the dead ought to stay dead.’
‘Ironic that she ended up haunting you, then.’
Gwen smiled. ‘I hadn’t thought of that.’
Katie wondered if there was a way to choose your power. She really didn’t want to start hearing dead people. And she didn’t want any more nightmares, either.
‘Iris left once she’d protected me. Maybe it was unfinished business that kept her around. Maybe your spirit has something that’s keeping them here.’
‘Something that makes them want to knock Max unconscious?’
Gwen shrugged. ‘Maybe. We don’t know anything about him. Maybe he’s bad news.’
‘He does want Mr Cole’s watch. Says he won it off him,’ Katie said.
‘He’s too good-looking and he knows it,’ Gwen said.
‘He’s not that good-looking,’ Katie lied.
‘Could be fun,’ Gwen said, with a wicked smile.
Luckily, Katie was saved from answering by her uncle Cam. He opened the back door and said, ‘There’s a man in the house. Is he one of yours?’
‘That’s Max,’ Gwen said. ‘Be nice.’
‘I’m always nice,’ Cam said and disappeared inside.
‘Uh-oh,’ Gwen said, getting up.
‘Why uh-oh?’ Katie said, but she followed Gwen anyway.
In the kitchen, Max was leaning against the counter, a glass of lemonade in one hand. Cam was leaning on the opposite counter, arms crossed, his expression unreadable.
‘Why don’t you go and change?’ Gwen said, kissing Cam. ‘You must be roasting.’ Cam was still in his work suit. He put his arm around Gwen but didn’t look away from Max.
‘So, you’re a friend of Katie’s. That’s nice.’
‘I’m really sorry about this,’ Katie said, crossing the room to stand with Max. ‘They’re not usually like this.’
‘I got the lemonade.’ Max hoisted the glass a little.
Standing closer, Katie could see Max was sweating although his face was quite pale. He had an unhealthy sheen. ‘You have it,’ Katie said. ‘And sit down. You look a bit wobbly.’
‘I’m fine,’ Max said, but he sat down at the table.
Katie looked at Gwen. ‘Could he have concussion? I thought just a chip of the vase hit him, but if it was going fast enough—’
‘I don’t think the lemon agrees with me.’ He got up and stumbled out of the kitchen.
‘Why are you being like this?’
Cam smiled. ‘Your dad isn’t here — I figured it was my duty. And I don’t like him.’
‘I got that,’ Katie said. She filled a glass of cold water and drank it quickly, then rolled the glass against her hot forehead.
‘Look at you, all protective,’ Gwen said. She kissed Cam on the cheek.
‘I’m serious,’ Cam said. ‘I don’t think you should see him any more. He’s bad news.’
‘How can you possibly know that?’ Katie didn’t see any reason to inform her uncle that Max was almost certainly not going to be kissing her again any time soon.
‘Honey, I was him,’ Cam said. ‘He’s young and randy and ready to sleep with anything that moves.’
Katie said, ‘Ew, gross,’ at the same time as Gwen said, ‘Anything?’
‘You just have to remember that he’ll be doing all his thinking with his—’
Gwen stepped quickly away from Cam. She looked outraged. ‘I didn’t have you pegged as sexist.’
‘What?’ Cam said. ‘I just don’t want Katie to get hurt. Men like that—’
‘Maybe she just wants to have fun, too. Did you ever think of that? Women like sex, too, you know.’
‘Oh, God,’ Katie said, practically running for the door. ‘This conversation is not happening.’
‘You don’t need to be ashamed of your sexuality or your needs,’ Gwen called after her.
‘Bye,’ Katie said. ‘Thanks for the lemonade. Gotta go.’
Katie was relieved to find that Max had made it out to the main road. She didn’t really want him to hear Gwen giving her advice on her love life. He was leaning against her car, looking queasy.
‘Are you okay?’
