Free Ghosts of the Falls (Entangled Ever After) by Sarah Gilman Page B

and stroked her cheek.
    A shiver shook her body and she stepped back. Her voice firmed, revealing the power of the exorcist that lay just out of sight beneath her sweet face. “Don’t touch me.”
    Dutch retreated skyward, startling a flock of ravens out of the pine trees. After a long moment, Jade got in her car and drove to the cabin at the far end of the knoll. She dragged three large bags from her trunk—did women really need that much luggage?—and went inside.
    He hovered above the park as the sun set in a vibrant display of gold. If the exorcism proved successful, he wouldn’t be around to see another sunset. Better to embrace oblivion than to spend endless years alone, and what better way to go out than in the hands of a beautiful woman?

Chapter Two
    Waiting for water to boil for tea, Jade called Dutch and told him in which cabin to find her. She hung up, carried a steaming mug of raspberry tea onto the porch, and breathed in the crisp morning air.
    She’d gotten her first restful night’s sleep since she’d learned of an old woman’s death a week ago, a murder committed by a ghost Jade had refused to exorcise. Prior to the murder, the ghost had harmed no one and damaged no property—he wasn’t even powerful. He’d haunted a rarely used barn, for goodness’ sake. Jade made the decision not to destroy the spirit, despite family policy to deal with all ghosts encountered.
    Exorcisms caused so much pain. The horrific screams didn’t bother her when they came from dangerous spirits, but in that barn, she’d faced the scared, confused form of a teenager.
    Damn it, he’d conned her and managed to command enough power to wield a knife. It wasn’t just embarrassing, it was tragic. Tears swelled in Jade’s eyes, and her trembling hand made the spoon clatter against the ceramic mug. The elderly property owner’s death was her fault. Aaron, her older brother, had wanted to fire her on the spot and still hadn’t relented. Jeremy, the youngest but the most natural leader of the three of them, had given her this opportunity to prove she still had the grit and desire to perform a full exorcism. If she failed here, Jeremy would support her removal from the family business; not as a punishment, but out of concern for her happiness.
    Thank goodness for the rest. She needed her strength and her wits to take on a spirit. Part of her had wanted to jump right in the previous evening, but one of the first lessons Aaron had taught her was to work during the day when spirits were at their weakest and the living at their strongest.
    The breeze shifted and the scent of burnt sugar invaded her lungs. Her skin buzzed as if she’d brushed against an electric fence, and the tiny hairs on her arms stood on end.
    Well, at least the ghost wasn’t shy.
    “Good morning, spirit.” She set her tea down on a plastic table, covered in dust and pine needles. “Do you know what I am and why I’m here?”
    The presence didn’t answer.
    “Why did you burn down the motel?”
    The scent of burnt sugar strengthened: an emotional reaction. Anger? Regret?
    She folded her arms. Even if he regretted his actions, she needed to do her job, not repeat previous mistakes. “If you have something to say, now is the time.”
    A frigid gale slammed the cabin. The plastic table flipped over, spilling the tea. She jumped back and opened her mouth to speak the words that would force the spirit back, but the presence had vanished on its own, leaving abrupt stillness in its wake.
    Holy shit. A spirit who could manipulate the elements like that was a powerful entity, for certain. She had to put her job as priority, even though a strong part of her wanted to spend time with Dutch. This ghost would fight back, hard.
    Maybe she could ask Dutch out for coffee after the fact?
    Jeremy might be right. Despite her gut-knotting need to prove herself to her brothers, she longed for simpler things. Normal things, such as a gaze from rich brown eyes with green