Ghostly Deceits (A Harper Harlow Mystery Book 3)

by Lily Harper Hart

  “You did, and I’m thankful for that,” Harper acknowledged. “I would just prefer a week where I don’t have to explain that I see and talk to ghosts. I want to be normal this week. Are you okay with that?”

  “I’m okay with anything you do,” Jared said, extending his hand. “Now I want to be okay with what you do in that big bathtub.”

  Harper took his hand and smiled. “I have a feeling you’re going to cover me with bubbles and then use me as a waterslide.”

  Jared barked out a laugh. “I love the way your mind works.”

  HARPER was being chased. She was lost in a dream – and on some level she realized that – but that didn’t stop her heart from hammering as the shadowy figure behind her closed in.

  She scampered toward the stairs, realizing they were the ones that led to the main foyer of the Stokes Hotel, and glanced over her shoulder when she was convinced better lighting would reveal her stalker. It didn’t. He was still nothing but a black mass and angry words. Harper didn’t recognize the voice as he screamed about making her his personal property, and she was so fixated on trying to make out facial features she missed the top step and tumbled down the winding staircase, landing on the marble floors below with a sickening thud.

  Harper turned swiftly – imagined dream pain minimal compared to the real thing she’d experienced when she jumped out of a moving vehicle weeks before – and found a black hand reaching out for her.

  She opened her mouth to scream and instead bolted upright to a sitting position in her hotel room. It was dark, dawn still hours away, and her heart raced as she tried to understand the dream.

  “What’s wrong?” Jared murmured, shifting in the bed next to her. “Did you have a bad dream?”

  “It’s okay,” Harper said, shaking her head. “I … fell down the stairs in my dream and woke myself up when I tried to catch myself.”

  “I’ll catch you,” Jared said, slipping his arm around her waist and tugging her head to his bare chest. “Go back to sleep, Heart. We have a big day ahead of us.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “It’s okay,” Jared whispered, stroking the back of her head. “I’m right here.”

  Despite his statement, Harper was convinced she would have trouble drifting off again. She was wrong.

  Seven

  Jared woke early the next morning, taking a moment to bask in Harper’s warmth as she slumbered with her head on his shoulder and then glanced down at her quiet form. He usually didn’t get a chance to enjoy mornings with her because Zander was already in bed with them when he woke up. As annoying as he found the situation, he was surprised to realize he almost missed the sound of their low murmurs and whispers as they tried not to wake him.

  Jared traced lazy circles across the back of Harper’s neck, studying her blond highlights and listening to her soft sighs as she slept. He could spend the entire day exactly like this and be happy.

  As if on cue his stomach growled, causing Harper to shift.

  “So much for the perfect morning,” Jared muttered, forcing a smile when Harper tipped her chin in his direction. “Good morning.”

  “Morning,” Harper murmured, struggling to get her bearings. “What time is it?”

  “It’s still early,” Jared said. “We have two hours until we have to be downstairs for breakfast and the first murder.”

  “Is there going to be more than one murder?” Harper asked, making a comical face as she yawned. “I guess I’m not up on the rules of this thing.”

  “I’m sure we’ll figure it out as we go along,” Jared said. “In fact, if you wanted to go downstairs for breakfast and then turn around and come back for a nap and skip the murder mystery, I would be fine with that.”

  “We have to play,” Harper said. “That’s why we’re here. It’s not fair to Josh to skip out on the game.”

  “I thought we were here to spend time alone and cuddle,” Jared said, tickling her bare ribs and drawing her close so they could snuggle. “I love how warm you are. I love how soft these sheets are. I … really am hungry.”

  Harper giggled. “I guess we should get up and start getting ready.” She said the words but didn’t make a move to leave her toasty spot.

  Jared brushed her hair away from her face and met her blue eyes with a concerned look. “You had a nightmare last night. I just remembered.”

  “It was fine,” Harper said, rolling her eyes. “There’s no reason to get up in arms about it. It was just a dream. It wasn’t even Jim this time.”

