Talking Bones (Psychic Vision Book 21), page 19
“Well, you’re more than fine, if you ask me,” he murmured. “You’re downright gorgeous.”
She laughed. “Well, thank you, sir.” She stood, then walked to the bathroom and used the facility, studying the glowing woman in the mirror. She hadn’t really expected the kind of response her own body had immediately offered to his touch.
When she stepped out, he was getting dressed. She frowned. “Just because I’m a fool and have to go to work doesn’t mean—”
“I’m not staying in bed while you go to work,” he stated quietly. “I’ll go pick up some breakfast and coffee for you.”
“Thank you.” She quickly dressed, walked over, gave him a gentle kiss, and, without another word, walked out. She headed to her shop, quickly let herself in, and frowned, as she still felt the energy from her intruder. She punched in the code to disarm the security system in the back room, then opened the rear door and quickly started cleansing all the black energy from inside the store, sending it outward. It was important that she get rid of that negativity, that furtiveness of the intruder.
She didn’t know how to recognize the energy, although she knew that other people could do that. She understood it had more to do with seeing the nuances in the energies, but her space was always so darn full of ghosts that she wasn’t sure that system would work for her. Or maybe she was just looking for easy, and that wouldn’t be as easy a solution, as some other things might be. Then again, maybe she just hadn’t had any opportunity where that method could be effective.
As she quickly cleansed and refreshed the atmosphere of the store, she was hard-pressed to get the till open before tourists came flocking in. She wondered, as she watched them, if it was the fresh energy bringing them in droves. But since they were spending freely while they were at it, Skylar was quite happy to leave that thought process for now and to sort it all out later. By the time the shop cleared out after the first rush, she turned to see Gage standing there, food and coffee in his hands.
She walked over and smiled. “This looks lovely.”
“I intended to come in right away, but, darn, you had a lot of business this morning. I’m really surprised.”
She nodded. “And I don’t know how much of that was the cleansing I had to do.”
He looked at her, frowned, and asked, “What cleansing?”
She realized he needed to know more about her own intruder after midnight. Since the shop was empty, she gave him further details about her break-in earlier this morning, preceding his second choking event, but she left out the bit about finding the tarot cards.
He stared at her. “You had an intruder, and then you came to save me?”
She shrugged, as she sipped the coffee. “What was I to do?” she asked. “Ignore you?”
He muttered, “A lot of people would have.”
“I’m not a lot of people,” she stated in exasperation, shooting him a look. Just then somebody else walked into the store. For the next hour and a half she was busy with customers, sipping her coffee and working on her breakfast as she could. At some point, she noted that Gage had disappeared, and that was just part of her life; that was the way it would go. She had business to do, people to talk to, and merchandise to take care of. And she focused on that, trying to keep the energy flowing in a positive manner.
She had never attempted to influence people in terms of getting them to buy from her store because that went against all the reasons for and ethics of energy work. But it seemed like just doing the cleansing and putting fresh energy in her store was doing the job regardless. Frowning, she let it work its magic, even while she wondered how that actually worked.
By the time the day was done, she was totally ready to close and lock up, then turned around, surprised to see Gage standing there, waiting for her. “Oh my, what an insane day.”
He nodded. “I know. I stopped in to see you a couple times, and it was always crazy busy.”
“Crazy, wasn’t it?” She shook her head.
“I had no idea what was going on, though it’s good from a business perspective.”
She nodded. “It is, indeed, but, at the same time, I didn’t get lunch.”
“I figured as much,” he replied. “That’s why I’m here to take you out for an early dinner. Maybe it really is time to hire some help.” He wiggled his eyebrows at the reminder of how they could utilize her free time.
She flushed. “If every day was like this, then that would be a definite consideration,” she admitted. “However, this was very unusual.”
“Good unusual?”
“Sure, absolutely good.”
“You don’t—” And he stopped.
“No,” she replied instantly, frowning at the thought.
He nodded. “I didn’t think so.”
“You have to understand that energy has its rights and wrongs,” she declared. “If you use it for the wrong thing, it can come back at you in a very ugly way.”
“I guess it’s like everything else, isn’t it?” he noted. “You think that you’re doing something to give you that edge, but it just becomes a little too tempting.”
“And the line often is a little sideways when you draw it because nobody really wants to define where it rightly sits on some things.”
“Right,” he agreed. “For the record, I didn’t think for a moment that you would misuse your gifts. I just wondered how much it would potentially affect things.”
“Well, energy itself is neutral, so I should clarify that,” she stated, “but it’s all about motivation.”
He nodded. “I get it. I really do.”
“Good,” she murmured. “I’m too tired to explain anymore.”
“How about I go pick up something and bring it back?” he asked. “If you want, we can have it upstairs at your place.”
She thought about it for a moment. “That’s not a bad idea. And it would allow me to get a shower.”
“Perfect,” he said, as he turned to walk away. Then he pivoted and asked, “Any preference?”
She shook her head. “No, I really don’t have any. I’m just too tired to even care.”
