“Harper is taking out her anger on Zander – and he’s mean as a rabid raccoon right now, too – but Zander told his mother that Harper is really hurt,” Mel continued. “She doesn’t want anyone to know she’s hurt, though, so she’s being mean.”
“Mean how?”
Mel shrugged. “You’ll have to ask Zander for specifics,” he said. “I know there was some incident with an angry ghost and putting herself in danger even though Zander told her not to do whatever she did. Apparently he had to step in and save her life – although he claims he saves her life every single day they go out, so that could be an exaggeration.”
“I don’t understand this,” Jared admitted. “If she’s so upset, why didn’t she call me?”
“Why didn’t you call her?”
“I didn’t think it was a big deal,” Jared shot back. “We’re not even technically a couple yet. I didn’t want to seem pathetic and call her four times a day.”
“So you combated that by not calling her once in ten days? That sounds like a great way to go.”
Jared scowled. “I didn’t want her to think I was weak.”
“No, you didn’t want to cede the power position in the relationship,” Mel corrected. “There’s a difference.”
“I don’t even know what that means.”
“That’s because you haven’t dated much either.”
“I’ve dated tons of women!”
Mel rolled his eyes. “You know Harper tells Zander everything, right? And Zander tells his mother everything. So either you lied to Harper – which I’m going to have to tell my sister because my family is loyal to Harper more than you – or you really haven’t dated all that much. Which is it?”
“Well, great,” Jared huffed, crossing his arms over his chest as embarrassment washed over him.
“You wanted Harper to be the one to call you because that meant she missed you and you could have the power in the relationship,” Mel said. “The problem is that it wasn’t Harper’s place to call you in this particular situation.
“You were the one to leave town to take care of your mother,” he continued. “The polite thing for Harper to do was wait for you to contact her when everything was settled and you had a moment. You never did that.”
“But … .”
Mel shook his head to cut Jared off before he got a full head of steam. “She made excuses for you the first five days,” he said. “I don’t think she was sitting by the phone and waiting for you to call, but Zander says every day that passed and you didn’t call was like a knife to the heart. Would it have really hurt you to call the girl once?”
Jared’s heart rolled. He’d never considered it from Harper’s point of view. He’d been waiting for her to call him. He understood disappointment. He felt it every night when she didn’t call. “I … made a mistake,” he said finally. “After the first few days when she didn’t call I realized she wasn’t going to call. By then I felt like an idiot and it was too hard to call. I thought we would just make up for lost time when I saw her again.”
“Yes, well, she doesn’t want to see you right now,” Mel said. “She’s too hurt and if she sees you she’s going to explode all over you.”
Jared couldn’t help but grin at the mental picture.
“Not in that way, you pervert,” Mel hissed. “She’s genuinely depressed. That shouldn’t make you happy.”
“That doesn’t make me happy,” Jared argued. “I just … I missed her. I know it seems weird to say it because I don’t know her all that well, but I got used to seeing her face. I was looking forward to going over there and hanging out with her tonight.”
“You know Zander lives there, too, right?” Mel asked dryly.
“Yes, well, I was going to lock Zander in his bedroom … or bribe him to go away … .” Jared tugged on the ends of his hair, frustrated. “I screwed this up already. That has to be a record.”
“The good news for you is that Harper is a forgiving girl,” Mel said. “The bad news for you is that she lashes out when she’s upset. You’re going to have to find a way to sneak past her anger and get at her heart.”
Jared licked his lips. “I don’t suppose you have any suggestions, do you?”
“When dealing with women, I’ve found begging works like a charm.”
“I would rather not beg,” Jared admitted. “Then I’ll really lose power – and self-respect – where she’s concerned. I would like to make up without losing my pride.”
“Well, in that case, I would suggest flowers and chocolate. They’re clichés for a reason. Women love both of them.”
“Does she have a favorite flower?”
