Chapter 1 #2
“She’s great. Every so often we can tell one of them is interacting with her because she’ll grin and coo and reach out.”
His eyes went wide. “You’re not wigged out?”
Colton shook his head. “No. Sebastian swears it’s normal. There’s one ghost at least who’s lived in Seb’s house since he was a kid.”
“Huh. I’ve always thought it was freaky. I don’t approve.”
A glass flew off the counter and shattered on the floor.
Sebastian yelped. “Hey! Watch it! We’ll have none of that! I’m sweeping.”
Colton grabbed his phone and started recording. “Does anyone have anything to say?”
He sighed, because while Sebastian kept sweeping, Mason and Law were mobilizing to ghost hunt with Colton.
“Don’t worry, honey. They’ll do the cabinets. They have to wait for me to finish.”
“I’m not worried. I’m just frustrated. What the hell, Bastian? Why is this happening?” He grabbed another piece of pizza, munching out his frustrations.
Sebastian glanced at him sideways. “I wish I knew. It would help if I did, but I’d have to research your house and figure out who might be here and who might be really opposed to you changing out the kitchen.”
“There’s no family history of ghosts in this house,” Xander told him. “Never. No one ever has said one word, and I called my parents as soon as shit started happening, and they denied it.”
Colton scoffed at him. “I would probably deny it if I was asked to admit I had ghost activity in my own home. It’s a thing.”
Xander’s eyebrows flew up. “You would? You’re a ghost hunter!”
“I am. On TV. And admittedly I’ve had my share of actual ghost encounters — and not just here in Hot Springs Junction. But that doesn’t mean I want it in my house.” Colton waggled his eyebrows. “How does that look, that I can’t get rid of ghosts?”
Xander had to laugh at that. “Okay, I see your point. You would lose a lot of reputation for that.”
“Exactly.”
Sebastian kind of giggled, which was cute as hell but also a little weird. “Yeah you know, he’s had a tough life since he moved in with me.”
Colton shot Sebastian a look that made him a little jealous, actually. Not of Sebastian or Colton necessarily, either one, but of that kind of relationship. It was something Xander couldn’t see himself ever having. Just too set in his ways, too grumpy, and too frozen, he guessed.
“Totally worth it baby,” Colton said.
“Thank you very much.” Sebastian finished sweeping up all of the goo and the glass from the shattered drinking vessel and then grabbed the little Swiffer mop that would get most of the dust and stuff up too.
Xander had bought the kind of mop pads that were safe for the hardwood floors.
He would have to sand the floors down and refinish them and wax them after all of this work was done but they were really in pretty good shape.
“Okay, guys,” Sebastian called. “You can come actually work now.”
Mason wandered back into the kitchen from the front room. “We were working. We were doing EMFs and all sorts of things.”
“What did you find? Anything cool?” Colton didn’t have to sound so excited, did he?
“We sent the files to Gent. He’s hanging with Iago and the girls.”
Mason nodded. “We got some definite energy. I’m not sure if that was ghost activity or not, but there’s totally a vibe going on in this house, and it’s causing the EMF meters to do their thing.”
“I don’t want meters doing things in here! I want a ghostless house.”
At his words, the back door slammed.
“Well, your ghosts say screw you, man.” Law hooted, and Xander wanted to pop him one.
Mason shrugged, looking not in the least bit concerned. “It does appear so, buddy.”
He glanced at Sebastian feeling like, “See? They don’t like me; why would I try to be friends?” It was a vicious circle. Seriously.
Colton shifted and smiled at him. “Can you tell us when the non-ghost activity started?”
“After you show us the first cabinet,” Law demanded. “Kitchens are important to cooks.”
“They are.” He shot Law a grateful glance. “Here, let me show you.” The cabinets were all stacked in the mudroom, only one of them unwrapped to make sure they were correct. Well, all but the old pantry cabinet, which was so damn cool he was keeping it in place.
Law and Mason followed, both men admiring the cabinets before carrying one in. The deep maple color was a cross between modern and classic and wouldn’t look out of place with the built-ins and woodwork in the house.
“It’s gorgeous. It’s going to look amazing in here.”
Law’s words pleased him.
“Thanks. I really want to span the old and new, you know? See ghosts?”
Mason chuckled and shook his head. “Did you move something specific that started the activity?”
He pondered that. “It didn’t start when I tore out the cabinets… Maybe when I took out the stove and fridge?”
“Were they crazy old?” Bastian glanced over at him. “I don’t remember them being vintage.”
“They weren’t. I mean, they were probably 1970s?” Xander’s mom had loved her harvest gold. Well, her mom’s harvest gold.
“Okay, well…that’s fifty years, so that’s vintage.” Bastian glanced at Colton, who shrugged.
“Yeah. Nothing behind them? Did you check all the gas pipes and shit?” Colton moved to where he’d capped off the gas for the moment.
“No…I mean, I know they’re safe for use.”
“Huh.” Colton bent down, looking hard, his knee popping.
“Colton doesn’t love the old gas lines here in the Junction,” Sebastian told him.
“No? Why?” What did that mean? Things could be in the gas line?
“Well, they can have old joints or micro leaks. Also… Well, stuff can come up from the line. Supernaturally.” Sebastian shrugged.
“Ew. Bastian. Ooky gas ghosts?”
They all laughed at that, and he had to admit, it felt better now. More relaxed.
Of course, now he had to start thinking of ways to make it up to Iago. He’d been an ass.
It wasn’t Iago’s fault Xander was worried about being so…attracted. That didn’t happen to him. Really. In fact, Xander had often wondered if maybe he was demi.
There was something about Iago — something exciting and desperately interesting. It was embarrassing, and he didn’t like it.
“Hey. Come on, Xan. We need to get these cabinets in,” Sebastian told him.
“Right.” He shook it off. He would make Iago a cake or something.
But only once he had a kitchen back.