Page 23 of Safe in Shadow (Pine Ridge Universe #22)
Grace and Nyx sat across from Mr. Silverman on a lazy July afternoon. It beat sitting across from insurance adjusters, police officers, firemen, arson inspectors, detectives, and the very, very nervous state contractor who’d approved the sprinklers and wiring.
“So... That much money is actually in my account?”
“Not all of it. Not yet.”
“I... I think we’d like to buy a property closer to town. In town. And we’ll figure out something to do with the land when it’s done—um—being evidence.”
“I was thinking... The James Cameron Memorial Park sounds lovely,” Nyx crossed his legs and sat back, the picture of a very pale business tycoon with poetic hair.
Grace tore her eyes away from him. She’d never been one for celebrity crushes, but Nyx looked like that British actor with the dark hair and the pale skin, the one who played that trickster in the superhero movies.
I have my own superhero now, she thought.
She took Nyx’s hand. “I think the Cameron Memorial Park is even better. In honor of Silas and James,” she said softly, squeezing his hand between both of hers.
Now that he was with her all the time and his life force was derived from living human energy, not some dark supernatural energy, Nyx stayed solid as long as he wanted—and visible to everyone.
(Although most people didn’t notice the occasional supernatural side effect, like shadows misbehaving around him, or his arms suddenly becoming long and narrow to reach something across the room.)
“And your money? You’ll have to repay a portion of the state grants if you don’t intend to honor your end of the bargain.”
“I actually want to table the bed and breakfast idea and go right for the senior assisted living. I was talking to Craig and Minerva Macpherson. He’s a social worker, and she works in the geriatric department at the hospital.
They said there used to be a nursing home in town, Pine Hall, but the roof of the old place caved in during a snowstorm in 2020, and nothing has ever been done on that site. Is that correct?”
“It is. No developers or investors wanted to build there.”
“We do. Hilltop Home. Not house. Home. Hilltop Home is going to have twenty little apartments, and day programs for seniors, and I—” Grace knew she was rambling, and she didn’t care.
“You seem very sure of this plan,” Mr. Silverman said.
“She is. Mrs. Yerchenko is going to be our first resident,” said Nyx.
“That’s right.” Grace tapped the desk. “I was told Silverman First Fiduciary holds the deed to that land?”
“We do.”
“How much?”
“Well...” Mr. Silverman smiled and reached for his phone. “The town’s been putting any unspent money in the senior services budget into an account to aid in the rebuilding. I think I might be able to get you a very good deal, Miss Sanderson. Let me make a call and draft a letter of intent. I—”
“I think maybe that part should wait until later in the day. You’re open until four, right?”
“I can stay open until five for you. But if you don’t want to sign the letter of intent, I don’t see what difference a couple of hours will make?”
“Oh, I want to sign it. I just don’t want to have to sign it again when my name changes this afternoon.”
“Come again?”
“We have a meeting with a justice of the peace that Alban Wymark recommended. This afternoon, I’ll be Grace Sanderson-Cameron.”
“ARE YOU SURE THIS ISN’T going to backfire?” Grace whispered to Officer Walsh, one of their three witnesses.
“State-issued identification and birth records were used to get your license. The judge isn’t going to argue with the license. Besides, Nyx is as solid as I am. He’s as visible as any other vamp or shifter walking around with a secret to carry.”
“How could they reissue a birth certificate that never existed?” Last-minute doubts plagued her. Oh, not about her choice to marry the person bound to her for eternity, but about getting arrested for fraud or something like that.
“The house burning to the ground has its uses. Most fire victims need reprints of their stuff. Not only that, we have a very sympathetic records clerk—a member of the paranormal community.”
Grace let out a shaky breath and clutched her bouquet of sunflowers more tightly to her simple white skirt and sky blue top. “I asked my parents and siblings to show up. I don’t know if I hope they do, or if I wish they’d stay away. What is taking Nyx so long?”
“Give him time. When he’s excited, he does the shadow thing. Alban just texted me from the men’s room. His feet keep going to his shadow setting, and his shoes are falling off.”
Grace chuckled. This summer had been one of the scariest and happiest of her life.
Moving Nyx away from the old place—and maybe freeing him from old guilt—had let her see a witty, sweet, funny side of him.
