He looked directly next to him at Jetty. “I can’t wait for you guys to finish. Hopefully, we’ll be allowed to come tour the house when it’s finished.” The last part he aimed at Ego hopefully.
Ego tore his concerned gaze from me and nodded. “Of course. Anytime.”
Chance stood up. “I can’t wait.” Then addressing me, he said, “And no, I’m happy to serve dinner.”
Shaking his head at me, Jetty stood, too. “I’ll help.”
As Marc gestured for Ego to sit down and engaged him in conversation, Elyse sidled up to me. “What’re you up to, my little apprentice?” she whispered.
Batting my eyelashes at her innocently, I said, “Nothing.”
“Then why are you talking to the ghosts?” she hissed.
“It just feels rude to leave them out, don’t you think?” I asked at normal volume.
Ego’s head whipped around. “Leave who out?”
I saw all the things he wanted to say but couldn’t flickering in the depths of his eyes. When we were children, my father often bitched about my fascination with my imaginary friend. Only my cousin had known that it was all a big farce to irritate my dad. But now, I was speaking to, and of, our resident entities much the same way I used to speak to my friend—Jeeves. Poor Ego probably wondered if I really had been speaking to an imaginary friend all those years.
Elyse jabbed me in the side with her elbow, then stepped in front of me and headed toward Ego. “Don’t mind him. He’s being silly.”
Jetty shot me a panicked glance, and I remembered that in having fun with my cousin, I’d freaked out my friends. They didn’t know I knew Ego personally, and the look on Jetty’s face told me he was worried we’d lose him as a client.Oops.
“Sorry,” I said, taking my place at the table and smiling reassuringly at Ego. “You asked me all those questions earlier about whether Willowhope Manor was really haunted, and I thought I’d toy with you a little.”
Everyone, including Ego, looked satisfied with my explanation. He bobbed his head. “Oh.” He huffed. “That’s a relief. I thought maybe…” He trailed off.
I held in a snicker. What could he say? He thought my childhood friend had returned. Wait until everyone knew wewere related and ghosts were real. Then I’d share the story of Chance’s childhood friend and how he and the rest of us ended up here.
Conversation flowed nicely through dinner. Ego relaxed, letting the others see more of the real him than he normally did with strangers—or anyone other than me and his assistant, from what I could tell. I wished Kingston was here, not only because I wanted him to meet my cousin, but because I missed him. I hadn’t seen him since Sunday.
“Scotty,” Elyse said, pulling me from my thoughts.
The young man hovered in the doorway in his pajama pants, a ratty t-shirt, and bedhead. He never appeared like that. Not just because he worked here, but his sense of style was usually almost,almost, as good as mine. Maybe he really wasn’t feeling well. Honestly, though, he was still cute as a button. All baby-faced and unsure.
He held up a hand in an awkward wave. “Hi. Sorry to disturb the meal. I just came down for some soup, and I thought everyone would be gone by now.”
Stevie’s face fell, like maybe he just realized his brother was really sick, and he blinked out, reappearing next to him. Harry hovered by the cabinet where he kept the cans of soup, wringing his hands. It had to be hell on the old butler not being able to heat up soup for our young friend.
Chance jumped up from the table. “Let me make you some.”
Scotty shook his head. “No worries. I don’t want to be a bother. I’ll come back down.”
Surprising me, my cousin stood and crossed the room, stopping right in front of Scotty. He held out his hand. “Hello, I’m Ego,” he said in the voice I recognized from interviews and how he’d charmed the few people he’d met in the Witch’s Brew.
Frowning, Scotty placed his hand in his. “Scotty,” he said curtly.
Ego turned my friend’s hand in his and kissed the top. “Charmed.”
Uh-oh. My cousin had been so good since the minute he met Jetty, and tonight, showing more of a real version of himself. But this, this was the alter-Ego, and Scotty wouldn’t be impressed.
Scotty’s eyes narrowed. “I’m sure.” His voice sounded as unimpressed as I’d ever heard it, even when discussing his asshole ex. He yanked his hand out of Ego’s grip and spun around, stomping back down the hall.
Ego turned toward me with a bright smile, and it took everything in me not to face-palm. Scotty truly was cute as a button, and my cousin was interested.Shit.
Chapter
Nine
