Halloween in Paradise (Tj Jensen Paradise Lake Mysteries Book 6) Read Free

any reason.”
    “He was really different back then. I know he’s really uptight and rigid now, but he was a fun guy when he first started teaching. He could often be found hanging out with the students, and he definitely was the teacher to go to if you had a problem.”
    “It’s so weird to try to picture him in the young-and-cool-teacher role.” Gina giggled.
    “He really has changed a lot in the past ten years,” Tj admitted. “Sometimes I look at the distant man he’s become and vow not to lose the connection I have with the kids the way he did. I asked him if he was coming to the homecoming dance and he reminded me that the dance was for the kids and teachers should attend only in a chaperone capacity.”
    “Except it’s homecoming and a lot of alumni attend,” Gina pointed out.
    “I know, and I plan to be there and have a good time. Jim can stay home and write out detention slips while the rest of us dance the night away.”
    “Are you going to the Halloween Ball on Saturday?” Gina asked.
    “I thought I might skip it this year. I have the homecoming dance on Friday, and trick-or-treating with my sisters seems like it might be more fun than getting all dressed up two nights in a row. Are you going?”
    “Not unless I have a date, which so far I don’t. I think I’m going to attend the homecoming dance, though. I heard Nathan Fullerton is going to be there.”
    When Tj was in high school, Nathan had been the editor of the school newspaper. He’d been a talented student who went on to become a New York Times best-selling author.
    “He is going to be there,” Tj confirmed. “Bookman knows him, so he invited him to stay at his house. I’m pretty sure he’s already in town. My grandpa mentioned something about meeting him when he went to his regular poker game at Bookman’s last weekend. I remember Nathan as having a sort of stoic personality. It’ll be fun to see if fame has changed him.”
    “I’m really excited to meet him,” Gina shared. “I wasn’t even going to go to the dance, but when I found out he was going to be there I volunteered to go as a chaperone. Nathan Fullerton—wow. A bigger babe has never been born. And his writing is ... Well, it’s awesome.”
    “Sounds like someone has a celebrity crush,” Tj teased.
    “Big-time. Of course I still have a noncelebrity crush on Kyle. Will he be there?”
    Kyle Donovan was the grandson of an elderly man Tj had befriended. After he was murdered, Kyle had inherited his house and his money. He’d moved to Serenity and Tj and he had been the best of friends ever since.
    “He will, but I’m sorry to say he’s going as the date of one of my classmates. Jada Jenkins was a computer geek in high school, but she went on to develop some software and is now a multimillionaire.”
    “Wow. I can’t even imagine that much money.”
    “Yeah, me neither. It seems she’s still socially awkward. She told me that she never takes the time to date, so she doesn’t really know any men. Still, she didn’t want to come to the dance alone, so I offered to set her up with Kyle. I think they’ll get along, but I wouldn’t worry about a long-term thing. Jada is a loner who’s totally married to her work. Besides, she lives in LA, and Kyle seems content with his life here.”
    “I’m not worried. I have zero chance with Kyle anyway.” Gina groaned. “He’s rich and cute and so, so nice. Let’s face it: He could have any superhot girl he wanted.”
    Tj didn’t respond. Gina wasn’t wrong. Kyle could probably have any girl he wanted, but he wasn’t really the serial dating type. In Tj’s opinion, Kyle was simply biding his time until the right woman came along. Gina had a certain girl-next-door quality about her, but Kyle and Gina had known each other for over two months, and so far Tj hadn’t seen the interest in Kyle’s eyes that she’d seen in Gina’s.
    The first bell, notifying the physical education classes to head into the locker