Ghost Hunter

by Paige Tyler

  “Not yet. Trace is out trying to track down some information about what happened to Del Vecchio’s remains. The funeral home says they cremated the body, but Trace isn’t buying it. He thinks one of people who work there may have taken it.”

  “Lovely,” Bella said dryly. “If you’re not out with him, where are you?”

  “At Trace’s house.”

  “His warehouse, you mean. Not exactly something you’d see on home and garden television, is it?”

  Cassidy laughed. “Not exactly, no. It’s not so bad once you get used to it, though. Did Robert mention he brought groceries when he stopped by last night? Wes called and told him that Trace doesn’t usually have a lot in the way of food, so Robert decided to pick some up. We still don’t have much in the way of anything to eat. Unless you count junk food, of course. And ketchup.”

  “Oh, you’re not serious.” Bella made a tsking sound. “Do you need me to stop by the store and grab some stuff for you?”

  Cassidy blinked. “All the way from the city? Are you crazy? I’d never ask you to go out of your way. We’ll make do with what we have.”

  “Don’t worry about it. It’s my day off, so normally I’d drive up to Sleepy Hollow to see if Trace and Wes needed any help anyway. Besides, if I know Trace, he’ll be out for the whole day and you’ll be bored to tears in that place. We can even do lunch. It’ll be fun. I can be there in an hour.”

  It did sound like fun. “Are you sure?”

  “Of course I’m sure. Let me get something to write on, then you can tell me what you want from the store.”

  Cassidy made a mental list in her head while she waited for Bella to get some paper, then recited them to the other woman when she got back on the phone.

  “Anything else?” Bella asked when she was done.

  Cassidy hesitated. There was only one other thing she could think she might need.

  “Actually, there is.”

  “Sure. What is it?”

  She chewed on her lower lip. “Could you grab a box of condoms?”

  There was silence on the other end of the phone for a minute. “Condoms. Yeah, I can definitely grab a box of those. Any particular kind?”

  “Kind?”

  “Yeah. You know, textured, ribbed, flavored?”

  “Oh.” God, this was such a strange conversation to be having. “Regular is fine.”

  “Regular it is. Okay, I’ll see you in a little while. Later.”

  Cassidy opened her mouth to thank her, but Bella had already hung up. Groaning, Cassidy dropped her cell phone back in her purse. She couldn’t believe she’d just asked a woman she barely knew to buy her condoms so she could have sex with that same woman’s friend and coworker. She must be losing her mind.

  Bella arrived an hour later with a car full of groceries. Cassidy offered to help carry them, but the other woman insisted she stay inside where it was safe, so she unpacked the bags while Bella went back outside to get the rest. She raised a brow as she took out a package of chicken breasts and a chocolate cake from the store’s bakery. Obviously, Bella had picked up some things at the store that hadn’t been on the shopping list.

  Bella gave Cassidy a smile as she took off her jacket and hung it on the back of a stool. “I got a few extra things. I thought you might want to make a romantic dinner or something.”

  Cassidy’s mouth curved as she stuck the chicken in the fridge. A romantic dinner. Now, why hadn’t she thought of that? Nothing said come and get me like chocolate cake.

  “You and Trace planning on getting close enough to need these?”

  Cassidy turned to see Bella holding up a box of condoms. She tried to look nonchalant as she reached into a bag and pulled out a jar of spaghetti sauce. “I’m not sure, but I didn’t know if Trace had any around, so I thought I should get some just in case. You know what they say. Better to have them and not need them, than need them and not have them.”

  Bella put the box on the counter and eyed her thoughtfully. “Okay. The other day, you and Trace were barely speaking to each other. Now, you’re thinking about sleeping with him. What am I missing here?”

  Cassidy shrugged. “I figured out that Trace isn’t the insensitive jerk I thought he was.”

  “There’s gotta be more to it than that.” Bella gestured with her hand. “Come on, spill it.”

