An Unexpected Guest Read online

  If a ghost could blush, Jedediah Smith blushed.

  “I am grateful for any good that I can do.”

  “You saved my life and the lives of three others.”

  “Ah, good woman!” Jedediah said. “I am useless in a fray. You held your own, as few women might! But I am grateful, too. One day I will follow the light, and I believe that will happen.” He paused and looked over Jon’s shoulder, “And the others?” Jedediah asked.

  Jon turned around. Evan and Julie had come from the house—both looking as if they had seen a ghost.

  “A—a ghost?” Julie whispered.

  “Can’t be, but . . .” Evan mumbled.

  “Do you see Mr. Smith?” Kylie asked.

  “I—I see something!” Julie said.

  “Please tell her I did not mean to scare her,” Jedediah said. “I apologize for her turkey.”

  “He’s very sorry to have scared you,” Kylie told Julie. “Can you see Jedediah?” she asked.

  Julie swallowed hard and nodded. “Something . . . I see something there in . . . a form, a shadow. And I . . .”

  “A turkey is nothing! Thank you, thank you!” Evan said. “And . . .” He looked at Jon, lost and confused. “Thank you!” he said.

  Leave it to Kylie. She smiled. “It’s Thanksgiving! And we’re all thankful.”

  “Celebrated still!” Jedediah said. “Well, we were thankful. Thankful for our harvest, and thankful to be alive!”

  “You were there?” Kylie asked. “You were there—at the first Thanksgiving?”

  “We did not call it Thanksgiving; but yes, I was there,” Jedediah said.

  “Amazing!” Julie breathed. Then she gasped. “I heard him!” She turned to Evan. “Oh, dear Lord, Evan! Ghosts exist. I see him. I hear him, and . . . wow! Please, would you join us for dinner? Oh, wait—I guess . . .”

  “I can sense and remember,” Jedediah said softly. He sighed. “The world is going through a terrible time. But there will always be people we love, people we mourn, and people we are grateful to have in our lives. There will always be something to be thankful for, and I am thankful that I have met you, and that I have been invited to a celebration!”

  “Wonderful!” Julie said. “Oh, what a delight! Mr. Smith, did they have turkey at that first celebration?”

  “Wild turkey, yes, good woman!”

  Jon watched as the threesome headed for the house. Then he looked at Kylie.

  “I am so, so thankful you are alive!”

  “Me, too,” she told him, but then she said softly, “Jon, it happened again—”

  “I’m going to have to get a cowbell for you.”

  She smiled. “It’s a good thing; it brought me out—”

  “Jedediah would have brought us.”

  “But would you have come so quickly? The young man in the barn . . . he was almost dead, Jon. I know you followed as fast as you did because of me and . . . Well yes, it scares the hell out of me, but . . . believe it or not, I’m grateful for whatever this is that I have. You understand, don’t you?”

  He took her into his arms, holding her close.

  “Yes,” he said softly. “But I’m still getting you a cowbell.”

  “Maybe something not quite so big.”

  He pulled away from her and looked into her eyes.

  “Thanksgiving. The world is in turmoil, we have a long way to go—and I don’t believe I’ve ever been so thankful.”

  She kissed him for a long moment, and then turned away.

  “I am so thankful, for so many things. And incredibly thankful for you!”

  Then, she gave him a peck on the lips.

  “Let’s go! I can’t wait to hear everything he has to tell us about the first Thanksgiving!”

  She grabbed his hand and headed for the house.

  And he followed.

  About The Author

  Heather Graham

  Heather Graham

  New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Heather Graham, majored in theater arts at the University of South Florida. After a stint of several years in dinner theater, back-up vocals, and bartending, she stayed home after the birth of her third child and began to write. Her first book was with Dell, and since then, she has written over two hundred novels and novellas including category, suspense, historical romance, vampire fiction, time travel, occult, sci-fi, young adult, and Christmas family fare.

  She is pleased to have been published in approximately twenty-five languages. She has written over 200 novels and has 60 million books in print. Heather has been honored with awards from booksellers and writers’ organizations for excellence in her work, and she is the proud to be a recipient of the Silver Bullet from Thriller Writers and was awarded the prestigious Thriller Master Award in 2016. She is also a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from RWA. Heather has had books selected for the Doubleday Book Club and the Literary Guild, and has been quoted, interviewed, or featured in such publications as The Nation, Redbook, Mystery Book Club, People and USA Today and appeared on many newscasts including Today, Entertainment Tonight and local television.

  Heather loves travel and anything that has to do with the water, and is a certified scuba diver. She also loves ballroom dancing. Each year she hosts a Vampire Ball and Dinner theater raising money for the Pediatric Aids Society and in 2006 she hosted the first Writers for New Orleans Workshop to benefit the stricken Gulf Region. She is also the founder of “The Slush Pile Players,” presenting something that’s “almost like entertainment” for various conferences and benefits. Married since high school graduation and the mother of five, her greatest love in life remains her family, but she also believes her career has been an incredible gift, and she is grateful every day to be doing something that she loves so very much for a living.

  Books By This Author

  Dreaming Death

  SWEET DREAMS AREN’T MADE OF THIS

  Ever since she was a child, Stacey Hanson has had strange dreams—and sometimes they come true. Her skills and experience led her straight to the FBI’s Krewe of Hunters. Now a serial killer is stalking Washington, DC, and people are scared. And it will be Stacey’s first case.

  Special Agent Keenan Wallace isn’t exactly thrilled to be teamed up with a rookie, but they’re going to have to get past their mutual friction if they want to stop a brutal killer. The victims are all vulnerable women, though the clues lead to suspects from DC’s powerful elite. Stacey can’t escape her nightly visions, but in trying to prevent them from occurring in real life, she might come face-to-face with a nightmare.