  “What was it?”

  “It was a dream, Jared,” Harper chided. “It was nothing.”

  “Then tell me about it,” Jared pressed. “If it’s nothing, you shouldn’t have a problem sharing it with the group.”

  “Fine,” Harper said, her eyes flashing as she tried to put a little distance between them. Jared kept her snugly against his chest and patiently waited for her dream retelling. “It’s really nothing,” she said, giving up and collapsing back against him. “I was running down a long hallway and I kept looking over my shoulder. I got to a set of stairs and realized I was here … I mean, in my dream, I was in the Stokes Hotel.

  “Anyway, I was so busy looking behind me because I wanted to see who was chasing me I tripped and fell down the stairs,” she continued. “When I turned there was a hand coming toward me and that’s when I woke up.”

  Jared kept one arm around Harper’s waist as he rubbed his thumb against her cheek. “Do you know who was chasing you?”

  “I think it was you,” Harper said. “You wanted another bath.”

  Jared cracked a smile even though he wasn’t sure he wanted to let her off the hook. “That shows what you know,” he said. “We’re getting clean in that huge shower this morning.”

  “Oh, good. I love variety.”

  “Who was chasing you in the dream?” Jared asked, refusing to let Harper brush away his worry. “Was it Jim? You said it wasn’t, but if it wasn’t him, who was it?”

  “I couldn’t see his face,” Harper replied, her expression earnest. “I am honestly perfectly fine.”

  “I know you are,” Jared said, pressing his lips to her forehead. “It’s okay to be rattled, though. It doesn’t mean you’re not the strongest woman in the world. It means you had something bad happen to you and you’re still grappling with it.”

  “I’m fine.”

  “You’re going to be better than fine,” Jared said, giving in and embracing the fun of their morning. “You’re going to be throwing a party in my honor in exactly five minutes.” He offered her a long and sultry kiss. “You’ll definitely be able to remember my face when I’m done with you.”

  “Less talking and more doing,” Harper prodded.

  “Seriously, I love the way you think.”

  “I THINK we’re late,” Harper said, frowning when she saw the empty foyer from the top of the stairs. “I don’t think people are going to like it if we’re late.” She scurried down the stairs and hurried in the direction of the dining room. “I blame you.”

  Jared’s grin was lazy as he followed her. The only reason he bothered to keep up was because she refused to let go of his hand. “Harper, I’m sure they’re going to have enough food for us to eat when we get there. There’s no reason to freak out.”

  “I’m not freaking out.”

  “You’re close.”

  “I am not.”

  “You are so.”

  “Are you two always like this when you’re late for breakfast?” Josh asked, stepping into the spot in front of the dining room doorway and fixing Harper and Jared with an amused look. “You sound like a squabbling brother and sister. That might bode well for me since I want to steal you away from Jared, Harper.”

  Jared narrowed his eyes and scowled. “If we were brother and sister we would be arrested for what we just did in the shower. That’s why we’re late.”

  “Jared!” Harper was horrified, and when Jared shifted his challenging eyes from Josh to Harper he realized
the ramifications of what he’d said “I’m so sorry.”

  “It’s my fault,” Josh said smoothly, stepping in to protect his friend. “We were always very competitive and things often got out of hand. I pushed him on purpose because I thought it would be funny. I think both of us forgot someone else was involved in this equation.”

  “I’m really sorry,” Jared said. “You live with Zander, though, and he once told you he waited until he was completely naked to dump a guy because his … you know … curved to the right and he had a Charley horse and couldn’t possibly curve to the left to compensate.”

  “That was a great story,” Josh said. “I really need to meet this Zander guy.”

  “What does that have to do with anything?” Harper asked, incredulous.

  “I’m just saying you should be used to men saying absolutely asinine things about sex,” Jared said.

  “The difference is that Zander isn’t telling sex stories about me,” Harper pointed out. “As far as he’s concerned, I don’t have lady parts. I’m like a Barbie doll.”

