“Even bigger. Well, I’m sorry our little town is too small—”
A scream split the air. “We’re leaving! Right now!”
A woman ran down the stairs, dragging a disheveled man behind her. “But Brandi—” he started.
“Don’t you Brandi me, Ronald.” She reached the first floor, her suitcase overflowing with clothes. Brandi laid her eyes on the owner. “You didn’t tell us the place had a spirit! There’s a horrible woman in our room. You can keep your money. We’re out of here.”
“But we came for the ghosts,” Ronald pleaded.
But it was too late; Brandi was out the door, dragging Ronald behind her.
Good work, Susan.Sometimes it paid to have ghosts for friends.
The owner raked his fingers through his hair. I hitched a shoulder. “Looks like you have a vacancy.”
He tapped his hips. “I’m sure the room is too small for you. You being from the big city and all.”
“I’m used to a studio.”
He slid his hands into his jean pockets. “It’s really frilly.” He dragged his gaze over my violet hair, taking his time until our eyes locked. “And things are very tall in it.”
Oh, he pulled the short card. I was five foot and a half inch tall. On a good day when I’d stretched, I reached five-one. He was like a giant beside me.
“I take a step stool wherever I go,” I countered. “I can reach things. Don’t worry about me.”
“It’s apparently haunted.” He wasn’t giving up. Something flared in his eyes. Amusement?
“Ghosts don’t scare me.”
He ruffled the back of his hair. “Give me an hour for housekeeping to clean it up. I’m Roan Storm.”
I ignored the introduction and turned to head out to my car.
“You have a name?”
I was so tempted to say no. Every cell in my body screamed for me to. I had the door open. I turned. “Blissful Breneaux.”
I kept walking as I spoke, thinking I’d memorized the layout of the place. I was about to stop when Roan called out, “The step!”
I tumbled down the porch, falling flat on my butt. Pain ripped up my tailbone, radiating to my jaw. I threw my hands out, trying to stop the fall, and managed to bang my head in the process.
My skull throbbed. I wasn’t seeing stars, but it was close.
Roan was beside me in half a second. “Here, let me help you.”
I pushed him away. “I’m fine.”
I didn’t need help, darn it. Especially not from some hot guy thinking he was a knight in shining armor. I wasn’t a damsel in distress. I wasn’t even in distress, for goodness’ sake.
The kind look in his eyes made my heart do something weird. I think it lurched. Stupid heart.
His hands were wrapping around my shoulders. “You hit your head.”
Would he stop trying to help me? It made it hard to avoid him.
I turned to the side. “I said I’m fine. I promise. I’m good. I’m great. I just need to get up.”
Roan hoisted me to my feet like I was a sheet of paper. He was ginormous, after all. “Let’s get some ice on that head.”
