Susan finished her sandwich and tossed the wrapper in the trash. “I’ll give Erik a break so you two can talk.”
She went up front, and Erik came to the break room. George wound around his legs, then went to sit under the table by Ben’s feet.
“Everything okay at the office?” Erik grabbed his lunch from the fridge.
“Pretty quiet,” Ben replied. “Getting ready for the festival. Bookings are solid through the holidays, so anything we pick up from the fair will fill in around the edges.”
Erik swallowed a bite of sandwich and washed it down with some water. “Several of the people who stopped in today recognized George from the tarot shop and came in to say how glad they were that he’s found a new home with us.”
“Our dog is famous,” Ben joked. “Maybe he should have an Instagram page.”
Erik shrugged. “That’s probably not a bad idea. As far as we know, George doesn’t come with mobsters on his tail.” Erik’sTreasure Trailpodcast talked about antiques and the store, buthe avoided posting photos of himself or Ben online for safety’s sake.
“Let’s hope not. Bratva and the Jersey Mob are enough,” Ben replied with a shiver. He sincerely hoped that both groups would steer clear for the foreseeable future.
“He definitely senses spirits and energy,” Erik said.
“That’s what Susan said. Just more confirmation that he’s the right dog for us,” Ben replied, reaching down to scratch George behind the ears.
“It’ll be interesting going for walks, given how many haunted places there are in Cape May,” Erik added.
“Surely Mrs. Thomas walked him around the neighborhoods,” Ben said. “It’s not like he’s new in town. Maybe he and the ghosts have an arrangement.”
“I’m looking forward to taking him with us to the festival,” Erik added in between bites of his sandwich. “He’s good enough on a leash and around people that I think he’ll be fine. And if the crowds bother him, we’ll just come home early.”
“Works for me.”
That evening, Ben and Erik took George for a walk on the beach. Despite the cooler temperatures, a lot of people were out, and it seemed like they all noticed George and waved or came over to greet them. George happily accepted the petting and compliments as his due.
“Let’s see what he makes of Jon and Monty,” Ben said as they approached the lighthouse.
George stopped right before they reached the lighthouse door and froze in place. Ben felt a dip in the temperature and saw Jon talking to George.
The door opened, and Monty stepped out. “I see Jon already found the dog,” he said with a laugh. He joined them and fussed over George, who didn’t seem to mind whether his admirers were dead or alive.
“He belonged to the tarot lady on the boardwalk before she passed,” Ben told Monty. “I think he’s going to fit in just fine.”
“Seems like it,” Monty said. “You wouldn’t believe how many stray ghost animals Jon brings home. I’m not allowed to have a pet because the lighthouse is a historic building, but Jon’s found a way around the rule.”
“Are you ready for the autumn festival?” Erik asked.
“Oh yeah,” Monty replied. “Not my first rodeo, although they change the event every year. I’ve got a couple of extra docents to help with tours, new brochures, and some key chains and snow globes for sale at the ticket counter. It’s always fun teaching people about Cape May history. And Jon helped me pick movies for the classic film festival.”
“Are you doing the ghost stories again?” Ben asked.
Monty grinned. “Sure am. We can’t have a real bonfire on the beach for safety reasons, but I bought a very nice fake set of glowing logs, and I’ll put them in a stone ring and have seats around it. Then I’ll hold the story hour each evening. Jon’s got a long memory, and he loves sharing with me. Ghost stories with a real ghost!”
“I’m looking forward to seeing how all the pieces come together for the events,” Erik said. “Everyone’s worked hard to make the festival a success.”
Monty nodded toward where George sat, wagging and inclining his head to be petted by his new invisible friend. “I think George and Jon have hit it off. Stop by anytime!”
When they got home, Erik ordered a pizza. Ben picked a movie on streaming, and after dinner, they settled on the couch with George sprawled between them.
“I didn’t realize how much we were missing a dog until we got one.” Erik ruffled George’s ears.
“Just thinking the same thing,” Ben replied. “And with Mrs. Thomas’s blessing, it really is a match made in heaven.”
“The rain stopped, and the mobsters got caught, just in time,” Ben said as he and Erik strolled through the Awesome Autumn Festival. George trotted alongside, well-behaved on leash despite all the people, unfamiliar noises, and tempting smells.
