Free Ghoul Interrupted by Victoria Laurie Page A

grown!”
    “He’s getting a little chubby,” she admitted.
    I cuddled the pup. “So’s Gilley,” I told her. Then I realized that she had come here from Boston, probably at Gil’s request. “He e-mailed you and told you to come, didn’t he?”
    But Teeks just shook her head and beamed her beautiful smile at me. “No,” she said. “I was already planning on coming here. John and I bought a house near the slopes three months ago and I came to make sure that the decorator’s finished and all the art we purchased got hung in the right places.”
    I shook my head. “Wait . . . what? You guys bought a house here?”
    “It’s a lodge, really,” she said, waving her hand as if it were nothing. Since she was engaged to one of the wealthiest men in America, the “lodge” was bound to be something more like an “estate.”
    “We bought it to have a place close to the Santa Fe art scene and the slopes,” Teeks said. “The art here is amazing, M. J. We’ll have to go into town and I’ll show you around some of the galleries.”
    “Okay, so how did you know I was here in Santa Fe specifically?” I’d sent Teeks an e-mail telling her only that Heath’s uncle had died and I was traveling to New Mexico to attend the funeral, but I hadn’t mentioned anything about where we’d be staying . . . mostly because I hadn’t known until the night we landed.
    “Oh, that Gilley told me,” Teeko admitted. “I e-mailed him to ask him where you guys were in New Mexico, because I wanted to see you, and if we were going to be in the same state, I really couldn’t pass up the opportunity. He let me know you three were here, and that you really needed some one-on-one girl time, and he and I planned this big surprise!”
    I hugged her again. “Well, color me surprised!”
    “Hello,” Heath said from behind me. “Please, come in and make yourself comfortable while I sit here awkwardly half naked.”
    I felt my cheeks redden and Teeks giggled. “Hi, Heath. Nice to see you again.”
    I whipped around and held up Wendell. “She brought the puppy, Heath!”
    “I can see that,” he said. “Now, how about everybody turn around while I put some pants on, okay?”
    Teeks and I laughed and turned our backs to him. “God, I’m glad you’re here,” I admitted.
    “I heard you guys had a rough time in Ireland,” she said. “And my condolences, Heath, on the death of your uncle. I’m so sorry.”
    “Thank you,” he said, and we heard a zipper close. “You guys can turn around now.”
    “I have another surprise for you two,” she sang. “But first you and Heath need to pack your things and meet me in the lobby.”
    I cocked my head. “What’ve you done?”
    She smiled wickedly and took Wendell back. “Just get dressed, get packed, and get downstairs, okay?”
    With that, she turned away and walked elegantly back down the hallway. I heard her phone ring and when she answered it, she said, “Yes, Gil. I’m really here. I flew in on John’s jet. Now pack your stuff and meet us in the lobby.”
     
    Heath was slow to get moving. He seemed to be far away and I knew he was hurting, so I didn’t push him to hurry and I did my best to quell the excitement at seeing my friend. I just moved with steady progress to get us both packed and ready to go.
    We met Teeks in the lobby and a man in a chauffeur’s uniform tipped his hat at us when we arrived. We followed Teeko out to a stretch limo, and I thought Gilley was going to bust at the seams, he was so excited. “Gilley Gilleshpie,” I heard him whisper when he saw the limo. If anything could send that boy into a stroke, it was the idea of being wrapped in luxury.
    The trip was a good ride—maybe forty minutes—and the whole way Teeks refused to tell us where we were going. The only one who didn’t seem to be enjoying the ride was Heath. He sat in gloomy silence and forced a smile any time one of us directed a comment his way.
    Teeko asked him about his mother