The Ex Who Saw a Ghost (Charley's Ghost Book 4) Read Free

his wallet and handed the waiter a tip. “Thank you.”
    Ross studied his uncooperative cell phone then tapped in a text message. No one moved or spoke.
    A long moment passed. Amanda exchanged a nervous glance with Teresa.
    Ross’ cell dinged. He held it up triumphantly so everyone could read the reply.
    Sorry about the noise. I’m sitting in a bar with a hot chick when I should be home studying for geology test. How about you?
    The color flowed back into Ross’ face along with a mixture of anger and relief. “My brother is just fine.”
    Teresa looked confused. “I...I’m glad your brother is all right. I don’t understand, but I’m glad I was mistaken.”
    Charley frowned. “What’s wrong with Ross? The boy’s dead. He was all see-through and floating a foot off the floor.” Charley looked down at the location of his own feet and slowly settled to the floor.
    Ross folded his napkin and turned to Teresa, but it wasn’t the happy, flirtatious way he usually looked at her. His gaze was sober and a little sad. “I know you want me to believe in your ability, but this isn’t the way to do it.”
    “But I...” Teresa bit her lip. For a moment Amanda thought she was going to cry. Instead she produced a smile and picked up her purse. “Well, shall we go?”
    Amanda had thought the evening couldn’t get any worse. It wasn’t the first time she’d been wrong.

Chapter Two
     
    Amanda climbed determinedly up the stairs to her apartment on the second floor over her motorcycle repair shop. Jake held her left arm and walked beside her. Charley floated through the rail on the right side, his icy grip never leaving her elbow, his monologue rolling on incessantly.
    “What do you think it means that I could see Parker? I must be doing something right. Hey! Don’t get so close to Jake! I’m right here. I can see you. That was pretty cool, being able to see another spirit. I’d like to talk to him, exchange stories. Tell Jake to take his hand off your arm!”
    Early winter swept through the night and wrapped chilly air around them. Or maybe it was just a reflection of how Amanda felt inside...cold and dark.
    The movie had been violent and bloody, the short walk to their cars silent and tense. She had probably experienced a more awkward occasion sometime during her life but it was hard to recall just when. Maybe the Halloween party she’d attended dressed as a hooker because her date failed to tell her it was a church social. Or the literature class when she’d had to give an oral book report after reading half the book. At least that had only lasted an hour. The current event lasted six hours and felt like sixty.
    “I think your friend upset Ross,” Jake said.
    Amanda flinched. “Yeah, that was obvious. He didn’t like hearing that his brother’s dead.”
    “Dead men don’t answer phones and send text messages.”
    “I could if I wanted to.” Charley’s tone was sullen.
    He might be right. In his current state of pure energy, he was able to turn on the television and make weird things happen to cell phones and computers.
    “She really does see spirits of people who’ve died,” Amanda said. “She saw my grandfather.” And Charley. “Maybe Ross’ brother’s spirit somehow disconnected for a few minutes. Maybe he was doing meditation or something and his spirit left his body briefly.”
    “Meditating in a bar? Ross really likes Teresa, but that whole thing about seeing ghosts may be a problem.”
    Will it be a problem for you if I tell you I see my dead husband’s ghost? Amanda swallowed the question. This was only their third date. Too soon for confessions. I eat tortilla chips in bed, I have cold feet, I burp after my first Coke of the day, and my ex-husband’s ghost lives with me.
    They reached the first landing, turned and started up the final steps to her front door.
    What would she do when they got to the door? At the end of the evening of the first two dates, she’d invited Jake in for a