Page 5 of Hallowed Tree
Buck snickered. “He said he wanted brownie points with Ch—” He cut himself off as I quirked my brow. “With Mr. Chance.”
“Brownie points for what?” I asked, completely perplexed.
“You know.” Buck wiggled his eyebrows, looking completely ridiculous. Not as bad as I would look if I did the same thing, so I guessed he pulled it off. “Mr. Jetty plans to finish up the job he’son early and come home before the new arrivals check in later, and he’s hoping to get a little action.”
I sighed. The living were ridiculous. There was no question that the two gentlemen were soulmates. They’d be together forever, which meant plenty of time for carnal activities, and yet, every time I turned around, they were—
“Those two really fuck like bunnies, huh?” He snickered.
“Buck,” I said sharply. “They are your bosses.”
He shrugged. “So? They’re my friends, too. It’s not like we don’t all know they’re having sex. It’s good for them. Healthy.”
“Ugh. Stop. That’s completely inappropriate.”
As were all the blow jobs I’d witnessed before I’d revealed myself to them. I’d seen the horror on their faces when they’d realized I’d been working in the manor, taking care of their dietary and caffeine needs while they stripped half-naked all over the place. In deference to their respectability, I’d never admitted how many times I’d had to leave the parlor…or the kitchen…or the stairwell because one of them was slurping on—
I tugged on my vest, making sure it was straight, and cleared my throat. “I guess we can start on the baseboards then.”
“Harry,” he whined. “It’s beautiful outside. I want to go fishing. Let me take you out to the pond, please. You’ve never come with me, and you promised.”
My head jerked back. “I most certainly did not. I don’t waste my time on such things. There is too much to be done. Besides, you’re a spirit. What does the weather matter? You don’t get hot or cold. You literally can’t feel the elements. It wouldn’t matter if it was raining or snowing or if lava flowed under your feet.”
Buck blew out a burst of air—air we didn’t need—and rolled his eyes. “You’re really no fun.”
“We’re at work. This isn’t supposed to be fun when there are things to be done.”
He shook his head, and his shaggy hair immediately fell around his face. Really, how had this man made it through life without a proper haircut or wardrobe? I glanced down at his dirty jeans and t-shirt that saidGuns-N-Roseswith two roses and two guns on it. How ridiculous was that? He said it was vintage, but what did he know about vintage? I’d been dead for a hundred years by the time that shirt was made.
A slow grin spread across his ridiculous face.Oh boy.“I’ll make you a deal,” he said.
Great. I couldn’t wait to hear this one.
Buck
“I’ll do the baseboards in the parlor by myself if you spend a few hours at Beckoning Pond with me afterward.”
If possible, Harry’s frown grew more pronounced. And you know what? I was here for it. The more aggravated he got with me, the surlier he acted, and that was when he felt the most normal to me. Less stuffy and uptight—like maybe it was possible to pull that stick out of his ass. I held in a snicker. He wouldn’t appreciate me thinking about his buttocks in any way. Buttocks—what a silly word.
“Buck,” Harry said sharply.
“Harry.”
He sighed—loudly. “Buck, why are you chuckling? You let your mind wander again, didn’t you?”
Crap. Busted.If I didn’t get it together, he’d kick my perfect bubble butt out the door and back to the pond. Which wouldn’t be the worst thing. I still had a few friends out there, but most of them had allowed Chance to help them cross over into whateverin the world was next. Yes, I said, well, I thought Chance—not Mr. Chance. They were Chance and Jetty to me. They were my friends. Sure, this was their home and business, but they didn’t have to pay us, and I provided a service. A necessary one.
“Buck!”
I jumped. Harry never yelled. “Uh, yeah?”
“Your mind wandered.Again. If we’re going to work together—”
“I agree.”
His face puckered like he smelled something nasty. “With what? I didn’t finish.”
“I agree that we should get to work so we can go outside and play later.”
