Lucky Stars (Ghosts and Reincarnation #5)(75)
Author: Kristen Ashley

“She works with The McPherson!” Rachel announced grandly as if this meant anything at all.

“The McPherson?” Belle enquired.

Rachel came forward and wrapped her arm around Belle’s waist, moving them deeper into the hall.

“I called a friend of mine in Tucson who knew some Native Americans who had healers amongst them who bought rare herbs from some women who they said were in a coven who knew another coven on the East Coast who knew Cassandra who knew The McPherson,” she rambled her explanation. “And Cassandra says he’s the best. They just helped to dispatch a particularly nasty ghost witch up in Devon.”

“Dispatch?” Belle asked with concern.

“Well, they sent her to hell,” Rachel replied and Belle pulled out of her mother’s arm.

“We don’t want Myrtle and Lewis to go to hell!” she exclaimed.

“No, of course not!” Rachel exclaimed back, “I told Cassandra the story and she knows they’re supposed to go to heaven. She was happy to accept the gig.”

It was at this announcement Jack decided it was time to enter the conversation.

“The gig?” Jack asked and Rachel looked at him.

“Yes, the gig. She does this kind of thing for a living. Not just ghosts, other stuff. Talking to family members beyond the veil. Whipping up potions. Things like that.”

Jack ignored the ludicrous notion that anyone would have such employment and focussed on the more important issue at hand.

“You’re saying you’ve hired her,” Jack stated. When Rachel nodded, Jack asked, “How much?”

“Thirty pounds an hour, plus expenses,” Rachel answered.

“Fucking hell,” Jack muttered yet again.

At the same time, Belle cried, “Mom!”

Rachel looked at her daughter, “What? She’s highly specialised. I thought that was a bargain.”

“Who’s going to pay her?” Belle snapped.

“Your grandmother, for one, me for another. I’m not destitute you know,” she hesitated, “Though I should look into getting a job. Do you think I could help at your shop?”

Before Jack could speak, Belle said briskly, “Of course you can work at my shop. That isn’t the point. The point is this could take hours. What does this McPherson person charge?”

“I haven’t chatted with him yet. I’ll talk to him when he and Cassandra get here tomorrow,” Rachel answered.

Belle opened her mouth but Jack got there before her.

And when he did, he simply said, “Belle.”

She closed her mouth and turned to him.

When her eyes met his, Jack went on, “I thought I explained you were leading the pack.”

He watched Belle wet her lips but she didn’t reply.

Therefore he repeated yet again, “Fucking hell.”

“It’ll be just fine,” Rachel reiterated nearly the same exact words her daughter said to him the other night while they were sitting in the window of her room.

“Do I need to get involved in this?” Jack asked.

At the same time, both Belle and Rachel exclaimed, “No!”

Jack approached their huddle, got very close to Belle and put his hand to her jaw.

When she’d tipped her head back to look at him, he demanded, “You be safe.” Then, not taking his hand from Belle, he turned his head to look at Rachel and warned, “You keep her safe.”

“Of course!” Rachel snapped, “You don’t have to tell me that.”

“I feel better doing it,” Jack replied.

“Why?” Belle asked and Jack looked back to her.

“Because when you two make the mess I’ve the feeling you’re going to make and I’m forced to extricate you from that mess, I’ll be able to feel superior and say, ‘I told you so’,” Jack answered, feeling his lips twitch.

Belle’s eyes dropped to his mouth and he saw her lips form a small smile.

Before any more could be said, Joy rushed into the hall.

Her eyes were glued on Jack, they looked worried and her face was pale.

Jack’s body tensed, he dropped his hand from Belle’s jaw and turned to his mother.

“What is it?” he asked.

She stopped close but looked to Belle swiftly before her eyes flew back to Jack.

“Miles just pulled up,” she answered.

The air in the hall changed. Jack felt fear coming from Belle and his mother, undoubtedly for different reasons, and anger coming from Rachel.

To make matters worse, Lila chose that moment to descend the staircase and she did this quickly.

Her eyes were on Jack and for once they didn’t look filled with dislike or rebuke. He didn’t spend much time assessing her look but the time he did it looked like she was silently offering him moral support.

Therefore, he knew that she also knew Miles was there.

He also knew that somewhere along the line he’d earned Lila Cavendish’s acceptance and, possibly, her regard.

Jack didn’t have time to consider Lila’s acceptance or regard nor did he have time to make it to the doors and intercept his brother.

One was already opening so Jack moved to Belle and got close, curving an arm around her shoulders and tucking her front to his side. She immediately wrapped her arms around his middle.

Miles barely got the door closed before Jack said, “I thought we had an understanding.”

Miles turned from the doors and walked to them, stopping well away. The bruising and cuts on his face that Jack had given him hadn’t entirely healed but they were far less noticeable. He carried a magazine rolled in his hand.

Jack couldn’t read his expression.

Miles’s gaze went to their mother.

“Mum,” he said.

“Miles,” she whispered.

Then his eyes moved to Belle and Jack watched them change.

He did not like the way they changed, not in the slightest.

“Belle,” Miles said softly.

Belle pressed closer into Jack’s side and breathed, “Miles.”

“Miles –” Jack began but Miles looked at him and started speaking.

“I’d like a word.”

“You’ve had your words. Too many of them as I recall and none of them good,” Jack returned.

Miles looked from Jack, to Rachel, to Lila.

“You’re Belle’s family,” he said, a polite smile forming on his lips.

Rachel and Lila were cautiously silent for once and Jack spoke again.

“Miles, we had our conversation. I thought I made my feelings clear.”