Between a Wolf and a Hard Place

  “Let me hear you sing.”

  “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” He sang a little bit of “Silent Night.”

  She grimaced.

  “I told you I couldn’t sing. Neither could my great-aunt. For fun, she and I both sang off-key while she played the piano. For me, it was a fun time spent with my great-aunt. My brothers all thought I was crazy.”

  “You bonded with her.”

  “I did.”

  “And now?”

  “I wasn’t sure if I could ever perform well, but the idea that we could learn together? That makes all the difference in the world to me.”

  Ellie smiled.

  After all the hiking they’d done while searching for the lost boy, she was really tired. But she knew Brett didn’t want to end the night with her this quickly, and she knew once she began running as a wolf, she’d have fun and her energy would be renewed. Yet, how was she going to get out of taking piano lessons with Brett? Maybe if she kept putting him off until they could get rid of the ghost, then she could try the lessons and that would be the end of it.

  She could just hear her sisters laughing about her taking lessons. She never took training for anything. She was a do-it-yourself kind of girl.

  They both shed their clothes and shifted, then bolted out through the wolf door.

  She ran with Brett, really enjoying the time spent with him. The snow started to fall again, and they were covered in flakes, making them look like white wolves as the snow began to accumulate. Their second coat kept them warm, but none of the snow melted on top of their coat. It was the perfect coat for winter weather.

  When she stopped to look at him, he had snow accumulating on his snout and sprinkles of snowflakes around his cheeks. He stopped, panting for a moment, then licked her cheek and the bridge of her nose. She did the same to him, laughing inside. Then, to her surprise, he raced around her, leaned down, and told her he wanted to play in their wolf way. She tackled him without hesitation.

  She’d never played like this with him before, and she wasn’t sure how much strength she needed to use against a bigger male wolf. With her sisters, she knew how much power to use in her lunges. She used more with Laurel than with Meghan, because Laurel was the true alpha and nearly always ready to give it her all. Meghan was more delicate in her response than either Ellie or Laurel, which meant they always took her down first. Then Ellie and Laurel went after each other. Well, almost always. Sometimes Ellie and Meghan ganged up on Laurel, just on principle. But only in a fun-loving way.

  Ellie tackled Brett, but he was like a solid wall and she bounced off. She laughed at her inability to budge him. She tried again while he waited to give her another chance, and this time, he moved to her left, and she ran right past him. She woofed.

  He barked joyfully back. He was teasing her, and she loved him for it.

  She went after him again, only this time he tackled her, pushing her into a pile of snow and holding her down with his huge body. She smiled up at him, loving the way he played with her. She should have been studying how he played with his brothers. Instead, he’d been watching her with her sisters so he knew all her moves. Smart wolf.

  * * *

  That night, while Ellie was having dinner with Brett, Laurel fixed CJ halibut fillets, fried potatoes, and broccoli—one of his favorite meals—before she talked to him about the latest ghostly issue at their inn.

  CJ talked about taking one of the teens in their pack on police patrol for the day and how he thought the boy might like to be a deputy sheriff someday.

  “He’s a good boy.” Normally, she would be interested in his conversation, but all she wanted to do was clear the air about his great-aunt.

  “I told my brother to straighten things out with Ellie.”

  Laurel hadn’t expected CJ to bring that up. She hadn’t planned to speak of it. It was between Ellie and Brett now. “No problem. I doubt she’s going to go looking for any other guy.”

  CJ frowned. “Wolf?”

  Laurel shook her head. “She’s not really outgoing. If someone pursued her, she’d go out with him, but trying to track one down on her own? That’s a different story.”

  CJ snorted. “I ought to tell a few of the bachelor males that Ellie’s looking to date some other wolves. Teach Brett to say she should go out with other guys. Even if it’s to prove a point.”

  “Don’t you dare,” Laurel said. “It could be a big mess, and Ellie would be right in the middle of it. Your brother would strangle you over it. Besides, from what I understand, she said he was just throwing the notion out there, but she thought the idea had merit.”

  “Well, he shouldn’t have told Ellie to date other guys, no matter what the reason was.” CJ finished eating his fish. “Man, that was good.”

  “I know how much you enjoy halibut for a change.”

  “Yeah, it’s great, honey. Thanks. So how was Chrissy today? Was she giving you any more trouble?”

  “Not Chrissy.”

  He set his fork down on his plate and took a sip of his decaf coffee. “Not Chrissy. Don’t tell me your renovations in the basement stirred up more ghosts.”

  “Not the renovations.”

  CJ sat up a little taller, his expression more serious. “What happened?”

  She sighed, realizing that telling him about his great-aunt was going to be more difficult than she’d thought. She started clearing away the dishes, needing to do something.

  Frowning, he helped her with the leftovers while she started the dishwasher.

  “It all started with moving the piano into the inn.”

  “The piano.”

  “Well, not just the piano, but when Brett kissed Ellie next to it.”

  “Chrissy’s not happy with the piano being in the lobby? You said she didn’t like the color you chose for her room. But now she’s not a music lover either?”

  “Not Chrissy.”

  CJ frowned again.

