Dominic was dead now, too, but Belinda still stopped into Darcy's bookstore every once in a great while. "I'm sorry, Belinda, I'm kind of in the middle of something right now. Was there something I could do for you?"
"Um, well, this is sort of embarrassing." Belinda took a deep breath. "I need your help. I believe I'm being haunted. Yes. There, I said it. I think I'm being haunted by a ghost."
Around her, the dress shop had fallen into an uncomfortable silence as her sister and her mother and her estranged boyfriend and even the dress shop owner listened in on her end of the conversation.
Darcy didn't want to discuss this in front of everyone, that was for sure. It wasn't uncommon for people in Misty Hollow to ask for her help sometimes in all matters of the paranormal. Contacting dead loved ones, trying to find lost objects of sentimental value, and the like. Darcy had even been asked to exorcise a few malevolent spirits from people's homes, although those calls usually turned out to be nothing more than overactive imagination.
Usually. Not always.
"What ma kes you think that?" she asked Belinda, trying to keep from mentioning the words ghost or spirit or haunting.
"I don't know if I can explain it." Belinda choked up and for a moment she couldn't speak. Darcy might not know what sort of things were happening to Belinda, but she could tell the woman was serious.
"Would it help if I came over to see you?" Darcy asked.
Relief flooded Belinda's voice. "Oh, Darcy, that would be such a big help. You know I used to ask your aunt about these things but she always said I could trust you, too."
Hearing that her aunt had said that about her made Darcy feel funny. Proud and happy and sad all at once. "I'll come over later tonight, if that's all right. I'm out of town at the moment."
"That's fi ne," Belinda told her.
Darcy was confirming with Belinda what time she should come over when Jon's cell phone rang.
She really hated cell phones.
As Darcy ended her call with Belinda and handed Grace's phone back to her, Jon ended his call as well. The look on his face said it all.
"I need to go back to the station," he said. "Something happened and they need me back. I'm so sorry, Darcy. I heard you say you were going back to Misty Hollow later tonight. Can I come see you there?"
Darcy didn't try to hide her disappointment. "Well I'm going over to help a friend tonight. So, if it's really all that important that you talk to me then maybe you should meet me tomorrow."
He nodded, checking his watch. "Clara's deli? Lunch?"
"Sure." She couldn't help the sharp tone cutting through her voice.
He looked up at her, his eyes searching her face. "I really am sorry, Darcy. I just can't…"
"Be in two places at once?" she suggested. "Or keep a promise?"
He held her gaze for a moment longer before turning around and walking out the door. He pulled his cell phone out again as he disappeared up the sidewalk.
"That was a little harsh," Grace said to her, "don't you think?"
Darcy shook her head. "It is what it is, sis. I just need to accept the fact that no matter what I do, he isn't coming back to me."
Her heart wasn't into looking at bridesmaid dresses, but she did it anyway for her mother's sake. By the time they were ready to go her thoughts were so scattered that she wasn't even sure what color the dresses were that her mom had chosen. She hadn't really paid any attention to what was going on, just nodding along with whatever anyone else said.
Taking a last look at the wedding dress she had modeled in the mirror, Darcy walked out of the shop behind her mother and sister. She couldn't wait to leave Oak Hollow behind her.
Chapter Two
It was Eight-thirty that night when Darcy got to Belinda's house. It was pretty much the way she remembered it, although it had been painted blue since the last time she had seen it. Even the shutters around the
"Um, well, this is sort of embarrassing." Belinda took a deep breath. "I need your help. I believe I'm being haunted. Yes. There, I said it. I think I'm being haunted by a ghost."
Around her, the dress shop had fallen into an uncomfortable silence as her sister and her mother and her estranged boyfriend and even the dress shop owner listened in on her end of the conversation.
Darcy didn't want to discuss this in front of everyone, that was for sure. It wasn't uncommon for people in Misty Hollow to ask for her help sometimes in all matters of the paranormal. Contacting dead loved ones, trying to find lost objects of sentimental value, and the like. Darcy had even been asked to exorcise a few malevolent spirits from people's homes, although those calls usually turned out to be nothing more than overactive imagination.
Usually. Not always.
"What ma kes you think that?" she asked Belinda, trying to keep from mentioning the words ghost or spirit or haunting.
"I don't know if I can explain it." Belinda choked up and for a moment she couldn't speak. Darcy might not know what sort of things were happening to Belinda, but she could tell the woman was serious.
"Would it help if I came over to see you?" Darcy asked.
Relief flooded Belinda's voice. "Oh, Darcy, that would be such a big help. You know I used to ask your aunt about these things but she always said I could trust you, too."
Hearing that her aunt had said that about her made Darcy feel funny. Proud and happy and sad all at once. "I'll come over later tonight, if that's all right. I'm out of town at the moment."
"That's fi ne," Belinda told her.
Darcy was confirming with Belinda what time she should come over when Jon's cell phone rang.
She really hated cell phones.
As Darcy ended her call with Belinda and handed Grace's phone back to her, Jon ended his call as well. The look on his face said it all.
"I need to go back to the station," he said. "Something happened and they need me back. I'm so sorry, Darcy. I heard you say you were going back to Misty Hollow later tonight. Can I come see you there?"
Darcy didn't try to hide her disappointment. "Well I'm going over to help a friend tonight. So, if it's really all that important that you talk to me then maybe you should meet me tomorrow."
He nodded, checking his watch. "Clara's deli? Lunch?"
"Sure." She couldn't help the sharp tone cutting through her voice.
He looked up at her, his eyes searching her face. "I really am sorry, Darcy. I just can't…"
"Be in two places at once?" she suggested. "Or keep a promise?"
He held her gaze for a moment longer before turning around and walking out the door. He pulled his cell phone out again as he disappeared up the sidewalk.
"That was a little harsh," Grace said to her, "don't you think?"
Darcy shook her head. "It is what it is, sis. I just need to accept the fact that no matter what I do, he isn't coming back to me."
Her heart wasn't into looking at bridesmaid dresses, but she did it anyway for her mother's sake. By the time they were ready to go her thoughts were so scattered that she wasn't even sure what color the dresses were that her mom had chosen. She hadn't really paid any attention to what was going on, just nodding along with whatever anyone else said.
Taking a last look at the wedding dress she had modeled in the mirror, Darcy walked out of the shop behind her mother and sister. She couldn't wait to leave Oak Hollow behind her.
Chapter Two
It was Eight-thirty that night when Darcy got to Belinda's house. It was pretty much the way she remembered it, although it had been painted blue since the last time she had seen it. Even the shutters around the
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