Dead To Me (Cold Case Psychic Book 5) by Pandora Pine (4)

“Why would my daughter kill my wife, detective?” Stephen looked tired. 

“It’s a question you’ve asked yourself every day for the last ten years, isn’t it?” Ronan didn’t mean to be a dick by answering a question with a question, but it was time for Stephen to face the cold hard reality that had been staring him in the face for the last decade of his life.

“I think I’ve heard about enough of this. I agreed to let the two of you come out here as a courtesy to Sheriff Reed. He’s been torn up something awful that he can’t seem to close this case after all these years.” Stephen stood up.

Ronan knew he was about to get thrown out of the Bradley house. He didn’t have a lot of time left to convince Bradley to open his eyes to the murderer living under his own roof. “You know that’s odd of you to say.”

“What’s odd?” Stephen sounded more tired than he did curious.

“You said that the sheriff is torn up that he can’t close this case after ten years. It was your wife that was murdered, Stephen. Why aren’t you torn up that Shannon’s murderer hasn’t been arrested and brought to justice?”

“What are you saying?” Stephen fisted his hands on his hips. His eyes bore a confused look.

“I’m saying that you know damn well who killed your wife. What I’m trying to figure out now is if you put your daughter up to it or if she did it all on her own.”

“That’s it! Get out of my house!” Stephen bellowed. “Both of you! Get out!”

“What’s all the yelling about, Daddy?” Kayla asked. She ran into the dining room from the kitchen.

As Kayla continued to shout, Tennyson walked down the stairs calmly. His cell phone was in his left hand. He walked to Ronan and pulled him aside. 

Ronan held his breath as Tennyson whispered in his ear. 

“What the hell is going on, Detective O’Mara?” Stephen Bradley looked back and forth between Tennyson and Ronan. 

“It seems my partner had a nice little chat with your dead wife, Stephen.” Ronan smiled, happy, at last, to finally have the upper hand.

“That’s such bullshit,” Kayla scoffed. “You can’t possibly believe in that shit, Daddy.”

Tennyson grinned at Kayla. “The night that your mother was murdered you had chicken nuggets for dinner. The nuggets were shaped like dinosaurs and the French fries like smiley faces. You wore your butterfly pajamas, the ones that your father had given to you for your thirteenth birthday two months before the murder. They were pink and orange. The top was a tank which made you feel like a young lady since it reminded you of something a teenager would wear.”

Kayla made a face at Tennyson, but it was obvious Ten was dead on. “Anyone would know that. It was in the police report.” She turned to her father, threading her arm through his. “See, Daddy. He’s a fraud. Kick them out.”

“Actually,” Ronan said, “none of that was in the police report. According to what I read, you were wearing Jonas Brothers pajamas when the Union Chapel Police responded to your 9-1-1 call.”

Stephen stiffened and turned a shocked look to his daughter. 

“It was ten years ago, Daddy. How the hell could I remember what pajamas I was wearing when mom died?”

“I remember everything about that morning as if it happened yesterday. When the deputy called me, I was in the middle of a sales presentation at the Walmart on 165th street in Topeka. It was 10:17 am. I was wearing a blue suit with a blue and white pinstriped shirt. Your mother had given me that shirt for Christmas the year before. I was wearing a solid blue tie that I never wore again after that day. There was a large sunbeam that hit the table in the conference room just as the deputy told me Shannon was dead. I remember thinking that the sun would never shine as brightly again as it had the second before he’d spoken those words.” Stephen shook his head as if to clear the memory of that horrific day from his mind’s eye. “How do you not remember every detail?”

“I was only thirteen!” Kayla screeched. “I was a little girl. My mother was dead. It was traumatic.” Her voice was high-pitched, as if she were still the same little girl she was all of those years ago.

“Or you’re lying about that morning and the night before.” Ronan’s voice was calm. He wasn’t impressed with her histrionics. He turned back to Stephen. “Did you ever see those butterfly pajamas again, Stephen?”

He shot Ronan a confused look “What the hell do pajamas have to do with anything, detective?”

Ronan was about to give him a clue, but the doorbell rang. 

“I’ll get it,” Tennyson announced. 

“This is our house. How dare you?” Kayla shouted. 

“Oh, it’s for you.” Tennyson grinned. He walked to the door and opened it. Sheriff Barlow Reed and Deputy Lynn Boone were on the other side. 

“What the hell is going on?” Stephen asked. 

“Like I said, Tennyson had a little chat with the spirit of your dead wife.” Ronan looked up at Tennyson. He noticed that his lover was looking worn to the bone. “Ten, you want to tell the sheriff and the Bradleys what Shannon had to say?”

“It would be so much easier if the real murderer would just confess.” Ten folded his arms over his chest. He waited patiently for a few seconds in silence.

“Are you saying Shannon Bradley’s killer is in this house?” Boone pulled out her notebook and grabbed a pen from her top pocket.

Tennyson nodded. “Shannon Bradley was able to tell me who killed her. There’s also evidence in this very house that will prove who her killer is.”

“How do we know you didn’t plant the evidence, Mr. Grimm?” Stephen asked. There was no accusation in his voice, just acceptance.

Tennyson raised an eyebrow. “I was living in Massachusetts at the time of the murder, Mr. Bradley and as you’ll see, the evidence isn’t my style or in my size.”

“Don’t keep us in suspense Tennyson,” Sheriff Reed said. “Who killed Shannon Bradley?”

“Kayla did,” Ten said simply.

“You dirty son-of-a-bitch! How dare you come into my home and accuse me of this!” Kayla screamed. “You can’t let him treat me like this, Daddy!” Kayla yanked on her father’s arm like a preschooler would do.

“What’s this so-called evidence, Tennyson?” Sheriff Reed asked. “You know we can’t make an arrest based purely on the say-so of a ghost.”

“Kayla kept the blood-stained pajamas she was wearing when she committed the murder as her trophy. They’re in plastic grocery bag from the Price Chopper. The bag is rolled up and stored in her blue backpack which is hanging on the inside of Jenny’s bedroom closet door.”

“You realize if there are any such pajamas that they’re now inadmissible, Mr. Grimm. No search warrant had been issued for any such item, nor are you a police deputy. Fruit of the poisonous tree, you know. No judge in the country would allow that evidence in at trial.” Stephen Bradley raised a cocky eyebrow at Tennyson.

That was the trouble with the O.J. Simpson trial and the onslaught of true crime shows that followed on Investigation Discovery and other similar networks. Everyone thought they knew the rules of law. Ordinarily, Stephen Bradley would be right about the pajamas being inadmissible if Tennyson had gone and found them in Jenny’s closet without a search warrant, but Ronan knew his partner better than that. “Did you go find the pajamas, Ten?”

Tennyson shook his head. “No. Shannon Bradley told me how she watched Kayla strip in the kitchen after she finished stabbing her. Kayla put the bloody clothes into the plastic shopping bag which she then hid in her school backpack from the previous year which was kept at the back of her closet in their old house back in Union Chapel. She knew in the chaos, no one would think to look for evidence in there and besides, the only person who knew what she’d worn to bed that night was dead. Wasn’t she, Kayla?”

Kayla didn’t answer. She folded her arms over her chest and kept her eyes on her father.

“How do you know where the pajamas are now, Tennyson?” Boone asked.

“Shannon told me.”

Boone looked confused. “How does she know? She’s a ghost.”

Tennyson took a deep breath as if he were reaching for reserves of patience. “I know you’ll find this hard to believe Deputy Boone, but some spirits have jobs to do. Some cross right over after they die and we never hear another peep from them here in the physical world. Others are pissed that they’ve died and try to exact a manner of revenge. Others have messages they need to get to loved ones before their work is done.”

“Which one of those is Shannon Bradley?” Boone asked.

“She isn’t any of those. Shannon is what I’d call an observer.”

“An observer?” Ronan asked. That was a new term for him. He’d been working with Tennyson for ten months now and he hadn’t heard anything like that before.

Ten smiled at Ronan. “Right, an observer. Shannon’s mother was there to greet her when she died. She told Shannon that she was going to need to keep an eye on her family, but didn’t or more likely couldn’t tell her why. Shannon told me she came to see herself as a secret keeper. As her time with her family went on, she kept collecting secrets. The last thing that Shannon’s mother told her was that she and I would meet someday and that I would be the person she would be able to unburden herself to. That’s what happened today. She told me the secret about who killed her, where the bloody pajamas were, and why Kayla wanted her out of the picture.”

“Shannon told you why?” Stephen’s mouth hung open.

“Don’t tell me you’re falling for this line of complete and utter bullshit!” Kayla screeched. She was sounding more and more like an outraged child badly in need of a nap, rather than a grown woman.

“Come on, Stephen. You know why. The reason is written on the walls of this house.” Ronan pointed to the pictures in the dining room. “I asked you earlier why there were no photos of Shannon in this house. You said you carry them in your heart. What child of a murdered mother doesn’t have pictures of that mother all around?” Ronan asked gently. He paused for a moment, hoping Stephen Bradley would figure the answer out for himself. When he stayed silent, Ronan supplied the answer for him. “A child who was responsible for that mother’s death.”

Stephen turned around and looked at the picture wall in the dining room. He blinked a couple of times, as if he were waking up from some kind of trance and was seeing those images for the first time. “You cut Shannon out of some of the pictures on the wall.”

“She wasn’t here with us anymore, Daddy,” Kayla stammered.

“She was my wife, your mother.” Stephen shook his head. “You killed her so you could have me all to yourself, didn’t you?” Anger colored his cheeks.

“It certainly explains why there’s only one bed upstairs,” Tennyson said.

“What?” Ronan couldn’t believe his ears. If there was only one bed upstairs then that meant that Stephen and Kayla shared it.

“I may have taken a wrong turn on my way to the bathroom,” Ten said sheepishly. “I found a master bedroom, an office, and the baby’s room. The only bed upstairs is the queen in the master. There isn’t even a cot in the nursery.”

“I was a scared little girl!” Kayla screamed. “I was afraid the killer was going to come back and get me. I needed my Daddy to protect me.”

“You sleep in the same bed with your twenty-three-year-old daughter, Mr. Bradley?” the sheriff asked. His voice was filled with disbelief he wasn’t bothering to mask.

“You don’t understand. She was terrified after Shannon was murdered. Kayla had night terrors. She couldn’t sleep in her own bed. It was easier for both of us if she shared my bed.”

“And now, Stephen?” Ronan asked. “How does your daughter sleep now? On her own side of the bed or with her head on your shoulder?” Ronan was having a hard time keeping his breakfast in his stomach.

“That’s actually a good segue, Ronan. Shannon had one more secret to share with me. One that I really don’t want to be the one to share. Kayla, do you want to field this one?”

“I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about. You’re a lunatic,” she huffed.

“How about if I give you a hint? It has to do with your daughter, who’s sleeping upstairs in her crib. Did you know that your mother’s spirit stands guard over the baby? Even at this moment with the truth finally coming out into the light, Shannon is standing at the crib protecting her granddaughter.”

“Shannon guards Jenny? Why?” Stephen looked truly stymied.

“Your daughter killed your wife so that she could have you all to herself. You are a smart man, Mr. Bradley. What possible reason could there be for Jenny to be in danger?” Tennyson closed his mouth and looked back and forth between Stephen and Kayla.

