Chapter Ten
Avery
“You’re an idiot! Why the hell did you just blow off my brother?” Happy was back, which was a weird relief.
Of course, she was already going at me full throttle for running like a coward from Holden. My fear was that he thought I was a damsel in distress, which I wasn’t.
And now she’d confessed that Holden was actually her brother. My head was spinning so fast I couldn’t form coherent sentences.
“Your brother? You’re brother? Happy, you’ve got to tell me the truth. What is going on? What dragged you out of the restaurant, and where did it take you?”
I’d just stepped out of the shower after I’d stupidly brushed off Holden Rose because I had no idea what to do with the hot, hunky guy who worked on large machinery—which was sexy as hell—and now I knew he was Happy’s brother.
I was tied up in knots about everything going on. Her chastising me didn’t help one bit.
“Okay, slow down. I picked up a stalker who fell in love with me when he saw me in the waiting room after I died. He’d already been judged and went,” she pointed to the floor, “but he broke out, and now he’s obsessed with me.
It’s close to time for me to make some decisions, and my stalker, Hal the serial killer, wants me to spend eternity in Hell with him.
“I mean, he’s cute and all, but I don’t know that we’re a good fit, you know? When I was alive, Holden used to tell me I wasn’t looking for a boyfriend, I was looking for a project, which I guess was true. Hal definitely fits that description.”
Wtf? “Do you want to spend an eternity in hell?” I felt crazy even asking the question.
“It might not be so bad if I had the right partner. I’m not really a violent person, and Hal has a quick temper, which he uses as an excuse for killing eight women, though he can’t hurt me in his current state.
The other guy with the dogs who came through the restaurant is one of the demon guards from the underworld who keep the baddies inside.
He and his hell hounds are hunting for Hal to take him back.
Those hounds are really adorable when they’re not on the trail of an escapee. EZ is one of the nicer demons.”
“That is something to consider. Eight women? You can’t be serious that you’d consider spending eternity with someone who killed eight women, would you? Oh, turn around, please.” I quickly wrapped the towel around myself and walked out of the bathroom and into my bedroom to dress.
“I can see through the towel, you know. You’ve got a cute little tushy. I’m sure my brother would love to take a bite out of those sweet cheeks. You’ve gotta call him tomorrow.” She giggled.
Both of my hands quickly moved behind me to cover my ass, thereby allowing the towel to fall, and when I bent to pick it up, whoosh!
“Oh, hello little pink pucker. How cute are you? Winking at me like a star in the sky. I like that you manscape back there. It’s like an invitation for a rim job.
Guys like—look who I’m talking to. You know what guys like as much as me.
Damn, I wish I was still alive. We’d have been BFFs for sure. ” I was sure she was wrong about that.
I reached into my dresser and grabbed a pair of pajama pants to pull on, hoping they didn’t catch fire from the embarrassed heat pouring off me. I was sure my whole body was glowing bright red.
Once I was covered, I turned to Happy, who sat on my desk. “I don’t appreciate your surprise visits. Look, what are you trying to accomplish here?” I reached for the hoodie on my unmade bed and pulled it on, but she didn’t say a word.
“I’m hungry and tired right now. For whatever reason you’ve decided to follow me around and push your brother at me as if he’s just going to fall at my feet in love with me. What do you want from me, Happy?” I was going to have a breakdown.
“You still don’t get it, do you? You have my literal heart, Avery. That thing in your chest that beats to keep you alive belonged to me first, and it’s my right to ensure you treat it with the utmost care and respect.” How could I argue with that?
Oh, but she wasn’t done. “Do you understand that the gift you’ve been given was at the sacrifice of my future?
I plan to make sure you get the most of this second chance whether you like it or not.
I didn’t get the opportunity to fall in love and have a family, but I’m going to make damn sure you do. ”
“What if I don’t—”
She interrupted, putting her hand up to stop me from saying anything.
“Holden is one of the greatest men I know—maybe even better than my father. I want to see my brother happy with you. He was right when he told our mother the time for mourning is over. I can’t do what I need to do until I know my family is going to be okay.
You’re going to help me with that unless you never want to get rid of me. ”
I suddenly had a revelation. “Did that accident happen to me because of something you did? I could have been killed!”
“The car accident?” Her face filled with shock. “Of course not, Avery. The last thing I want is for you to be dead. I don’t have the power to do anything like that anyway! It was exactly that—an accident.” Happy’s voice was laced with irritation.
I got it. I’d been accusatory when I said I could have been killed, and with Happy already dead, she couldn’t have done anything like send that truck into Brooke’s car, right?
“Okay, okay. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to insinuate anything. I’m trying to figure out what the hell you want me to do.”
She had a sweet smile on her face. “Forgiven.”
“So, the guy, Hal? What can be done about him?”
Happy put her index finger on her chin. “That’s a good question. There’s a lot I can’t tell you about what happens next because I’m still figuring it out. I mean, after uh. Every case is different, really.” Happy laughed, using my ridiculous reference to her death when we first met.
“I’m sorry I referred to your death that way. What can I do to get this killer off your back?”
She gave me a sweet smile. “It’s not anything you need to worry about, doll. Just make it up to Holden. He’s the guy who needs you. He just doesn’t know it yet.”
