Page 19 of A Love Like Pumpkin Spice
Nic
“You think I’m crazy,” I accuse Lauren as we walk along the lake, letting the cool autumn breeze play with our hair. “Hell,Ithink I’m crazy.”
“I need context, babes. Did the ghost strike again?”
“All the damn time.” I sigh and kick a pile of leaves, making them flutter through the air. The trees are turning a beautiful shade of orange, and it’s finally the kind of weather to wear a cozy sweatshirt—a stark difference from the California sun all year round. And I have to admit, I’m finding this much better.
An hour ago, Lauren knocked and all but pulled me out the door for a nice autumn walk. She's holding a pile of leaves in her hand, the ones she deemed prettiest and intends to dry for a scrapbook – one of the new hobbies she decided to try out. I wonder if it'll stick.
“Yesterday, I sat on my couch, as one does, trying to read a book and not doom scroll on my phone, but I swear to you, an invisible cat jumped onto my lap.” Lauren gives me a skeptical look, and I halt. “I swear to fucking God. She nudged her head against me, and I even felt it vibrating with a purr when I asked if she was Chaos. Don’t look at me like I’m insane—you heard the scratching, too!”
“I did,” she says calmly and stops walking too. “But it could have been, I don’t know, a squirrel on your roof. Have you checked your carbon monoxide levels?”
“A squirrel on my roof when the scratching clearly came from my front door?” I ask her with a lifted eyebrow. “And yes. The fire detectors in my house also read carbon monoxide levels. If that were the issue, you’d probably hear the incessant beeping from your own living room.” I roll my eyes. Why does nobody believe me?
“Hey, it sounds more plausible than ‘A ghost cat haunts me.’” She exhales a deep sigh, then reaches for my hands. “I’m sorry, Nic. I know how sad you are about that cat and how much you wish she were haunting you. But ghosts don’t exist.”
“Logically, I know you’re right,” I say grimly and pull my hands from her grasp, slowly continuing to walk. “But I choose to believe I have a ghost pet now. At least it distracts me from my fresh heartbreak.”
“Better, don’t talk about it too loudly, or they’ll Maurice your ass and put you in a padded cell.” Lauren quickly catches up and links her arm with mine. “I bet they have one of those here. The town is way too idyllic so far; there must be a catch.”
“Maybe the catch is ghosts,” I point out with a giggle, making her groan and pinch the bridge of her nose. “And I hate to say it, but in this particular case, the available Jensen Ackles is not fit to exorcise demons.”
“Then let’s hope their dark town secret is some kind of swinger club,” Lauren snickers, and I roll my eyes.
“Let’s hope not. I mean, Henry, Kieran, and Caleb I could see myself fantasizing about, but the rest of the town?” I shake my head. “No, thank you. I do not need to be mentally undressing the guy we saw at Caleb’s who still wears socks with sandals.” I shudder. “Some things can’t be unseen.”
“Aw, come on,” Lauren says teasingly, nudging me with her elbow. “You said the sheriff was eye candy, and I saw at least one more hottie at Caleb’s.”
“When?” My eyes grow wide. “Because when we were there, the average age of the other customers was probablyeighty or above. Not that an eighty-year-old can’t be attractive, but since when are you into men your grandpa’s age?”
“I might have gone back to the café another time,” she admits sheepishly, and I stop in my tracks, looking at her with betrayal in my eyes and mouth agape. “Or three.”
“And you didn’t tell me?” I ask loudly and clutch my shirt dramatically. “I can’t believe it. You got coffee without me. The betrayal.” I put the back of my hand to my forehead and sway, pretending to faint.
“Cut it out, you drama queen.” Lauren laughs and gives me a gentle shove. “Hope acting is not your job or anything.”
“Yeah, luckily not,” I agree with a giggle that abruptly dies when my phone buzzes in my pocket. God, do they never give up?
With a heavy sigh, I study the cloudy sky for a moment, then pull out my phone, only to decline the call when I don’t recognize the caller ID. Maybe I should change my number after all.
“What’s that about?” Lauren asks and points at the phone in my hand. “Your whole demeanor shifted from happy-go-lucky Pooh to Eeyore, just like that.” She snaps her fingers while I put my phone away.
“I’ve been getting all these calls,” I finally tell her. “I’m not sure if it’s Jay or any of my genetics-sharers, or someone from the industry. I haven’t been answering them.” I take a deep breath. “Someone apparently tattled about Jay and me breaking up, though. It could be many people.”
“Oh, fuck,” Lauren curses with wide eyes and kicks a stone into the lake. “Have you …?”
“Googled myself? Of course, I have.” I sigh and blow a strand of my hair away from my face. “The internet is full of speculation. Will I make a comeback now that my retirement plans have changed? Where am I? Is the reason we broke upbecause I had an affair? Apparently, Massimo and I appeared awfully close on set.”
“God, if they only knew you are pretty much the opposite of his type,” Lauren quips with a giggle.
“I’m not planning on outing him, so let’s keep them guessing.” I shake my head at her when she continues to giggle. “Maybe it’s time for a new number anyway—a clean cut from my old life.”
“Oh, that’s very final, though. What if you want to go back?”
“If the industry wants me to, they can deal with a new phone number.” I roll my eyes and continue walking. We’re almost at my place now, and it’s getting chilly. “It’s a decision for another day. Are you coming in for a hot chocolate or coffee?”
“Oh, absolutely. I hope your ghost cat won’t scare me away.” I stick my tongue out at her and climb the stairs to my porch.
