Ghostly Seas: A Harper Harlow and Rowan Gray Mystery

by Lily Harper Hart

  Ghostly Seas

  A Harper Harlow and Rowan Gray Mystery

  Lily Harper Hart

  HarperHart Publications

  Copyright © 2019 by Lily Harper Hart

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  1. One

  2. Two

  3. Three

  4. Four

  5. Five

  6. Six

  7. Seven

  8. Eight

  9. Nine

  10. Ten

  11. Eleven

  12. Twelve

  13. Thirteen

  14. Fourteen

  15. Fifteen

  16. Sixteen

  17. Seventeen

  18. Eighteen

  19. Nineteen

  20. Twenty

  Mail List

  Acknowledgments

  Books by Lily Harper Hart

  1

  One

  “I’m not wearing that.”

  Harper Harlow eyed with overt distaste the blue bikini her fiancé Jared Monroe held up.

  Jared merely smiled. “I think you should consider it.” He gave the bikini, which was more strings than fabric, another shake. “Think about it. If you wear this, I’ll have something to hunt on the ship, too.”

  She didn’t want to encourage him, recognizing it was a bad idea. Still, she couldn’t stop herself. He was so earnest ... and the light in his eyes was something she knew she wanted to see for the rest of their lives. “You are awful,” she sputtered, shaking her head. “I’m not wearing that, though.”

  “Come on, Heart.” Jared wasn’t ready to give up. Instead, he moved around the bed and grabbed the stack of shorts he’d set aside so he could pop them in the suitcase resting on the middle of the bed. “You’re technically going on this cruise for work ... although I could argue Zander set it up as something else entirely if I really wanted to cause a stink. I’m going because I can’t bear to be separated from you.

  “Since you’ll be busy with conference events and all that, I should have something that excites me, too,” he continued. “This bikini excites me. It gets my heart racing. According to the American Heart Association, that’s a good thing.”

  Harper narrowed her eyes to dangerous blue slits. “Do you think that’s funny?”

  Jared was solemn. “Yes.”

  “Well, I think it’s funny, too.” Her lips curved as she grinned at him. “It doesn’t matter, though. I’m never going to wear that bikini.” By way of proof, she held up a one-piece tank bathing suit that looked as if it had seen better days. It was an odd green color, and Jared couldn’t help but wonder if it was a different hue when she first bought it. “I’m taking this.”

  Jared scowled. “Heart ... .”

  “I’m wearing this.” She was firm. “Besides, you’re my fiancé.”

  “I know.”

  “You’re supposed to go all protective at the thought of other men ogling me. My understanding is that most men completely lose their minds when they think someone else is staring at their woman. I’m not a fan of being looked at as property, but the general sentiment makes sense to me. How come you don’t feel that way?”

  “That’s a myth.”

  Harper stilled with her hand over the suitcase. “What’s a myth?”

  “That thing about men not wanting other men to stare at their women,” Jared replied. “It’s a myth.”

  He seemed sincere, but Harper was having none of it. “I’ve seen enough romantic comedies and soap opera scenarios where simple miscommunication and confusion prove that statement wrong. Men are all beat-their-chest manic about keeping their women away from other men. I know. I watch television.”

  Jared stared at her for a long beat, love bubbling up. He could barely remember how he muddled through before she took center stage in his life. It was not even a year before and yet it felt as if the world he was living in prior to landing in Whisper Cove was a lifetime away from where they were now. “Is it any wonder I love you?”

  She ignored the schmaltzy sentiment and slipped a strand of blond hair behind her ear. “I’m serious. You’re supposed to turn into an ape and throw me over your shoulder to keep the other men from me.”

  “Yeah, that’s definitely a myth,” Jared said. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, if another man touches you I will be all over that. Fists flying, insults rolling, yada, yada, yada.”

  Despite herself, Harper was amused. “Yada, yada, yada?”

  He bobbed his head. “I don’t want anyone touching the merchandise. Ogling is another thing. If someone finds you attractive — and who wouldn’t because you’re the most beautiful woman in the world — that reflects well on me. It means I am superior to them because I have the pretty woman.”

  Harper’s mouth dropped open. “You can’t be serious.”

  “Oh, but I am.”

  “But ... .” She honestly had no idea what to say and was left floundering as her best friend Zander Pritchett strolled into their bedroom. He had a small bag in his hand and he didn’t bother knocking even though he’d entered the pair’s new house without alerting them to his presence. “Harp, I found your makeup travel bag under the sink in my bathroom. I thought you might need it.”

  Harper remained quiet — although her mouth moved and no sound came out — as Jared slid Zander a sidelong look.

  “I thought we talked about you knocking,” Jared said. He and Zander were close, but they fought like Marvel and DC fans. Jared believed Zander had boundary issues and Zander believed Jared was trying to ruin his fun. Sharing Harper had been an exercise in patience, and there were times both men failed to make any headway at all.

  It looked as if this was going to be one of those times.

