Ghostly Distress (A Harper Harlow Mystery Book 9) Read online

  “Well, at least I know where I land in the pecking order,” Shawn Donovan deadpanned as he appeared in the open doorway. Unlike his boyfriend, Shawn’s hair was a mess and he wore simple jogging pants and a T-shirt to sleep in rather than Zander’s fussy monogrammed offerings. “I always knew I ranked behind Harper, but it’s good I’ve finally heard it with my own ears.”

  Zander balked. “Oh, that’s not true. You know I love you. It’s just … it’s Sunday. Harper and I are supposed to spend Sundays together.”

  “You’ve spent the past two weeks together,” Jared barked, refusing to release Harper from his grip even as she squirmed to prop herself in an effort to meet Zander’s accusatory gaze. “We’ve barely seen each other during that time.”

  “And whose fault is that?”

  Jared was incensed. “Yours! You guys give ghost tours constantly and because of your increased schedule I never get to see my girlfriend.”

  “Yes, well, I think that’s a lesson in karma for you.” Zander studied his fingernail beds for a moment and then gave the covers another vicious yank with his other hand. “Let me in!”

  Shawn widened his eyes to comical proportions at Zander’s reaction. He was used to his boyfriend’s dramatic ways but occasionally there were times when Zander could still surprise him. “Stop yelling at them,” Shawn instructed, his voice calm and even. “They clearly don’t want you in here this morning. Stop bugging them.”

  “You stop bugging me,” Zander fired back. “This is my ritual with Harper. We’ve always done this. I don’t want it to stop even though Jared is stealing her from me.”

  “Ugh. Here we go.” Jared slapped his hand to his forehead. “I just can’t deal with the drama this morning. Do you have any idea how tired I am? This is my only day off this week. We had a murder last night and the only reason I still have today off is because the medical examiner’s office is behind and we can’t do anything until we have a time of death to work with. So just … shut up.”

  “Shut up?” Zander’s eyebrows practically jumped off his forehead. “Shut up? Did you just tell me to shut up?” He turned to Shawn for confirmation. “Did he just tell me to shut up?”

  “I think that was the general gist,” Shawn replied dryly, reaching over and lifting Harper’s discarded camisole top from the nearby lamp. Realization dawned on his face and he had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. “I think, just this once, you should probably leave them to their Sunday morning routine and come with me to the kitchen.”

  “What?” Zander was furious. “This is my time!”

  Shawn held up the camisole. “I think they had their own brand of special time last night and that’s why they don’t want you under the covers with them.”

  Zander snatched the camisole and stared at it for a long beat. “Oh. Is that it?”

  Harper pressed her lips together and nodded. “I’m sorry. We’ll make up for it next weekend, though. I promise.”

  “I don’t care if you’re naked.” Zander turned pragmatic. “I don’t even like your parts so it’s not a big deal.”

  “I think it’s a big deal today,” Harper said, making a face when Jared clutched her tighter. “We’ll make up for it next weekend. I swear it. I’ll even kick Jared out of bed so it’s just you and me.”

  “Ugh.” Jared buried his face in Harper’s hair.

  Zander brightened considerably. “Fine. I want brunch, though, too.”

  Harper nodded without hesitation. “I’m looking forward to it.”

  Zander turned to stomp out of the room, every intention of slamming the bedroom door shut for good measure written across his face, but Jared stopped him when he reached out and grabbed the catalog before Zander could breeze by.

  “We’ll take this. Thanks.” Jared’s smile was so smarmy it set Zander’s teeth on edge. “We planned to go furniture shopping this afternoon anyway. This is a great way to start.”

  Zander was horrified. “You can’t go furniture shopping without me!”

  “Oh, it’s going to happen.” Jared turned smug as he flipped over the catalog and studied the cover. “Reclaimed wood. Nice. I’m going to love checking out this place.”

  Zander turned to Shawn, helplessness lighting his handsome features. “This is pure torture.”