  Cassidy chewed on her lower lip. Considering Trace and Bella worked together, Cassidy wasn’t sure she should even be discussing it with her, but she could definitely use another woman’s perspective right about now. Besides, Bella might be able to share some valuable insight with her about the handsome ghost hunter.

  While they put the rest of the groceries away, she told the other woman about how Trace had swept her up in his arms and brought her back here to the safety of his home, about how he had held her close after the nightmare she’d had and made her feel safe, even about the way he had kissed her the night before. She confided in the woman about all of it. When she was done, she was even more confused about why Trace had pulled away from her.

  “I don’t understand it.” Cassidy took out two plates and set them on the counter, then reached for the bread. “Before Robert got here, we were going at it all hot and heavy, then after he left, Trace acted as if we didn’t even kissed.”

  “As ridiculous as this is going to sound, he probably thinks he’s doing you a favor.”

  “A favor?” Cassidy frowned. “What do you mean?”

  Bella let out a sigh. “You might want to make lunch first. This could take a while.”

  Eager for the other woman to fill her in, Cassidy quickly finished making the sandwiches, then sat down on the stool beside Bella.

  “Did Trace tell you anything about what happened to him back when he was a cop?” Bella asked.

  “Do you mean about his partner?” Cassidy asked and Bella nodded. “Yeah, he told me his partner had been killed by a paranormal creature and that he went after the thing, which was how he got started in the ghost hunting business.”

  “Since you didn’t mention the part about him having a girlfriend at the time, I’m thinking he probably left that little tidbit of information out. Am I right?”

  Cassidy looked at her in surprise. “He never said anything about a girlfriend.”

  “I didn’t think so.” Bella picked up one half of the turkey sandwich and took a bite, then chewed before continuing. “Trace was pretty serious about her. They were going to get married and everything.”

  She’d definitely call that serious. “What happened?”

  “Trace’s partner got killed and he became obsessed with hunting down the thing that did it.”

  “And she couldn’t handle it,” Cassidy guessed.

  Bella shook her head. “It wasn’t that. From what Wes said, she was one of the only people who didn’t think he wasn’t crazy when he told her some monster from hell had killed his partner. I don’t know if it was because she honestly believed him or whether it was because she was just in love with him. Either way, she understood why he felt he had to go after the thing.”

  “Then why did she leave him?”

  “She didn’t leave him. He broke things off with her.”

  Okay, she hadn’t seen that coming. “Why?”

  “I think it was a combination of things, actually,” Bella said. “Even though she didn’t come out and accuse him of being crazy, I’m not sure Trace thought she could handle knowing there are real monsters roaming around and that he was going to spend his life fighting them. I also think he was afraid the things he hunted would eventually come after her to get to him. He shut himself off from everyone in his life he cared about, including the woman he was going to marry, just so they would be safe.”

  Cassidy felt her heart squeeze in her chest. “That sounds like a horrible way to live.”

  “Tell me about it. But that’s Trace in a nutshell. He sacrificed his shot at happiness to keep the people who were important to him safe. I don’t think he’s gotten even remot
ely close to anyone in five years. Until now.”

  “I’m not sure we’ve gotten that close.” Cassidy sighed and picked up the other half of her sandwich. “Hell, for all I know he may not even be interested in me. Kissing me could have been his way of winding down after a hard day at the office.”

  The other woman laughed. “Maybe, but I don’t think so. I mean, he’s never kissed me that way.”

  For some reason, the words made Cassidy frown. She hadn’t considered the possibility Bella might have a thing for Trace, but now that she thought about it, the idea wasn’t so outrageous.

  She picked up her iced tea, eyeing Bella over the rim of the glass. “Do you wish he would?”

  “Do I wish he would what?”

  “Kiss you.”

  Bella’s face was incredulous. “Trace? God, no.”

  “You don’t think he’s attractive?”

  “Of course I think he’s attractive. I think Wes is pretty damn hot, too. But I kind of think of them more as the big brothers I never had than as potential bed buddies.” She gave Cassidy a wink. “Consider Trace all yours.”

