“What the hell?” Phil came closer but made no move for the phone.
“You’re what?” Emma stuffed an index finger into her free ear to hear better. She couldn’t believe what Milo was saying. “No, you don’t need to be doing that, neither of you. I’m coming home today. Leaving right this minute, in fact.”
“Stay where you are, Emma,” Milo told her. “In fact, can you put me on speaker? I want that Bowers guy to hear this.”
“He’s a good guy, Emma. At least I think he is. You’re in danger. Someone needs to help you.”
“He doesn’t believe me, Milo-about Granny, about anything. And I don’t need any help. I’m coming home.”
“No! Don’t you dare go near your car.”
“Do as he says, Emma!” It was Tracy yelling in the background.
Tracy and Milo were on their way to Julian. Since he didn’t drive, Milo had called Tracy, getting her number from his client records. It didn’t take much convincing on his part to put Tracy on the road to Julian.
Emma looked at Phil. “He wants to talk to us both.” After moving close to Phil, Emma pushed the speaker feature on the phone, but with the noise from the street, they couldn’t hear very well.
“Hang on,” she told Milo, “we need to get someplace quiet.”
After looking around, Emma headed for one of the bathrooms with Phil in tow. The one she’d vacated was occupied. She went to the next.
“You have a quarter?” she asked Phil. “Hopefully, we’ll still get a signal in here.”
He dug one out and fed the lock. Emma entered and motioned for him to follow her. After a slight hesitation, he did. Once inside, Emma shut the door. The tiny room was cramped with the two of them and smelled of disinfectant. The small space grew cold when the ghost of Granny Apples appeared in the corner.
Emma leaned against the sink and held the phone out between them. “Can you hear us, Milo?”
“Yes”
“Phil Bowers is here with me. What’s going on?”
“I’m not exactly sure, Emma, but it’s enough to worry me. That’s why Tracy and I are heading to Julian.”
“Who is this guy?” asked Phil.
“A friend of mine. The one who told me about Garrett.” Phil shuffled his feet. Taking off his hat, he hung it on the coat hook on the back of the door and leaned in close.
“What about my car, Milo?”
“I don’t know, Emma. It’s just that I had another vision. I saw a bad car accident. A very bad one.”
“A vision?” Phil stepped back. Without realizing it, he’d gone right through Granny, who’d also been listening. “More crackpot crap, Emma?”
He started for the door but Emma reached up, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt. Before he could react, she yanked his head back down toward the phone.
“If Milo says you’re to stay,” she hissed, her mouth near his face, “you’re staying.”
“Please, Mr. Bowers,” they heard Milo say from the phone. “Just hear me out. Emma’s in great danger.”
Phil Bowers looked deep into Emma’s eyes, weighing common sense against the passion in Milo’s voice. He didn’t break away from her grasp.
“What about the accident?” he asked Milo.
“It was a white Lexus. Isn’t that your car, Emma?”
“Yes, I drive a white Lexus.”
“I saw a white Lexus weaving on a narrow mountain road, then going over a cliff.” Milo paused. “You were in the car, Emma”
She let go of Phil’s shirt as chills shot their way up and down her bare arms. Phil noticed her shaking and put an arm around her, drawing her into his warmth. With his other hand, he cupped the hand holding the phone to steady it.
“I promise you, Milo,” Phil said into the phone, but with his eyes on Emma, “that we’ll get the car checked out. I won’t let Emma drive it until we do.”
“Thank God,” they heard Tracy call out. “We’ll be there in about two hours or so, depending on traffic.”
Emma leaned closer toward the phone. “Do you know yet who killed Garrett Bell?”
“I’m afraid not, Emma.” It was Milo again. “Has he returned to you?”
“Yes, once more, but he didn’t say anything. Granny’s convinced that the property is still in danger.”
“The real worry is you, Emma. Garrett’s killer is still out there. Granny is sensing danger, but she might not have a good handle on what kind. When you get a chance, ask her direct questions about Garrett. See what she knows.”
“Will do” She looked around the small room, but Granny had evaporated again. “Call me when you get closer, and I’ll give you directions,” Emma told them. “I’m not sure where I’ll be.”