“I have no idea,” Mel replied. “If I remember right, she and Zander had some huge blowout about acceptable flowers once. I can’t remember who won that argument, though. If I were you I’d go with the classic roses – red, not pink – and get some of those expensive chocolates with caramel in the center.”
“Does she like caramel?”
Mel shrugged. “I do. Why wouldn’t she?”
Jared sighed, resigned. “Okay. Flowers and chocolate it is. Tell me why I don’t want pink roses, though?”
“Pink roses mean friendship. Is that the type of message you’re trying to send? Men who send pink roses never get past the friend stage. I don’t think that’s what you ultimately want.”
“Definitely not,” Jared muttered. “So red roses and chocolate … I think I can handle that.”
“You also might want to duck,” Mel added.
“Duck?”
“She throws a punch like a man when she wants to,” Mel said. “She’s got a hell of a right cross. She knocked Zander out when they were teenagers and he told her she had wide hips and should never wear a pencil skirt because she could be mistaken as a crossdresser from behind.”
Jared laughed. He couldn’t help himself. “I’ll cover my face to be on the safe side.”
“Oh, and one other thing,” Mel said, his eyes sparkling. “Try being honest with her. If you tell her you were scared to call her because you didn’t want to look pathetic she’ll probably understand that because she felt the same way.”
“I hope you’re right,” Jared said. “I would hate to lose her before I really get her.”
“Let’s hope that doesn’t happen, shall we? I’d like to see the girl smile … and you seem to make her smile when you’re not being a dope.”
“I’d like to see her smile, too,” Jared said. “That’s what I missed the most.”
Four
“This is nice,” Zander said, licking his ice cream cone and lifting his face toward the sun as he walked down Main Street with Harper later in the afternoon.
“It is,” Harper agreed, munching on her own ice cream cone.
The duo lapsed into amiable silence. Even when they were fighting they were comfortable with one another.
“It’s a nice day,” Zander said, opting for the most innocuous conversation topic he could think of. “I love this time of year. It’s warm enough to forget winter and our crappy spring, but not hot enough to sweat yet.”
Harper’s eyes flashed. “Is this what we’re really going to talk about?”
“What’s wrong with this conversation?”
“The weather doesn’t really whip me into a verbal frenzy.”
“No, that would be your idiotic approach to going after ghosts,” Zander shot back.
“Just let it go!”
“You let it go!”
Harper felt helpless. “I … .” She knew what she wanted to say and yet she couldn’t force the apology out of her mouth.
Zander’s nostrils flared when he turned toward his lifelong best friend. “I can’t take much more of this fighting,” he said. “You’re the love of my life, Harp, but you’re killing me right now.”
Harper’s face was miserable when she finally raised her eyes to Zander. “I know. I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”
“I know exactly what�
�s wrong with you, but you won’t admit that’s what’s wrong with you so we’re stuck in an endless loop,” Zander said. “Just … admit it.”
“I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“Because if I admit that I’m upset about Jared not calling it’s the same thing as admitting I’m some pathetic … girl … who wraps her self-worth up in a man,” Harper said. “I promised never to do that.”
“Oh, stuff it,” Zander muttered. “Harper, you like him. Heck, I like him. If he was gay I’d be all over him. It’s okay to like a guy. I’ve been trying to get you to date for years. Being upset because he didn’t call doesn’t make you pathetic. It makes you human. I like you human.”
Harper pursed her lips, conflicted. “You don’t think it makes me weak?”
“No.”
“How come I think it makes me look weak?”
“Because you’re the most stubborn person I know,” Zander answered. “You didn’t want to open your heart to Jared from the beginning and now you’re letting this lapse in judgment on his part reinforce the idea that he doesn’t deserve you.
“Personally I don’t think anyone is ever going to deserve you,” he continued. “He’s a good guy, though. I’m sure he didn’t mean to send the wrong message when he didn’t call.”
