Free Grave Homecoming (A Maddie Graves Mystery Book 1) by Lily Harper Hart

didn’t hold entire conversations, like someone else was speaking back to them, but Maddie had gone through a trauma that afternoon. It was too be expected.
    So how come Nick didn’t really believe that?

Eight
    The thing Maddie loved most about Blackstone Bay was the kitschy atmosphere. The town didn’t change, the storefronts were still the same as they were ten years before (and twenty years before that, truth be told), and the town didn’t show signs of growing pains. It was small enough to be claustrophobic, but the boundaries of the country fields and woods that surrounded it were wide enough to let fresh air in.
    Maddie was home, and she hadn’t been this … relaxed … in a very long time. She was sure happiness would follow. Somehow.
    After spending four hours toiling in Magicks, even getting on all fours to scrub the corners of the floor with a bucket and brush, Maddie needed a break. She decided to treat herself to an ice cream cone from Fletcher’s Soda Shoppe, take a walk through town, and then return for a couple more hours of work.
    The body discovery from the previous afternoon was still the topic of conversation on everyone’s lips, although the victim’s identity wasn’t public yet, and after answering a few uncomfortable questions at Fletcher’s, Maddie escaped to the street with her ice cream. While the woman’s death plagued her, Nick’s appearance in the meadow was what was really bothering her. How much had he heard? Had he really believed she was out there talking to herself?
    Maddie pinched the bridge of her nose. This was exactly what she’d been afraid of. This was exactly why she’d pushed him away. If he found out, he would never look at her in the same way. She wouldn’t be Maddie, the girl he spent his childhood playing with. She would be Maddie, the freak who thought she could talk to ghosts. It was mortifying.
    Summer hadn’t technically hit Blackstone Bay. It was still weeks away, but late spring in Michigan is a beautiful time, and Maddie relished the feeling of the sun on her skin as she wandered around the small downtown area. After finishing her treat, she discarded her refuse in a garbage can. She straightened when a shadow moved over her, lifting her head to ready herself for another barrage of questions about the body.
    The man standing in front of her was familiar – and yet different. His brown hair was shorter than she remembered, but his jaw was still square and set. The planes of his cheekbones were still high and pronounced. His body was still tall and trim. All those things were the same. So, what was different? Instead of a football jersey, he was dressed in an expensive suit and leather loafers. His eyes were an amazing powder blue, but there was no mischief flirting in their depths. He looked more … mature.
    Todd Winthrop. He’d graduated from Blackstone Bay High School the same year Maddie and Nick had matriculated. He was the town’s prodigal son. He was the star running back on the football team, earning a scholarship to Michigan State University for his field prowess. He’d graduated with top honors, been the president of her senior class, and he was every teenage girl’s dream – well, other than Nick.
    Maddie hadn’t crossed paths with Todd often. He and Nick were competitive, and Maddie’s loyalty had always been with Nick. As teenagers, Todd went out of his way to flirt with her, but Maddie knew it was because he was trying to get a dig in at Nick, not because he was genuinely interested in her.
    “Hello, Todd,” Maddie said, smiling shyly.
    “Maddie Graves,” Todd said, smiling down at her. “I heard rumors you were back in town. I didn’t believe them until I saw it with my own eyes, though.”
    “The rumors are true.”
    “You look … amazing.” Todd’s eyes were bright with intrigue as he looked her up and down, taking in her cutoff shorts and T-shirt with studied interest. “You haven’t changed a bit.”
    “Well, I hope