Free Ghost a La Mode by Sue Ann Jaffarian

embedded into the land and followed the path. Alongside the steps was a sturdy railing made of fresh lumber. At the beginning of the climb was a plaque informing visitors that until 1924, when a road access was developed, all coffins were carried up the steep hill, no matter what the season.
    Looking again at the simple city map, Emma located the easier road access yet decided to make the climb. It would do her-and the pie in her stomach-good. She also wanted to take the same path Granny had taken when she'd buried Jacob shortly before her own death.
    Whether they realized it or not, the inhabitants of the Pioneer Cemetery had a fabulous view of the town and surrounding hills with their lush vegetation and pine trees. Locating a bench under the leafy canopy of a large tree, Emma sat down and looked out, enjoying the countryside that was so different from Pasadena and the bustle of Los Angeles. She wished she'd brought someone with her. Julian was a romantic and peaceful place, yet she knew Grant would never have enjoyed it. Not fast enough. Not trendy enough. Not modern enough. Maybe Tracy, Emma thought. Tracy would have enjoyed this trip and this town, but Emma still hadn't told her friend about Granny Apples. Only her mother and Milo knew that Emma had embarked on a journey into the past with Ish Reynolds. Perhaps she could bring Tracy next time. Who knew, maybe next time she'd have someone new to travel with.
    Her thoughts surprised her. Not once since she'd left Grant had she thought about the possibility of someone else. Both her mother and Tracy had made some not-so-subtle hints about Emma dating again, but Emma still felt married. She was still married. In spite of his behavior, Emma didn't feel finding someone new was an option until it was finally over with Grant Whitecastle. Sitting on top of a hill in Julian, California, surrounded by the dead, she wondered if maybe she hadn't buried her marriage yet-if, in fact, deep down, she hoped it could be resurrected like Lazarus and given new life, even with everything that had happened between them.
    After taking a deep breath of the clean mountain air, Emma put thoughts of her marriage aside. It was then she noticed the chill. Now comfortable with the feeling, Emma smiled and turned to her right, expecting to see Granny. Instead, sitting next to her on the bench was the ghost of a man.
    "Oh my God!" Emma yelled as she jumped up from the bench, catching her foot on a tree root in the process. Down she went to her hands and knees. Like a crab caught on dry land, she quickly scrambled away from the bench. Once she was several feet away, she turned and sat in the dirt amongst the country graves and stared at her new companion.
    "I didn't mean to give you a fright, ma'am," the spirit said to her. The image was of a young man, maybe in his early twenties, with a smooth face and dark, unruly hair. He wore work trousers with suspenders, heavy boots, and a plaid shirt.
    "Who ... who are you?" Emma had just gotten used to seeing Granny, and now she was seeing a new apparition. Her legs were shaking so bad, she didn't dare get back on her feet.
    "Billy Winslow, ma'am."
    "How come I can see you, Billy?" Emma calmed herself down enough to be able to get to her feet, but she still kept her distance.
    "Not sure, ma'am. I was sitting here like I always do when you came and sat down yerself. Lots of city folks come up here, but you're the first talking to me."
    Emma brushed off the seat of her trousers, knowing it would take more than her hands to get the dirt out of the good weave. She gave up on cleaning herself and studied the image. Once past her initial start, she wondered if she should ask Billy if he knew Granny or her family when he was alive. Believing she wouldn't know until she tried, she started phrasing her question when her peripheral vision caught sight of something flitting by her. She looked away from Billy Winslow and glanced around the graveyard.
    "Oh ... my...