Bright and early the next morning, with the snow melting off everything, Brett arrived at work feeling good about the ghost situation. He was certain he’d taken care of his great-aunt and Chrissy and that they’d found peace. He wasn’t happy about Ellie dating other wolves though. From what Laurel told him, Ellie was having lunch with Cantrell and dinner with Robert. And tomorrow, she was having lunch with Kemp and dinner with Radcliff. She didn’t eat big breakfasts and Brett had to be at the paper so early, so he really couldn’t have breakfast with her.
He reminded himself he should be glad about the ghost situation. The MacTire sisters wouldn’t have to worry about their inn guests, whose arrival was fast approaching. He just hoped he could square things between Ellie and him.
As soon as he began to type up his next story, CJ called.
“Hey, Brett, you’re busted.”
“What?” Brett didn’t have a clue what his brother was talking about, but CJ didn’t sound like he was in real trouble.
“Just so you know, Laurel said she suspected you had brought all that stuff packed with sage into the inn in an attempt to get rid of their ghosts.”
Brett barely breathed. What could he say? It was all true.
“They were amused,” CJ said. “I think.”
Brett was relieved. “Did it work?”
“Since we all heard Matilda playing the piano while we were watching Sleepy Hollow, I’d say no.”
“What? I thought Mervin was playing.” Brett couldn’t have been more surprised.
“Apparently not. Laurel was curious whether your sage gifts worked, because neither she nor her sisters had seen Matilda or Chrissy during the Halloween festivities. She called Mervin and asked him about the music, but he said he hadn’t played the piano any more after we left. He’d only handed out candy to a couple more families. The street was empty, and he wanted to go home and watch some TV, so he locked up the front door and left through the back.”
“You’re sure the sisters were amused?”
“I think so. Amused that you’d do it on the sly, with the hope you could help them and Matilda at the same time. I think Laurel was a little disappointed it didn’t work.”
“So, it does work sometimes?”
“She says yes. Every entity is different, just like in life. Apparently, the sage or Halloween or something moved Matilda to play after everyone left.”
“If Matilda plays only when everyone is gone, I guess that won’t cause trouble for anyone.” Though Brett reminded himself that Matilda had appeared when he was kissing Ellie, so she didn’t always stay away when people were around.
“Unless she’s annoyed that people are there when she wants to play,” CJ said.
While listening to CJ, Brett hurried to look up other ways to expel ghosts from a place, glad that what he had done helped sometimes, even if not this time. Though he might have helped to send Chrissy away. But then he considered that the only way this might work was if he and Ellie could learn what had really happened to Matilda.
“How much did it cost you for everything?” CJ asked.
“Under a hundred.”
“You sure impressed the ladies.”
Brett chuckled. “It sounded like Laurel loved her roses.”
“Yeah, about that… If you’re going to do something like that for Ellie when Laurel and I will be there, let me know beforehand, will you?”
Brett laughed. “Peter didn’t seem to be bothered that he hadn’t gotten anything for Meghan.”
“Laurel said Peter sent her three dozen roses this morning. Must have cost him a fortune.”
Amused, Brett shook his head.
“Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that your scheme didn’t work, the ladies are onto you, and they’ll take care of the ghost issue themselves.”
“I didn’t think they could. Why else would the ghosts be hanging around?”
“True. They haven’t had any luck so far.”
“What about Stanton?”
“No. Not only is the price he’s asking ludicrous, but the sisters wouldn’t have any part of it.”
Brett began reading how mirrors in every room could help get rid of ghosts. But the sisters had mirrors in all the inn’s rooms, including in the attic. Yet, he didn’t think they had one in the lobby. Still, he couldn’t just hang a mirror there without first asking if the ladies wanted one.
Priest-blessed water was another option. But the one he liked the best was talking to the ghost.
“Can you help the ladies take down the Halloween lights and put up the crystal lights for the holidays? They’ll be good through New Year’s after that,” CJ said.
“Sure thing.”
“Thanks. That’s a sure way to ingratiate yourself with the ladies, if you hadn’t already. I’ll be by a little later to help.”
