Ruby's Ghost Read online

  Eloise ignored the waiting books, notes and previous exam papers, tied up her runners then went downstairs for breakfast. No doubt her parents would still be sleeping, like they did after every bridge night. She hadn’t heard them come home, and hopefully they hadn’t heard her talking to Tate this morning.

  For months her parents had done nothing but be at her side in hospital. She’d missed so much of grade seven after her near brush with death that she’d had to repeat. After that she’d been in her own weird social group, too old for the kids in her year while her friends were in the year above. After school she’d taken a year off to travel, hoping that by the time she came back to college any age gap wouldn’t matter. It didn’t, except the people she used to hang around with were now in third year and had almost finished, and she had years to go. Yeah, but she’d backpacked through Europe and done all kinds of things her parents didn’t need to know about, including the Italian hottie. Living at home while she went to college was a small price to pay for her overseas adventures.

  Halfway through her muesli her dad came downstairs. “Morning.”

  “Morning. You were up late last night. Your light was on when we came home.”

  Probably best not to talk about Tate, the not-really-a-ghost ghost. He might think she’d been drinking or doing drugs and revoke car privileges. She’d blown her savings on her year off, but her parents had bought her a cheap car for her to use—as long as she didn’t fail anything. “Yeah, I thought I’d walk Shelby early and then get stuck into studying.”

  “That’s my girl. Coffee?”

  “No.” She really didn’t need caffeine in her system making her jumpy. She put her bowl in the dishwasher.

  “Remember to take breaks.”

  “I will.” The problem would be focusing. Eloise took the dog lead out of the drawer and headed out the back.

  Shelby raced around her legs like an overexcited puppy. Three years ago she’d been a puppy, now she was a giant rottweiler and it wasn’t so cute.

  “Sit,” Eloise said in her firmest voice.

  Shelby whined and sat while Eloise clipped on her hot pink lead. They traipsed back through the house, Shelby dancing at her side. “Back soon.”

  Her dad just nodded as he contemplated the crossword. They had so much faith in her, she couldn’t bear to see their disappointment if she failed. One trip to the accident scene and then home to study. Who’d have thought microscopic bugs could cause so much grief?

  As soon as they were out of the house Eloise headed towards the accident site. She wasn’t sure what she’d find, but she needed to go and make sure Tate wasn’t stuck there or she wouldn’t be able to concentrate on anything. Hopefully he’d be back in his body and she could get on with her study. He probably wouldn’t even remember her when he woke up; she’d be just some weird coma dream.

  Two blocks up and around the corner she stopped. There was a man sitting on the front lawn of the house from the news. She’d recognize that dark blond hair anywhere. Tate wasn’t back where he belonged. Her heart ached for him. This was a sucky situation.

  “Come on, Shelby.” She couldn’t pretend she hadn’t seen him—that would be cruel—so she walked up the road toward Tate.

  Tate looked up, but he wasn’t looking at her. He was watching a car that had stopped, engine running, on the other side of the road. Eloise glanced at the white SUV. The news reader had said it was a hit and run. Was this the car coming back to look at the scene? She repeated the number plate to herself a couple times to make sure she’d remember.

  She strolled up the footpath like she was dawdling along with the dog, her gaze never landing for long on the car, but the driver didn’t get out or stop the engine. As she reached the chalk outline on the driveway, the driver took off. She never got a glimpse of his face. Damn it. Tate didn’t move, but his eyes tracked the vehicle, his jaw locked tight.

  “Was that the car?”

  He shrugged. “I think so.”

  “I’ll ring the cops and let them know the plate number.”

  Tate looked up at her. “Thank you. I can’t seem to do much right.”

  She bit back the remark that it wasn’t his fault. That would be something he’d have to work out for himself. Then he’d be angry with the driver and himself. She’d been there and done that, and it wouldn’t change what had happened, as awful as that was. “You can’t stay here.”

  “Why not? It’s not like I can go far.” He sat staring at the road.

