*
“Hey, fur face!” Charlie clapped her hands and the dog whipped his head around.
Bridget, on the other hand, held her head in her hands. “You’re back.”
“I never left. I guess it’s not an exaggeration if you say I’m a pain in the head, huh? Is that better or worse than being a pain in the ass?”
“Ha-ha,” Bridget deadpanned. Slowly, she raised her head. Her eyes widened. “Barnaby can see and hear you.”
The dog ran through Charlie. “I thought you knew that from the other day.”
“It didn’t register. Remember, I thought I was going crazy.”
“Does that mean you didn’t ask about Nick?”
“Then again, I could have a brain tumor and I’m just seeing things. Why else would I have these headaches?”
Charlie went to Bridget and knelt. “I’m sorry I give you the headaches, but you’re not crazy.” She placed her hand on Bridget’s knee. “You feel me, don’t you? How can you say I’m not real?”
“A damaged mind can trick you into all sorts of things.”
“Damn, you’re stubborn, you know that? What do I have to do to get you to admit I’m not a hallucination?” Barnaby bumped into her. Instinctively, she pet the mutt with her free hand. His fur was soft through her fingers. “Holy shit! I can touch him.”
Barnaby licked Charlie’s face. More like slobbered. Charlie hugged the dog with both arms and Barnaby fell through her, landing at Bridget’s feet.
“What did you do?” Bridget asked. “He touched you, didn’t he?”
“Give me your hand.”
Once they connected, Charlie reached out. The couch became solid. The dog became solid. Keeping her hold on Bridget, she sat on the couch and sunk into the cushions. What a rush. She stared at her dog and slapped her thigh. “Come here, boy.”
Barnaby lobbed over and jumped up, his front paws landing in Charlie’s lap.
“Sweet Jesus!” She bent down and nuzzled the top of the beast’s head. His fur tickled her face and he smelled just like she remembered. “Oh baby, how I missed you.”
Barnaby slobbered some more and wagged his tail.
She turned to Bridget. “You’re a miracle. I knew it the minute you saw me. But this is just…wonderful. Thank you.” Her vision blurred and she blinked back tears. Damn, she could cry?
“Don’t thank me, yet. I haven’t done anything.” Bridget rubbed her temple.
“So you didn’t find anything about Nick?”
Bridget shook her head. “I didn’t have enough time during lunch. I’d ask Rob, but how do I bring up Nick without sounding crazy?”
“Yeah, that would be a problem, unless….” Charlie stood, breaking the connection. “Follow me.” She led the way to the desk in the spare bedroom. “Open the top drawer.”
The desk, one of those old wooden monstrosities, had belonged to her father back at his office. After he died, Rob hadn’t wanted it, but Charlie had no problem keeping it.
Bridget tugged and freed the drawer. “It’s empty.”
“Not quite. Look inside.”
Bridget turned on the lamp. Her eyes widened.
“Can you use that?”
“I don’t know. Maybe.” Bridget rubbed her temples.
“Then I’ll give you a break.” Charlie willed herself to the backyard.
It wasn’t fair. Spending months being invisible and soundless had been sheer agony. Now when someone broke those barriers, and more than that, made her world solid once again, her mere existence was painful to that person.
What was a ghost to do? Maybe Bridget just needed to be eased into her ability—small doses of Charlie. Yeah, that was it. No reason to bombard Bridget.
Charlie clenched her teeth. But, damn, that would be hard. Like rehab all over again. Who knew her addiction would evolve into a ghost-seeing woman?
Chapter 10
Rob closed the box on the half-eaten pizza. “You like leftover pizza?”
Bridget drained her beer. “Nothing better than cold pizza for breakfast.”
Lots of things were better. Such as kissing her, or loving her, or waking up beside her.
“Hey, fur face!” Charlie clapped her hands and the dog whipped his head around.
Bridget, on the other hand, held her head in her hands. “You’re back.”
“I never left. I guess it’s not an exaggeration if you say I’m a pain in the head, huh? Is that better or worse than being a pain in the ass?”
“Ha-ha,” Bridget deadpanned. Slowly, she raised her head. Her eyes widened. “Barnaby can see and hear you.”
The dog ran through Charlie. “I thought you knew that from the other day.”
“It didn’t register. Remember, I thought I was going crazy.”
“Does that mean you didn’t ask about Nick?”
“Then again, I could have a brain tumor and I’m just seeing things. Why else would I have these headaches?”
Charlie went to Bridget and knelt. “I’m sorry I give you the headaches, but you’re not crazy.” She placed her hand on Bridget’s knee. “You feel me, don’t you? How can you say I’m not real?”
“A damaged mind can trick you into all sorts of things.”
“Damn, you’re stubborn, you know that? What do I have to do to get you to admit I’m not a hallucination?” Barnaby bumped into her. Instinctively, she pet the mutt with her free hand. His fur was soft through her fingers. “Holy shit! I can touch him.”
Barnaby licked Charlie’s face. More like slobbered. Charlie hugged the dog with both arms and Barnaby fell through her, landing at Bridget’s feet.
“What did you do?” Bridget asked. “He touched you, didn’t he?”
“Give me your hand.”
Once they connected, Charlie reached out. The couch became solid. The dog became solid. Keeping her hold on Bridget, she sat on the couch and sunk into the cushions. What a rush. She stared at her dog and slapped her thigh. “Come here, boy.”
Barnaby lobbed over and jumped up, his front paws landing in Charlie’s lap.
“Sweet Jesus!” She bent down and nuzzled the top of the beast’s head. His fur tickled her face and he smelled just like she remembered. “Oh baby, how I missed you.”
Barnaby slobbered some more and wagged his tail.
She turned to Bridget. “You’re a miracle. I knew it the minute you saw me. But this is just…wonderful. Thank you.” Her vision blurred and she blinked back tears. Damn, she could cry?
“Don’t thank me, yet. I haven’t done anything.” Bridget rubbed her temple.
“So you didn’t find anything about Nick?”
Bridget shook her head. “I didn’t have enough time during lunch. I’d ask Rob, but how do I bring up Nick without sounding crazy?”
“Yeah, that would be a problem, unless….” Charlie stood, breaking the connection. “Follow me.” She led the way to the desk in the spare bedroom. “Open the top drawer.”
The desk, one of those old wooden monstrosities, had belonged to her father back at his office. After he died, Rob hadn’t wanted it, but Charlie had no problem keeping it.
Bridget tugged and freed the drawer. “It’s empty.”
“Not quite. Look inside.”
Bridget turned on the lamp. Her eyes widened.
“Can you use that?”
“I don’t know. Maybe.” Bridget rubbed her temples.
“Then I’ll give you a break.” Charlie willed herself to the backyard.
It wasn’t fair. Spending months being invisible and soundless had been sheer agony. Now when someone broke those barriers, and more than that, made her world solid once again, her mere existence was painful to that person.
What was a ghost to do? Maybe Bridget just needed to be eased into her ability—small doses of Charlie. Yeah, that was it. No reason to bombard Bridget.
Charlie clenched her teeth. But, damn, that would be hard. Like rehab all over again. Who knew her addiction would evolve into a ghost-seeing woman?
Chapter 10
Rob closed the box on the half-eaten pizza. “You like leftover pizza?”
Bridget drained her beer. “Nothing better than cold pizza for breakfast.”
Lots of things were better. Such as kissing her, or loving her, or waking up beside her.
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