Zander was always the king of the ego boost, and that was only one of the reasons Harper loved him. “Okay, let’s say I believe you,” she said. “What could his reasons be?”
Zander tilted his head to the side, considering. “Well, just off the top of my head, I’m guessing he thought you were going to call him and when you didn’t he felt like an idiot and didn’t call you because he was scared you would think he was weak.”
“That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.”
“Why? That’s exactly what you did,” Zander challenged.
“Yes, but he’s the one who left town,” Harper pointed out. “It was his job to call me. His mother was hurt. Calling him would make me pathetic and invasive.”
“Who says?”
“Everyone who has ever dated.”
“Perhaps you and Jared should start your own traditions,” Zander suggested. “Neither one of you are exactly pros at this. You said Jared admitted he wasn’t big on dating before you and we both know how tragic your dating history is.”
“Tragic being the operative word,” Harper muttered.
Zander’s expression softened. “Is that what’s bothering you? Do you feel guilty dating Jared after Quinn? You know he would want you to be happy, right?”
“I don’t feel guilty,” Harper clarified. “I feel … worried.”
“About?”
“What if Jared only asked me out in the first place because he felt sorry for me?” Harper asked. “Poor, Harper. Her boyfriend died and she’s been a spinster ever since. Maybe he only asked me out because he thought I would say no and he was hoping to earn points for being a good guy in the process.”
“That makes absolutely no sense,” Zander argued. “Jared is not the type of man who asks a woman out unless he wants to date her. In fact, Jared wasn’t looking to date anyone until he met you. Then he couldn’t stay away from you. That is the exact opposite of the nonsense you just spouted.”
“But … .”
“No! Jared likes you. He came to our house. He saved our lives. That’s not a man asking a woman out on a pity date. Get some perspective.”
“Then why didn’t he call?” Harper hated how whiny and needy she sounded. If anyone would understand her trepidation, though, it was Zander.
“Because he’s just as nervous about all of this as you are,” Zander answered, pushing a strand of Harper’s shoulder-length blond hair away from her face. “You guys are a lot alike in some respects. He’s terrified and you’re freaking out every time I turn around. It’s going to be a relief when you guys finally do it because I think it’s going to take the edge off.”
Harper was horrified. “What?”
“Oh, wipe that cute look off your face, Harper,” Zander chided. “You need it. Whenever he looks at you it’s obvious he needs it, too. It’s going to happen.”
“And what if I don’t forgive him?”
Zander snorted. “I’m sorry.” Instead of making things better, he made things worse when he bent over at the waist and guffawed loudly.
“Stop that,” Harper hissed.
“I can’t,” Zander said, wiping a stray tear from his eye. “We both know you’re going to forgive him. Now, I’m expecting you to make him jump through a few hoops before that happens. He deserves it, quite frankly.
“When he shows up with flowers and candy, you’re not going to be able to stop yourself from kissing him senseless because he’s got a certain … pull … where you’re concerned,” he continued. “Since he’s put me through the wringer this week, I expect you to milk him for a special gift for me. I’m thinking … um … a nice dinner for both of us, cooked by him of course, would be a good start. Make sure he doesn’t skimp on a bottle of wine. If it comes in a box, he’s banished from the house forever.”
Now it was Harper’s turn to snort. “Just for the record, why would I invite you to a special dinner if I do forgive him?”
“Because I’m going to give him a hard time and it will be fun for you to watch because you won’t be the bad guy in that scenario.”
Despite herself, Harper felt a weight lift from her shoulders. “You really are my best friend.”
“You’re my best friend, too,” Zander said, leaning over and briefly rubbing his nose against Harper’s. “I … .” The sound of pounding feet caught Zander’s attention and he broke off, eyeing the teenage boy hurrying past him. “What’s going on, Duncan?”
Duncan Cosgrove didn’t slow his pace. “They found a body over at the park!”
Zander and Harper exchanged a look.
