Page 3 of Dead Calm (Cold Case Psychic #38)

After a stop for lunch and shopping in Providence, Fitzgibbon pulled into Hurricane Pointe’s parking lot around quarter past three.

Thankfully, their rooms were ready. While Fitz and Ronan unloaded their luggage, Ten and Cope walked down toward the ocean.

The view was just like it was in the pictures Jace had shown.

Pink and aqua umbrellas lined the beach, along with blue lounge chairs.

Two young girls played at the water’s edge with their father, splashing him and making all kinds of noise, while the mother read a book.

Ten imagined it was probably the first time all summer she’d had the chance to have a few moments to herself.

Not wanting to use his gift, Ten wondered if one of the girls was the Sophie Everly had mentioned the day before while he’d been packing for the trip.

“This place is gorgeous and so damn quiet.” Cope wore a look of absolute contentment.

Ten grinned at his friend. “You mean aside from the father and his girls playing in the surf?”

“No, I mean there are no ghosts. I can’t sense any spirits around us. I don’t want to jinx this trip, but is it possible our gifts can take the week off?” Cope looked like he was ready to do a dance of joy.

Closing his eyes, Ten opened his gift. He didn’t sense any spirits either. “I’m not feeling anything either. When Jace said this place was built in 1854, and the owner’s son died in the Civil War, I thought for sure we’d get a spirit or two from that time period, but I’m getting nothing.”

“Let’s not look a gift horse in the mouth. We’ll get unpacked and hit the beach.” Cope took a deep breath. “Man, I’m gonna sleep so well with the smell of the ocean to lull me to sleep.”

Tennyson didn’t want to point it out, but they could smell the ocean from their houses in Salem too. There was no way he was going to do anything to ruin Cope’s joyful mood. In fact, Ten was going to throw caution to the wind and be just as joyful as his friend.

By the time Ten and Cope walked into the lobby. Fitz was handing out room keys to the others.

“Oh, there you are,” Ronan said, wrapping his arms around his husband. “I thought you and Cope were making yourselves at home on the beach.”

“We’re going to as soon as everyone is settled.” Ten pecked Ronan’s lips. “You know, if we’ve got Aurora tonight, that means Fitz will have Everly tomorrow night. All we’ve got to do is pawn Ezra off on Jude and we’ll have the suite to ourselves.” He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

“Jude’s already got Ezra for tomorrow night!” Ronan brushed a kiss against Ten’s lips. “Are you excited to have free time to read or did you have something else in mind?”

“Something else. I’m thinking maybe sex on the beach?” Ten grinned. It had been a long time since he and Ronan had done that very thing when they’d vacationed at Sand Dollar Shoal on Cape Cod.

Ronan snorted. “I like the way you think. We’ll make sure to bring a gag. You have the tendency to be loud.”

Ten smacked Ronan’s shoulder. “ Please , you’re the one old lady Hickenlooper heard moaning for God last summer.

You scared her so badly she thought someone was being killed and called the cops.

” If Ten lived to be a hundred he’d never forget the sound of sirens breaking the silence of their little neighborhood.

Or the way Ronan looked naked and bathed in the blue and white lights of the cop cars.

Thankfully Ten managed to get him back in the house in time to answer the door when the police came knocking to ask if anyone in the house was hurt.

It hadn’t taken Jude or Fitz long to figure out Ronan was the moaner mentioned in the 911 call.

“Daddy, come on, let’s get a move on. I gotta work on my tan!” Everly grabbed Ronan’s hand and tugged him toward the elevator.

Ten brought SPF 50 with him. He planned to slather it all over his daughter, like butter on a Thanksgiving turkey.

Everly wasn’t going to get sunburned on his watch.

Grabbing his bag, Ten wheeled it toward the elevator.

He took a deep breath before stepping in, sure he was going to see a spirit waiting for him, but it was just Ronan and Everly, who both rolled their eyes at him.

“Sheesh, Dad, if you go any slower we’ll have to check out before we even get to see our room.” Everly rolled her eyes in a perfect imitation of Ronan.

Ten laughed. Maybe Cope was right and there were no spirits in the hotel. He was the first off the elevator when the bell dinged. He could hear Fitzgibbon’s outraged voice and Aurora’s laugh from down the hall. “What the heck is going on?”

“Uncle Fitz just found out that Aurora has a boyfriend.” Everly giggled and slapped her hands over her mouth.

“A boyfriend?” Ronan and Ten asked at the same time.

Everly grimaced at her fathers. “Yeah, it’s not a big deal, Daddies. Chill.”

Ronan hurriedly popped his keycard into the slot. The light turned green and he opened the door. He motioned for Ten and Everly to hurry into the room, which he shut and locked behind them.