  “We have to find a way to get you back into your body.” She wanted him to get better and not be a lost soul wandering around, never finding peace.

  “Maybe I’m not meant to live and that’s why I can’t go back.” His voice cracked as he spoke. She could almost see the black cloud hovering over him, weighing him down with grief and despair.

  “I don’t believe that. The doctors will be working to make sure you pull through and your parents will be worried. You have people fighting for you. You have to fight.” If he lay down and gave in, would his body give up too? Or was it the other way around and his body determined what his spirit did?

  Something flickered in his eyes but the tension around his mouth didn’t ease.

  Shelby sniffed the grass and walked right through Tate.

  “You might want to move. She’s about to—” too late, “—wee.”

  Tate was already moving, but he seemed to be unbothered by Shelby’s lack of toilet manners. “Guess she can’t see me.”

  Hmm. If the dog couldn’t see him… “Can anyone else see you?”

  “I don’t know.” He frowned. “I don’t think so. The cops couldn’t last time I came here. Not that it matters.”

  “Yeah, it does. If no one else can see you, I’m talking to the air and looking like a crazy person.” She did a quick glance around but there was no one else on the street. It was just her, Shelby and ghost-Tate.

  If no one else could see him, why could she? A thought grew and blossomed even though her blood was cold. She’d died for a few seconds in the hospital. It had never meant anything before, but now? Is that why she could see him? But she’d never seen any other ghosts. Maybe Tate was a special case because they shared a bedroom. She lowered her gaze and glanced across at him.

  He gave her a shadowed smile. “You’re not crazy. You’re taking the time to talk to me when you could’ve pretended not to see me.”

  She scuffed the toe of her runner on the pavement. A normal person would’ve ignored him. No, a normal person would have run away from a ghost, not engaged them in conversation. It was too late to pretend that he wasn’t around, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to. “You appeared in my bedroom in the middle of the night—kind of hard to ignore.”

  “I didn’t plan it.”

  “I figured that. Why would you go to a house you used to live at, wouldn’t you rather go home?”

  “I grew up there. It was my home before my parents separated.”

  “Ah.” That explained the strong connection he had to the house. Shelby circled her legs, sniffing and tangling them both in the lead. Eloise stepped free. The last thing she needed was to trip over the dog.

  “So you don’t mind me hanging out?” He looked concerned, as if she was going to banish him from the house.

  How could she say no? He was having a rough time, and he didn’t even have a body. “Sure, it’s not like you need feeding or anything.” Then she smiled. “And my parents won’t even know you’re there.”

  Tate was the first guy she didn’t have to sneak in to the house. He’d already been in her bedroom twice and they weren’t even seeing each other. No one was seeing Tate except her at the moment.

  He grinned as if finding his situation amusing for the first time. “I’ll walk you home.”

  Eloise returned his smile twice as bright. He was just the kind of guy she wanted to know more about. She pushed down the thought before it could take hold. Being attracted to him was asking for trouble and heartbreak.

/>   “Yes, let’s walk you home.” Ruby crossed her arms and circled Tate, the brunette and the vicious-looking dog. “This is why you broke up with me?” She pointed at the woman. “You had a bit on the side. Here was I thinking wedding and babies and you’d already moved on. No wonder you didn’t want to be seen at the party with me. You didn’t want word getting back to this one.”

  “Can I ask you a question?” said the dark-haired home-wrecker.

  “Sure.” Tate nodded as he walked, shortening his strides to match the other woman’s.

  “Who was Ruby?”

  “Who am I?” But of course Tate hadn’t told the new woman. Why would he? “I’m his girlfriend!” Ruby stood in front of them with her arms crossed defiantly, but they walked right through her as if they hadn’t seen her. How could a ghost walk through another ghost and not see or feel anything? She looked at her hands. She was bright, like a cartoon dropped into the real world. As if she was the one that didn’t belong here.

  “She was my girlfriend. We broke up at the party. She asked for a lift home. I should have said no.” He shook his head. “I could never say no to her. Dad always said I was just like him, a sucker for a pretty girl.”

