Harper pressed her lips together, amused despite herself. “I should introduce you to my friend Zander. I’m pretty sure his belief system aligns with yours.”
“I always wanted to live in the city,” she explained. “I grew up on a farm and I hated it. I had to work from morning until night during the summer months, when I was supposed to be out having a good time with my friends. I resented my parents for it.
“I thought I would get away,” she continued, a far-off expression on her face. “I had grand visions of taking off for Chicago right after my high school graduation.”
Since Michigan’s biggest city was Detroit — and the violence there served as something of a deterrent — Harper knew many state high schoolers dreamed of Chicago. It was bigger, played host to more opportunities, and had a better pedigree. It wasn’t surprising this woman dreamed of Chicago as an escape.
“I always wanted to end up in New Orleans,” Harper admitted. “Those times when I locked myself in my room, convinced my parents were the worst people ever, I dreamed of a magical city and everything I read told me that New Orleans would turn out to be that city.”
“Did you ever visit?”
Harper shook her head. “No, but it’s still on my bucket list. I would like to visit eventually. I still have plenty of time.”
“What made you decide to stay behind?”
“I just realized that Whisper Cove was magical on its own and that I would be sad if I moved somewhere else. Is that what happened to you?”
The ghost shook her head. “No. I met a man and made a mistake, one that changed the course of my life forever. I had to stay behind and raise that mistake.”
Harper shifted from one foot to the other, unease washing over her. “You got pregnant.”
“I believe that’s what I just said.”
“How long ago was that?”
“A long time. So long, in fact, it’s no longer important.”
Harper didn’t believe that, but she decided to change course. “How did you end up here?”
“I came looking for answers — I had suspicions, you see — and I wanted to see if they were true.”
“And your suspicions, did they turn out to be true?”
The woman shrugged. “In some ways they did. In other ways, though ... .”
She talked in riddles. Harper had never been a big fan of riddles. “What’s your name?”
“Does it matter?”
Harper let loose a sigh. “It obviously matters. Why do you keep asking that question? I get that you’re defeated. This isn’t how you saw your life going. I can help you there.”
“You can help me?” The ghost looked intrigued. “How can you help me? Can you travel back in time and save me from … this?”
“No, but I can help you move on.” Harper hoped the woman would be open to what she could offer. “There’s more out there than this.”
“I know. That’s what I miss ... the more.”
“Not this life.” Harper adamantly shook her head. “This life is the start. Your life is the middle. Unfortunately, souls can get mired in the middle too long. I’m afraid that’s what happened to you.”
“And what comes after the middle?”
“I don’t know what you call it. There might not be a name. It’s a warm place, though. There’s love ... and bright light ... and peace. I can help you get there.”
“How do you know about this other place? According to you, you’re still at the beginning of your journey.”
“I’ve seen it.” Harper offered up a pretty smile. “I’ve seen flashes of it when I’ve helped others cross. I can do the same for you.”
“Maybe.” The ghost drifted closer to the trees, slowly allowing her eyes to track back to Harper. “You’re in danger if you stay here. You know that, right?”
Harper’s heart skipped a beat. “Me, specifically, or everybody involved?”
“You, specifically. You need to be careful. Tomorrow is the final day. Whatever’s to come will happen then.”
“I’ll be careful,” Harper promised. “I want to help you, though. Just tell me your name.”
She opened her mouth, and Harper knew what question would escape her lips.
“It matters,” Harper insisted.
The ghost held her gaze for a bit and then began to disappear.
“It matters,” Harper repeated. “Please.”
The ghost didn’t answer, but the wind did.
Holly Horton.
And then she was gone, and Harper drifted under again.
16
Sixteen
Harper floated into wakefulness on a sea of chirping birds the next morning. At first she thought she was trapped in another dream, but the view through the skylight reminded her of her current location.
“It’s the last day,” she murmured, dragging a hand through her hair.
Next to her, Jared shifted and nodded, his lips automatically brushing her forehead. “It is. We’re not leaving until tomorrow, though, so even though we’re supposed to solve the fake murder today, we still have one night under the stars to enjoy.”
“That sounds nice ... kind of.”
He smirked. “I take it camping trips in our house are going to be few and far between, huh?”
“I like sleeping under the stars. I just think it would be better if we did it in a hammock.”
“Believe it or not, most campgrounds don’t have hammocks.”
“Yeah, well ... .” She shifted, propping herself so she could stare down at his handsome face. “I don’t want to lie. We’ve both agreed that’s not a good idea.”
“I’m almost afraid to hear what you’re about to tell me.”
Her smile was rueful. “I’m not sure I’m geared toward camping. It’s not how I remember from when I was kid.”
“To be fair, this hasn’t been a normal camping trip. There’s usually not a dead body and two ghosts included in a regular camping trip.”
“That’s true. It’s not just that, though.” She wet her lips. “I don’t want you to compare me to Zander because that feels unfair but ... I
