The Ghost Host: Episode 1 (The Ghost Host Series) Read online

  “You want to cook dinner for us?”

  “Actually,” Malachi says, “my parents are doing the cooking. They’ve been at it all day, with Kyran and Cerise helping out. They were fixin’ to bring everything over here this evening, but I wasn’t sure if you’d want everyone at your place tonight.”

  Biting at my bottom lip, I try to think. Malachi’s already met my parents, and I’m not exactly afraid of meeting his, but I balk at the idea of spending the evening with them at their house. Having them here where I don’t even have any furniture, aside from a few video game chairs and Zara’s bean bag, won’t make the best impression.

  “Um, how about we eat over there. We don’t really have anywhere to sit right now.”

  Malachi presses his lips together. “Yeah, I thought Agent Morton said the apartment would be furnished. What happened?”

  “I asked him to switch it. I figured furnished apartments were for people who’ll be running home at the end of the month. I’d rather hit some thrift stores and pick out things I like since I plan on staying for a while,” I say with a nervous smile. Was that a stupid thing to do? I didn’t really think about it leaving me with no furniture at all for a while.

  “You just made my day,” Malachi says as he wraps me up in a hug that leaves my feet dangling. “You’ll make my mama’s day too if you ask her to go with ya’ll. She loves thrift store shopping and knows all the best places.”

  When he finally sets me back down, I look up at him, full of anxiety. “How about we see how it goes tonight. There’s no guarantee your parents are going to like me.”

  “They’re gonna love ya.” Turning away from me, Malachi hollers at the others. “Zara, Holden, you two ready to start unloading boxes? We’ve got a barbeque to attend tonight, so let’s get a move on.”

  Zara pokes her head out from one of the bedrooms while Holden emerges from the bathroom where he seems to have been inspecting it for cleanliness. They join us and we all head down the stairs to start unloading what’s left of my life in California.

  An hour later, both the vehicles are unloaded. The giant pile of stuff in the living room looks daunting as I stare at it, but in no time at all it’s divvied up into the appropriate rooms and I realize how little we actually brought. The kitchen is positively bare. Our bedrooms aren’t much better, since all we have right now are two inflatable mattresses, our suitcases, and a pile of personal items. The living room at least has a TV. Holden and Malachi are hard at work getting the gaming systems set up and Zara is lounging in one of the gaming chairs.

  “Glad to see we all have our priorities straight,” I say with a laugh as I drop into the other gaming chair. Zara already has a controller in her hand, eager to play something after being on the road so long. Seeing my chance, I drag myself back up from the chair and announce I’m going to go take a shower before we head to Malachi’s parents’ house. I don’t think anyone even hears me.

  As I rinse off the sticky feeling I’ve been struggling with since arriving, and the sweat from hauling boxes, a heavy dose of butterflies assaults me. I’m meeting Malachi’s parents in an hour. I have to make a good impression, but when have I ever done that? I step out of the shower and start toweling off my hair. It almost looks brown when it’s wet, which makes me smile.

  I have no issues with being a redhead, but I could certainly sympathize with Anne Shirley when she got made fun of for her hair color. Her indignation at being “twitted” about her hair and looks caused her to make more than one less than stellar first impression. That and jumping on old ladies in the middle of the night or breaking slates over boys’ heads. Chuckling to myself, I abandon the bathroom, head back to my room, and set to searching for something that doesn’t look wrinkled.

  “Echo?” Malachi calls out just as I’m about to drop my towel and start dressing.

  I nearly still drop it out of fright, but manage to keep a grip on it as I say, “Yeah?” The thought flashes through my mind as I see the door knob turning that I probably should have mentioned I’m changing. Malachi pops his head in before my brain cells start firing.

  “I was wondering…” His voice trails off as he sees me standing in the middle of the room clutching the towel around my body. There seems to be a battle going on between grinning and looking sufficiently apologetic. “Thought you were unpacking.”

  “Changing,” I say, not daring to move my hands.

  “Gotcha.” He doesn’t move, though, or stop looking at me. “Uh, we need to leave in about half an hour. So…I should probably…”

  The corner of my mouth turns up. “Let me get dressed?”

