Ghostly Visions: A Harper Harlow Mystery Books 10-12

by Lily Harper Hart

  “Now would probably be the time to ask for pizza,” Harper suggested, grinning at the flash of delight in the girl’s eyes. “Something tells me you’re going to get whatever you want tonight.”

  Zoe flashed a thumbs-up. “Awesome. Who wants McDonald’s?”

  “Come on, hero,” Jared whispered in Harper’s ear as he slung an arm around her shoulders and drew her away from the warm family scene. “I think it’s time we made our escape.”

  Harper agreed. “We got her home in time for Christmas.”

  “We did, although you did the heavy lifting.”

  “We worked as a team.”

  “Yeah.” He kissed her temple. “Now and forever. Come on. Let’s see what Shana has to say for herself and then put this night behind us. It’s almost Christmas. I can’t wait to spend it together.”

  “That makes two of us.”

  Twenty

  Jared was in a good mood when he let himself into the house the next afternoon. He had to report for work during the morning hours — mostly because he wanted to be part of the team that interrogated Shana — but he was officially clear until after Christmas now, and his mind had turned to other things.

  The house was bustling with activity, Christmas carols booming from the speaker in the corner as Pam and Zander toiled over what looked to be a huge meal. He took a moment to watch the interaction, grinning when Zander barked at Pam regarding her attempts to baste the turkey.

  “You’re doing it wrong.”

  “I’ll have you know that I’ve been basting turkeys since before you were born,” Pam shot back.

  “Apparently not the right way.”

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah.” She waved off his complaints and rolled her eyes. “I think you should leave the turkey to me and worry about the sides.”

  “Or you could leave the turkey to me and I’ll handle the sides, too.”

  “You’re something of a control freak, aren’t you?”

  “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

  Jared chuckled as he shrugged out of his coat, his eyes going wide when the door behind him opened to allow Harper entrance. He had no idea she’d left the house. “Where have you been?” His tone was more accusatory than he intended, but he couldn’t hide his surprise.

  “I was handling a bit of work for Santa,” Harper replied as she kicked off her boots.

  “What work?”

  “I took gifts over to Zoe.”

  “Oh.” Jared was momentarily chastised. “I didn’t know you were going to do that. I wish you would’ve waited for me.”

  “I wasn’t sure when you would be back and I didn’t want to add to your day. Besides, they’re spending their first Christmas together as a family and so many people have stopped by with gifts that Zoe believes she’s being rewarded for putting up with the mean lady.”

  Jared smirked, legitimately amused. “Well, I don’t think that’s the worst thing that’s ever happened.” He leaned forward and gave her a soft kiss. “Is Luke still there?”

  Harper knew what he was really asking. “Yes. It looks like he slept on the couch. There was a pillow and blanket stacked there, although no one volunteered information no matter how hard I dug. I think they’re taking it slow.”

  “Maybe Luke will get his act together.”

  “He was sitting on the floor in front of the tree when I got there,” Harper supplied. “Zoe was on his lap reading a Christmas story. She seems comfortable with him, as if it’s the most natural thing in the world for him to be there.”

  “And Luke?”

  “He had apparently listened to the same story four times in a row. It’s the only one Zoe knows by heart according to Ally. He told her she was the best reader ever when she finished. He might be better at the father thing than he ever gave himself credit for.”

  “I hope it works out.” Jared carefully ordered Harper’s hair as she tugged off her hat. “You’ve been outside.” He pressed his hand to her cheek. “Your skin is a lot colder than it should be if you only ran a quick errand. Where else have you been?”

  “I can see why you make the big bucks, Detective,” she teased as she hung her coat on the rack. “You’re right, though. I’ve been out to two other places.”

  “Where?”

  “The woods by Shana’s house and the park.”

  Understanding dawned on Jared. “Did you find both your ghosts?”

  “I did, and they’re gone now. I gave them a Christmas gift, too.”

  “That’s because you’ve got a huge heart.” He pulled her into his arms, swaying back and forth as he kissed her temple. “They’ll be happier on the other side, right?”

  “I’ve never been there, but that’s my guess. Either way, it’s better than clinging to this life when it can’t give them anything. Chloe was happy to cross when I explained her mother would never be getting out of jail. She asked me to say goodbye for her.”

  “Are you going to?”

  Harper shrugged. “Maybe. I don’t think it really matters. Shana is obviously a sociopath and she doesn’t feel remorse for what she did.”

  “She definitely doesn’t,” Jared agreed, resting his cheek against her forehead as the music changed to a slower number. “She’s not sorry for what she did. She blames Ally for being a bad mother and letting Zoe out of her sight. She said she had things she wanted to teach Zoe, and she had big plans. Luckily for us, it was a spur-of-the-moment thing. She wasn’t planning on instituting her curriculum until after Christmas.

  “It probably helped that she had to make appearances around town, too,” he continued. “She locked Zoe in the basement room when she was out of the house. That gave her less time to focus on Zoe and her inability to follow rules. She killed Jessica because she assumed we would focus on her. She wanted to make it look like a suicide, but Jessica put up a fight. She thought she could still get away with it once she planted Zoe’s hat in Jessica’s car. She was so focused on Jessica that she had no time to focus on Zoe.”

