15. Jay

15

JAY

" I like him," I said to Cade who was several shades of rouge from the neck up.

"He's an ass," Cade squeaked out.

"And you're choked up because he delivered some high praise in your direction. Which tells me that you care deeply about what he thinks. Like I said, I like him." I smiled back at Cade, trying to impart the sense that he was safe with me, and his showing emotions was okay.

But no, he swept it all away and the blush faded.

"Did you get us in?"

"Into where?"

"Your ex's grandmother. The witch?"

"The demented old lady who you think is going to give us answers? No. I have not. But I need to get Sam to school, then go back to my place to pack him up for the weekend because he's going to stay with his mom, and then I have to prepare your offer. Remember? You actually don't legally live here and the fact that we're squatting in this house is several kinds of illegal."

Cade let out an over-exaggerated sigh but conceded. "Okay, I get it. But do you think it's smart for Sam to venture out from the confines of this place where he's safe?"

"Cade, I can't have Sam cooped up here until we figure this all out. It's not realistic, and what's more, caging a ten-year-old is risky business. He'll play on his game-pad thingy for only so long, and then the sugar he's eating and the lack of good sleep will kick in and you'll be second-guessing being anywhere around the two of us."

"Unlikely." The look in Cade's eyes had me melting. But, good God, it had been all of two days spent together. We were not going down any wedding-bell-laden road just quite yet.

Although, the thought wasn't terrible.

I shook my head. "You're adorable, but no. It's off to school, and—" I glanced at my watch, "—he's already missed his first period. I should think he'll be fine at school. Don't you?"

Cade bobbed his head slowly. "Ghosts don't like the daytime, usually, because there's too much electrical activity. Cell phones have made it worse. Whenever there's a steady thrum and vibration in the vicinity, from electrical devices and lights, and cell phones, and…and…it disrupts their limited abilities to manifest in our physical world. It's not that they can't, it's just incredibly tough. They have to be an old enough spirit to know how to manipulate their own energies to manifest themself and make an impact on the physical reality, but not so old that they're deteriorating."

"What? You mean ghosts rot?" I asked. What a concept . "Is that why they all look like they're decomposed?"

"No, that's new. Again, a recent development. I'm not sure why."

"So, Sam will be fine in school?"

Cade shrugged. "He should be. But I'm not going to guarantee anything. For whatever reason, Olivia was pretty adamant on torturing him."

"Yeah, well, she can kiss my ass. She's not getting anywhere near him," I said. Part of me didn't believe that last statement — child ghost or not — she scared the fucking hell out of me. But another part of me knew I'd throw myself in front of Sam to protect him against the beast if I thought it would save him. "You know, you can help me out."

"Absolutely! What do you want me to do?"

"If you take Sam to school, and maybe give him a little pep talk in the car, I'll run by the house and pack up his bag for the weekend with his mom. Then I can go to the office and prepare your offer. I'll have time after that to call Rosemount and see if I can get us in to see Shirley."

"Her name is Shirley?"

"Yeah."

"Like, surely, you jest. I don't jest, and don't call me Shirley."

"Yes." I rolled my eyes.

"Shirley the witch. There are some good jokes in there."

"You are suddenly sounding a lot like your Uncle Gally."

"It's a family gift."

"Or curse." I narrowed my eyes at Cade. This playful, teasing side I hadn't seen before. I would never let on, but he was being utterly charming right now. "So?"

"So, yes, of course, I will drive Sam to school. Then I'm going to go buy some furniture. Maybe by the weekend we'll actually have a real bed in here. There might be some other supplies I need to pick up." Cade waggled his eyebrows at me.

Despite all the talk of ghosts and witches and safety, seeing Cade suggest more adult playtime had my body reacting. Instant chubby. Diverting my thoughts away from Cade's suggestion, I yelled out, "Sam! Time to go to school. You're late." I turned to Cade. "I'm going to send an email explaining his missed first period."

Sam emerged from his bedroom, half dressed, looking exhausted. "Ah, Dad, do I have to?"

"Have to what?" I asked him.

"Go to school," he whined.

"Absolutely. Now go get ready. Cade is going to drive you. I have some things I've got to attend to, and remember you're going to your mom's tonight."

"But I don't?—"

"Samuel." My dad voice came out. "We've already talked about this."

"I know, but what if Olivia shows up?"

Well, fuck. I didn't have an answer for that. I glanced at Cade. Maybe he could bestow some wisdom.

And as if on cue, he picked up on my uncertainty and ran with it.

"Hey, you know, I might know a thing or two about ghosts, right?"

Sam nodded.

"So, usually, they tend to stick to one place. A place they knew well enough when they were alive. If I remember right, you said Olivia used to live next door to your house."

Sam nodded again.

"It would be weird if Olivia found you all the way over at your mom's place. And you still have my evil eye, right? But even if she did flicker into sight, you can call me and your dad, and we'll come get you. At least I know what to do with them. Right?"

"Okay." Sam was reluctant, but he'd at least given in.

A couple minutes later Sam came back to the living room, his backpack in tow, dressed and looking relatively ready for the day.

"I sent an email off to the school, so they know why you were late." I ruffled Sam's hair. "Be nice to Cade on your way there."

"I will," he muttered, then walked toward the front door where Cade waited.

As soon as Sam got within reach, Cade draped his bearish paw on Sam's shoulder.

"Come on, champ."

It was gentle, and caring, and my entire chest tightened as I watched Sam lean into Cade.

Sam and I had left our house in a hurry after Olivia's most recent attack, in order to get to the safety supplied by Cade's witch's cottage. I shouldn't be calling it that yet, but I had a sense he'd be taking possession of it soon enough.

