Chapter 29
Chapter Twenty-Nine
“Well that was interesting,” Liam said as he helped Natalie into the Jeep he’d pulled up to the curb while the meeting inside continued on. “Who knew a village board meeting could get so… vocal.”
That was one word for it. She had a few more of her own.
Contentious. Insulting. Infuriating. Natalie couldn’t pinpoint just one reaction to what she’d just endured.
But she had to remember, it had only been a very few who remained dissenters.
The majority of those there were on her side. Even Margaret Trout.
Before they’d left, she’d invited anyone who wanted to brainstorm plans to combat the brain ghost to come to the shop tomorrow morning at nine a.m. before she opened at ten.
And Liam had, in a way that was somehow both cordial and menacing at the same time, like a bouncer at a high-end club, politely uninvited anyone who had nothing to contribute but complaints saying he’d be happy to personally show them the way out.
He’d finished with, “You know who you are.”
Judging by the expressions she’d seen on one of the most notorious loudmouths, they did know who they were and she wouldn’t be seeing them tomorrow. Thank goodness for Liam’s protective side.
After Liam hoisted the folded wheelchair into the back of the Jeep, he slid behind the wheel. He reached for the key in the ignition and paused to glance at her. “You’re too quiet.”
“I’m worried. Besides having to come up with a plan to destroy this brain ghost, there has to be something happening we don’t know about. Otherwise at least some of the ghosts should have been at the meeting. And I didn’t see even one. Not even Gabe.”
“Nat. I’m sitting right here behind you. In the backseat. With Millie. Don’t you see us?”
At the sound of Gabe’s voice, Natalie’s heart began to pound as realization hit.
She couldn’t see Gabe. Or Millie. She could only hear Gabe now because he was with Millie. Exactly like Liam, Harper or any of the others could. But her power… being able to see them all. Hear them all. At any time.
That appeared to be… gone.
Feeling again like she couldn’t draw breath, she only managed to get out a single devastating word. “No.”
“Well, shit,” Gabe mumbled.
“Shit is right,” Liam agreed.
The meeting must have officially ended. The first of the attendees streamed out of the door just feet from the Jeep
“Liam, get me home.” She’d be damned if she let her haters, few that they may be, see her cry and she could feel there was a deluge about to come.
She’d never wanted the damn gift in the first place. But now that it was gone… she’d never felt so empty and alone.
Things didn’t improve much back at the shop. She slumped on the sofa in the meeting room, the tea Liam had brewed for her untouched on the table. Agnes and Harper flanked her on either side as Liam tossed another log on the fire.
None of it, not the herbal tea, or the heat of the fireplace, or the company of good friends pressed close, could melt the feeling of ice-cold abandonment inside her.
What made it worse was that the room was, according to Gabe, packed full. Standing room only with the ghosts of Mudville. Not that she could see any of them. Or even hear any of them, except for Gabe and Millie.
“On the bright side, at least this explains why you kept ignoring me when I talked to you during the meeting,” Gabe’s disembodied voice said from somewhere close in front of her.
“Are you sitting on the coffee table?” she asked. It was an inane question, but she needed to know.
“Yes. And Millie is standing next to me with her hand on my shoulder.”
“Thank you.” She swallowed hard, the tears clouding her vision threatening to overflow. “I hate this,” she whispered.
Harper squeezed Natalie’s knee as Agnes fished a tiny pack of tissues out of her purse and handed one to Natalie.
“I know,” Gabe said. “I hate it too.”
Hearing him but not seeing him—was this to be her existence? For the rest of her life?
“If it makes you feel any better, I look exactly the same.”
“It doesn’t,” she said, not in the mood for Gabe’s jokes.
“I know,” he said.
She stared at the tea, suddenly wanting it.
“Gabe, I’m going to reach for that mug now. If I put my hand through you or touch anything I shouldn’t please forgive me,” she announced.
“You’re good,” Gabe said.
Natalie grasped the mug between two trembling hands and held it close to her face, inhaling the peppermint in the herbal brew.
“I have an idea.” That from Millie, somewhere off to the side of Gabe, just as he’d said.
“Sure. Let’s hear it.” Natalie forced a watery smile.
“Madam Letisha.” Millie’s words brought Natalie’s eyes up to search for her out of habit.
Feeling foolish staring at nothing, she dropped her gaze again to the mug in her hands.
After an inhale, she repeated, “Madam Letisha?”
Liam came back from tending the fire to stand behind Natalie. His hands on her shoulders, he said, “Your arch nemesis? The psychic you called a fraud on camera? The person who charged Harper a fortune to rid the house of ghosts?”
Agnes grunted as Harper let out a breathy laugh. “That’s the one.”
“Do you still have her phone number?” Natalie looked up at Harper.
Harper’s brows rose. “Yes. It’s still in my cell’s contact list. I never deleted it. Why?”
“Because Millie’s right. As much as I hate to admit it, Letisha might be the only person who I can talk to about this. Maybe she can help.”
“Help do what?” Gabe asked.
“Help figure out why I’m suddenly ghost blind. And what to do about it.”
“Rick says you might as well ask her advice on the brain ghost too while you’re at it,” Gabe relayed.
“And Harriet added her vote to call Letisha,” Millie added. “She said she’s not a bad psychic and she’s actually very good in a crisis. Or at least she was in Utica with that troubled spirit they helped to move on.”
“All right. I guess the votes are in. Letisha it is.” Harper thrust her cell at Natalie. “Here’s her contact. Just tap to connect the call.
Agnes took the tea mug from her, so Natalie’s hands were free as she took Harper’s phone.
She stared at the cell in her hand, second guessing this decision. Second guessing absolutely everything.
Then she hit connect and speaker phone.
Letisha answered on the second ring, saying, “Harper. I’m surprised to hear from you.”
“It’s not Harper. It’s Natalie. Something… happened. I—I can’t see them anymore, Letisha. I can’t see the ghosts. I can’t hear them. Can you help me?” Her voice cracked, the final words barely intelligible from her sobs.
Liam cussed behind her, his grip on her shoulders tightening.
He hated when she cried. He said her tears gutted him. She felt bad about that but she couldn’t help it. Not this time. This loss was too devastating.
She drew in a big snotty breath through her nose as Letisha remained silent on the other end of the call.
Finally Letisha asked, “Where are you?”
“Mudville. In my b—book shop,” Natalie relayed while mopping up the tears with the now saturated tissue.
“I’ll be there first thing in the morning.”
“Really?” Natalie sat up a little straighter.
“Yes. I have an appointment later in the day so it’ll have to be early. Eight a.m.. Have coffee. Cream and sugar.”
“Okay. I will.”
“And I’ll bring pastries,” Harper said leaning toward the phone.
“Good. See you then.”
“Wait, Letisha?” Natalie jumped in before the other woman disconnected the call.
“Yes?”
“Do you think you can help?”
“I don’t know, Natalie. But I’m going to try.”