Free The Ghost Runner by Blair Richmond Page B

about you, Kat.” He twirls a lock of my hair around his finger. “Or should I say ‘Scooter’?”
    I see him grinning and punch him lightly on the shoulder. “You were never supposed to hear that. And you may not call me Scooter.”
    He laughs and pretends to massage his injured shoulder. “Agreed.”
    â€œYou know, I’m impressed, actually. That he got that job.”
    Alex rolls his eyes. “Even if it does mean building up more of Lithia. He’s going all out to win you back, that’s for sure. That’s one thing we have in common, I guess.” Alex gives me another kiss. “So, did he tell you where he’s working?”
    â€œI think he said Highland Hills.”
    â€œHighland Hills?” Alex pulls away, surprised.
    â€œWhat’s wrong?” I ask.
    â€œDo you know where that is?”
    â€œHe didn’t say. Why?”
    â€œHighland Hills is that development near the Lost Mine Trail. By that developer we’re protesting—Ed Jacobs.”
    The gravity of the realization grows heavy on my shoulders. I’ve been trying not to think about the fact that my father’s livelihood is in an industry that I abhor—I’m just trying to be grateful that he’s got a job. I didn’t even think about the possibility it could be with Ed Jacobs’s development company. “I thought they shut down construction on that project.”
    â€œWell, that’s what this is all about. They’re gearing up to start everything up again, and they seem to think they will very soon. This is why we need to fight it.”
    â€œI didn’t know.” I have no idea what else to say. I agree with Alex. Ed Jacobs is destroying Lithia, one parcel at a time, and he must be stopped. But I can’t exactly ask my dad to quit out of protest—or can I? I suddenly feel very nervous.
    â€œThis isn’t going to come between us, is it?” I ask.
    â€œI hope not.”
    â€œWhat’s that supposed to mean?”
    â€œIt means that I’m committed to stopping Jacobs. It means that I’ve got a protest planned next week at City Hall because of this whole land grab. Jacobs is trying to get ownership of the Horton property, and if he does, he’ll destroy what’s left of those hills. We have to stop him. You said you’d join me, remember?”
    â€œJust because my dad works for Jacobs doesn’t mean I can’t join you.”
    â€œReally? You mean that?”
    â€œOf course. I’ll be there with you at City Hall. And I’ll invite Dad to come along, too.”
    I watch his eyes go wide; then he gets my feeble joke and offers a weak smile. “Very funny,” he says, even though he clearly doesn’t think so.
    â€œWho’s this Horton, anyway?” I ask.
    â€œHorton is an old family name. They were one of the pioneer families that founded Lithia. At one point they owned most of the land around here, but over the years they gradually sliced it up and sold it off. Evelyn Horton was the last in the family line. She died a couple of years ago, and the property is apparently tied up in some sort of blind trust. I haven’t been able to figure out who actually owns it. A law firm is the executor of the will. I called them once, acting like I was interested in buying it, and they told me they were still executing the will, whatever that means.” He pauses. “What an awful word to associate with a will— executing . I mean, the person’s already dead, for crying out loud.”
    I smile, glad he’s changed the subject, and I decide to change it even further. “Speaking of the dead,” I say, “you’ll never guess what I saw up on the Lost Mine Trail.”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œA ghost.”
    Alex’s jaw drops. “When was this?”
    â€œTwo times. Most recently, yesterday evening.”
    â€œYou ran without me?”
    Oops. I