Haunted Ever After by Juliet Madison

he also taught them to dance. What a guy indeed. Though I hoped his instructions stopped there and didn’t include stripping, that would be taking it a bit too far.
    The performance ended with the team’s fists pushing high to the sky with the last burst of music, followed by a bow. The audience clapped and whistled, and everyone had a big smile on their faces. Maybe Ty hadn’t walked away from my performance in boredom after all, he just had to get ready for his own.
    As the team filtered off the stage, some with a bit of help, appreciation drew me towards them. Ty noticed me and waved me over.
    ‘What a great performance,’ I said.
    ‘Could say the same thing about yours,’ he replied.
    I flicked my hand. ‘Oh, it was just a bit of silly fun. But yours,’ I glanced at a few team members who had gathered around Ty, ‘yours was the most entertaining thing I’ve seen this year.’
    One of the young men’s faces glowed, and I reached out and shook his hand. ‘Well done,’ I said.
    The other young man, whose specialty was patting people’s heads, came close to me. ‘Would you like my autograph?’ he asked in a nasal voice that suggested he might be hard of hearing, or had had trouble learning to speak.
    ‘Cody!’ Ty gently whacked his friend on the chest.
    I chuckled and replied, ‘Yes indeed, I would love your autograph.’ I pulled a pen and notepad from my shoulder bag and handed it to him. He scrawled something illegible on it, then added a drawing.
    ‘It’s a tree,’ he said. ‘I like trees.’
    ‘I like trees too, how did you know?’ I smiled at him as he handed the paper back to me.
    ‘Sally, this is my brother Cody. Codes, this is Sally,’ Ty said.
    I held out my hand and Cody gripped it. A little too tightly, but it was cute. ‘Nice to meet you, Cody.’
    ‘You were right Ty, she is pretty,’ Cody said, and Ty’s face grew a little pink as he shushed his brother. ‘She’s like a beautiful tree.’
    Ty offered a lopsided smile, and pointed to my t-shirt. ‘See that, Codes? It means she’s getting married.’
    ‘To you?’
    ‘No, of course not! To someone else.’ He ruffled Cody’s wavy hair.
    Then without warning, Cody wrapped his arms around me in a warm hug. His hand patted my back lovingly, and although I stiffened at first, I soon softened and allowed myself to enjoy this random act of affection.
    ‘C’mon Codes, we better get everyone together and let Sally enjoy her day.’ He turned to me. ‘I’ve got to get everyone sorted out and back to their respective carers, but I might see you and your friends around a bit later. Maybe you can teach me some of your moves.’ He hooked his thumbs in his jeans pockets in a teasing mockery, and I covered my face with my hand and lowered my head.
    ‘Have a good day, Cody,’ I said, and he waved as he walked off with Ty.
    I turned around to find Red with her hand over her heart. ‘That was adorable. I think I’m going to cry.’ Her face contorted into a slightly exaggerated expression of happy crying. I left her there and walked back to my friends.
    ‘Let’s go Sal, I’ve found something fun for us to do!’ Lorena tugged on my jacket much the same way as Red had done, and out of my newly ingrained habit I considered breaking into a linedance again, but thought better of it.
    She led me towards the stalls.
    What surprise would greet me next?
    * * *
    ‘Palm reading?’ I asked.
    ‘Why not?’ Lorena shrugged. ‘It’ll be interesting.’
    ‘Guess so, but you know that stuff is just a load of hocus-pocus, right?’
    ‘Hocus-pocus or not, I’m in.’ Mel approached one of the kaftan-wearing women behind the stall and handed her some cash.
    ‘My shout,’ Lorena said. ‘Ooh, but wait. Do your jacket up and let’s get rid of this.’ She unclipped my tiara and I buttoned up my jacket, hiding the fact that I was a bride-to-be, unless they’d happened to see my tribal, bridal, mating ritual or whatever that man with the