Ghostly Wedding (A Harper Harlow Mystery Book 17) Read online

  HARPER ORDERED CHINESE TO BE DELIVERED and she was just taking it out of the box when Jared walked through the front door. One look at him told her all she needed to know. He was as wiped as her, and she didn’t like seeing him so rundown.

  “Long day?”

  Jared managed a smile when he saw her. “A little bit. It’s okay, though.” He moved directly toward her and pulled her in for a hug. “Believe it or not, things just got infinitely better.”

  “I believe it.” She returned his embrace. “It’s the same way for me.”

  “Aw, so sweet.” He gave her a kiss. “Have you noticed we’re getting sort of sappy in our old age?”

  “I think the imminent wedding might have something to do with it.”

  “No way. I’m going to be sappy forever.”

  “I can probably live with that.”

  After another brief hug, Jared started picking through the box of food. “There’s enough here to feed an army,” he noted. “How hungry are you?”

  “I got enough to get us through until the wedding. We have two more nights ... and technically only one of those will be spent together. I’m over at the other house at eight o’clock tomorrow, but we can still have dinner together.”

  He stilled, confused. “I ... don’t remember agreeing to that.”

  She laughed at his response. “It was Zander’s idea,” she reminded him. “You’re not supposed to see me before the wedding.”

  “I guess I vaguely remember that,” he hedged. “I thought we agreed that rule was old and antiquated and we were going to break from tradition.”

  “You said that, and when you brought it up to Zander, he started making donkey noises until you agreed to his terms.”

  “Ugh.” Jared definitely remembered the donkey noises. “Why is your best friend such a pain?”

  “I think he likes it.”

  “And I think I want to smack the crap out of him some days.”

  “That’s how brothers feel about each other,” she agreed.

  He went ramrod straight. “Wait ... is he my brother in this scenario?”

  “He is.”

  “Well, how did that happen?”

  His reaction was so amusing to Harper she let loose an explosive laugh and threw her arms around his neck. “You have no idea how much I love you.”

  Because the words were like a missile to the heart, Jared could do nothing but sigh and hold her tight. “At least I know you’ll only be across the road.”

  “Yes, we’re doing a full evening of glow masks, pore strips, and deep conditioners.”

  “That sounds ... kind of fun for you guys.”

  “Shawn will be over here with you,” Harper reminded him. “Zander was afraid he would ruin our bonding ritual so he banished him for the evening.”

  “I remember. Ours will be the quiet house tomorrow night. At least I have that to look forward to.”

  “I’m actually excited to spend one last night in the old house with Zander. It’s sort of like saying goodbye to childhood.”

  The sentiment might’ve been corny but he appreciated it. “Speaking of childhood, I met Stan Crowder today.”

  “Really?” Harper’s curiosity was officially piqued. “How did that happen?”

  Jared ran her through the rest of his afternoon. When he got to the part about Stan, he found she looked amused more than anything else. “Do you want to tell me about your other boyfriend?” he queried. “I had no idea you ran with that sort of crowd.”

  “Stan is a bad guy in name only,” Harper insisted. “He has a good heart. He’s just a little lazy and likes to embrace a bad boy persona. He’s pretty decent.”

  “Mel said exactly the same thing. I’m still a little weirded out that everybody seems to know there’s a chop shop operating in the middle of a residential area in Whisper Cove.”

  “Most people choose to ignore it because Stan is such an amiable guy.”

  “I guess.”

  “He’s harmless,” Harper said. “Don’t give him grief. He saved me when I was a kid.”

  “So I heard. That’s the only reason I’m giving him a pass.”

  “Thank you.” She pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth. “Do you want to hear about my day?”

  “Always.”

  Harper told him about the files, paying special attention to the drop-in from the blonde with the new baby at the hospital. “It could be nothing,” she said as she was finishing up.

  “It could be something, though,” Jared mused. “Did you call Sal?”

  “I did. He said he chased that avenue as far as he could and then had to let it go because there was nowhere to look. There were no cameras in the parking lot. He said he was always on the fence over it being the woman they were looking for or a new mother panicking for no reason.”

  “He’s got a point.” Jared dug into the egg rolls and started divvying them up. “Which way are you leaning?”

  “Honestly? I’m paralyzed I’m going to lean in the wrong direction and overlook something. I don’t want to give too much focus to any one thing. I also don’t want to overlook something else.”

  “Tomorrow is the last day,” he reminded her. “If you don’t find your answers, you’re going to have to wait until after the wedding.”

  “I’m fine with that.”

  His eyes rolled skyward. “Please. The fact that you can say that with a straight face is impressive. I know better, though. You’re going to chase this one until the last second. Don’t bother denying it.”

  “I won’t deny it if you won’t deny it. I know just as well as you do that you don’t want to leave on our honeymoon with this hanging over your head.”

  “In an ideal world, we would put this one to bed tomorrow,” Jared agreed. “We don’t live in an ideal world, though. This is something that’s likely going to be waiting for us when we get back. I can live with that because the most important thing to me is marrying you. I want to make sure you can live with it, too.”

