Ghostly Camping (A Harper Harlow Mystery Book 16)

by Lily Harper Hart

  “Except I don’t think you’ve taken everything into account,” Gloria pressed.

  “We have.”

  “What if it rains?”

  “Then Jason Thurman has agreed to let us use his restaurant for the reception. We’ve already talked about it.”

  “That place is lovely for a meal, but it’s not big enough for a reception,” Gloria argued.

  And that, Harper realized, was the true problem as far as her mother was concerned. In Gloria’s mind, Harper should be embracing a big wedding ... which was the absolute last thing she wanted.

  “Mother, we’re keeping the wedding small.” Harper was firm, annoyance rearing up to grab her by the throat. “I know that’s not your idea of a good time, but it’s what’s happening.”

  “No, you said you wanted an intimate wedding,” Gloria countered. “Intimate does not have to mean small.”

  “It does in my world.” This was one argument Harper refused to cede to her overbearing mother. “I’m sorry if you’re upset, Mom. I’m sorry if this isn’t the wedding you envisioned. It’s my wedding, though, and Jared and I want to keep it small.” She glanced up to find her fiancé watching her, overt sympathy rolling off him in waves.

  It should’ve been enough to end the conversation. Gloria wasn’t known for giving up, though. “Big weddings are fun.”

  “That’s not what we want.”

  “Why? Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t have the people I want at your wedding.”

  “Because it’s not about you.” Harper was firm. “Mother, if you want a big wedding, maybe you and Dad should renew your vows. Then you can have the wedding to end all weddings.”

  Gloria balked. “I want you to have a big wedding. Your father and I already had a big wedding. We’re good. Besides, he’s bugging me. I don’t want to marry him again.”

  Harper was amused despite herself. “I hate to break it to you, but you’re already married to him. There is no ‘again’ in there. A nice vow renewal might be good for the two of you, though. You’re starting over, right? A wedding is the start of happiness.”

  “Oh, geez.” Gloria made a disgusted sound on the other end of the call. “I don’t know who told you that drivel — although I have an idea — but it’s simply not true. Marriage is hard. That’s why you should kick it off the right way, with a huge party.”

  “We don’t want a huge party,” Harper snapped. “We want a quiet party, with just our closest friends and family.”

  “Well ... I still think Blossom Heath is a nice alternative to your fried chicken and beach fiasco.”

  “I don’t really care what you want. I care what I want ... and I want a small wedding. If you book that reception hall, you’re going to be stuck with a huge bill and nothing to show for it because we won’t use that place. You’ve been warned.”

  “Well, I should’ve known you wouldn’t agree with me.”

  “You definitely should have,” Harper agreed. “I think this conversation is done for now. I have things I need to do.”

  “Fine. We’ll pick it up when you get back to town.”

  “I’m looking forward to it.”

  JARED FOUND HARPER IN THE TENT when he finished building “the ultimate camping kitchen.” She rested on top of the sleeping bags, her eyes focused out the skylight, and she seemed lost in thought.

  “You hate this, don’t you?” He rolled onto the spot next to her.

  “No.” She immediately started shaking her head. “I don’t hate this. I love spending time with you.”

  “Except we really haven’t had a chance to spend much time together. I’ve been busy doing other stuff ... with Shawn.”

  Harper knew what he was getting at and found herself bothered. “I’m guessing Zander told you his theory on us falling in love with the same man.”

  Jared chuckled. “He’s a little worked up.”

  “He can’t help himself. He’s doing the best that he can. This isn’t the sort of environment he thrives in.”

  “I don’t think it’s the sort of environment you thrive in either.” He propped himself on an elbow and studied her. “If you want to leave, we can go. We don’t have to stay here. You don’t have to be miserable.”

  Harper made a protesting sound. “I’m not unhappy. I’m just ... thinking.”

