The Ghost Files 3.5 Read online

“Oh, yeah.” Ava nodded. “He tries that with me all the time. He thinks because I’m a girl I can’t fight ghosts just as well as he can.”

  “Like that makes a difference?” Mary scoffed.

  “Exactly,” Ava agreed with a vigorous nod.

  Caleb rolled his eyes.

  “Speaking of ghost hunting, I think something is going on over at my neighbor’s house,” Mary said.

  “Great, now she thinks she’s the Nancy Drew of the ghost hunting world,” Caleb muttered.

  A gasp escaped both girls, and his eyes widened. He didn’t think he’d said that loud enough for them to hear, but they had. Two murderous faces were glaring at him.

  “You did not go there,” Mary seethed, looking like she wanted to send a fist his way.

  Ava kicked him. “How dare you!”

  “I’m sorry.” Caleb threw up a hand to stop his sister from going off on him. “I’m tired, and I don’t want to fight. Can we just please find Dan and Mattie?”

  “Your brother may be cute, but he’s an idiot,” Mary told Ava.

  She thought he was cute?

  “Let’s find Eli,” Ava said. “I’m pretty sure he’ll find Mattie before we do because of his bond with her.”

  “Whatever,” Mary mumbled. She followed Ava in the direction Eli had gone.

  Caleb let out a long sigh and then hurried to catch up with them. He’d hurt her feelings more than once today, and it was the last thing he’d wanted to do. He liked Mary, but he was mucking it up. What else could go wrong today?

  Why did he ask those questions? He found himself on a boat with his brothers, Ava, Mattie, and Mary a short while later, looking for the place a girl was supposed to have gone missing. Not only that, but Mattie and Mary looked ready to hurl with each sway of the boat. It wasn’t long before Dan found a secluded area with a dock to pull into. If it belonged to someone, they could always explain the girls were sick.

  Caleb tried to help Mary, but she shoved his hands away. “I’m fine.”

  “You’re not fine,” he growled, frustrated. He was trying to make up for his behavior earlier, but she was having none of it. “Let me help you down. You’re sick, and the boat is wobbly. With your limp, I’m afraid you’ll fall…”

  Mary whirled on him, eyes blazing blue fire. “Just because I have a limp doesn’t mean I’m an invalid. It doesn’t make me any less of a person than someone who’s perfect and unmarred!”

  “I didn’t mean…” His eyes widened as she came closer.

  “You are a first class idiot who needs to learn to mind his manners. Didn’t your mama teach you any? Cute you might be, but if you talk to all the girls like this, it’s a wonder you ever had a girlfriend.”

  His nostrils flared as his own irritation rose. “Look here…”

  “No, you look here,” Mary interrupted him. “Go be a douche somewhere else!” She pushed him, and Caleb felt himself falling backward and let out a string of curse words when he hit the cold lake. He spit out water when he resurfaced and watched Mary stalk over to where Mattie was stretched out on the bank. She fell down beside her while he dragged himself out of the water.

  Eli reached a hand to him and hauled him up. He grunted and stared at the girl who had, in only a few days, become both a fascination and the bane of his existence.

  “Casanova, you are not,” he said, barely suppressing a laugh.

  Caleb thought about throwing Eli in the water for that remark but decided against it. He had enough trouble dealing with a girl who ran away from him at every turn. One who ran straight to Dan, their new brother. There were going to be repercussions there. Caleb had a sinking sensation that Eli stood no chance against the bond Dan and Mattie shared. He stood watching them laugh. There was such an easy camaraderie. You could see how much they cared. The two of them were tied together so tightly nothing would break them apart, maybe not even death.

  “Think about your own problems before you give me relationship advice.” Caleb peeled off his soaking wet shirt and wrung it out. He tossed it on board and then followed Eli to where Ava was sunning herself.

  “Move over, Sissy.” Caleb grinned at Eli’s use of their nickname for her. Neither of them had used it in a while.

  “Your girlfriend is not nice.” Ava glared at where Mattie and Mary were lying.

  “She’s not normally like that,” Eli said. “She was fine before we came out of the trees, and then it was like she did a complete one-eighty. I don’t know what happened.”

  “Moody B.”

