Read Online Ghouls Just Want to Have Fun by Kathleen Bacus - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Kathleen Bacus
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Halloween costume," Joe said.
Townsend raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. "For who?"
"Well, for you, of course," Joe said, moving towards Townsend and clamping the bird down on one brawny shoulder. "You can't attend a costume party without a costume. "I wore this costume three years ago. 'Course, I went all out with the mascara and colorful clothes. Even wore a wig with two little braids and jewelry."
"You went as Pocahontas?" I asked, puzzled.
Joe gave me a dirty look. "I went as Captain Jack Sparrow! You know, from Pirates of the Caribbean . I even grew a little goatee to add to the effect. Hannah, grab that wig for me, would you?"
"Are you sure that wasn't The Pirates of Penzance? " I asked, starting to giggle when I saw the look of horror on Townsend's face.
"Wig? Wig? I am not going to wear a braided wig," he said, putting out a hand and backing up.
"We can take the braids out," Joe said. "Right, Hannah?"
My grandmother, the undead and undeterred, stepped forward. "Well, yes, but, you know, I rather like the braids," she said, putting the wig up to Townsend's face and dangling a braid alongside his ear. "They make a certain statement."
"Yeah, like, 'Can Rickie come out and play dress-up with us?'" I said, laughing so hard that tears came to my eyes.
"No way," Townsend said. "Nobody said anything about a Halloween party or costumes when I agreed to this little date."
I looked up at him. "You agreed to a date?" I asked, suddenly feeling very not-amused--and slightly nauseated.
"I'm here, aren't I?" he said. "And someone had to keep an eye on Gomez and Morticia there. But no way in hell am I donning a braided wig and a molting bird and going out in a public place where I can be seen. I have a reputation to think about."
"So you'd do it in private?" I asked, trying to get my footing back after the ranger's rather surprising revelation.
Townsend looked over at me and grinned. "For the right price," he said with a wink.
"You're probably out of my range," I said with a sigh. Most delicious things, including studly rangers in rough pirate garb, generally were.
"You might be pleasantly surprised," Townsend said, and I broke eye contact first.
"We'll lose the wig," Joe told him, tying a bright red kerchief around Ranger Rick's forehead and plopping a dark gray tricorn hat on his head. "Here, pull up your sleeve and take this." He handed his grandson the plastic hook. "Grab hold of this and then lower your sleeve over it. Looks authentic, doesn't it? But I warn you. Be careful. You can almost forget you're wearing it. I had a near miss in the john last time I had it on."
I smiled at the sudden wince of pain on Rick's face.
"You'll need a bit of eyeliner," my grandmother said, stepping forward with her smoky gray makeup. "On the eye that doesn't have the patch, that is. Which eye are you planning to cover, dear?"
"Both," Townsend said.
"Let's put the patch on the left eye. The left eye is always weaker, you know. Now, just a touch--"
Townsend grabbed her hand in midair. "Uh, I think we'll let your granddaughter do the honors," he said, taking the pencil from my gramma's hand and holding it out to me. "T? If you would be so kind?"
I gave him an uncertain look. My feet felt heavy as I moved toward Townsend. The idea of doing something so... so intimate for the ranger made my spit disappear faster than my gramma when the minister made a surprise home visit. My hand shook as I took the eyeliner.
I stared into the ranger's gorgeous brown eyes, amazed at the trust he'd placed in me. Calamity Jayne. The girl most likely to create havoc out of serenity. Waves in a farm pond. Who struck terror into the hearts of car wash robots everywhere. I put the eyeliner up to his eye.
"Tressa?" Rick said with a soft, soothing voice.
"Yeah?"
"You put that ridiculous makeup on me and I'll leave all my reptiles to you in my will!" he said.
I thought about it for a moment. Seeing Townsend in smoky gray eye makeup was the
Townsend raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. "For who?"
"Well, for you, of course," Joe said, moving towards Townsend and clamping the bird down on one brawny shoulder. "You can't attend a costume party without a costume. "I wore this costume three years ago. 'Course, I went all out with the mascara and colorful clothes. Even wore a wig with two little braids and jewelry."
"You went as Pocahontas?" I asked, puzzled.
Joe gave me a dirty look. "I went as Captain Jack Sparrow! You know, from Pirates of the Caribbean . I even grew a little goatee to add to the effect. Hannah, grab that wig for me, would you?"
"Are you sure that wasn't The Pirates of Penzance? " I asked, starting to giggle when I saw the look of horror on Townsend's face.
"Wig? Wig? I am not going to wear a braided wig," he said, putting out a hand and backing up.
"We can take the braids out," Joe said. "Right, Hannah?"
My grandmother, the undead and undeterred, stepped forward. "Well, yes, but, you know, I rather like the braids," she said, putting the wig up to Townsend's face and dangling a braid alongside his ear. "They make a certain statement."
"Yeah, like, 'Can Rickie come out and play dress-up with us?'" I said, laughing so hard that tears came to my eyes.
"No way," Townsend said. "Nobody said anything about a Halloween party or costumes when I agreed to this little date."
I looked up at him. "You agreed to a date?" I asked, suddenly feeling very not-amused--and slightly nauseated.
"I'm here, aren't I?" he said. "And someone had to keep an eye on Gomez and Morticia there. But no way in hell am I donning a braided wig and a molting bird and going out in a public place where I can be seen. I have a reputation to think about."
"So you'd do it in private?" I asked, trying to get my footing back after the ranger's rather surprising revelation.
Townsend looked over at me and grinned. "For the right price," he said with a wink.
"You're probably out of my range," I said with a sigh. Most delicious things, including studly rangers in rough pirate garb, generally were.
"You might be pleasantly surprised," Townsend said, and I broke eye contact first.
"We'll lose the wig," Joe told him, tying a bright red kerchief around Ranger Rick's forehead and plopping a dark gray tricorn hat on his head. "Here, pull up your sleeve and take this." He handed his grandson the plastic hook. "Grab hold of this and then lower your sleeve over it. Looks authentic, doesn't it? But I warn you. Be careful. You can almost forget you're wearing it. I had a near miss in the john last time I had it on."
I smiled at the sudden wince of pain on Rick's face.
"You'll need a bit of eyeliner," my grandmother said, stepping forward with her smoky gray makeup. "On the eye that doesn't have the patch, that is. Which eye are you planning to cover, dear?"
"Both," Townsend said.
"Let's put the patch on the left eye. The left eye is always weaker, you know. Now, just a touch--"
Townsend grabbed her hand in midair. "Uh, I think we'll let your granddaughter do the honors," he said, taking the pencil from my gramma's hand and holding it out to me. "T? If you would be so kind?"
I gave him an uncertain look. My feet felt heavy as I moved toward Townsend. The idea of doing something so... so intimate for the ranger made my spit disappear faster than my gramma when the minister made a surprise home visit. My hand shook as I took the eyeliner.
I stared into the ranger's gorgeous brown eyes, amazed at the trust he'd placed in me. Calamity Jayne. The girl most likely to create havoc out of serenity. Waves in a farm pond. Who struck terror into the hearts of car wash robots everywhere. I put the eyeliner up to his eye.
"Tressa?" Rick said with a soft, soothing voice.
"Yeah?"
"You put that ridiculous makeup on me and I'll leave all my reptiles to you in my will!" he said.
I thought about it for a moment. Seeing Townsend in smoky gray eye makeup was the
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