Ghost of a Summoning Read online

  Ghost of a Summoning

  J. E. McDonald

  GHOST OF A SUMMONING

  By

  J. E. McDonald

  Copyright © 2021 J. E. McDonald

  * * *

  Edited by Heather McCorkle.

  Cover Design by MiblArt.

  All stock photos licensed appropriately.

  * * *

  Published in the United States by City Owl Press.

  www.cityowlpress.com

  * * *

  For information on subsidiary rights, please contact the publisher at [email protected]

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and not intended by the author.

  Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior consent and permission of the publisher.

  To my three girls:

  For always inspiring me to be better.

  For turning out to be such amazing people.

  Praise for J. E. McDonald

  “Ghost of a Gamble is a contemporary, gothic tale filled with sparkling wittiness, budding romance, thrilling suspense, and scary ghosts!” — InD’tale

  * * *

  “Bree was funny, and quirky, but also independent, which I loved. I enjoyed the quirky atmosphere, the hauntings, and the hot romance between these ghost hunters. A great read for fans of paranormal romance!” — J. E. Hunter, author of The Torc

  * * *

  “I adored Ghost of an Enchantment! Fun, magical, and romantic. Stella is everything I look for in a witchy romance heroine, and Wickwood is a delightful setting for these books. The pacing was perfect, and the magical mystery was right up my alley. Well done!” — Lisa Edmonds, bestselling author of the Alice Worth series

  * * *

  “McDonald's cast of supernatural characters are always impeccably crafted and leave you eager for the next installment of this delightful series.” — Ashley R. King, author of Painting the Lines and Forever After

  * * *

  “Bree is utterly charming right from the beginning, and her dynamic with Zack makes for a wonderfully compelling story. Ghost of a Gamble is easy to sink into, with a supernatural plot that escalates all the way to the end.” — K. Caine, author of A Study in Velvet and Leather

  * * *

  “McDonald busts this worldwide open and brings it to new heights and dimensions. She easily navigates blending in all of the different plot points and relationships (romantic, family, and friendship) together into a fun and ‘enchanting’ story.” — E.E. Hornburg, author of The Night’s Chosen

  * * *

  “A heartfelt paranormal romance about a skeptic teaming up with a paranormal investigator, Ghost of a Gamble is sure to make you smile. Bree and Zack have perfect chemistry and their banter is irresistible.” — Kat Turner, author of Hex, Love, and Rock & Roll

  * * *

  “Stella is a witch who doesn't trust cops. Unfortunately, Lucas is a cop--and the sexual tension between them is scorching hot, making Ghost of an Enchantment a fast-paced, compelling read.” — K. Caine, author of A Study in Velvet and Leather

  * * *

  “Transporting readers to a thrilling romance filled dimension, Ghost of an Enchantment is a breath-stealing page turner set in the magical town of Wickwood! With characters that provide touches of humor and a plot filled with mystical intrigue, readers will be enticed to move in and peek from their windows in anticipation of what will happen next!” — InD’tale Magazine

  * * *

  “A fast-paced read with a tension-filled romance and high-stakes plot, Ghost of a Summoning is a paranormal love story you don’t want to miss.” — Gabrielle Ash, author of The Family Cross

  * * *

  “A devilishly fun romance. Highly recommend.” — Luna Joya, author of the Legacy series

  * * *

  “Wickwood, a quaint town with a paranormal twist that I'd love to visit.” — J.E. Hunter, author of The Circlet

  Contents

  Want More City Owl Press Books?

  Find Your Next Read

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Epilogue

  Sneak Peek of Hex, Love, and Rock & Roll

  Find Your Next Read

  Want More City Owl Press Books?

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  About the Publisher

  Additional Titles

  Want More City Owl Press Books?

  Click here to sign up for the City Owl Press newsletter and be the first to find out about special offers, including FREE book days, contents, giveaways, cover reveals, and more!

  * * *

  Sign up now and become a City Owl Reader today! And join our City Owl Reader-Author group here for even more deals and a whole lot of community and fun!

  Don’t miss more of the Wickwood Chronicles coming soon, and find more from J. E. McDonald at www.jemcdonald.net

  * * *

  Until then, get your paranormal romance fix with HEX, LOVE, AND ROCK & ROLL, by City Owl Author, Kat Turner!

