“And I do know my way around a spreadsheet,” Ethan added. “If there was any need for assistance with the business side of things, then I’m sure my skillset would be up to the challenge.”
“You’d help me out with all of that?” Chloe asked, feeling overwhelmed. She knew that the business side of things was essential, and shecoulddo it, but really, she just wanted to dedicate as much of her energy as possible to the veterinary care side of things.
Ethan looked surprised. “Of course I would. I’d do anything to help you.”
Chloe let out a deep sigh, tension draining out of her body. To have Ethan working with her – and helping her with the worst parts of the job – well, it was like a dream come true.
“As long as we make sure we’re not getting in each other’s hair,” she said. “I would hate for us to step on each other’s toes, or get sick of each other.”
Even as she said it, though, she knew it wouldn’t happen. She could spend every second of the rest of her life in Ethan’s company, and it still wouldn’t be enough.
Ethan nodded, his expression serious. “We’ll make sure we have procedures in place so that we each know exactly what our roles and duties are. And it’s not like this has to be permanent – if we find it’s not working out, then we can always call Keisha and get her to find someone else.”
Chloe wanted to protest, but she knew he was right. Ethan’s practicality was one of the things she loved most about him. If the set-up didn’t work out, then she trusted him to be honest about it and help her fix it before it got out of hand.
“Okay,” she said, nodding, feeling her excitement simmering in her stomach. Before she could think about it for a moment longer, she hitSendon the text – no, it didn’t exactly sound like her, but Keisha would probably be too relieved at not having to work as her receptionist that she wouldn’t give it a second thought.
“Done,” Chloe said, and she was smiling so big that her face was starting to hurt. She was opening her own clinic in a beautiful mountain town, she’d found the love of her life,andhe was going to help run her clinic!
I can’t believe everything is working out so well…
“All’s well that ends well,” she said – before suddenly it hit her like a gut punch.
“Oh my God,” she exclaimed. “I can’t believe I forgot – Curtis! What’s happened with him?”
“It’s okay,” Ethan reassured her. “He’s been enjoying the time with Eula and Janie.”
“Oh. That’s nice,” Chloe said – before another thought suddenly occurred, and fear jolted through her.
Why hasn’t Curtis returned to his… his own realm yet?
“Where’s the locket?” she asked worriedly. “We didn’t lose it at the bottom of the gorge again, right?”
“Don’t worry, it made it out safe and sound,” Ethan said. “It was still in your jeans pocket, and now it’s on the bedside table. Hang on.”
He jumped up and went to the bedroom, appearing moments later with the locket on its long silvery chain.
Chloe reached out for it, feeling its weight. It really was lovely.
“You didn’t give it back to him yet?” she asked, as she turned it over in her palm.
Ethan shook his head. “No. We talked about it, but since we weren’t sure of the nature of Janie’s wish, we thought we’d keep the locket away from him – and from Eula – until he’d had the chance to thank you personally. Curtis insisted on it.”
Chloe felt genuinely touched. “That’s so sweet of him.”
I never imagined I’d make friends with a ghost…
“It’s such a shame we couldn’t get it open,” she mused, before brightening. “Maybe I have something here we could use to open it up?”
She hopped up and dug around in the cutlery drawer for a minute, before locating a knife with a thin blade.
Returning to the table, she slid the tip of the blade ever so carefully along the seam of the locket, wiggling it gently back and forth, slowly removing the grime of decades. As she worked, Ethan watched intently.
After a couple of minutes, she pulled gently at the two halves of the locket once more, holding her breath as she attempted to pry them apart.
And then…
The locket opened slowly, protesting all the way.