  Harper involuntarily shuddered when she got a mental image of what he wasn’t saying. “How could we not know that a monster like that was in our midst?”

  “I don’t know. She was a good actress. She mimicked emotions.”

  “Yes, but we should’ve seen.” Harper was adamant. “People recognized there was something wrong with her. We should’ve looked closer. Heck, I’ve never been comfortable around her. I just wish I would’ve found Chloe’s ghost before last night.”

  “I very much doubt you were wandering around the woods behind Shana’s house very often,” Jared noted pragmatically. “You can’t blame yourself.”

  “If we’d known ... .”

  “If we’d known then there’s every possibility Luke wouldn’t have realized what a jerk he was being and tried to adjust his attitude,” Jared interjected. “The way things went down might’ve saved a family.”

  “I don’t believe that.” Harper’s smile was wan as she leaned back to study his face. “Jessica and I had a long talk before I helped her pass over. She says that Luke was considering asking Ally for a second chance before they broke up.

  “You heard Zoe,” she continued. “She saw Luke watching her at the pumpkin festival. He did it from afar, but he was already caving.”

  “Only three years too late.”

  “Better late than never, though, right?”

  Jared sighed. “You’re right.” He rested his forehead against hers. “If we don’t allow people the opportunity to change there’s no reason for them to adjust their behavior. If Luke really wants to be a father, Ally is the one he needs to convince. It’s not on us to act as judge and jury.”

  “Well said.” Harper’s lips curved as she leaned closer to him. “It’s almost Christmas. We should focus on each other instead of the horror of the last few days. We’ve done everything we can do.”

  Not everything, Jared immediately thought. Not quite yet, but soon. “You’re right.” He graced her with a soft kiss. "When are your
parents getting here for dinner?”

  “I’m sure we’ll hear the hell hounds barking around the neighborhood as a warning when they draw near.”

  “What do you want to do until then? Zander and my mother are taking over the kitchen, which means we have some time to ourselves.”

  “Let’s watch A Christmas Story.”

  It was the one answer Jared wasn’t expecting. “Seriously? That’s my favorite Christmas movie.”

  “I know. You told me. I haven’t seen it in years.”

  “And that’s all you want to do?”

  “For now.”

  “Then ... let’s do it.” Jared dragged her toward the large recliner at the edge of the room. “It’s kind of nice to let them do the cooking and relax, huh?”

  Harper nodded as she climbed into the chair with him. “The perfect end to a perfect day.”

  Jared managed to swallow his chuckle. She hadn’t seen perfect yet. Not even close.

  EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE both stuffed after dinner, Jared convinced Harper to walk across the road to the new house. It was a quiet night, bitter cold, but it was so loud at the other house because of the arguing — and Zander’s insistence on being Zander — that they needed a bit of alone time.

  Harper was lost in thought when she entered, her mind on Zoe and what she was probably doing to enjoy the evening, and she pulled up short when she saw all the lit candles placed around the room. “What the ... ?”

  Jared smiled. He’d snuck over thirty minutes earlier when Shawn and Zander distracted Harper with a game of Christmas trivia and arranged the house so he could give her his surprise. “Take off your coat.”

  “Why?” Harper whipped her head in his direction. “What’s going on?”

  “Take off your coat,” Jared repeated, this time putting a bit of effort behind the words.

  Harper did as she was told, stripping out of the coat and boots before moving to the blanket stretched out on the floor in the middle of the candles. “Are we having a picnic?”

  “Something like that,” Jared replied, rubbing his sweaty palms over his jeans as he followed her. He’d been calm when he disappeared to handle the candles and set-up. He thought he was ready. Now that the moment was here, he was unbelievably nervous.

  “Do you like it?”

  Harper nodded dumbly. “It’s beautiful. Zander is going to melt down if we try to spend the night over here, though. You know that, right?”

  “Zander will survive.”

  “Yeah, but ... .” When Harper turned, she was confused. The spot where Jared had been standing only seconds before was empty. He was no longer on his feet, in fact. Instead, he was on one knee with a velvet box in his hands. He was also unbelievably pale. “What’s going on?”

  “What does it look like?”

  “I ... .” Harper’s heart seemingly skipped ten beats in a row. “Are you proposing?”

  “If you let me get the question out.”

  “But ... yes.” Harper dropped to her knees alongside him. “Yes. I’ll marry you.”

  Jared scowled. “You have to let me propose before saying yes.”

  “Oh.” Harper was appropriately abashed. “I’m sorry about that. I didn’t mean to steal your thunder.”

  Jared waited a moment and then inclined his head. “You have to stand up. I’m the one who is supposed to be on one knee.”

  “Oh.” Harper was flustered, her face red as she scrambled to a standing position. “Better?”

  Even though it was a serious situation, Jared wanted to laugh. The proposal was so them. “Close enough.”

  “Okay. Get on with it. Although ... this is why Zander wouldn’t tell me what you got me for Christmas. I wondered why he was being so tight-lipped when he’s never met a secret he didn’t want to blab. I’m going to kill him.”

