“I got this!” Edie called out before a nearly finished knitted scarf was wrapped around Bubba’s jaws and a tablecloth from the diner was shoved over his eyes.
Only then could Trent look up to see if Skye was safe.
She was going to die. She was sure of it. She could see the headlines now: America’s Sweetheart Eaten by Alligators. The door to the diner burst open and suddenly Trent was there with a man who looked to be as large as the gators surrounding them.
Then a skinny man shot forward, Trent leapt on the large alligator, and Skye slammed her eyes shut, not wanting to see the man she’d fallen in love with be eaten by an alligator.
“Get back, Big Bertha. They don’t have your baby.”
“That’s the biggest knife I’ve ever seen,” Karri gasped and Skye opened her eyes. Oh my God. Trent was on the gator’s back, then two cops jumped on. She turned her head and the skinny guy in baggy clothes was protecting them with the largest hunting knife she’d ever seen. The big man wearing a hat with COCKS blazoned across the front and a little guy who looked at least a foot shorter and a hundred pounds lighter than the COCKS hat guy ran past them. The little guy broke off to the left and when Big Bertha turned her head, COCKS guy leapt on her.
She and Karri screamed again and clutched at each other. People were wrestling alligators in front of them and behind them and Skye didn’t know what to do.
“Someone go find that baby so Bertha will calm down,” COCKS hat yelled. The diner emptied out and the skinny guy with the gigantic knife turned and smiled at them.
“Howdy. I’m Skeeter. Anne Bonny said you have the spirit of the wolf,” he said to Karri, whose mouth fell open in surprise. “And she said to tell you that you better not hurt Trent or she’ll haunt you until your dying breath.”
“I’m sorry. Did you say Anne Bonny? The pirate I played in Love’s Dangerous Waters?” Skye asked even as she kept her eyes on Trent and the two men holding down the big gator.
“Yup. She said you did her justice, but that she’d never wear makeup, especially during a sword fight. Oh, and your Southern accent needs work. A lotta work.”
Skye finally had to turn to look at Skeeter. “You mean, you say that?”
“No, Anne says it. She lives here in Shadows Landing along with some of the other pirate ghosts. It’s their home. They founded the town after all,” Skeeter told her as Karri turned to him as if forgetting the gator battle raging around them.
“That’s fascinating. Tell me more. How did she know I had the spirit of a wolf?”
“Found it!” a little old lady wearing a cat sweater yelled. She held up a small alligator and Big Bertha went nuts.
“Edie, run the baby down to the river,” the COCKS hat man yelled out. A pretty woman in her early thirties with knitting needles in her hand reached forward, took the baby gator, and sprinted for the river while Big Bertha battled the two men to get free.
“Skeeter, move the women to the diner. Everyone else, inside the nearest building!” COCKS hat man yelled.
“Sure thing, Gator!” Skeeter called out as he turned the women toward the diner.
“You also talk to alligators?” Karri asked, now sounding doubtful. Skeeter laughed.
“Nah, that would be crazy. I only talk to ghosts. Gator is the name of the big guy in the COCKS hat. Right this way, ladies. And welcome to Shadows Landing.”
6
Trent used all his strength to keep Bubba from breaking free as the people scattered inside different buildings. Granger and Kord were grunting with exertion as the big gator battled them.
“Trent!” Skye called out as Skeeter yanked her hand and pulled her past him at a run. Karri eyed them all with a look somewhere between being impressed and thinking she was in the middle of a bad dream.
“I’m okay. Get inside so we can release him,” Trent yelled back to Skye as she struggled with Skeeter.
“Is that Skye Jessamine?” Kord asked as he pushed up to get a better look and let out a low whistle of appreciation. Bubba’s tail slammed into his chest hard the second he was loose.
Trent could feel Granger rolling his eyes. “One day a woman is going to bring you to your knees and you’ll beg her for monogamy. I’ll laugh when she tells you to take a hike.”
“I’m just making up for your shortfalls.” Kord leaned back down and grabbed Bubba’s tail. “When was the last time you had a date? Right, Trent?”
“I agree with both of you,” Trent said as Edie finally came back into view now sans baby gator. “I’ll laugh when a woman gets Kord wrapped around her finger. I also agree with Kord that you need to date. You used to date all the time and don’t use the accident as an excuse. Every woman in town would jump at the chance to date you.”
“Says the man who ran away from Skye Jessamine.”
“Y’all have no game,” Kord snorted as Edie ran past them and gave him a thumbs-up.
“Okay, guys,” Gator yelled. “On the count of three, let go and haul your asses inside!”
Trent focused on Bubba as Gator counted down. It looked as if Skye had come to him, so one way or another they were going to hash this out—if he didn’t get bitten by Bubba first, that is.
“Three!” Gator yelled.
Trent, Granger, and Kord rolled off Bubba and leapt up in perfect synchronization.
“Here, boys!” Skeeter held the door to the diner open and they rushed inside.
Trent closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them, Skye was flinging her arms around his neck, and just like in his nightly dreams, she was in his arms once again.
Trent pressed his face into Skye’s neck and held her as she lost all semblance of being calm, cool, and collected. Skye started rambling with a mixture of tears and sniffles, and all Trent could think about was how good it felt to have her back in his arms and in his life.
“Shhh, sweetheart. It’s okay. Big Bertha is back at the river with her baby and Bubba is—” Trent looked out the window and saw Bubba staring back at him. “Mary Jane, can you get me an order of chicken and waffles for Bubba?” The waitress nodded and hurried off to get the chicken frying. Bubba loved his breakfast and would go back home after he had a snack.
“I was so scared, Trent. Two alligators downtown, a man with a hunting knife that was bigger than he is and who talks to ghosts, and then I don’t even know about that Gator guy.”
“Skye, I don’t mean to sound harsh, but what are you doing here?” Trent asked and noticed the entire diner was quieter than the ghosts who haunted it.
“I thought I’d come for a visit.” Skye smiled up at him, but he wasn’t fooled.
“And where’s your boyfriend?” Edie asked for him as she crossed her arms over her chest and stared Skye down in the perfect imitation of a big sister.
Skye’s nose wrinkled as if smelling something bad. “I don’t have a boyfriend. The last man I was with was Trent.”
“No one likes a fibber, dear.”
Skye turned to see the grandmotherly, plump Miss Ruby right behind her with the plucked-chickenlike Miss Winnie standing next to her. They looked as if they would grab her by the ear and wash her mouth out with soap if she lied.