Double Dating with the Dead Karen Kelley (top ten books to read .txt) 📖

you have the world’s problems on your shoulders.”

His head jerked up. Matilda. He let out his breath. He was getting too jumpy. Selena’s fault again.

“I was thinking.”

She glanced up. “Bad weather’s coming.” She looked at him. “The old hotel has made it through a lot, though. Not to worry that it’ll fall down around your ears. Might want to set some candles out in case you lose those fancy lights. Candles, you can depend on. Leastways, that’s what my Hiram tells me, and he’s pretty smart.”

“I’ll do that.” He smiled at her description of electricity. She’d probably lived through the Depression as a kid. Tough times, but it made for a tough generation with strong values.

“Besides, there isn’t anything like snuggling with your girl during a storm. I remember when me and Hiram would sneak off and go sparkin’.” Her grin was mischievous, and there was a twinkle in her eyes. “I best be gettin’ back. I’ll want to make sure we have plenty of candles.”

He smiled as he watched her go around the corner of the house. She did have a way with words.

He would be the last person Selena would want to snuggle with, though. Not that he would trust her to get close to him. Hell, if she’d stooped low enough to slip something in his coffee this morning, what the hell would she attempt the next time?

Without really thinking, he reached up and ran a hand across his neck. A boom of thunder echoed. He jumped.

“Trent is an idiot,” Selena mumbled as she searched for bones behind another trunk. Nothing. She stood, swiping a stray curl behind her ear. The attic had gotten hotter as the day wore on.

Why couldn’t Trent admit what had happened? The ghosts had borrowed their bodies. He’d felt the same thing she had. Now he was angry with her again because something had happened that he didn’t understand.

She plopped down in a chair, coughing and waving away the cloud of dust that rose up around her. Dixie and Wesley were so going to pay for this.

Sure. What exactly could she do to hurt two people already dead? The worst had already happened.

Well, she could at least tell them how much they’d pissed her off. Just as soon as they appeared to her again.

Not that she could even be that mad. Right before the darkness had enveloped her, Selena had felt Dixie’s longing to be physically near Wesley. The deep, aching need to be wrapped in his arms again.

What would it be like to know you were so close to someone but couldn’t touch them? It would be like…like dreaming about making love all night, then waking up to find she was snuggling a pillow? Okay, maybe she did know a little of what they were feeling.

She came to her feet. There was nothing she could do about it now. Trent thought she was scamming him. She knew differently.

She had to find those bones. Maybe then, Dixie and Wesley would show themselves. Then Trent would have no choice except to believe her.

Methodically, she continued her search in the opposite corner. She didn’t stop again until she’d covered every inch of the attic.

Hours slipped by.

Nothing. Not one bone. She jumped when lightning split across the sky, illuminating the attic. A loud roar of thunder followed.

The thunder and lightning had increased since Trent had left. At first it had been only a low rumble, but it was so dark now in the attic that she wasn’t sure she would be able to see bones if she ran across them.

Dixie must have been wrong about the location, Selena thought as she tramped back down the stairs. Not that she’d actually said they would be there. Only that it would be a good place to start the search.

Had she wanted them to find the clothes? To make the transition easier when they borrowed their bodies? Probably. Ghosts could be really devious sometimes. She had a feeling Wesley and Dixie were no exception.

After she shut the door to the attic, her gaze wandered to Trent’s room. Was he in there? Maybe writing in that little black book of his. She wished he could just accept what had happened. It was only going to make it more difficult when the ghosts did appear.

She grabbed clean clothes and headed for the bathroom. By the time she’d finished bathing, the first pings of rain began to hit the windows. It was late and she was hungry. She hadn’t really thought about food while she was working.

Not that she’d really wanted anything. Not after Trent’s accusations. All afternoon she’d tried to tell herself not to let it bother her.

So what if he thought she was scamming him. What else was new? He’d come to the hotel because he thought she was ripping off the public. Why would he change his mind now?

Once she was in the kitchen, she slapped peanut butter on a slice of bread and folded it over.

Damn it, couldn’t he see who she really was? That was what was bothering her. He couldn’t see she wasn’t like that other woman. That bugged the hell out of her.

She crammed part of the sandwich into her mouth and chewed. Not easy with a PB sandwich. If she choked, he probably wouldn’t revive her.

Too bad they’d finished off the wine.

She opened a cabinet, and there was a bottle of her favorite wine. He’d replaced it. Now he’d really pissed her off. You didn’t share someone’s food and drink, accuse them of lying to people, then replace everything. It just wasn’t done. It was too…too thoughtful.

But she really needed the wine.

She poured a glass and downed half the contents.

Note to self: PB sandwich and wine do not go together. Blech!

Footsteps came toward the kitchen. Trent. She braced herself. He walked into the kitchen, but stopped as soon as he saw her.

“I didn’t know you were in here.” He started to turn around.

She squared her shoulders. “Don’t go on my account. It’s not