by Deanna Chase
I stared at him, my hand on my throat, knowing he wasn’t going to be okay with this. The fact that he lived while they didn’t was not something he would be willing to accept. Even if what happened wasn’t his fault. He’d never see it that way.
“It’s true.” Her gaze turned earnest. “Now I have to ask you to do something for me.”
The horror left his face and he nodded. “Anything.”
She reached out as if to cup his cheek as she stared up at him. “I need you to live. To let go of the guilt. You’ve been given a chance at a life I didn’t get to finish. Neither did those other two girls.”
He shook his head, the guilt clearly eating away at him.
“No.” Her tone was sharp. “You have been given a gift. Use it. For me. For them. For this lovely woman who has let you into her life.” Grace gestured to me. “Live an extraordinary life worthy of the women who were forced to sacrifice theirs.”
She floated back to her spot in the middle of my living room and turned to me. “Take care of each other.”
I nodded and watched as she faded into the twilight.
Julius kept his gaze straight ahead, not saying a word. I was just about to say something, anything, when he got up and abruptly strode to the door. He paused, reached down, and picked up the duffel bag. “I think it’s best if I go figure out a few things out on my own.”
Frustration coiled in my chest, and I wanted nothing more than to yell at him. To force him to stay. But I couldn’t. He was right. He had to decide for himself what he needed to do. “Fine.”
“I’ll be back.”
“Sure.”
He gave me one last long look and then left, quietly closing the door behind him.
Chapter 31
“Hurry! They’ll be here in like five minutes,” Jade said as she rushed by with another tray of croissants.
I leaned against the counter and took a long sip of my double mocha latte. “Would you relax? The café looks better than ever. And I honestly don’t see how you’re going to fit one more thing in that case.”
“They aren’t for the case. They’re for the tables and the photo shoot.” She pointed to a glass plate that was lined with a paper doily. “I’m arranging the croissants on these and setting out cups of cappuccinos and little flower arrangements.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Don’t you think that’s kind of… ?”
She stopped and stood up straight, her hair frazzled. “What?”
I was going to say overkill, but since she’d worked so hard on it, I just smiled. “Perfect.”
“You think so?” She took a moment to admire her tea-party setup and then started to laugh. “Is it too much?”
I shook my head. “It’s charming. It’ll be perfect for the magazine.”
Her smile brightened. “Yes, it will.”
The bells chimed on the shop door, and I glanced up, my heart skipping a beat in foolish anticipation the way it had all week whenever the door opened. My hope fled for the thousandth time, and I forced a smile to greet the fashionable woman.
“Good morning,” I said as I straightened my apron.
“Pyper?” She cocked her head, eyeing me.
“You found me. What can I do for you?”
She held her hand out. “I’m Val from Favorite Haunts.”
I shook her hand and introduced Jade, who waved from a nearby table.
Val smiled at her and then turned back to me. “Your place is really adorable. And this is hilarious.” She pointed to the Stick and Berries biscotti. “That little bit of cream at the end. Ha! It just makes it. It’s so nice to meet a business owner with a sense of humor.”
I grinned. “Thanks. Our resident ghost came up with that one.”
“Your ghost? You’re serious?” Her eyebrows rose in delight.
“Yep. Her name is Ida May, and according to her, she worked in Storyville back before they shut it down.”
“Oh, this is rich.” She pulled out her tablet and started typing rapidly.
Why are you telling her my secrets? Ida May appeared beside me.
“Because you’ll end up featured in a national magazine.”
“I’m sorry?” Val glanced up at me.
I chuckled. “Sorry. Ida May just showed up and wanted to know why I was talking about her.”
“She’s here?” Val backed up, her eyes wide as she glanced nervously around.
“Yep,” Jade said, stepping up beside her. “But don’t worry. The worst thing she’ll do is come up with new names for the drinks or rearrange the pastries into sexually inappropriate positions.”
“Or change the music,” I added. “Oh, and she likes to pinch the butts of the really cute customers.”
Jade laughed. “That’s true. Kane had a bruise on his tush the last time she got him.”
“Kane?” Val asked.
“Jade’s husband,” I said. “He helped me start this place. I’m sure he’ll be by later.”
“Wow.” She continued typing and stopped mid-stroke. Her head snapped up. “You’re messing with me, aren’t you?”
“Umm, no.” I glanced around. “Ida May? Here’s your moment. Show us what you’ve got.”
Nothing happened at first, and the three of us stood there barely moving.