Ronan gasped. He turned to Tennyson with wide eyes. That wasn’t possible. What Tennyson was suggesting just wasn’t possible. He knew deep down in his heart that things like that happened out in the real world, but in his thirteen years in law enforcement, he’d never encountered a case of it actually happening before.

“What are you trying to say, Mr. Grimm?” Stephen’s voice was just barely above a whisper.

“Kayla, who is Jenny’s biological father?” Ten asked. His voice was calm and innocent sounding.

“What the hell does this have to do with anything? My sex life is none of your damn business.”

“Answer the question, Kayla,” Stephen demanded.

Kayla shot her father a confused look. “I told you when I got pregnant. It was some asshole I met at a bar over in Denton.”

“Wrong. Would you like to try again?” Ten asked.

Stephen’s mouth hung open. “What the hell is going on, Kayla? You told me Jenny’s father was some random one-night stand.”

“Oh, it was a one-night stand all right, Mr. Bradley, but he wasn’t random. Not at all,” Ten said knowingly. “Your mother’s been with you since the moment her soul left her body, Kayla. She’s seen everything. She knows what you did and who you did it with. This is going to sound a lot better coming from your lips than mine. Last chance.”

Kayla stood a little taller. A dark gleam came into her eye. “You always said how much you wanted a son, Daddy. A little boy to carry on your name. It was the one thing you always wanted. Mom wouldn’t give it to you, so I tried to instead.”

Stephen Bradley stood stone still. Ronan wondered for a second if he’d even heard his daughter’s confession.

“What did you say?” His voice was controlled but full of cold fury.

“I-I tried to give you a son, Daddy. By the time the ultrasound revealed the baby was a girl it was too late to abort and I was stuck with her. But it’s okay. We can try again for a boy.” She smiled sweetly up at her father.

“Oh, sweet Jesus Christ. How is this possible? I would remember if I... If we…” Stephen looked askance.

“You were drunk, Mr. Bradley,” Tennyson was quick to supply. According to Shannon, Kayla was mixing Jack and Cokes for you all night. She waited until you passed out and,” Ten paused. “Well, you know what happened next.”

“Jenny is my daughter?” Stephen boomed. His voice echoed off the ceiling.

“She’s our baby, Daddy. You always said how much she looked like me. Didn’t you ever notice how much she looked like you too?”

Stephen moaned and took off running toward the stairs.

A moment later Ronan heard the man vomiting in the bathroom. For the first time in a long time he was speechless. He looked over at Tennyson who looked both stunned and sickened in equal measures.

“Boone, arrest Miss Bradley for the murder of Shannon Bradley. Tennyson, you and I are going upstairs to find the evidence you mentioned earlier. I have a search warrant for the entire house so we aren’t going to have to worry about fruit of the poisonous tree.”

“Kayla Bradley, you have the right to remain silent…” Boone recited.

Ronan stood back and watched as Kayla Bradley was led out of the house in handcuffs. She was shouting for her father the entire time and not once did she ask that someone look after her baby.

 

 

33
Tennyson

The water in the shower wasn’t hot enough. Tennyson felt like after what he’d listened to and seen at the Bradley house today, it just wasn’t possible to ever be clean again.

“Scrub harder,” Tennyson commanded Ronan who was using a sudsy puff on his back.

“No, babe.” Ronan sighed. “Your skin is so red it looks sunburned. If I scrub you any harder it’s going to start peeling off.”

“I’m not clean enough,” Ten whispered.

Ronan pulled his lover into his arms. “Yes, you are. I promise, sweetheart. You’re clean from head to toe.”

Ten looked up at Ronan. His blue eyes were so serious. So steady. “How are you not freaking out right now? Not only were Kayla and Stephen sharing a bed, they were having sex.” Ten shivered again. He’d never forget the way the comforter and then the sheets in the master bedroom glowed when the ultra-violet light came into contact with patches of dried body fluids.

“I don’t know why I’m not freaking out.” Ronan shook his head. He reached for the water valve and shut off the flow. He stepped away from Tennyson to grab each of them a fluffy white bath towel. He unfolded Tennyson’s and slung it around his shoulders. “Stephen Bradley is in deep denial, that’s for certain.”

“Do you think he was an active participant? Or was his daughter getting him drunk every time?” Ten asked. That was the thing that was bothering him the most. The sex hadn’t been a one-time thing like Kayla had suggested. It was ongoing. According to the evidence technician, some of the stains on the bedding were fresh. As in from the last forty-eight hours, fresh.

“I don’t know, Ten.” Ronan scrubbed the towel over his head to dry his hair. “It seems to me like Stephen had to know Kayla killed Shannon, but somehow, he didn’t. It also seemed to me like he should have known Jenny was his baby, but again, somehow, he didn’t. You’d also think that he’d somehow known he was having sex with his daughter…” Ronan trailed off.

“Are the police going to charge him? I know it isn’t pedophilia, but it’s still incest, right?” Ten shivered, despite how warm it was in the room.

“Reed didn’t say what his plans were for Stephen Bradley. I assume they’re going to test Jenny’s DNA along with running the DNA on the bed linens. They are both consenting adults, as disgusting as it sounds to say that. Kayla did admit they’ve been sharing a bed since she was thirteen, but she is only admitting to having contact with her father when Jenny was conceived. It seems far-fetched that she’d be lucky enough for that to happen on her first try, but many teenage pregnancies started out with the fallacy that it couldn’t happen the first time they had sex.” Ronan hung up his damp towel and reached for his fresh pair of black boxer shorts.

“We’re gonna have to tell this story all over to Fitzgibbon and Greeley.” Ten sighed. There was no way in hell he wanted to do that, details and all.

“I already took care of it. I texted him while you were in the shower without me. I gave him the basics. He wasn’t surprised it came out this way.”

Ten’s mouth hung open. “What kind of world is it where he isn’t surprised by… by this?”

Ronan sighed. He took Ten’s face in his hands. “Babe, we’ve been working for the Boston Police Department for a combined total of over forty years. We’ve seen just about everything. This kind of thing is rare, but it does happen. It is the first time we’ve ever encountered a murder so that a daughter could be with a father, but we did have a case about ten years ago where a father killed his child’s mother so that he could molest his daughter and no one would be around to stop him.”

“Jesus fucking Christ, Ronan!” Ten felt tears pricking the back of his eyes. “People like that exist in our city?” He wrapped his arms around Ronan’s hips and held on tight.

“They do, babe. All I want to do is protect you from this kind of ugliness, but is ignorance really protection?” Ronan rested his forehead against Tennyson’s. “We’re going to be fathers one day and as much as I’m going to want to build a brick wall around our little girl to keep the ugliness of this world from touching her, you have to be the one who stops me and reminds me that there are good people in this world too. People like Fitzgibbon and Greeley and Carson and Truman.”

Ten sighed. He knew Ronan had the right of it. He knew he was usually the sunshine to Ronan’s cloud-filled sky. The thought that their innocent little girl would be born into a world where this kind of sickness existed made him want to crawl under a rock and hide. “It’s gonna be hard to get the taste of this one out of my mouth.”

“I know it is, Ten.” Ronan snorted. “But, I might have a way to start us both on the road to recovery.”

“You do?” Ten pulled back from his lover. “No kidding?”

Ronan laughed. “No kidding. Your phone dinged with a text message just before I joined you in the shower. I glanced at the screen, in case it was an emergency, and it was from your mother.”

Ten groaned. “My mother is going to put us on the road to recovery?” Ten shook his head. He supposed after the afternoon he’d had, spending some time with Kaye would be like taking a walk in the park.

“She invited us to have dinner at her house. Kevin and Greeley too. If you ask me though, it’s Greeley she misses.” Ronan snorted.

“I have a feeling that conversation about grandkids the other day got to her. Greeley’s a living representation of what that could mean in her life, and besides, he stood up to her even though she was bitchy to him. She knows where she stands with him and that’s new for her, someone giving her boundaries and not taking her shit.” Ten chuckled. He wished he’d had the balls to stand up to Kaye when he was seventeen the way Greeley had done. He wondered if it would have made a difference.

“Do you want to go or do you want to spend the night in our pajamas watching something ridiculous on Netflix? I’m good either way, babe.” The look in Ronan’s eyes said he meant it.

“We should go. Now that our consulting role in the Shannon Bradley case is over, the only loose end left here in Kansas is my mother. The more quickly we get her settled, the quicker we can go home.”

Ronan nodded. “I’ll go text Fitzgibbon and see if he and Greeley are up for a night with your mother.”

“God help us all.” Tennyson found a smile.

Ronan shot Tennyson a cheeky grin. “After what we saw today, what’s the worst that could happen?”

Tennyson had to admit Ronan had a point.

 

 

34
Ronan

After a quick stop at Union Chapel’s only florist shop, Ronan turned the truck back onto Route 20 toward Kaye Grimm’s house. He had no idea what could have possibly precipitated her invitation to dinner, but he was trying to keep an open mind about the evening to come.

“Do you think Kaye is going to like this little bonsai tree?” Greeley asked. It had been his idea to go to the florist shop. He’d wanted to get her something that she’d have to take an interest in caring for instead of flowers that would wilt and die in a few days.

“I do,” Ten agreed. “When I was growing up, Mom was always a first-class gardener. She loved her vegetable patch in the back yard. She even talked to the plants while she weeded. She was convinced that was why we had such a tasty harvest.”

“That was really thoughtful of you, son,” Kevin said.

“I want her to think of her New England family every time she takes care of this tree.” Greeley smiled at Ronan in the rearview mirror. “Maybe over time it will soften her heart to us.”

“You don’t know that hasn’t happened already,” Ronan said. “That could be what this dinner tonight is all about.”

“Or she heard that Shelly Brinkman had us to dinner and she doesn’t want to be outdone.” Tennyson sound testy.

“Well, here we are now. Let’s find out which one of us is right, Nostradamus.” Ronan waggled his eyebrows at his fiancé. “But you do have the advantage with your mind powers.” He leaned over the center console to kiss his fiancé.

Ten rolled his eyes. “I wasn’t using my mind powers. I was using seventeen years of Kaye Grimm experience.”

Ronan laughed. “I can’t wait until I have seventeen years of Tennyson Grimm experience to draw from.”

“God help us all,” Fitzgibbon laughed before he hopped out of the backseat.

Ronan followed his boss out of the truck. He was feeling more optimistic than he had since they’d first landed here in Kansas. Maybe because it was nearly time for them to go home. He was surprised to see Kaye waiting for them at the door.

“Hello, everyone,” she greeted.

“Okay, who is that and what has she done with my mother?” Ten whispered to Ronan.

“Give her a chance, Ten.” Ronan was all smiles. “Hello, Kaye. You’re looking like a million bucks tonight.”

Kaye was wearing a light blue dress and her hair was done up in a neat twist. It was the most put together she’d looked in the week that Ronan and Tennyson had been here. “Thank you, Ronan. I appreciate the compliment. Hello, Kevin and Greeley. What’s this you’ve got?” She pointed to the small tree Greeley was carrying.

“It’s a present we brought for you.” Greeley offered her a bright smile, but kept the tree in his hands.