  “I can live with it.” Harper’s gaze was steady. “You’re the thing I want most in this world. I didn’t even realize I needed you, let alone wanted you, until I was already in love with you. I can’t live my life without you.

  “And, before you say something annoying about me not needing anybody, we both know that’s not true,” she continued. “I like to think of myself as a strong woman. I’m self-sufficient. I’m a survivor. My life is better with you, though.”

  “Does that mean you love me more than Zander?”

  She extended a warning finger. “You do not want to go there. I will never answer that question because Zander will haunt me to my dying day if I do.”

  Jared snagged her finger and gave it a squeeze, grinning. “That means you do love me more.”

  Harper’s eyes were clear when they latched with his. “I love you more than anything. That doesn’t mean I can live without Zander.”

  “I know. I won’t ever want you to live without Zander. He’s a part of you.”

  “You are, too.”

  “We’re a part of each other, and that’s something that’s never going to change. As for Zander ... I love him, too.” Jared thought the words would be hard to express, but he was wrong. “You were right earlier when you said he was like a brother to me. He is, which is probably why I find him so annoying.

  “Not only do I accept that he’s always going to be part of our lives, I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he continued. “He makes you happy. Sure, he’s a pain in the butt, but when you’re sad he knows exactly how to make you feel better.

  “He’s loyal ... and annoying ... and part of you. That means I’m going to love him forever, too.”

  Tears sprang to Harper’s eyes and she made a choking sound.

  “Oh, don’t do that.” Jared looked pained. “I can’t stand it when you cry. It drives me insane.”

  “They’re happy tears.”

  “I still don’t like it.” He handed her another egg roll. �
�Let’s save the tears for the wedding, huh? We have one more day to figure things out. I’m thinking we should make a competition out of it.”

  “You want to make a competition out of solving a murder?”

  “I want to put this behind us. I think the best way to do that is to make a competition out of it.”

  Harper found the notion ludicrous, and yet she was intrigued. “What did you have in mind?”

  “If someone solves it tomorrow, he or she gets to decide on dinner the first night of our honeymoon.”

  “That’s not much of a prize.”

  “And loser has to serve the winner dinner in bed wearing nothing but a frilly apron.”

  Harper’s eyes lit with joy. “You’re going to wear a frilly apron?”

  “No, you are.”

  “I’m not going to lose.”

  “Well, I’m not going to lose.”

  Harper extended her hand for a shake. “So, it’s on.”

  He laughed when he grabbed her hand and drew her close. “The big kids seal it with a kiss.”

  “I think I can be persuaded to play that game, too.”

  “Which is only one of the myriad of reasons I love you.”

  13

  Thirteen

  Since it was their last night together until the wedding, Harper and Jared played until well after their normal bedtime. When they finally allowed sleep to claim them, they were wrapped around one another in bliss.

  Then, for Harper at least, the dreams came.

  “Where have you been?” Peter’s face was lit with fury when he stomped toward Harper.

  For her part, the intrepid ghost hunter had barely managed to acknowledge her surroundings — a hazy dreamscape — before he was in her face. “Slow your roll,” Harper chided, holding up her hand as she glanced around. The settings were the same as the previous dream and she could see Montgomery Manor in the background. Why did he keep bringing her here? She didn’t get it.

  “You slow your roll,” he snapped. “I’ve been trying to talk to you for months.”

  Harper kept her face placid even though annoyance was bubbling up. “You haven’t even been dead for a full seventy-two hours. It’s hardly been months.”

  Peter was overcome with confusion. “What? No. That’s not right. It’s been months.”

  “No.” Harper shook her head. “I’m sorry. Maybe it feels that way to you because you’re still trying to get a handle on your new reality. Where are you spending your days, by the way? If I could find you when it’s light out, that would be great.”

  “I’m where I always am.”

  It wasn’t really an answer. Of course, for Peter, it might be the best he could do, Harper realized. She decided to take control of the conversation. “I visited Lila today. Lila Montgomery. She lives at Montgomery Manor.”

  “I know who she is,” Peter snapped. “Does she know? Did you tell her?”

  “Did I tell her what?”

  “About what happened.”

  “I don’t know what happened. I need you to tell me so I can help you.”

  “If you don’t know what happened, what are you doing here? You can’t help me if you don’t know.”

  “That’s why I want you to tell me.”

  “No!” Peter’s eyes filled with fire. “I don’t know you. I can’t trust you. I ... this is too important.”

  The hair on the back of Harper’s neck stood on end. He seemed to be determined to hold his secret close, and yet he wanted Lila to be aware of something. He would only be so fervent if it was important, Harper figured. She couldn’t let this opportunity slide. She might not get another chance to dig. So, taking a deep breath, she forced a smile she didn’t really feel.

  “Okay, let’s start from the beginning,” she prodded. “Is this about Penny?”

  Peter turned his back to her and focused on the house. “I didn’t know, not until ... right before.”

  “You didn’t know what?”

  “If I’d known, things would’ve been so much different.”

  “I don’t understand what you’re saying,” Harper insisted. “Just ... tell me from the beginning.”

  “No.” Peter increased the distance between the two of them. “You have to get Lila to understand. You have to make her realize ... I didn’t know.”