  Laurel pulled him into her arms and looked up at him. “Your great-aunt Matilda.” She immediately felt CJ stiffen in her arms.

  CJ pulled away from her. “What?”

  “I know you aren’t one hundred percent certain about my sisters’ ability to see ghosts, but—”

  “How do they know it’s her? It could be anyone. Even Chrissy.”

  “No. Brett gave Ellie a photo of your great-aunt, and she verified that’s who she saw near the piano.”

  “When Brett was kissing Ellie.”

  “Yes.” Laurel folded her arms. “You don’t believe me. Have you just been humoring me whenever I’ve talked about Chrissy? Don’t tell me you don’t think we really see, hear, or feel what we do.”

  “I don’t believe my great-aunt is haunting the piano. We’ve never had any indication that she’s been hanging around since her death.”

  “You don’t see anything, or maybe you do, but you are in such denial that you don’t want to believe it.”

  “Laurel—” CJ sounded totally exasperated with her.

  “Isn’t that so?” Now she was furious with CJ. How could he not believe her and her sisters when he had acted all along like he had? She was beginning to think Ellie was right. She shouldn’t have bothered telling her mate. A whole lot of good it did. She and her sisters could have worked to exorcise that ghost from the inn and their lives without sharing any of it with the Silver brothers.

  “Brett said he thought Ellie and Meghan were shaken up when we were moving the piano. He assumed it was because of Chrissy. But now you’re saying that wasn’t her all along? It was my great-aunt?”

  “No. Only Ellie saw her. And she seems to disapprove of Brett and Ellie’s kissing.”

  “I don’t believe this.”

  “Fine.” Laurel stormed up the stairs to their bedroom, grabbed a bag, and packed a few things. Then she headed down the stairs,
while CJ was coming up and saw the bag slung over her shoulder.

  “Where are you going?”

  “I’m staying with my sisters. We have a lot of work to do. I’ll be home when we’re done.”

  “Laurel—”

  She passed him on the stairs and headed for the door. Without a backward glance, she shut the door on her way out. She was so annoyed with CJ that she couldn’t think straight.

  Chapter 5

  That night, Ellie was just getting out of the shower when she heard the phone ringing and hoped there wasn’t more trouble. With a towel wrapped around her torso, she snapped up her cell.

  “Hey, Laurel. Did you tell CJ about his great-aunt?” Ellie was afraid of what Laurel would say about that. CJ probably hadn’t been happy to learn his great-aunt was haunting the inn, which was probably why Laurel was calling at this late hour.

  “He doesn’t believe us. Well, you… Since you’re the only one who has seen her.”

  “I told you we shouldn’t have let him know. But Meghan heard her playing the piano too.”

  “If it was her. Maybe Chrissy was playing it.”

  “Unless she had lessons, I doubt it.”

  “Normally, I’d say you were wrong about me not sharing with my mate. This time, I agree. I’m on my way over now.”

  “Wait. What? Don’t tell me you two had a fight.” They were so happily mated that Ellie hated for anything to come between them. With her and Brett, it was different. They were still getting to know each other.

  “Yeah, well, I’m staying with the two of you until we resolve this. Matilda has to go, or the piano has to.”

  “Maybe she was annoyed with me for kissing Brett. Maybe if we don’t do that in the inn anymore, everything will be fine. I even wondered how she’d react if you and CJ kissed, since you’re mated wolves.”

  “Too late to try that now.”

  “Wolves mate for life,” Ellie reminded her sister. Laurel and CJ would have to resolve this issue between them.

  “Right. I’m not leaving him forever. Just long enough to take care of his great-aunt.”

  Ellie threw on her tiger-striped pajamas as she heard a car pull up in the parking lot. Peeking out the window, she saw it was Laurel. “Okay, see you. Do you want me to make us mugs of hot chocolate?”

  “Sure, thanks. Be right in. Who put up all the lights on the inn?”

  “Brett did. He did a great job.”

  “It’s just beautiful.”

  A few minutes later, Ellie and Laurel were sitting in the living room with hot mugs of cocoa on the chilly fall night, the wind whirling and moaning about the house. “So what do you want to do first?” Ellie asked. She knew CJ would talk to his closest brother Brett first. Then Brett would probably be annoyed with her for not telling him she had seen his great-aunt at the piano, even if he didn’t believe in ghosts. Which was the perfect reason not to tell him.

  “Meghan’s still out on a date, I take it,” Laurel said.

  “With Peter. Yes.”

  “He’d better believe in ghosts, or she’s going to have to quit seeing him for her sanity’s sake.”

  Ellie considered her relationship with Brett and knew the same thing went for him. If CJ didn’t believe in them, then what would Brett think? It just wouldn’t work out. She was thinking she needed to post a letter in the Lonely Hearts column in the Silver Town Gazette: “She-wolf seeking male wolf who believes in ghosts. No others need apply.”

  * * *

  Brett was watching a cop show when CJ called. He was usually wrapped up in his mate when he was off work, so Brett worried something was wrong. When his younger brother told him what the problem was, Brett couldn’t believe it.

