He balked. “No. I know it doesn’t work like that. I mean ... wait ... it doesn’t work like that, does it?”
She chuckled, amused despite herself. “Not that I’m aware of. Ivy said Jack was mentally tortured by dreams and he called to her somehow. She supplied the magic, and they worked through things together. It was their bond that made it happen.
“This was different,” she continued. “I didn’t sense evil in the woods, so I don’t think it was the killer. I didn’t sense anything romantic either, so you can push that worry out of your head.”
“Who said I was worried?”
She giggled, genuinely amused at the way his eyes flashed. He was full of bravado, but she sensed an undercurrent of weakness. “You shouldn’t worry. I’ll never love anyone like I love you. It’s impossible.”
She was so earnest, all he could do was sigh. “I’ll never love anyone like I love you either. You don’t have to reassure me. I was just feeling ... grumpy. It is the morning after all.”
“It is.” She linked her fingers with his and lifted their joined hands so she could study them for a beat. “It almost felt like another ghost.”
That was enough to jolt Jared. “Really?”
“Yeah. That’s how it felt to me. It happened so quickly, though. The presence was there and then gone.”
“Do you think it’s possible that another ghost somehow joined your meeting with Leslie?”
“Normally I would say no, but what about this is normal?” Her smile was rueful. “My life has been a whirlwind from the start. I bet you didn’t realize what you were getting yourself into when you asked me out for that first date.”
“Don’t kid yourself. I knew you were going to change my life. Believe it or not, the entire thing excited me. I’m still excited when I wake up next to you every morning.”
“Even when I have camping hair?”
“Even when.” He leaned in and gave her a soft kiss before sobering. “Do you think the second ghost is another victim we haven’t found? Is it possible Leslie isn’t the only one out there?”
Harper hesitated and then shrugged. “I honestly don’t know. The entire thing is ... so weird. I don’t know how to explain any of it.”
“But you’re sure you want to stay, right?”
She pinned him with a dirty look. “I’m totally sure. I’m not leaving until we figure this out. I can’t.”
“I know.” His lips curved as he rubbed his cheek against her soft skin. “I can’t leave either. I had to ask.”
“What if I’d said yes?”
“Then I would’ve done what was necessary to make you feel safe. That’s my biggest concern.”
Because she knew it was true, Harper felt comfortable letting loose with him … even if only for a short amount of time. “I feel pretty safe right now. In fact, I feel so safe, I might be willing to look the other way if some lumberjack who loves camping decided to take advantage of me.”
That earned a full-fledged chuckle. “Is that a fact?”
“It’s just a stray thought I had.”
“Well, I love it when you have stray thoughts.” He lowered his lips to hers. “Let’s see where the morning takes us, shall we?”
AN HOUR LATER, FRESHLY SHOWERED AND bright-eyed, Harper and Jared made their way to the pavilion. Shawn and Zander were already seated and looked to be deep in conversation. Harper and Jared grabbed food and moved to join them before something caught Jared’s attention and he veered to the left.
“Where are you going?” Harper queried, confused. Then her gaze fell on Sam, who sat at one of the far tables staring at his breakfast, alone. “Oh.” She didn’t offer up a word of complaint before following him. She was mildly interested if a night of sleep had adjusted Sam’s attitude.
“I’m not in the mood for any crap,” Sam said by way of greeting.
Apparently Sam’s attitude was just as surly as the night before, Harper internally mused. However, she followed Jared’s lead and sat next to him, almost directly across from Sam, rather than comment.
“Who says we’re here to give you any crap?” Jared countered, unwrapping his plasticware and placing the napkin on his lap. “Perhaps we’re just here to make sure you’re not alone for the first meal after ... well, after.”
“You mean after my wife ended up dead in the woods,” Sam spat, his eyes filling with fire. “I know what you’re up to.”
“Do you?” Jared refused to let the other man bait him into a fight. He knew better than most how to lull a man and draw information out of him. “What is it that you think we’re up to?”
“You want me to admit to killing my wife.”
“Did you kill your wife?”
“Of course not.” Frustration bubbled up as Sam gripped his napkin tighter, his knuckles turning white. “Why would I possibly want to kill Leslie? I mean ... that’s not who I am.”
Harper eyed him a moment, a forkful of eggs halfway to her mouth. “You don’t exactly seem broken up by what happened.”
Sam slammed his fist on the table, causing Harper to jolt, and glared daggers into her soul. “You have no idea what I’m feeling. Don’t tell me what I’m feeling!”
“Calm down,” Jared ordered in a low voice, his training on full display. “Don’t yell at her.”
Sam was incredulous. “I didn’t ask you two to join me. I didn’t ask for any of this.”
“Nobody says you did.” Jared was matter-of-fact. “That doesn’t change the fact that your wife is dead, and I haven’t seen you shed a single tear.”
“I didn’t realize tears were necessary for mourning.”
“Really?” Jared cocked his head. “I get that this has been ... jarring ... for you. People react to information like this is in different ways. Some immediately start crying. Others work through the shock and hold it together for an initial period of time before
