way.”
“That’ll work. Why don’t I drag you over there for supper, stay for the discussion about Scott. They promised me one.”
“No way.”
“So the former soldier is afraid to have a conversation about an imaginary ghost?”
“Calling me chicken won’t work.”
“Then come back with me and be there when we all sit down for a heart-to-heart. I’d say there’s no better time for us to ask the local experts all the questions we have spinning around in our minds. Get some answers. It’s the least they can do.”
Chapter Six
“ L ook who I found on my walk,” Julianne said as she sailed through the back door at the B&B. “I know Ryder wasn’t invited for dinner but… Turns out, he’s seen Scott, too.”
That’s as far as Julianne got when Jordan waved her off. “We’re used to having people drop in all the time. Come on in, Ryder. You’ll stay for dinner.”
“It happens to be standard operating procedure to make room at the table for extra guests at the last minute,” Nick added before giving Ryder a slap on the back. “How’s it going at the construction site? I’ve been meaning to stop by but it’s been hard to find the time.”
Ryder brought him up to speed on their progress. It gave them a topic as the four adults settled around the huge mahogany dining table. Though the kids, Hutton and Scott, had already eaten supper, the toddlers busied themselves by playing with the toys scattered around the room.
They sat down to roasted salmon and steamed asparagus. The first bite of fish had Julianne letting out a loud sigh. “This is delicious. The creamy sauce makes it pop.”
“It’s simple to make using white wine and lemon,” Jordan said. “I’ll give you the recipe before you check out Sunday.”
“I have several excellent prospects in the teaching department. Although my own principal keeps telling me hands off whenever I try to recruit the cream of the crop.”
“Don’t let up. We still have several positions to fill.”
“I’m hoping to interview two next week. I’ll do it in Santa Cruz although I do want them to see the school.” Julianne bided her time, waited for a lag in banter to finally steer the conversation to Scott. “Truth is I dragged Ryder here tonight because he’s had way more Scott encounters than I have. Don’t look at me like that,” she warned Ryder when he sent her a roll of his eyes. With a wave of her fork at him, she added, “They don’t think you’re crazy or hallucinating.” She looked at Jordan. “Go ahead, tell him.”
“No, you’re not crazy,” Jordan echoed. “I wish I could explain it better. But Scott’s presence here is because he loves this place, the town, his family, his friends. He watches over us. And because he has no malice in his heart, none of us want to see him leave.”
Noting the still-skeptical look on Ryder’s face, Nick folded his napkin and stood up. He retrieved a photo from the sideboard, the one of his former Guard buddy dressed in a wetsuit. “This was taken during Scott’s surfing days.” He held the picture out to Ryder. “If this is the guy you’ve seen around town, he died in Iraq. I know because I was there the day it happened. You’re not the first who thought they were paranoid or delusional after seeing him and I can guarantee you won’t be the last.”
“That’s him,” Ryder confirmed. “That’s the guy who’s been bugging me.”
“Here, let me see that,” Julianne said. “I saw the one in the living room on the mantel, the one where he’s dressed in his uniform. This is the Scott I saw, relaxed, smiling and enjoying himself.”
“I had a long talk with Cord,” Ryder admitted. “The entire ghost thing is a little hard for me to swallow. But I know what I saw. Or rather who I saw. If someone offered me the chance to pick him out of a lineup, that’s the guy I’d pick.”
“When he talked to me, he tossed out one line that indicated he knew I’d had help from
“That’ll work. Why don’t I drag you over there for supper, stay for the discussion about Scott. They promised me one.”
“No way.”
“So the former soldier is afraid to have a conversation about an imaginary ghost?”
“Calling me chicken won’t work.”
“Then come back with me and be there when we all sit down for a heart-to-heart. I’d say there’s no better time for us to ask the local experts all the questions we have spinning around in our minds. Get some answers. It’s the least they can do.”
Chapter Six
“ L ook who I found on my walk,” Julianne said as she sailed through the back door at the B&B. “I know Ryder wasn’t invited for dinner but… Turns out, he’s seen Scott, too.”
That’s as far as Julianne got when Jordan waved her off. “We’re used to having people drop in all the time. Come on in, Ryder. You’ll stay for dinner.”
“It happens to be standard operating procedure to make room at the table for extra guests at the last minute,” Nick added before giving Ryder a slap on the back. “How’s it going at the construction site? I’ve been meaning to stop by but it’s been hard to find the time.”
Ryder brought him up to speed on their progress. It gave them a topic as the four adults settled around the huge mahogany dining table. Though the kids, Hutton and Scott, had already eaten supper, the toddlers busied themselves by playing with the toys scattered around the room.
They sat down to roasted salmon and steamed asparagus. The first bite of fish had Julianne letting out a loud sigh. “This is delicious. The creamy sauce makes it pop.”
“It’s simple to make using white wine and lemon,” Jordan said. “I’ll give you the recipe before you check out Sunday.”
“I have several excellent prospects in the teaching department. Although my own principal keeps telling me hands off whenever I try to recruit the cream of the crop.”
“Don’t let up. We still have several positions to fill.”
“I’m hoping to interview two next week. I’ll do it in Santa Cruz although I do want them to see the school.” Julianne bided her time, waited for a lag in banter to finally steer the conversation to Scott. “Truth is I dragged Ryder here tonight because he’s had way more Scott encounters than I have. Don’t look at me like that,” she warned Ryder when he sent her a roll of his eyes. With a wave of her fork at him, she added, “They don’t think you’re crazy or hallucinating.” She looked at Jordan. “Go ahead, tell him.”
“No, you’re not crazy,” Jordan echoed. “I wish I could explain it better. But Scott’s presence here is because he loves this place, the town, his family, his friends. He watches over us. And because he has no malice in his heart, none of us want to see him leave.”
Noting the still-skeptical look on Ryder’s face, Nick folded his napkin and stood up. He retrieved a photo from the sideboard, the one of his former Guard buddy dressed in a wetsuit. “This was taken during Scott’s surfing days.” He held the picture out to Ryder. “If this is the guy you’ve seen around town, he died in Iraq. I know because I was there the day it happened. You’re not the first who thought they were paranoid or delusional after seeing him and I can guarantee you won’t be the last.”
“That’s him,” Ryder confirmed. “That’s the guy who’s been bugging me.”
“Here, let me see that,” Julianne said. “I saw the one in the living room on the mantel, the one where he’s dressed in his uniform. This is the Scott I saw, relaxed, smiling and enjoying himself.”
“I had a long talk with Cord,” Ryder admitted. “The entire ghost thing is a little hard for me to swallow. But I know what I saw. Or rather who I saw. If someone offered me the chance to pick him out of a lineup, that’s the guy I’d pick.”
“When he talked to me, he tossed out one line that indicated he knew I’d had help from
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