Page 124 of The Haunting of Lockton

Julian forgot all about the pancakes as his attention shifted to the archway. It was the first time Alan had made a sound in front of him.

“Seems like he’s coming around,” Paxton said with a smile.

“Do you think he’ll ever show himself to me?” Julian slumped down in a chair at the table and fidgeted with the strands of his hair.

“I think so.” Paxton heated the pancakes in the microwave and brought the plate over to the table, along with a bottle of syrup and silverware. “Coffee?”

“Please,” Julian said. “Thank you for the food.”

“You don’t thank me whenIbring you food,” I mumbled.

My brother grinned before taking a bite. His gaze flickered to the window as he chewed. “The forecast was right for once. Look at all that snow.”

“I know,” I said, resting my hip against the counter and snarling over at the winter wonderland of bullshit. “It’s horrible.”

Paxton placed Julian’s coffee in front of him before coming over to me. The tenderness in his eyes made my heart thump harder. “Maybe we can bundle up and go out in it.”

“Sounds like it could be romantic,” I said. “Or end in tragedy. Either is possible.”

“Eh. I might lug a snowball at you if I feel like it.”

“Oh yeah?” I leaned in closer, loving the scent of mint on his breath from when he’d brushed his teeth after we ate. “Prepare yourself, then, because I’ll throw one right back.”

Neither of us threw snowballs.

After we put on our shoes and coats and stepped outside, I grabbed his hand. Strange how snow absorbed all the sounds around us, leaving only the crunch as we walked through it. The icy air kissed my cheeks, and as the crisp smell filled my nostrils, there was a flashback of Julian wet and unconscious on the snowy bank, his lips blue.

I squeezed Paxton’s hand.

“You okay?” he asked, stopping beneath the large oak tree. His pale cheeks were pink from the cold, and the warm pools of bourbon in his eyes had more noticeable threads of gold and orange.

“Yeah.” I gently pressed him against the tree trunk. “I just want to make a happy memory to help replace the bad ones.”

“Just one happy memory?” Paxton brought our joined hands up and kissed the back of my knuckles.

I let go of his hand and cupped the side of his neck, tilting my head up to bring our lips closer. We stood so close we were sharing a pocket of air. Tingles spread along my skin as I caught his scent: minty toothpaste, a hint of coffee, and one unique to him.

“More than one,” I whispered. “When I think of the snow, I want memories of you to be at the forefront. I want to think of this moment right now.”

Paxton’s bottom lip trembled. “There you go again saying romantic shit I’m not prepared for.”

“The deal was either romance or snowballs. I chose wisely.”

When he laughed, it came out shaky. The whisper of his breath on my lips was warm. Welcoming. “I guess I’m just worried this will be a sad memory for me later on down the road.”

“Sad?”

He rested his head against the tree and peered up at the thick canopy of snow-covered branches. “When you leave Ivy Grove, Sky, everything you touched, everywhere you once stood, will be a painful reminder that you’re not here anymore.”

A pressure gripped my sternum. “Don’t think about that.” Slowly, I brought his face back down to mine. “I’m here now.”

“But for how long?”

Julian and I had briefly discussed leaving shortly after Thanksgiving. We had an apartment in Eureka Springs. Maybe we’d go back to it for a few weeks while we sorted out where to go next. However, as I stared into Paxton’s eyes right then, I didn’t have the heart to tell him.

So, I pressed my mouth to his instead. As we kissed, the silence around us made me feel like we were the only two people in the whole world.

Nothing else mattered.