“You’re in love with me?” he asked softly.
“Yes, like, no duh,” she retorted sharply then she called as if he was a block away, “Hello! Cash! I totally freaked out when I thought you were in an accident.” Abby turned her head to Anthony. “Your son is very clever but it would seem he can be a bit –”
She didn’t finish, Cash’s fingers tightened at her neck and jerked her forward, making her body slam into his.
She tilted her head back and her breath caught at the intensity in his eyes right before his nose touched hers.
“You love me,” he stated in that low, deep, rough voice which was one of the many things she loved most about him.
Abby realised what she was about at the same time she realised that in all her many years of stupid, stupid, stupid behaviour, this was, by far and away, the stupidest.
Still, she couldn’t stop herself from whispering, “Yes.”
Close up, Abby watched Cash’s eyes smile and her heart leapt at the sight.
“Well, this is going to make eternity interesting,” Ben remarked drolly from his place at Vivianna’s side.
Cash’s head came up and Abby’s turned to the side.
She wasn’t sure but she thought she could actually feel her heart breaking.
And it hurt.
A lot.
“Ben,” she murmured.
“Abby,” Ben replied, his mouth twitching.
“I’m sorry,” Abby whispered.
“Honey, why? Because you’re alive and happy?” Ben asked and Cash’s hand dropped from Abby’s neck as Abby turned fully to face Ben but she felt Cash’s other arm slide around her waist and he pulled her gently into his side.
“Um,” Abby answered Ben hesitantly, “yes?”
Ben laughed.
No joke.
He laughed out loud like she was hilarious, his laughter curling through the air around them.
When he stopped, his gaze was on Cash and he informed him, “She’s a little nutty.”
“I’ve noticed that,” Cash murmured.
“It’s cute,” Ben went on.
Cash’s fingers at her waist flexed as he said, “I’ve noticed that too.”
Abby looked between Cash and Ben, her heart had stopped breaking but her blood pressure had started rising before she demanded to know, “What’s going on?”
“I know what’s no’ going on,” Angus cut in impatiently, “and that’s the fact that no ghosty she-bitch is being hurtled over the side of the tower straight to the depths of hell. That’s what’s no’ going on.”
“Yes, Conner, do you think we can get on with this? Abby’s cold,” Anthony added.
“And, I hate to bring this up, but Cassandra told us we don’t have much time,” Lorna noted.
Abby looked at Cassandra and muttered in a threatening tone, “You have a bit of explaining to do.”
Cassandra shrugged. Then she grinned.
Abby decided she’d deal with Cassandra later and looked to Cash.
Cash was looking at Vivianna.
It then occurred to Abby that even though she was a ghost, and a murderess six times over, not to mention not very nice, it still couldn’t be a fun to be the person who had to send her plunging to the depths of hell.
Abby looked at Vivianna and asked, “Do you think you can play nice? You know, not murder anyone else and maybe not scare people?”
Vivianna’s eyes narrowed, her face twisted with hatred and she hissed, “I’ll see your broken body at the bottom of the tor before I –”
She didn’t finish.
Without hesitation Cash strode forward, put a hand to her chest and thrust her over the side.
Abby’s blood ran cold as Vivianna’s chilling scream split the air.
Abby ran after Cash, put one of her hands to his back, one to his stomach and plastered her front to his side.
Then she, Cash, his father and grandmother, Abby’s dead husband, her ghost hunter, her clairvoyant witch and her cat peered over the edge and watched as Vivianna’s body plummeted down, her skirts billowing, her hair wafting, her arms reeling, until they could see no more through the dark.
Mere moments later the scream died and a burst of violet and lilac sparks shot straight up the tor, the side of the castle and they all stepped back to watch them fly into the air over the parapet.
Abby stared up as the sparks glimmered then faded away.
Cash’s arm curled around her body, holding her close to his warmth.
She felt weird, thinking she should be happy that Vivianna was gone but instead she was somehow sad.
“Well, that’s done then,” Cassandra mumbled.
They heard scuffling then Mrs. Truman shoved through the door in the floor, Kieran on her heels, hand reaching toward Mrs. Truman as if to detain her, Jenny right behind Kieran.
Once she gained the roof, Mrs. Truman whirled on them, planted her hands on her hips, her breath coming in huffs, her eyes cutting amongst the humans and ghosts and she shouted, “What’s the meaning of this!”
But Abby’s eyes were on Kieran and Jenny, both of whom also were on the roof and both were staring at Ben.
“My God,” Kieran breathed.
Abby, nor Ben, had any chance to explain.
Cassandra moved forward and said urgently, “We don’t have much time. We have to get them back home.”
Before anything could be said Lorna moved in front of Cash and Abby. Her eyes were on her grandson.
“You’ll be happy?” she asked, her voice soft but fervent, her face intent.
Abby looked up at Cash and saw his jaw clenched.
Then he replied, “Yes, Gran.”
Lorna smiled and looked at Abby.
Quietly she murmured, “You remind me of…” she hesitated and then the sad look came back into her face, “well, me… a long time ago.”
Abby’s heart went out to her and she asked, “Is ‘home’ a happy place for you?”
Lorna nodded. “Yes, my dear. Very happy,” her face went soft and the sadness again disappeared, “now it will be even happier.”
Her eyes moved back to Cash, roamed his face fondly then they turned to Cassandra and she nodded.
Cassandra lifted her wand, muttered some rhyming words, ended it with “so mote it be” and a spark of bright, silver light shot from her wand and hit Lorna.
Lorna’s gaze turned to Cash, she smiled, her entire body started glimmering then she faded away.
Abby’s arm slid around Cash’s waist and she held on tight.
Without delay, Anthony moved in front of them.