Chapter 1

My life is wonderful. Seriously, I'm not being sarcastic or anything. It's amazing. I haven't been able to say that since my Dad died about 10 years ago. As a mediator, good times are kinda rare. Sure, you get a fuzzy feeling when you're being a good person, but a fuzzy feeling won't buy you Jimmy Choos!

I guess I should explain what a mediator is. We lucky people get to guide the not-so lucky dead people to the "other side". Heaven, Hell, next life. Whatever. Wherever people go once they've kicked the bucket.

Sometimes, these lost souls need guidance, a loving heart, a helping hand. Other times, they just need a good old kick up the butt.

So anyway, back to my glorious life. I'm in love, and there's no sweller feeling. If warm fuzzy feelings could buy you Jimmy Choos, I'd have all the shoes in the world when I'm with Jesse.

Jesse. Everytime I even think about that name my heart does a weird flip-floppy thing. Those intelligent eyes, those callused palms - they're gorgeous, and they're all mine.

"Suze, honey, Jesse's here!"

Wow! Talk about talking of the devil. When Jesse was a ghost, he used to appear right in front of me, saying I "called" him. Old habits die hard, I guess.

I waltzed down my stairs, my happy smiley mood wafting behind me.

And there he was. Taking up space, solid and heroic. His olive face, those abs…those abs! And he was in jeans. No kidding. Jeans. Jesse. I'm so used to seeing Jesse in leather pants and floating tops down to there. Let me tell you something. He looks good in jeans.

"Hello Suzannah," his deep voice almost sang. "Were you busy?"

"Nah," I replied. My voice certainly doesn't sing. It goes all squeaky, to match my insides , which are in comfortably numb knots.

"Good. You're well?"

Those suave manners sure haven't faded since Jesse became human. Boy do they make me shiver with delight.

"Yup. Never been better. How is your job doing?"

Jesse has a job at the Carmel Historical Centre, just down the road. He says its boring, but durable.

Trust my oh-so annoying step brother Dopey (Brad, as obviously BLIND people call him) to come rushing in at that moment, hand in hand with his sometimes girlfriend Debbie Mancuso.

"Dude! What are you doing here? Don't you have a job to do somewhere?" grunts Dopey. God, he can be so rude!

"No," said Jesse shortly. Lets just say they don't see eye to eye on some matters.

"Well, can you go into the kitchen or something? Me and Deb wanna talk in here."

I think "talk" probably means "make out". They can't "talk" in the kitchen, because my stepdad Andy is making chimichangas. Again.

"No," said Jesse again.

"Can I take this outside," snarls Dopey, obviously peeved off now. He's probably gonna buy Jesse off or something. Like that's gonna work. We were planning on doing some "talking" too.

However, Jesse agrees. He has no idea how 21st century guys are. Debbie giggles and then sits her not-small behind next to mine on the couch.

"Your Jesse is hot!" she giggles. In not a nice way. She leans over the couch and peeks through the door, probably to check out some butt. And probably not Dopey's.

I wasn't happy. I was thinking ' back off! Mine! '

But Debbie's no mind-reader, so I pinched her golden tanned arm.

She totally overreacted. "Ow! You cow!" Only she didn't say cow.

"How's your Winter break Deb?" I asked sweetly.

"Fine," she sulked.

"Good…" I was kinda laying it on thick, for me.

Jesse and Dopey walked in. Jesse grinned his secret smile at me, so I guess whatever Dopey said was "I'll kick your butt" type.

He came and sat next to me and whispered in my ear "Brad told me that if I didn't move into the kitchen, he would kick my "butt".".

See?

"And you said…" I asked.

"You're welcome to try," replied Jesse.

"Where have I heard that before?" I joked.

Jesse ignored me. He does this a lot. " I think he took that by my face I was serious," he continued. "and I won. It does help to be taller. And older."

I laughed. Dopey and Debbie skulked off to the kitchen. As Debbie left, I noticed her scope out my boyfriend, and I had a horrible feeling I was gonna have a lot of competition. My life just got dead complicated again. But I had no time to dwell on this, as Jesse covered my mouth… with his.