When I woke up again I felt like a whole new woman. Grogginess still hung over me a bit but it was nothing a good coffee wouldn’t cure. Thankfully there was a small coffee shop and bakery combo a few doors down, since I didn’t fully trust whatever concoction this place attempted to call coffee.
The room was still dark thanks to the heavy double layer of curtains, and Lincoln kept snoring softly as I got dressed, threw my boots on, and walked out the door. I paused in the hall as I braided my hair and listened for any of the others but it was quiet there too.
Just as my foot hit the top step to head down to the lobby, a door creaked open behind me and Sully poked his head out. He blinked down the hall, squinting as he tried to figure out who was out here.
“Morning, Sully. Or maybe afternoon,” I joked. “I’m sneaking away for coffee and donuts, you in?”
“Oh, fuck yes I am,” he said quickly, disappearing in his room and coming out a few minutes later with clothes on. For the first time since we’d reconnected, he was wearing sweatpants and a loose tee, looking comfortable. The bright blue of his shirt brought out his eyes and this Sully looked a bit more like the old Sully from my memories. “I couldn’t just sit in that room anymore.” His involuntary shudder had me stopping.
“Another ghost?”
He nodded. “Remember how I mentioned my cousin?”
“The ghost who was in the basement with you?” I clarified. He nodded and sighed.
“I don’t know how he traveled across the country, but he is here and tormenting me again,” he groaned. “I love the kid, but I don’t need the running gossip on everything happening in town.”
“Maybe he was attached to you when you were there, not the house?” I mused. “Though where has he been since then if that was the case?”
“Well, he’s talkative and answered that one already. Apparently he thought of me and just appeared? So maybe a partial connection. Is that possible?”
I laughed at his question. “Possible? We deal in ghosts and the paranormal, I’d say anything is possible. I’ve never heard of a ghost having two connection points, but with it being family and a child desperate to be heard? It makes sense, I suppose.”
“When you put it like that I feel like an asshole,” Sully mumbled. He glanced back at the room and sighed. “It’s just a lot to process. That death messed me up. We were close and I’ve grown up without him.”
“I’m sorry,” I said as I grabbed his hand, giving it a squeeze.
“It’s okay, I just don’t really know how to handle it.”
“He might be useful here,” I pointed out. “An insider that we can directly trust and communicate with.”
Sully frowned for a second before nodding slowly. “Yeah, I guess I never considered that. He did mention this town is loaded with spirit energy. I’ve never seen him so animated and solid.”
“That confirms our suspicion that something more is going on around here,” I frowned. “I need coffee before I can properly think more about what it could be.”
“Lead the way, my lady,” he said, holding his arm out. I wrapped mine around his and we headed downstairs.
“Good afternoon,” a cheery voice called out. “I wondered when I’d get to see the famous ghost hunters who bought out my little inn here.” The older man was smiling at us from behind the front desk. He wasn’t the same person who checked us all in, but from his age and the way he spoke I assumed he must be the owner.
“It was a late night,” I explained. “I’m Brea, and this is Sully. Nice to meet you…?”
“Gary,” he answered quickly. “The guy who checked you in is my son Michael.”
“Thanks for having us. The ship just wasn’t a good place to sleep and a girl needs her beauty rest,” I joked.
He chuckled. “Well, I pride myself on having comfortable beds,” he said. “And I can imagine that creaky old boat would be a bit cramped for all of you.”
“Oh it was,” Sully added. I could only imagine him trying to crunch his six foot seven frame into those small ship beds.
“We’re heading for a coffee, would you like one?” I asked before we opened the front door. His eyes widened in surprise before he waved us off. You’d think in a town this small they’d be neighborly, but he seemed downright shocked at the offer.
“Oh, you kids don’t need to worry about me.”
“It’s the least we can do. I can always ask the barista what your usual is,” I said with a challenging smile.
“Sly,” he laughed and shook his finger at me. I liked the man already, which was nice since we’d be here for several weeks. “Fine, I’d love an iced mocha latte. They makes the best.” He reached for his wallet but I just waved and gave a hasty goodbye before leaving.
Serenity Harbor was still covered in a thick layer of fog, the clouds overhead not helping the dreary day. But despite the drizzle threatening to break free, it was peaceful out here with the sound of ocean waves in the distance and the soft breeze blowing over us.