Chapter 18

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Orla

F inlay had a ghost in his new house.

And the man had no clue.

First of all, I couldn't even believe that he'd actually bought a house, here, in Loren Brae. And to say I had mixed feelings about it, well, that was true as well. The biggest feeling? The one that I was the most uncomfortable with? It was excitement. I was freaking excited that Fin was going to stay here. Long term. And that, och, well, that scared me straight down to the toes of my favorite work boots.

Not even having to clear a ghost from his house scared me as much as the meaning behind him putting down roots here. Nope, I wasn't going to examine that decision too closely. I wasn't ready to look at what I thought he might be offering. All I could do was think one day at a time. It was what had served me well for years now, and it threw me off to try and think more deeply about an actual future with someone.

Why hope for something that could change on a whim? It was easier to focus on the things that I could control—like my business and helping the Order of Caledonia out. Which, apparently, meant I needed to sneak back to Fin's house and rid it of the little ghostly girl who had hovered sadly in the corner of the upstairs bedroom.

Harris had spotted her even before I had.

A damn good dog, he was. It had about broken my heart to take him back to the shelter, his eyes sad as I dropped him off. Maybe I could make it work to rescue him, I just had to figure it out. Surely there was some solution that would get him out of the shelter but not stuck at my house all day without me there to care for him. I hated that I didn't have an answer, but maybe I'd be able to find the perfect home for him soon.

"I can't believe he bought a house here." I said this out loud as I paced my room after work, trying to gauge when a good time would be to sneak back over to Fin's new place and do a ritual to remove the ghost. "It's too soon. He's only been here a matter of months. How could he know he wants to stay?"

With me , I silently added.

Why can't you trust him?

I whirled to see the Green Lady sitting on the edge of my bed.

"You make it sound so easy. When has trust gotten me anywhere? "

You trust yourself. You trust your crew. You trust your friends. I'd say it has gotten you a lot of places.

"That's different."

Is it?

"It is. That has nothing to do with my heart." I tapped my chest repeatedly, trying to soothe myself.

Doesn't it?

"Why are you even here?" I demanded, irrationally angry with this ghost who challenged me constantly. "Don't you have other people to haunt?"

Do you want me to leave?

"I want to know why me? Why do you always come back to me?" What kind of house witch was I if I couldn't get rid of my own ghost?

It's what I do.

The Green Lady shrugged one delicate shoulder, a compassionate look in her all-seeing eyes.

I help lost travelers. Or lead them astray. Depends on their intentions really.

"Their intentions? Why would you lead people astray?"

Depends if their path leads to harm or harming others.

"And me? You keep coming back to me. But I'm not lost. I'm doing good. I'm on the right path." I stomped my foot, my emotions twisting my gut.

Are you?

"You're almost as annoying as Fin, you know? Answering questions with a question." I glared at the Green Lady, frustrated because she wasn't giving me the answers that I needed.

Because it's not me that has the answers you seek.

"Great, just great. Talk in riddles." I stopped in front of Goldie, watching as she bopped the ship with her head and went after the flakes that sifted out onto the surface of the water. "Do you know about the little girl in Fin's house?"

She needs your help.

"What happened to her?"

She was left behind.

My heart twisted at those words. I would forever have a soft spot for the forgotten ones, which is why I spent as much time helping at the shelter as I could.

"I need to do something about it, but I have to go when Fin isn't there."

Tell him.

"I can't tell him what I am. He'll never believe me."

You don't trust him.

"It's not that I don't trust him." I bit my lower lip as I thought about it. It was true. I did trust Finlay, as much as I trusted anyone, I supposed. He'd shown me kindness, repeatedly, and he was helping me with my business—something which I hadn't ever allowed other people to do. All things considered, these were big steps for me. It was just the whole hurting my heart thing that I wasn't so sure I was ready to sign on for. The grief of losing Jacob never really went away, and I could only imagine that same grief would arise if Finlay decided he tired of me. Losing someone I loved, again? Yeah, I wasn't sure I was ready to sign up for that particular ride.

You love him.

"Damn it. Can you read my thoughts?" I whirled on the Green Lady, annoyed that she had managed to pluck the word love right from my brain. "Isn't anything private? "

Love should be celebrated. It's the one thing in this world that universally links others. Why hide from it?

"Because it hurts?"

It only hurts because you aren't giving it a chance.

"No, not true. I loved Jacob. He was my best friend and I never held back from showing him my love. Same with Grandpa Lou. And they both left me. Everyone leaves."

The love doesn't. You'll always have that.

Her words slammed into me so hard that I gasped for breath, and I rubbed the spot where I'd tapped my chest so hard it was now sore. She wasn't wrong. Even though I no longer had Jacob or Grandpa Lou, my love for them never diminished. It just was. Maybe that was what she was trying to tell me—that once love was created it didn't just wink out of sight.

Unlike her. When I looked back up, she was gone, likely smug in the wee bomb she'd dropped on my head. Sighing, I tapped at Goldie's bowl.

"I need to go back out, sweetie. I've got a ghost to see about."

