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Jay’s father was one of the others. She’d just spent a couple hours painstakingly combing through online census records on her laptop at the kitchen counter to confirm it—her family tree went back to intersect with the family line of that crazy researcher named James… Roger’s dad’s research partner. Which meant maybe Jayana’s father couldn’t enter her family’s property, now that he was a ghost. The barrier to keep the others out might have overridden his tie to Jay’s mom by m

The sun was already coming up, brightening the sky which had previously been lit only by the moon and street lights. Jay tried not to worry about what she would do next as she, Ryan, and Kyle killed time roaming the aisles of a convenience store, eating snacks, until the bank was open, then headed straight inside the bank to pay her overdue mortgage payments. After all, this moment was worth being thankful for—Jay had been trying to catch up on these payments for months, and

The shed flashed with blinding blue light as Roger collided with the cube.

“Jay? Jay, wake up!”

“Is that a gate to the underworld in my backyard shed, Roger?” Jay spun to him in panic.

Jay pulled up to her house thirty minutes later, still feeling strangely fluttery, though she wasn’t sure if it was the aftermath of the skydiving or the dates or a combination. Darkness had moved in on her drive home, but Jay was surprised to see a light on inside her house as she pulled into her driveway. I don’t remember leaving a light on. She parked and climbed out of her car, holding her car key between her knuckles warily as she approached her front door.

The nonfiction book I've been (semi)secretly co-writing for the past year is now officially released! 🙂 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BMSZSVJJ This is a memoir of one of the top-performing personal injury attorneys in the Tampa Bay, FL area... but with the focus of showing his heart behind practicing law, and changing the perception that all lawyers are just out to make money. It tells the story of how he went from being a (self-proclaimed) redneck from the orange groves of Br

Jay gaped at Ryan. “Skydiving?” Then the rest of his statement sank in. “With fire-breathing chickens?!”

Jay hesitated only a moment before taking Ryan’s hand. It seemed like more of a logistical gesture than a romantic one, as he led her gently through a maze of mood-lit tables and bustling servers before landing at a quiet table in the back corner, where he dropped her hand and pulled out a chair for her.

The sun drifted across the sky above them as they ate and chatted, shifting the light through the trees. Kyle was surprisingly good at making small talk, asking questions about where Jay had grown up, how long she'd lived here, and more, without Jay feeling the discomfort small talk usually brought her. When they finished eating, Kyle suggested they walk the trails.

“We could do it another time, if you’re not free. Or not at all. Really, I don’t want you to feel pressured.” A thread of disappointment hovered in Kyle’s voice, though Jay could tell he was trying to cover it.

“It’s not a date, Roger,” Jay hissed, though she wasn’t exactly sure she was happy about that.

“Hi. Jayana?” a pleasant male voice said on the phone.

Roger held his hand out, trembling, as his solid hand faded slowly back to a translucent one, then his wide eyes turned back to Jay. “Do it again, Jay. Do it again!”

Roger rolled his eyes. “Yes, Jay, how did you think we pop in and out so much? When we’re not with you, we’re in the in-between, and then when we need to be here, we come. Did you think we flew everywhere? That would be exhausting.”

Jay stopped home only long enough to grab her phone charger for the car, then climbed back into the vehicle.

Jay swung her car into a parallel parking spot a block from the hospital and jumped out, just barely missing getting hit by a car speeding past. Her heart racing for more than one reason, she jumped onto the sidewalk and dashed toward the hospital, rehearsing apologies to Kyle in her mind.

Twenty-three minutes later, the judges emerged from the tent. From the looks on their faces, the decision had not been unanimous. Oh well, Jay thought. I just need to see if I won and get out of here.

Jay’s alarm blared her awake not nearly long enough later. She groaned, almost swiping Snooze before remembering. “The cupcake.” She looked at the time – 8:00 AM. Only an hour to get dressed, load up the cupcake, drive thirty minutes to downtown, and check in for the contest. She groaned and rolled off the couch.