  “Ava!” Eli laughed. “You’ll like her, I promise. She’s pretty cool when she’s not snarling at you.”

  “I like Mary, though,” Ava said. “She’s really nice, and she thinks Caleb’s cute.”

  “Then why did she throw him in the lake?” Eli asked.

  “Because he probably deserved it,” Ava said with a grin.

  “I’m right here, you know,” Caleb grouched.

  “We know,” they sing-songed together.

  Caleb tuned out their good-natured ribbing and lay back on the grass to let his jeans dry out. She actually had the nerve to throw him in the water. A laugh burst out. He couldn’t help it. Mary wasn’t like any girl he’d ever met.

  “Is he okay?” Ava asked worriedly. “He’s laughing.”

  “Have you guys seen Mattie?” Dan stood in front of them, his eyes scanning the surroundings.

  “No. Did you check the boat?” Eli jumped up, his own eyes roaming.

  “First thing I did. Mary’s asleep. Mattie was too, but now she’s gone.”

  “She can’t be far,” Caleb said, sitting up himself. “She was just here.”

  “Mattie!” Eli called out, but silence was his only answer.

  Caleb saw Mary had roused. Eli’s shout would have woken the dead. She sat up and rubbed her eyes. Dan motioned her over, and she stood, walking slowly. Caleb thought maybe her limp was bothering her more than she wanted to admit. They were on the water, and it had to be bothering the stiff joints she was sure to have.

  “What’s going on?” she asked once she reached them.

  “Mattie’s MIA.” Dan sighed. “That girl is going to be the death of me yet.”

  “Can’t Eli use his Mattie GPS and find her?” Mary questioned.

  Eli let out a snarl. “No. I’ve been trying, but I’ve got nothing. It’s like she’s not here. She’s not anywhere.”

  “That can’t be at all good, if you can’t sense her,” Ava said, stating the obvious.

  Caleb closed his eyes and focused. When he opened them, he looked first at Eli. The connection between him and Mattie was there, but faint and a little broken. It went nowhere. Wherever she was, he couldn’t reach. Then he looked at Dan. His link with Mattie was bright, glowing like a sun. It led into the woods. Caleb sucked in a breath. What did this mean? The Guardian Angel bond was the strongest that could be forged, but for some reason, Dan’s was stronger.

  “Dan.” Caleb stood. “Close your eyes and think about Mattie. Just think about her and start walking.”

  Eli shot him a questioning look, but he only shook his head. Now was not the time to get into something he didn’t understand himself.

  Dan didn’t argue, he just did what Caleb asked. Within a minute he started walking the same path as the bright light connecting him to Mattie.

  “Eli, you and Ava go with him. Mary and I will check the opposite direction.”

  Caleb knew Dan would find her, but he wanted a chance to apologize to Mary without everyone around. If Eli needed him, he’d send him a text. Ava shot him a knowing look he ignored, but she ran after Dan and Eli. Mary looked none too pleased to be stuck with him.

  “Let’s go,” she muttered and started walking. “What happened? She just walked off into the woods?”

  “We’re not sure. She was asleep beside you, and then she wasn’t. None of us saw her walk away.”

  “That’s weird, even for Mattie.”

  Caleb had to agree. It was downright odd. I
t was like she disappeared into thin air. Then again, her father’s family seemed to have that same ability. It was part of why they’d never been caught by law enforcement. They seemed to simply vanish from the scene of the crime. Maybe she’d be able to shed some light on that particular ability.

  They walked in silence for a few minutes, occasionally shouting Mattie’s name, but Caleb knew they were walking in the wrong direction.

  “Let’s stop here for a few minutes,” Caleb suggested after Mary stumbled for the tenth time. “Get our bearings.”

  Mary nodded gratefully and leaned against a tree. She looked around, her expression worried. “I hope she’s all right. She always seems to get herself into some dangerous messes.”

  “Did you worry about that before inviting her to live with you?”

  Mary smiled ruefully. “She could have super-secret ninjas beating down our door every night and I wouldn’t care. Mattie is the reason I’m here, alive and well, and that is all that mattered to me. She’s my sister now.”

  “And your mom?”

