The Prospect

The ProspectGhosttown East Book 9Amelia Shea Copyright © 2023 Amelia SheaAll rights reservedThis book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination, or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, actual events or organizations is entirely coincidental.The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyright work is illegal. No part of this book may be distributed, reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher. For Jody and Katlyn Two very strong and resilient women I admire deeply. Amazing mothers whose loving hearts will forever keep his sweet and beautiful memory alive. Contents Title PageCopyrightDedicationChapter OneChapter TwoChapter ThreeChapter FourChapter FiveChapter SixChapter SevenChapter EightChapter NineChapter TenChapter ElevenChapter TwelveChapter ThirteenChapter FourteenChapter FifteenChapter SixteenChapter SeventeenChapter EighteenChapter NineteenChapter TwentyChapter Twenty-OneChapter Twenty-TwoChapter Twenty-ThreeChapter Twenty-FourChapter Twenty-FiveChapter Twenty-SixChapter Twenty-SevenEpilogueAbout The AuthorGhosttown EastBooks By This Author Chapter One“The next one has to be the brother’s book, right?”Ahh, we are kindred souls.It wasn’t often Sydney Harlow ran into people who shared her love for romance novels. She had a whole fellowship in groups on the internet, but most of what Sydney loved to read wouldn’t be socially acceptable in all book clubs. She’d tried that route and failed miserably when she’d suggested a story that fell in the “racy” category of romance. Needless to say, she wasn’t invited back for the following month’s meeting. Thankfully, she’d met Stacia.This new friendship was forged on pure happenstance. Sydney had found her book buddy in the most unlikely place. It had started out innocently enough. Sydney had been reading while in line at the hole-in-the-wall eatery she’d stumbled upon. It was her second night in her new city. Sydney was a firm believer in never judging a book by its cover and carried the saying over into most of her life choices.Parry’s wasn’t much to look at from the outside, and the interior was only slightly better, but the long lines and customers willing to wait an hour for their food spoke volumes. When it was finally her time to order, the young girl at the counter asked what she was reading. It sparked not only a vast dialogue but a friendship. Sydney had at least five years on Stacia, but age didn’t play a part in their common passion. The girl was far less widely read, and Sydney shared all her favorites, even parting with a few so Stacia could read them. She kept her loans to the young adult genre until Stacia announced her eighteenth birthday. Two days ago. Now they were all up for grabs.Stacia’s current obsession was a series Sydney had read years ago. It was one of her favorites. It was impossible to not become fully immersed into this world the author created. All the sights, sounds, and smells described on the pages had Sydney teleporting and acting like a fly on the wall to some of the best love stories she’d ever read. The love, the humor, the pain, and even the tragedy, were all part of the experience.“So, you like the series?” It was a pointless question. The answer was obvious in the way Stacia’s cheeks pinkened as if she was thinking of a particular scene.“No!” Stacia scoffed, “I love it. I spent my whole dinner break reading. Parry actually started teasing me, saying, ‘you look like the girl who reads at the table in the corner.’” Stacia burst out laughing and reached out, grabbing Sydney’s hand.That girl is me. It was hard to decipher if it was meant to be an insult, but clearly Stacia took it as a compliment.“I was five minutes late for my shift. But I had to finish the chapter.”Sydney smiled. “I know the feeling.”Stacia squeezed her hand and then quickly dropped it to the counter. “So, you have to tell me. Is the next one the brother’s? Because I need his story.”“I don’t want to spoil anything for you.”Stacia leaned over the counter, pouting. “You won’t. Just tell me.”“His brother’s story is coming very soon.”Stacia’s eyes twinkled, and she smirked. “He’s such a jerk, but there’s something about him. I know I’m supposed to hate him, but damn, I just love him.”Kindred spirits.“We all do.” Sydney laughed and lifted a small paper bag onto the counter. “I have something for you.”She had rifled through her bookshelves, choosing her favorite titles for her new friend. Had Sydney been in a better financial position, she would have bought Stacia new books, but the second-best gift would be her thoroughly loved paperbacks. “Here are a few I thought you might enjoy too.”Stacia’s eyes widened, and she immediately dug into the bag. This was Sydney’s thing. Some girls loved clothes or shoes or makeup. Sydney’s obsession had always been books. She’d read everything she could get her hands on when she was younger but found her own little romance with love stories. It was what fueled her desire to major in English in college.“Oh my God, this is amazing. Thank you, and I promise to get these back to you as soon as I finish them.”Sydney shook her head. Stacia misunderstood her gift. “No, these are for you to keep. A belated birthday gift. I picked out a bunch of my favorites and thought you could add them to your own bookshelf.”“I can keep them?”“Yes. I’ve reread them so many times, I think I have every word ingrained in my head.” It was the truth, but it wouldn’t stop Sydney from buying new copies when she had the money.Stacia clutched the bag in her hands, hugging it to her chest. “Thank you, Sydney. This is the best gift ever.”Parting with her beloved paperbacks was worth Stacia’s sincere gratitude. The world would be a better place if we all just shared our favorite books.Sydney opened her mouth to speak, but the booming voice