“He just doesn’t know what yet? What the heck does that mean, Happy?” Hell, was any of this real? I was in my pajama pants talking to a spirit.
“It means that it might take a little time for Holden to see that he needs you. Take a breath, and reach out to him, okay?”
“Reach out to him? Why?”
Happy sighed, sounding exasperated. “Because I asked you to?” She patted her right hand over her heart—guilt intended.
I slouched in defeat. I wanted to reach out to Holden Rose more than I was letting on because I was fascinated with the man. He was gorgeous and kind. He’d helped me when he didn’t need to. In all honesty, did Holden need my crappy baggage? I’d say hell no.
“Look, Happy, your brother misses you a lot, and he’s trying to find a way to move beyond your death.
He’s trying to get your parents to move beyond your death, too, and there’s nothing I can add to that.
They’re all in pain, and I feel horrible for them.
I don’t know what meeting me could do to help with their grief. ”
Seriously, I wasn’t the most empathetic person on the planet. Besides, I hadn’t lost anyone I loved, so I couldn’t really sympathize with the Rose family.
“You don’t know that, Avery. I really want my family to meet you. They’ll love you, but they’ll really love you once they learn you are the person who received my heart. This way, they’ll see that I’ll always be with them, even if I’m not there in person.”
Sadly, her logic made some sense. If they knew her heart was alive and well, beating in someone’s chest, maybe it would give them comfort and help them accept their loss so they could grieve and begin to heal.
“Okay, but what proof can I give them that we’re connected?”
Happy tapped her index finger to her chin again. “Let me see…”
Finally, she snapped her fingers. “Get Holden to contact the surgeon who transplanted my heart into you or the transplant coordinator. When they confirm you’re the recipient, he can take you to meet Mom and Dad on the anniversary of my birthday.
I was born on Valentine’s Day, and every year, Holden listens to the last message I left him at Christmas the year I died.
This year, he can finally delete it knowing I’m still with him… inside you.”
I should what? “How the hell am I going to convince him to talk to the surgeon who removed your heart? Isn’t all that shit kept confidential?”
“Google it. I gotta run. See ya later, Avery.” She was gone in an instant.
That was easy for her to say…
Researching the rules, regulations, and laws pertaining to transplants, both giving and getting, left me with a ton of information I needed to try to unscramble. There were a lot of rules surrounding private medical information that even transcended death.
From what I understood, Happy’s family didn’t know who had received her organs, though as far as I could guess, the other recipients hadn’t had a visit from Happy because she never mentioned anyone else.
I was at a loss regarding how to approach Holden with the information that I’d received Happy’s heart, so, as snow and freezing rain blanketed the Baltimore area during the first two weeks of January, I stewed.
Kyle and Brooke returned from their holiday, and we’d fallen back into our normal routine. Happy hadn’t been haunting me for the two weeks after New Year’s, and I thought just maybe she’d moved on.
I walked out of a meeting with a potential client near the National Aquarium when Happy appeared in front of me wearing a tan shearling coat and matching snow boots over navy tights and a navy knit wrap dress.
“You look fabulous. I thought you’d made your decision to move on.” I kept walking down the street to a bus stop.
Brooke’s car had been totaled, and she’d been cashed out by her insurance as they pursued a case against the trucking company.
Brooke’s attorney was sure they’d win, but her insurance company refused to continue to cover her.
She’d decided she wasn’t ready to get another car, and every morning when we climbed into Kyle’s Jeep, I felt awful.
The guilt I felt over that stupid accident was overwhelming. I couldn’t do anything to make it up to my friend except offer her bus fare if Kyle couldn’t take her somewhere as I attempted to ease my conscience.
Brooke and Kyle where pissed at me because I’d been injured in the accident and hadn’t told them.
“It’s January fifteenth, have you reached out to my brother?” And Happy was back.
I wasn’t thrilled with the tilt of her head or the arched eyebrow as if she was judging me. All this shit was new in my world, and I was trying to make sense of it.
Swallowing my nerves, I glanced around to see people weren’t paying attention to me. “I assumed with the horrible weather, Holden would be busy. I didn’t want to bother him.”
It was a bullshit response, of course, but I wasn’t a member of Mensa, and it was the first thing that popped into my head. If Happy had been haunting me as long as she’d claimed, she should have known I was far from a genius.
“As a matter of fact, he has been busy. Busy sitting around, watching sports, and scratching himself from boredom. It’s one month before my birthday.
What are you going to do about it? You know what?
You’re a procrastinator, aren’t you? I’m starting to get a little tired of your crap, Avery.
I might have to ask Hal to help me out when it comes to you. ”
She disappeared without allowing me to respond. That was a not-so-veiled threat, right?
“Whatever.”
I continued to the bus stop. I was sure I hadn’t seen the last of Happy Holly, but I’d deal with her later.
As I boarded the bus to ride to the transfer point, the woven strap of my messenger bag got caught on a screw sticking out of the handrail at the entrance and nearly strangled me.
When I jerked the strap free, it broke. My bag fell onto the bus steps before rolling into the street… as the bus was pulling away.
I was able to get off before the careless driver closed the door, but the damage was already done. The back tire on the bus ran over the bag, crushing my laptop.
How fucking unlucky was I?