger at her. “Oh no. That shall remain a mystery for now. Someone’s bound to see him walking out of here, and?—”

The bells above the door jangled as a new customer walked in, proving my point.

As Ego whirled to hide his face, the person gasped.

Busted . He immediately gave that dazzling smile that drew people in like bees to nectar.

I stood back, watching him ooze charm in that silky voice that had made him famous.

In this moment, he wasn’t my cousin, he really was a star, and watching him in his element felt both foreign and familiar. To me, he’d always be that snot-nosed kid I’d missed after our fathers fell out. But to the world, he was this, and both suited him.

“You better rescue him,” Carli eventually hissed to me.

Agreeing, I wrangled him away from his admirer, thanked the ladies, and hustled him out to the car. “Thanks,” he said as the door closed him inside the isolation of my car.

“My pleasure. Is it always like that?”

He huffed. “It’s usually worse. Maybe this small-town thing will be exactly what I need.”

I hoped so. We chatted about his travels as I drove to the remote location at the edge of Willowhope. I hadn’t even known there was a house back there until I’d contacted a real estate agent in town. He hadn’t been forthcoming with the information at first.

As I turned onto a dirt road between two wire fences that said Keep Out and Property Of that faded out into indistinguishable words. “How did you find this place?” Ego sounded less than impressed.