“Oh, that’s lovely. Hello, Tennyson.”

“Hello, Mom.” Ten nodded at his mother.

“Why don’t you all come inside. Dinner is still in the oven. It has a little bit to cook yet. I hope you all like pork roast.”

Everyone nodded. Greeley walked to the table and set the bonsai tree down in the center before taking a seat himself.

“I guess you’re all wondering why I invited you all over here tonight.” Kaye was standing near her usual seat at the dining room table.

“The thought did cross our minds.” Ronan held out Tennyson’s seat for him and when his husband-to-be was settled, took the chair next to his.

Kaye watched with a curious eye, but said nothing. She took her seat and pushed a manila envelope toward Tennyson. “This is your father’s will. It had been sitting with all of our important documents and papers. I’ve known where it was all along, but I was scared to open it.”

Tennyson’s brows knit together as he reached for the envelope. When he flipped it over, Ronan could see that the seal had been broken on the envelope. Kaye must have found a way to overcome her fear.

“You read it?” Ten asked, sliding the document out of the envelope. He started to casually flip through the pages.

Ronan was trying not to read over Ten’s shoulder. The document only seemed to be a few pages long and didn’t look overly complicated.

Kaye nodded. “It’s just a standard will. David left everything to me. Even if he hadn’t drafted a will, Kansas probate law is set up so that the surviving spouse inherits all marital property. So, this little piece of the American Dream is all mine, in addition to a couple of life insurance policies I didn’t even know David had taken out. One of them was to pay for his funeral costs, but there are two others that will see to my needs for however long God sees fit to keep me on this planet.”

“I’m glad to hear that, Mom. Ronan and I were concerned about you and what would happen to you going forward.” Ten reached out a hand to Ronan, who didn’t hesitate to take it.

The news was a real load off Ronan’s mind too.

“I don’t see why this is any of your business.” Kaye sounded like she was starting to get her dander up.

“Kaye,” Greeley started, his voice was calm and sweet, “we’re going to be going home soon. We won’t be able to drop by and check on you every day or every other day like we get to do now. I know that I’ll sleep so much better being half a country away knowing that you’re all set financially. I think Uncle Ronan and Uncle Tennyson feel the same way too, right guys?”

Ronan nodded. He looked over at Tennyson who was mirroring the action as well.

“Greeley’s absolutely right,” Tennyson said. Fatigue marred his usual upbeat tone. “We can’t leave Kansas until we know you can take care of yourself, Mom. So, there are a couple of things we need to talk about honestly and without you getting upset. Do you think we can do that?”

Kaye frowned. Her dark eyes strayed to the tree sitting in the center of the table. “What kind of things. I’m not going to sit here and discuss my personal life with a bunch of strangers.”

“Okay, first of all, we’re not strangers. We’re your family. Secondly, we’re not going to discuss anything more personal than your ability to drive and take responsibility for your new life.” Tennyson raised an eyebrow in challenge.

Kaye folded and unfolded her hands in front of her. She refused to make eye contact with anyone. “Why is driving so important anyway?”

“You’re going to need to be able to get back and forth to the grocery store, church, and the doctor at the very least,” Ten pointed out.

“Grocery stores deliver. Doctors make house calls and I can watch services on the television.” Kaye’s tone was stubborn.

“Which grocery stores deliver, Kaye? And show me your cell phone. Do you have their apps installed on your phone?” Greeley asked.

“You are a very nosy young man.” Kaye’s nose went up in the air.

“Didn’t I see you with a flip phone at David’s funeral last week?” Kevin asked.

Ronan bit his lip to keep from laughing out loud.

“Don’t you dare laugh at me, Ronan.” Kaye’s tone was terse.

“Face it Kaye, I’ll bet you didn’t understand half of what Greeley just said to you.” Ronan’s tone was kind. He didn’t want to be mean to Tennyson’s mother, but there were some harsh facts she needed to face or she was going to end up living a lonely life of a shut-in.

“So what if I didn’t?” Her voice cracked.

“Let us help you, Kaye,” Greeley said. He reached out for her hand. “Let us teach you how to drive. We’ll even get you a new iPhone. I’ll put the right apps on it and show you how to use them so that you can get driving directions and order groceries if the weather is bad. You can even send me messages or share pictures.”

“Now why on earth would I want to do that?” She looked up at Greeley, making eye contact with him for the first time.

“I’ve got a pretty interesting life back in Massachusetts. I’ll be starting college in the New Year. I’ve got a new puppy. I read a lot of interesting books. I bet we could start our own book club. There’s a lot we could share with each other.” Greeley shrugged.

“You have a puppy?” Kaye asked.

Greeley nodded. He dug his phone out of his back pocket. He flipped the screen around to show her a few seconds later. “That’s Lola. Dad got her for me when I aced my GED. I only got to be with her for a few days before we flew out here.” Greeley showed her how to swipe left to look through the pictures herself.

“She’s pretty cute, I guess. For something the size of a rat.” Kaye smiled at the outraged look on Greeley’s face. “Why are her ears so big?”

“She’s a Papillon mix. Those dogs are famous for their big ears.” Greeley grinned.

“Why are there two dogs in this picture?” Kaye asked.

“The other one is Lola’s sister Dixie. She’s Uncle Ronan and Uncle Tennyson’s dog.”

Kaye looked up at her son. “Tennyson always wanted a dog when he was little but David didn’t want animals in the house.”

“Did you want a dog or a cat, Kaye?” Greeley asked.

“Both. I would have liked having an animal, especially after Tennyson was in school full-time. It was lonely being home by myself all day with him being gone and David being at work.”

Greeley wore a triumphant look on his face. “I knew you were an animal person. I looked it up on the internet and Union Chapel has a no-kill shelter out on Route 76.”

“What are you saying, young man?” Kaye narrowed her eyes at Greeley.

“I’m proposing a deal of some sort.”

“A deal?” Kaye sounded suspicious.

Greeley nodded. His million-watt smile was on full display. “You learn how to drive and pass your license test. In return we’ll get you set up with a new phone and the internet. Heck, we’ll even get you an e-reader if you want.”

“What’s the catch?”

“You have to learn how to use the technology, Kaye. The devices can’t just sit in their boxes,” Fitzgibbon chimed in.

“That doesn’t sound too hard.”

“I also think it would be a good idea if you got a volunteer job.”

“A job?” Kaye sounded offended.

“You know, something to keep you busy and active. It just so happens that the animal shelter is looking for help. They need someone to help feed and water the animals. Maybe answer some phone calls and help families do the paperwork to adopt new members of their family. Working there you’d also get first choice of which animal you wanted to adopt. I think you would hit that job out of the rink!”

Ronan snorted and started to laugh. Tennyson joined in too.

“I mixed up my sports metaphors again, didn’t I?” Greeley grinned sheepishly.

Kevin patted the boy’s back. “He makes a good point, don’t you think, Kaye?”

“I don’t know.”

“You have the rest of your life left to lead. Do you want to spend it alone in this house calling out for pizza every night and having groceries delivered? Or, do you want to take an active role in deciding what the next fifty years are going to look like?” Ronan asked.

“Fifty years?” Kaye rolled her eyes. “I hardly think I’ve got that long left.”

“You could though, Kaye. Think of all the books we could read together in fifty years.” Greeley’s eyes glowed.

“Oh, please. You’ll forget about me in no time. You’ve got college coming up and then you’ll be studying and you’ll fall in love and get a job and start a family.”

“I’ll always have time for you,” Greeley promised. “But friendship like that works both ways. And it has to work like that with Uncle Tennyson too.”

Ronan kept his mouth shut and watched the reaction on Tennyson and Kaye’s faces. Tennyson barely moved, but Ronan could see he was holding his breath. Kaye, on the other hand, seemed taken off guard.

“Greeley, you know I don’t believe in their lifestyle.”

“You’re not too old to change your beliefs, Kaye. A lady is always entitled to change her mind.” Greeley sat back in his chair. He wore a patient look on his face.

The oven timer dinged in the kitchen. “I need to think about all of this.”

Greeley nodded, sitting forward in his seat. “Okay. You’ve got until 8am tomorrow morning. That’s when Dad and I will be here to pick you up to start your driving lessons.”

Kaye’s mouth gaped open. Only a small squeak came out. She turned and walked back into the kitchen without making another sound.

 

 

35
Tennyson

As upset as Tennyson was over Kaye’s unwillingness all of these years later to accept him for the gay man he was, he had to admit her cooking had improved by leaps and bounds. The pork roast she’d made for dinner was the best meal he’d ever eaten in that house, hands down.

That realization wasn’t helping him fall asleep. He was lying in his hotel bed staring up at the spinning blades of the ceiling fan, while Ronan lay next to him. He couldn’t tell if his lover was sleeping or practicing his yoga breathing.

“Do you really think I could sleep at a time like this?” Sarcasm dripped from Ronan’s voice.

“Stop reading my mind, O’Mara!” Tennyson snorted, remembering all the times Ronan had said the exact same thing to him.

Ronan shifted in bed, rolling onto his side, bracing his head in the cup of his hand. “Talk to me, Ten.”

“You know what’s wrong with me, Ronan.”

“I sure do, sugar plum, but the list is long and the night is short. How about you narrow it down for me?” Ronan laughed.

Tennyson rolled his eyes and poked Ronan in stomach. “Kaye watched us like cockroaches at her dining room table. She saw how tender we were with each other, then she listened to Greeley lay out his plan to help her and she still refused to accept us as her family.”

Ronan sighed. “The one thing I’ve learned about your mother in the time we’ve been here is that she’s a control freak. She is one of those kinds of people who doesn’t like an idea unless it’s her idea. You ever notice that?”

Tennyson thought about what Ronan had just said. He’d never really paid a lot of attention to things like that when he’d been living with his parents. He’d had his own shit to deal with, but since he’d been back in Union Chapel, he had noticed that Kaye had a way of doing things in her own good time. “Yeah, I guess I noticed that.”

“She listened to you about reading your father’s will, but it took her about a week to do it. I’m guessing that’s about the amount of time it took her to realize that reading it was her idea.” Ronan reached out for Ten, pulling his lover into his arms. He settled the other man against his chest. “I’m guessing she was studying us tonight to look for things about us that were objectionable.”

Ten felt his brows knit together. “What are you talking about?”

“I’m thinking Kaye’s never seen a gay couple together before, right?” Ronan stroked his hands down Tennyson’s back.

Ten snorted. “I’d guess not.”

“So, she saw me pull out your chair at the dining room table and saw us hold hands.”

“What did she think we were going to do? Suck each other off at the table?” Ten felt his heart starting to pound.

“Yeah, that sounds about right. Isn’t that what most people who don’t know anything about gays think?” Ronan’s voice was calm.

“I… Hmm.” Okay, maybe Ronan had a point. “So, you think she was watching us and seeing that we act like any hetero couple. We’re courteous of each other and we laugh together. We don’t do big displays of public affection and we always have each other’s backs.”

“Babe, it can take time for a long-held belief to change. It might even take us being gone for Kaye to realize how truly alone she is. She’s still in that sympathy stage. Casseroles are showing up anonymously at her door. We’re food shopping for her and offering to buy her new iPhones and Kindles, but once we’re gone and all of her friends and neighbors go back to their regular lives, she’ll be alone.”