  “Hey!” Jared snapped his fingers to get her attention. “Are you going to let me do this?”

  Harper nodded, solemn.

  “Good.” He sucked in a breath. “I love you,” he started, his mind suddenly going blank. He couldn’t remember the words he’d been practicing over the course of the past two weeks. “Um ... I really love you.”

  “I love you, too,” Harper offered helpfully.

  “Yeah, but ... I forgot what I was going to say.” Panic licked at Jared’s heart. “How could I forget? You totally threw me off.”

  Harper giggled as she dropped to her knees a second time. “It doesn’t matter. I know what you feel because I feel it, too.” She pressed her hand to the spot above his heart. “I love you more than anything. I want to be with you forever.”

  “If you propose to me, we’re going to fight,” Jared warned. “That’s still my job.”

  “Then ask me.”

  “Fine.” He opened the box and grinned at the way her eyes widened. “Harper Harlow, will you make me the happiest man in the world and be my wife?”

  Harper nodded, momentarily stunned by the size of the diamond.

  “You have to say the word out loud!” a muffled voice yelled through the window on the other side of the room.

  Jared jerked his head in that direction and rolled his eyes when he saw Zander, Shawn, his mother, and Harper’s parents standing with their noses pressed against the window.

  “Yes,” Harper said finally, her voice cracking. “Yes. You’re all I want.”

  Jared smiled as she threw her arms around him, closing his eyes as her warmth washed over him. “You’re all that I want, too.”

  “It’s about time,” Zander yelled through the window. “I was starting to think it was never going to happen.”

  “Go away,” Jared bellowed. “This is our moment ... and you’re ruining it.”

  “Oh, puh-leez. I’m just as much a part of this moment as the two of you. You’d better clear some room on that blanket because I’m coming in.”

  Jared thought about fighting him, but he couldn’t. The moment was perfect for them — all of them — so that’s all that mattered.

  “This isn’t what I had planned,” he lamented.

  “But it’s what works.” Harper’s eyes filled with tears as she slipped on the ring. “We’re going to be really happy.”

  His heart, he was ashamed to admit, turned to total mush. “You have no idea. This is the start of a new adventure.”

  “I’m really looking forward to it.”

  “Me, too.”

  Ghostly Ordeal

  A Harper Harlow Mystery Book Twelve

  One

  As far as winters go, Southeastern Michigan was mired in a particularly brutal one. Whisper Cove, which was located on the water, was being inundated with lake effect snow at least two times a week. And, while Harper Harlow happened to love a pretty snowstorm as long as she could sit in front of the fireplace watching it, the season was starting to feel too long.

  “I think there should be a rule,” she said as she peered out the window with a mug of hot chocolate in her hand. “Snow is for Christmas and people who want to live in Canada. It should be banned from every other location once January kicks off.”

  Her fiancé Jared Monroe looked up from the couch, amusement lining his features. He had a catalog resting on his lap and adoration in his eyes. “You don’t like being snowed in with me, huh?”

  Harper, her blond hair longer than normal, shook her head. “It’s fine. I don’t mind being snowed in with you. It’s just ... I kind of like it when we can spend our quality time together outside.”

  “You mean you wish we could hammock.” Jared’s gaze traveled back to the catalog. “I was just looking at hammocks. Why don’t you come over here and join me so we can pick one out, huh?”

  Harper merely rolled her eyes. “I’m not going over there. I know what will happen if we snuggle together on the couch and look at hammocks. We’ll end up ... you know.”

  Her expression was so dainty, so out of place, Jared could do nothing but laugh. “Since when are you opposed to doing ... you know?” His eyes gleamed wi
th flirty intent.

  “I’m not opposed to it. I just think you have to wait until after five.”

  He furrowed his brow. “Since when is that the rule? We’ve done it ... you know ... plenty of times before five.”

  “Yes,” she agreeably bobbed her head. “But all those times were in the morning, before noon. We didn’t technically get up from bed before doing it so they were considered continuations of the previous evening, which is totally allowed.”

  Jared was beyond confused. “I didn’t realize there were rules we had to follow.”

  “Not necessarily rules,” she hedged. “It’s just ... it’s weird to do it in the middle of the afternoon.”

  Jared moved the catalog to the coffee table and fixed his full attention on her. Their new house — which was directly across the road from her old house — was almost completely put together. They still had several boxes hidden in the front closet so they could ignore them without guilt and were now looking forward to adding new pieces ... because there were currently some big holes in their decorating schematic.

  The plan was to spend the day — they both had it off — filling some of those holes. Apparently Harper had other things on her mind.

  “I have to believe I’ve romanced you in the afternoon before,” Jared pressed. “It seems completely unlike me to ignore that time of day.”

  “You have romanced me in the afternoon,” she agreed, sipping her hot cocoa and grinning. She’d picked up on the change in his mood and found it entertaining. “It’s only been at appropriate times, though, like when we were on vacation that one time ... or we had the day off on a weekend.”

  She said it with such conviction that Jared found himself wondering if she was right. “You’ve been keeping track, have you?”

  “It’s not that I’ve been keeping track as much as I would’ve noticed if we played Hide and Seek in the middle of the afternoon. I’m weird that way.”