Walking in through our back door I could see I'd left the kitchen in a state of disaster, and that wouldn't do. I would have to clean it before I left. But first things first. I needed to get Sam ready for his weekend away. Everything I needed was in his room.

Entering into Sam's bedroom took nuts of steel. I couldn't shake the image of Olivia, intangible, see-through with a bluish halo, strips of flesh hanging off her face, bone showing through in various spots, and then rushing toward Sam. Sam screaming. Her voice declaring ownership over my boy.

I shivered.

Damn, it was cold in here.

"Just get the shit and get out." I said, trying to convince myself that there was nothing here that could hurt me. Except I knew better. Ghosts were real. Fucking real. "Goddammit, Jay, pull it together, man."

I snatched up Sam's backpack, which he always left laying near his bookshelf, then started to pull open various drawers in his dresser yanking out clothes for his two-day stay. Normally I would have paid attention to which shirts were going with which pair of pants, and that his socks matched — doing the parent thing.

But at this point I wanted out of his bedroom.

The air in here was like ice.

I shoved two pairs of gitch into the bag then stopped.

I spun around.

Did something just move over there?

I shook my head. My imagination was getting the worst of me.

I needed to grab his winter boots, and they were tucked away in the front closet, so as far as I was concerned, I was done here.

I turned around to leave when the door to the room slammed closed.

The air got thick and heavy and smelled like burnt plastic.

I'd swear the light in the tiny bedroom diminished.

Shadows coalesced, then wisps of bluish light formed and swirled until standing in front of me was Olivia.

Same half-rotted face. Tiny in stature, so small and frail.

So utterly diabolical.

"Want Sam." Her voice squeaked and cracked as she spoke.

The hair on the back of my neck rose. The breath I exhaled hung in a fog around me. I stopped breathing.

Goose pimples erupted all over my body.

"Sam's not here," I whispered. My bravado from my morning conversation with Cade evaporated.

"Nooooo!" Olivia screamed, then flung herself at me.

My hands flew up to protect myself — but against what I wasn't sure.

Olivia vanished the second she touched me. Tiny static shocks pricked the surface of my skin, burning as they fired, and then cooling as if ice had wrapped around my arms and face.

The room lay silent and dark.

I stood there, shivering, brain numb.

"Fuck this. Fuck all of this." I launched myself toward Sam's door, wrenched it open, and ran toward the back door.

I was hyperventilating once I climbed into the car, turned it on, slammed it into reverse and backed out of the drive.

Two blocks later, at a stop sign, I hunched over the steering wheel as the tears ran down my face. Anger welled up within me as I punched the steering wheel several times.

I had never been so damn scared in my entire life.

And I had left Sam's backpack in his room.

"Fuck!" I punched the steering wheel again, then drove to the nearest store. There was no way in hell I was entering my house again.

An hour later I was seated at the kitchen island in the witch's cottage, bent over and typing out the forms for Cade's offer. The front door swung open, and I bolted upright.

Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath and turned, expecting to see some apparition. But it was only Cade. Bright-eyed, smiling, with bags hanging off of his arms.

I put a hand over my chest trying to slow the rapid pulse of my heart.

"What in hell's name did you buy now?" I asked, then swung off the bar stool and walked over to my bear with the intent of helping him with the many satchels.

Wait, am I allowed to call him that? My bear?

"Just more groceries, a couple bottles of wine, and some board games. I figured interacting with Sam instead of leaving him to watch TV or play video games would only be good for so long. Oh and I have a couple of beds, linens, and pillows being delivered at three o'clock."

"You know, you don't technically own this place. We are not supposed to be here." I attempted to chastise him, but he wasn't having any of it.

He shrugged. "So sue me. Did you make the offer—" Cade reached up and grabbed the tussle of hair that always hung over my forehead. He squinted as he examined it. His face immediately morphing from bright and happy to sinister and concerned. "What happened?"

"How do you know anything happened?"

"Look in the mirror."

I damn near ran to the bathroom, flicked the light on and glanced at my reflection. Cade was right behind me.

The lock of hair he had held had turned stark white.

I put my arms down on the counter to brace myself, but I couldn't stop the overwhelming emotions. My face scrunched up and became hot. Wetness dribbled over my cheeks as I started crying and hyperventilating again.

Cade pulled up on my sleeves and discovered that both my forearms were heavily bruised.

Cade grabbed me from behind, spun me around, and collected me into his arms.

"It's okay. I kinda like the change to your hair. But you gotta tell me what happened."

"Olivia. At the house. She wanted Sam. I told her Sam wasn't with me. She screamed and flew at me, then vanished the moment we connected. I ran out of the house so fast you'd think I was being chased up the basement stairs by demons after turning out the light."

"You've been spirit-touched. Mom had a shank of hair over one ear just like it." Cade squeezed me. I could barely breathe, but I felt immeasurably safe in his arms. "I think it best you stay out of your house until we get this resolved. Olivia is bent on havoc and destruction."

"She's not going to go after Sam, will she?"

"I highly doubt it. Ghosts tend to stay in familiar territory. Sam should be just fine at his mom's place and at school. But just in case, let's prepare him. He has his own phone?"

"Yes."

"Okay. If anything weird happens, we go get him. Your ex isn't too far away, is she?"

"Nothing in Camrose is that far away."

"Fair enough. We need to make this house mine, and we need to get into Rosemount and question Shirley." Cade started to pull away, but I sunk deeper into him.

"Can we just stay like this for a few more moments?"

"Absolutely."