Brett had helped CJ set up Christmas lights all over the inn last year, so it seemed natural to do it again this holiday season. He was happy to help.
“And by the way, the first of our ski patrollers is having lunch with Ellie at Silver Town Tavern at noon. Just in case you forgot.”
As if Brett would forget. He had every date listed on his calendar. He was trying hard to convince himself not to drop over there.
“Do you want to have lunch with me there? I can cancel on Laurel. She’ll understand. Probably welcome it.”
“No, that’s okay. I’ve got work to do.”
“All right. See you later.”
How would it look if Brett did drop by to eat lunch at the tavern? Like he was checking up on Ellie. That’s how.
* * *
Ellie really liked all the wolves she had scheduled dates with, but she wasn’t interested in dating any of them. She figured she’d just have a meal and some conversation with them, and then she’d go out with the next guy. She was wearing jeans and a nice shirt, boots and a ski jacket like she usually would when she went out to eat.
What she hadn’t expected was to see Darien and Jake Silver sitting at a table near the one where Sam had seated her.
“Hey, Ellie,” the brothers both said in greeting. They were smiling and didn’t appear to be upset with her for dating wolves other than their cousin. She knew that the Silver brothers often ate here, so she should have remembered that when she had agreed to the dates. Maybe she should have chosen to go to Silva’s for lunch instead.
Then Brett’s brothers sauntered in, Eric and Sarandon, who both nodded in greeting, then joined Darien and Jake. Tom and CJ showed up and sat at a table on the other side of hers. Talk about feeling like she was on view at the zoo! She’d gotten here early to get a good table and realized Darien usually sat at a different table back in the corner from which he watched all the comings and goings as the pack leader. He wasn’t usually this close to the front door and big windows.
Tom and CJ were best friends, both the youngest by a few minutes. Brett was best friends with them too, and she was surprised he wasn’t here having lunch with them. She gave him credit for staying away, because she was certain if the others knew she was eating here today, so did Brett. She thought CJ had a lunch date with Laurel. Ellie hoped she didn’t end up here too.
Her date, Robert, arrived all smiles, wearing jeans and a pretty blue wool sweater, and he was carrying yet another box of chocolates and a bouquet of flowers. Rose from Green Valley sold the flowers to everyone in Silver Town because she was a wolf and they didn’t have their own florist shop. She actually had a nursery too and was probably thrilled at all the recent sales.
Ellie noticed that, like the other boxes of chocolates, this one was from her aunt Charity’s shop. She hoped Aunt Charity didn’t learn the boxes were all for her because she was dating a bunch of different guys.
“You’re early.” Robert greeted the men with a tilt of his head. He didn’t seem to mind that the Silvers were there watching them. Ellie knew they were without even looking in their direction because instead of conversing, they were deadly quiet.
“You’re early too.” She was glad he had made the effort to come early.
“I thought I’d grab a table first. I couldn’t miss this for the world.”
She thought he might be referring to the chance to rib Brett rather than their actual date. And she loved what a good sport he was. She wondered if CJ would tell Brett the details of the date since he wasn’t here.
Then the door jingled. She tried not to look, tried to concentrate on what Robert was saying, but as soon as she heard the door close and smelled Brett’s sexy scent, her pheromones began pinging all over the place.
A fine sheen of perspiration appeared, and she felt self-conscious. All because Brett was the one she wanted to be with. No one else. Still, she held her chin up, smiled at Brett in greeting, and then tried once again to concentrate on Robert’s conversation. He was talking about taking her up on the slopes for more advanced ski lessons. He was on ski patrol, but he also took turns giving lessons.
Private, one-on-one lessons.
She knew all the Silver men were excellent skiers, and all but Darien gave lessons from time to time. So she suspected Brett wouldn’t like it if she signed up for private lessons with any of the guys she was dating. She also suspected that all of them would make the offer.
She hadn’t realized how much of a strain going out with other guys could be though. She’d become familiar with Brett, and she liked the easiness they had between them. Of course, some of the uneasiness she was feeling was because Brett was now watching her. Maybe he wasn’t. Maybe he was just visiting with his brother and cousin. They were awfully quiet over there. Like they were listening in on the conversation.