“Figures,” Jade mumbled and strode behind the counter. “Val? Can I get you anything to drink?”
“Sure. How about one of those cappuccinos?”
“You got it.”
“And a… umm, what’s the Great Balls of Fire?”
Jade and I both studied the case.
“Oh jeez.” I glanced at Jade. “You didn’t do that, did you?”
She shook her head. “But I wish we’d thought of it.”
“Yeah, me too.” I pulled out one of the chili-chocolate mini cupcakes and handed it to Val. “I’m totally going to start making these in round balls and then dip them in the chili-chocolate frosting.”
As Val bit into the cupcake, the song switched to the Jerry Lee Lewis tune, making me smile. “Nice touch, Ida May.”
Thanks.
“Okay, even if you are pulling my leg, this is just too adorable to not run with.” Val moved to a table. “Would you be willing to let me interview Ida May?”
Hell yes!
I chuckled. “Ida May’s all in. Ask away.”
I spent the next hour playing interpreter for Ida May, learning more than I ever wanted to about her life. According to her, she was one of the more successful landladies—what the madams were called—on Basin Street, and once Storyville was shut down, she married her most loyal customer.
“But now you hang out in this café?” Val asked.
Sure. These two are fun and usually take my suggestions to spice things up. It’s like I’m in business again. But I’m still bitter they didn’t care for the hairy nut blend. That was pure genius.
“Hairy nut blend?” Val laughed after I relayed the message. “She’s not serious?”
“Oh, she’s dead serious. No pun intended.” I grinned.
“Awesome. This is going to be the best article ever.”
Score one for Ida May.
“Do you have any other ghosts?” Val asked hopefully.
“No, none that hang out here. I—”
“There is one other,” a familiar male voice said from behind me.
I twisted, nearly falling out of my chair. “Julius?”
“Pyper.” His eyes went soft with affection.
A small sigh escaped my lips as I stared up at him. “Why are you here?”
Damn. Why had I said that? Did it matter? My heart was racing a mile a minute.
“Excuse us,” he said to Val and pulled me from my chair. “Can we go in the back for a minute?”
“We’re in the middle of an interview
.” I glanced at Val, who was staring openmouthed at Julius. I could hardly blame her. He was wearing low-slung jeans, a fitted Henley shirt, and his trademark five-o’clock shadow. Yum. Someone had gotten him up to speed on the current fashions. “Do you mind if we take a short break?”
She shook her head, pulling herself out of her lust trance. “Not at all. The photographer is waiting anyway. I’ll get him to take some shots.”
Julius led me into the back, his warm hand burning into my skin.
My body came to life with his touch, but as soon as we stepped through the swinging door, I pulled away from him and wrapped my arms around my chest, trying to get control of myself. “Where have you been all week?”
He took a step forward but stopped when I put more distance between us. “I guess I deserve that.”
The excitement at seeing him fled, leaving me wary. “I’m not trying to punish you. I just need to know why you’re here.”
He nodded and leaned against the counter. “Fair enough. I was at the Witch’s Council headquarters getting reacclimated. It turns out my condition is permanent. Or as permanent as it can be considering I can still turn into a ghost at will.”
“Your condition?” That hope was back. “You mean the fact that you’re… alive, I guess.”
He chuckled. “Exactly. I do still have the ability to morph into my ghost self for short periods of time. But according to the council, I’m alive. Full human. Just with an extra ability.”
“Well, that’s…” Those damned tears were back, and this time I couldn’t stop one from rolling unchecked down my cheek.
“Don’t cry, love,” he said softly, closing the distance between us. His hands rested on my hips as he gazed down at me. “I’m here. And I’m not going anywhere.”
“How can I be sure of that?” I asked, avoiding his gaze.
“Well…” He brushed another tear from my cheek. “I kinda need a roommate.”
My breath left me as my heart sputtered. “What did you just say?”
“I was wondering if I could rent your spare bedroom. Turns out I have a job, and since I’m apparently here to stay, I’m gonna need a place. But I understand if you don’t want me—”
“Yes.” I blurted my answer without even thinking about it.
“You’re sure?”
“No.” I grinned. “But I’m going to give you a key anyway.”
His lips turned up in that slow, sexy smile I loved so much. “Why?”
I shrugged. “What’s a medium without a hot ghost for a roommate?”
“Roommate?” He raised one eyebrow.
I shrugged. “That’s what you’ll be, right? For now, anyway. We’ll see about the rest.”
“You’ve got a deal.” He held his hand out, waiting for me to shake it.