Ten had to admit Ronan had another point. A good one. This was real life, not an episode of The Brady Bunch where every problem was solved in thirty minutes with hugs all around.

Ten had often wondered what Mike and Carol Brady would have done if one of their kids had come out to them. Hell, with six kids there was a pretty good chance that one of them was gay or bi at the very least. Ten’s money would have been on Jan, but that was neither here nor there. He was sure that if one of those kids had come out as gay, the family would have rallied around them and let them know they were loved and just as much a part of the family now as before they’d come out.

“Maybe part of the problem here is me.”

“What do you mean?” Ronan asked. He pressed a gentle kiss to Tennyson’s forehead.

“I still have thirteen years of bad blood in my system. I’m still angry that my parents didn’t just accept me like Mike and Carol Brady would have done.”

Ronan burst out laughing. Ten started squirming in his arms. “Hold on a second, Nostradamus. I’m not laughing at you. No family is that perfect. I always wondered if Carol had a bottle of Wild Turkey hidden in toilet tank in their bathroom or if Mike was chasing secretaries in his office. I bet Greg was smoking dope in that attic bedroom and you know Marcia was on her knees more than a penitent sinner.”

Tennyson started to laugh. “You really think so?”

“Every family has problems, Ten. What matters is how you come out of them. Look at you. You moved away, you have two successful careers, you’re about to get married, and fatherhood is on your horizon. I’d say you survived your family problems pretty well. It’s your parents who stayed stuck in the past. They’re the ones who missed out on the last thirteen years of your life. Your father never got to see you again, babe. The only way he had of finding out what a fine man you’d turned out to be was because we ended up on that damn reality show. The only chance he ever got to apologize to you was because you had the ability to talk to dead people thanks to a gift that he’d condemned you for years earlier.”

Ronan was making a lot of sense tonight. Tennyson set his hand over Ronan’s heart.  “Bottom line here is that I’ve done all the growing over the last thirteen years and I have to be patient enough to let my mother catch up.”

Ronan was silent for a moment. “Yeah, I think that’s it. Kaye knows we’re getting married and starting a family. She also knows we want her in our lives and that the ball is in her court. Technically, after she learns to drive, our job here is done, Lone Ranger.”

Ten grinned against the hot skin of Ronan’s chest. He moved to straddle his lover’s prone body. “If I’m the Lone Ranger, does that make you Tonto?”

“Babe, with the way your cock is digging into my stomach, I’ll be anything you want me to be.” Ronan reached up to stroke his hardness through the tight fabric of his boxer briefs.

Tennyson felt himself starting to relax under Ronan’s expert touch. They might not have solved any of the pressing issues keeping them in Kansas, but they could worry about that in the morning. Right now, the Lone Ranger needed to cowboy up.

 

 

36
Ronan

Ronan was going to die. He’d survived the police academy, thirteen years as a member of the Boston Police Department, being shot in the shoulder by an enraged Manuel Garcia last summer, and being shot in the chest three times by Mark Abruzzi back in August, but this was it. Kaye Grimm behind the wheel of her dead husband’s Toyota was going to be the end of him.

Fitzgibbon and his balls of steel were sitting in the front seat instructing Kaye, while Tennyson and Greeley were sitting with him in the back seat. Ronan had no idea driving at fifteen miles per hour in an abandoned mall parking lot was going to be what finally took him out.

“It’s okay, Uncle Ronan. You can open your eyes now.” Greeley elbowed him in the ribs.

Ronan was about to do just that when the car came to a hard stop, throwing him against his already engaged seatbelt. “Ouch! My spleen!” Ronan groaned. “I’m still recovering from gunshot wounds for Pete’s sake!”

“Is he always this big of a baby?” Kaye asked.

“No,” Ten said on a laugh. “Usually, he’s worse.”

Ronan shot him a dirty look and flipped him the bird. “Thanks for throwing me under the bus.”

“Am I lying?” Ten blew him a kiss in return.

No, Tennyson wasn’t lying, but that was beside the point. He shouldn’t have to spend his last moments on this good earth fighting with the love of his life or having his liver strangled by his seatbelt.

“That time was much better, Kaye. Just remember that you don’t have to stomp on the brake pedal like it’s a spider on your clean kitchen floor. Ease the pedal down. Okay?”

“This is hopeless.” Kaye shook her head. “We’ve been out here for two hours and I’m not getting any better.”

“Now that’s not true and you know it, Kaye,” Greeley said. “You haven’t hit any curbs in nearly forty-five minutes now and Ronan’s stopped saying the Hail Mary out loud. I think you’ve made a big improvement.” Greeley shifted in his seat so he could smile brightly into the rearview mirror.

“Ronan was saying the Hail Mary? In my car?” The outraged tone was back in Kaye’s voice.

Ten rolled his eyes. “Ronan can’t help that he was raised Catholic, Mom. At least he believes in Jesus and says his prayers.”

“Gee, thanks. I think.” Ronan looked into the rearview mirror where he saw Kaye giving him the stink-eye. “Oh, come on, Kaye. You can’t tell me you weren’t praying too.”

“I wasn’t saying Papist prayers.” Her lips twisted into a sneer.

“Well, of course you weren’t, but God obviously heard us both.” Ronan’s tone was testy.

“What do mean?” Her eyes narrowed.

“We’re alive, aren’t we?”

“Praise Jesus!” Greeley crowed.

Ronan started to laugh. He couldn’t help himself.

“Let’s try again, Kaye. If the peanut gallery could please quiet down back there?” Fitzgibbon turned around and shot Ronan and Greeley warning looks.

Ronan bit his lip to keep from laughing at the serious look on his boss’s face. He’d worked with Fitzgibbon for over a year now and he’d never seen a look like that on Kevin’s face. Teaching Kaye to drive and be self-sufficient was serious business.

As the next hour passed. Kaye got better at making turns and slowing the car down gradually. Ronan’s seatbelt didn’t engage again.

“Kaye, I think your first lesson was a success.” Fitzgibbon patted her shoulder. “Let’s celebrate by teaching you how to pump your own gas.”

Kaye turned to Fitzgibbon and burst out laughing.

Ronan leaned around Greeley to look at Tennyson who was looking back at him with his mouth hanging open as if that were a sound he’d never heard before. Ronan had never heard it on this trip, that was for sure.

Kevin hopped out of the car and opened Kaye’s door for her. She was still laughing. He held out his hand for her when she finally managed to unbuckle her seatbelt.

“Wait until Kaye finds out Dad isn’t kidding.” Greeley shook his head and started to laugh.

Kevin got Kaye settled into the passenger seat of the car and was about to buckle himself into the driver’s seat when a siren started to wail. “Jesus Christ what is that?” He turned to Kaye.

“Kevin, how many times do I have to tell you not to take the name of the Lord in vain?” Kaye asked, sounding worn to the bone.

“I’m sorry, Kaye, but that siren sounds pretty serious. What’s it for?” Fitzgibbon looked like he was holding onto his patience by a shred.

“Oh, it’s just the tornado siren.” Kaye waved her left hand in the air.

“The tornado siren?” Ronan perked up at the sound of that. He looked out the car window and saw some very dark clouds off to the west. “Shouldn’t we get to a storm cellar?” He’d seen the movie Twister enough times to know tornadoes were nothing to screw around with.

“I’m sure it’s nothing,” Kaye said. 

A mechanized siren started beeping on Greeley’s phone. He bent forward to pull it out of his back pocket.

“What the hell is that?” Fitzgibbon turned around to look into the backseat.

“It’s my phone.” Greeley held it up to show him. “I programmed Union Chapel into the Swift 9-1-1 App so that if there were any warnings we’d get them.”

Ronan knew Massachusetts had that kind of system set up as well.

“Young man, I didn’t understand a word you just said.” There was a smile in Kaye’s voice.

“Do you ever get reverse 9-1-1 calls on your landline, Kaye?” Ronan asked.

“You mean like a robotic call when there’s an emergency?”

“Yes, that’s it exactly. This is a system for cell phone and email alerts. We have them back in Boston for things like snow emergencies, flash floods, and Amber Alerts. I guess this county uses them for tornado warnings too.”

“That was smart thinking, son. What is the warning saying?” Fitzgibbon sounded completely calm.

“A tornado warning has been issued for all of Union Township. All residents should seek shelter immediately. Get to the closest storm cellar or the lowest level of your home and remain there until this warning has passed. This warning is in effect from 11:22am until 1230pm CST. A funnel cloud has been spotted on the ground in the area of Route 20 near the border of Severance and...” Greeley’s voice cracked. 

“And what, Greeley?” Ronan asked, trying to keep his voice as calm as possible. He knew exactly what town Severance bordered on Route 20.

“Union Chapel,” Greeley whispered. 

“Kaye, where’s the closest storm cellar to where we are now?” Fitzgibbon’s voice was dead calm.

“At the church.” Kaye pulled down the sun visor and started tucking strands of hair behind her ears.

“Which church? This is Kansas. There’s one every ten feet here.” Fitzgibbon’s voice held a note of frustration. Kevin flipped the visor up, sending the mirror clanking closed.

“My church. The one we had David’s funeral at.” Kaye shot Kevin an annoyed look. “What is wrong with you? We haven't had a tornado in Union Chapel in years. It's tornado season in Kansas, Kevin. Those sirens go off all the time. I’m sure this is nothing.”

It didn’t sound like nothing to Ronan. He looked over at Tennyson, who was opening his car door and climbing out. Ronan followed suit. 

Tennyson was facing to the west when Ronan joined him. Greeley and Kevin were quick to follow. “What do you see, Nostradamus?”

“This isn’t good, Ronan.” Ten pointed to the west, where the sky was so dark, it looked like midnight. Forks of lightning lit up the sky. “Those are cumulonimbus clouds, one of the tell-tale signs of tornadic activity. The alert says there was a funnel spotted on the ground. Storms like this are known to spawn more than one tornado.”

“Why the hell is Kaye being so nonchalant?” Ronan couldn’t help but ask.

“She’s right that the sirens go off all the time during tornado season. The last time Union Chapel was actually hit by a storm was in 2005, but it was only an EF0. That means winds as high as 70 miles per hour. That’s about as high as baby wind gusts during a good snow storm back home. Mom's lived in Kansas all her life. She's one of those people who actually stands outside and looks for funnel clouds. She’s either got a death wish, so she can join my father, or she’s been lulled into a false sense of security. Either way, we need to get the fuck out of dodge.” Ten shook his head.

“How about a tornado selfie before we go?” Greeley asked, looking scared to death.

Ronan snorted. “What the hell? Get close everyone.”

Greeley held up his phone and took two snaps. “Okay, let’s make like a banana and split.” Rain started slashing down and thunder rolled in the distance. Greeley dashed for the car. 

Fitzgibbon fired the car to life and quickly sped out of the parking lot. He turned the radio on and scanned the AM dial looking for an all-news station. He quickly found one. “Kaye, I need you to pay attention. If they start talk about the roads we need to take being blocked or being in the danger zone, speak up and tell me.  Guys,” Fitzgibbon made eye contact with Ronan in the rear-view mirror, “I need you to be storm spotters. Keep your eyes out for the funnel cloud. Jesus Christ in heaven, I can’t believe I’m saying those words. Tennyson, are you getting anything on this?”

