Excerpt from Wild Ghost Chase by Ericka Scott

Come along for a wild ride~

Excerpt from Wild Ghost Chase

“Tragedy. Oh. So much tragedy,” Irene Hopkins wailed as
soon as she stepped out of the long black limousine. Tears glittered
in her eyes and threatened to spill over. “I felt it the moment
I drove on to the grounds. There has been so much pain
and suffering here.”
Blah, blah, blah. Monica resisted the urge to roll her eyes.
Irene certainly knew how to play the crowd and make an entrance.
She may have been a farce as a medium, but she had been
cleverly marketed by the network gurus. Long frizzy blonde hair
framed her face, and she wore long fake eyelashes to bat over her
big baby blues. Monica would almost bet her paycheck no male
viewer would notice Irene’s eye color. No, their attention would
be focused about a foot below her chin where her breasts threatened
to spill out of the tight red leather bolero jacket. Lord help
them if the one large button straining to hold the fabric together
popped open on national television. That event would give a
whole new meaning to ghost ‘bust’ing.
Enigma lifted a green duffle bag out of the trunk of his bright
red Miata convertible. He was even more beautiful in person than
on television. Although handsome was a more appropriate term for
a man, beautiful was more correct. His features weren’t the least
bit effeminate. He reminded Monica of a well-constructed piece
of art. Emotion caught in her throat and an odd ache clenched
her insides. The same feeling a Monet painting, diamond Tiffany
bracelet, or a hot fudge sundae elicited. To her embarrassment,
his green-eyed gaze caught hers and held it. The ache became
deeper, an almost physical pain of need. Why? What about him
affected her this way? The six feet of rippling muscles under a
skin-tight thermal shirt, or the way his tight jeans hugged his
butt and thighs? And no, the well-defined bulge of his crotch
didn’t make her breath hitch in her throat or her heart pound
in her ears. The attraction was his smile. A low heat built low in
her belly. When his grin widened, she was sure he knew exactly
what sort of reaction he’d elicited.
Damn him. Monica tore her gaze away from Enigma and
focused on inventorying the equipment in her black shoulder
bag. When she was satisfied she had everything, she balanced
the purse on the tailgate of her pickup truck.
Research about Harrington House and the family hadn’t
turned up much information. Amos Harrington, a ship’s captain,
had built the structure in the mid-1800s and lived there with his
wife and two daughters. One of the girls had died young, the other
had married and inherited the house, which had been in the
Harrington family ever since. Monica had discovered no documentation
of any ghostly phenomena over the years. Well, not
until last year when the current resident, a woman named Kylie
Harrington, moved into the old mansion and decided to turn it
into a bed and breakfast. The endeavor had been plagued by accidents
and unexplained occurrences. Publicly, Kylie denied allegations
that the house was haunted. Privately, she’d called for help.
At first glance, Harrington House didn’t appear menacing or
haunted. By contrast, it also didn’t resemble the photograph in
the newspaper article. The new owner had put a lot of work into
restoring the house to a glory it hadn’t even had in its heyday.
Painted a soft yellow, the bright blue gingerbread trim added
a bit of splash. White eyelet curtains hung at most of the windows
and the grounds were landscaped. Large flowerbeds of pansies
decorated the front walk and huge clay pots of geraniums stood
sentry at regular intervals along a porch running the full length
of the house. The atmosphere seemed open and welcoming, but
Monica knew looks were deceiving. The owner was convinced
the house was haunted. Well, that remained to be seen.

Stay tuned for one more excerpt and a chance to win a signed print copy of Wild Ghost Chase to enjoy on a dark and stormy night!

Ericka