  “That’s why Ellie wanted the picture of Matilda?” Brett couldn’t help sounding annoyed.

  “She didn’t tell you?”

  “No. She said she wanted to have it for a memorial.” To some extent, Brett understood why Ellie felt she couldn’t tell him. He was noncommittal about believing in ghosts. Also, he assumed she thought he’d be upset. Who wouldn’t be when they learned a dead relative was still hanging around because of some unsettled business? “So they think our great-aunt was murdered? No way was that the case.”

  “No. The other ghost, Chrissy, died of a fever, so everyone says. Apparently people can hang around after death even if they died of natural causes—if any of this can be believed.”

  “Now you’re saying you don’t believe in it?” Brett was really surprised.

  “Let’s just say I have a hard time believing in ghosts sometimes.”

  “How does Laurel feel about that?”

  “She left me.”

  Brett was stunned into silence.

  “She’ll be back as soon as they’ve finished work over there.”

  “What? In another two weeks? You’re just going to let her leave without chasing her down and begging her to come back? Apologizing or whatever you need to do to make this right?”

  “What would you do in my place? You don’t believe in ghosts any more than I do.”

  “I’d chase her down and beg for forgiveness.”

  “Is that what you’re going to do with Ellie?”

  “We went for a wolf run and had dinner. Everything seems to be okay. Concerning Matilda, they say that ghosts can remain behind for all kinds of reasons. Not just because of foul play.”

  “Right. So?”

  “I remember Dad saying something about how Aunt Matilda had been sick. She had a cough and had been running a fever on and off.”

  “Which contributed to her having pneumonia.”

  “She was still running around when everyone had told her to take it easy. Then she took a bath or shower and went to bed with damp hair that night.”

  “Which Dad said she always did. She didn’t have a hair dryer. She just toweled it dry and went to bed. He thinks she got even more chilled because of it. What, Brett? I know you and your investigative mind. What makes you think it could be anything more than what it appeared to be?”

  “She’d been dead for several hours when they discovered she wasn’t just sleeping in her bed. If she’d towel dried her hair, wouldn’t it have been dry by the time they discovered her body in the morning?”

  “Maybe she washed up really late, and her hair didn’t dry all the way.”

  “Her nightgown was on backward.”

  “Which can happen to anyone. If she was delirious, that could have been the reason for it.”

  Brett pondered the situation further, though his brother was right. But he was trying to remember something else that might lead to the conclusion that she hadn’t died naturally. “What about the rowboat?”

  “What about it?”

  “A few days after she died, they found it snagged on some rocks several miles downriver.”

  “Because someone hadn’t tied it up properly the last time they used it. The boat had been carried away. One of our pack members found it while running as a wolf.”

  “I remember Dad remarking about the old gal having a little fun with someone in the rowboat and being amused. You know that was unusual in and of itself for Dad.”

  “I don’t recall anything about it. What did he say?”

  “They’d found her sunbonnet in the bottom of the boat with an empty wine bottle and a man’s glove.”

  “I must not have been around to hear that. When did that happen?”

  “Dad assumed that before she got sick, she must have gone out with some guy. They had to have both been a little tipsy when they returned, or they wouldn’t have left any evidence behind.”

  “But you think this happened when she was sick? That she accidentally drowned or was drowned—and someone redressed her and put her to bed?” CJ sounded skeptical.

  Brett didn’t blame his brother for thinking tha
t was a far-out notion. He would never have given the matter another thought if his great-aunt hadn’t suddenly returned as a ghost. Why would she? Maybe her arrival had nothing to do with her death. But he had always wondered how the boat got away if it was tied to the dock. And the business about her partying with some guy before her death and not being more discreet about it?

  “I’m sure she died the way the doctor said she did. But why not double-check? I just want to go over the information that’s available through Doc Oliver’s medical records and the coroner’s report and see if I can learn the truth. Either she died of natural causes, or there’s the slim possibility that she didn’t. I wish Doc Oliver were still alive so we could ask him.” Brett paused. “All the sisters have seen our great-aunt’s ghost, I take it.”

  “I don’t know. My conversation with Laurel ended rather abruptly. Truthfully, I was in such shock that I didn’t know what to say.”

  “Exactly. So Laurel has got to be worried about what will happen when the new guests begin to arrive. I think we need to get in touch with the MacTires’ ghost-buster cousins to see if they know how to exorcise a ghost. What would it hurt? If one is really there, even if it’s our great-aunt, and the brothers can help the spirits go to their final resting places, maybe they can do it. The problem would be solved.”

  “I can see that backfiring since the sisters don’t want the cousins involved.”

  “Okay, so how can we help? Laurel told you about it for a reason. You know she had to worry about telling you any of this. Disbelief on your part. Maybe even defensiveness. We have to do something. She’s obviously concerned about the situation. Ellie told me Chrissy moved rolls of wallpaper from one place to another. If she could do that, was our great-aunt doing something completely disruptive too?”

  “I don’t know. Like I said, we didn’t get to talk much before Laurel stormed off.”

  “What if Matilda starts creating havoc like Chrissy has been doing? What if a ghost is doing something, and the sisters have guests at the same time?”