  “Mom decided Mattie needed a home where she could be loved and accepted for who she is. She worries about Mattie’s penchant for trouble, and she’s had to accept a lot of strange stuff like ghost-proofing the house. My mom’s religious, but all the stuff she’s had to deal with recently…I think it’s tested the limits of her beliefs.”

  “You seem to accept it without reservations.” Caleb stared down into her earnest blue eyes and took a step closer to her.

  “I had to either accept the supernatural or accept the fact I went crazy. Out of body experiences, hearing ghosts…” She shook her head. “What would you rather believe? Ghosts are real or you’re crazy in the head?”

  Caleb laughed. She had a point. “You’re not crazy.”

  “That’s what I tell myself daily.”

  “I’m sorry, Mary.” Caleb stepped closer. “I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings earlier. I was just worried you’d get hurt.”

  “You pissed me off,” she corrected him.

  “I’m sorry for that too.” He gave her a strained smile. “I am arrogant sometimes without even realizing it. My mom says it’s my worst flaw.”

  “It is,” Mary agreed. “You shouldn’t make assumptions about things you know nothing about.”

  “What I know is you are a strong, beautiful girl who shouldn’t have had to suffer what you did. It didn’t break you, though. I can see that every time you smile. It’s full of happiness, despite what happened to you.”

  “Yes, well…” she muttered, looking down.

  He put a finger under her chin and lifted her head up so she was looking at him. “Don’t do that.”

  “What?”

  “Look away and deflect attention from yourself. I’ve seen you do it all day.”

  “I don’t like attention.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I’m not beautiful anymore,” she whispered. “I’m scarred and ugly.”

  Looking into her bruised expression, it felt like someone had punched him in the gut. Did she really think that?

  “Mary, why would you think that? I think you’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever met.”

  “You haven’t seen my scars.”

  “They’re just scars,” he said. “They don’t define you unless you let them.”

  “Easy for you to say,” she muttered.

  “Mary, when I look at you, I see the warmth of the sun. I see laughter in your eyes, joy in your smile. I see the way you give your heart to the people you love. I see gentleness in you. I see strength and passion. I can see the purity of your soul. You’re beautiful, and anyone who doesn’t see that doesn’t deserve you.”

  Her eyes widened when he stepped even closer. He leaned in, his lips brushing hers softly. She went still, and he teased her lips again, coaxing them to respond. His hand slid into her hair, tilting her head more, and he felt her give in, felt her lips slide against his. Emotions surged through him like a landslide, and for the first time in his life, he was helpless to move away from a woman.

  His phone buzzed, and he ignored it for a moment, but then he remembered Mattie and tore himself away from Mary, reaching into his pocket. She looked at him, dazed, her face flushed. He grinned at her, looking at the text on his phone. The grin wilted as he read the text. Mattie had discovered the burial site of a serial killer.

  That girl. Dan was right. She was going to be the death of them all.

  “We need to go,” he said grimly and showed Mary the text.

  Mary nodded, a blush still coloring her cheeks. “Leave it to Mattie to find something like that.”

  Caleb shook his head, grabbed her hand, and started backtracking. She could get mad at him if she wanted to, but if she fell, he was going to catch her. Thankfully, she didn’t object, and he just enjoyed the feel of her skin against his as they returned to the boat. They were in for a long day ahead. The police would have all kinds of questions.

  At least Mary wasn’t mad at him anymore. Or at least he hoped she wasn’t.

  Chapter Four

  Mary knocked on the door promptly at six. She glanced over to her house. Mattie still wasn’t home. She’d gone to visit her father today, and then she said she had to go to the DMV. That was an adventure in and of itself. No one went to the madhouse that was the Charlotte DMV office unless forced into it. Mary would rather go to a dentist than the DMV.

  Mrs. Flynn opened the door, looking harried, a sippy cup in one hand. “Oh, thank God. Noah is hungry, and I still have to get into my dress. Can you feed him, please, Mary?”

  Mary took the cup from her. “Yes. You go get dressed. Just show me the nursery.”

  The nursery was upstairs next to the master bedroom. It was decorated in soft tones of beige and tan, animal stickers on the walls. The crib and changing table were white, and a matching rocking chair sat in one corner. Noah stood in the crib, big tears falling down his baby cheeks as he cried. Mary wanted to just coo at him, he was so cute.