“In that case I’ll be back in a few minutes. Go get your shower.” Then he disappeared from view.
She made her way upstairs, her feet dragging with every step. When she got inside her apartment, Elena was there, a smile on her face. “Tough day?”
“Absolutely, but good.”
“Well, that’s better than the other option,” she noted. “And he’s bringing dinner too, huh?”
“You heard that, did you?”
“Sure, I was eavesdropping.”
“It would be nice if you weren’t.” Skylar yawned.
“What’s the fun in that?” Elena murmured. “You know that we’re all here rooting for you.”
“Am I such a sad soul that everybody wants me to hook up with somebody?”
“Well, maybe it’s not so much that you’re willing to finally hook up but that we’re interested in who it is you’ve chosen.”
Not sure she wanted to even get into that conversation, Skylar headed toward the shower, and, when she stepped into the hot water a few minutes later, she felt some of the stress sliding off her shoulders. By the time she stepped back out again, she felt a whole lot better. She smiled at Elena. “That was definitely worthwhile.”
“Good thing because he’s almost here.”
Skylar rolled her eyes at that. “You seem to have a sixth sense with him.”
“I think I’m going to like him,” she stated.
“Well, in that case you could always show yourself to him.”
“Do you think he’d run? I don’t want him to run.”
“He talked to you the last time he was here,” she reminded Elena, “so why would he run now?”
“Well, people sometimes say things they don’t necessarily mean.”
“Meaning that, he was saying hello to you, but he probably would react differently if he could see you?”
“That’s what I’m afraid of. … Besides, I wouldn’t want him to lose interest in you.”
At that, Skylar stopped and swallowed hard. The ego of this woman was something else. “If that will be an issue, wouldn’t you rather I find out now?”
At that, Elena tapped her fingers on the imaginary table at her side. “Maybe,” she decided reluctantly. “But I really wouldn’t want to do anything to mess it up.”
“No, I wouldn’t either,” Skylar said, with a smile, “but I still would rather know, one way or the other.”
“Okay, if you’re sure,” Elena repeated, “but I still don’t really like the idea.”
“I do,” Skylar stated determinedly.
With that, Elena shrugged and disappeared.
Skylar wasn’t sure how much she could tell Gage. Yet it would be something that she brought up anyway. By the time she heard the doorbell at the front door of her shop, she was just slipping on her sandals. She walked downstairs, flung open the door, and smiled.
As he came in, something hot, spicy, and Mexican floated in after him.
“Whatever that is,” she stated, “I’m grateful. I am absolutely starving.”
“Well, I took a chance,” he replied, as she locked up, and then they both took the stairs to her apartment. As he put everything on her kitchen table, he looked around. “Is your friendly ghost not here?”
“I think she’s prepping herself.”
“Prepping herself?”
Skylar rolled her eyes at him. “When I told you that Elena’s beautiful, I mean, she’s really beautiful. She’s afraid of showing herself—in case you fall in love with her on the spot and can’t see me anymore.”
At that, Gage stopped and stared. A chuckle escaped him.
“What can I say? Remember? Some people don’t change, even though they’re on the other side.”
“Right,” he murmured. “Can’t say I ever considered that happening though.”
“Well, adjust quickly,” she noted, “because not everybody is necessarily balanced and understanding of the reality of the present situation.”
He shrugged. “I think I’d rather fall in love with a flesh-and-blood female rather than a ghost that I can’t even hold.”
“I know, but let her down gently.”
He stared at her in confusion. “It’s not as if I’ve ever even seen her.”
“Oh, I know, but I think she’ll use you as a test.”
He blinked and just then heard an odd sound. He looked to the side of Skylar, but Skylar didn’t bother because she knew exactly who and what it would be. And, indeed, Skylar heard Gage suck in his breath. She caught a glimpse of his gaze, wondering if Elena just had that kind of reaction on all men or if she was something that just Gage was susceptible to. Skylar studied his face, not seeing anything in particular in his reaction. Skylar turned to look at Elena, who was dressed, as always, in a beautiful dress that made her skin glow.
Gage looked at Skylar. “I really can see her.” He reached out a hand to Elena and then dropped it.
Elena twinkled. He really can see me, she said, in pleased delight.
“Apparently,” Skylar said, with a smile. She looked over at Gage, who still stared at Elena, transfixed. “So, I see the fascination,” Skylar noted.
Immediately Elena cried out, See? I told you. I told you.
“I think the fascination is more the fact that he sees some of the details of you,” Skylar explained, “versus just a glowy white form.”
Gage immediately nodded. “Exactly, but, gosh, to even see this much is …”
Skylar nodded. “I know. Pretty amazing, isn’t it?”
“It’s beyond amazing. It’s kind of … awestriking,” he stated, “and that’s not even a proper word.”
She laughed. “No, it definitely isn’t a proper word, but it is an interesting one nonetheless.”
“I just created it in the moment.”
She smiled. “Can we eat now, or do you need to sit here and gawk some more?”
He broke his gaze free, looked at Skylar with a sheepish grin, and said, “It really is captivating.”
