Lovely Shadows Read Online Free

funny.”
    He snorted. “Thanks for the compliment.” Then without warning, he vanished.

    When he woke the next morning, she was already up. He found her on the computer, researching the archives of the local newspaper in Blue Rapids. Next to her, a notebook was filled with scribbles. Looking over her shoulder he saw that most of the notes were questions for him. On the screen was a photo of the car crash. Flames licked at the twisted metal of the Jeep as smoke billowed into the air. Firefighters with hoses aimed at the fire fought the blaze. Jessa stared at the screen for several minutes, her hand covering her mouth, her eyes teary. He projected enough to brush a tear from her cheek. She jumped, knocking over a cup of coffee.
    “Damn.” She ran into the kitchen then returned with a paper towel.
    “Sorry,” he said. I don't like to see you sad. “I didn't mean to scare you.”
    “That's okay. I was lost in thought.”
    “Did you find anything new?”
    “No.” She tossed the soppy towel into the trash then sat back down. “From what I've read, no foul play is suspected. No one was seen near the accident.”
    “Did they figure out how the Jeep caught on fire?”
    She nodded. “The fuel tank was punctured. They assume someone drove by shortly before or after the accident and flicked a lit cigarette into the brush.”
    “Oh.”
    She regarded him for a moment.“Do you miss your friends and family?”
    “Every day. Whether you realize it or not, haunting you has made it bearable.”
    Laughing, she said, “Well, I'm glad I can be of service. What are you up to today?”
    “Not much. I'll probably hang in the rafters with the bats and other scary creatures.”
    “At least you haven't lost your sense of humor.”
    “That's about the only thing I haven't lost.” His voice was said. She suddenly reached out to as if to comfort him. He stepped out of her way, and she dropped her arm.
    Looking at her watch, she said, “Listen, I have to work at the church today. Do you want to come along? You can keep me company.”
    “Are ghosts allowed in churches? I mean, God won't strike the place down with lightening will He?”
    “If angels and demons can exist, why not ghosts? Come on.”

    He waited on her bed while she took a shower and got dressed, all the while thinking he'd like to see her naked again. When she came back to her room, she was fully dressed, looking like a properly-bred church girl. Her black pants and flowery dress shirt left lots to the imagination. Luckily, his imagination knew no bounds.
    On the way to the church, he practiced opening and closing the glove box. Little step for ghost, one giant leap for ghost-kind. Jessa encouraged him as she drove. She kept the radio off so he could concentrate. After four or five times of opening the stupid door he was exhausted. But at least he could do it. He needed to set his sights on a higher goal. Kissing Jessa seemed ideal. She wouldn't object to a kiss, would she?
    The church wasn't a huge building like the ones on TV. Still, it was bigger than almost every other church in Browton. From the outside, it somewhat resembled a warehouse—boxy with aluminum siding, rectangular windows, steel doors. Only the front gave evidence of the buildings purpose: an awning of sorts hovered over a circle drive that led to two huge glass doors. Out front, a sign read “Grace Christian Fellowship.” Aidan had never stepped foot into a church a day in his life. Even in death there was first time for everything.
    Jessa parked under the awning behind the Reverend's Lincoln Town car. Prosaic in the extreme, Aidan laughed. Jessa gave him a questioning look but he didn't want to offend her.
    Her steps were quiet in the carpeted hallway. The place was eerily silent except for the hum of the air-conditioning system. She pushed open the door to the front office and went straight back to the mahogany door that led to her grandfather's study. After two knocks, they heard a mumbled