  “It’s not your fault.”

  “Maybe not, but…”

  “It’s not your fault,” Ruby mimicked. “Oh, please. You’re not really falling for this?” She slapped Tate on the arm and her hand went through him. That was super weird. It was like they were out of sync or something. Because she was dead and he was only half-dead?

  She’d had to listen to Tate’s dad telling him about his injuries, about her death and about how his mother was on the way. Friends had tried to see him but had been turned away, family only. He was only just hanging on. His brain was swelling, his shoulder was fractured and he was missing a whole lot of skin on his arm. She’d made the mistake of looking while the wound was being cleaned, and even though she had no stomach to turn, she was sure it had turned.

  While people were fussing over him, she was cold and alone with no one to talk to. If he would just let go of that fragile body, they could be together. Surely the light she’d glimpsed would come back if Tate was with her.

  “Tate!” Ruby yelled. She’d make him notice her. He was hers.

  He looked up as if he heard something.

  “Tate!” Ruby called again.

  “Are you all right?” Home-wrecker asked.

  Tate tilted his head as if listening. “Yeah, I think so. I thought I heard my name.”

  “Maybe someone is talking to you at the hospital.”

  “No. I hear Ruby,” Tate said without a smile. His lips pressed into a thin line, as if hearing her was the last thing he wanted. Well, too bad.

  “Ha, you do hear me. So why can’t you see me? You saw me last night while you were in surgery.” She paced around the people and dog. “They drilled holes in your head. Did they damage something?”

  Home-wrecker broke step. “Ruby’s dead—you can’t be hearing her.”

  “I know.” He stopped walking. “But I thought I saw her last night and now I keep hearing her. What if she’s trying to tell me something?”

  “I am trying to tell you something. Let go. Be with me. We had something good, baby.” Ruby smiled and went to throw her arms around his neck. “We could always make it right.”

  He passed through her again, and she brushed past the other woman.

  Home-wrecker shivered as if she felt the contact. “Like what?”

  Tate shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s because we had unfinished business. It was kind of sudden.”

  Sudden? The breakup had come out of nowhere. She’d been buying wedding magazines thinking he’d propose when he graduated college.

  They walked along in silence, Ruby on one side of Tate, the dark-haired girl and the dog on the other. It was a pity she couldn’t talk to Tate as he would be able to explain what was going on. He was always smart—maybe too smart. She flicked a sullen gaze at him, half expecting him to be staring lovingly at the other woman. He wasn’t. He was gazing into the distance, a look on his face she had grown used to seeing when he was a million miles away.

  In a way he was. He was in hospital—or at least his body was. He wasn’t really a ghost. Ruby stopped. That was why he couldn’t see her today. Last night while he’d been knocked out and in surgery, she’d been able to find him.

  She watched her boyfriend and the other woman walk into a two-story house. She’d have to wait until his next surgery to talk to him. Maybe if she pointed out how serious his condition was, and how much stress it was causing his father to see him like that, he’d give up trying to live. Just because she was dead didn’t mean she was going to give up. Tate was the love of her life, and death.

  Chapter Four

  Eloise unclipped Shelby’s lead, and the dog bounded through the house toward the back door. She glanced at Tate and indicated for him to follow. This would be the test. Would her parents be able to see him? She began building an excuse so it was ready to roll off her tongue. He was a friend, come to help her study. She stole another glance at him. That would work—he looked fairly solid, and as long as he didn’t wave around his damaged arm and they didn’t look too closely, it would be fine.

  Her dad looked up from the newspaper. No doubt he was still working on the crossword. “Good walk?”

  “Yep.” Eloise waited, her toes curling in her runners.

  Tate walked a few paces into the kitchen. The hairs on her arm peaked and pulled, but she resisted the urge to turn her head and look to make sure Tate was there. He was. She could sense he was the same way she’d sensed him the first time he’d appeared in her room. But her father’s gaze remained on her. He couldn’t see Tate.

