‘Oh dear, I don’t think Joshua liked me telling him off.’
Rachel stared from the door back to Zoe and Jake. ‘That…are you for real? A g-ghost?’
She held up one hand when Zoe opened her mouth to speak. ‘No, don’t tell me. It’s probably better for my sanity if I just accept it. If I can handle getting hot and sweaty with an undertaker — sorry, funeral home employee — I’m sure I can get used to the idea of a ghost who likes to grope women when he feels like it.’
She broke off and turned towards the closed door. ‘But, you hear me, Joshua, you grab my ass again and I’ll do worse than Zoe. I’ll use your painting to line my cat’s litter tray.’
There was a loud thump on the timber door as if someone had pounded it with a clenched fist.
Rachel jumped. ‘Well, shit, there really is a ghost.’
Jake set Zoe from him and wiped at his streaming eyes. He hadn’t laughed this hard for years. ‘Sorry, Rachel, but he really does exist. Well, as far as ghosts do, I suppose.’
Zoe gave Rachel a quick hug. ‘Just ignore him, Rach. Joshua is harmless. Just don’t turn your back on him and he won’t go for your butt.’
‘Yeah, right, it’s not like I can see him,’ Rachel retorted.
‘At least we now know who mucked up your nice table settings,’ Jake said. ‘Guess he wanted our attention.’
‘All very well and good, but now we have to redo all the work.’ She glanced at her watch. ‘Come on, Rach, let’s get this out of the way.’
All of a sudden, Zoe frowned. ‘Hey, Jake, I just realised the time. Shouldn’t you be at work, as in the bank?’
‘That’s what I came in to tell you. I’ve got to fly to Sydney this afternoon for meetings. I’ll be back tomorrow afternoon. But in the meantime, I have some free time and I thought maybe we could get some of those portrait photos done. The sooner we get started on that the happier my mother will be.’
Zoe grimaced. ‘That’s a great idea, but I have to get this room sorted. I’ll need — ’
‘Go take your photos,’ Rachel interrupted. ‘I can handle this. Then I have to go do some research to track down more of those crystal door knobs for the dining room.’
‘You sure?’
Rachel didn’t answer. She simply picked up a handful of cutlery with one hand and pointed to the door with the other.
Jake wasn’t about to give Rachel time to change her mind. He grabbed Zoe’s hand and led her to the door. ‘Thanks, Rachel. I appreciate it.’
‘Hey, Jake,’ she called just as he disappeared through the door.
Jake stuck his head back inside. ‘Yes?’
‘You’re wrong, you know.’
Huh ? ‘I am? About what?’
‘Imagination is no substitute for the real thing. Your little game in here this morning might have made you hot, but the real thing? When it’s good, it’s very, very good and that type of heat will burn you from the inside out. You ready for that?’
Jake gulped. His blood heated at the mere thought of the ‘real thing’ with Zoe.
Was he ready for the fire?
Oh, yeah . Bring it on.
But was he ready to handle the disappointment if Zoe decided that was all she wanted — a little bit of rough and tumble to spice up her life while she completed this job? Would Zoe ever be ready to brave the fire of a committed relationship? Somehow, he just had to convince her…or the fire may very well burn him up and spit him out, a useless scrap of garbage. Then where would he be?
Chapter Seven
‘How about the old residence? It occurred to me it might be a good background for a painting.’ Jake waved to the wooded area behind the motel units.
Zoe frowned. ‘I didn’t even know there was a residence. Your mum didn’t get time to show us the whole property. Apparently, she had to go off to her gardening club or sewing club or something.’
Jake chuckled. ‘Her gossip club you mean. I don’t think I’ve ever seen my old mum lift a spade or pull a weed in her life. It’s just six old women who like to get
Rachel stared from the door back to Zoe and Jake. ‘That…are you for real? A g-ghost?’
She held up one hand when Zoe opened her mouth to speak. ‘No, don’t tell me. It’s probably better for my sanity if I just accept it. If I can handle getting hot and sweaty with an undertaker — sorry, funeral home employee — I’m sure I can get used to the idea of a ghost who likes to grope women when he feels like it.’
She broke off and turned towards the closed door. ‘But, you hear me, Joshua, you grab my ass again and I’ll do worse than Zoe. I’ll use your painting to line my cat’s litter tray.’
There was a loud thump on the timber door as if someone had pounded it with a clenched fist.
Rachel jumped. ‘Well, shit, there really is a ghost.’
Jake set Zoe from him and wiped at his streaming eyes. He hadn’t laughed this hard for years. ‘Sorry, Rachel, but he really does exist. Well, as far as ghosts do, I suppose.’
Zoe gave Rachel a quick hug. ‘Just ignore him, Rach. Joshua is harmless. Just don’t turn your back on him and he won’t go for your butt.’
‘Yeah, right, it’s not like I can see him,’ Rachel retorted.
‘At least we now know who mucked up your nice table settings,’ Jake said. ‘Guess he wanted our attention.’
‘All very well and good, but now we have to redo all the work.’ She glanced at her watch. ‘Come on, Rach, let’s get this out of the way.’
All of a sudden, Zoe frowned. ‘Hey, Jake, I just realised the time. Shouldn’t you be at work, as in the bank?’
‘That’s what I came in to tell you. I’ve got to fly to Sydney this afternoon for meetings. I’ll be back tomorrow afternoon. But in the meantime, I have some free time and I thought maybe we could get some of those portrait photos done. The sooner we get started on that the happier my mother will be.’
Zoe grimaced. ‘That’s a great idea, but I have to get this room sorted. I’ll need — ’
‘Go take your photos,’ Rachel interrupted. ‘I can handle this. Then I have to go do some research to track down more of those crystal door knobs for the dining room.’
‘You sure?’
Rachel didn’t answer. She simply picked up a handful of cutlery with one hand and pointed to the door with the other.
Jake wasn’t about to give Rachel time to change her mind. He grabbed Zoe’s hand and led her to the door. ‘Thanks, Rachel. I appreciate it.’
‘Hey, Jake,’ she called just as he disappeared through the door.
Jake stuck his head back inside. ‘Yes?’
‘You’re wrong, you know.’
Huh ? ‘I am? About what?’
‘Imagination is no substitute for the real thing. Your little game in here this morning might have made you hot, but the real thing? When it’s good, it’s very, very good and that type of heat will burn you from the inside out. You ready for that?’
Jake gulped. His blood heated at the mere thought of the ‘real thing’ with Zoe.
Was he ready for the fire?
Oh, yeah . Bring it on.
But was he ready to handle the disappointment if Zoe decided that was all she wanted — a little bit of rough and tumble to spice up her life while she completed this job? Would Zoe ever be ready to brave the fire of a committed relationship? Somehow, he just had to convince her…or the fire may very well burn him up and spit him out, a useless scrap of garbage. Then where would he be?
Chapter Seven
‘How about the old residence? It occurred to me it might be a good background for a painting.’ Jake waved to the wooded area behind the motel units.
Zoe frowned. ‘I didn’t even know there was a residence. Your mum didn’t get time to show us the whole property. Apparently, she had to go off to her gardening club or sewing club or something.’
Jake chuckled. ‘Her gossip club you mean. I don’t think I’ve ever seen my old mum lift a spade or pull a weed in her life. It’s just six old women who like to get
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