Billionaire Ghost Tour - Stephanie Fowers Page 0,64

embrace with a hot face.

“Attention! Attention. All eyes up here.” Mr. Tweed, the mayor of the town—and recently Mollie’s new stepfather—stepped forward to narrate the event. Janson squeezed her hand, turning to stare up from the sidewalk as Mr. Tweed leaned against the railing on the second floor of the flatiron building across the street from the Basin Park Hotel. “It was on a chilly, dark, stormy day when two figures made their way through the parade in desperate need of help from Eureka Springs,” he narrated.

Mollie groaned and covered her face. She felt the low grumble of laughter reverberate through Janson’s chest.

Mr. Tweed held the captivated audience in the palm of his hand. “They were running from a posse of desperate men allegedly led by a woman of ill repute.” They’d have to use “allegedly” a lot in this production. His stepmother was still going through the legal process, though, thankfully, little Harry was now safe in his father’s custody. Mr. Tweed pounded the railing. “Mollie and Janson Styles had escaped from the evil clutches of that posse, only to turn around and try to stop them from taking his father.”

A giggle escaped Mollie’s lips when she saw two children had been cast in the roles of Janson and herself—probably so the Dwayne and Vin actors would tower over them like monsters. The girl playing her wore a bright red wig with mud splattered all over her black dress. The Janson kid had a cheetah-print sling—never mind Janson had gotten rid of that before the parade, but otherwise the costume was pretty authentic.

“Hey, just got here!” Charlize ran up to Mollie through the crowd, holding Aaron’s hand. “We couldn’t find a place to park.”

A smirk rested over Janson’s lips and he bumped his friend on the arm. “You mean Aaron drove you in circles for an hour until he finally found an empty spot on someone’s lawn to park?”

Charlize laughed and leaned against her husband’s chest. “Pretty much. I’m not feeling so good.”

“I know the feeling,” Janson said. So did Mollie. Forget that Aaron’s Mercedes Maybach convertible cost three hundred and fifty-four thousand, Mollie and Janson would make any excuse to drive separately to avoid being scrunched up in the back of that sick-mobile.

Jett Eastwood came up behind them with a dark expression. He didn’t look like he’d been as lucky to escape being a passenger. Jett was a huge man with a big heart—he’d once guarded it fiercely, retreating to his lair at the Mountain Cove after an accident had broken him in more ways than one. Hannah, now his wife of six months, had cracked through his tough guy act almost the moment they’d met. Aaron took one look at Jett and rolled his eyes. “Hey, Grumps, I got you here, didn’t I?”

Jett glanced over at Hannah, who cradled her baby bump, which was likely the reason he was so protective. “You want to take the bus back?” he asked her.

She dimpled. On the surface Hannah seemed quiet, a kind and gentle therapist, but she was a determined woman. She was actually as stubborn as Jett was. Hannah was the only one who could’ve reached Jett during his time of greatest despair. “Oh, honey, it wasn’t that bad.”

“See?” Aaron said, turning back to the parade. “The pregnant woman can take my driving. What’s your problem?”

Jett took his wife’s hands. “You’re happy?” She nodded and Jett glared over at Aaron. “You’re lucky. She’s happy.”

To the side of them, the crowd booed as Dwayne and Vin came on the scene, played by two grown men who worked the funnel cake shack—absolutely good sports and enjoying every minute as they chased the kids around the street past zombie clowns and friars and nurses. A woman in a bright pink dress directed them around, acting like Cruella de Vil and calling them “fools.”

“Hey,” Janson called over to Jett. “They should’ve put you in for the role of Dwayne.”

Seriously. They could’ve used Jett as backup when the bodyguard went rogue. Jett shook his head, deeply saddened that he’d lost out on his chance to mete out justice with those creeps. “I could’ve beaten down that guy,” he muttered under his breath. It had killed him after he’d heard what happened that he hadn’t been there to help out his friends. Aaron was just as angry, though he honestly was the last one Mollie would’ve called on, no matter how much she loved Charlize and Aaron. Their friend was a little too reckless.

“Allegedly,