  Shawn sympathetically patted his arm. “You’re okay. We’ll spend the day together and you’ll be fine.”

  “I don’t think I’ll ever be fine again.” Zander was morose as Shawn tugged him through the door. “I might need a pedicure to perk me up.”

  Shawn smiled. “I think that sounds like a fabulous idea.”

  TWO HOURS LATER, Jared and Harper were showered, dressed, and fed. They were also at the Restoration Hardware furniture store and having a grand time looking at all the shopping options.

  “This is nice.” Jared bounced up and down on a reclaimed wood bed and admired the rustic look of the furniture. “I know I should hate this stuff on principle because Zander picked it out, but I like wood like this. It’s attractive and homey. I think we should definitely consider it for our new place.”

  Harper smiled as she studied the price tag on the furniture. “It’s kind of expensive.”

  Jared turned serious as he shifted his eyes to her. “Don’t worry about that. I’ve got some money put away and you’re going to have some money when Shawn pays you for your half of the current house.”

  “I know but … I want to give you all that money for the new house,” Harper reminded him. “We’re sharing expenses so that means I have to pay for half.”

  Jared studied her for a long beat. “Well, not necessarily.” He licked his lips, uncertain how to proceed. This was a sticky area he hadn’t considered when he suggested moving in together. “I technically paid the down payment on the house and we already closed on it. Your name is on everything so … it’s fine.”

  “You paid the down payment with the agreement that I would give you money once Shawn bought me out of my half of the house I share with Zander,” Harper clarified. “I’m going to give you that money as soon as I get it.”

  “Or you could spend it on furniture.” Jared petted the bed and offered a charming grin. “I’m a big fan of reclaimed wood, in case you haven’t noticed. I love this store and I’m thinking we need this bed.”

  Harper was less convinced. “Maybe we should save our money for a year and then buy furniture once we’re on firmer financial ground. I’m sure we can muddle through with what we have until then. We don’t necessarily need a bed because I already have one.”

  “Yes, and as much as I love particle board furniture, I thought we would go nuts and buy something nicer,” Jared pressed. “What’s really going on here?” He sensed trouble. “Are you changing your mind about us moving in together?”

  The question caught Harper off guard. “Of course not!” She didn’t mean to screech, but she couldn’t stop herself. “This is what I want more than anything. You should know that. The thing is, I want to do this the right way. I mean … you shouldn’t pay for the house and then put my name on it as if I somehow paid as much as you. That doesn’t seem fair.”

  Jared narrowed his eyes, confused. “I really don’t want this to turn into a thing so I need you to tell me what’s going through that head of yours. You’re starting to worry me.”

  Harper balked. “I don’t want to worry you. I simply want things to be fair.”

  “And you think they’re not fair, right?”

  “I think that you put twenty thousand dollars of your own money down to buy us a house and then listed both of our names on the documents at closing,” Harper replied. “I haven’t given you any money yet. How do you know I’m going to?”

  Jared held his hands palms out and shrugged. “Intuition? Let’s just say I think you’re a good bet.”

  Harper made a face. “And what if I’m a grifter?”

  Jared found the notion so surreal he could do nothing but chuckle. “Are you a grifter?”

  �
�No, but I could be.”

  “You’re not, though.” Jared ran his tongue over his teeth as he collected Harper’s hand and tugged hard enough that she had no choice but to sit down next to him. “I think we should start from the beginning because you seem a little manic, my love, and I don’t like it when you’re manic. This is supposed to be fun. We’re plotting our life together … and starting with furniture. What’s more fun than that?”

  “It is going to be fun,” Harper agreed. “Once I pay you back the money I owe you it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

  “Uh-huh.” Jared wasn’t convinced. “How much money do you think you owe me?”

  “Twenty thousand dollars.”

  “And why do you feel you owe me that?”

