Good Will Ghost Hunting: Hell's Bells [Good Will Ghost Hunting 2] (Siren Publishing Classic) (25 page)

She stared at him. He wasn’t speaking English, but she understood every word. She had no idea why, but she could. Behind him appeared Ryan. She almost didn’t recognize him at first. He was dressed in a similar manner as Aidan, his long hair also tied back.

Kal’s heart thumped when she saw him, her soul yearning for him the way it yearned for Will when he was away from her. She crossed the clearing in a few strides and threw herself into his arms, deeply kissing him.

She didn’t question that part. It felt better than right, it felt like he completed her.

When she finally tipped her head back to look at him, she smiled. “Ami.”

He picked her up and spun her around, the biggest, brightest smile Kal had ever seen on his face. She’d never seen him smile as broadly as he was now, and her heart swelled even more.

“Chloe, how I love you.”

“Take her home, brother,” Aidan said from somewhere behind them. His voice sounded amused. “We can pick up the trail tomorrow. I’ll stay here tonight. Praise the gods together as loudly as you wish. Perhaps tonight I’ll actually get some sleep.”

Ryan laughed and kissed her again. She closed her eyes and felt the shift, knew they’d gone…home?

She opened her eyes as Ryan laid her on their bed. The room looked sparse, nearly primitive, but tidy and clean. He stretched out beside her. “I missed you, my love,” he whispered as he kissed her throat. She also realized he wasn’t speaking English, but she was beyond caring about that little factoid.

Her fingers gripped the back of his head, found the leather thong holding his hair, and pulled it free. It cascaded across his shoulders.

“I missed you
,
too, my sweet Amiago.”

Kal felt every touch, every kiss, but it was more like a conscious memory than a dream. It felt like it had really happened and she couldn’t control or change the events, simply relive them even while her mind struggled to make sense of it all.

* * * *

Kal awoke exhausted the next morning. She knew she’d dreamed, unusual scenes that were fuzzy in their recollection and disturbed her in ways she couldn’t understand, and yet she wished she could clearly recall them.

She stared at Will. Still asleep, his head tucked against her, his arm draped across her hip.

Making love to him last night had almost felt like the first time all over again for real. In morning’s light, she had no trouble discerning the truth, that it had been their wedding night and not really their first time.

I’ll have to thank Ryan.

“Thank Ryan for what?” Will mumbled.

She blushed, embarrassed that Will had heard her thoughts. She vaguely remembered part of her dream, about making love to Ryan, but it had been strange, out of place, like a memory of a long-distant past.

Kal quickly shielded those thoughts from Will. “He pulled a little mind trick with me.”

Will’s eyes popped open as his face darkened. “What did he do?” he growled.

She grinned. “Mr. Jealousy, are we?”

He sat up. “
What
did he do?”

She put her arms around him. “He told me before the ceremony to pretend that last night was our very first night together. It sort of did feel like it.”

Will relaxed and kissed her. “Oh.”

“That’s sweet, that you’re so jealous,” she teased. “You two won’t start fighting again, will you?”

He pulled her back down to the bed and rolled her on top of him. “Not unless he starts some shit with me.”

They ate breakfast before driving away from the city. “So when do I find out our plans?” she asked.

He smiled. “When we get there.”

As they drove north toward Cheyenne, Wyoming, then west on I-80, Kal started to get a pretty good idea of where they were going. Will took his time, giving her plenty of opportunities to stop and take pictures of the scenery. They stopped early and had dinner before checking in to a small motel near Rock Springs.

“When do we get to Yellowstone?” she playfully asked after he’d made love to her.

He gently nipped her shoulder. “You been sneaking looks at my thoughts?”

“No. It doesn’t take a genius to read road signs.”

“Two days in the Tetons. Four days in Yellowstone, then a roundabout drive through some other sites in Wyoming, Montana, and South Dakota. We’re taking two weeks off.”

“Two weeks!” She sat up, irritated. “With as much stuff as we have going on?” And with her dad dying.

Guilt flooded her thoughts.

Apparently Will sensed it. “Relax. Your mom and dad insisted on it, believe me. I would have been happy with a three-day weekend, but your mom and dad told Aidan to set us up on a long trip to get away.”

She’d managed to spend most of their trip so far not thinking about how short time was for her dad. Now she felt guilty for enjoying herself so much.

