“We grew up together,” Sam said with a nod. “It’s nice to see you, Ellie.”
Eleonore rose from her seat. “You too, Sam. You’re looking well.” She gave a polite smile, and I had the feeling these two had some sort of deeper history, but who was I to pry. “If you and Grace need anything while you’re here, don’t hesitate to ask. I’m in Grace’s debt. She helped me out of a jam.”
“So I hear.” Sam raised a brow as he looked at Grace. “I heard there was an issue with the fire detectors.”
“Not an issue. I was banishing a ghost from her room,” Grace said when standing.
“A ghost? Really?”
“I know what I saw, Sam,” Eleonore exclaimed. “It was a ghost; Grace was a dear and sent it packing.”
“She’s right.” Grace smiled and glanced at Eleonore. “It was a pleasure meeting you. I’m in town for the rest of the week for a wedding. Let me know if he comes around again. Only this time, we’ll disable the fire alarms first.”
“Yes. Next time, we should do that first.”
“Let’s hope there isn’t a next time.” Grace clasped her hands together. She really did hope that there wouldn’t be, but even she knew how pesky spirits could be.
Chapter Eight
“I hopeyou don’t mind about the whole ghost debacle,” Grace said while running a brush through her hair as she stared in the mirror above the dresser.
“Did anyone else know it was you?” He should have said something to ease her concerns. He knew what she was and what she did, but announcing it to everyone at the hotel hadn’t been his plan. She was beautiful and stunning. He’d planned on questions about them as a couple, just not for her to give a performance of her career choice.
She laid the brush on the dresser and turned to look at him. The smile she’d worn since he returned had slipped. The shine in her eyes dimmed. “Would it bother you if they had?”
“No,” he said and shook his head. He was being ridiculous. He knew it, and so did she. He’d brought her here, knowing full well, the possible ramifications.
“No,” he repeated with more conviction. “It’s what you do.”
“It’s a part of me, Sam. If that’s a problem…”
“It’s not.” He closed the distance between them and cupped her cheek. His gaze softened, caressing her face before he let it travel down to her plump lips. The need to kiss her was overwhelming and yet, instead, he met her gaze again, wanting her to not only see and hear the sincerity in his words, but to know that he meant them.
“I know you’re a medium. That wasn’t what I meant when I said it’s what you do. I meant that you help people.That’swhat you do. Just like you being here with me. That’s who you are, and that’s what I like about you.”
“Good.” She smiled brightly. “Because I like you too, but I won’t change. This is me, for better or worse. I’ll always be the oddball in the room, dealing with spirits and pissing off someone’s ex.”
“I wouldn’t change a thing.” He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers in a soft kiss, ruining the lip gloss she’d recently swiped on her lips. The floral scent of her shampoo teased his nose. Her beauty wasunmatched, and her lip gloss tasted of his favorite fruit, delicate strawberries picked in the afternoon sun. It was true. He wouldn’t change a thing about her. The grumble in her stomach was the only thing that had him breaking the kiss. The reminder that she needed substance, they both did if they were going to get through the rest of the week.
“You didn’t tell me where we’re going. Do I look okay?” She turned and fixed her lipstick in the mirror. Her jeans cupped her in all the right places. Her top was flirty and very Grace-like. She was the epitome of the girl next door, if the girl next door was sassy and delectable.
“You look perfect. Let’s get you fed,” he said leading her to the door with his hand on the small of her back.
The small restaurantwasn’t what Grace expected. It was quaint and full of life. Bull horns hung from the wall along with autographed pictures of old western movie stars. A jukebox was in the corner; the music was soft and light. There was nothing five stars about the place, and yet, the ambiance made her feel welcome. Their table was near the windows, giving her the perfect view of downtown. Couples strolled by walking hand in hand. A familywith kids, skipping and playing in front of them, walked by as they window shopped. The cars on the street were mainly dusty pickup trucks, and most of the men wore cowboy hats with tans that her sisters would pay big money to achieve. Everything about this place was real.
“This makes sense,” she said glancing down at her open menu.
“What does?”
“You, here, your job. You want everyone to have what these people have. I can relate, and I admire that.”
Sam glanced around, as if he were trying to see the magic that Grace could feel. But it wasn’t something you could see, it was a feeling that was as unique as Sam.
“I’ve missed the place, not all the people in it, but the town. It has a certain charm.”
“We should visit again; you know, when you aren’t marrying your brother off to that tramp.”
Sam smiled. This was the first time she’d seen him relax since they had landed. “We should.”