  Cassidy’s lips curved. She had to admit it did kind of have a nice ring to it. “You know, when I first met you guys, I thought you were all pretty whacky running around chasing ghosts.”

  Bella laughed. “I figured.”

  “No hard feelings?”

  “Of course not. If I were you, I would have thought we were whacky, too,” Bella said. “What are you going to make for dinner?”

  Cassidy mentally went over the food Bella had bought as she considered the question. “I was thinking about chicken parmesan.”

  “Good choice.” Bella grinned. “One taste and you’ll have him wrapped around your finger.”

  Cassidy laughed. “I do remember hearing the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.”

  Bell grinned. “I always thought it was through his zipper. That must be where I’ve been going wrong.” She slipped off the stool. “Okay, I’m going to get out of here and let you work your magic in the kitchen.”

  “You’re welcome to stay and help.”

  Bella picked up her jacket and slipped it on. “I would, but cooking’s not my thing. That’s probably why I always go for a guy’s zipper.” She winked at Cassidy. “I’ll give you a call tomorrow to see how things turned out with dinner. If you don’t answer, I’ll assume you couldn’t tear yourself away from Trace. Or from on top of him. Or under him. Or whatever position you two end up in.”

  Cassidy laughed. She only wished she had as much confidence in her cooking as Bella did. On the other hand, if a home-cooked meal didn’t do the trick, she could always take a page out of the other woman’s book and go straight for Trace’s zipper instead.

  Chapter Twelve

  Cassidy was just finishing up the cooking when she heard the garage door open. While the chicken parmesan smelled delicious, after talking with Bella, she realized it was going to take more than a good meal to get through Trace’s defenses. He thought he was protecting her by pushing her away, and she had no doubt if she tried to put a move on him during dinner, he was likely to shut her out like he’d done last night. This time she’d be ready for him, though. She’d point out she was already in danger and the only reason she was safe was because she was with him. Sleeping together wasn’t going to put her in any more peril than she already was. Besides, it wasn’t as if she was talking about getting married or anything. She and Trace were attracted to each other, and there was nothing wrong with two people who liked each other having sex. After all the crap she’d been through lately, she was entitled to a little fun. And after the kind of life Trace had been living for the past five years, he was, too.

  The door that connected to the garage opened, interrupting her thoughts, and she looked up to see Trace coming in. He closed the door behind him, but then stopped in his tracks, his brow furrowing. Cassidy saw him sniff the air as if trying to figure out what the aroma was. She smiled. He probably hadn’t had a home-cooked meal in this place in a long time, if ever. Leftover pizza didn’t count.

  “Damn, that smells good,” he said as he walked into the living room. “What is it?”

  She glanced at him. “Dinner. It’s about ready. Why don’t you wash up and I’ll get it on the table?”

  Trace’s mouth twitched, but he headed to the bathroom without complaint. Cassidy shook her head. Why did men only willingly wash their hands if a woman bribed them with food? Giving the pasta a stir, she took the garlic bread out of the oven and set it on the table.

  Trace came into the kitchen as she was pouring dressing on the salad. “Need any help?”

  Cassidy was a little surprised by the offer. The guys she’d dated usually parked themselves at the table the second they walked in and waited for her to serve them like they were in a restaurant. “You can check the pasta to see if it’s done, then go ahead and drain it.”

  She watched from the corner of her eye as Trace tried to pick up a single piece of pasta with the spoon she’d left sitting beside the stove. After four attempts, he finally flicked a few pieces up, then grabbed them with his fingers before they could slide off the spoon and shoved them in his mouth. She almost laughed. Yeah, that was more like the guys she was used to.

  “It was nice of you to make dinner, but you didn’t have to go to all this trouble,” he said as she placed a generous piece of chicken on his plate. “We could have ordered pizza.”

  Her lips curved as she fixed her own plate. “I thought you might like to have something that didn’t come out of a box for a change.”

  He chuckled.