Will pulled her back into his arms, snuggled her tightly against him. “Sleep, sweetheart. It’s okay. Enjoy this time together.”

She didn’t realize how tired she was, falling asleep almost immediately.

* * * *

The primitive pants Kal wore weren’t much more than a loose skirt split up the center and sewn shut along the inseams. Something had her on edge, but what that something was, she wasn’t sure. She’d visited the village market earlier that day, that much she remembered. Something about a man…

Kal shook her head. It felt wrongly right being here. Embedded in this dream, she could remember her dream from the night before. This one also carried her along with it, without question or interference from her.

She lit a fire in the hearth and prepared to make the stew when one of the horses nervously whinnied outside.

Instincts on edge, she drew her sword from the scabbard hung on the wall. Aidan and Amiago were out on a mission, and she wouldn’t disturb them for a wolf or wild boar, that would be ridiculous. Aidan would never let her live it down. Amiago would reassure her it was okay, but he’d have that deliciously handsome twinkle in his eyes, amused that his soul mate had come crying to him over a mere animal.

She wrapped her fingers around her amulet and brought it to her lips, kissing it for luck, her nervous habit. Then she carefully opened the door.

When the huge hand reached out and grabbed her, she barely had time to make out the large man’s face before the dream faded and Kal sank into deep, inky blackness…

* * * *

“What’s wrong?” Will looked at Kal from across the booth, his brow furrowed with worry.

Kal picked at her oatmeal. More dreams. These of a decidedly darker tone than the ones the night before. “Nothing. I think it’s just stress, that’s all.”

“Are you feeling okay?”

She pulled herself together. This was her honeymoon, for crying out loud. She instinctively reached for the amulet around her neck and played with it, fingered it, feeling slightly calmer as she did.

“Yes.” She forced a smile. “I’ll feel a lot better once we’re in Yellowstone and relaxing.”

The dreams continued the next three nights, both good and bad, then thankfully ended. At least she couldn’t remember most of the details upon awaking.

She enjoyed her time alone with Will. When they finally flew back to Columbus at the end of their journey, Ryan met them at the airport.

“All’s well,” he assured them. “I’ll walk to the parking garage with you. You can take the car from there, and I’ll return home.”

Kal watched the men interact. Will still acted reserved, but no longer show
ed
the blatant, outward hostility he’d once expressed for Ryan.

So far, she’d managed to keep Ryan’s secret for him. After her initial shock of the revelation had worn off, and then with the wedding and her father’s illness to cope with, not to mention the little matter of a wildly famous TV show to produce, it had become easier to not think about it.

Ryan and Will talked on their way back to the car, the men refusing to let her carry any luggage other than her purse. Ryan helped Will load everything, then shook Will’s hand before hugging Kal.

“I hope you had a wonderful time, love.”

She hugged him a hair tighter. “I did. Thank you.”

As she held him, her dreams came back in full clarity, slamming into her brain with cataclysmic force. Ryan, but going by a different name, and everything they’d done…

The amulet around her neck suddenly felt very warm against her skin.

Ryan quickly stepped away from her and opened the back passenger door. “Until later, then.” He climbed in, closed the door
,
and disappeared.

Will held the passenger door for her. “I’m guessing back to your mom and dad’s?”

Kal nodded, still reeling, looking at where Ryan had been. “Yeah. That’s fine.”

Aidan changed clothes three times before Jeff enveloped him in a strong hug and refused to let him go. “Stop it. You look fine.”

Aidan tried to crane his neck around Jeff to view himself in the mirror. “I don’t want to screw this up.” He’d eschewed the flamboyant tropical shirts and mismatched shorts for a sedate button-up Oxford shirt and khaki slacks with loafers. “I want to look nice.”

“You
do
look nice.”

He met Jeff’s gaze. “I want you to be proud of me.”

Jeff looked taken aback. “I
am
proud of you! What are you talking about?”

“I mean…” Aidan stepped out of their embrace and sat on the bed. “I don’t want to look like a doofy screwup to them. I want them to like me.”

Jeff sat next to him. “They will like you. They already do like you. You saw how they were at the reception.” He smoothed Aidan’s hair, a habit Aidan had quickly grown to love. “No, they still haven’t totally wrapped their heads around the ‘gay son’ concept, but they’re getting there. They’re okay with it.” He squeezed Aidan’s hands. “It’s not like I’m going down on you in front of them at the dinner table.”

