Lovely Shadows Read Online Free Page A

“Come in.” Jessa straightened her shirt, swept her hair off her shoulder, and stepped in.
    The Reverend sat behind his huge desk, his thin glasses perched on the edge of his wide nose. Sheets of paper were scattered over the surface of the desk. Behind him hung a bronze crucifix. The Reverend himself was tall yet portly—a result of too many Sunday dinners at his parishioners' homes.
    “Good morning, Grandpa,” Jessa greeted him with a kiss on the cheek. “I brought that manifest you wanted.”
    “Perfect.” He took the yellow folder from her and opened it. “I'm going to reuse some of December's messages. You know how I abhor doing that.”
    “So why are you?” she asked, occupying the leather chair across from him.
    “Membership is down this summer. There's no point in compiling new sermons to see us through July and August. If I put a different spin on these, then I can save the new stuff for the fall.”
    “That sounds reasonable. Is there anything I can do to help?”
    “The bulletins need folded; I have a dozen things that need mailed or faxed; the Elders need to be called about the meeting being rescheduled...”
    “Consider it done.”
    The man smiled. “I'd be lost without you.”
    Jessa kissed him once more then exited to the main office. She went to work on her to-do list. Aidan slept on the couch in the lobby while she made phone calls and faxed and emailed. Jessa woke him up when it was time to go.
    “I've never woke a ghost before,” she laughed as they left.
    “I bet not.” He slipped through the metal as she opened her door. “Can I ask you a question?”
    “Sure.”
    “Why are you so accepting of me? I mean, I know you don't believe in much of anything.”
    She pulled merged with traffic on the highway towards town.
    “I figure if I confronted you, then maybe you'd go away. Grandpa is always talking about casting out demons and things like that. Confronting you is my way of casting you out.”
    “Am I really that horrible?”
    “No,” she admitted reluctantly, “I've kind of gotten used to you. Now that I know you, I think I'll miss you when you go.”
    Hope, like a balloon, swelled in his heart. Maybe she could love him after all.
    It was a cruel thought.

3.

    Aidan was strangely quiet on the way home, especially after my little confession. Why had I said that? He wasn't staying here. As soon as we solved his death, he was out of here. Goodbye weird stalking shadow, hello life with Levi. Still, I couldn't quite regret saying it. I would miss him when he left. That didn't mean I wanted him to stay.
    The brief glimpse I got of him when he projected last night took my breath away. Aidan was the most beautiful man I had ever seen, Levi included. Shaggy auburn hair fell over fathomless golden brown eyes. Smooth skin stretched taut across high cheekbones and a firm jaw. His straight white teeth gleamed, even in the darkness of my room. His devastating smile forced my heart from my chest to my throat. I wanted to reach out and touch him, to have some evidence that he was flesh instead of air. What if I touched him and he disappeared? No, it was better that I kept my hands to myself. I couldn't just start feeling up random guys, even if they were dead.
    When I got home, a bouquet of roses sat on my front porch. All pink with a yellow one in the middle, they were gorgeous and homegrown. I recognized them from Levi's mom's bush that blossomed just outside their kitchen window. A thin card tucked into the yellow rose read: “One for friendship, one for every year I've loved you.” I counted the flowers—seventeen in all. I inhaled the rich scent and smiled. Only Levi could be this romantic. My skeptical nature didn't trust it to last so I would enjoy it while I could.
    “Smooth move,” Aidan commented.
    “Very,” I agreed, “although he doesn't need the brownie points.”
    I set the vase on the kitchen table but tucked the card into my back pocket. If Grandpa knew Levi and I were