Inside, his heart turned into a hammer, beating against his ribs. When last, if ever, had he felt this combination of fear and frustration?
“I could reach for you right now, kiss you, and within a few seconds you’d be kissing me back. Within five, I guarantee you’d forget him.” It wasn’t a brag, he knew exactly how it would go. They werethatcombustible.
She nodded. “You could do that,” she said. “But you won’t.”
He raked both hands through his hair. “Why not?” he demanded.
Her eyes drilled into his, pinning his feet to the floor. “Because you know that’s not best for me right now, Dane. And I believe, Ihaveto believe that you aren’t going to do anything that’s not good for me.”
Her words deflated his anger, and his frustration fluttered away. She was right, he wouldn’t take her in his arms. Because she didn’t need his attraction. She needed space and understanding. His ego didn’t matter, but her feeling emotionally safe with him did.
Shit. Fuck. Damn.
“I have just one more thing to say…”
He waited until she looked up at him, all big eyes and exhaustion before he continued.
“If his returning, him asking you to try again is such good news, then why did you throw yourself around the studio, dancing like you had demons fighting for your soul?”
Her eyes widened when his words landed and detonated. Having made his point, and because there was nothing more he could say or add, he gestured to Luna’s front door. “Go inside, Wren. Try to sleep.” He hauled in a deep breath and tried, but failed, to smile. “If you come to any conclusions, let me know.”
Wren nodded, tucked her hair behind her ears, and slowly turned, her feet dragging as she walked up to Luna’s deep-purple front door. Then she opened it and slipped inside, as quiet as the spirits she didn’t believe in.
* * *
And across the road, the trio of ghosts—Silas, Lila, and Ruby—watched, their mouths open and eyes wide.
The evening had taken a turn that none of them had expected.
ChapterEleven
Aweek later, the ghosts—excluding Naomi, who told them that she refused to watch horror movies in life, and definitely wouldn’t watch them in death—decided to attend the Float and Fright Movie Night.
Thus far, Silas found himself decidedly unimpressed.
“I don’t care for this,” he stated, trying and failing to clutch the handles of his inflatable pool ring. He didn’t like being on the lake in the dark. “I can’t swim.”
Lila, lounging in hers, rolled her eyes skyward and stretched out a leg to admire it—silk stockings and, as they’d been told, her best pair. “Stop fussing, it’s not like you are going to die.”
Ruby, sitting cross-legged in a chair-shaped float, looked at him. “I heard that you got into trouble for pushing Wren’s ex the other night, Captain.”
Silas sighed. Yes, he’d been pulled into a meeting with the Bureau of Post-Mortal Conduct, where he’d been informed that his behavior was a disappointment. He’d acted contrite, but truthfully, he wasn’t sorry. His actions had created the necessary chasm between the doctor and the dancer. However, and unfortunately, Dr. Trafford was no nearer to returning to work than he’d been before.
Lila trailed her hand through the water. Or tried to. “Has she made up her mind which man she will choose?” she asked.
Ruby’s eyes glowed, the way a woman’s eyes always did when they had gossip to share. “I happened”—Silas snorted at the lie, she’d been eavesdropping—“to hear Wren talking to Poppy on the phone. Poppy told her that she didn’t have to make a choice. Not yet anyway.”
“I don’t understand,” Lila said, confused. He was relieved she inquired, for he had not the faintest understanding himself.
“Poppy told Wren that Alex could wait for her answer, that she didn’t need to give him one now. That she could take her time to make up her mind. And that she could carry on seeing Dane as well.”
“Wouldn’t she then be stepping out with two men?” Lila demanded. Silas didn’t know why she sounded shocked; from what he’d heard from Cedric, the spectral historian, Lila had kept quite a few gentlemen dancing to her tune. Concurrently.
“Apparently she’s allowed to explore her options,” Ruby said airily. “This must’ve resonated with Wren, because, after dance practice yesterday, she asked Dane whether he’d like to watch this movie with her tonight.”
“Youhavebeen busy,” Lila said, approvingly. She clapped her hands in appreciation. “Excellent work, Ruby!”
“But she cannot be courted by two men at the same time!” The Reverend spluttered. “Surely she must concentrate her energy on one man at a time.”