  Harper wasn’t ready to slip away. “I can’t do as you ask if you don’t tell me. Is it about the baby? Is it about Penny? Just ... tell me.”

  Fear — true fear — took over Peter’s features. “Get to Lila. She’ll do the right thing. I know she will.”

  With those words, Peter disappeared into the ether and Harper was left to ponder her options. She had one day to bring everything together. She was determined to do it ... although she had no idea how.

  JARED’S EYES WERE ALREADY OPEN AND on her when Harper woke the next morning. They were wrapped so tightly around one another that Harper couldn’t tell where she ended and he began.

  “Hey.”

  “Hey.” He swooped in and kissed her before she could utter another word, the exchange soft and sweet. “How did you sleep?”

  That was the question, Harper mused. “I slept okay.”

  He narrowed his eyes. “You didn’t stir at all.”

  “Were you up watching me all night?”

  “No, but I would’ve felt it. You were off in dreamland.” Something occurred to him. “Wait, did you run into our victim again?”

  Harper nodded. “It was in the same field, Montgomery Manor in the distance. He told me I had to tell Lila what was going on, but when I asked him what that was, he refused to answer and turned belligerent.”

  “I know you’ve answered this before but ... couldn’t it be a dream?”

  “I would say last night’s interaction was more likely to be a dream than the first night. I don’t know, though. It’s ... weird.”

  “I’ll say it’s weird. A ghost is yelling at you to do something you can’t possibly do.”

  “He seems frustrated.”

  “So do you.”

  “And you think that my frustration could be bubbling over to him in the dream. I’ve got it.”

  Jared easily read the annoyance on her features. “Harper, I’m not saying what you’re dreaming isn’t real. I just don’t want you making yourself sick over something you might not be able to solve in the next twenty-four hours.”

  “I’m not going to make myself sick.” Harper was certain about that. “I’m not going to give up either. I have today. If I can’t solve it, then I have a wedding tomorrow and the mystery will be waiting when I get back.”

  They both knew it wasn’t that simple, but Jared opted not to push her. “This is our last morning waking up together,” he noted, snuggling closer.

  “Ever?” Harper made a hilarious face. “Nobody told me that’s how marriage worked. I think we should reconsider.”

  “Never.” He kissed her neck and happily rubbed his morning stubble against her cheek.

  “It’s just one morning apart,” Harper said as she rubbed her hands over his bare back. His skin was warm, as was his breath against her neck. Mornings were her favorite part of the day, especially when they started like this. “It might be kind of fun, the anticipation of seeing each other again.”

  He pulled back far enough to pin her with a serious look. “Um, we’re having dinner together tonight before separating. I can’t be away from you for too long. I’ll fall apart.”

  “So cute.” Harper tapped his chin and went in for a kiss, relishing the way they fit together. “It’s kind of weird to think about.” Her tone was soft. “In twenty-four hours, you’ll be waking up in this bed alone and I’ll be waking up with Zander.”

  “In the same bed?”

  She shrugged. “Probably. He’ll want to stay close.”

  “And what will you want?”

  “I’ll want him close. It’s kind of a passing of the torch, right?”

  “I guess. Most men wouldn’t be secure enough to
allow their fiancée to share a bed with another man the night before a wedding.”

  Harper cocked a challenging eyebrow. “Allow?”

  “You know what I mean.”

  “I guess it’s good that you’re completely secure, right?”

  “Definitely.” He stroked a hand down her hair, the need to touch her overwhelming. “At one o’clock tomorrow, we’ll be on the beach in front of Jason’s restaurant. I can’t believe we’re finally here.”

  “Did you think we wouldn’t make it?”

  He hesitated a moment too long and Harper’s frown was pronounced.

  “You did think we wouldn’t make it,” she said. “Wow.”

  “No, I didn’t think that,” he countered quickly. “Don’t get any weird ideas in your head. It’s just ... you find a bit of trouble here and there. I was afraid — more than once — that someone would take you from me and ruin our happily ever after.”

  “That’s not going to happen.” Harper was matter-of-fact. “There’s nothing that will stop me from growing old with you.”

  The naked emotion in her eyes warmed him. “You’re still going to be vigilant, right? You’re not going to run off half-cocked and reckless or anything, are you?”

  “Would I do that?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, it’s not going to happen,” Harper promised. “I’m going to try to track down the nurse from Sal’s files today and that will likely be it. If we can’t find a direction to look, then my focus will be on our future. Penny has waited this long. She can hold on another few weeks.”

  “She can,” Jared agreed. “No matter what, we’ll figure it out. I just don’t know that we’ve got time.”

  “We’ve got all the time in the world. It’s okay for our wedding to take precedence.”

  “Yeah.” He inhaled deeply. “Is it wrong that I don’t want to get out of this bed? Right now, right here, I’ve never been happier.”

  “Oh, yeah? Just wait until our wedding night. I’m betting I can do better.”

  Jared grinned. “Now that’s something to look forward to, even if I have to be separated from you tonight. I’m not looking forward to that, although Shawn is pretty easygoing. I think we should have a relaxing night.”