“Taste this,” Jake said, lifting a spoon to my lips. “I know it’s a little early in the year for chili, but this weekend is freezing.”

I wrapped my lips around it and drew the spicy sauce and meat into my mouth. “Mmm, that’s really good. It’s perfect for a day like today. I can’t believe it’s forty degrees the third week in September.”

“That’s life in Cleveland, baby,” he said, and turned to stir his chili. “Does it need anything? Is it too hot for you?” Jake winked. “Am I too hot for you?”

I rolled my eyes but I did grin. He was so darn cute. “I can handle your heat.”

Having me almost die twice in as many weeks had done interesting things to Marner’s behavior. He wasn’t tiptoeing around our dating now. He was all in, and I was enjoying his attentiveness very, very much.

We were at my house instead of Marner’s apartment, because he felt like I needed to break in my kitchen. He was offended I only used it to toast bread and open tuna packets. Maybe my kitchen did feel neglected, but I didn’t like to cook. I had been born without the Rachael Ray gene. It seemed to be Jake’s personal mission to make me gain ten pounds. He was cooking several times a week for me. Jake insisted it was just because he enjoyed cooking, but I think he had a secret desire to increase the size of my chest.

I had to admit, the couple of extra pounds felt good. I didn’t feel so fragile anymore and I had better energy. I was also feeling sexy, which is never a bad thing. I leaned over and kissed him.

“You two are embarrassing,” Ryan said, strolling into the room.

Ugh. I hated when he did that. So annoying. I made a face at him and gave a shooing gesture.

“I’m not leaving. I’m bored.”

“This is private,” I said out loud, without meaning to. But it was frustrating to never know when Ryan was going to show up. We had talked about respecting boundaries, and it was like he hadn’t heard a damn word I said.

“What’s private?” Marner asked.

See, and this was a problem. I hated that I was keeping such a huge secret from Marner. We were doing the relationship thing and here he had no idea I saw dead people. It felt like a Big Deal. It made me uncomfortable to be withholding that from him. If Ryan never came around, it wouldn’t matter, but he was always turning up at the worst possible moments.

Currently, he was making faces at me and pretending to massage his nipples. It was ridiculous. Enough was enough.

“I have something to tell you,” I told Marner.

Ryan’s eyes widened and he gave a slight head shake.

“What’s that, baby?”

I forged ahead. “I can see Ryan’s ghost.”

Marner went completely still, his hand on the wooden spoon. His nostrils flared. “Are you freaking kidding me? Are we really doing this?”

That confused me. “Doing what?”

“You’re going to fixate on Ryan.” He carefully let go of the spoon and turned. “We’re doing this—” he pointed back and forth between us “—you and me, and you’re going to drag Ryan back into it? Do you know how that makes me feel? I’ll tell you how. Like shit.”

“Whoa,” Ryan said. “I think he’s jealous of me.”

I glared at Ryan. I tried to grab Marner’s hand, but he pulled away. “You don’t understand. I really do see him.” I turned back and said, “Ryan, tell me something about Marner or about you that I wouldn’t know.”

For once, Ryan can through for me. He looked worried that I had spilled the beans and now Marner was going to think I was a whack job. “Damn, no pressure or anything. Um, okay. My fantasy football team is called RG3way.”

Seriously? That’s what he came up with?

Marner was seething. “You are talking to the damn air, Bailey. What the actual hell?”

Okay, this wasn’t going the way I expected. “Ryan says his fantasy football team is called RG3way.” I didn’t really want to say that out loud, but I had to.

Marner sighed. “There are twenty guys in our league. They all know that. Besides, Ryan could have told you. He liked to brag about his genius.”

“I don’t brag,” Ryan scoffed. “Okay, tell him he got bit by a jellyfish on a trip to Florida as a kid.”

I repeated it.

Marner still looked unimpressed. “My sister probably posted that online. She’s always putting up Throwback Thursday pictures.”

This wasn’t good. He thought I was nuts and I was going to lose him. “Help me,” I told Ryan. After all, this was his fault.

“God, I don’t know. Marner doesn’t share anything personal. His middle name is Ryan, after the guy in Sixteen Candles. His mom named him Jake Ryan Marner, which is actually pretty hilarious. He only told me because you know, my name is Ryan.”

“Your middle name is Ryan,” I told Marner.

He winced. “Did my mom tell you that? Geez, that woman needs to learn discretion.”

“Your mom didn’t tell me that. Ryan did.” How many ways could I say that? “He is literally standing here in the kitchen with us.”

Marner sighed. “Baby. That’s not possible. And I hate to say it, but maybe you need to talk to someone.”

“Like who? A shrink? You think I’m nuts?” I wasn’t putting up with this. Ryan had the ability to move objects, just not often. But by now he should have enough juice stored up to do something impressive.

So I gave Ryan a very stern teacher glare. “Ryan, close the door. It’s the only way he’s going to believe me.”

“You want me to close the door? I’m not a performing monkey.”

“Just do it!”

“Okay, chill out. Which door? The back door or the laundry room?”

Like it mattered? “Laundry room.” Marner and I were a good nine feet from the laundry room door. It was wide open and there could be zero explanation for it shutting.

Ryan did a stellar job. After being an idiot and making a show of cracking his knuckles, he didn’t just close the door. He slammed it. “Damn, look at me!” He fist-pumped.

It was so loud in the still air I jumped.

Marner’s eyebrows shot up. “What the…”

“Told ya I see dead people.”

Feeling a little smug, I took another bite of chili while Marner went to go inspect the door. I tossed in a little more jalapeno.

I could take the heat.