  He nods slowly, then shakes his head. “Any guy who doesn’t think you’re insanely sexy is an idiot.” He disappears after that, leaving me to get ready on my own. Unfortunately, I just stand there in my towel for a few minutes, relishing his compliment. I still find myself doubting he’ll keep thinking that once he really gets to know me, but for now, his words take my fears about meeting his parents down a few notches. My desire to impress them stays sky high, however.

  My parents never attended church regularly. Probably me claiming to see ghosts wasn’t really conducive to organized religion, but my mom always made sure I had a few nice dresses on hand for the occasional event that required dressing up. Nothing too fancy. I fish a pale green sundress out of my hanging bag and inspect it for wrinkles. The loose skirt is a little squashed, but it’s in better shape than the others.

  After picking out a bra and panties that won’t show through the light fabric, I tug the dress on and only then realize I don’t have a mirror. I settle for using the camera on my phone to make sure I don’t look weird and settle in on my inflatable mattress to put on some makeup. My hair will just have to make do with air drying.

  With a few minutes to spare, I step out of my bedroom and scurry across the hall to Zara’s room. She doesn’t bat an eye when I sneak in while she’s wiggling into a pair of skinny jeans. “I dumped all my shoes in the closet,” she says, zipping up her jeans. She knows me so well.

  I snag a pair of white sandals from the closet and slip them on as I shuffle over to help Zara with the clasp of her necklace. Once it’s on, she tosses her long, silky, molasses colored hair over her shoulder and examines me from head to toe. Grinning, she says, “You look amazing. Are you ready for this?”

  My stomach flips, but I say, “Sure, I guess. They’ll like me, right?”

  “They’ll adore you.” She says it so confidently, I can’t help smiling. Linking arms, we saunter out to the living room where Holden and Malachi are completely immersed in the game they’re playing. Rolling her eyes, Zara clears her throat.

  Holden looks back first, flicking his eyes between us before saying, “Ready to go?”

  That draws Malachi’s attention. When he looks back, I get a little more of a reaction. “Wow. You look beautiful, Carrots.”

  Yikes, I could seriously get used to this. I grin at his compliment, then laugh as his avatar gets blown to bits. He doesn’t even seem to remember he was playing a game.

  Holden shuts the system down and stands. “You look nice too, Cuz.”

  Zara rolls her eyes. “Gee, thanks.” She gives him a shove as she walks past and stands at the door. “So, are we going or not?”

  Getting up from the gaming chair a little awkwardly, Malachi is by my side a second later. He slips his arm around my waist and leans in close to whisper, “I’m so glad you’re here with me.”

  The sultry tone of his voice makes me blush furiously and I know I’m in trouble. Talking to him over the phone was enough to convince me to move to Georgia. Having him near me in person, all the time…my heart clenches in fear at the thought of him getting scared away. We step out onto the porch, but I panic at the last minute and dart back inside with the excuse that I forgot my purse.

  I wasn’t planning to take my purse since we were just going to Malachi’s parents’ house, but I rush back to my room and grab if off my bed. After that, I close my e
yes. I don’t really know what I’m doing, but I have to try something. I can’t afford to make a fool of myself in front of Malachi’s parents.

  “Archer,” I say quietly, “I don’t know why I can’t remember you when I’m awake, but I’m begging you, please don’t try to talk to me tonight. I’m trying to figure out how to let you go. It might take me a while, but I promise I’m trying. Please…please just stay away while I’m at Malachi’s parents’ house, okay?”

  My body jerks in surprise when the temperature plummets. Did he actually hear me? I get my answer when the icy touch of an otherworldly hand presses to my cheek. My breath catches at the tenderness behind the gesture, the kindness. I don’t hear a word, and I don’t feel a compulsion to write, but that simple touch is answer enough.

  20: Adjustment

  (Malachi)

  We all pile out of Echo’s car when we reach my parents’ place, and I try to take a minute to prepare them, but everyone—and I mean everyone—spills out the front door before I can manage a single word. Mama and Daddy hold back a bit while my sisters all but attack Echo. That’s when I realize I forgot to tell Echo my entire family was going to be here. The panicked expression on her face as they maul her almost makes me laugh, but I decide I better step in and save her.

