Page 1 of Flirty Fall Fling

1

BLAIRE

“Before we go in, you’ll both need to be aware of a few teeny-tiny things,” I say, staring at the freshly painted purple door of Wardwell Manor. I press my hand against it, knowing the accent colors on the house change with each season.

Everyone in Colorado knows about this place because it’s been featured in movies and it has its own fan club. The manor is an icon.

“This structure was built before Pine Haven was even an established town. It has several spirits living inside, and you’ll need to accept that before crossing the threshold. If you don’t, it could get weird.”

I turn and look at my friend Winter and my cousin Josie. Winter grew up in the same small town as me, just over the mountain, and is my best friend, Autumn’s, little sister. Since she was miserable living with her parents in Cozy Creek, I asked her and my cousin Josie to be my new roommates and help me run the shop I’d inherited since all of my workers retired when my aunt passed away. They both jumped at the opportunity.

Winter whistles. “You know, I honestly believed that was just a Pine Haven rumor to help get more tourists to take the drive over the mountain during the fall.”

“A rumor? No. The ghosts were actually the main reason the house tours stopped in the nineties. Apparently, a woman was pushed down the stairs, and after that, my aunt Flora was like nope. It was too much liability. With that said, if you hear or see anything, just say hello, be polite, and go about your business.”

Josie clears her throat, shoving her hands into her pockets. “Should I be scared?”

“Oh, no. They’re friendly. For the most part. As long as you’re respectful, you shouldn’t have any problems.”

The summer I turned fifteen, I was able to get a job at my aunt’s witchy shop. Anytime I tried to sneak out, the house gave me hell. She apologized every time my teenage hormones took over, and I slammed a door or raised my voice.

“After the equinox, there will be groups of tourists standing out front, taking photos. Many of them place battery-powered lanterns on the sidewalk too. Just act natural. Smile. If there are a lot of people, the back entrance is the best way to get in if you want privacy.”

This is the price that’s paid when inheriting a historical landmark. I have just become the keeper of its significance, like I’m borrowing it while I’m here. The historical committee of Pine Haven has made that fact very clear.

“You’re serious,” Josie says, blinking up at me with her blue eyes. She left the life she’d always known back in Coconut Beach to live in the Colorado mountains.

“When you asked me to move into this seven-bedroom home and help you run Charmed Cauldron, you conveniently left out the part where the house also came with spirits.”

“Must’ve slipped my mind. Do either of you have any other questions?” I ask.

Josie goes pale.

Winter clears her throat. “You’re stalling.”

I love and hate that she isn’t afraid to call me out. But this is the first time I’ve been here since Flora passed away, and my feet don’t want to move. However, we’ve been standing out here long enough to draw attention from passersby who are just trying to take pics of the house.

I slide my key into the lock and turn the knob. The door sticks, and I push my shoulder into it, forcing myself inside. I trip over the fuzzy rug in the entryway.

“Hello! I’m home!” I say in a friendly tone, flicking on the crystal lights hanging from the high ceiling.

Flora is everywhere, her spirit still alive in the lavender and woodsmoke that drifts through the air. I remove my orange cardigan because it’s stuffy in here and hang it on the old wooden rack in the entryway, next to her coats and robes. With each step I take, the floorboards creak under my feet.

I’ve avoided this place since I was handed the keys a month ago. But now that I’m officially moving in, there’s a calmness, being here. It comforts me.

“Hey, ghosts!” Winter says, pulling me from my thoughts.

“Don’t do it just to appease me,” I whisper. “They’ll know if you’re faking.”

“Thanks for letting me move in!” She tries again, her voice going up an entire octave.

I hold back a laugh. Maybe when it’s all said and done, I’ll make a believer out of her.

Josie stands in the doorway with one foot in and one foot out. She rubs her hands across her arms, which are full of goose bumps.

“Come in and close the door,” I tell her, gently grabbing her hand and pulling her toward me. “You’ll let Charlie out.”

Her brows rise. “Are the ghosts trying to escape?”