Medium in Paradise: A Humorous Paradise Romance Read Online Free

hair frizzed out in a thick halo around strong, attractive features. Wedged heels and a flowing strapless sundress complemented her voluptuous figure, giving her the appearance of a woman fifteen years younger than her forty-nine years. Beautiful as she was, it was no wonder her husband was ten and three quarter years younger than she was. The age difference had never been a problem for Dina, though plenty of tongues had flapped around town when her mother had not so subtly introduced him around.
    “What’s wrong, sweetie?” her mother asked, pushing her sunglasses up and gazing intently into her eyes. “I can feel your worry. It’s like a dense fog in your mind.”
    “I’m fine, Mom. Just tired. Hi Taavi. Mom’s not driving you too crazy, is she?” She stood up, giving each of them a kiss on the cheek.
    “She is, but like my mother always says, as a husband, it is my job to suffer,” Taavi murmured in his charming Nicaraguan accent. He bought her mother’s fingers to his lips, giving them a small kiss. His smile creased the laugh lines at the corners of his eyes and his smooth, dark skin seemed to shimmer in the bright morning sunlight. “As you know we were very busy assisting with a cleansing ritual this past weekend. Nasty poltergeist. But we managed to get rid of it.”
    “You guys make such a great team,” she said, not without a little envy as she watched their hands affectionately entwine. The two of them shared a sickeningly adoring look to which Dina sighed inwardly.
    It was disconcerting to know that her mother and Taavi had begun dating years after she’d started seeing Anthony and were already married. She forcefully tucked the treacherous thought into the back of her mind and focused on more pleasant matters.
    “So what are you waiting for? Bring us on a tour of the place.” Her mother eagerly stepped up to the door, foot poised on the threshold as she grabbed ahold of the doorknob.
    “I have something I need to tell you first--,” Dina warned.
    “Oh my good ness!” Her mother jerked her hand back from the doorknob as though it were hot to the touch, her eyes vaguely accusatory. “You have a spirit in the house.”
    “Yes, I can feel it too.” Taavi closed his eyes, concentrating. “It’s female…and very lively. Why didn’t you do a cleansing ritual?”
    “I did, but it didn’t quite work the way it was supposed to.”
    “I told you that you have to use your abilities in order to keep them in tip top shape. It’s not like blowing dust off an old book and taking up where you left off, sweetie.” She would have prattled on had Taavi not given her a quick look out of the side of his eye. Her mother’s voice had taken on the same disapproving, chastising tone she’d used when Dina had first told her she didn’t want to be a practicing Medium.
    “I know, Mom. I just--,” She didn’t get to finish her sentence because the door was suddenly flung open.
    Dina cautiously peeked around the door. What the hell was she playing at now?
    “I think we’re being invited in,” Taavi murmured, the look he threw the two of them one of amusement. They all walked inside. Dina peered warily around the living room that was still mired in boxed chaos. “This spirit is very, very lively indeed,” he said, again.
    “Too damned lively.”
    The smell of fresh brewed coffee reached their noses. Taking a deep breath and squaring her shoulders, Dina marched into the kitchen, unsure of what she might see.
    The ghost was standing at the counter, humming a jaunty tune and floating coffee cups down from the cabinets above the sink. Silver teaspoons, a carton of light cream and a bag of sugar floated in the air, each of them landing neatly on the counter beside the coffee cups. The ghost’s hair was pulled back into a ponytail and thank the Gods she was actually attired in the tank top and jeans she’d first appeared in instead of wearing some foolish costume she’d dreamed up.
    “What the heck are