Read Online Ghostly Deceits (A Harper Harlow Mystery Book 3) by Lily Harper Hart - Free Book Online
Authors: Lily Harper Hart
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cute,” Jared said, tickled by her take on life. “I’ve been considering asking Josh about his family’s money problems, but that somehow feels invasive. On the flip side, it kind of feels callous to ignore the situation. What do you think?”
“I would let him bring it up to you if he wants to talk about it,” Harper answered. “If you ask him he might think you’re prying. You guys haven’t been in regular touch so I think it would be out of place if you mentioned it out of the blue.”
“That’s probably true,” Jared. “You’re wise and adorable.”
“I know,” Harper said, shooting him a flirtatious wink.
“By the way, if you want to tell Josh what you really do for a living, I think he would not only understand but enjoy talking about it,” Jared said. “I saw how uncomfortable you were when he asked you how you ended up back in Whisper Cove after college. You’re a terrible liar – which is a good thing – but I honestly think you’re overreaching on this one. Josh would be fine with it.”
“I know,” Harper said. “It’s just … people always look at me differently when they find out what I can do.”
“I don’t.”
“But you did,” Harper said.
“When?”
“When we first met I could tell you thought I was attractive,” Harper said, choosing her words carefully. “That didn’t last long once Mel told you I thought I could see ghosts. You thought I was certifiable after that and wanted as much distance between us as possible.”
Jared opened his mouth to argue and then snapped it shut. She wasn’t wrong. “Okay,” he conceded. “I questioned your sanity a little bit after Mel told me what you could do. It didn’t take long for me to realize you were telling the truth, though.
“And, if we’re being honest, part of me wanted to believe you from the start,” he continued. “I’m a practical guy, though. I didn’t believe in ghosts and the supernatural so I had a hard time wrapping my head around it. In the grand scheme of things, I came around really quickly.”
“You did, and I’m thankful for that,” Harper acknowledged. “I would just prefer a week where I don’t have to explain that I see and talk to ghosts. I want to be normal this week. Are you okay with that?”
“I’m okay with anything you do,” Jared said, extending his hand. “Now I want to be okay with what you do in that big bathtub.”
Harper took his hand and smiled. “I have a feeling you’re going to cover me with bubbles and then use me as a waterslide.”
Jared barked out a laugh. “I love the way your mind works.”
H ARPER was being chased . She was lost in a dream – and on some level she realized that – but that didn’t stop her heart from hammering as the shadowy figure behind her closed in.
She scampered toward the stairs, realizing they were the ones that led to the main foyer of the Stokes Hotel, and glanced over her shoulder when she was convinced better lighting would reveal her stalker. It didn’t. He was still nothing but a black mass and angry words. Harper didn’t recognize the voice as he screamed about making her his personal property, and she was so fixated on trying to make out facial features she missed the top step and tumbled down the winding staircase, landing on the marble floors below with a sickening thud.
Harper turned swiftly – imagined dream pain minimal compared to the real thing she’d experienced when she jumped out of a moving vehicle weeks before – and found a black hand reaching out for her.
She opened her mouth to scream and instead bolted upright to a sitting position in her hotel room. It was dark, dawn still hours away, and her heart raced as she tried to understand the dream.
“What’s wrong?” Jared murmured, shifting in the bed next to her. “Did you have a bad dream?”
“It’s okay,” Harper said, shaking her head. “I … fell down the stairs in my dream and woke myself up when I tried to catch
“I would let him bring it up to you if he wants to talk about it,” Harper answered. “If you ask him he might think you’re prying. You guys haven’t been in regular touch so I think it would be out of place if you mentioned it out of the blue.”
“That’s probably true,” Jared. “You’re wise and adorable.”
“I know,” Harper said, shooting him a flirtatious wink.
“By the way, if you want to tell Josh what you really do for a living, I think he would not only understand but enjoy talking about it,” Jared said. “I saw how uncomfortable you were when he asked you how you ended up back in Whisper Cove after college. You’re a terrible liar – which is a good thing – but I honestly think you’re overreaching on this one. Josh would be fine with it.”
“I know,” Harper said. “It’s just … people always look at me differently when they find out what I can do.”
“I don’t.”
“But you did,” Harper said.
“When?”
“When we first met I could tell you thought I was attractive,” Harper said, choosing her words carefully. “That didn’t last long once Mel told you I thought I could see ghosts. You thought I was certifiable after that and wanted as much distance between us as possible.”
Jared opened his mouth to argue and then snapped it shut. She wasn’t wrong. “Okay,” he conceded. “I questioned your sanity a little bit after Mel told me what you could do. It didn’t take long for me to realize you were telling the truth, though.
“And, if we’re being honest, part of me wanted to believe you from the start,” he continued. “I’m a practical guy, though. I didn’t believe in ghosts and the supernatural so I had a hard time wrapping my head around it. In the grand scheme of things, I came around really quickly.”
“You did, and I’m thankful for that,” Harper acknowledged. “I would just prefer a week where I don’t have to explain that I see and talk to ghosts. I want to be normal this week. Are you okay with that?”
“I’m okay with anything you do,” Jared said, extending his hand. “Now I want to be okay with what you do in that big bathtub.”
Harper took his hand and smiled. “I have a feeling you’re going to cover me with bubbles and then use me as a waterslide.”
Jared barked out a laugh. “I love the way your mind works.”
H ARPER was being chased . She was lost in a dream – and on some level she realized that – but that didn’t stop her heart from hammering as the shadowy figure behind her closed in.
She scampered toward the stairs, realizing they were the ones that led to the main foyer of the Stokes Hotel, and glanced over her shoulder when she was convinced better lighting would reveal her stalker. It didn’t. He was still nothing but a black mass and angry words. Harper didn’t recognize the voice as he screamed about making her his personal property, and she was so fixated on trying to make out facial features she missed the top step and tumbled down the winding staircase, landing on the marble floors below with a sickening thud.
Harper turned swiftly – imagined dream pain minimal compared to the real thing she’d experienced when she jumped out of a moving vehicle weeks before – and found a black hand reaching out for her.
She opened her mouth to scream and instead bolted upright to a sitting position in her hotel room. It was dark, dawn still hours away, and her heart raced as she tried to understand the dream.
“What’s wrong?” Jared murmured, shifting in the bed next to her. “Did you have a bad dream?”
“It’s okay,” Harper said, shaking her head. “I … fell down the stairs in my dream and woke myself up when I tried to catch
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