Ghost Mortem (Ghost Detective #1) - Jane Hinchey Page 0,46

today? I've got places I need to be. This is your delivery. I'll happily leave it here on the curb if you're going to give me grief." Wow. I admired the guy’s bravado. Seemed Brett did too. I got the feeling that not very many people argued with him, so when they did, it got his attention. He eyeballed the driver who was an overweight man in his fifties, balding head, sweating profusely. The man rested the urn on the back of the van and eyeballed Brett. "Well? What's it going to be?"

"Very well. Just this once, mind you. In the future, kindly remember that all deliveries are to go to the rear of the hotel."

"I'm sure your guests won't mind looking at pretty flowers being delivered," he shot back.

"Breakfast won't be long," the waitress said, startling me.

I'd been so busy watching the driver and Brett that I'd forgotten she was there. I gave her a nod but kept my attention on the duo outside. Brett hijacked a luggage trolley but left all the heavy lifting to the driver, then led the way across the foyer while the driver pushed the flower-laden trolley. The driver was right. The flowers were really pretty. Brett appeared to be in his element, talking into a headset as he walked, referring to his clipboard, which on closer inspection was actually an iPad, before he and the driver disappeared from view.

"Nice day for a wedding," Ben commented, gazing out the window at the clear blue sky.

I shrugged. "Sure." Weddings stressed me out. I'd been a bridesmaid at my brother’s and my sister’s weddings and the pressure not to trip or knock anything over was amplified a million fold.

"I always thought I'd have a garden wedding," Ben continued, voice dreamy.

"Really?" I was shocked. "You thought about getting married?"

He shrugged. "One day, sure. When I found the right girl."

"I thought Tiffany may have been a contender." She'd been his latest. They'd been together six months before the whole thing had gone south. Six months was long-term for Ben. And he had the nerve to judge me on the brevity of my relationships.

"Nah. She didn't want kids."

I blinked. "I didn't know that."

His mouth turned down at the corners. "Doesn't matter now anyway."

We lapsed into silence when my coffee arrived. Moving my hand aside I accidentally brushed the cutlery in front of me onto the floor.

“I’m so sorry!” Appalled, I leaned over in my chair to scoop up the errant cutlery at the same time the waitress did, and we clashed heads. I jerked upright, slamming my head into the side of the table. “Owwww.” Cradling my poor beat up head, I managed to right my cup of coffee before it tipped over and apologized, again, to the waitress. Her smile didn’t reach her eyes. “I’ll get you fresh cutlery.” She spun on her heel and stalked away.

Careful not to burn myself, I took a grateful sip, while thinking about what Ben had said. "So...you wanted kids then?" It wasn't a topic Ben and I had talked about before.

"Of course. Don't you?"

"Well, yeah." Of course I did. Every time I was near my nieces and nephew my ovaries were fit to explode. My biological clock was well and truly ticking. "You'd have made a great father." It totally sucked that now we'd never know, he'd never get the opportunity.

"Don't go feeling sorry for me, Fitz," Ben warned, wagging his finger in my face. I automatically made a snatch for it, forgetting he was a ghost until I felt the icy chill as my hand passed through his. I glanced around, hoping no one had seen me madly waving my hand around at nothing, and also feeling sad that I couldn't touch him anymore. It’s the little things that get to you.

"Okay, I can see you're getting maudlin. I'm going to case the joint. Enjoy your breakfast." He disappeared as the waitress approached carrying a plate of food and replacement cutlery.

"Wow, that was quick."

"Saturday mornings are always busy for us." She slid the plate in front of me. "Can I get you anything else?"

"Nope, I'm all good, thanks." My stomach had begun rumbling as soon as it caught a whiff of the eggs Benedict. I waited until she'd turned away before picking up my knife and fork and tucking in. Oh so good. Hangover me liked the idea of going out for breakfast after a big night. I decided I'd make it a regular thing. But then once sober brain