Whispers at Moonrise (Shadow Falls #4)(60)

His frown tightened. "I don't like this," he said. "None of it."

On that point, Kylie could agree with him.

He stood there, staring out at the trees as if the answers could be plucked from the limbs. She got the feeling he wasn't accustomed to not being able to get information when he demanded it. If he really was a ghost whisperer, he had a lot to learn about patience. She pitied the poor ghost who showed up first.

Burnett finally looked back at Kylie. "Okay, tell me everything you know. Everything. We'll figure this out."

Even before Kylie started talking she had a distinct feeling that getting Burnett involved was going to be a game changer, and she wasn't sure if that was going to be a good thing ... or a bad thing.

* * *

That afternoon, Kylie stood in front of the open fridge, staring. Listening to the hum of the appliance and savoring the cool air hitting her face while Miranda and Della sat at the table behind her.

Amazing how cool felt so much better when it wasn't coming from death. Not that she wouldn't like Hannah to drop in for a visit just now. She really needed answers. But if she'd learned anything, it was that you couldn't rush ghosts.

Kylie had somehow managed to convince Burnett to give Hannah a little more time before breaking Holiday's heart and telling her that her sister was dead. For some unknown reason, Kylie sensed that knowing exactly what Hannah needed was important. Not that Kylie didn't worry it might be her own desire to postpone hurting Holiday that encouraged this decision.

Burnett also agreed that going to the cafe to check and see if they could get any information about Cara M. would be a good thing. He was going to arrange for them to go out there Saturday morning with Derek. Burnett wanted Derek to go because when she'd told Burnett about what Derek had uncovered so far, Burnett was impressed at Derek's investigative skills.

Never mind that Lucas was going to have a shit fit when he found out Burnett had asked Derek to join them. But who knew, he might not even find out. With as little face time as she had with Lucas lately, he might never know. Or care.

She closed her eyes. He cared. He just cared more about other things right now.

Nipping at her lip, she remembered she still hadn't answered any of Lucas's texts today. She didn't know how to answer them because she didn't know how she felt anymore. One minute she was mad, the next she was contemplating if being angry with him was fair.

"What's wrong?" Miranda asked.

Kylie opened her eyes, focusing on what was in front of her and not what was going on inside her. "We're out of soda."

"Why don't you just zap us some?"

Kylie looked back at Miranda. "Zap as in...?"

"Zap," Miranda said, and held up her pinky.

"Uh, why don't you just zap us some?" Kylie asked, and saw Della's eyes widen.

"Because you need to become a zapper," Miranda said matter-of-factly. "You need to embrace your inner Wiccan spirit."

Kylie had somehow avoided any zapping since the whole paperweight to Burnett's crotch incident. And she'd like to continue avoiding it, but from the look in Miranda's eyes, she knew that wasn't going to be feasible. Well, not without hurting the witch's feelings.

And Kylie hated hurting anyone's feelings. Especially Miranda's.

"Okay ... how do I do it?" She shut the fridge and inhaled. "Without endangering any of our lives."

Miranda squealed and wiggled her butt in her chair with excitement.

Della shot Kylie a look of approval as if to say she'd done the right thing. "I like the part about not endangering our lives," Della added with a smile.

"Take some very deep breaths," Miranda said. "Relax. Concentrate. Then envision a frosty six-pack and wiggle your pinky."

A frosty six-pack. Kylie inhaled. She held out her pinky, and right then Della chimed in. "We are talking a six-pack of soda and not a cold guy with good-looking abs, right?"

There was a strange kind of sizzle in the air. And suddenly appearing in front of the refrigerator was a shirtless, shivering guy with great abs. His dark hair hung over his brow and his blue eyes studied the three of them in complete bafflement.

"What the...!" he muttered.

Kylie gasped.

Miranda giggled.

Della snorted with laughter.

"Go away!" Kylie screamed, her face blood red as she wiggled her pinky at the hot guy. He was gone as quickly as he appeared. Kylie looked back at her two best friends, who were now in fits of laughter. She slapped her hand over her heart, which was racing.

"Don't ever talk me into doing that again!" she screeched.

"Wasn't that ... oh, what's his name? Zac something?" Della asked. "The actor, I mean."

"Oh my Gawd, it was!" Miranda said.

"I always thought he looks a little like Steve, don't you think?" Della asked.

"Oh, crap!" Kylie buried her face in her hands. "I didn't hurt him, did I? It won't, like, give him cancer or anything?"

"No," Miranda answered, a giggle still sounding in her voice.

"Good," Della said, rubbing her hands together. "Then bring him back. I want to see if he really looks like Steve."

"Are you freaking nuts?" Kylie asked Della. Then she focused on Miranda. "Will he remember this? Will he think he lost his mind?"