Ghostly Envy

GHOSTLY ENVY GHOSTLY ENVY COPYRIGHT © 2023 by E.M. Leya For sales information, please contact Emma Marie Leya on Facebook All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher or author. Requests for permission to copy part of this work for use in an educational environment may be directed to the author. This book is a work of fiction. References to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author's imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or persons or locales, living or dead, is entirely coincidental Cover Art by: Annabella Stone Editor: Crowder Editing TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER ONE CHAPTER TWO CHAPTER THREE CHAPTER FOUR CHAPTER FIVE CHAPTER SIX CHAPTER SEVEN CHAPTER EIGHT CHAPTER NINE CHAPTER TEN CHAPTER ELEVEN CHAPTER TWELVE CHAPTER THIRTEEN CHAPTER FOURTEEN CHAPTER FIFTEEN CHAPTER SIXTEEN CHAPTER SEVENTEEN CHAPTER EIGHTEEN CHAPTER NINETEEN CHAPTER TWENTY CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE EPILOGUE ABOUT THE AUTHOR ALSO AVAILABLE FROM E.M. LEYA CHAPTER ONE Lance sipped his morning coffee as he watched Bethany and Ray sitting outside on his patio. The two ghosts were silent, which probably meant they were still listening to the audiobook that Lance had set up for them the night before. It was a good thing that Bethany enjoyed them as much as Ray did since Ray went through several books a week now that he didn't have to read over people's shoulders or ask them to turn a page in a book for him. Living with ghosts was always interesting, but over the last few weeks, they'd fallen into a comfortable routine. The ghosts spent most of their time outside which gave Lance a chance to enjoy the solitude of the house and spend evenings with his boyfriend, Detective Angus Young. He still had to smile when he thought of Angus being named after a famous rock star. Now that they'd been dating so long, he found the name fit him, but it was still fun to see people's reactions when he introduced him. His life had been so crazy since his accident earlier in the year. Other than an occasional migraine, the only lasting effect Lance had from it was the ability to see and hear ghosts. He'd thought at first he was losing his mind, but now, after meeting others with his ability and having spent time with numerous ghosts, it was becoming a way of life for him. Thankfully, Angus understood his ability because Angus's mother had the same talent. She'd been seeing ghosts since she was born and was now able to help Lance work his way through handling things now that he could see them as well. He didn't want to think of where he might be if she hadn't helped him understand his gift. He'd thought he was losing his mind when he saw and heard his first ghost. Lance glanced at the time and took the last sip of his coffee before going over to the sink and rinsing his cup. Angus was picking him up in five minutes to go help Detective Franks find a new house. Lance was surprised to be asked to go with them, but he wasn't going to turn down a day with Angus. House hunting would be fun, and he might get some ideas to update his own as they walked through others. He stuck his head out the back door. "You two need me to start another book? I'm about to leave." He laughed as both Bethany and Ray jumped at the sound of his voice. "We're good. We are going to go to the zoo today and see that new baby tiger that was born. We should be back around dinner," Ray told him. Ray was a ghost who had died back in the nineteen-twenties. He was around thirty when he died and still appeared as he had at the time, wearing clothing from the era. He was seldom without his newsboy hat. Lance loved hearing stories about all the things Ray had seen over the years. The ghost had traveled a lot of the world, going undetected on flights and trains, or sneaking rides in unknowing vehicles as they crossed the country. Bethany was a more recently deceased ghost. She'd died horrifically at the hands of a serial killer that Angus had put in prison recently. It was only because of Bethany's help in identifying the man that they'd caught him. She'd decided to stick around after meeting Ray and finding some kind of connection with him. Lance wasn't sure how romance worked for ghosts, but he was happy the two found pleasure in each other's company. It was good to know that love didn't stop when you died, and that if you didn't find your soulmate while alive, you still had the chance after you died. He was happy to have them around and share the house with him. "Have a good time. I don't know how long we'll be out, but Angus will be here for dinner. You guys need a ride?" "We're good. We'll find someone going that way. Thanks for the offer though." Ray smiled. "Enjoy the day." He waved, then shut the door and locked the sliding door leading to the backyard. The ghosts could get in if they wanted, but he guessed they'd be gone longer than he would. He made his way through the house and to the front door. He'd just opened it as Franks pulled up in the driveway. Lance hurried to shut and lock the front door, then made his way down to the car. He climbed into the back seat, excited about the outing. "Morning." "Morning. Thanks for going with us." Franks glanced at him in the rear-view mirror as he backed out of the driveway. "Thanks