“So, do you believe in ghosts? Have you seen any?” she asked Robert, because that was one of her stipulations for dating anyone else.
“Nah, never saw one, but I like to keep an open mind.”
Well, not that she really wanted to take this dating business with Robert anywhere, but she realized that some of the guys might have wanted to go out with her whether they were into ghosts or not. At least she was a little further along with Brett with regard to the ghost issue.
She glanced in Brett’s direction, unable to keep from looking. He smiled at her and winked, the cad.
“Do you have time to take a walk after lunch?” she asked Robert, her mind made up to remind Brett that this was what he had suggested.
Robert glanced at all the Silver men as if deciding if he could do it without having a pack of wolves at his throat.
“That’s okay. I’ve got to run.” She was really glad he hadn’t wanted to. She thanked him for a lovely lunch, and he quickly paid the bill and hurried after her as she carried her flowers and box of candy outside. “Were they intimidating you?” she asked Robert as he joined her and opened her car door.
“Nah, not really. I knew if I asked you out and had lunch here, the pack of them would show up. Everyone’s looking out for everyone’s welfare. So I knew what to expect and it didn’t bother me.”
“You didn’t ask me to go anywhere else for a date.”
Robert smiled. “I want to live a few more years.”
She laughed. “I had fun. And thanks so much for the roses and candy.”
“I have to warn you… So many of us dropped by your aunt Charity’s candy shop for boxes of candy that she asked who the lucky girls were. When we all said you, she pursed her lips and didn’t look real pleased. You might be getting a call later.”
“All of you went in at the same time?” Ellie couldn’t believe it.
“Yeah, to make sure we all got something different. Once Charity realized all the boxes of candy were for you, she told us which you preferred.”
“Anything chocolate.”
“That’s what she said.”
Ellie wondered if she was going to get a call from her aunt with more motherly advice. Tonight she had dinner with Cantrell, but afterward she had to get back home to help put up lights so she’d still see Brett. It should have bothered her that he was going to do all that work for them when she was seeing other guys, but he had offered.
Before she could climb into her car, Eric headed out of the tavern, glanced at them and nodded, then hurried to his vehicle. She was kind of surprised to see him here because he had such a long drive to make from the park as a ranger. Darien and Jake left after that. Then Sarandon. It was a steady stream of Silver wolves checking out the situation.
Robert looked like he was waiting for everyone to take off so he could give her a kiss, but she smiled and said good-bye and headed out, not wanting him to kiss her and think she might be interested in more.
* * *
“He’s not going to kiss her,” Brett said to CJ and Tom.
“Hell, we’re talking about Robert here,” CJ said. “If he could get away with it, he’d kiss her.”
Tom raised his bottle of water in a salute. “I’m sure my brothers and your brother thwarted him.”
Brett was certain of it too, as quickly as Eric left the tavern after Robert and Ellie. He knew Eric had really left so soon because he had to get back to the park. Brett couldn’t believe Eric had made the time to even come here for this. Appreciating his older brother’s concern, Brett knew Eric was still annoyed with him for even suggesting that Ellie should date anyone else. All the Silver men were still in agreement over that, no matter how much Brett tried to explain his perfectly plausible supposition and mistake in sharing it with her.
When CJ had texted Brett that he and the rest of the gang were at the tavern and missing him, Brett had smiled and texted him back, saying he was on his way. It reminded him of the old days when they’d looked out for each other when a wolf encroached on their territory.
“I thought you had a date with Laurel.” Brett finished his sandwich.
“She canceled on me and said if I didn’t get my ass over here and watch over Ellie, I was in the doghouse. And you know that’s pretty bad. Hell, I’ve got to come back here for dinner too.”
Tom and Brett laughed.
“So how long are you going to let this go on?” Tom took another swig of his water.
“She’s got dates with four guys. That should be enough.”
“To realize you’re the one for her?” CJ asked.
At least Brett hoped so.
CJ finished his sandwich. “Are you still hanging lights tonight?”
“Yeah, whether she’ll be there or not.” A promise was a promise.
“Have any dinner plans?” CJ asked.
Brett smiled. He sure as hell did.