  “You do have a few things in common with a Barbie doll,” Jared said, his mind wandering. “Of course, you’re anatomically correct, so that’s a big bonus.”

  “You’re going to have something in common with a Ken doll if you’re not careful,” Harper warned, wagging a finger for emphasis.

  Jared caught the finger and pressed it to his lips. “I am truly sorry. I won’t let it happen again. It was rude and disrespectful.”

  “It was funny, though,” Josh said. “Of course, I could just think it’s funny because you’re in trouble and now I have a shot with your girl.”

  “Don’t make me beat you,” Jared warned.

  “Wow,” Harper intoned, wriggling her eyebrows. “This must be what it’s like to have brothers.”

  Jared hung his head, sheepish. “I really am sorry.”

  “You’re going to owe me,” Harper said. “Apparently I owe my mother a thank you for letting me be an only child.”

  “I’ll thank her for that, too,” Jared said, slinging an arm over Harper’s shoulders. “This way Josh can’t get anyone even remotely close to you and I win.”

  “Yes, that’s exactly what I was thinking,” Harper said dryly.

  “Come on,” Josh said. “Breakfast is ready and then the game is set to begin. My father is in his element.”

  “Is this the first time you’ve done something like this?” Harper asked, following Josh into the ornate dining room. Since there were so many people the tables remained separated and the trio settled at an empty one so they could continue their discussion without interruption.

  “It is,” Josh confirmed. “My dad was against it when I suggested it, but we need ways to beef up business. I’m sure you heard about some of our … troubles.”

  Jared and Harper exchanged a look.

  “Harper knew a little bit about it because she’s local, but I wasn’t aware that anything had changed until we came up here,” Jared said. “I’m sorry things aren’t going well.”

  “When it first happened, it was a real blow,” Josh said. “I didn’t realize how bad things were. All my father said was that they lost money in investments. I thought we were more diversified than we were. This place is expensive to keep in operation and the upkeep is … big.”

  “Is that why you moved home?”

  “That’s one of the reasons,” Josh confirmed. “I’ve always loved this place. I like living on an island, and with this one you’re really not very far away from civilization. I can take a boat and hit the mainland in twenty minutes if I feel like it.

  “I had a choice to make and it wasn’t easy,” he continued. “My father was at his wit’s end and had no idea what to do. He’s never had to do anything but sit back and collect on the investments. I had a business degree and an idea. He wasn’t happy, but he literally didn’t have another choice.”

  “Are you considering hosting regular murder mystery weekends?” Harper asked.

  “This is a test run,” Josh confirmed. “In fact … um … I was hoping you guys would spend more time watching the guests to see if they’re having a good time than actually participating in the murder mystery. I’d also like to know how the staff is handling things. Some of them have been reticent regarding the changes. I know it’s a lot to ask … .”

  “Don’t worry about it,” Jared said, waving off Josh’s concerns. “Harper is a little competitive, but I’m sure she’ll be happy watching everyone else play.”

  “I’m a little competitive?” Harper challenged.

  “Fine. I’m competitive, too,” Jared said. “Still, we’ll have a good time just hanging out and watching. Is there anything else you want us to do?”

  “I don’t know,” Josh replied, rubbing the back of his neck. “Can you think of other events that would help put this place on the map?”

  “I don’t know anything about running a hotel, man,” Jared said. “I’m sorry.”

  Harper’s hand shot up and Josh and Jared chuckled as they locked eyes.

  “I think Harper has an idea,” Josh said.

  “She’s the top student in my class,” Jared said. “Harper, what is your idea?”

  “You can run haunted events,” Harper offered, squirming in her seat. “You have a cemetery on the property and you’re close to the woods. The house is isolated and you can do creepy murders in the fall when people are taking color tours.

  “There’s not a lot you can do in the winter because of the weather and how hard it is to get to the island, but I bet you could try booking the hotel out for entire weekends for one event,” she continued. “You could do Viking themed dinners, or hunting is big in this area so you could do those strange meat dinners I’ve read about.”

