Love Song(25)

“Correct. We’re not interested in all the cases that have been done to death—no pun intended.” Little Spencer chortles before going gravely serious again. No pun intended. “One of the lesser-known sightings is of a woman named Darlie Gallagher. She drowned herself in the lake after her fiancé left her for her younger sister. Happened about fifty years ago.”

“But don’t worry,” Big Spencer assures us. “She’s not evil.”

“Well, that’s a relief,” Wyatt says, and I hope they don’t realize he’s fucking with them.

“If anything, you’re lucky to have her,” Little Spencer confirms. “As far as ghosts go, Darlie is kind and generous. And she loves love. Which, frankly, shows a deep emotional maturity on her part that most humans can only dream of having. I mean, here she is, her heart shattered to pieces by her lover and her sister, yet she still believes in the power of love. Still desperate for others to experience it.”

Oh my God. I don’t think I’m drunk enough for this conversation.

“We’ve been here about a week. You know, checking out the sites, hitting up the local library,” Big Spencer tells us. “According to our research, Darlie usually appears during a full moon.”

“Is she a werewolf?” Wyatt asks, and I can see him trying not to laugh.

“No. But there was a full moon the night she drowned. And there was a full moon last night when we were cruising the lake.”

“We heard her,” Little Spencer says triumphantly. “And, oh my wow, you guys. It was like…these screams were coming from deep beneath the water. High-pitched. Ringing with such anguish. Calling out for love.”

“Real longing,” Big Spencer agrees, nodding.

I bite my lip. Hard. Oh boy.

“Um, so… I hate to disappoint you,” I tell the Spencers. “But… I think that was me.”

Their expressions collapse. “What do you mean it was you?” Little Spencer demands.

“Yeah, so we”—I gesture between me and Wyatt—“sort of fell in the lake last night by accident—”

“By accident?” Wyatt cuts in.

“Well, he pushed me in,” I say sweetly. “And, well, I remember screaming pretty loudly, out of shock and because the water was stupidly cold, and then I got hypothermia—”

“She didn’t get hypothermia,” interjects Wyatt.

“Anyway, I’m sorry,” I finish. “No Darlie sighting last night. That was just me.”

“Well, shit,” Big Spencer says.

They sit there wallowing in their disappointment for a moment until Little Spencer brightens.

“You know what?” he says. “It’s cool. Totally fine. Just because it wasn’t her last night doesn’t mean she won’t show up tonight, right? Look how big the moon is. Totally still big enough for her to want to haunt people and infect them with her love bug.”

“I mean, I’d prefer she didn’t,” Wyatt hedges in.

The Spencers ignore him and fix their pleading gazes on me. I think they’ve clocked me as the more receptive one.

“Do you mind if we sit out here by your dock for a while and listen?” Big Spencer asks.

“Sure, knock yourself out,” I say, shrugging. “We’re just…going to go back inside.”

“We’ll catch you guys on the lake tomorrow!” Little Spencer calls after us.

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Wyatt mumbles under his breath.

We leave the two boat weirdos to their own devices and quickly ascend the steps back up to the house. Not a word passes between us. It isn’t until the french doors are firmly closed, providing a sound barrier to the lake, that we look at each other and burst out laughing.

I double over, wheezing from the giggles. Wyatt rubs tears from his eyes, pushing hair away from his face as he laughs his ass off.

“Jesus Christ,” he croaks.

“Okay,” I say when my laughter finally subsides. “They were nuts, yes. But they were kind of adorable.”

“They were not adorable, Logan.”

“Also, and I’m not joking, but I’m really intrigued about this Darlie case. And all the supernatural Tahoe stories?” I glance at him on my way to the staircase. “Do you need the Jeep tomorrow, or can I take it?”

“Take it where?” he asks suspiciously.

“You realize I’m allowed to drive to town by myself without telling you what it’s for, right?”

“Take it where?” he repeats.

“Oh my God. If you must know, I want to hit up the library.” I head up the stairs, over my shoulder adding, “I’m getting changed now.”

“Right, into your pajamas. I approve.”

I stop halfway on the staircase and peer down at him. “I told you I’m going out. That hasn’t changed.”

“You’re not going out.”

“Oh, I am. And guess what else? You’re not invited.”

He glares at me from the bottom of the stairs. “Like hell I’m not.”

“Sorry, Graham. I’m just gonna order a car and be on my way.”

“I’ll drive you,” Wyatt says through clenched teeth. I can see his jaw ticking from the strain.