  “I could hear you guys arguing from the front porch,” Zander replied pragmatically. “I didn’t see any reason to knock since I knew you weren’t playing naked reindeer games. By the way, we’re getting out of here at the exact right time. A blizzard is supposed to hit tomorrow night. We’ll be safely out of Detroit by then.”

  Jared blinked several times in succession as he absorbed the newsy tidbits. “I thought they were just getting a storm tomorrow night,” he said.

  Zander shook his head. “They’ve upgraded it to a blizzard warning.”

  “Well, then I’m glad we’re getting out of here, too.” Jared tossed the bikini in the suitcase. “We really should finish packing, Heart. We need to leave for the airport at five. We fly out at eight and land in Florida before eleven. Then we board The Bounding Storm right around noon. We don’t have a lot of time for delays.”

  Harper, who was still flabbergasted, finally found her voice. “I’m not wearing this.” She grabbed the bikini and flung it at Jared’s face. “As for what you said about me being a reflection on you and how I need to be hot so others can ogle me and think how lucky you are, I think you’re full of crap.”

  Jared had almost forgotten he’d been messing with her before Zander made his appearance. “Still stewing about that, huh?”

  “What are you guys fighting about now?” Zander challenged. “I thought things were all love and puppies between you since Jared proposed. You’ve got a big rock on your finger, Harp. What do you have to complain about?”

  “That’s exactly what I was saying to her.” Jared’s smile was smug as he regarded the woman he love
d. Her fury was funny to him because she had such a feisty personality.

  “Do you know what he said to me?” Harper challenged. She didn’t wait for her best friend to respond, instead launching into the tale before he could as much as nod his head. When she was done, instead of being furious and immediately joining her cause, Zander merely nodded.

  “Jared is telling you the truth,” Zander explained. “Men derive power from making other men drool. If another man were to touch you, that would be a different story. Then Jared would start throwing punches.”

  “That’s exactly what I said,” Jared enthused, causing Harper to roll her eyes.

  “I cannot believe we’re having this discussion right before leaving for a group vacation,” Harper growled, shaking her head. “I mean ... is this not the stupidest conversation ever?”

  Jared was blasé. “I think that conversation we had two weeks ago about whether penny loafers were legitimately back in style was probably stupider.”

  “Okay, I’m done talking to you right now.” Harper held up her hand to obscure Jared’s face and focused on Zander. “What did you bring me?”

  “Your travel makeup case,” Zander replied, handing over the bag. “You’ll need it for all your toiletries.”

  “Great.” Harper gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “I hadn’t even made it that far yet. You saved me.”

  “Yes, well, that’s what I’m here for.” Instead of leaving, Zander rested on the corner of the bed and watched as Jared finished moving his shorts into the suitcase. “I still don’t understand why he’s going,” he said finally, his expression darkening as Jared slid the bikini into the suitcase while Harper was distracted with the small bag. “This is supposed to be a work trip.”

  “It’s a work trip and a vacation at the same time,” Harper countered, staring into the small bag with a lost look on her face. “It’s a paranormal conference held on a cruise ship. That means fun and work. I don’t see why you’re so upset about Jared going. I said you could invite Shawn, too.”

  Shawn Donovan was Zander’s live-in boyfriend. In fact, they lived across the road. Until recently, Harper and Zander were roommates and best friends. The arrival of Jared and Shawn in their lives necessitated a change in living arrangements. Zander was more reticent to the changes than Harper, but they’d managed so far. Apparently, that magnanimity didn’t extend to sharing a vacation with Jared.

  “Shawn can’t come,” Zander reminded her. “The two months after New Year’s Day are his busiest months. He just opened his gym last year. He can’t rock the boat yet.”

  “Is it busy because people make resolutions to lose weight?” Jared asked.

  Zander nodded. “Yeah. They make the resolutions, show up to the gym for a couple of weeks, and then go back to their sedentary lives. Shawn makes a lot of money over these two months, though. He can’t just pick up and take off.”

  “That’s too bad,” Harper said. “It would’ve been nice to be two couples rather than a threesome, but we will keep his schedule in mind when we go on our next vacation. In fact, there’s this supposedly haunted western town I want to visit at some point. We’ll make sure he comes along on that trip.”

  “I’m sure he’ll love that. I will, too. You know how I feel about chaps.”

  Harper grinned. “I do. You think they’re underrated.”

  “This conversation just took a weird turn,” Jared grumbled, grabbing boxer shorts from the drawer and carrying them toward the suitcase. “Are you packed and ready, Zander? We have to stick to a schedule tomorrow morning, and I’m not opposed to leaving you behind.”

  Zander made a hilarious face. “I’m packed. I just have to throw in the last-minute toiletries tomorrow morning.”

  “Zander is a master at packing,” Harper explained. “He’s got it down to a science.”

  Zander preened under the compliment. “Thank you, Harp. That makes me feel a lot better, especially given the way you two pack. That is honestly on the verge of giving me acid reflux.”

  Jared grinned, amused despite himself. “What’s wrong with the way we’re packing?”

  “It’s messy and I don’t happen to like messy things.”

  “You like me,” Harper argued.

