Double Dating with the Dead by Karen Kelley (best fiction novels to read .txt) 📗

same time it was a wonder they didn’t both come tumbling down the stairs, the mattress landing on top of them.

He took the stairs two at a time and grabbed the mattress from Selena. “Why didn’t you call one of the men to help?”

“We’re almost to the bottom.” She snatched the mattress back. “And we didn’t ask because we don’t need a man’s help.”

“You’re right, if you fell and landed on your head, it might knock some sense into it. Now, wouldn’t that be a damn shame?” He firmly took hold of the mattress again.

“Then you need to fall down a lot.” She seized her end back.

He’d never met a more obstinate woman in his life. He latched on again, but she didn’t turn loose. “I said I’d help.” He clamped his lips together.

“I don’t want your help,” she spoke between gritted teeth.

“Well, hell,” Paige drawled. “You can have my end if it means that much to y’all.” She let go and marched back up the stairs.

The mattress wobbled. Trent lunged up the stairs, catching Paige’s corner before it fell.

“There, are you satisfied?” Selena began dragging the mattress down the stairs.

“It’s your fault. All you had to do was let go. You still could. I can get it without your help.”

“That’s not the point. It’s my bed.” She huffed, jerking it forward.

They stopped at the bottom of the steps, glaring at each other.

“I didn’t ask for your help,” she reminded him.

Obstinate and stubborn. “You got it anyway.” He took a firm grip on the mattress, tucked it under his arm and hauled it toward the front door. This time she backed out of his way.

He knew he’d win.

“There’s always round two,” she said.

He glanced over his shoulder, watching her saunter away. Yes, he was counting on round two…and three…and…

“You pickin’ out a place to sleep tonight?” Tye asked as he came inside.

Trent dragged his attention away from Selena. “What?”

He pointed to the mattress. “I asked if you were going to sleep in the lobby tonight.”

Trent frowned and got a better grip. Tye grabbed the other end. “It needs airing. Selena and her cousin were trying to get it downstairs on their own.”

Tye stopped on the veranda and shot Trent a look of amazement. “And you got between them?” He laughed. “I’m surprised you made it out alive.”

“I was beginning to wonder if I would.” He started to see the humor in the situation. His family mostly consisted of men. Not having any sisters or female cousins, he had only his mother and aunts with whom to compare other women. His father always treated his mother like a queen. A lot of the females Trent had dated seemed to enjoy being pampered.

The James women apparently didn’t.

They went down the porch steps and tossed the mattress across the dilapidated wooden fence. Just before they went inside, he glanced up, toward where Selena would be sleeping. There was a shadow at her window. Odd how it just appeared, then was gone in a flash.

“You okay?” Tye asked.

“I thought I saw…” He shook his head. “Nothing. It was nothing.”

“Or maybe a ghost. WoohooOOOoooo…”

“Or maybe you’re losing it. Come on, you don’t actually believe in that nonsense?”

“Did you know Paige is a witch?” Tye abruptly changed the subject.

“So she told me.”

“Pretty cute, too.”

“Do you think of nothing else besides women?”

Tye grinned. “What better subject is there?”

“You’re hopeless.”

“Yeah, I know.”

Tye started back toward the house, Trent right behind him. Trent couldn’t help looking one more time at Selena’s window. A trick of the eye? Or something else?

Damn, he really needed a vacation.

“Bye,” Selena called, a smile plastered on her face as she waved to her departing relatives. She wanted to call them back, but not to the point she’d forfeit the challenge.

Trent wrinkled his nose. “What is that smell? It’s almost as bad as the Ft. Worth Stockyards in the middle of summer.”

She’d hoped he wouldn’t notice. “Uh…gris-gris.” She refused to look him in the eye. “Mom went to New Orleans a few years ago. She took the voodoo tour.”

“What’d she do, dig up a dead body as a souvenir and haul it back with her? A corpse doesn’t count as a ghost, you know.”

“Not funny.” She untied the leather string at the back of her neck and brought the small bag from her shirt-front. “It’s an amulet. You know, to ward off evil spirits.”

“Ward them off? Hell, it’d kill them. What’s in it?”

Her nose scrunched up. “I was afraid to ask,” she admitted. “I’m pretty sure garlic.” Lots and lots of garlic.

Enough that her eyes watered.

“Please tell me you’re not planning on wearing that for the next two weeks.”

What did he think she was? As if she didn’t know the answer to that. “I thought I’d put it under my pillow,” she snapped.

“Oh, honey, I can think of much better ways to keep you safe from evil spirits.”

He stood too close. She could feel the heat emanating from his body. Images of her and Trent making wild, passionate love filled her mind.

Damn, he was tempting her again. So not fair!

She stiffened her spine and cast a glare in his direction that would’ve had a lesser man begging for mercy. It didn’t seem to faze him, but she wouldn’t back down.

“I doubt I’ll ever need your protection. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to soak in a tub and get rid of some of this dirt.” She whirled around and went inside.

His mocking laughter followed her.

Trent thought this was all some grand joke. By the end of the two weeks she’d prove him wrong. Then who would have the last laugh?

She tromped upstairs and down the hall to her room.

Every bone in her body ached, but they had most of the hotel cleaned. At least, the areas they’d be living in. It would take a lot longer to clean the whole place.

She grabbed fresh clothes and made her way to the bathroom. Just for good measure, she hung the gris-gris on the outer knob. Lord,