  With a business skidding toward bankruptcy and bone-dry bank account, Helen Schrader is willing to do the unthinkable. But what will happen when she hires a witch to cast a money spell?

  When the spell sets in motion her own latent magic and her inexperience causes her to accidentally hex her celebrity crush, rocker Brian Shepherd, all that good fortune she hoped for flies out of the window.

  Now, Helen and Brian struggle to break the curse and tackle their growing feelings for each other. Problem is, the harder they fall for each other, the deadlier the curse becomes.

  But as a dark magic cult with an unquenchable thirst for power closes in on them, the couple will have to face more than just their inconvenient desire. With time running out and danger mounting, can they beat the hex before Brian becomes its next victim?

  GET IT NOW!

  1

  Aubrey reached up, stretching to place the last book on the top shelf. She inhaled deeply, in love with the aged-paper scent of the books she’d recently acquired, then hopped off the stool to admire her handiwork. The new bookshelf filled the void on the back wall just right. The other half of the wall was taken up by the mismatched clocks, mostly set to incorrect times. Their rhythmic clicks were their own sort of melody, competing with the voice of Billie Eilish playing from the sp
eakers behind the front counter.

  Maybe adding the book section would bring in more customers. What it if doesn’t help? The constant, dull knot under her ribs contracted at the thought. Relics needed to earn more money—yes, it was an antique store, and if she’d wanted to be a millionaire she should have gone into stocks. But her determination might not be enough. If she depleted any more of her nest egg, she could be forced to close the store.

  She’d survive, but she didn’t want the lawyers who had sneered at her as she signed the inheritance papers to be right—that she’d squandered the second chance she’d been given.

  Wrapping her arms around her middle, she exhaled a slow breath. Eight years ago, Lina and Charles had given her a gift she never deserved, never asked for. They were the first two people besides Finn who’d given a shit about her, and the only parental figures she’d ever loved. And now they were gone. Closing her eyes, she inhaled deep, then exhaled slowly, counting to eight, repeating the practice until she could breathe easier.

  She didn’t want to fail her foster parents, couldn’t fail them. They’d believed in her enough to give her a new start. Since their deaths, she’d felt like they watched over her, an abandoned item searching for her place. It wasn’t lost on her that she did the same for the unwanted objects in her store. All of them deserved good homes, just like she had. Even if it had only been a brief time.

  On a sigh, she circled to the front counter and display case where a computer took up a quarter of the space. Her phone lay atop the glass surface, the screen turning black as it went into sleep mode, hiding the word “welcome” that had been glaring at her for the past few minutes. She used the computer as her cash register, but it was five years old, already refurbished when she bought it, and needed to be replaced. Seeing there weren’t any new orders on her website, she picked up one of the three macrame plant holders lying beside the keyboard. The glass surface of the display case fogged, a smiley face forming in the haze.

  “I’m okay,” she said to Finn. The ghost of the twelve-year-old boy had been hanging around her since she was a kid, and seemed to know exactly when her mood was about to take a turn. He would often draw a heart or a smiley face on surfaces to cheer her up. Symbols were the easiest for him—anything more complex became less and less visible.

  “It’s nothing important,” she added with a firm tone, making sure he knew she meant it.

  Since no shoppers occupied the store at the moment, it allowed her to talk to Finn aloud. She didn’t know why the ghost had stayed with her for so long, but his presence comforted her, in good times and in bad. Her best friend, Stella, had offered more than once to use her witchy powers to help Finn pass to the other side, but Aubrey always refused. If her ghost wanted to move on, he would. It was that simple.

  Stella had been in the store earlier but had gone to “lunch” with Lucas. If Aubrey caught the pair making out on her front counter again, she’d need to put up a “no kissing” sign on the front door. The way they had been getting into it, she didn’t think the glass case could take it.

  A sigh rolled through her. She was happy for her friend, she really was. Stella deserved all the joy in the world. But sometimes, sometimes, when Aubrey saw them together, her chest would squeeze hard and hot—and it had nothing to do with the panic attacks that plagued her.

  She set down the macrame holder and pressed the button on the side of her phone to wake it. The logo for the dating app she’d downloaded a while back, Simmer, filled the screen, waiting for her to make an account.