Phil gave them his cell number as a backup.
They were about to end the call when Emma called out, “Wait! What about Archie?”
“He’s with us. We’re bringing him along,” said Milo.
“I didn’t have the heart to put him back into the kennel,” yelled Tracy over the din of traffic.
“Speak, Archie,” Tracy commanded. “Say hi to Emma. Come on boy, speak”
Archie woofed obligingly.
After ending the call, Phil turned his face toward Emma, keeping his arm around her. “Is the dog real or a ghost?”
“Did you hear him bark?”
“Yes.”
“Then he’s real.”
With Phil bent slightly, their faces were just inches apart. Emma could feel his breath on her cheek and the strength of his arm around her. She tilted her head up a bit, just in time to catch his mouth coming down on hers.
Two LONG KISSES LATER, Emma pushed away from Phil Bowers. She ran a hand through her hair and felt her cheeks grow warm. Phil cleared his throat and looked down at the floor.
Emma was the first to speak. “You don’t happen to know a motel around here that allows pets, do you?”
Happy with a neutral topic, Phil thought about her question. “Yes, there’s one just outside of town that I believe takes animals. It’s not very nice, though. I mean, it’s okay, just not what…”
“What I’d be used to?” Her look was challenging, almost a dare.
Taking out his cell phone, Phil made a call. “Hey, Aunt Susan. It’s me. Does your friend still rent out that cottage in town? You know, the one with the fenced-in yard” A pause. “I see. Will she rent to people with pets? Just a couple of days. Three adults, one dog” Another pause. “Let me ask”
He turned to Emma. “What kind and how big?”
“Archie’s a Scottie, about twenty pounds. Very well trained. The people are average in both kind and size.”
“And not well trained, I suppose?”
She responded with a guilty shrug.
Phil repeated Archie’s stats into the phone and waited. “It’s for Emma Whitecastle.” He glanced at Emma. “You remember her, don’t you, from yesterday?” Pause. “Yep, she’s the one.” His face reddened. “You might say we’ve buried the hatchet.”
He closed his phone. “She’s going to see if her friend’s cottage is available. Cute place, well maintained, two bedrooms-and it’s right here in town.”
“Good enough for Fancy Pants?”
He shook a finger at her. “That came out of your mouth this time, not mine.”
Phil grabbed his hat and opened the door. “I imagine you’re the sort who gets snarly when she doesn’t eat. Low blood sugar, right?”
“I don’t have low blood sugar.”
“No? Well, I do. But I’ll bet it’s been hours since you’ve eaten.”
“Yes, it has, and I’m starving. But what about my car?”
“We’ll take care of both.” He stopped when they reached the street. Across from them was the Rong Branch. “Let’s not go to the Rong Branch, though.”
He led her up to the corner and across Main to the Miner’s Diner. “You like milk shakes and malts?”
“Sure, who doesn’t?”
“They make the best here�
��
The Miner’s Diner was reached by entering the Old Julian Drug Store. Phil waved to a guy behind the register. It was the same man who’d sold her bandages and ointment that morning.
In the next room was the diner, with its old-fashioned marble soda fountain. Lined up at it were customers of various sizes and ages. There were also several sets of tables and chairs scattered about. They spotted an empty table near the window and settled in. Emma ordered a tuna and avocado sandwich with fruit on the side. Phil ordered a bacon cheeseburger and fries. At his urging, she also ordered a strawberry milkshake. He ordered iced tea.
While they waited for their food, Phil made a call about her car.
“A friend of mine is going to take your car to his garage and go over it with a fine-tooth comb. If there’s a problem, he’ll find it. We’ll meet him at the hotel after we eat.”
A discomfort settled in on Emma like indigestion. “Phil,” she began. “I really appreciate what you’re doing for me. You know, with the cottage and the car and all, but I don’t want any misunderstandings between us.”
He knitted his brows. “You mean about what happened back there?”
“Yes. Let’s agree right now that what happened in the bathroom stays in the bathroom.”