  “You’re disheveled, not messy. Jared is messy.”

  “Oh, that’s the meanest thing you’ve ever said to me,” Jared teased, his eyes flashing. “I’m not sure I’ll ever get over it.”

  “You’d better get over it.” Zander squared his shoulders. “Finish your packing. I have all the conference stuff. I figure we can go over it tomorrow morning when we’re waiting for our plane. There’s a lot to get through.”

  Jared’s lips twitched as he fought the urge to smile at Zander’s formal tone. “I think that’s a fabulous idea. Let’s plan every single second of our cruise tomorrow morning.”

  Zander either missed the sarcasm or opted to ignore it. “Great. I’ll be here at five o’clock in the morning. If you’re late, you’ll be sorry.”

  Oddly enough, Jared knew that was true.

  WAVES CALMLY ROLLED INTO shore as Rowan Gray sat on the Florida beach and worked on a sandcastle. As the lone photographer on The Bounding Storm, she was expected to be helpful and mature when dealing with guests on the ship. That didn’t extend to her downtime, though, and she was most at home when resting on the sand and collecting her thoughts.

  Since a new cruise was leaving the next day, the idea of unwinding held a lot of appeal.

  “Hey, Ro.”

  She jolted at the new voice, swinging her head quickly. She caught sight of her boyfriend Quinn Davenport despite the limited light and let loose with a shaky sigh as she shook her head. “You scared me.”

  “I’m sorry.” Quinn, who carried a large folder, kissed her on her head before settling on the sand next to her. “This is a nice castle. I especially like that you found rocks to use for the turrets.”

  “Those are tiny shells.”

  “They’re still pretty.”

  Rowan smiled as she gazed at her masterpiece. “Yeah. I should be a castle designer. I don’t suppose there’s much use for those in these parts, is there?”

  Quinn didn’t immediately shoot down the idea. “I don’t know. There might be something to that idea. I’ll have to think on it.”

  Rowan snickered at his serious response. “You do that.”

  They lapsed into amiable silence, Rowan returning to her castle as Quinn got comfortable. They were dealing with a lot as of late, including the fact that Rowan’s father — a man previously thought dead — was suddenly back in their lives. He was living in Florida, hiding in a house on the beach with his brother Nick, and waiting for Quinn to come up with a plan to unveil his miraculous resurrection.

  That was a plan that needed more time to percolate, so Nick and Paul were laying low until an opportunity presented itself.

  “What do you have there?” Rowan asked, noticing the folder resting on Quinn’s legs. “Is something wrong?”

  “This?” Quinn arched an eyebrow. “This is your performance review. I have to fill it out. I thought you might want to take the opportunity to bribe me with kisses and some heavy breathing before I started coloring in rating bubbles.”

  Rowan stilled, surprised. “I get performance reviews?” She looked horrified by the prospect. “I didn’t know that. Geez. I’ve been so distracted lately that I’ll probably lose my job.”

  Quinn instantly regretted making the joke. “You don’t get performance reviews. I was trying to manipulate you into making out with me. It was a joke.”

  “Oh.” Rowan was momentarily placated. “Sorry I ruined your joke.”

  “Yes, well, it was a lame joke.” His lips curved as he patted the sand next to him. “Come on. I do actually have something to talk to you about.”

  Rowan’s worry kicked into overdrive again. He sounded serious. “Is this bad? Wait ... did you hear from my father? He didn’t leave again, did he?”

  Quinn inte
rnally cursed his stupidity. “No, Ro. This is about tomorrow’s cruise. I want to talk to you about work stuff.”

  “Oh.” Rowan was sheepish. “I probably should’ve expected that, huh? I mean ... we do work together.”

  “We also play together.” Quinn slid his arm around her slim back and tucked her in at his side. “It’s just ... this cruise is different from most of the others. I think it’s going to affect you more than everyone else on the ship.”

  The remark caught Rowan off guard. “How?”

  “Well, for starters, it’s a paranormal conference.”

  Rowan had no idea what to make of that. “Meaning?”

  “Ghost hunters. Clairvoyants. Psychics. Fortune tellers. It’s all people who work in the paranormal business.”

  “Oh.” Instead of letting the worry Quinn was convinced would overtake her get a foothold, Rowan brightened considerably. “It’s all people like me.”

  “There is no one like you,” Quinn countered. “For starters, I think the bulk of the people on this cruise are going to be shysters. We’re talking fakes here, Ro. These are people who scam money out of other people by saying they have magical powers.”

  Since Rowan saw omens in her camera, she wasn’t as ready as Quinn to dismiss the possibility of other people boasting legitimate magical abilities. “You don’t know. There could be people with legitimate gifts coming, too.”

  “There could,” he conceded. “The thing is, everyone is going to be claiming they can do something. If all the people who claim it could actually do it, we would live in a very different world.

  “It’s been my experience that those who really have abilities try to hide them,” he continued. “If someone volunteers that they’re magical to you, I don’t want you saying ‘I’m magical, too’ right back. Do you understand what I’m saying?”