The Ghost and Mrs. Mewer (A Paws and Claws Mystery Book 2) Read Online Free

harmed. They shed them every year.”
    “Oh! Good to know.” He tilted his head and considered them. “Now I kind of like them. Sort of a rustic elegance, and when you think about it, they’re recycled and good for the environment. It’s not as though I’m a vegetarian or anything, so I guess that makes me an awful hypocrite, but I’d hate to think they were killed for their antlers.” Felix brushed back his thick, wavy hair with his hand.
    An eager man poked his head inside the open door. “Is that you, Felix?”
    He startled me, not by showing up, but by his appearance. Intensely serious blue eyes dominated his face. Over each eye, the eyebrow ran straight across, barely hooking downward at the outer edges. Neatly cropped, dark blond hair framed his forehead, giving him a serious appearance. He hugged Felix in a fond, masculine manner, pounding softly on his back. Nearly a foot taller than Felix, he towered over him.
    Felix grinned at his friend. “Mark, you old dog, I thought I’d have to find your house. Or are you staying at the inn with the rest of us?”
    Mark laughed. “I was tempted. At my house there’s no maid service, and I have to do the cooking.”
    A second man swung into the room. Average height with brown eyes, he wore a dark brown mustache. He might not have been tall or built like a Greek god but his square chin with a dimple in it was guaranteed to make women swoon. Vaguely reminiscent of a young James Garner, he lit up the room with an easy charm. “Let’s get this party started!”
    Mark nodded. “Grayson, this is Felix, the guy I was telling you about. Grayson is our star. You probably know him from the reality TV show he was on.” He eyed me as though he had just noticed me. “I’m sorry. I don’t think we’ve met. Mark Belinski.”
    “Holly Miller.”
    “This must be Casper,” he said, bending to pet Casper and Trixie.
    Grayson reached a hand toward me. “Your grandmother told me you were coming here to work with her. I think that’s so cool.”
    “Thanks. You’ve been here a few days?” I asked.
    “I came up early to help Mark get ready and take a little time to relax. I did some hiking. It’s a beautiful area.”
    Felix gushed, “I can’t believe we’re here together.”
    Mark opened his arms wide as if he were proud of himself. “You didn’t think Luciano put this group together by accident, did you? He came to me and asked for the best of the best.” He gestured toward the man with the mustache. “Grayson is our headliner. Brian and Eva should be good for some fireworks, and you and I are the brains.”
    “I wouldn’t tell Brian that you set him up,” said Felix. “He’s still licking his wounds from his last encounter with Eva.”
    I interrupted briefly to disengage myself. “Excuse me. Mr. Luciano has arranged for a welcome reception in the Dogwood Room at five o’clock. It’s down the grand staircase and to the left. Let me know if you need anything, Felix.”
    Mark held out his hand to stop me. “Won’t you join us for a drink at the reception?”
    “Thank you for the kind invitation. I might be there, but I’ll be working.”
    “Stop coming on to her, you old wolf.” Felix laughed. “I just met Mallory downstairs. New girlfriend?”
    Mark rolled his eyes. “Hey, I’m looking out for
you
, buddy. Otherwise the welcome reception will be borrr-ing.”
    Trixie and I left, passing Casey, who was showing the remaining ghost hunters and crew to their rooms. We trotted down the back stairs into the newly built addition that housed the reception area.
    Zelda grabbed my arm as soon as she saw me. “Is he cute or what?”
    “Do you mean Mark or his buddy, Grayson?”
    “Neither one. Mark is taken, and I remember all the scuttlebutt about Grayson from the TV show he was on.”
    “What scuttlebutt?”
    “Oh, Holly. Don’t you read the gossip magazines? One of the girls on the show accused Grayson of getting rough with her. It was a big scandal.