  “Because that’s how much you spent on the house,” Harper replied without hesitation. “This is a partnership. It can’t be you spending money and me accepting that sort of imbalance because then that’s not a partnership. Then that’s you taking care of me.”

  “And just so I’m clear, you don’t want me taking care of you, right?”

  “I want us to take care of each other,” Harper clarified. “I don’t want to feel that you’re doing everything and I’m doing nothing, though. I can’t wait to move in together, but I want to feel as if I’m contributing.”

  “Okay.” Jared patted her hand. “I want you to contribute, too. I think this is going to be a good thing for both of us. I didn’t realize you were so worked up about the idea of owing me money, though. I guess I should’ve taken that into account. I didn’t want to wait until you had the money from selling your share of the house to Shawn, though, because I was afraid someone else would swoop in and steal our house.”

  “And I wouldn’t want to risk waiting on that either,” Harper admitted. “I just want to give you twenty thousand dollars so I don’t feel as if you’ve given everything to this partnership and I’ve given nothing.”

  Jared wasn’t sure he completely understood but he was starting to get a picture. “We’ve done the math a few times. You should end up with about forty thousand dollars once you close on your house. You want to give twenty thousand of that to me so we can apply it to the mortgage on the new house, right?”

  Harper nodded. “Then we’ll both split everything down the middle going forward for payments and furniture. That’s the only fair thing.”

  Jared thought that sounded a bit ridiculous, but he decided now wasn’t the time to pick a fight. “You’re still going to have money, though, and I’m going to have money, too. I don’t understand why we can’t buy a bed.”

  “Because we’re going to need to use that money for appliances and workers to paint and do things around the house. I didn’t say we couldn’t buy a bed. I just think we should do the other stuff first.”

  “The appliances are out of date and so are the cupboards,” Jared agreed. “I don’t think it’s going to cost as much as you think to replace some of that stuff, though, especially if we’re splitting costs.”

  “I just want to be sure.” Harper turned earnest. “This is a big deal for me. When Zander and I first moved in together I always thought it was going to be a temporary thing and then it turned kind of permanent. This is a big change.”

  Jared smirked. “It is a big change. I’ve never lived with anyone before. Er, well, I lived with a bunch of guys while attending the police academy, but you know what I mean.”

  “I do. We’re taking two lives and making one.”

  Jared tilted his head to the side and made a face. “Not exactly. We’re taking two lives and interlocking them.” He lifted their joined fingers for emphasis. “We’ve already got a good start on it. I think it’s going to be easier than you happen to believe.”

  “I think it’s going to be great.” Harper was honest and earnest. “I still want to pay for the necessities before we start thinking about beds. Besides, this is my busy month. By the end of the month I might have even more money to throw at a bed.”

  Even though he didn’t fully understand Harper’s need to keep a balanced ledger book, Jared offered a wry smile. “Then let’s head to lunch and do the practical thing.”

  “What’s the practical thing?”

  “Break down all of our finances and figure out what’s going to work for both of us.”

  Harper brightened considerably. “You would really do that?”

  “I would do anything for you.”

  “And that’s why you’re the perfect guy.”

  Jared grinned and pressed a quick kiss against her mouth. “I couldn’t agree more. Come on. I’m starving and there’s nothing that screams ‘lazy Sunday afternoon’ like figuring out finances.”

  “I know you’re being sarcastic, but I’m looking forward to this.”

  Jared chuckled. “That’s only one of the reasons I love you.”

  5

  Five

  Jared picked a corner booth at the restaurant and was amused when Harper happily pulled out a notebook and began scribbling away mere seconds after the waitress left with their dinner orders. He had no idea why she was so excited to budget, but he was content to let her throw numbers at him to her heart’s content.

  “So, once we have the total forty thousand down, our house payments are going to be less than five hundred a month,” Harper started. “I think we should make double payments because then we’ll own the house outright in a few years. I can even pay more once October is over because of all the extra money I’m bringing in this month.”