  “Good gracious, you’d think Echo was a Georgia peach the way ya’ll are trying to devour her. Back off a bit, why don’t ya?” I give my nearest sister, Katie Lynn, a playful shove. She shoves me right back.

  “Shame on you for not bringing this lovely girl straight over here to meet us,” Angel May says with a shake of her finger. She’s my closest sister in age, only two years older, but she was always the little mama of the group, bossing everyone else around.

  Throwing my arm around Angel May’s shoulders, I say, “We had a few things to do this afternoon. Ya’ll just needed to be patient.”

  “Did you get yourself all settled?” Hannah Louise asks Echo.

  It takes Echo a minute to realize she’s addressing her. “Oh, yes, well, mostly. We don’t have any furniture or dishes yet, but the rest is mostly put away.”

  Angel May and Katie Lynn turn to look at each other as if they’ve just seen the most precious thing. “Isn’t her accent just adorable?” Katie Lynn says.

  “So proper sounding,” Angel May says with a smile.

  Hannah Louise, my oldest sister, pushes the younger two back to give Echo a little breathing room, and asks, “What do ya’ll plan to do about not having any furniture or dishes? We know some great little shops around town.”

  Darting a glance over at me, Echo grins. “Malachi said you might. I don’t suppose you’d like to go on a little shopping trip tomorrow would you?”

  Every single one of my sisters’ eyes light up. As do Mama’s. They look like they’re about to start jumping up and down, but Hannah Louise just puts her arm around Echo’s shoulders and says, “What a dear! You’re so sweet to ask. We’d just love to come along.”

  Holden and Zara get scooped up into the fuss after that and we all get dragged inside to meet my brother-in-laws and the nieces and nephews. Angel May has yet to announce any new grandchildren on the way, but Hannah Louise’s two little rugrats are running under everyone’s feet as the last of the dishes are carried outside to the picnic tables, and Daddy is carrying Katie Lynn’s six month old, Sara Beth. It’s a bit of a madhouse, but my guests don’t seem to mind too much.

  Once we make it out to the backyard, I finally find Cerise tending to something on the barbeque, but it takes me a second longer to locate my roommate. I spot Kyran and head in his direction so I can introduce him to Echo, but he catches sight of her before he sees me and makes a beeline right for her. I will admit that when he throws his arms around her and plants a big sloppy kiss right on her cheek, it’s a good thing he’s across the yard. Had I been any closer, I would have punched him. Cerise’s reaction is no less enthusiastic, though there’s no kissing involved.

  By the time I make it over to them, Cerise is talking a mile a minute and Kyran is simply basking in the glow of being near his favorite gaming partner. “I’m so freakin’ pumped she’s here,” Kyran says as I walk up.

  Before I answer, I slug him in the arm, hard. “Stop kissing my girlfriend.”

  Kyran rolls his eyes. “Are we goin’ over to their place after the barbeque?”

  “Why, so you can inspect her game console and see what games she has?” I shake my head. “We’ll see how it goes. Did you get a chance to talk to your aunt about protecting Echo’s dreams?”

  “Still having nightmares?” Kyran asks worriedly.

  I start to say yes, because Echo did have a nightmare the second night we were on the road, but it’s no longer as simple as keeping bad dreams away. “She is, but we’ve got another problem. The ghost that’s harassing her, he talks to her when she’s asleep, and she talks to him, but she doesn’t know she’s doing it.”

  “Is that a good thing or a bad thing?” Kyran asks.

  I really wish I knew. Sighing, I say, “Well, it giving us clues about who this guy used to be, so it’s good in that respect, but getting information this way as about is slow as molasses in winter. All we’ve got so far is a name. Archer.”

  Kyran considers this. “First or last?” I can only shrug. I had thought it was his first name, but it could just as easily be his last. Kyran nods. “Let me talk to my aunt. Maybe there’s someone in the family who could help. You can do an awful lot with a name if you know how to use it right.”

