A Ghost of a Chance by Evelyn Klebert Read Free Book Online

reflecting something else. Maybe she did care in her own bizarre fashion. “I don’t know Hallie. Is he the last man you ever want to love?”
    “ I don’t want to love anyone tonight. I just want this night to end.” Her voice was muffled. She was talking straight into her pillow.
    “ You know, you certainly get bitchy after you drink too much.”
    “ As opposed to being that way all the time.”
    “ I’ll ignore that. Do you want some sheets for the couch?”
    “ No, just go away so my head will stop hurting?”
    “ All right, we’ll talk about this in the morning.” She went off in a huff – the door to Monica’s bedroom closing in something between a shut and a slam. Whatever it was really hurt Hallie’s head. This was ridiculous. Weren’t hangovers supposed to occur the next morning? Maybe, she was just cursed.
    She kicked off her black leather pumps and pulled the dark green throw from Monica’s couch up to her chin. She didn’t even have the energy to change out of the black halter dress that she’d chosen for the evening. Maybe if she’d worn the red, all would have been different. Maybe if she were different, all would be different. She thought about Jack and wondered if he was all right, if he had eaten all the food that she’d left out, if he was sleeping on her bed tonight.
    Jack leaned over her and touched her hair as she fell asleep. It felt warm to his fingertips. As she drifted off to sleep she murmured something inaudible. He indulged himself and thought that in this between state she could feel him near her.
    “ Goodnight Hallie. Sweet dreams.”
    He smiled to himself. Perhaps it wasn’t right, but he was feeling very territorial with her. Admittedly, he’d been jealous and was well pleased with the night’s outcome. Except the part of her never loving another man. She had too much to give, that just couldn’t be right.
     
    Gabriella was torn in her heart, caught between a place of darkness and light. She knelt upon one of the soft velvet pews of St. Michel’s Cathedral and prayed in reverence for the almighty to guide her out of her torment. Her spirit clung to what was good and right, but her heart was traitorous. It had been drawn into the twisted web of darkness that was Samory’s existence. Tears flooded from her soft brown eyes, her soul enmeshed torturously in the confusion and betrayal of her very essence. How could she truly love one such as he?
    As she bent her head in heartfelt agony, behind her she heard the heavy drop of footsteps begin the long walk down the marble aisle at the heart of St. Michel’s. Unexpectedly startled, her heart clutched in surprise as the sound ceased abruptly just beside her. She lifted her tear filled eyes hesitantly only to see a stranger staring down at her.
    Hallie paused for a moment, stuck. She was completely stalled. Really, it was kind of nuts adding another character in the mix just now. It certainly hadn’t been her original plan. Actually the idea had popped into her head on her drive home from Richmond and then increasingly had been nagging at her all day.
    She had left Monica’s early, neither in the mood nor the proper physical state to entertain any rehashing of the night before. But she had inferred from her friend’s aloof behavior at their brief parting that Monica was none too eager to prolong her stay. She evidently had more serious concerns, namely smoothing the water with old carrot-top Richard. It was just as well. Hallie was out of sorts and suddenly preoccupied with a piece that she felt was missing from her book. There needed to be more struggle, sort of like. . .
    “ A triangle, a love triangle.” Jack spoke it out loud for what felt like the thousandth time that day. It had occurred to him during the night that the easiest and best way to connect with Hallie was through her writing and what better way than to introduce himself as –
    He was a tall man, a tall muscular man whose face was well tanned. It was