Page 25 of It'll Always Be Her

ChapterSeven

Bee’s heart was beating ridiculously fast—at a pace in utter disproportion to Adam’s brief touch. But in that instant, everything inside her had wanted to yield.

She’d wanted him to keep touching her, to slide his hand to her nape and pull her closer. She’d wanted more than his fingers on her lips—she’d wanted his mouth. And she’d wanted to touch him in return.

She let out a slow breath and rubbed her arms, trying to quell her lingering desire. She’d have been surprised by the intensity of her reaction if she didn’t already know that Adam had a shockingly powerful effect on her. One that she needed to get under control so she could focus on both her job and her goal of saving the library.

She went back into the cupola, closing the door behind her. The first time she and Adam had touched, they were both startled by an electric shock. Even Bee could chalk that up to static electricity from dry air or the carpet.

But the books falling right when he’d been holding her necklace? She was alibrarian, for heaven’s sake. She knew how to stack books in a stable manner—that was practically a requirement of the job—so not even in her sleep would she ever have put them too close to the edge of the counter.

And the slamming door? Okay, maybe that was the wind.

Or not.

Captain Marcus could very well have been trying to interrupt them. The ghost had never before reacted to her presence—or anyone else’s, as far as she knew—but for the past few years, Captain Marcus hadn’t needed to interfere in anything she did.

Things were different now. Was it possible that the captain sensed Adam’s skepticism? But why would he want to interrupt their touching? Surely, Captain Marcus knew that Bee wouldn’t let Adam’s debunker beliefs change her own. No matter how tingly he made her feel.

Well. Whatever the ghost’s reasons, she shouldn’t be letting Adam touch her anyway, so the interruptions had been well-timed. Besides, she needed to remember that Adam had made some excellent points about John Marcus and his ghost.

Touching aside, Adam’s question rankled Bee more than she cared to admit. He didn’t even believe in ghosts, yet he’d presented an entirely reasonable argument as to why her theory about Captain Marcus made no sense.

And while she’d believed the captain just enjoyed hanging out at the Gardenia House—why wouldn’t anyone be happy living in a house once filled with love and good memories?—she needed to give Adam a plausible reason for why the ghost was haunting the library.

She snapped the lock on the door and pulled down the blinds so the sun wouldn’t fade the books and furniture. Of course,sheshould have thought of Adam’s scenario a long time ago.

She was by no means a ghost scholar or an expert on the paranormal. However, she considered herself well-versed in ghostly lore from the number of books she’d read both as a child and an adult. But she knew the history of the Gardenia House and of Captain Marcus. She should have easily made the connection between his life and his ghost.

She paused and looked at the captain’s portrait. Though the Historical Museum and the library had several, she’d always liked this painting of him the best.

His strong features were set in a serious expression, but the artist had captured a warm twinkle in his brown eyes, and a hint of a smile played on his lips.

He looked like a man who could take command of a crew of a hundred and pilot a ship across the Atlantic, then come home and play hide-and-seek with his nieces and nephews. He looked like a man who had a big, resounding laugh and a deep, gentle voice. His success with Marcus Shipping proved that he was intelligent, hardworking, and committed. And given the design of the Gardenia House, he clearly had a whimsical side too.

So as Adam had pointed out with infuriating logic, why would Captain Marcuschooseto haunt the Gardenia House alone in the afterlife rather than moving on?

She had better come up with a good answer soon. Otherwise, Adam might make up some salacious story about John being trapped here because of a murder or the presence of a demon.

Although she wasn’t too worried about the show trying to put a “demonic” spin on the Gardenia House. Demons didn’t sing—she assumed, anyway—and Adam and the rest of the crew were bound to capture Captain Marcus’s sea shanties on their recording devices. Not to mention, the ghost had never once done anything malevolent.

Still, she needed a reason for why John Marcus was still here—a convincing explanation that even analytical Adam would be hard pressed to dispute. She’d have plenty of time to research that tonight while the crew and Clyde were busy with filming.

Bee adjusted the telescope to focus again on the boardwalk, then tidied up a bit before going back downstairs.

“There you are, Honey Bee!” The lilting voice carried across the library's main floor as Destiny Rose swept toward her—a vision in a glittering green caftan, sparkling gold jewelry, and a rhinestone-studded hair comb ornamenting her long, curly black hair.

“Hi, Destiny.” Bee paused at the bottom of the staircase and hugged her friend in greeting. “Isn’t Moonbeams open today?”

“Oh, yes. Didn’t I tell you I have a new employee?” Destiny lifted her dramatically penciled eyebrows. “His name is Freddie, he’s twenty-two, and he’s in the folklore program at Skyline. He’s over six feet tall and has hair that would put Thor to shame.”

“What does Joe have to say about Freddie and his hair?” Bee asked, referring to Destiny’s…boyfriend? Love interest? Partner? Man toy?

No one knew for sure how serious Destiny was about Joe of Metalworks Hardware, except that they were often seen together walking around town or dining at the Mousehole. Joe bought extra pastries for her on a daily basis, and Destiny seemed to be floating on a cloud. Although that last one was Destiny’s usual state of being and likely had nothing to do with Joe.

“Joe was the one who told me to hire someone,” Destiny said. “He wants me to have more time for other pursuits, and who am I to argue? And speaking of pursuits, all this TV show activity is thrilling. I have no doubt that Captain Marcus will set everyone straight.”

“I hope so.” Bee and the library did have allies in Bliss Cove, and Destiny was one of the strongest. Her passionate letter to the editor, published inThe Bliss Cove Times, outlined all the ramifications of shutting down the Gardenia House, including rips in the universal fabric, the scattering of consciousness, and the destruction of positive energy.

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