Ten had never seen a more beautiful suite in his life.

The living room was open and spacious. Large floor to ceiling windows offered an unobstructed view to the beach and the Atlantic Ocean beyond.

He could see the bedrooms were on either side of the main room.

According to what he read, each had its own bathroom, so that when the girls had their sleepover tonight, he and Ronan wouldn’t be up all night listening to them laugh together.

“You can look around the room later.” Ronan grabbed Ten’s hand and dragged him to the sofa. “Okay, girl, spill! Don’t leave out a single detail.”

Everly grinned. “Well, Aurora met Jack at the fun run a few weeks back. When we were in the cooling-off tent, Jack was there with his father. Remember how we all were doused in pink powder just before we crossed the finish line? Well, Jack saw that happen and brought Aurora wet wipes, a bottle of water, and a package of cookies. It was love at first sight!” Everly made a swooning sound.

“Their song is “Love Story” by Taylor Swift. Isn’t that romantic? ”

“Absolutely!” Ronan agreed.

Ten shot Ronan a questioning look. It took him a moment to realize Ronan’s excitement had to do with the fact that Everly hadn’t found herself a similar love story. “Who is this boy? Do we know him?”

Everly nodded. “Yup. He was in Miss Johnson’s second grade class last year.”

“Oh, so he’s an older man?” Ronan gasped, obviously loving every second of dishing gossip with his daughter.

“He’s really mature, Daddy. He’s gonna be eight in October. Aurora says his best friend, Jerry, thinks I’m cute! We’re gonna go on a double date!” Everly bounced off the sofa and pecked Ronan’s cheek. “I gotta go unpack. Me and Aurora are gonna FaceTime with the boys at four. Byeeee!”

Before Ten could stop her, the bedroom door shut and Taylor Swift’s music filled the suite.

“There’s no way in hell a daughter of mine is going out with a boy named Jerry!” Ronan crossed his arms over his chest.

Ten snorted and tried to cover it with a cough when Ronan shot him an outraged look. “So you’d be okay if the boy’s name was Skyler or Wyatt?”

“Fuck no!” Ronan half-shouted. “Boys only want one thing. I’ll be damned if my daughter is the one to give it to them.”

“Ronan,” Ten said slowly. “They’re eight years old . Jerry doesn’t want what you think he wants.”

“Of course he does!” Ronan insisted.

“What is it you think an eight year old boy wants with Everly?” Ten bit his cheek to keep from laughing. He couldn’t wait to hear what idiotic thing Ronan came out with.

“Friendship bracelets!” Ronan shook his head. “Don’t you read People magazine?” Not bothering to wait for an answer, Ronan plowed on. “All these Swifties make bracelets and hand them out to each other. The boy with the most bracelets wins!”

Ten started to giggle. “What does the boy with the most bracelets win?”

“I can’t talk to you when you’re like this.” Ronan got up from the sofa and grabbed his bag. “If Everly starts making friendship bracelets for Jerry, it’s all over! She won’t be my little girl anymore, she’ll be his!”

Ten was laughing too hard to respond at first. Ronan stood there, tapping his foot, waiting for Ten to recover enough to speak again.

“Ronan, Everly is seven years old. She’s not going to run off and elope with this kid.

I mean, how far could they get on his two-wheeler and her twenty dollar allowance? ”

Ronan burst out laughing. He leaned on the handle of his suitcase and cackled harder. Ten joined in.

The music stopped and Everly walked out of her room dressed in her pink bathing suit and matching cover up. “What’s wrong with you two?” she asked.

“We were talking about friendship bracelets,” Ten managed between giggles.

“Okay, well, I’m gonna go to the beach with Aurora and Uncle Fitz. Later, weirdos!” Everly called as she opened the door to the hotel suite.

“Sunblock!” Ten called after her. He turned his attention back to Ronan, who’d stopped laughing.

“She’s growing up too fast, Ten.”

“You said the same thing when she learned to sit up by herself, and when she learned to crawl, then walk, then ride a big girl bike.” Ten knew exactly where Ronan was coming from.

He’d felt the same way, but always loved each new milestone his kids reached.

“As much as you want to slow time down, it keeps marching forward.”

“Not with a doofus named Jerry!” Ronan grimaced, as if the boy’s name tasted bad in his mouth.

“Yeah, well, I’m guessing my mother didn’t think I’d end up with a doofus named Ronan, but here we are!” Ten squealed when Ronan reached out and grabbed him. He slung Ten over his shoulders and carried him into the bedroom like a caveman.

The beach was going to have to wait. Ten was gonna bone a doofus named Ronan.