“Kevin, please do not take the name of the Lord in vain in my car and do not ask my son to invoke his devil powers.” Kaye patted her hair and scowled at Kevin. 

“Ten?” Kevin asked as if he hadn’t heard a word Kaye just said. 

“My spirit guides are surprisingly quiet at the moment, but weather conditions aside, something is off.”

“What kind of off, Ten? Off like we’re gonna get swept up in this thing and end up in fucking Oz? Or off like the barometric pressure is making your ears pop?”

“I’m not sure.” Ten shot Ronan a confused look. “I’m getting a sense of foreboding, but nothing more specific than that. Sorry. This is one of those times I wish my gift was a bit more specific.”

Fitzgibbon turned on to Route 20. “How far away is the church, Kaye?”

“About ten minutes.” She crossed her arms over her chest and looked out the window. The rain was slashing against the glass.

The rain was pouring down so hard that the windshield wipers were having a hard time keeping up with the flow. “How the hell are we going to be able to see the funnel if we can’t see two feet in front of the car?” Ronan wasn’t going to say it out loud, but he was terrified.  He reached out to Tennyson. Ten took his hand and held on tight. Greeley set both of his hands down on the pile. 

Ronan started reciting the Our Father in his head. He prayed that God could hear him and would spare his friends. 

 

37
Tennyson

“Dad?” Tennyson shouted. “If you can hear me, help us out here, please. You were the one who insisted I come to Kansas to help Mom. I can’t think of a better time to help her than right now!”

“Tennyson Grimm, you stop that this instant! This instant!” Kaye screamed. “You know darn well your father is dead and buried in the Union Chapel Baptist Cemetery. He can’t help us now any more than Captain Thor!”

“Hello, son,” David Grimm said. He was sitting in the front seat between Fitzgibbon and Kaye. 

“Hi, Dad.” Ten waggled his eyebrows at Ronan. “Thanks for showing up when we needed you most. Where’s the funnel cloud?”

“For the love of God, Tennyson. When this is over we’re going to have a long discussion about getting you some serious mental help.”

“Shut up, Mom!” Tennyson yelled. “Dad, where’s the tornado?”

“It’s to the left of Route 20. Right now, the road is clear. Tell Fitzgibbon to gun it.”

“David said the tornado is to the left of 20. Gun it.” Tennyson dug his free hand into the top of the seat in front of him.

Fitzgibbon nodded and obeyed.  The engine roared and picked up speed. The wipers were working on high and it wasn’t enough to keep up with the deluge. 

“Tell him to slow down, hail is coming.” David shouted. 

“Slow down. Hail.” Ten cried out. 

Fitzgibbon slowed the car just as the hail started to pelt down. It wasn’t the tiny dime-sized hail New England occasionally got during a rare violent thunderstorm. Tennyson would swear these were golf ball-sized hunks of ice. 

“Oh my God,” Greeley buried his face against Ronan’s shoulder. 

Fitzgibbon kept driving. Tennyson could see his knuckles turning white as they gripped the steering wheel. The windshield cracked when a larger piece of hail hit the glass. Greeley yelped in response.

“We’re almost there, Kevin. It’s your next left.” Tennyson directed. “Dad, where’s the cloud now?”

“It’s coming, son. You’re going to need to park and run like the Dickens.” The look on David’s face was grim. “You may have to carry your mother.”

“Kevin, the cellar is at the opposite end of the parking lot from the cemetery. Park as close as you can. Drive on the grass if you have to. It looks like bulkhead basement doors we have at home. My father says it’s gonna be close.”

“Close?” Fitzgibbon fairly howled. “What do you mean close?”

Ten took a deep breath. “We’re gonna have to race the storm, according to David.”

“Tennyson, you stop this right now!” Kaye shouted, sounding terrified.

“Mom, do you really want to doubt my gift at a time like this?” Ten couldn’t believe they were actually fighting about this now.

“Tennyson, tell her about Alfred Lord Tennyson’s garden. That should make her believe in you.”

Ten didn’t have time to ask his father what he was talking about. Fitzgibbon had taken a wide turn into the church parking lot and he was racing toward the storm cellar doors. “Mom, Dad wants me to mention Alfred Lord Tennyson’s garden to prove that he’s here with us.” And to prove my gift is real, is what he wanted to say, but this wasn’t the moment to pound his chest like Tarzan.

Kaye’s face went pale. Her mouth shut with a clack of her teeth. She turned around without saying a word. 

Obviously whatever Ten had said worked. If they lived through this, he was going to make sure to ask Kaye what the hell David had been talking about. 

“When I park this car, Tennyson, you help your mother. Ronan, you grab my son. I’ll help whoever needs it. Are we clear?” Fitzgibbon’s voice was still calm. This was the cool and in command police captain Tennyson knew and loved.

“Clear, Cap,” Ronan said.

“Clear,” Ten agreed. He couldn’t imagine his mother accepting his help, but it was either that or get swept away to Oz. If he remembered the story right, they had a job opening for Wicked Witch of the West. If Kaye wanted to apply for it, he was just in the mood to let her and write a smashing letter of recommendation.

Fitzgibbon parked the car. “Ready? Go!”

Tennyson barely had a moment to catch a last glance of Ronan who was bolting out the door and holding a hand out to Greeley. He pushed open his door and had to use all of his strength to shut it again. He pushed forward against the wind to get to Kaye’s door. The rain was slashing against his skin so hard that it hurt.

He could see his mother using all her strength to shove her own door open, but the door wasn’t budging. Whispering a silent prayer, Ten yanked on the door and it flew open in his hands, nearly knocking him off his feet. He reached for Kaye’s hand and was able to help her out of the car. They started running toward the storm cellar, but the screeching of the wind caught his attention. He looked to the right and could see the funnel cloud advancing toward them. The movement of it was mesmerizing.

The tornado was perfect. Like something a team at CGI dreamed up on their computers. The wind was rumbling, reminding Tennyson of speeding freight train, and debris was whipping away from the funnel.

“Jesus Christ, move!” Fitzgibbon grabbed Tennyson’s arm and started dragging him toward the double doors of the cellar.

Ten snapped out of his trance and started to run along with Fitzgibbon and Kaye, who looked as thunderstruck as he felt.

“Duck!” Kevin shouted, yanking Ten and Kaye toward the grass.

Ten felt his entire body slam to the ground as something large passed over their heads. He didn’t even want to hazard a guess as to what it was. A second later, Kevin was pulling them back to their feet and running toward the cellar again. Kevin was yelling something at Tennyson, but he couldn’t make out the words over the deafening roar of the storm. He could see Ronan and Greeley pounding on the doors. Thankfully, one of them opened and Greeley started to climb down into the storm cellar. Ten pushed Kaye toward the opening and saw Greeley holding a hand up to her.

“You’re next!” Ronan shouted at him, grabbing him by the arm. Rain water dripped down Ronan’s soaking wet face. Ten chanced one more look behind him at the tornado before climbing into the storm cellar. He could feel Ronan behind him. When he reached the bottom of the stairs, he could see Kevin climbing down and someone he didn’t recognize, securing the doors shut.

When Kevin got to the bottom of the stairs he pulled Greeley into his arms and hugged him tight. Ronan did the same thing to Tennyson. Ronan was soaked to the bone, but was somehow still warm. Greeley reached out for Kaye who was looking a bit lost. He wrapped an arm around her and Fitzgibbon did the same thing. “Is everyone okay?” Kevin asked.

Ten was feeling a bit sore from when Kevin yanked him down to the ground. He knew that Kaye had to be sore too, since he’d yanked her down in turn.

Everyone nodded.

“Okay, good. There’s an empty space over there.” Kevin pointed to a part of the storm cellar that wasn’t crowded with other people and led them over there. “Why don’t we all have a seat? I have a feeling shock is going to set in pretty soon.”

“Shock?” Kaye asked. She was clinging to Greeley like a life raft in storm-tossed seas.

“We just drove hell bent for leather through a tornado while being directed by the ghost of your dead husband. Yeah, Kaye, I’d say we’re all due for a dose of shock.” Kevin wrapped an arm around her shoulder and held her close. 

“Hi, Kaye,” Reverend Greene greeted. He was carrying a clipboard and writing down names. Following behind him was a young man with a stack of blankets. He passed one out to each of them. Greeley helped to wrap Kaye’s around her shoulders and back before they all sat down on the floor.

“Is everyone really okay?” Fitzgibbon looked around at all of them.

“My heart felt like it was going to explode.” Greeley shook his head. “When Uncle Ronan yanked me out of the car and I saw the tornado coming right at us. Oh, man I thought we were toast!” Kevin wrapped his arm around his son and held him close.

Ten had a feeling Kevin had been thinking along similar lines. “My arm is a bit sore from when you yanked us to the ground, Cap, but other than that, I’m okay.” All Ten cared about was that he was alive. The arm would heal.

“I’m sore too,” Kaye admitted.

Tennyson turned to his mother. She was looking a bit more fragile now. Her face was streaked with mud, as was her blouse. She looked years older now than she had when they’d picked her up this morning for driving lessons. He set his hand on top of hers and gave a gentle squeeze.

“Yeah, well, better to have sore arms and muddy faces than to have been hit by a flying tractor.” Kevin grinned at mother and son.

“That’s what flew over our heads?” Christ, Ten knew it was big, but he had no idea it was that big. He took a deep breath and looked around at their bedraggled group. Everyone was soaked to the bone and Greeley was shivering. Fitzgibbon had both arms wrapped around his son.

“How did you know about Tennyson’s garden?” Kaye asked. She sounded shaken by more than just the tornado.

Ten took a deep breath. This was the opportunity he’d been waiting for this entire trip back to Kansas. A moment where he could have an honest discussion with his mother about his gift. “Dad told me to say those words to you. He knew they were something only he would know that would help you understand that my gift was real.” Ten looked at his mother and held her gaze for a moment. He wanted to add more about how being able to communicate with the dead was heaven sent, but knew he needed to let what he had said sink in first.

“What do those words mean, Kaye?” Greeley asked.

God bless that boy, Ten couldn’t help thinking. He was probably the only one of them who could have asked the question.

Kaye sighed. Tears shimmered in her dark eyes. She twirled her gold wedding band around her finger. “When David proposed to me, he used a line from Alfred Lord Tennyson. He said, ‘If I had a flower for every time I thought of you... I could walk through my garden forever.’ After I said yes, I remembered thinking that if I was ever blessed with a son, I’d name him Tennyson.” Kaye dabbed at her eyes with the edge of her blanket. A ghost of a smile crossed her lips. “And here you are. There’s no way you could have known about that. I never told anyone that David quoted Tennyson to me. I kept that close to my heart all of these years. The only way you could have known about that is if he told you.”

Ten nodded, but stayed silent. He wanted his mother to work this out for herself.

“My dead husband was really in the car with us? He really told you about that quote? He guided us safely through the storm? He sent you from Boston to me in Kansas?” Kaye’s voice was filled awe. She held Tennyson’s eyes.

“Yes, to all of those questions.” Ten managed a small smile. “Does your right hand feel a bit warmer?”