  “Hey there, little man,” she said as she approached him. “Do you remember me? I’m Mary.”

  His chubby little hands reached for the cup, and Mary laughed, handing it over. It went right to his mouth. It was only then that he looked up at her. Noah’s eyes were bright from crying, but they were curious too. She ruffled his hair, and he leaned into her touch. He was such a beautiful baby with that curly mop of black hair and those sky blue eyes. This kiddo was going to be a heartbreaker when he got older.

  “You and I are gonna get along just fine, little man,” she whispered and tweaked his nose. He giggled, causing her to grin. Babies always made her happy. They were so innocent and hadn’t yet learned what it was to hate or to hurt others. They were simply happy to have people love them.

  “Thank you, Mary. We’re running so late. Having a baby is taking us some time to adjust to.”

  Mary turned around to see Mr. Flynn standing in the doorway. He looked as tired as his wife. Noah must really be keeping them up.

  “No worries,” she said. “You should have called, and I would have come over earlier. I wouldn’t have minded. Noah is a sweetheart.”

  A look Mary couldn’t identify crossed his face, but she didn’t think he had the same opinion of the baby as she did. Maybe it was just the lack of sleep. Getting used to a baby could take a lot of adjustments.

  “He gets very fussy once he goes down,” Mr. Flynn warned her. “He might get up several times.”

  “Mrs. Flynn told me.” Mary glanced at Noah, who was happily sucking on his sippy cup. How could anyone not love that little face? “She also said the other sitters had some problems?”

  The shuttered look that claimed his expression spoke volumes to Mary. Something had happened, but he was hoping it wouldn’t again.

  “It was nothing, really,” he said, shrugging it off. “Noah cries a lot at night. I think they just couldn’t handle it. Spooked them a bit.”

  Spooked? How could a baby crying spook so
meone? Frustrate them, yes, but not spook them.

  “Here you are, Anthony.” Mrs. Flynn pushed her husband out of the doorway and came over to place a kiss on Noah’s head. He grinned up at her. The boy obviously already loved his new mama, and the feeling was mutual. Even tired and worn out, the woman was thankful for her child. They’d been trying for years to adopt, and Mary was so happy for her.

  “You be good for Mary,” she told Noah. “Please.”

  Mary gave her a reassuring smile. “I’m sure we’ll be fine.”

  Mrs. Flynn ushered them all out of the nursery and downstairs. “Noah goes down at around seven thirty. He should be out by eight. Our numbers are posted on the fridge, which you are welcome to dive into if you get hungry or thirsty. I stocked it with soda earlier.”

  “Thanks, Mrs. Flynn.”

  Mary walked them out and locked the door. Then she went back upstairs. She paused outside Noah’s door and listened. Nothing. Maybe she’d been wrong the other day at the park. There was no whispering going on now. She found the baby sitting in his crib, playing with a stuffed toy car.

  “Ready to go downstairs, little man?” She reached in and picked him up. Mrs. Flynn had told her mother he was just a little over two years old, but he didn’t talk a lot. The social worker said he’d been shuffled through two homes before the Flynn’s adopted him. Poor little guy. She changed him into a pair of pajamas and made sure he was dry. He had on a diaper, but wore Pull-Ups during the day. Going through so many homes had caused him to not be potty trained yet. Mrs. Flynn was working on it, though.

  “How about some SpongeBob?” she asked him as she carried him downstairs. “He’s one of my favorites.”

  The TV remote took some finding. It was wedged in one of the couch cushions, but once she found it, she settled herself and Noah down to watch SpongeBob and Patrick torment Squidward. The baby laughed and cooed at the cartoon. She knew he’d love it. Everyone loved the Sponge that was Bob.

  She pulled out her Kindle and opened her newest book, The Ghost Host by DelSheree Gladden. She’d started it last night. Having a foster sister who could see ghosts had made her buy the book, as the main character had the same gift. Maybe not the best book to be reading at the moment, considering she thought there was something spooky going on in the house, but she couldn’t resist diving back into Echo’s world.