  “Besides, it wasn’t any trouble. Making you a nice meal is the least I could do in return for everything you’ve done for me.”

  Trace opened his mouth, to deny he’d done anything special she was sure, but then closed it again. Apparently, he must have decided to accept her thanks graciously because he reached for the pepper and put some on his chicken.

  “Did you have any luck today?” she asked as she picked up her fork.

  He shook his head. “Unfortunately, no. I checked out every person who works at the funeral home and couldn’t find so much as a traffic ticket. I ran their names past some of my contacts to see if any of them have a reputation for being involved in any weird paranormal shit, but I still couldn’t find anything. I even searched some of the more likely suspects’ homes, like the director Murray. Other than having a bizarre collection of Saturday Night Live paraphernalia, the guy is clean. They all are. I wasted a whole day for nothing.”

  “At least you’ve eliminated them as suspects.”

  His mouth quirked. “You sound like a cop.”

  “I watch a lot of cop shows.”

  He shook his head. “I don’t watch cop shows. They always get things wrong.” He speared another piece of chicken with his fork. “This is really good. They never have anything like it at the diners I go to.”

  “When exactly was the last time you had a home-cooked meal?”

  “About a month ago at Robert’s place.”

  “When was the last time you had a home-cooked meal here?”

  “Does making coffee count?”

  That answered her question.

  As they ate, Trace filled her in on the finer points of being a ghost hunter, like trying to find doctors, dentists and plumbers who needed his services because he needed theirs, but couldn’t afford them.

  “How do you find them?” she asked.

  “I put an ad on craigslist.”

  Cassidy thought he might have been teasing her, but he said it with such a straight face she wasn’t sure. “You didn’t.”

  “No.” His mouth quirked. “It would be a good idea, though. I could say something like Ghost Hunter for Hire—Willing to Trade for Services.”

  She laughed. “It does have a nice ring to it. Don’t let Robert hear you say that, though. He might actually put an ad on there.”

  Trace let out a groan. “You’re right.�
�� He used what was left of the garlic bread in his hand to sop up the rest of the spaghetti sauce on his plate. “What did you do today? Other than cook, I mean. The dinner was great, by the way.”

  She felt a surge of pride at the compliment. Even if Operation Seduction flopped, at least her cooking had been a success. “I worked on my book for a while, then Bella called and offered to pick up some more food from the grocery store. I didn’t want to put her to any trouble, but after hearing what Robert had gotten us, she insisted.”

  He grinned. “I figured you didn’t whip this up from the stuff he’d brought.”

  “I’m glad she didn’t mind coming by. It gave us a chance to sit and talk.”

  “I thought the two of you would hit it off. What did you talk about?”

  Having sex with you. “Girl stuff mostly. And what I was going to make for dinner.”

  Trace nodded as he polished off the last of the salad. When he was done, he set his knife and fork down on the plate and let out an appreciative groan.

  “That was amazing. I can’t remember when I’ve eaten that well.”

  “I’m glad you liked it. We’re not done yet, though. There’s dessert, too.” Cassidy pushed back her chair. “Chocolate cake.”

  He lifted a brow. “You had time to make a cake, too?”

  “I’d like to take credit for it, but no. Bella picked it up at the bakery. I might know my way around a kitchen, but even I can’t cook that fast.” She gave him a wry smile as she reached for his plate. “Even if I could, I’m not sure I would have been able to find a pan to bake it in.”

  He stood, picking up the dish that had held the chicken in one hand and the empty bowl she’d used for the salad in the other. “I think you just insulted me.”

  She glanced at him over her shoulder. “I’m just stating the facts. You could use some more pots and pans. Silverware, too.”

  He owned exactly six forks, two spoons and one butter knife. He had a set of steak knives, but they looked as if he’d hacked his way through a brick wall with them. Considering what he did for a living, she didn’t even want to think about what he had used them for. Between making dinner and setting the table, she had used up about every piece of silverware in the house. Which left them with one fork to eat the cake with.