“I guess, why?” Kaye gave him a curious look before looking back down at her hand.

“Dad’s holding it,” Ten had been trying to figure out how to tell Kaye that David was with them. This seemed like the best way.

“Tennyson, I…” Kaye’s voice faltered and her head dropped to her chest.

Greeley took her other hand. “It’s all right, Kaye. It really is. David is here because he loves you and wants you to be okay.”

“But this is wrong. The Bible says it’s wrong.” She shook her head.

“I’ve seen you eat bacon, Kaye. The Bible says that’s wrong too.” Greeley grinned at her. “If you’re gonna cherry pick things from the good book not to obey, maybe this one is okay too, especially if it brings your son back into your life and lets you say goodbye to a husband you obviously adored.”

“He never would have left you if he had the choice, Mom,” Ten said.

Kaye stared at her right hand as if she were expecting to see David’s disembodied hand somehow. “Some nights, I wake up and I swear he’s there with me. Like his side of the bed is warm.”

“Is that you, Dad?” Ten asked. 

David grinned sheepishly. “I know I should be moving on, but I can’t bear to leave her, when I see how badly she’s struggling without me.”

“Dad says that’s him in bed with you. He says he knows it’s his time to move on, but he’s having a hard time leaving when you aren’t settled yet.”

“It’s my fault for not getting you ready, Kaye. I liked being your chauffeur. I liked buying you things and being the one who made all the money, but I was selfish. I kept you from having a life of your own and you’re paying a steep price now.”

Ten swiped at the tears forming in his own eyes. He had no idea what his parents’ relationship had been like once he’d left the house. 

“What’s he saying, babe?” Ronan wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

“Dad is saying that he loved driving you around and being the one to earn all the money, but that it was also selfish of him too.”

Kaye tilted her head. “I would have liked the freedom to have driven a car before I was in my fifties.”

“I hope you saw her today, David. She kicked ass at it.” Greeley was all smiles. 

“I don’t know that I’d say it like that, Greeley, but it was a lot of fun.” Kaye managed a smile.

“Tell her I was watching, but from a safe distance away. I didn’t want to find out if it was possible to die twice.” David snickered at his own joke.

Tennyson barked out a rough laugh. He didn’t remember his father having a sense of humor. “He said he was watching, but from a safe distance. He wasn’t sure if he could die twice, but didn’t want to find out.”

Kaye started to laugh. “David, that’s not funny. I wasn’t that bad.”

“Bullshit!” Kevin said under his breath. 

“Come on, Dad. It’s like flying a plane. Any landing you can walk away from is a good one.” Greeley hugged Kaye tighter and started to laugh. 

“Everyone is a comedian.” Kaye was laughing too. 

“Ask her if she’s going to make it without me. I can’t move on if she’s going to struggle.” David had turned serious again.

“Mom, Dad wants to know if you’re going to be okay without him.”

“Greeley thinks I should volunteer at the animal shelter. Maybe get a dog of my own.” Kaye didn’t make eye contact with Tennyson.

“You always were such an animal lover. I was such an ass for not letting you have one.” David shook his head. 

“Dad says he was an ass for not letting you have an animal when you were such an animal lover.”

Kaye nodded. “If the tornado didn’t sweep the shelter away,then I’m going down there to volunteer. If the tornado did sweep the shelter away then I’m going down there to help rebuild.”

“That’s my girl!” David pressed a kiss to Kaye’s cheek.

Her hand came up to touch the side of her face. “Tennyson, did David just...” She trailed off, shaking her head. 

“Did David just what, Mom?” Ten was smiling at her. She was so close to accepting all of this, his gift and him. He could almost taste it. 

“It felt like he kissed me, but that couldn’t possibly be.” She looked shocked by her own admission.

Kevin pulled open the collar of his shirt, revealing the puckered skin of his gunshot scar. “Do you see this, Kaye? It’s where I was shot a few months back. The bullet missed my heart by half an inch. It missed me by that much because the spirit of my dead lover managed to push me out of the way just in the nick of time. I’m here today with you and with my son because of something that couldn’t possibly be. Tiny miracles like this happen every day. Who are we to question them?”

“But, the Bible says...” Kaye trailed off. 

“Our free will gives us the ability to believe in whatever we want to believe in. Your husband saved all of us today. Do you really think that was the work of the devil?” Kevin’s green eyes blazed with intensity. “I don’t. I think that was the work of God. I know I’m meant for something greater and so is my son. Ten and Ronan are getting married and I know there are babies in their future that need them. More tiny miracles, Kaye.” Kevin leaned closer, his voice softened, “All you have to do is open your heart to them. Who cares if they’re both men? They’re your family.” Kevin pressed a kiss to the side of Greeley’s head. 

Kaye nodded. She swiped at tears building in her eyes which darted quickly to Tennyson and Ronan.

“Tell Kaye I met her,” David said. 

“Met who, Dad?” Ten shivered. He had a feeling he knew exactly who David was talking about. 

“Our future granddaughter. Tell Kaye I met her. She isn’t going to want to miss out on this little angel.”

“Dad, I can’t use her as leverage.” It wouldn’t be right.

“Use who as leverage? What’s David saying?” Ronan asked. His eyes narrowed.

Ten leaned over to Ronan. He whispered to Ronan what David was suggesting he tell Kaye. 

“Everyone has met her but us. Have you met her too?” Ronan asked. His blue eyes looked misty in the dim light. 

“No.” Ten shook his head. “I could meet her, but I haven’t. I’m saving that for when you meet her too.” He couldn’t possibly do that to Ronan. It wouldn’t be fair to meet their daughter’s soul before Ronan. 

“Meet who? Tennyson, what is going on?” Kaye looked back and forth between them. 

Ten took a deep breath. “Do you remember watching a Shirley Temple movie with me when I was little about angels in heaven and how they turn into babies here on earth?”

Kaye gave him a look like Ten had lost his mind. “Oh!” She gasped. “I remember now. It was called The Blue Bird.”

Ten nodded. “You’re not going to believe this, but there really is a soul nursery in heaven. We’ve told you that we plan to have children in the future. Dad wants you to know that he’s met our future daughter. Ronan’s mother and another dear friend of ours has too. They visit her all the time actually. She even has a name.” Ten felt tears pricking his eyes. It happened every time he thought about that little girl. “Dad says you’re not going to want to miss out on her.  I was reluctant to say anything because...” Tears slipped down Ten’s cheeks. He rested his head on Ronan’s shoulder. 

“You should want to be in our lives because you love us, not because we’re going to make you a grandmother,” Ronan said. 

Kevin reached over and squeezed Ronan’s shoulder. 

Tennyson knew full well that grandchildren were often the great equalizer. They had the power to reunite families and heal old wounds. He wanted so very much for his mother to love him again and want to be a part of his family because of him, not because of his and Ronan’s little miss.

“I can see how much love there is between the two of you,” Kaye said.  “I don’t know what I was expecting.” She shrugged. 

“Were you expecting them to be making out the whole time and to be doing it in your living room like a couple of feral cats?” Kevin asked. 

Ronan’s eyes bugged out of his head before he burst out laughing. 

“Well, it’s true, isn’t it? Stereotypes are stereotypes for a reason.” Kevin’s look was serious. 

“I might have thought something along those lines. I’m not proud to admit it.” Kaye’s blush rose quickly.

“That’s a pretty big step right there,” Ten said. 

“You have to understand that these beliefs are something that have been drilled into me since I was a child. It’s not something I can just get over in a week.”

“I understand that. When I first met Ten, I thought his gift was absolute bullshit.” Ronan winked at his future husband.

Kaye’s eyes popped out of her head. She managed a strangled laugh. 

“It’s true,” Ten agreed. “But that didn’t stop him from asking for my help.”

Ronan nodded. “I was working on a cold case involving a missing five-year-old boy and there were no leads. It was as if the boy had vanished into thin air. Ten had been on television because he’d helped local police find another missing boy, so I figured I’d contact him and see if he could help me.”

“You asked for his help even though you were skeptical about his powers? That wasn’t a put-up job for the reality show?” Kaye asked. She sounded skeptical herself. 

Ronan shook his head. “Everything you saw on that show was the real deal.”

“I didn’t really believe in Tennyson either, Kaye, but I figured with that boy already having been missing for seven years, we didn’t have anything to lose,” Kevin added.

“So, you’re saying you came to believe in my son over time?” Kaye dropped her head, seeming like she wasn’t really looking for an answer.

“You’ve got less than a month to try this gay wedding thing on for size Kaye,” Ronan said. “We’ll send you an invitation, and if you come to Boston, we’ll be thrilled to see you. If you don’t, we’ll understand.”

Tennyson couldn’t have said it better himself. 

“I can’t make any promises.” Kaye looked Tennyson in the eye.

“That’s okay. That’s mine and Ronan’s job.” Ten smiled at his mother for the first time in the ten days that they’d been in Kansas. 

Kaye wasn’t welcoming them into her family with open arms, but she was promising to think about the future and that was the best possible outcome, all things considered. 

 

 

38
Ronan

For as terrifying as the tornado had looked when Ronan had been running toward the church’s storm cellar, it had only been an EF2. Maximum winds were 135 MPH which compared to a category 4 hurricane. 

According to the National Weather Center, the twister had been on the ground for a total of twenty-seven minutes and had mostly torn through rural farmland in Severance and Union Chapel. 

There had been considerable damage done to several farms and farmhouses, as well as to the church. Thankfully, everyone had heeded the sirens and no lives were lost. There had been a sundry of broken bones and a few concussions, but all in all, it was a good outcome. 

Kaye’s house looked exactly like it had when they’d left it earlier that morning. Instead of going out for lunch, Fitzgibbon had made a big spaghetti dinner with a huge pot of sauce. He’d frozen the leftover marinara into single-serving sized containers so that Kaye would be able to make herself dinners in the weeks to come. 

After a tearful goodbye, they’d all headed back to the hotel for the night. 

While Tennyson was in the shower, Ronan booked their flight back to Boston. It was two days from today. That would give Kevin and Greeley time to give Kaye a few more driving lessons and a chance for her to take the test for her license.

“I can’t believe you’re still awake and working on the computer,” Ten said. He was dressed in cotton sleep pants, but his chest was bare. “I think I fell asleep in the shower twice.”

“I was booking our tickets home.” Ronan shut the laptop lid and stood up to pull Tennyson into his arms. His lover’s skin was damp and still warm from the shower. 

“Home,” Ten sighed against Ronan’s shoulder. 

“Come on, let’s get into bed before we fall asleep standing up.” Ronan tugged Ten into the bedroom and toward the king-sized bed. He pushed his lover down onto his side of the bed and tucked the covers around him before shutting off the light and climbing into bed beside him.

Ten rolled over into Ronan’s arms, resting his head on Ronan’s shoulder. “I can’t believe the day we had. Not just the tornado, but all the progress that Kaye made with my gift and our relationship.”

“Who knew all it would take to get her to accept all of that was an act of God?” Ronan chuckled. “Shit, I’ve been through some blizzards in my time in New England and a hurricane or two, but I’ve never seen anything as intense as that twister.”

