Page 69 of The Accidental Ghost

Shamus snuck up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. “Are you ready for your grand opening, fair maiden Raphaela?”

She snuggled into his broad chest. He’d asked if she was ready six months ago, as she’d taken his hand when they’d left the light, and she’d been sure then.

But today, now, after these last six months, she was surer about him than she’d ever been before.

They’d spent those months learning all sorts of things about one another. Between his ghost chasing and her crossings, their lives were busy. Yet, they’d found time to cultivate their relationship, grow it, nurture it until every day they spent together felt like an opportunity to discover something new about each other.

Because she didn’t need to sleep (boy, was that ever a cool psychopomp perk), she always had plenty of time for late-night chats while he hunted ghosts.

They laughed, they shared bottles of wine, they joined the OOPS gang for family dinners, they played Scrabble, she read to him, he read to her.

She’d begun to try new things with him, like skiing, and he’d taken her roller-skating to make up for all the times she hadn’t been allowed to go.

And he’d tried mustard on his burger, which he discovered he actually liked.

In the process, they fell deeply in love, and moved into a brownstone together with Gloria, Dale, and Blanche Devereaux.

And she was happy. Blissfully so.

Her life had changed in more ways than one with her new duties, but it had become richer and so much fuller since she’d met her new friends and Shamus.

There were sad moments, too, when she had to cross someone young, but she felt blessed to have been chosen to perform the task, and Shamus was always there to hold her in his arms and let her cry if she needed it.

Pressing his lips to her ear, he whispered again, “I said, are you ready?”

With a nod, she turned in his arms and pressed a kiss to his lips. “Always.”

He gave a nod to Darnell, who opened the doors of the bookstore and gallantly ushered the children inside with a wave of his arm. “Welcome, ye lads and lassies!” he greeted, his cheerful voice booming around the bookstore. “Enter the land of make believe, where princesses live and wishes come true!”

Hand in hand, they went out to the main floor of the store, where they’d spent the last two days turning it into an enchanting medieval village.

Nina sat on her throne as all the girls—and some boys, too—dressed up in their best princess costumes, ooed and ahhed at how beautiful she was. There were also tiny knights in shining armor, court jesters, and even a dragon.

Nina opened the book they’d chosen. Clearing her throat, she waved to all the children and began, “Once Upon a Time…”

Tears filled Ralph’s eyes as she let her head rest on Shamus’s shoulder.

Once upon a time, a former first-grade teacher and a ghost hunter with pointy ears met and fell in love.

And they lived happily ever after.

For eternity.

The End

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