  “No way.” Jared made a tsking sound with his tongue as he wagged his finger. “You’re not paying extra. You just had a fit because you didn’t like it when it seemed like I was paying extra. We’re doing everything right down the middle.”

  Harper made a face. “Fine. It was just a suggestion.”

  “Well, you can’t have it your way if I can’t have it my way.” Jared played with his straw wrapper. “I’m fine paying double every month. That’s going to be the same as what I’m currently paying in rent for a house I’m never at.”

  “Speaking of that, when is your lease up?” Harper asked.

  “Technically not for another five months, but I talked to the landlord and he agreed to allow Jeff to take over the payments. He’s been living there and taking care of the place anyway and he’s managed to save up enough for first and last month’s rent so it should be fine.”

  Harper offered a genuine smile. Jeff Clarke was a homeless man she found months before and Jared adopted out of a desire to help. He put up the guy in the apartment above his garage, got him started mowing lawns and eventually clearing snow, and helped him get on his feet. She was proud Jared managed to help Jeff build a home … mostly because she didn’t know a lot of people who would be that giving of their time and assets. “That’s nice. Is Jeff upset that you’re moving?”

  “He said that he’s surprised it didn’t happen sooner because we’re joined at the hip.”

  Harper snickered. “That sounds like him. We should make sure we still make time to hang out with him when we can, make sure he doesn’t think we’ve forgotten him or something.”

  “That’s a plan.” Jared bobbed his head. “I do need to run out to that place and grab the rest of my stuff by the end of the week, though. I’m officially off the lease as of November. I don’t think Jeff should have to store my stuff because I’m too lazy to pick it up.”

  “We’ll make sure to pick it up.” Harper cocked her head to the side as she considered the change. “When can we move into the new house?”

  “We could do it today if you wanted.” Jared’s grin was slow and easy. “There’s still some work that needs to be done over there, but if you don’t mind living in a mess we can start packing right now. I will personally move all of your things by myself if it means not having to deal with Zander in the morning tomorrow.”

  Harper frowned. “He’s not so bad.”

  Jared silently cursed himself for not thinking before he spoke. “That’s
not what I meant and you know it. I happen to – well, ‘love’ isn’t the right word, but ‘like’ will work – I happen to like Zander, too. He’s simply a lot to deal with day in and day out.”

  “He’s just the emotional sort. He can’t help himself.”

  “I get that. No, I really do.” Jared smiled brightly. “He’s still nuttier than a Snickers left out in the sun to melt.”

  Harper pressed her lips together to keep from laughing. “He just wants to be included in the process.”

  “We have included him. His problem is that he wants to take over everything.”

  “Not everything.”

  Jared made a face. “What hasn’t he tried to take over?”

  “Well … he hasn’t made a fuss about changing out the appliances yet. That’s something.”

  “Does he know we’re changing out the appliances?”

  “What does that have to do with anything?”

  “Just give him time.” Despite his irritation, Jared couldn’t stop himself from being amused. “The original plan was to be in the new house by Christmas. Do you want to try and move that up?”

  “No.” Harper shook her head. “I’m surprised you actually managed to get a closing date so fast. How did you work that out, by the way?”

  “A man was murdered in that house,” Jared reminded her. “His daughter wanted to unload it as quickly as possible. She was highly motivated.”

  “Good point.” Harper’s grin was serene as she leaned back in her seat. “When are the people coming in to get all of Henry’s belongings out of the house?”

  “Next week.”

  “And then we have cleaners coming, right?”

  Jared bobbed his head. “I hired people out of Troy. They will take a full two days to do absolutely everything, including walls and windows, and then we have some decisions to make.”

  “Appliances and paint colors.”

  “Yes. You mentioned wanting to hire professionals to paint, which I’m fine with, but then we need to pick colors.”

  “You act as if we have a choice in the matter,” Harper countered. “Can you paint?”