Page 39 of My Blind Date is a Ghost

“You should talk to Beverly about working here. You need something to do in this new life, right?”

“Oh, I don’t know. I’m sure Beverly doesn’t need my help. She has Sophia and Dianna.”

“Sophia has her own shop,” Beckett says. “And doesn’t she help out at the school too?”

“She is pretty busy,” I say, then I wave off the conversation. “Anyway, there must be something else you could be doing, I’m sure.”

“I’m thinking about stuff,” he says. “That’s part of being a detective, just thinking, trying to figure out how all the clues work together.”

“Is that how you stay on the clock when you have no idea what to do next?” I joked.

“Yeah, sort of,” he says with a laugh.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” I ask. I realize too late that I said that a bit more coquettishly than I meant to. I push my hair behind my ear, a bit embarrassed. Beckett gets a half-cocked smile on his face and rubs his chin thoughtfully.

“Sometimes it helps if I actually stop thinking about a case for a while,” he says. “Like, give my brain a rest or let my subconscious work things out for me.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah. Why don’t we go downtown? We can do some early Christmas shopping.”

I chew on my lower lip and think about it. It feels a bit naughty, a bit daring, to leave work and spend the day with a man who is not my husband. It doesn’t feel like cheating, but in my world, we would have to have a chaperone with us, even if we were courting for marriage. Edward and I didn’t spend a moment alone together until after we were married. Now, I see the error in that way of thinking. How could we really get to know each other if we never had any privacy? Even though I want to go with Beckett, it’s a little hard for me to say yes.

“Oh, just get out of here,” Beverly says suddenly. I nearly jump out of my skin.

“Beverly! How long have you been there?”

“Long enough to know you need to get out of here and have some fun,” she says, nudging me out from behind the counter. “You’ve been a nervous wreck ever since you got here.”

“I’ve had a lot on my mind,” I say.

“And rightly so,” she says. “But that doesn’t mean you can’t take a break once in a while.”

“Okay,” I say, my stomach fluttering with excitement. I know Beckett and I have already had dinner together once, but that was sort of sprung on us. We didn’t really have a choice. This time, Beckett asked me to spend the day with him. This is something we are doing because we want to. I’m still not really interested in a relationship, but I’m more than happy to have Beckett as a friend.

“Here,” Beverly says, pulling a card out of her cash register. “I know you don’t have any money of your own yet. Just use this. Go nuts.”

“Thanks,” I say sheepishly. It’s a bit weird having to ask my great-great-great-great-great-granddaughter for money. I put the card into my coat pocket since I still don’t have a purse or pockets in my skirt.

“You take care of her, Detective Dawson,” Beverly says, practically pushing us out the door.

“I will,” he says. “Don’t you worry.”

“That was a bit awkward,” I say when we’re in Beckett’s car.

“Everything about Mystic Cove is a little awkward,” he says. “So, where to?”

“Anywhere you want,” I say.

CHAPTER 17

It’s early December, and Mystic Cove is all decked out for the holiday season. We go to the Mystic Cove City Park area, which is a newer part of the city, and it was specifically designed for these types of events in mind. There is a small pond in the middle of a green space where, when the weather is warmer, people can picnic, play sports, and hold small parties. Around that is a street of newer specialty shops that sell things like soaps, spices, and decorative items.

In the green space, there are a lot of specialty popups with food and crafts. It’s cold, but with so many people around and things going on, the area feels cozy. Beckett gently grips my elbow as we walk around together.

“Just so I don’t lose you,” he says. “Beverly would never forgive me.”

I can feel my face blush hotly, but I don’t remove is hand. It’s comforting.

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