It was late, almost nine in the evening, but I figured my chance for sneaking in the house while Fin wasn't there was better at night. He'd given me the code for the lockbox, telling me to pop through whenever, as I'd told him I'd wanted to check a few things. Which wasn't entirely untrue, there were a few areas of concern in his new place I'd like to take a more careful eye to, but largely it had been an excuse to come back and see to the ghost girl haunting his upstairs bedroom.

I also still needed to go check that outbuilding at the distillery site. I'd banned my workers from going inside— due to structural issues—and hadn't yet had a chance to have a look at what was really going on inside the derelict building. I'd make a go of it soon.

Happy to see no cars parked outside when I arrived, I made quick work of hauling my toolbox inside after I unlocked the door. Putting it down just inside the front door, I flicked on the light and dug in the box for my special hammer before striding upstairs. I needed to move quickly, just in case Fin was driving by and saw the light, and I didn't really know what I needed to do to help this little ghost girl.

Intent is everything, Miss Elva had told me, and I hung on to those words as I stepped inside the bedroom that I had seen the ghost girl in. Light spilled into the room from the hallway, illuminating the floor, and I immediately saw her cowering in the corner, her lip trembling.

Scared, I realized. She's scared . I couldn't blame her. Being left alone in an empty house had to be particularly sad for a child.

A glimmer of movement alerted me and I turned, surprise filling me as Clyde sauntered down the hallway. The ghost coo approached slowly, coming to a stop by my side.

"Hey, Clyde," I said, reaching out to scratch his ears as I watched the ghost girl. Her eyes widened at the sight of Clyde.

"Hello," I said, keeping my voice soft, not moving any closer. "I see you in the corner there. Are you all right?"

"You see me?" The girl jumped up, taking one step closer to me, and I tried to place her age. Maybe six or seven? Her dress looked old, as in old-fashioned, but I wasn't fashionable enough to be able to place the date of her death by her clothing.

"Aye," I said, nodding. "Can you see me?"

"Of course I can see you." The girl giggled and gave me a look like I wasn't very bright. "But nobody ever sees me."

"What's your name?"

"Elspeth."

"I'm Orla, and this is Clyde."

Her eyes grew huge as Clyde did a little dance and she brought her thumb to her mouth, sucking it. Self-soothing. Behavior I could certainly understand and recognize.

"Do you like coos?"

Elspeth nodded, her eyes huge.

"Do you want to pet him?"

"We used to have coos. Before."

"Before what?"

"My family…they went away. They took my brothers."

"But not you?"

Elspeth's eyes filled and Clyde made a low keening noise.

"Go on, buddy. Go to her." I didn't trust she wouldn't disappear if I moved too fast and I needed to help her move forward, not have her hide from me and then still be stuck in this house. Clyde sauntered forward and to my surprise, he dropped and rolled onto his back, like a dog revealing his tummy for scratches, and beamed up at the girl.

"He's so fluffy," Elspeth said, reaching out to run a hand over him while Clyde mirrored a synchronized swimmer by kicking his legs in the air in delight. Elspeth giggled, and I blinked as tears threatened. Such an innocent thing, a child's laugh, even when it came from a ghostly apparition.

"I couldn't go with my family. I was told they couldn't take care of me. I was meant to stay with a family friend, but I ran away. Her husband was a bad man."

"Was this your home?" My heart twisted.

"No, it was a place I found to stay. Until…" Her face grew sad and stony, and Clyde kicked up his legs some more, drawing her attention to him, so she continued to talk while she pet his shaggy fur. "There was a sickness of sorts. I don't really know. I was here and then I wasn't. But I still am."

Confusion threaded her words, and I pieced together what she was trying to tell me. The plague took her, and likely those who lived here, yet she didn't fully understand why she was still here. I wondered if she even really knew that she was dead. Maybe the concept was something that she wasn't ready to accept.

I couldn't say I blamed her.

"Are you ready to move on, Elspeth? It must be lonely here."

"Aye, it is. I haven't had anyone visit me in ages. I can't leave though."

"Why not?"

Elspeth looked up, longing on her face.

"I have nobody to show me the way."

God, if I didn't totally understand that feeling. To be endlessly lost, until finally, Jacob had thrown me a lifeline with his friendship. The Green Lady was right. Love did matter, in whatever form it came in, and that might just be what would help this wee lass out .

As if reading my thoughts, the Green Lady appeared in the corner of the room and I realized, in my own way, that I also loved her.

This weird ghost woman who had provided me protection and guidance for much of my life… In some respects, she'd been a North Star to me when I was most lost. I don't think I'd ever examined my true thoughts or feelings for her, and now as I watched her slowly approach Elspeth, I realized how much I'd grown to care for her through the years.

"Will you help her? She's a lost traveler. And I think she needs our love."

The Green Lady stopped in front of Elspeth, and the two stared at each other. Clyde rolled over and pranced back to my side, as we watched the two ghosts regard each other.

I had a little girl once. One that I loved very much.

My heart twisted at the Green Lady's words.

"Will you help her home?"

Aye, I'll do so.

The Green Lady reached out a hand and Elspeth took it, the two winking out of sight before I could even let out a breath. Tears sprung to my eyes. I knew so little about the Green Lady, not even her name, as she'd spent so much of her time selflessly being a guiding force for me. Now as I realized just how much of a history she must have, my heart ached for her. Would she let me in? Would she let me know her ? —

"Orla? What are you doing here?"