  “If you want an excuse not to study, you can come to the nursery sale with us.” Her dad fed Shelby a piece of toast. Shelby took it daintily between her teeth and then swallowed it in two gulps.

  Eloise pulled a face. “I’ll pass. I’ll see you later.”

  The last thing she wanted to do was spend the morning looking at plants with her parents. Besides, she did have to study, and she didn’t know how that was going to happen with Tate in the room distracting her. Did she have time to help a ghost and study? This whole not-a-ghost thing was getting weird. While she wanted to spend time with him, was she actually spending time with him?

  She didn’t wait for Tate to follow as she went up the stairs, and didn’t risk a glance back. Was she wasting her time making friends with a guy who wouldn’t have looked twice at her at school and whose body was unconscious somewhere? How much would he remember when he woke up?

  Maybe nothing, but that didn’t mean she could ignore him when she was the only person who could see him. She was raised better than that. If her parents could see him, they’d be offering him tea and wanting to know his life story. Maybe that was a good place to start. She didn’t actually know that much about him except he’d gone to her school and recently broken up with Ruby, his high-school girlfriend. That had to hurt, even if he was the one to call it off.

  Eloise pushed a strand of hair out of her eyes and turned on her laptop. Her foot tapped on the ground as she waited for it to start up. She’d do a quick search on the Internet.

  “Hi, hon.” Her mother’s voice made her jump.

  Eloise turned and then tried to act like nothing was wrong. Tate stood in the corridor behind her mother. Her gaze flicked from her mother to him before she remembered to keep her eyes on her mother. Too late. Her mom looked over her shoulder as if expecting to see something.

  Her mom frowned then looked at Eloise. “Is it cold in here?”

  Eloise shrugged and pretended she didn’t know the reason for the chill was the tall blond guy leaning against the wall waiting to come into her bedroom. It was a total shame he was a ghost and not here in the flesh. Then she remembered the work she needed to do. Probably best he had no body. “I’ve been outside. I’m fine.”

  “Okay. We’r
e heading out. If you need anything, call.”

  “Will do.”

  “Lock the doors.”

  “Yeah, yeah.” Like that was going to help keep the ghosts out.

  Her mother smiled and passed straight through Tate as she walked away. He paled as if he wasn’t used to people going through him and then stood uncomfortably in her doorway. Eloise studied him. He looked very real, right down to the scuffing on his shoes and the wear on his well-fitting denim jeans. Who was she kidding? He was a distraction, anyway.

  “What’s your last name?” she asked.

  “Cooper. Why?”

  She typed his name into the search engine. “Because I think we went to school together.” Then it looked less like cyber stalking and more like friendly curiosity. She glanced up him still standing in the doorway. “You can come in.”

  “I usually like to know a woman’s name before I get invited into her bedroom.”

  “I don’t think it counts when you’re incorporeal.”

  “It counts more. It’s not like I can knock, and I’m just drifting around your house.”

  He was right. He could just drift in when she was getting changed, or hover around when she was sleeping. She shivered as she realized that unlike a real man, Tate could go anywhere and she couldn’t stop him. Hopefully he was a nice guy and not an ass.

  “Eloise Jones. Welcome to my bedroom.”

  Tate let a small smile form. She didn’t look any more certain about this than him. Of course, she had the luxury of having a body while he was…he didn’t know what he was made of at the moment, but he couldn’t do anything except walk through things and move between this house and the accident. Not much of a near-death experience.

  “Eloise Jones,” he said, testing out her name. Eloise wasn’t a common name, yet it sounded familiar. He looked at her again. Her dark hair was swept up into a ponytail, the shorter stands framing her face. No makeup, just simple and natural. Beautiful. He was willing to bet it didn’t take her an hour to get ready to go out. He glanced at her nails. They were short and unpainted, yet nothing about her said she didn’t care what she looked like—it was just that it wasn’t her focus at the moment. He glanced at the books on her desk, science books, then the animal calendar on her wall and a bunch of giraffe statues that lined a shelf.