‘I will be when you tell me what all this is really about. I keep waiting for the other
‘Ironic that she ended up haunting you, then.’
Gwen smiled. ‘I hadn’t thought of that.’
Katie wondered if there was a way to choose your power. She really didn’t want to start hearing dead people. And she didn’t want any more nightmares, either.
‘Iris left once she’d protected me. Maybe it was unfinished business that kept her around. Maybe your spirit has something that’s keeping them here.’
‘Something that makes them want to knock Max unconscious?’
Gwen shrugged. ‘Maybe. We don’t know anything about him. Maybe he’s bad news.’
‘He does want Mr Cole’s watch. Says he won it off him,’ Katie said.
‘He’s too good-looking and he knows it,’ Gwen said.
‘He’s not that good-looking,’ Katie lied.
‘Could be fun,’ Gwen said, with a wicked smile.
Luckily, Katie was saved from answering by her uncle Cam. He opened the back door and said, ‘There’s a man in the house. Is he one of yours?’
‘That’s Max,’ Gwen said. ‘Be nice.’
‘I’m always nice,’ Cam said and disappeared inside.
‘Uh-oh,’ Gwen said, getting up.
‘Why uh-oh?’ Katie said, but she followed Gwen anyway.
In the kitchen, Max was leaning against the counter, a glass of lemonade in one hand. Cam was leaning on the opposite counter, arms crossed, his expression unreadable.
‘Why don’t you go and change?’ Gwen said, kissing Cam. ‘You must be roasting.’ Cam was still in his work suit. He put his arm around Gwen but didn’t look away from Max.
‘So, you’re a friend of Katie’s. That’s nice.’
‘I’m really sorry about this,’ Katie said, crossing the room to stand with Max. ‘They’re not usually like this.’
‘I got the lemonade.’ Max hoisted the glass a little.
Standing closer, Katie could see Max was sweating although his face was quite pale. He had an unhealthy sheen. ‘You have it,’ Katie said. ‘And sit down. You look a bit wobbly.’
‘I’m fine,’ Max said, but he sat down at the table.
Katie looked at Gwen. ‘Could he have concussion? I thought just a chip of the vase hit him, but if it was going fast enough—’
‘I don’t think the lemon agrees with me.’ He got up and stumbled out of the kitchen.
‘Why are you being like this?’
Cam smiled. ‘Your dad isn’t here — I figured it was my duty. And I don’t like him.’
‘I got that,’ Katie said. She filled a glass of cold water and drank it quickly, then rolled the glass against her hot forehead.
‘Look at you, all protective,’ Gwen said. She kissed Cam on the cheek.
‘I’m serious,’ Cam said. ‘I don’t think you should see him any more. He’s bad news.’
‘How can you possibly know that?’ Katie didn’t see any reason to inform her uncle that Max was almost certainly not going to be kissing her again any time soon.
‘Honey, I was him,’ Cam said. ‘He’s young and randy and ready to sleep with anything that moves.’
Katie said, ‘Ew, gross,’ at the same time as Gwen said, ‘Anything?’
‘You just have to remember that he’ll be doing all his thinking with his—’
Gwen stepped quickly away from Cam. She looked outraged. ‘I didn’t have you pegged as sexist.’
‘What?’ Cam said. ‘I just don’t want Katie to get hurt. Men like that—’
‘Maybe she just wants to have fun, too. Did you ever think of that? Women like sex, too, you know.’
‘Oh, God,’ Katie said, practically running for the door. ‘This conversation is not happening.’
‘You don’t need to be ashamed of your sexuality or your needs,’ Gwen called after her.
‘Bye,’ Katie said. ‘Thanks for the lemonade. Gotta go.’
Katie was relieved to find that Max had made it out to the main road. She didn’t really want him to hear Gwen giving her advice on her love life. He was leaning against her car, looking queasy.
‘Are you okay?’
‘I will be when you tell me what all this is really about. I keep waiting for the other
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