Page 50 of The Ghost of Ellwood

“Okay, then he’ll be there.”

“When and where is the signing?”

“October twenty-sixth at six o’clock. Sorry for the short notice, but I know you can swing it. It’s in a place called Redwood or something. Supposed to be haunted. I thought it’d help draw in more people.”

You’ve got to be shitting me.

“Redwood?” The fucking mad house? “Got it.”

I hung up and pocketed my phone.

“You’re going to be signing books?” Theo asked, letting go of me. “In town?”

“Yep. Been a while since I’ve done one.” I missed the feel of his arms, and I hated that we’d been interrupted before I could kiss him. “I wish you could come with me.”

“It’s impossible.”

I didn’t want to ruin the mood by agreeing with him.

“Should we continue where we were before the call? I owe you a kiss.”

But something had shifted in Theo. He backed farther away.

“Theo? Come on, don’t close yourself off again.”

Theo ran a hand down the front of his shirt and cleared his throat, returning to his proper stance. “It was a moment of weakness, Ben, that we best not repeat.”

“What? Why are you being this way?”

He had done a complete one-eighty. One moment he’d been holding onto me, nuzzling my chest, and now he was distant. Cold.

Briefly, pain flashed in his eyes. He covered it well, though. “Enjoy the rest of your day.”

I didn’t look for him after he disappeared. I was too pissed off.

After I stormed down the stairs and went to my office, I was sure to close the door. He could more than likely walk right through it if he wanted, but at least this way he’d know he wasn’t welcome.

He never tried.

Periodically as I worked, I glanced around the room—more specifically, to the chair he always sat in when reading. Each time I found myself alone, I felt…well, lonely.

I didn’t see him for the rest of the day. The next morning, I went into the kitchen and he wasn’t there, either. A pain hit me square in the chest. No, not quite a pain—a heaviness. For so many mornings, Theo had made my coffee and we’d sat at the table while he read the paper and I watched him read said paper. I missed our routine.

Dammit, I missedhim.

“Are you ready to stop being so damn stubborn and show yourself?” I asked around lunch time when he still hadn’t appeared. In the kitchen, I forewent a sandwich and poured more coffee instead. I had no appetite.

No response, other than the grandfather clock softly ticking in the living room.

By dinnertime, Theo was still gone. Not hungry but knowing I needed to eat, I poked holes in a frozen dinner before tossing it in the microwave. Once it was done, I barely ate any of it.

Theo had started making me dinner, like he said he would, and while it hadn’t been every night, it had become something I enjoyed. I had stood in there with him as he worked, fascinated by his skills, and I’d pitched in and helped when he asked.

I shoveled more of the goopy mashed potatoes into my mouth before spitting it out and wiping at my mouth.

Yep. I’m done.

I threw the rest of the food away before going back to my office. I might as well try to get more words written. Carter hadn’t responded to my text messages in days, and Theo refused to even show himself.