I stared at his hand, then stepped into him and wrapped my arms around his neck. “I think maybe we can do better.”
Lifting myself up on my tiptoes, I pressed my lips to his. Neither of us moved for a moment as we breathed each other in. Was he really here? Were we really doing this? The answer was yes when his arms wrapped around me, pulling me closer. My world narrowed to just Julius and the heat of him warming me from the inside out.
His clean soap scent and the hard lines of his body captivated me and I clutched tighter, willing the moment to never end.
“Pyper, I—”
I pulled away and spotted Jade over Julius’s shoulder.
“Oops! Sorry.” A grin spread across her face as she gave me two thumbs-up before scurrying back into the café.
Julius glanced back at the swinging door. “Does she need you?”
“Probably.” But I didn’t let go of him.
His eyes danced as he gazed down at me. “Does this mean I’m more than just your roommate?”
“Now don’t go getting ahead of yourself there, cowboy.” I stepped back and pointed my finger at him. “You left before because you said you had things to work out. Did you?”
He sobered and sat in the plastic office chair. He slipped his hand over mine and tugged me down into his lap. I sat sideways on his knees, my arm wrapped around his neck. “There are things I need to come to terms with. And if I’m honest, I’m still working on them. But there was one thing Grace said that keeps coming back to me.”
I tightened my hand over his and waited.
He sucked in a breath. “She told me to live a life worthy of her… and you.”
I nodded. It was good advice. At least the part about living a worthy life. I wasn’t exactly sure where I fit in, but I was willing to find out.
“And that’s what I want to do. I want to be worthy. For Grace and the others, but mostly for you… and for me. I just don’t know how to go about it.”
I brushed his hair to the side. “Sure you do. You came back. You’re doing it right now.”
He shook his head. “I walked out. That’s not acceptable.”
I couldn’t exactly argue with that. Walking away is what my father had done. But Julius wasn’t anything like my father. “Give yourself a break. You just came back from the dead.” I smiled. “I think it’s safe to say you probably handled that better than anyone could’ve expected.”
“Do you know anyone else who has come back from the dead?” he asked with a grin.
“No.” I got up and pulled him to his feet. “But I do know someone who spent more than a decade in Purgatory. Does that count?”
“You’re not joking, are you?”
“Nope. Remind me to tell you about it sometime. Meanwhile, let’s go meet Val. She’s going to love this.”
“What?”
“Finding out my boyfriend has ghostly abilities,” I said in the most matter-of-fact tone I could muster.
He stopped mid-step. “Boyfriend?”
“Is that a problem?”
He yanked me to him and picked me up off my feet, searing my lips with a heated kiss. When he pulled back, he stared into my eyes and said, “Does that answer your question?”
“Yep. Loud and clear.” We strolled back into the café, straight to Val who was talking to the photographer.
“There you are,” she said. “I’ve been wondering when you’d be back. I just have one more question.”
“Shoot.”
“Your friend here said there was one more ghost. Can you tell me about him or her?”
“Sure. Julius, meet Val, the writer from Favorite Haunts Magazine.” I gestured to Val. “And Val, meet Julius… my ghost boyfriend.”
“Ghost what?” She sputtered and started firing off question after question.
I laughed and met Julius’s intense gaze with one of my own. Life was about to get very interesting. Sparks weren’t going to just fly, they were going to explode.
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About the Author
Deanna is a native Californian, transplanted to the slower paced lifestyle of southeastern Louisiana. When she isn’t writing, she is often goofing off with her husband in New Orleans, playing with her two shih tzu dogs, making glass beads, or out hocking her wares at various bead shows across the country. Want the next book in the series? Visit www.DeannaChase.com to sign up for the New Releases email list.
Other Books by Deanna
The Jade Calhoun Novels
Haunted on Bourbon Street
Witches of Bourbon Street
Demons of Bourbon Street
Angels of Bourbon Street
Shadows of Bourbon Street
Incubus of Bourbon Street
Bewitched on Bourbon Street (June 2015)
The Pyper Rayne Novels
Spirits, St
ilettos, and a Silver Bustier
Spirits, Rock Stars, and a Midnight Chocolate Bar (Fall 2015)
Book 3 (Winter 2015)
The Coven Pointe Novels
Marked by Temptation (a novella)
The Crescent City Fae Novels
Influential Magic
Irresistible Magic
Intoxicating Magic
The Destiny Novels
Defining Destiny
Accepting Fate
Shattered Souls (Fall 2015)