A corner of Phil’s mouth curled upward. “Wasn’t it up to your usual standards, Fancy Pants?”
“That’s not what I meant and you know it.” She huffed in frustration. “What happened was an accident. I was frightened by what Milo said, and you were comforting me. That’s it.”
“I see. An accident that happened twice, in quick succession.”
“First you think I’m here to steal your land.” Emma’s voice rose in frustration before she toned it down to a whisper. “Then you accuse me of lying and even call me psychotic.”
“I believe I called you a liar before I accused you of being a thief.”
“Whatever. Now you think one kiss, and I’m going to forget all that and fall into your arms? Please.”
Phil held up two fingers. “Two kisses. The first might have been a fluke, but you came back for seconds.” He gave her a wide grin. “Did you think it was a two-for-one sale at Saks?”
“You’re impossible.”
“So I’m told.”
She tried a different tack. “Listen, Phil. I’m in the middle of a divorce, and so are you. I came here to find out about my family, not for some quickie romance with a belligerent man who thinks I’m a cheat, a thief, and a nut.”
“Now you’re the one name-calling.”
“What can I say? You bring out the worst in me.”
They fell into an awkward silence. Emma looked around, wondering where their food was, while Phil studied her with hooded eyes. She squirmed. She wasn’t used to being scrutinized at such close range. Finally, she broke the silence.
“Why’d we come here? Was it because you were ashamed to go back to the Rong Branch after last night’s brawl?”
Phil laughed. “Hardly. I’ve lived here all my life. These folks have seen me do a lot worse, believe me.” He looked around before continuing, like he was about to tell her a national top secret. “Truth is, I have a bit of high cholesterol. And my aunt has a lot of influence with the folks at the Rong Branch. Between her and Bev, if I order anything fried, it automatically gets substituted with something healthy. You’d think I was ordering up plutonium with an anthrax chaser. Today I just wanted a cheeseburger and fries with no side of bullshit, just lettuce and tomato. I hope you don’t mind.”
Emma couldn’t help but smile. “But I noticed you didn’t order a shake.”
“No, but I do intend to have a spoonful or two of yours.”
Emma toyed with her silverware. “So, tell me about your alibi last night.”
“Why? You jealous?”
“No, of course not. Just that I told you about mine.”
The shake and iced tea were served. Emma took a sip of the shake. It was every bit as good as he’d promised.
“You did say you were taking Beverly home. Just wondering if she was your alibi.”
Phil dipped his spoon into Emma’s shake and took a healthy gob. He stuck it in his mouth and closed his eyes in bliss. “Mmm, didn’t I tell you it’s the best?”
Their food came next. Emma busied herself with her tuna sandwich while she waited for his answer.
“Yes, she’s my alibi.” Phil chewed and swallowed his first bite of burger. “Sure you’re not jealous?”
Emma laughed. “In a way, maybe. I mean, you spent the night in the arms of a loved one, while I spent it in the company of a ghost. You do the math.”
Phil wiped his mouth with a napkin and chuckled. “If it’s any consolation, Emma, I spent the night with Beau, Beverly’s bulldog. Bev’s car is in the shop, and Chad, her husband, is down with a broken leg. She can’t drive his truck because she can’t drive a stick, so I said I’d make sure she got home. After, Chad and I kicked back a few too many, so I crashed in their spare room. The dog was a bonus.”
Phil’s cell phone rang. He answered it, grunted a few times, and hung up. “That was Aunt Susan. Your accommodations are all squared away. But she said to bring you home for supper-your friends, too.”
They ate in a comfortable silence. In spite of Phil’s brusque behavior, Emma found him ruggedly handsome and sexy, and she knew the second kiss had not been an accident, at least on her part. She even liked the friendly teasing. Grant had never teased her in fun. This casual lunch was allowing her to see a different side of Phil Bowers. And it was clear the people in the town respected and cared about him. Perhaps in a different time and different place, they could become friends.
“Tell you one thing that might make you feel better about last night.” Phil shot her a pained look. “Bet your alibi didn’t fart and snore.