  “About your mother?” He hated bringing up Gloria but it seemed necessary. “You know that you don’t have to answer when she calls, right? It’s perfectly acceptable to send your mother directly to voicemail.”

  Harper couldn’t stop herself from laughing. “Puh-leez. You would never send your mother to voicemail and we both know it.”

  “My mother is not your mother.”

  “Definitely not.”

  “She’s just happy that we’re getting married and she can be a part of it. Your mother is ... different.”

  “Oh, let me tell you the ways.”

  Jared laughed as he swooped in to give her a soft kiss. “It’s okay,” he reiterated. “Your mother is just a lot of work. We need to suck it up. It’s not as if she’s suddenly going to change. My understanding is that she’s always been like this.”

  “And then some,” Harper agreed, her expression darkening. “I’m not kowtowing to her on this. We planned the wedding we wanted. She’s just mad because it’s not the sort of wedding she can brag about to her friends.”

  “I don’t want you to give in on the wedding,” Jared reassured her. “I’m a big fan of what we have planned. I think compromise might be in order, though.”

  “No way. She’ll take over if I let her do a single thing.”

  “Or she’ll also be happy to be involved and put all of her energy into that one thing,” Jared countered. “Have you considered giving her a small but meaningful task?”

  “What do you suggest?”

  “Like ... we could put in charge of the flowers, or maybe the cake.”

  Despite her bad mood, Harper found she was intrigued by the suggestion. “Maybe. I need to think about it.”

  “Fair enough. It’s just a suggestion.”

  They lapsed into comfortable silence, linking fingers as they stared out of the skylight. Finally, Jared was the one to break it, which wasn’t the norm in their relationship. Usually Harper was the chatterbox.

  “I’m guessing we’re not going to be camping a lot with our family down the road, huh?”

  The question caught her off guard and she was instantly smacked over the head with a log of guilt. “No, we can go camping.”

  “Really? Because you seem to hate it.”

  “I don’t hate it.” Harper paused, searching her feelings. “Something feels off here,” she said finally, opting for the truth. “While it’s true that camping might not be my favorite thing in the world, I’m betting we can come up with a compromise that will make everybody happy.”

  “Like what?”

  “Like ... as a family, we go to campgrounds closer to home. When you want to do the deep woods stuff, then you and Shawn can take all the little kids we amass together, and Zander and I can stay behind and do a spa weekend.”

  Jared’s lips curved. “Honestly, I think that sounds like a fair compromise.”

  “I don’t mind camping,” she reassured him. “I do feel a little isolated out here. I think that’s just nerves fueling me, though. Maybe after the event starts I’ll settle.”

  “Yes, who doesn’t need a little fake murder and mayhem to soothe their tortured soul?” he teased.

  “I’m just not used to getting so much attention,” she admitted. “Harris seems desperate for my approval and I feel off my game.” She thought about mentioning the feeling she had in the cemetery earlier and then nixed the idea. Odds were that was part of Harris’ plan. If his intent was to leave his guests unsettled — which seemed likely — he was doing a fabulous job.

  “I understand about him making you uncomfortable,” Jared commiserated. “Becky makes me darned uncomfortable. It’s like she’s undressi
ng me with her eyes.”

  “Oh, she is.” Harper laughed as she snuggled closer. “We’ll figure everything out. We always do.”

  “I agree. I just want you to have a good time ... and you seem to be having the opposite of a good time.”

  “It’s the way this thing has been set up. I think I’m nervous because I’m waiting for the event to kick off. I don’t know how else to explain it.”

  “You know something bad is going to happen, even if it’s a fake something bad. I get it.”

  “Yeah. Once we’re in the thick of the game, it will be easier.”

  “I think you’re right.” He slid his arm under her and tugged, not stopping until she was directly on top of him. “So, I have this idea,” he offered, licking his lips.

  Amusement lit Harper’s eyes. “Oh, yeah? What idea are we talking about here?”

  “I know one surefire way to ensure relaxation.”