Someday they’d tell the story of him being so excited he couldn’t keep his shoes on his feet—or his feet on his body, for that matter.
Grace’s purse buzzed. “Well, he’ll have to get married in bare feet. We have to get back to the bank,” she hissed, reaching inside and expecting to see an apologetic text from Nyx, who was still mastering modern technology.
Instead, she received a text from her parents.
Mom: We’re all in Daddy’s car. Where do we park? Your sister is so stressed out. More than three days’ notice would have been nice. I
Grace put the phone away without reading the rest. They’d figure it out. Her mother was stress-ranting. She didn’t need that.
“I’m here!” Nyx announced.
Grace almost choked on the sudden flood of lust-induced drool that her groom evoked.
His long dark hair shone and was pulled back in a small black velvet bow. He wore black trousers and shoes, and a white shirt with flowing sleeves, and there were ruffles on his shirt front that reminded her of the old Romantic poets and painters.
“H-how?” she cried, running toward him. “Where did you get that?”
Nyx smiled at his new friend, Alban. “Alban told me you can order almost anything online if you have something called wireless fidelity.”
“He means wifi.”
“I believe I hear your lovely family arriving, Grace.” Mr. Minegold said from the corner where he stood, out of the way of the judicial annex’s door, in case guests should also let in rays of sunlight.
Shouts came from the foyer. “Case, stop fiddling with your tie! Kimmy, I have tissues in my purse. Honey! Put your phone away!”
Grace smiled. “Yep. That’s them.” She turned and looked at Nyx. “You sure you wanna be legally bound to me and my pack of bickering bozos, complete with discontented mother-in-law?”
Nyx took her hand and smiled. She fell in love with that crooked smile more every day.
“You are my life’s anchor. I am bound to you for this life. When your soul leaves this plane, mine accompanies it. I have literally gone through the mouth of Hell to be with you, and faced killers in the darkness.” He squared his shoulders. “Your mother does not scare me.”
“Well, good, because—”
The door to the courtroom banged open, and her mother led the charge in a bright pink dress. “Where is this guy whom I’ve heard nothing about, who thinks he can just—”
Nyx moved far faster than humans should, suddenly standing in front of her mother. Grace noticed he’d made himself just a little taller and broader than his usual form.
Nyx seized her mother’s hand, looking deeply into her eyes. “You must be my Grace’s mother. It is lovely to meet you,” he said in a deep, rolling voice that shut up everyone in the room.
Mrs. Sanderson nodded, eyes huge, cheeks matching her dress.
“Your daughter is my life’s anchor and my treasure. I will look after her, always.”
“He has, Mom. You read the article from the Pine Ridge Gazette that I sent, didn’t you?”
This time, everyone nodded.
“Such a happy time of celebration, that we should get started. The judge has a full afternoon,” Walsh said with a pointed cough. He made an attempt at ushering everyone into a seat, but Casey slid past him, Daffodil clinging to him on her too-tall high heels, her phone out recording everything.
Casey grabbed Nyx by the hand and beamed. “Epic greeting, my man. I’m glad one of my sisters knows how to pick a good guy.”
Grace watched Nyx’s face twitch, and he seemed to shrink for a second. She could see edges of black flickering around his legs as if he wanted to vanish, but he valiantly held himself together.
He still thinks he’s something bad. Evil. Or at least evil-ish. Over a century trapped in one place, mind fragmenting over your own murder and the murder you were forced to commit to save your brother... Grace marched over and took Nyx’s arm possessively, standing tall and smiling up at him.
“He’s a very good man—and I’m always safe with him,” she whispered.
Nyx smiled back, a soft smile that spoke louder than any of his declarations. “Thank you, my love.”
She leaned her head on his shoulder. “Can we get married now?”
Nyx’s eyes clouded for a second, and Grace knew he was remembering the ill-fated first love and first woman he had hoped to marry. But in a second, his eyes cleared and focused on her, shining bright. “Indeed, Sunflower. At last.”
If you enjoyed this story, I’d love it if you’d leave a review! If you’d like to meet some other folks from Pine Ridge, keep reading for a few chapters of Hot Ghoul Summer !