for her hard-bodied grandson.”
“That’s not it. You are so far off base.” Delaney laughed but it sounded hollow, forced.
“You want to prove yourself to him. He thinks you’re a spoiled rich Cartwright, and you want to show him he’s wrong.”
Now that was probably the real truth. Delaney didn’t have a comeback.
“Personally, I think taking the job was a great move. I mean, did you check out his butt? Makes a girl feel faint just looking at it.” Skylar fanned herself.
“You’re a ghost; haven’t you gotten past physical lust?”
“Hey, indulge me. I never got to have sex when I was alive.”
“Really? That’s sad.”
“Don’t feel sorry for me, just let me live vicariously through you a little.” Today Skylar was wearing a tie-dyed T-shirt and a blue-jean miniskirt and fisherman’s wading boots.
“What’s with the boots?”
“Borrowed ’em from Granddad. He said to say ‘hi,’ by the way.”
“Tell him ‘hi’ back.”
“Will do.”
“What do you need wading boots for in whatever place it is where ghosts hang out?” she asked.
“You keep getting this all wrong, Laney. I’m not really a ghost. You’re dreaming me up. Whatever I wear, you’re the one who dressed me in it. For whatever weird reasons are churning around in that disturbed brain of yours.”
“So I can change you out of wading boots?”
“Sure. Give it a try.”
Delaney imagined Skylar in glass slippers, and darned if the wading boots didn’t fade away and glass slippers take their place.
“Cinderella, cool.” Skylar stuck her legs out in front of her to admire the shoes. “Now all I need is a Prince Charming.”
“Okay, this is officially freaky.”
“No, it’s not. There’s nothing more natural than dreaming. So anyway, back to the hottie. He’s so much cuter than Evan.”
“Evan’s cute,” Delaney said defensively.
“Please, Evan looks like he’s been popped from a cookie-cutter mold. Handsome rich doctor from central casting, anyone? Come on, wouldn’t you rather have a real man like that delicious Nick Vinetti?” Skylar licked her lips.
“You’re not being fair to Evan.”
“Yes, okay, he is a nice guy. But I remember the time when he was twelve and dropped a pocketful of change on the ground so he could get a good look up my skirt.”
“Evan’s not like that.”
“Maybe not now, but he was back then. Believe me, I was there.”
“How can I trust that tidbit of information if, as you claim, everything you say is something I’m making up in my head?”
“Good question.” Skylar propped her chin in her palm. “Keep it in mind whenever you’re talking to me.”
“You’re messing with my head.”
“No, you’re messing with your own head.”
“Maybe you should just go away.”
“Maybe you should just wake up.”
“Maybe I will.”
“Fine with me.”
Delaney flopped over onto her side, refusing to look at Skylar anymore.
“You’re not waking up.”
“You don’t know Evan the way I do. You don’t know how he was there for me after you died. He comforted me. Helped me through it. He was my only real friend until I met Tish. He liked me when I was ugly, Sky. Before the surgery and the weight loss and the braces.”
Skylar lay down on the bed next to her, stacked her hands under her cheek, and gazed into Delaney’s eyes. “He’s a compulsive helper, Delaney. He’ll always be where someone needs help, and as soon as they’re emotionally strong enough not to need him anymore, he’ll find someone who does need him.”
“Evan would never cheat on me.”
“I’m not saying he would. I’m just predicting he’ll always be standing you up in favor of his work. Unless you’re in a crisis. Then he’ll be there.”
“He’s a doctor, for Pete’s sake. Surely you get that his patients must come first.”
“My point exactly. You’ll always play second fiddle.”
“It would be pretty petty of me to be jealous of sick people,” she
“That’s not it. You are so far off base.” Delaney laughed but it sounded hollow, forced.
“You want to prove yourself to him. He thinks you’re a spoiled rich Cartwright, and you want to show him he’s wrong.”
Now that was probably the real truth. Delaney didn’t have a comeback.
“Personally, I think taking the job was a great move. I mean, did you check out his butt? Makes a girl feel faint just looking at it.” Skylar fanned herself.
“You’re a ghost; haven’t you gotten past physical lust?”
“Hey, indulge me. I never got to have sex when I was alive.”
“Really? That’s sad.”
“Don’t feel sorry for me, just let me live vicariously through you a little.” Today Skylar was wearing a tie-dyed T-shirt and a blue-jean miniskirt and fisherman’s wading boots.
“What’s with the boots?”
“Borrowed ’em from Granddad. He said to say ‘hi,’ by the way.”
“Tell him ‘hi’ back.”
“Will do.”
“What do you need wading boots for in whatever place it is where ghosts hang out?” she asked.
“You keep getting this all wrong, Laney. I’m not really a ghost. You’re dreaming me up. Whatever I wear, you’re the one who dressed me in it. For whatever weird reasons are churning around in that disturbed brain of yours.”
“So I can change you out of wading boots?”
“Sure. Give it a try.”
Delaney imagined Skylar in glass slippers, and darned if the wading boots didn’t fade away and glass slippers take their place.
“Cinderella, cool.” Skylar stuck her legs out in front of her to admire the shoes. “Now all I need is a Prince Charming.”
“Okay, this is officially freaky.”
“No, it’s not. There’s nothing more natural than dreaming. So anyway, back to the hottie. He’s so much cuter than Evan.”
“Evan’s cute,” Delaney said defensively.
“Please, Evan looks like he’s been popped from a cookie-cutter mold. Handsome rich doctor from central casting, anyone? Come on, wouldn’t you rather have a real man like that delicious Nick Vinetti?” Skylar licked her lips.
“You’re not being fair to Evan.”
“Yes, okay, he is a nice guy. But I remember the time when he was twelve and dropped a pocketful of change on the ground so he could get a good look up my skirt.”
“Evan’s not like that.”
“Maybe not now, but he was back then. Believe me, I was there.”
“How can I trust that tidbit of information if, as you claim, everything you say is something I’m making up in my head?”
“Good question.” Skylar propped her chin in her palm. “Keep it in mind whenever you’re talking to me.”
“You’re messing with my head.”
“No, you’re messing with your own head.”
“Maybe you should just go away.”
“Maybe you should just wake up.”
“Maybe I will.”
“Fine with me.”
Delaney flopped over onto her side, refusing to look at Skylar anymore.
“You’re not waking up.”
“You don’t know Evan the way I do. You don’t know how he was there for me after you died. He comforted me. Helped me through it. He was my only real friend until I met Tish. He liked me when I was ugly, Sky. Before the surgery and the weight loss and the braces.”
Skylar lay down on the bed next to her, stacked her hands under her cheek, and gazed into Delaney’s eyes. “He’s a compulsive helper, Delaney. He’ll always be where someone needs help, and as soon as they’re emotionally strong enough not to need him anymore, he’ll find someone who does need him.”
“Evan would never cheat on me.”
“I’m not saying he would. I’m just predicting he’ll always be standing you up in favor of his work. Unless you’re in a crisis. Then he’ll be there.”
“He’s a doctor, for Pete’s sake. Surely you get that his patients must come first.”
“My point exactly. You’ll always play second fiddle.”
“It would be pretty petty of me to be jealous of sick people,” she
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