  “I’m all ears.”

  “I think it will lose something in the telling. I might have to show you.”

  That had her smile widening. “I’m up for that.”

  “Something told me that might be the case.”

  6

  Six

  Dinner was in the pavilion again. It seemed to be the central meeting place. Harper was happy for that, just in case she were to get separated from her team in the wilderness. At least they would know where to regroup.

  “Ribs.” Jared’s eyes filled with hunger as the familiar scent assailed his olfactory senses. “They’re going all out.”

  “Apparently so.” Shawn looked just as eager. “How about we get the food for everybody and you guys get the drinks?”

  Zander, who seemed lackluster, nodded without a hint of argument. “Sure. Whatever makes you guys happy.”

  Harper eyed her friend a moment, suspicious, and then joined in the nodding. “I think we can manage that.”

  Harper waited until she and Zander were alone to ask the obvious question. “Why are you being such a baby?” Her earlier conversation with Jared had made her realize one very important thing ... she was being a total downer. That wasn’t fair to anyone and she vowed to buck up, even if she wasn’t feeling especially jovial.

  “Who says I’m being a baby?” Zander’s eyes flashed hot. “I’m not being a baby.”

  “You kind of are.” Harper used her most reasonable tone, although she knew from experience that it didn’t always work on Zander. “I think you should at least give this a try.”

  “I am giving it a try.”

  “No, you’re really not. You know ... this is important to them.” She thought about what she wanted to say and then simply went for it. “Jared and Shawn like camping. They think this is the most fun you can have.”

  “Then they’re nuts. I’ve always thought there was a possibility Germany and France were full of crazy people. This makes sense.”

  “They’re not nuts. They’re ... good men who like different things than we do. We’re going to have to get used to it.”

  “Oh, yeah? How do you figure?”

  “At a certain point, we’re going to have kids.”

  He stilled. “If you think I’m going to subject a kid to this sort of outing, you’ve got another think coming. Shawn and I will have to adopt and if anybody sees us torturing a small child with camping, they’re likely to remove the kid from our home.”

  Harper rolled her eyes. She recognized the sort of mood Zander was in and knew there was no way to get him out of it. “I get that you want to be grouchy. Personally, I don’t think having big hair is a reason to torture those around us.”

  “That’s easy for you to say. Your hair looks great.”

  “I have the same hair problems you do.”

  “Oh, you do not.” He made an exaggerated face. “You can pull back your hair if it looks funky. Don’t think I haven’t noticed that you’re wearing it off your neck today. Do you want to know why that is?”

  “Because it’s easier when my hair doesn’t fall in my face?”

  “No, because you know you still look cute like that.”

  “Oh, geez.” Harper shook her head. “You’re being purposely obnoxious. Under normal circumstances, I would be fine with it. I don’t want you torturing Shawn for no reason, though. It doesn’t seem fair.”

  “Oh, I have a reason.” He gestured toward his hair. “Look at this. If the gay community in Southeast Michigan saw me looking like this, they would kick me out.”

  Harper swallowed the absurd urge to laugh. “Well ... .”

  “I’m being serious. I look like ... a straight guy.”

  And that, she realized, was the real reason he was struggling so much. At a young age, he’d made a hard decision. Whisper Cove was small and those who were different stuck out. Both Zander and Harper were different at their cores. Zander was a gay youth struggling to understand his feelings. Harper could see and talk to ghosts, which made her a freak in an overly religious community. They’d drifted together because they were both outsiders and clung together because they were soul mates.

  Sure, they weren’t romantic soul mates. That didn’t mean the love they shared was any less potent. When Zander realized why he was the way he was, he decided to embrace it. Sure, he was a little more flamboyant than necessary, but it was a way to shield himself in high school. Now it was simply how he identified.

  “I’m sorry.” Harper wasn’t sure what to say to make him feel better. “I know camping isn’t your thing. Jared and I talked about it, though. We came up with a compromise.”