“It is,” she agreed, nodding her head, “but I’m hungry enough to not care about being fascinated.”
At that, he burst out laughing. He looked over for Elena and then said, “I think she’s gone.”
She nodded. “I think she is too.”
He frowned. “Do you think I upset her?”
“I don’t know. I have been constantly amazed at her ego.”
“Well, obviously it’s justified. She is breathtaking,” he offered blithely, as he busied himself with the packages of food he had brought. “The thing is, she still is a ghost.”
“I know,” Skylar replied quietly. “I’m not sure Elena has truly come to that realization though. I guess it’s hard to accept that you’re really not flesh and blood anymore, and that will have a very different effect on people. Particularly for her.”
He nodded in understanding. “Still, it’s lovely to actually see one of your ghosts. I was starting to wonder if it was something I’d ever witness.” He stopped, looked at her, and asked, “Now did Elena do that, or was that from my ability?”
“That would have been her skill,” Skylar confirmed. “I did suggest that maybe she would want to show you who she was.”
“Why?” he asked, curious.
“Because she was hiding.”
“Hiding?”
Skylar laughed. “Yes, hiding because Elena thought that you would prefer her to me, and she didn’t want to mess up our relationship.”
He stared at her, as his lips began to twitch, then started to laugh and laugh.
“I know,” she admitted, with a shrug, “but I appreciate that she cared.”
“Oh, absolutely,” he agreed instantly. “I mean, that’s a very sweet thing for her to have done.”
“Maybe. The bottom line is that it’s a very different perspective when you’re a ghost. For some of them, nothing has really changed.”
“Well, I appreciate that she did make the effort because it gave me a chance to see something a whole lot more clearly than I had expected to, … even the details on her dress,” he added, shaking his head.
“I know. Sometimes it’s pretty miraculous. Like Thomas downstairs in his top hat.”
“And he wears the top hat all the time? Even inside the store?”
“Yes,” she replied, with a smile, “even inside the store. Of course he hasn’t really come upstairs much.”
“Can he come up?”
“I think so.” She frowned. “I remember one time he started to climb the stairs, but Elena had decided that this was her space.” At Gage’s curious stare, she shrugged. “I don’t know. I try not to get involved in their little disputes,” she explained. “It would make life much smoother if everybody could just get along.”
“Absolutely. Again that surprises me because you don’t think of things like that.”
“Nope, you don’t, but why would you? But, at the same time, you also come to realize that they’re still just people, and they are still as worried about maintaining their space and their identity here as they were before.”
“Yet they’re not even supposed to be here,” he stated in exasperation.
“If I could get them to go home, I would,” she said, shaking her head. “However, so far, they’re pretty determined not to take that step.”
“Which I find fascinating because it means that, even dead, they prefer to be here. Whereas I would like …” He thought for a moment and continued. “I would really like to think of my friend Linden being happy on the other side.”
“Of course,” she agreed. “All of us would prefer that. And who knows? Maybe someday I will eventually get these guys to relax enough to actually go where they belong. But, at the moment, they seem more content to live this very limited existence with me.”
He nodded. “And that’s exactly what it is, isn’t it? They are living again but through you.”
She sighed. “And that’s the problem because it’s this very lonely isolated world, but it’s all they know, so that’s what they cling to.”
He tilted his head, as he watched Skylar’s expressions morph from one emotion to the next. “It is kind of sad.”
“It’s more than kind of sad.” She pulled out her chair, sat down, and asked, “Can we eat now?”
He nodded with a smile. “Absolutely.”
And, with that, she dug in. By the time she was halfway through the first burrito, her stomach started to calm down a bit. He looked over at her, with one eyebrow raised. She shook her head. “It’s good, but that’s all I can eat right now.”
“And maybe you’re not quite so famished now that you’ve had a chance to plow through half of that,” he said. “They are pretty big.”
“It was. I used up a lot of energy today, apparently.”
He didn’t say anything for a long moment, and she realized that her terminology was probably strange and not what he expected. By the time he finished his mouthful, he cocked his head and asked, “Burning up energy in terms of dealing with people at the store or with the cleansing?”
“Both,” she replied, “because every time I came up with something that worried me, I’d have to start cleansing things out again. Otherwise that worry would cause more of a problem.”
He nodded again. “Still, it’s such a fascinating concept.”
“Maybe.” When she had a moment, she asked a question that had been burning in the back of her mind all day. “If the deal with the company goes through, like you’re hoping, what will you do next?”
He smiled. “I’m not sure yet. I’ve spent so much of my life figuring out how to make money, yet I’ve not really sat down and thought about what I would do with it.”
At that, she burst out laughing.
“I’m serious.”
“I believe you. I really do. I just never heard of such a thing. Most people spend money as they get it—or before, in too many cases.”
“And I did spend some in the sense that I have a nice apartment and a decent car and somebody to come in and clean for me,” he admitted, “but I never really blew a lot of money, just reinvested in building my own. Now I feel like the whole world is out there, and I would love a chance to explore it more, but I haven’t gotten that far.”