Ten nodded against Ronan’s neck. “That’s the thing with a tornado, the weathermen can forecast that conditions can be favorable to spawn a funnel cloud, but you never know if it’s actually going to happen or where it will touch down. With blizzards and hurricanes forecasting has gotten so accurate that you’ve got days to plan and prep for the arrival of the storm. With tornadoes, sometimes you only have minutes.”

Ronan could see how that could change your perspective on a lot of things. “What do you think she’s going to do about our wedding?”

Ten blew out a hash breath. “I don’t know.  Things are really going to be different for her when we’re gone in a few days. Either it’s going to be out of sight, out of mind, or the time alone will give her a chance to sort out her feelings and think about what she wants in this second act of her life. What do you think she’s going to do?”

Ronan pressed a kiss to the top of Tennyson’s head. He’d been thinking about this when it was his turn in the shower. “You know, I think Greeley is going to be the wild card in all of this. When I was shot, he wrote to me constantly. He sent me cards, emails, and actual letters. I have no doubt he’ll do the same thing with Kaye, not to mention the book club he said he wanted to start with her. Knowing Greeley, he’ll send her information about Salem and Boston and pictures of him at the beach. I think most of all though, she’ll want to see her son marry the love of his life.”

“I hope you’re right, Ronan. When I was up in Maine, I promised myself I’d let this idea of my parents wanting to get to know me as an adult go and I had. I really had done it. Then I wake up and my father is sitting on the edge of my bed.” He wrapped his arm tighter around Ronan’s chest.

“We’ve been so busy trying to help Kaye and chasing down Shannon Bradley’s killer that you haven’t had a lot of time to process his death yet.”

“No, I haven’t. I think he and I will make our own peace at some point. Right now, David’s focus is on Kaye and I can’t fault him for that.”

Ronan couldn’t either, but there was room for David to have said a kind word to his son. After all, Tennyson was the one who had dropped everything to come to Kansas at a moment’s notice. He wasn’t going to say that out loud though. “I’m sure you’re right about that, babe. It’s my job to be totally focused on you, so I get where he’s coming from.”

Ten pressed a kiss against Ronan’s neck. “Two more sleeps and then we’re going home.”

Ronan couldn’t help smiling at the thought of going home. Back to Boston where the leaves were ablaze with autumn color.  Back to his desk where a stack of cold cases were waiting to be solved. Back to Dixie who was probably losing her walnut-sized mind without them. Back to their friends and their neighborhood and their new house.

Back to the wedding that Ronan needed to finish planning.

 

 

EPILOGUE

November 1, El Dia de los Muertos…

Ronan O’Mara was enjoying his last few moments of single life by sipping from a bottle of sparkling water and looking out over the ballroom of the Hawthorne Hotel in downtown Salem, Massachusetts.

Right now, the ballroom was set up for the wedding ceremony and the reception. The right-hand side of the room was filled with the tables the guests would sit at for the wedding meal, while the left side had the rows of seats and the aisle he would be walking down to meet Tennyson for the ceremony. After they were pronounced husbands, they’d go outside to the courtyard and take pictures with the rest of the wedding party while the hotel staff turned the altar back into a dance floor.

“Ah, shouldn’t you be getting ready for your big day, Uncle Ronan? I don’t think Uncle Tennyson is gonna say, ‘I do’ if you’re wearing an old Celtics tee and ratty jeans.” Greeley laughed.

“That’s where you’re wrong, kiddo. Ten would marry me in a skimpy fig leaf.” Ronan laughed and pulled his nephew in for a big hug. His tuxedo was hanging up in his dressing room all ready for him to slip into but he’d wanted a look at the ballroom before he got dressed. “Ten really threw himself into the wedding plans once we got back from Kansas two weeks ago. He wanted to be the one to plan out the reception, so this is the first time I’ve seen any of this. The centerpieces, the black and silver color scheme, the little sugar skulls on all of the tables.”

“I still can’t believe you got this lucky with the hotel being available today.” Greeley shook his head in obvious disbelief.

“Carson knows the owners. I think one of them is a client of his. They had a rocking Halloween party here last night and they weren’t too keen on the idea of having to turn the room over so quickly for a wedding today, but when we agreed to have it in the afternoon and when they found out we were friends of Carson’s, let’s just say that greased the wheels a bit. I think he threw in a free reading or two as well.” Thank Christ for Carson. After he’d seen this place, Tennyson had his heart set on getting married here.

After they hadn’t gotten an RSVP back on Kaye’s invitation, it was one more disappointment Ronan didn’t want to have to deliver to his fiancé. Thankfully, it had all worked out and they’d be getting married here in about thirty minutes. Ronan turned back to Greeley and got a good look at him in his tuxedo. “You look amazing today.”

Greeley stood a little taller and straightened his silver tie. His tuxedo was all black but for the tie and pocket square. “It’s an honor to stand up with you today. It’s been six months since Dad got me into rehab and my whole life has changed. You and Uncle Ten are a big part of that.” Greeley’s eyes were a bit misty.

Ronan hugged him again before he started crying too. It had been nothing shy of miraculous the way Greeley had turned his life completely around. “I love you so much, kid.” Ronan hugged Greeley tight. He felt the teenager squeeze him tighter.

“Love you too, Uncle Ronan. Now go change, you bum!” Greeley laughed.

“You’ve got the ring, right?” Ronan swiped a hand over his moist eyes.

“Right here.” Greeley patted his left jacket pocket. “I got you.”

“Only because I got you first!” Ronan patted his shoulder and jogged back toward his dressing room.

Ronan’s dressing room was set up with his tuxedo hanging on a peg near a free standing rectangular mirror. One of the photographers would be in later to take some pictures of him slipping into his jacket, and of Truman, his best man, pinning his boutonnière to his lapel. 

For now though, Ronan was happy to have a few quiet moments to himself. Over on his dresser sitting next to the box with his cufflinks was a cream-colored envelope. He had a feeling it was from Tennyson.

Sure enough, when he was close enough to read it, he could see it was addressed to “My Future Husband.” Feeling his eyes getting misty again, Ronan opened the envelope and pulled out the card inside. Pictured on the cover were two barefooted men holding hands and walking off into the sunset on a beach. The words, “Forever Starts Today,” were written in gold. He blinked back tears before opening the card. “I’m so glad the journey starts by your side,” read the sentiment on the inside. The tears Ronan had been trying to blink back were now rolling down his face. “Jeez, get it together,” Ronan whispered to the empty room. He hadn’t even read what Tennyson had written on the blank side of the card yet.

He took a deep breath and started to read:

My dearest, dearest Ronan,

In a matter of hours, we’ll start our greatest adventure together. I thought I’d be nervous or maybe a little scared, but what I am, is ready. I am ready to be your husband, your forever love, your partner in every sense of the word. Now, hurry up and get dressed. I’m waiting for you at the altar!

Almost all of my love... You’ll get the rest when you put a ring on it!

Ten

Ronan burst out laughing. The card he’d had Truman deliver to Tennyson had been very serious. Leave it to his almost-husband to be the comedian. 

Not one to ignore good advice, he dressed quickly in his tuxedo pants and dress shirt. He stood in the mirror as he fumbled with the onyx shirt studs. One of them thumped to the carpet. He bent down to try to find it in the thick pile of the rug. “I wish you were here to do this for me, Mom.” Spotting the stud, he picked it up and regained his full height. When he looked back in the mirror, he wasn’t alone. Erin O’Mara was standing behind him. “Mom?”

“Hello, baby boy.” Erin flashed a bright smile.

Ronan turned around to hug her, but she was gone. “Okay, that was amazing.” He turned back to the mirror and Erin was behind him again. 

“Don’t move, Ro Your Boat,” Erin laughed. “For some reason, this miracle only works with the mirror.”

“Mom, how?” Ronan couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Erin was dressed in a perfect mother-of-the-groom dress. It was light blue, making her eyes pop. 

“I’m not sure, but I’m not going to look a gift miracle in the mouth either.” Tears shimmered in her eyes. “Look at you. So handsome. I can’t believe today is your big day.”

“I know. Do you have any advice for me?” Ronan chuckled. He had a lot of flaws.

“We’d need hours, honey!” Erin laughed. 

Ronan laughed with her.

She set her hand on his shoulder. “Listen to your husband. Try to see things from his point of view, and for God’s sake, Ronan, let the man win an argument from time to time. It won’t kill you.”

Ronan started to laugh again. “Okay. I’ll try. Hand to God.” He held up his left hand. Catching movement out of his left eye, he turned his head a bit and saw a young woman with flowing strawberry-blonde hair. He only saw her for a second before she vanished. He looked back up at Erin in the mirror, raising an eyebrow in question.

“Do you want me to tell you or would you like to guess?” Her tears were back, but the smile on Erin’s face was the most beautiful thing Ronan had ever seen, with the possible exception of the strawberry-blonde. 

“It’s her, isn’t it?” His voice was barely above a whisper. He couldn’t bear to say the word “daughter” out loud in case he was wrong. He’d spent the last month hearing so much about how Erin, Bertha, and even David Grimm had been to visit his and Tennyson’s future daughter that he was starting to wonder if he would be the last person to meet her. 

Erin nodded. “I didn’t want you to be the last one to meet her.”

Ronan bit his bottom lip. He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He ended up doing a bit of both. “Is that how you see her?”

Erin nodded. “You will too, someday.”

“Mom, I...” Ronan didn’t have the words for this moment. The fact that Erin was here, that she’d brought his daughter. It was too much. He was blessed beyond measure.

“I know, Ronan.” Erin squeezed his shoulder. “Bertha says the veil between the physical world and the spirit world is thinner today with it being The Day of the Dead and tomorrow being All Souls Day.”

“Is Bertha here too?”

Erin nodded. “I think she’s using some of her power so you can see and hear me.”

“I love you so much, Bertha Craig.” Ronan laughed. 

“She says she loves you more, Handsome.”

“Does Bertha have any advice for me?”

Erin laughed. “I can’t tell him that, Bertha. He’s my son. I diapered that little bum.” Erin blushed fiercely.

“Oh, God!” Ronan groaned. He had no idea what Bertha was suggesting, but knew it was super dirty if Erin couldn’t say it out loud, she’d never shied away from talking to her gay son about gay sex. 

“Just have a lot of sex, honey. I’m sure you and Tennyson will get to what Bertha thinks you should try, eventually.” 

“Okey dokey, Bertha.” Ronan bounced his eyebrows. “Are you gonna walk me down the aisle, Mom?”

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

“Is she going to be here for the ceremony?”

“Ronan, we all know what her name is. You can say it, you know.”

“I don’t want to jinx it. Not until she’s real.” He shook his head, sending a fresh wave of tears down his cheeks. He and Tennyson had discussed what they’d name their daughter on their last night in Kansas. It had been surprisingly easy to decide. It still gave Ronan chills every time he said it in his head.

Erin nodded. “Your little miss will be here. She’s curious about Tennyson too.”

“Will he be able to see her?” Ronan wished he could have one more glance. The first one had been all too brief.

“I think we can arrange that.” Erin winked at someone Ronan couldn’t see.

“Oh, God, she’s a Grimm-O’Mara already!” Ronan laughed. “We’re gonna have our hands full.”

