Free GHOST GAL: The Wild Hunt by Bobby Nash

nights when she couldn’t sleep, young Alex would slip out her window, shimmy across the branch and down the trunk to the waiting ground. She loved walking the lawns at night. It was quiet. The only noise being the soothing sounds of the river and the occasional night owl. It was also peaceful. She had learned how to navigate the yard by nothing more than pale moonlight. She was so happy that the tree still stood to this day.
    Sitting along the bank of the river at two in the morning was so relaxing.
    She decided that the next time she and Joshua had a free weekend, they would come out and watch the flowing waters into the wee hours of the morning. She was sure he would enjoy that, but decided that maybe they would wait until it was a bit warmer before planning that trip.
    Considering the family business, Alexandra enjoyed this time of the year the most around Holzer House, as some of the children living in the vicinity called it. She rather enjoyed that too. It gave the place an added bit of character.
    The snow that had threatened to fall all week still hadn’t reared itsugly head so she jogged up the six steps to the porch without fear of them being slippery. She had spent a lot of time playing on that large front porch. It was one of her favorite parts of the old house, second only to the balcony above that sat just off from her father’s study.
    Although she no longer lived there, Alexandra still had a key and let herself in. She hung her coat, scarf, and hat on the coat rack in the foyer then tucked her mittens in the coat pocket. She carried the duffle bag she brought inside with her. It was warm inside the house and the wonderful smell of something cooking from the kitchen filled the house. She didn’t recognize the dish from the smell alone, but assumed it to be one of the many Parisian recipes that her mother loved to experiment with from time to time.
    “Hello,” she called out, dragging out the word a few extra syllables.
    “Hello, dear,” Her mother called from the kitchen.
    Alexandra followed her nose and found her mother working feverishly over the stove where several pots threatened to boil over. Thankfully, the Countess Catherine Buxhoeveden was a master when it came to preparing her delicacies. Her hands danced around the stove as if she were conducting the New York Philharmonic Orchestra.
    “Smells delicious, Mother.”
    “Hello, Alexandra, dear,” the Countess said with a smile before stepping away from the stove to pull her daughter into a hug. “You have excellent timing. Can you join us for dinner?”
    “Sure thing,” Alexandra said. “It smells great.”
    “Is Joshua with you?”
    “No, mother. He had case notes to study for tomorrow and had to spend some time in the law library so I’m flying solo today.”
    “Too bad,” her mother said with a wink. “He is going to miss a fabulous meal.”
    “His loss,” Alexandra said. “Is Poppa around?”
    “He’s in his study, where else?” her mother said with a crook of her head in the general direction.
    “I wanted to pop in to say hello and give him this.” She held up the duffel.
    “What is that?”
    “Just a small present. It’s a work thing.”
    The Countess gave a slight shake of her head. “Heaven forbid one of you take a day off every once in awhile,” Catherine groused. “It’snot like the world is going to stop spinning because the Holzer family takes a vacation.”
    “You sure about that, Mother?”
    “Let’s say I think it’s a safe bet,” Catherine said playfully.
    Alexandra rolled her eyes.
    “You two are always working,” her mother added. “Two peas in a pod, you are. Just do me a favor and make sure this present does not leave a mess like the last one did, okay? I spent two days trying to get that mess out of the carpet.”
    “I think it’s safe to say this one won’t go kablooey,” Alexandra said with a playful smile that was the mirror image of her mother’s own smile.
    “That’s what you said