Page 25 of All You Want
“You guys are all making too much sense.” I take a bite of the chocolatey goodness to calm my nerves. “Why can’t we go out on a limb and live a little?”
“I’ve done enough going out on a limb,” she says. “But I’m glad you’re doing this hotel. The town needs more lodging, and I’m sure you’ll have a great turnout. How’s it going by the way?”
“It’s great. We had a little accident this morning, but the crews made a lot of progress.” I polish off the brownie, licking every super delish crumb from my lips. “Evan has the Weeping Widow apparition ready, and now he’s working on the boiler in the basement.”
“Oh, don’t tell me,” she says. “You’re not going to do a Freddy Krueger haunting, are you?”
“Actually not. All our ‘residents’ have a history here. Take Ma Belle, for example. She passed through these parts, culled all the tea tippers, and that’s why we drink coffee up in these them woods.” I laugh at my cleverness and hope the shiver down my spine doesn’t give me away.
Linx joins me in the chuckling while making creepy fingers. “Any spooky creatures from the deep underground mines?”
“Why don’t we go over there and see?” I wiggle my shoulders to get her interested. “I dare you.”
My friend, like her brother, is against the commercialization of our Gold Rush history. Her family founded the town in name only, but it’s my great-great-grandfather, Hank King, who funded this town with the bank he started.
“I’m going to call it an early night.” Linx stretches and yawns, shaking her head, and her loyal dog, Cedar, does a doggy stretch and mirrors her yawn.
“You’re always calling it early these days. You can’t stay here hiding all the time.” I’m sorry as soon as the words leave my mouth. “I mean, let’s go out for a drink.”
She shows me the backs of her hands—webbed with burn scars. “I don’t see the point of going out for drinks. It’s not like I’m going to meet any guys.”
Her boyfriend, Grady Hart, after sitting out the fire season, responded to an emergency call in Australia to fight the bush fires there. Since he’s overseas, Linx has turned into a homebody—not that she partied much before.
“I bet you haven’t left this cabin all day.”
“Not true. I took Cedar for a hike up Sandman Creek.”
“That doesn’t count.” I give her furry dog a rubbing around her neck. “You’re turning into a hermit.”
“I like to stay here by myself.” She runs her fingers through her hair to cover the bald patches.
I get that she’s self-conscious, but she’s losing all the joy of life by hiding. Other than going to the diner or church, she has no social life.
“Hey, I’ve an idea.” I circle around her chair so she has to turn her head this way and that. It gets her to stop playing with her hair. “How about if I give you a private tour of my hotel? No one’s there at this time of the night, and if you feel like it, we can stop by the Sixty Miners for a drink afterwards.”
“You sure we’re not going to trip over Todd at the hotel?” She slides a suspicious grin at me. “Come on, Tami. What’s really happening?”
“We won’t trip over Todd or any widebody sheriffs.” I push up from the table and away from the brownies. “Promise. He’s pissed at me.”
“Whatever for? Sounds like a strong emotion.” She helps me repack the picnic basket. “I can’t eat all this, and Grady’s away. Maybe we should stop by the station and see if Todd’s over there.”
“Why are you bugging me about Todd?” I put my hands on my ample hips and bug my eyes out at her. “I’m telling you. It’s over. Done. I’m done. Not interested.”
“The lady doth protest too much.”
“I’ll prove it to you. Come with me to Harrowing Haunts and see how I’m not sneaking around the station.”
“Harrowing? I thought it was Hallowed Haunts.” She finally picks up a brownie and takes a bite. “These are so good. Todd loves frosted brownies loaded with bittersweet chocolate chips.”
“Yeah, well, too bad for him. He’s not getting any more of my goodies. I’m steering clear of the police station from now on. They can starve for all I care.”
“This I have to see.” Linx walks over to the kitchen and wraps bandages around her hands. She has to be careful not to injure the tender skin that has grown back after the hard, cracking burnt skin peeled off.
“Great. I can’t wait to show you the main gallery. We wallpapered it today, and there’s a giant mirror underneath the crystal chandelier. We might even scare up a few ghosts.”
“Spooky,” she says in a woo-woo voice. “Okay, Cedar, let’s go catch us some ghosts.”
“You’ll have to leave her here,” I cut in. “Spirits don’t like dogs. That’s why they have hounds to chase them into hell.”
