Chapter 2

2 I drove to Oakhaven, Nancy's hometown. I found the matchmaker, Mrs. Henderson, who’d arranged Nancy’s ghost marriage, rocking on her porch.

"Well now, dearie, what can I do for you?" she beamed.

"I want a ghost marriage," I stated.

Mrs. Henderson's smile broadened. "Why, that's my specialty! Who's the lucky fella?"

"Me," I said, meeting her gaze. "I'm marrying myself to a ghost."

Her rocking stopped. "You're... marrying yourself?"

"Yes."

Mrs. Henderson frowned. "Been a matchmaker for decades, never heard of such a thing."

I slapped a debit card on the table. "$10,000. Arrange the marriage, it's yours."

Her eyes widened, then she checked the balance on my banking app. She let out a whoop and did a little jig.

I coughed awkwardly. Mrs. Henderson’s face flushed. "Country folk, never seen that much money…"

"Don't celebrate yet. One month. The marriage needs to be complete. Can you do it?"

She bit her lip. "I'll move heaven and earth for you, dearie."

I dropped another bombshell. "I've already chosen the groom."

Her eyes lit up. "Which departed gentleman caught your eye?"

I pointed to the gnarled oak tree at the edge of town. "He's under that tree."

Mrs. Henderson paled. "The Shadow King? The horror under the old oak?"

I transferred another $10,000, then another, and another, until the total reached $30,000.

Finally, she croaked, "Alright, I'll do it."

I added another $20,000. "For the wedding. Marrying a king, even a ghost king, needs a certain… flair. The best of everything."

Mrs. Henderson snatched the card. "Consider it done."

"One more thing," I said. "I need a million paper dolls."

"Why, that's fortunate! My nephew, Ethan, makes those. Inherited his daddy's craft."

She called him, and a young man soon arrived.

"Ethan, I need a million paper dolls," I said.

"A million?" he squeaked.

Mrs. Henderson whispered fiercely to him, and he looked back at me, a complex expression on his face.

"A month, you said?"

I nodded.

"That's... impossible. I can't make that many."

"Just have them by then," I said. "Subcontract, buy wholesale, I don't care. But they all need eyes. Drawn on."

He frowned. "You can't draw eyes on paper dolls."

"You just make them," I said, waving a hand dismissively.

"Do what the client says," Mrs. Henderson hissed.

I sweetened the deal. "$10,000 bonus if you deliver."

Mrs. Henderson practically vibrated with eagerness. Ethan finally agreed. He offered a bulk discount - two million dollars for the lot. I paid him the $10,000 upfront and promised the rest in a week. He rushed off to get started.