  He says it so easily, as though talking about tracking down ghosts is totally commonplace. I always knew his family was a little different and held some interesting beliefs, but I’d passed it off as part of the superstition that’s pretty common around here, especially with old families who’ve been in this area a long time. It’s crazy to realize how much I never had a clue about with Kyran’s family.

  “So, where are your friends?” Cerise says to Echo, drawing my attention away from Kyran. “I want to meet the rest of the Ghost Host crew.” Her eyes are shining like a kid’s. After the business with her ex, it’s nice to see her smiling and excited about something.

  Putting off talk of angry ghosts and dreams, I go find Holden so Cerise can meet him. Zara walks up as I’m leaving and is already fast friends with Cerise by the time I’m out of earshot. It doesn’t take long to find Holden. Pulling him away from a conversation with my dad about his upcoming internship is a little more difficult. When I push him over toward Cerise, though, all thoughts of anything school related seem to vanish.

  Cerise is beautiful. Her long blonde waves, bright smile, and sun kissed skin will draw most guys in. Add in her Southern charm and the fact that she’s not your typical scratch your eyes out, drama up to your eyeballs kind of belle, and she could have any guy she wanted wrapped around her finger within seconds. Which always made me wonder how she got stuck with Evan. What really surprises me, though, is Cerise’s expression.

  Sure, Holden’s a good looking guy, I guess. I’m not really an expert on how girls rate guys. He’s tall, naturally tanned thanks to his mixed heritage, and an all-around nice guy. The way Cerise is looking at him, you’d think he’s the only one here. They shake hands like any two normal people might, but neither one seems interested in letting go. I’m not quite sure how I feel about that.

  “I think Holden might be rethinking that internship right about now,” Echo whispers as she slips up next to me and takes my hand. I nod, slightly perplexed.

  About then, Mama calls everyone to dinner and the smorgasbord begins. Honestly, there’s enough food to feed an army. Everyone will go home with leftovers, but that’s how we like it. Almost as good as my mama’s excellent food is watching my California friends try to eat crawdads. Surprisingly, Zara has the most trouble, not even wanting to pick one up at first. Mama prepared all the staples like cornbread, Vidalia onions and tomatoes, black-eyed gravy, turnip greens, and the pies we’re famous for around here, like pecan and peach. Echo give
s me a weird look when I pile coleslaw on my pulled pork sandwich, but it’s the best way to eat one.

  Even with the unfamiliarity of some of the dishes, everyone eats until they’re ready to burst. As things wind down, I look over at Echo to see her eyes drooping. She hasn’t gotten the best of sleep the last few nights, and I’m sure hauling boxes all afternoon killed what energy she had left. When her head falls to my shoulder a few minutes later, I suppose we should call it a night. Before I can make the suggestion, Katie Lynn plops down next to me.

  “I like this one an awful lot.” She beams at Echo, but there’s worry hiding beneath her smile. Knowing my sister well enough to be sure she’ll spit it out, I don’t bother asking. Finally, Katie Lynn says, “This ghost business, Mama mentioned her show a few days back, so I went on and watched several episodes.”

  I cringe, knowing she probably started with the more recent ones. The concern on her face deepens. “The one where she mentioned Grandma Maddie, the message…Malachi, I don’t want you going back to the old estate.”

  “Wait,” I say, surprised her follow up to the episode with Grandma Maddie wasn’t questions about how Echo knew those things. “You…believe the things Echo says on her show, about her seeing ghosts?”

  Katie Lynn turns her nose up at me. “Well, I am certainly open to the idea of it. I’ve heard enough ghost stories around here to admit there’s likely more to this world than meets the eye. You remember that night I stayed over at Lizzy Bowler’s house, right?” She shivers at the mere mention of it.

  I never did get all the details, but I know the girls at the sleepover managed to scare each other half to death with ghost stories and they all swore they saw something that shouldn’t have been there and went home with their pillows clutched under their chins. I had no idea Katie Lynn leaned toward the supernatural, but I appreciate her willingness to give Echo the benefit of the doubt.