  “How do you know about all of this?” Jared asked, surprised and impressed.

  “And how did you just whip it out like that?” Josh asked. “Seriously, those are great ideas. What else have you got?”

  “Well, I don’t know about your father’s political leanings, but Zander always complains that there aren’t enough gay-centric events in this area,” Harper said. “What about a special weekend with spa people? Zander absolutely loves a good massage, steam, and facial.”

  Jared snorted. “That’s also a great idea. I’m not sure Mr. Stokes would appreciate forty Zanders running around, though.”

  “I’m in charge,” Josh said. “I agree with Jared. That’s another fabulous idea.”

  “You could also do beach party themes … ooh, you could do a Jaws theme in the summer because you’re on the water,” Harper said, enjoying herself immensely.

  “I think you’ve created a monster,” Jared said, leaning back in his chair. “I think you missed your calling, Heart. You should’ve been a party planner.”

  “You definitely picked a good one,” Josh said. “If I wasn’t jealous before I would be now.”

  “I picked the best one,” Jared said, smiling fondly at Harper. “She’s mine, though. You missed out and now you have to live with it.”

  “I hear you have weird nipples,” Josh said. “Maybe if I show her mine she’ll trade up.”

  Jared’s smile tipped upside down. “I’m seriously going to kill Zander.”

  Eight

  “We’re never going to want to leave this place,” Harper said an hour later, pushing her clean plate away and leaning back in her chair. “I cannot remember the last time I ate this well two meals in a row.”

  “I cooked dinner and breakfast for you this week,” Jared pointed out.

  “And they were lovely,” Harper said. “You didn’t cook prime rib and homemade omelets, though. I even got to pick out as many things as I wanted for the omelet. I think this place might be Heaven.”

  Jared chuckled as he wiped the corners of his mouth and shifted his attention to Josh. “I can’t believe you’re not fat with all this food available at every meal.”

  “It gets old after a while,” Josh said. “Believe
it or not, there are days when I’m perfectly happy with my bowl of cereal. Of course, I’ve upgraded from Fruity Pebbles to Raisin Bran because I’m a grownup, but some habits die hard.”

  “I guess so,” Jared said. “How long do we have until the body drops?”

  “Why? Are you trying to decide if you have enough time to sneak upstairs for another shower?” Josh teased.

  “Oh, man.” Harper covered her eyes with her hand. “I’m never going to live this down.”

  “You had to embarrass me, didn’t you?” Jared asked, making a face. “My girl gave you thirty ideas for theme weekends and you paid her back with snark. It’s pitiful.”

  “I’m sorry,” Josh said, holding his hands up in a placating manner. “That was uncalled for. I can’t seem to help myself.”

  “Try,” Jared said. “Harper, stop hiding your face. No one knows but the three of us and Josh is going to stop bringing it up, aren’t you?”

  “Of course,” Josh said, although his eyes were mischievous. “I would never want to embarrass Jared.”

  “You’re embarrassing me,” Harper pointed out. “Jared wants to thump his chest and crow, but he’s holding back because he doesn’t want to upset me. I’m not an idiot.”

  “You’re definitely not an idiot,” Josh said, amused despite Harper’s tone. “I want one of you. I really do. You’re so … cute.” He reached out to pinch Harper’s cheek, but Jared slapped his hand away.

  “Don’t even think about it,” Jared chided. “She’s mine. She’s going to stay mine. She would never fall for the likes of you.”

  “Yes, but I own the house with the tub and shower she likes so much,” Josh reminded Jared.

  “Harper can’t be bought,” Jared said. “Right, Heart?”

  “I don’t know,” Harper said primly. “If he has a box of those chocolates they left on our pillows last night, I might be able to be bought. I know I can buy Zander for a month straight if I take some of those home.”

  “Consider it done,” Josh said, smirking at Jared’s hangdog expression. “After all the ideas you’ve given me today, I think a box of chocolates is the least I can do.”