“Well, we have to check that out,” Zander said. “Two bodies in three weeks? That’s definitely got to be a record.”
“THIS is unbelievable,” Jared huffed, dumbfounded.
“You’re telling me,” Mel muttered, staring at the dead teenage boy on the ground near the merry-go-round at Whisper Cove’s park. “I … how could this happen?”
Jared lifted his eyes, momentarily surprised by Mel’s words. Then it hit him: Mel knew everyone in Whisper Cove. He probably knew the victim, too. “Who is he?”
“His name is Derek Thompson. He’s … either seventeen or eighteen. Actually, I don’t think he’s eighteen yet.”
“Good kid?”
“We don’t really have bad kids here,” Mel said. “Sure, we have some snots and mischief makers, but we haven’t had a really bad kid since I joined the force. I … his parents are in a euchre club with my wife and me. This is going to gut them.”
“I’m really sorry,” Jared said, meaning every word. “We have to get a handle on this, though.”
“I thought that’s what we were doing.” Mel looked lost.
“We need to call the county coroner and we need to get this spot taped off,” Jared said. “In fact … why don’t you do that? I’ll take care of the preliminary examination on the body.”
Mel looked relieved. “Thank you.”
“I owe you,” Jared said. “It’s okay. I don’t know him. It’s rough because it’s a kid, but it’s not a kid I know. I can compartmentalize.”
“I’ll be better soon.”
“Just get this area taped off,” Jared instructed. “We both know we’re going to be inundated with curiosity seekers in about five minutes. We need to keep them away from the body.”
“I’m on it.”
Jared watched Mel go, his heart going out to the man before turning his attention to the dead teenager. Derek Thompson was a handsome boy. He had dark brown hair and a chiseled jaw. Jared surveyed his body, taking mental notes. He looked like an athlete, strong shoulders and solid muscle tone belying hours spent working out.
His clothes were new. While they didn�
��t look expensive, they weren’t off brand. That suggested his parents had money, or that Derek had a job. Jared knew he had to find out which. Whisper Cove wasn’t a rich community, but it wasn’t poor either. Most of the denizens made decent livings.
Jared slapped a pair of rubber gloves into place and lifted Derek’s hand so he could study his fingernails, searching for signs he fought off his assailant. He didn’t have to look for a cause of death. The huge gash in the boy’s forehead was definitely how he died. The question was: Did someone bash him in the head, or did he fall and hurt himself?
Jared scanned Derek’s body. There were no obvious signs of a struggle other than the head wound. Perhaps they would get lucky and find the boy died from a fall. It was still a tragedy, but an accident was preferable to murder.
Jared focused on his task, zeroing in on possible clues. He wanted this to be quick so the coroner could take the body before a crowd gathered. It was time to focus.
“DO we know who it is?” Zander asked, peering over the police tape and frowning when he realized what he was looking at. “Uh-oh.”
“Who is it?” Harper asked, Zander’s tone worrying her. “Please tell me it’s not someone we know. I … .” She broke off when she saw Jared. “Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me.”
Zander lowered his voice. “Do not make a scene here.”
“Yes, because I love making a scene at the spot where a body is found,” Harper deadpanned. “Does that even sound like something I would do?”
“Not generally,” Zander conceded. “You’re awfully worked up where Jared is concerned, though. I … there’s Uncle Mel.”
As if sensing Zander and Harper’s presence, Mel turned. He didn’t appear surprised to see them. He trudged in their direction, his shoulders slouched.
“This doesn’t look good,” Harper murmured, her anger turning to concern.
“It doesn’t,” Zander agreed. “Hey, Uncle Mel. What’s going on?”
“We have a body,” Mel replied, rolling his neck until it cracked.
“Who?”
“I can’t tell you that,” Mel said. “We have to make notification … to his parents.”
Harper’s heart sank. “It’s child?”
Ghostly Issues (A Harper Harlow Mystery Book 2) Page 3