  “Really? Does it involve one of them driving to that Ulta Beauty to get me a hair dryer?”

  “No, it involves the future. When we have kids we can all go to a campground together that’s much closer to home.”

  “One I can take a hair dryer to, right?”

  She bobbed her head. “Absolutely. Hair dryers will be allowed. When they want a more intense camping trip, though, they can take the kids and go together. They can do all this organizational stuff they like ... and campfire stuff they adore ... and they can shop in weird little shops until they pass out from bliss.”

  Zander’s lips curved. “What will we do when they’re gone?”

  “A spa weekend, with wine and as much takeout as we can stomach.”

  “With no kids in sight.” He cocked his head, considering, and then grinned. “That’s a fabulous idea. I wish we had kids to send with them right now so we could get massages.”

  Oddly enough, Harper was keen on that idea. “Well ... eventually we’ll make it happen. Right now, though, we’ve got to suck it up. This isn’t our scene, but we’re all out here for GHI. This will be good for our business if we can get it right.”

  “I guess.” Zander dug through the tub of soft drinks and came up with two cans. “I don’t want to ruin their good time. It’s just ... this is so not the life I saw myself living.”

  “No? What sort of life did you see yourself living?”

  “I kind of thought I would marry someone like Elton John and we would move to an English castle and get pampered every day without having to lift a finger.”

  Harper barked out a laugh. “Well, I never considered that as a viable lifestyle, but it’s an interesting point. That sounds like a fine dream. You would be bored of that life in five minutes flat, though.”

  “I wouldn’t be so sure.”

  “Oh, I’m sure.” She wrapped her fingers around his arm and drew his full attention to her. “You love Shawn because he challenges you. All those guys you dated before him — the ones with bad back hair and oddly spaced toes — bored you from the start. Shawn is your match.”

  “I know.” Zander didn’t perk up at the news. “Who knew I would fall in love with a camper? It kind of makes you wonder about my sanity, huh?”

  That had Harper laughing even harder. “I think you’re perfectly sane. This is our new reality, though. We need to do what’s right for them for a change. They’re always there for us. We o
we them.”

  “I’m pretty sure you’re not supposed to be keeping score in a relationship.”

  “And I’m pretty sure all you do is keep score.”

  “I guess.” He let out a long-suffering sigh. “Do you think he’ll reward me when we get home if I’m a good sport?”

  “I think it depends on what you want as a reward.”

  “I’m thinking a spa day for just you and me.”

  Harper’s expression softened. “I think that’s definitely a possibility.”

  JARED AND SHAWN WERE ALREADY SEATED, heaping trays of food in front of them, when Harper and Zander joined them.

  “I was just about to go looking for you,” Jared noted, barbecue sauce on both cheeks. “How come it took you so long?”

  “No reason.” Harper grinned at him as she leaned in and studied the sauce on his cheeks. “Honestly, I’ve never loved you more.”

  He shot her a wink and reached for a napkin. “I feel that way about you every day of our lives.”

  “So, sweet.” She turned to the front of the pavilion at the sound of someone clearing his throat. She wasn’t surprised to find Harris standing there, his chest puffed out, and his eyes full of merriment. “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen,” he intoned, his voice echoing over the concrete. “I want to thank you for joining us for our kickoff event. We’re thrilled to have you with us, and hope you enjoy what we have planned.”

  Scattered applause broke out and Harper took a moment to count the heads in the room. There were fifteen people participating, some she’d yet to share a smile with let alone say hello to.

  “I want everyone to enjoy their dinner,” he continued. “Things will start happening fast in the next hour or so. Does anybody have any questions?”

  A middle-aged man at one of the other tables raised his hand. “I have one. How will we know when the event starts?”

  Harris’ grin grew so wide it threatened to swallow his entire face. “I don’t think there will be any doubt when the event starts. You won’t be able to mistake it for anything else. Trust me.”