Free The Curse of a Single Red Rose (Haunted Hearts Series Book 7) by Denise Moncrief

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    “Jordan’s friends…” Nick laughed because it seemed silly to buy into the paranormal crap. “Are they ghost hunters?” He always clicked past the channel when those types of shows were on.
    Dylan smiled. “Jordan says they prefer to call themselves paranormal investigators.”
    “Is Jordan a paranormal investigator then?” He failed to suppress the involuntary sarcasm that crept into his tone.
    Dylan and Sophia seemed to be in a stare down.
    When Dylan finally answered, an odd tone had entered his voice. “He doesn’t want to call it that, but that’s what he does.”
    Jordan’s so-called gift intrigued Nick. Until he had met his girlfriend Jerilyn, he had thought all psychics were con artists. Seeing up close and personal how her abilities worked had changed his mind.
    He tossed an idea out to them to see if it would spread its wings and fly. “If I could get permission to get on the property, do you think Jordan could get his friends to come down here to do an investigation?”
    He cringed as soon as the words left his mouth. Bad idea, Nick. Really bad.
    “I can ask him.” But clearly Dylan had misgivings about stirring up the spirits at Wakefield Manor again even though he’d just stated that he wanted to finish what he’d started.

Chapter Six
    The flickering light from the candle in the center of the table cast a soft glow on Elsa’s features. Collin couldn’t help himself. His eyes kept straying to her lips while she talked. A few times, she caught him staring, and her puzzled expression made him want to clear up her confusion. Yes, the way he was acting contradicted the way he had ignored her that morning, which contradicted the way he had behaved the previous night.
    He sipped his Irish whiskey, unwilling to gulp it down too quickly, although that was a considerable temptation.
    “Are you feeling better?” Why did he have to sound as if he was frightened of her answer? He pressed his lips together to keep from saying something else stupid.
    Her facial features softened. Maybe she appreciated his concern.
    “The wine is helping. Thank you.”
    He’d chosen a pub on Magazine, almost to the Irish Channel. It was his favorite place to unwind before he jumped into the chaos that was his family. Sure, he lived in his own home, but a lot of McVeys and their kin lived within the rectangle of streets that defined the Channel. Dropping by unannounced was a family tradition.
    The area had long ago morphed into a neighborhood of mixed ethnicities, and Collin thought the mix contributed to the cosmopolitan feel. He’d lived there most of his life, and he couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.
    A few of the regulars seated at the bar on the other side of a half-wall kept tossing speculative looks their direction. He ignored them, even though he was sure they would share with any McVey they ran across that he’d been seen in the pub with a woman.
    His mother would be asking him if he had wedding plans with a rumbly tone of disapproval in her otherwise silky voice. Elsa wasn’t a good Irish Catholic girl . His mother’s scrutiny of any woman he dated was why Collin usually kept his love life well away from the Irish Channel. He didn’t owe anyone an explanation for what company he chose to keep. Besides, their relationship was still a long way from being romantic in nature.
    He usually came alone and drank at the bar. There were always a few friends or acquaintances already there when he arrived. Elsa had no idea how unusual it was for him to arrive with company at O’Grady’s. Tonight he’d confused the hostess by asking for a table in the dining room.
    In Collin’s humble opinion, the pub boasted one of New Orleans most eclectic menus, serving traditional Irish fare as well as Cajun and Creole dishes. Toss in a couple of southwestern entrees, some fancy salads, and a selection of pasta-based dishes, and the menu appealed to a wide variety of palates.
    The chef was a distant cousin of