“You’ve got that right.” Erin beamed at her son. “Truman and the guys are going to be here any second now. I just want to tell you how proud I am of you. Not just of the detective, but of the man you’ve become. You impress me every single day, Ronan Michael O’Mara. A mother couldn’t be more proud of her son. I love you to Dublin and back.”

Ronan laughed. He’d nearly forgotten about their goodnight words. He’d make sure he’d say them to their little princess every single night before she fell asleep. “I love you too, Mom and you too, my little miss.”

Erin pressed a kiss to the side of Ronan’s head and vanished. A second later, he felt a feather light touch against his right cheek. A kiss for good luck from his daughter-to-be on his wedding day.

 

 

Tennyson

Tennyson Grimm was seeing spots in front of his eyes. It had been Ronan’s job to hire the wedding photographer and he hoped to God this guy wasn’t getting paid by the picture, otherwise this wedding would be the most expensive in history.

He was standing in front of the altar, with his back to the seated guests, checking for the hundredth time that everything was perfect for the ceremony that was scheduled to begin in ten minutes.  Actually, that wasn’t the real truth. He knew Kaye wasn’t here and he didn’t want his eyes glued to the door watching for her to walk in like an orphaned puppy hoping to get adopted from the pound. Today was about his future, not about his past.

“We’re about to get started,” Carson said from behind him. “The justice of the peace is here.”

Ten turned to face his best friend and best man. “I’m so ready for this.”

“I know you are.” Carson took his arm and led Ten over to their side of the altar. He waved to Truman, Greeley, and Kevin who were standing on Ronan’s side.

All they were missing was the other groom. Ten had spoken to Erin earlier in the day and knew she’d be walking Ronan down the aisle. Unfortunately, only Cole, Carson, and himself would be able to see her. To everyone else, it would look like Ronan was walking down the aisle alone.

“Now you know that isn’t strictly true,” Cole said. “Today of all days, people with even a glimmer of psychic ability might be able to see Erin and Bertha.”

Ten laughed. He was about to ask if the Craig brothers thought it would be possible for Ronan to see Erin when the violinist started to play Ronan’s entrance music, a gorgeous Irish ballad. All of the guests stood up as the double doors swung open and the groom stepped forward.

Now Tennyson wished he could say it was the sight of Ronan on Erin’s arm that took his breath away, but it wasn’t. It was the strawberry-blonde girl standing to Ronan’s left with a hand on his arm. In a heartbeat, Tennyson knew who she was. Involuntarily, he took a step toward her, before Carson grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

“What are you doing?” Carson whispered.

“You don’t see…” Ten couldn’t take his eyes off her.

“Of course I see your daughter standing with Ronan. Let her come to you.” Carson grinned.

“Oh, Jesus, Carson, she’s beautiful. I-” Ten felt a rogue tear slip down his cheek. “I just wish Ronan could see her too.”

In that instant, Ronan turned to his left and smiled. It almost seemed to Tennyson that Ronan could see her. But that wasn’t possible, was it?

“Uh, Ten, I don’t mean to distract you, but we’re not the only ones who can see her.”

“What are you talking about?” Ten still couldn’t take his eyes off his future daughter.

“Greeley,” Carson whispered. “He can see her too. Either that or the boy’s eyeballs are really about to fall out of his head.”

Okay, that got Tennyson’s attention. He reluctantly pulled his eyes away from Ronan and his entourage of redheads and turned to Greeley. The boy indeed looked like he’d seen a ghost. He’d have to pull the boy aside later and ask him what he’d seen.

When Ten turned back to the aisle, Ronan was only a few steps away from him. The only problem was that Ronan wasn’t looking at him. He kept swiveling his head from the left to the right, as if he could see the women escorting him toward Ten. To everyone else he probably looked like some kind of loopy owl.

“Who gives this man to be married?” The justice of the peace asked. He’d been prepped ahead of time that there would be guests of the paranormal kind in attendance today. He was a JP in the Witch City, needless to say, that news hadn’t come as shock to him.

“We do!” Erin and the strawberry-blonde answered. They each held Ronan’s hand out to Tennyson.

Ten couldn’t help brushing his hand against his daughter’s. The girl smiled at him and whispered something in his ear before stepping back to stand with Erin.

“You can see her, right?” Ronan whispered to him. Tears glittered in his blue eyes.

Ten nodded. “You can too.” He couldn’t help but think this made up for the fact that his own mother couldn’t bother to make it out here for her own son’s wedding. This made up for it in spades.

Greeley had been true to his word in that he kept in close touch with Kaye in the two weeks that they’d been home from Kansas. He’d been positive that Kaye was going to show up, even though she hadn’t told him that in those precise words.

Oh, well No matter. He had bigger fish to fry. Vows to recite and a ring to slip on Ronan’s finger.

“Tennyson, would you begin with your vows?”

He took a deep breath and reached out for Ronan’s hand. “So many people talk about love at first sight. We didn’t have that.” Ten laughed. “It was a bit more like distrust at first sight. We had to work for this day. We worked damn hard to get from that first day to this first day, Ronan.”

“Damn right we did.” Ronan nodded, using his free hand to wipe away the tears that were starting in his own eyes.

“Today is our first day as husbands. It is love at first sight today. I vow to always be true to you no matter what. I vow to always kiss you goodnight. I vow to be kind and honest and thoughtful and to always put your needs ahead of my own. Most of all, I promise to sleep by your bedside when you get shot again.” Ten laughed. “I mean, let’s face it, we all know you’re gonna get your ass shot again at some point in time.”

Ronan burst out laughing too. He was shaking his head no.

“Lastly, I vow to be the best father and role-model to our future children that I can possibly be. I promise not to always be the fun parent.” Ten laughed again. “I’ll leave some of the fun duties for you, like the middle of the night feedings, projectile vomit duty, and the poop diapers that are so volcanic that they overflow and fill up the feet of those onesie pajamas.” Ten started laughing again. “Our life together is going to be an adventure and there’s no one I’d rather take stoplight selfies with than you, Ronan O’Mara.” Tennyson took Ronan’s ring from Carson and slipped it on his finger.

“Ronan, would you recite your vows?”

Ronan was laughing so hard that he held up a hand. He tried to take a deep breath but only laughed harder. “Wow!” he managed, turning around to look at his side of the wedding party and then the guests. “How do you top that?”

Greeley shot him a thumbs up.

He took a deep breath and turned back to Tennyson. “I remember when I was in the hospital recovering from being shot.” Ronan put his hand over the scars on his chest. “I was in and out of consciousness a lot, but every time I woke up, you were always there. Day or night, Ten, you were always there for me. I know it was sort of a joke when you said you’d be at my bedside when I get shot again, but the truth of it is that I know you will. You were the reason I survived. I had to find out what happened next in our story.” He gave Ten’s hand a squeeze before he kissed the back of it. “I know not every day is going to be like this one, with a crowd of our friends and family cheering us on. There will be days where we struggle alone and others where we succeed only in each other’s eyes. I say bring those days on, because we’ll face them together.”

It was Ten’s turn to swipe at the tears in his eyes.

“You think you’re gonna be the fun parent? Ha! I’ll be the one who feeds the kids way too much sugar and lets them stay up past their bedtime, while you stuff them full of kale and have them tucked in by 7pm. We’ll read a million stories and travel to far off lands where we rescue princesses and find buried treasure. Best of all, Ten, we’ll do it all together. As Grimm-O’Maras. Or O’Mara-Grimms. The first way makes it sound like we’re a heavy metal band, but we’ll be the happiest family ever, because in about thirty seconds, you’re going to be my husband.” Ronan turned to the audience of friends and well-wishers. “You hear that everyone? I do!” Ronan opened his mouth to say something else when something in the back of the room seemed to catch his attention.

Tennyson saw Ronan hesitate and followed his line of sight to the double doors where a figure stood. He squinted his eyes, and couldn’t be one hundred percent sure, but it looked like Kaye Grimm was standing in the back of the ballroom. Whoever it was looked like they couldn’t decide whether to go or to stay. “I do too!” Ten crowed. He held out his hand for Ronan to put his ring back on. He’d felt lost all day without it.

Greeley handed Ronan the ring and Ronan slid it back onto Tennyson’s finger.

“By the power vested in me by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the Witch City, I declare you legally wed. Ronan, you may kiss your husband. Tennyson, you may kiss yours back.”

“I love you so much Tennyson O’Mara!” Ronan didn’t give Ten a chance to answer, he pulled his new husband into his arms and kissed him hard.

Tennyson was along for the ride at this point. He wrapped his arms around his husband’s neck and kissed him back.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you for the first time, The Grimm-O’Maras! Or, the O’Mara-Grimms!”

Ten raised their joined hands over their heads as their friends and family applauded them.

Ronan grabbed Ten’s hand and pulled him off to the side. “Look, I know we have to get outside for the pictures and everything, but I have to ask you a question first.”

“You want to know how it’s possible to see Erin and our daughter, right?” Ten knew Ronan was going to ask this question.

Ronan shook his head no. “I’m way past that, husband. Mom explained it all to me back in my dressing room. I want to know what our little miss whispered to you.”

Tennyson couldn’t help smiling at his newly minted husband. The look on his face was pure curiosity. “Actually, the message was for you.”

Ronan’s mouth dropped open. “For me? I don’t understand.”

“I don’t either, Ronan.” It was true. Ten had heard the message loud and clear, but the words didn’t mean anything to him. It was the reason he knew the message was for Ronan. “She said, ‘I love you to Dublin and back.’ Does that mean anything to you?”

Ronan burst into tears. They were most definitely of the happy sort of tears, but he was crying so hard, he couldn’t answer Ten’s question. Ten pulled his husband into his arms and held him close.

There would be plenty of time later, once Ronan’s tears were dry, for him to explain why their little Irish lass had said those words and why they were making his newlywed husband cry like this on their wedding day.

From where Tennyson was standing, he could see the Irish lass in question. She was giggling. Her strawberry-blonde hair was bouncing around her face. Tennyson would keep the rest of what she whispered in his ear to himself. Some things were best left as surprises.

 

 

 

Book six of the Cold Case Psychic series, Dead Ringer will be available on July 10, 2018!

Cold Case Detective and newlywed, Ronan O’Mara, is sitting on top of the world. When he returns to work after his honeymoon, he finds more waiting for him than a stack of dusty cold case files. Hidden in the mail on Ronan’s desk is a letter from Tank Hutchins, aka The Riverside Ripper. Convicted of murdering a woman three years ago, Tank claims he is innocent and asks Ronan and Tennyson for their help in proving who really committed the crime: his twin brother.

Psychic, Tennyson Grimm, is reluctant to meet with the convicted murderer who’s placed his faith in Ten’s gift.  When Tennyson realizes Tank is innocent of the crime for which he’s serving twenty-five to life, he knows that he and Ronan have to do whatever it takes to set things right.

Together with Tank’s private investigator, the mysterious Jude Byrne, Ronan and Tennyson retrace the steps of the original investigation hoping to find the one piece of evidence that will get Tank’s conviction overturned and bring the real killer to light.

When new evidence leads them to believe there’s a larger conspiracy at play, will Tennyson and Ronan be able to find the killer before he returns to finish his diabolical plan?

 

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