  For the past three years, the antique store had consumed her life. She kept thinking business would pick up, and it did in spurts, allowing her to pay her rent, bills, and the mortgage on the house she shared with Stella. But then business would settle back down, keeping her up at night. By only focusing on the store, she’d pushed the rest of her life to the side. She hadn’t dated, hadn’t gone camping with Stella in forever. Every aspect of her life wrapped around the store. In a moment of weakness last month, she’d downloaded Simmer, thinking maybe it was time to get a life. And after catching Stella and Lucas making out on the counter this morning, she’d opened the app up. Could she join the dating world again? It had been so long.

  The bell above the front door tinkled, announcing someone’s arrival, and she closed the app. A man entered, a big man whose muscular shoulders were so wide he blocked out most of the light coming through the door.

  “Oh, hello there,” Aubrey said, her smile faltering a little. This guy was really big, like linebacker big. “Can I help you find something today?” Outside, a gust of wind rustled through the changing leaves of the sassafras trees that lined the boulevard. Traffic hummed along, then became muffled as the door closed behind him.

  The man didn’t answer. A frown tugged at his features. His short brown hair caught the morning sunlight, and the angles of his square jaw looked like they could cut through concrete. A brown military-style jacket, gray T-shirt, and black jeans hugged his muscular frame.

  He didn’t look her way, his eyes riveted on something in her display window. She didn’t have much there, mostly plants and a couple larger furniture pieces up on a platform. She thought the greenery conveyed a fresh vibe, drawing window shoppers inside. Was he interested in the pair of Hepplewhite chairs? He honestly didn’t seem the type. Maybe more of a Louis XIII kind of guy.

  After a moment, he tore his gaze away from the window and continued into the store. The hardwood floor creaked under his footsteps. He passed her by, barely glancing in her direction, his eyes quickly skimming everything else in the store. A distinctive scent followed him, something woodsy mixed with the fragrance of fresh soap. Rattled by his presence, she couldn’t tear her eyes away. His rugged appearance lent her ideas that he spent a lot of time outdoors, chopping logs without his shirt on, or perhaps as a pirate captaining a ship. Again, without his shirt on. Aubrey’s stomach twitched at the image she’d created in her mind. An entirely different type of nervousness competed for her attention.

  If he weren’t so big, he might have been less intimidating, but as it was, Aubrey’s heart rate kicked up a few notches. Yes, definitely has to do with his size and not my stagnant sex life.

  “Well, if you need any help, please let me know,” she said to his back. Her eyes were drawn to the gloves he wore. Strange. The late-summer weather didn’t really call for it. Maybe he owned a motorcycle. That had another image forming in her mind, one where he straddled a low-rider with his shirt off.

  Aubrey shook her head to clear it. Why did she keep imagining this guy with his shirt off? It really had been too long if she was fantasizing about random men who’d been in the store less than five minutes and hadn’t spoken a word to her.

  The man continued to ignore her, kept walking through the store, then headed straight for the new shelf and books at the back.

  Oooookaaaaay. Well, she had work to do if he didn’t want help. Throwing the three macrame plant holders over her shoulder, Aubrey retrieved her toolbox and tallest ladder from the supply closet, then set everything up next to the front window. Three potted plants sat side by side along the edge of the display platform, waiting to be hung. The lower half of the front window already contained many overflowing terracotta pots, but she liked the idea of having some hanging, filling the space entirely with green. She must have caught Stella’s green thumb or something.

  Aubrey climbed the ladder with drill, hook, and plant holder in hand, stopping when she could reach the ten-foot-high ceiling. She marked where she wanted the hook with the pencil in her back pocket, then heard movement behind her.

  The man was leaving.

  “Thanks for stopping by,” she said automatically, disappointed the visit hadn’t resulted in some sort of sale. Maybe she hadn’t been helpful enough? But he’d definitely been sending a “don’t bother me” vibe. Usually, she felt she gauged a customer’s level of need accurately.

  Maybe she’d been wrong.

  Maybe she was los
ing her touch.

  Maybe she was the worst store owner in history.

  Maybe she should quit and finally admit defeat.

  At the door, he hesitated again, distracting her from her spiraling thoughts. His eyes focused on the window. Drill in hand, the hook positioned where the pot hanger should go, Aubrey leaned forward, twisting to see what he stared at. Was it something outside? She set the drill on the top of the ladder and leaned over farther.

  Abruptly, he looked up at her. Piercing blue eyes met hers. She pulled back and bumped the drill. It tipped off the edge of the ladder—and headed straight for his face.