On the Way Home to Christmas by Kathryn Kaleigh

Author:Kathryn Kaleigh
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: KST Publishing

Chapter Twenty-Five

KAYCE

As Bella and I walked out the front doors of the hospital, I noticed a small jet heading for the airport. It disappeared into a row of white puffy clouds for a few minutes, then came out the other side.

Probably a tourist coming in for the holidays.

People did that. They came here and spent the twelve days of Christmas in Whiskey Springs, feeding the economy while enjoying all the festivities.

“You just got back,” Bella said, also noticing the airplane going in for a landing.

“I came right here.”

She nodded. “You have the faint scent of jet fuel.”

“Do I need to change clothes? Shower?” I sniffed my sleeve, even though I knew she was right.

She smiled. “No. It’s not bad, actually.”

“A lot of women find the scent of jet fuel sexy.”

She was looking at me sideways again in that way that she had. “I don’t know about going that far. I think maybe they’re just trying to suck up to you.”

“You think? I’m heartbroken that so many women have been lying to me all this time.”

She shrugged. “It’s the way it works. Women lie and men strut.”

“Men strut?” I laughed again. “I don’t think that’s how the saying goes.”

“How does it go?”

“I don’t know. But I don’t think that’s it.”

“Anyway,” she said, biting her lip.

“You think I strut?” I asked, straightening and purposely walking with a noticeable strut.

She glanced at me out of the corner of her eyes. “Yep. Definitely strutting.”

“I think there’s a compliment in there somewhere.”

“You’re definitely a guy.”

I laughed. Bella made me laugh. That’s how it was supposed to be.

“Pizza again?” I asked.

“We can try the Saloon,” she said. “I haven’t been there since I got back.”

“The Saloon it is,” he said. “I’ve eaten there a lot since I’m living there. It’s not bad.”

“You’re living at the Saloon?”

“It’s just temporary,” he said.

“Right. Temporary,” she said, then seemed to move on past that thought. “You’re in good company. According to history, almost all the early settlers who came here to settle this area lived in the saloon while they built their houses.”

“Good to know,” he said. “The old fellow who runs it…”

“Mr. Harold.”

“Yes. That’s him. He claims the place is haunted.”

“Of course it is,” she said. “It’s too old not to be.”

“You really believe that?”

“Well. I’ve never personally seen a ghost,” she said. “But I have no reason to doubt it.”

We continued walking, turning right.

“Speaking of ghosts,” he said. “I’m seeing one right now.”

“Right now?” She looked ahead. “Surely…”

“Not an actual ghost. Exactly. Although it might be better if she was.”

I watched with a sick feeling in the pit of stomach as Luna stepped out of the back seat of a black sedan and strutted—definitely strutted—into the hotel, leaving the driver to contend with her luggage.

Normally I would have run ahead to help her. After quickly tamping down that instinct, I turned to Bella.

“Is there any other place in town we can eat today? Maybe take a raincheck on the saloon?”

“Sure,” she said, obviously confused.

In all honesty, Luna looked like some kind of movie star rolling into town.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.