Read Online Ghostly Issues (A Harper Harlow Mystery Book 2) by Lily Harper Hart - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Lily Harper Hart
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replied, not missing a beat.
“We were not about to start groping one another!”
This time Jared couldn’t swallow his chuckle in time to keep it from escaping. Harper refused to acknowledge him, or the surreal nature of the situation.
“Oh, puh-leez,” Derek intoned. “I’m not an idiot. You two were two seconds from smooching.”
“Whatever,” Harper muttered. “We weren’t going to smooch.”
“We already did that for ten minutes on the street,” Jared added. Even though he couldn’t see Derek he felt like being involved in the conversation.
“Thanks for that,” Harper said dryly.
“You’re welcome.”
Harper inhaled deeply, calming herself. They were there on a mission and she couldn’t lose track of that. “Do you know what happened to you last night, Derek?”
“I … .” Derek cocked his head to the side, furrowing his brow as he racked his brain. “I can’t remember much of anything,” he admitted after a few seconds. “It’s like my head is mush.” He chuckled harshly at his own joke. “Technically I guess my head did end up being mush, didn’t it?”
“Do you remember leaving your house last night? Your parents didn’t know you were out. Did you sneak out?”
“I didn’t have to sneak out,” Derek replied. “My parents didn’t keep tabs on me. My dad was watching television when I left and Mom was in bed reading a book.”
“Did you go straight to the park?”
“I … don’t know.”
“What do you remember?”
“I just said I don’t know! Are you deaf?”
Derek was frustrated and shaken. Harper didn’t blame him. She held her hands up in a placating manner. “It’s okay, Derek. This is all still new to you. Maybe if you take some time and think about things you’ll remember what happened.”
“Yeah, and then everything will be great,” Derek said, his eyes flashing. “You know what? I was right from the start. You are dippy.”
“I didn’t say things would be great,” Harper clarified. “I just said … .”
Derek cut her off. “I’m out of here. I don’t want to hang around with the strange chick who can talk to ghosts.”
“Derek!” He was already gone.
“What happened?” Jared asked.
“I forgot how much I hated teenagers,” Harper lamented.
“That bad, huh?”
“He’s not coming back tonight,” Harper said. “He’s petulant, pouty, and has attitude.”
Jared reached over and gathered her hand again, squeezing it. “You tried.”
“I don’t think that’s enough,” Harper admitted. “He’s here for a reason. If he died by accident, he probably would’ve already passed over on his own. That means something happened to him.”
“You think he was murdered, don’t you?”
“I don’t know what else to think.”
Jared lifted Harper’s hand and pressed a kiss to her palm. “Come on. I’ll take you home. You need another night to be mad at me so we can make up completely tomorrow. The sooner you go to sleep, the sooner we’ll be happy again.”
Harper arched a challenging eyebrow. “You’re awfully sure of yourself.”
“Just wait until tomorrow,” Jared said, his smile wolfish. “You’re going to be awfully sure of me, too.”
“Oh, finally, something to look forward to.” Harper reluctantly let Jared lead her back toward his vehicle, casting one more glance over her shoulder in the hope she would see Derek. He wasn’t there, though.
“I’m going to give you so many things to look forward to you’re going to lose count,” Jared promised.
“Like what?”
“I’m going to make a list before I go to bed.”
“Well, I do like a planner,” Harper teased, giving in to the banter. “If I do decide to forgive you tomorrow, you need to cook a huge dinner for Zander. He wants steak and wine that doesn’t come from a box.”
“I think I can handle that.”
Eight
“So the ghost couldn’t tell you anything?” Eric asked Harper the next morning, keeping close to her as she walked up a gravel
“We were not about to start groping one another!”
This time Jared couldn’t swallow his chuckle in time to keep it from escaping. Harper refused to acknowledge him, or the surreal nature of the situation.
“Oh, puh-leez,” Derek intoned. “I’m not an idiot. You two were two seconds from smooching.”
“Whatever,” Harper muttered. “We weren’t going to smooch.”
“We already did that for ten minutes on the street,” Jared added. Even though he couldn’t see Derek he felt like being involved in the conversation.
“Thanks for that,” Harper said dryly.
“You’re welcome.”
Harper inhaled deeply, calming herself. They were there on a mission and she couldn’t lose track of that. “Do you know what happened to you last night, Derek?”
“I … .” Derek cocked his head to the side, furrowing his brow as he racked his brain. “I can’t remember much of anything,” he admitted after a few seconds. “It’s like my head is mush.” He chuckled harshly at his own joke. “Technically I guess my head did end up being mush, didn’t it?”
“Do you remember leaving your house last night? Your parents didn’t know you were out. Did you sneak out?”
“I didn’t have to sneak out,” Derek replied. “My parents didn’t keep tabs on me. My dad was watching television when I left and Mom was in bed reading a book.”
“Did you go straight to the park?”
“I … don’t know.”
“What do you remember?”
“I just said I don’t know! Are you deaf?”
Derek was frustrated and shaken. Harper didn’t blame him. She held her hands up in a placating manner. “It’s okay, Derek. This is all still new to you. Maybe if you take some time and think about things you’ll remember what happened.”
“Yeah, and then everything will be great,” Derek said, his eyes flashing. “You know what? I was right from the start. You are dippy.”
“I didn’t say things would be great,” Harper clarified. “I just said … .”
Derek cut her off. “I’m out of here. I don’t want to hang around with the strange chick who can talk to ghosts.”
“Derek!” He was already gone.
“What happened?” Jared asked.
“I forgot how much I hated teenagers,” Harper lamented.
“That bad, huh?”
“He’s not coming back tonight,” Harper said. “He’s petulant, pouty, and has attitude.”
Jared reached over and gathered her hand again, squeezing it. “You tried.”
“I don’t think that’s enough,” Harper admitted. “He’s here for a reason. If he died by accident, he probably would’ve already passed over on his own. That means something happened to him.”
“You think he was murdered, don’t you?”
“I don’t know what else to think.”
Jared lifted Harper’s hand and pressed a kiss to her palm. “Come on. I’ll take you home. You need another night to be mad at me so we can make up completely tomorrow. The sooner you go to sleep, the sooner we’ll be happy again.”
Harper arched a challenging eyebrow. “You’re awfully sure of yourself.”
“Just wait until tomorrow,” Jared said, his smile wolfish. “You’re going to be awfully sure of me, too.”
“Oh, finally, something to look forward to.” Harper reluctantly let Jared lead her back toward his vehicle, casting one more glance over her shoulder in the hope she would see Derek. He wasn’t there, though.
“I’m going to give you so many things to look forward to you’re going to lose count,” Jared promised.
“Like what?”
“I’m going to make a list before I go to bed.”
“Well, I do like a planner,” Harper teased, giving in to the banter. “If I do decide to forgive you tomorrow, you need to cook a huge dinner for Zander. He wants steak and wine that doesn’t come from a box.”
“I think I can handle that.”
Eight
“So the ghost couldn’t tell you anything?” Eric asked Harper the next morning, keeping close to her as she walked up a gravel
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