It took a second for Jeff’s words to register in Aidan’s brain. Coupled with Jeff’s playful smile, it set Aidan off on a laughing jag. “Holy crap, buddy. I never would have expected you to say something like that.” He tightly hugged Jeff. “Okay. I promise I’ll be on my best behavior tonight. I’ll let you take the lead.”

“Just be yourself. Be your normal self and they’ll like you.”

Aidan was glad Jeff felt so confident. Frankly, he didn’t share his lover’s positive attitude. He let Jeff drive. By the time they’d arrived at the Conrad home, Aidan had nearly worked himself into a panic attack.

Jeff noticed. Before they exited the car, Jeff leaned in and kissed Aidan. Suddenly, everything felt perfectly copacetic in Aidan’s world.

Jeff stroked his cheek. “It’s okay. They like you. Quit worrying.”

“How’d you do that?” Aidan hoarsely whispered.

“Do what?” Jeff asked with a puzzled look.

“Calm me down like that?”

Jeff smiled. “Maybe that’s a sign we’re meant to be together. Did you ever think of it that way?”

“I love you.”

Jeff’s smile broadened. “I love you, too. When we get back to the hotel tonight, I’m going to show you just how much I love you.”

During their walk to the front door, Jeff firmly clasped Aidan’s hand and refused to let go. Aidan didn’t want him to let go. The brief return of his anxiety between their kiss and getting out of the car had disappeared when Jeff gripped his hand.

Jeff knocked on the door, then opened it
,
and stuck his head inside. “Mom, Dad, we’re here.”

“Come on in!” his mom called from inside the house.

Jeff pushed the door open and led Aidan inside. Bill and Elise Conrad owned a typical middle
-
class home, neat and tidy and nothing you’d see in a
Vogue
layout, but nothing to be ashamed of either. The table in the large eat-in kitchen was set for five, Aidan noticed. Elise walked over and hugged Jeff and Aidan. Bill shook hands with both of them and motioned them to the table.

“Can I do anything to help, ma’am?” Aidan asked.

Jeff obviously favored his mother in appearance. Her smile looked nearly identical to his. “No, it’s done, I just need to put it on the table. Kim will be here any minute.”

Jeff groaned as he sat. “I should have known. Mom, did you have to invite her?”

“She’s your sister. You haven’t seen her in a while.”

“Did you give her a ‘no lecture’ rule for the night?”

“Yes, I did.”

Jeff motioned Aidan to sit next to him. His father had already taken a seat at one end of the table. Aidan remembered Jeff mentioning his sister, but he hadn’t talked much about her. Aidan got the distinct feeling Jeff didn’t get along very well with her.

Correction, he got the impression that Kim didn’t get along well with many people in general.

Jeff looked at Aidan. “Just ignore her if she starts in on one of her tirades. I’m apologizing in advance. Seriously.”

Bill Conrad laughed. “Well, she’s opinionated, I’ll give her that.” He directed his next comment to Aidan. “I’m sure you and Jeff have had talks about our family and our beliefs. While I’ll admit there’s things I’m not comfortable with and don’t necessarily agree with, I’ll also admit that we love our children first and foremost, and we want them to be happy.” He took a deep breath. “Jeff’s sister isn’t as… shall we say, flexible.”

Aidan felt his gut tighten. Apparently sensing his nervousness, Jeff patted Aidan’s leg under the table.

It immediately calmed Aidan.

Aidan wondered about that for the briefest of moments. Here he was, ages old, much older than Jeff, and yet Jeff was handling this like everything was normal and easy.

Aidan was about to ask a question when the front door opened and slammed shut. “Mom, Dad, I’m here.”

Jeff had time to flash Aidan a reassuring smile and wink before Kim walked through the doorway.

Kim was five years older than Jeff, but she looked even older than that. Where Jeff looked young and mellow, she looked like something rode hard and put away wet for far too many seasons. Her dark brown hair was liberally threaded with gr
a
y. Pulled back tightly into a severe bun, it only emphasized the deep lines etched around her eyes and mouth, which added several more years to her face. He didn’t even have to get a whiff of her to know she was a heavy smoker. Her coarse voice betrayed her. Her dark brown pantsuit looked like a rummage sale reject and made her appear even older.