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them, then turned away.
    They sat in silence. Phil polished off his beer. Emma picked at the label on her bottle. When the waiter came by to see if they wanted another round, Phil waved him off and turned back to Emma.
    “Usually it’s me who jumps to conclusions,” he told her. “Not sure I like this change of roles.”
    Emma started to say something, then snapped her mouth shut when she saw the look in Phil’s eyes—a mixture of amusement and annoyance, with the balance in favor of the latter.
    “Emma, I love you, and I believe you love me, but I know neither of us is ready for a long-term commitment yet. As much as I’d love to spend every waking moment with you, it’s just not possible right now with us living so far apart. You have your new career as a ghost wrangler, and I have my law practice. But I didn’t realize it precluded me from buying you something nice once in a while.”
    Emma looked down at the small box, realizing too late she’d made a big mistake. All she could do was chew on the foot in her mouth. “Obviously, I’ve made the wrong assumption.”
    “Yes, Fancy Pants, you have.” He gave a soft chuckle. “But, trust me, after this, if I ever do propose to you, I’ll bring along a whip and a chair, just in case.”
    She looked up at him, her eyes starting to fill with tears. “I’m sorry I spoiled your surprise, Phil. It was stupid of me. I behaved abominably.”
    “No, Emma.” He reached across the table and took her hands. “You behaved like someone still in a world of hurt and worried about being hurt again, contrary to what you say about being over Grant Whitecastle. You may be over him, but you are not over your divorce. We were both cast aside, and we both need time to lick our wounds. Fair enough?”
    She gave him a small smile. “Fair enough.”
    He released her hands and picked up the box. “Of course, it would have helped had this not been a ring box, but it was the only box they had that fit what’s inside.”
    “I don’t deserve it now, Phil.”
    “Hush, darling. Let’s just rewind the last ten minutes or so. Okay?”
    She cleared her throat. “Okay.”
    Phil got up from the table. He stuck the box back into his pocket before sliding back into the booth next to her. After a few seconds, he dug back into the pocket of his jeans and produced the box, placing it in front of her.
    “Got you something, Fancy Pants.”
    Doubt clouded her brow. “You think it’s that easy to forget and move on?”
    He looked into her lovely but still-watery eyes. “Most things in life don’t come with the opportunity of a do-over. This moment does.”
    Her heart filled with relief as she leaned over and kissed him hard on the lips. In spite of his outside gruffness, Phil Bowers was one of the most decent and kind men she’d ever met.
    After the kiss, Phil urged her to open the box. “I was going to give you this tonight at dinner, but earlier today, when you asked if I minded about the ghosts, I decided it would be fun to give it to you now.”
    Emma opened the box. After a few seconds of disbelief, she laughed out loud. Several people turned to look at them again before returning to their own business.
    “Where did you ever find this?” she asked, still surprised. Nestled inside the box was a small brooch shaped like a ghost. Not the kind Emma saw, but along the lines of a bed sheet with eyeholes. Its body was outfitted with pavé diamonds. Two tiny sapphires staked out the eyes.
    “I found it in a jewelry store near my office. Part of an upscale Halloween collection, no doubt.” He took the pin from the box and fastened it to Emma’s shirt. “Guess we’re pinned now. Is that okay?” He winked at her.
    “So it’s true—you really don’t mind the ghosts.”
    “I think of you and Granny, and even the others, as a package deal.”
    “Kind of a love me, love my ghosts thing, huh?”
    Phil leaned over and kissed Emma’s forehead. “Now you’re catching on.”

“Phil,