After lunch, the two of them walked from the diner down to where Emma’s car was parked at the corner of Main and B Streets. Waiting for them next to the Lexus was a short, stumpy man with wild black hair and a full beard. He was dressed in mechanic’s overalls.
Phil introduced them. “This is George, but we call him Gopher.” After the two said hello, Phil told Emma, “Grab your bags out of the car and give Goph the keys. His garage is just down the road. He’ll take the car there and check it over, top to bottom, while we get you settled at the cottage.”
The cottage was on Third Street, just a block up and one over from the Julian Hotel. Phil carried her bag up the small hill to a quaint one-story house. It was painted mint green, with a white picket fence surrounding the yard. They were met there by a pleasant-looking woman about Susan’s age. She gave them a tour, took Emma’s credit card information, and handed her the key.
“Stay as long as you like,” the woman told her with a smile. “We don’t have it rented until Fourth of July weekend.” She handed Emma a card. “That’s my number. I live just a few blocks away. Call if you need anything.”
The cottage was charming and comfortable. The walls of each room were paneled in pine, and the rooms were filled with painted furniture and antiques. There was a full kitchen and adequate bathroom.
“You were right, Phil,” Emma said as soon as the woman left. “It’s lovely.”
He poked around the kitchen, opening cupboards and the refrigerator. “There’s coffee here, but not much else. Why don’t I take you shopping so you’ll at least have a few things for meals? I’m sure you’re tired of eating out.”
“Do you really think I need to? I mean, we’ll probably go home tomorrow.”
He looked at her a long time before speaking. “Why don’t you stay the weekend? The cottage is available, and I’m sure your friends would enjoy Julian. I don’t have to go back to San Diego until Monday morning, so I can show you and your friends around. Take you riding. Show you Lake Cuyamaca.”
It was a very tempting offer, and Emma couldn’t think of any reason to rush home if Archie was with her, except that Milo seemed to think she was in danger while in Jul
ian. That was some thing she couldn’t shake and probably shouldn’t ignore. After Gopher declared her car safe, she would confer with Milo.
She walked to the window and looked out over the small yard that faced the street. Colorful flowers bordered the fence, adding a storybook look to the house. Phil came up behind her.
“Like you said, Emma, we’re both in the middle of divorces. Doesn’t mean we can’t be friends and enjoy each other’s company for a few days.” He laughed. “Especially now that I’m pretty sure you’re not a thief and a liar, just nuts.”
Emma turned around, unsure of whether she should be amused or offended. She didn’t like the way Phil Bowers threw her off balance.
“And between your girlfriend, psychic, dog, and my aunt, we’ll be well chaperoned. Don’t see any more bathroom episodes in the cards, do you?”
Before she succumbed to her urge to kiss him a third time, Emma walked over to a chair next to the sofa and sat down. “And what about the ghosts?”
It had suddenly occurred to her that she could never have a relationship with a man again without mentioning her newfound abilities. It was something that she was sure would cut deeply into the pool of available men.
“They can come along, too, if they like.”
“You don’t believe I can see and speak with spirits, do you, Phil?”
Frustrated with the way the conversation was going, Phil Bowers sat down on the sofa and crossed one booted leg over the other. “I think that’s a lot to ask a guy to believe in such a short time, don’t you?”
“Several weeks ago, I didn’t believe it either. And now here I am in Julian, looking up long-dead relatives and involved with a present-day murder, not to mention being visited by the ghost of the victim.” She sighed. “That was a lot for me to believe in a short time, but I did it.”
“Are you saying, Emma, that we can’t be friends unless I believe that you’re a real-life ghost whisperer, like that show on TV?”
“No, that’s not what I’m saying. But I don’t know if I can be friends, even for a few days, with someone who thinks I’m crazy.”
“Okay, cards on the table.” Phil uncrossed his legs and leaned forward. “I’m very attracted to you, Emma. Was from the first time I met you, in spite of how I felt about other things. You’re beautiful, smart, and funny. And I generally don’t think you’re nuts. I know you believe what you’re saying. I’m just not onboard with it yet, and may never be.”
Ghost a la Mode [Granny Apples 01] Page 17