A sigh from Steph had her snapping back to attention. Her eyes lifted, only to be met with the humored gaze of the man she had just been ogling. So yeah, that was great. He was totally aware that she had just been visually eating him up like man candy.

  Great.

  “I’m going to get coffee,” Steph announced.

  Emily turned her way and cleared her throat. It was obvious that Steph had just witnessed her staring at her twin. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that, but embarrassed was at the top of the list, for sure. “I’ll come with you.” She barely managed the words.

  “Great. Let’s go see if anyone left some for us.”

  Emily let her gaze slip back toward James and found that he was grinning mischievously at her. Heat rose up in her cheeks and spread through her face like molten fire. It was ridiculous that she was this embarrassed. She had men flirt with her before, but she’d never been caught staring at a nearly naked man in his own home. This made her feel like a freaking teenager again, and not in a good ‘I’m young and free’ kind of way.

  Steph rolled her eyes and turned to her brother. “Quit acting so smug. You’re a dude version of me so of course you’re good looking. Get over yourself.”

  Before he could respond, the door behind him opened and Lucy burst out. She shoved James, causing him to stumble and sidestep a little. “Next time don’t lock the freaking door asshole. I’m pregnant, when I have to go, I have to go, especially in the morning.”

  “Aye aye, captain.” James saluted her, then offered Emily a nod, eyes still glimmering with humor as he stepped back into the bathroom and shut the door behind him.

  “My God,” Steph shook her head. “He’s so full of himself. Come on, let’s go get that coffee.”

  On their way down the stairs, Emily gathered herself. It was normal to look at guys and appreciate their looks. But for some reason, it was more than embarrassment that was clouding her thoughts. Suddenly, a thought hit her and she realized that it was guilt. Just last night she had been out with Greg, actually enjoying herself. It was unusual for her to spend time with men who knew about her gift and accepted it.

  She followed Steph into the kitchen and that was where they found most of the family. The room was packed with some sitting at the table, but most were left to stand.

  “Morning.” Liv was the first to greet her. “There’s fresh coffee if you need it.

  “Thank you.” Emily offered Liv a nod, but Steph practically shoved her out of the way trying to get to the pot first.

  “Steph!” Liv hissed, a wide eyed expression of shock on her face.

  Steph poured coffee and shrugged. “Sorry. I need it.”

  “We all do.” Liv rolled her eyes. “But you don’t have to be rude about it.”

  Emily moved in toward the counter and reached up for a mug. “It’s okay,” she insisted. “I’m a patient person.”

  “Well that’s good, because apparently no one here has that skill.”

  She poured the steaming liquid into her cup and smiled. “Don’t worry, I’m not offended. It shows you guys are comfortable being around me.”

  Liv shook her head again. “No, it’s rude. But I’m glad you aren’t offended. Hey!” She turned and pointed at Dan, who appeared to be checking out the box of muffins on the counter. “You already had one. Keep out until everyone else has had a chance.” Dan stiffened at being caught and slowly backed away from the box.

  With a roll of her eyes, Liv gestured to the counter where the muffins sat. “Help yourself if you want one.”

  “Thank you,” Emily nodded. “I think I will.” She moved away from Liv and wove her way through the crowded and noisy kitchen to the opposite side where the muffins were located. Everyone was chatting, teasing each other and occasionally pushing or shoving. The balance of this family and their loved ones simply enthralled her. She had never wished for a big family, but her life had been a lonely one. Seeing how the Estmonds and their loved ones felt about each other was definitely something to be admired. Sure, they were a bit crass at times, even downright mean to each other, but you couldn’t help but know that this family would go to the ends of the Earth for one of their own. These people were loyal to the core, that much was clear.

  “Hey.” Greg appeared next to her.

  “Oh, hey. Good morning.”

  “I hope you slept well.”

  She nodded. “I definitely did. It was so late when we got back.”

  He stepped closer to her, forcing her to tilt her head up to look into his eyes. “Thank you for spending some time with me. It was nice to get to know you a little bit better.” His voice was low, meant only for her ears, but she was fully aware that others were likely listening.

  “Thank you for taking me.”

  “Are you ready for the trip?”

  “Yes, except that I need to throw a couple of things into my suitcase. I didn’t pack much to begin with.”

  He leaned his hip against the counter. “I meant, like, emotionally are you ready. Sometimes these kind of missions…” he paused, “well, they just aren’t easy. We haven’t had to do anything quite like this before.”

  Understanding, she nodded. “Are you ready?” she countered, without answering his question.

  “I think so.” He paused for a moment and then shook his head. “Nah, probably not. I’m nervous. I don’t like splitting everyone up, but we have to go and they have to stay here.”

  “Yeah. I can only imagine how you’re feeling.” It wasn’t a lie. It had to be hard, splitting everyone up, knowing that one or more of them might not come back.

  He shrugged, “It’s just another thing that we have to get through. But, we always get through it in the end.”

  Before she could answer, James burst through the kitchen doorway, fully clothed, thank god. “So, when are we leaving big brother?” he asked as he caught sight of Greg, then his gaze drifted to the counter. “Oh, muffins.”

  Emily sipped her coffee and watched silently as James squeezed his way through the crowded kitchen. Everyone else had quieted a bit, waiting for Greg’s answer about when they were leaving.

  James sidled up next to them and Greg moved another couple inches in her direction, making room in front of the muffin box for James. He waited for James to grab an apple cinnamon and then cleared his throat. “I’d like to leave sometime this afternoon. Originally, I thought we could drive straight though, but thinking about it now, that probably isn’t a good idea. It might get us there faster to take turns driving, but it will likely be better on all of us if we stop and sleep in the evening so we are all in top shape. We can’t afford to be one guy down because they are tired from driving.” Greg paused and glanced around, examining everyone’s faces. “So yeah, this afternoon.”

  Man, Emily thought, she would not want to be in his shoes about now.

  Lucy had entered shortly after James and stood in the doorway, looking in at the rest of her family. Sadness was embedded into her facial features, but she said nothing. Jack noticed the moment she had appeared and went to her, arm slipping around her waist. She looked up at him and they had a silent conversation of which Emily could clearly see the love they felt for each other.

  “All right.” Aiden nodded and shoved his chair out so that he could stand. He polished off the rest of his coffee in one swig and crossed the kitchen to put his mug in the sink. “We have a plan then. I’m going to go finish packing.”

  “I’ll come with,” Liv told him. “I have some things I have to finish up with as well.”

  Liv and Aiden were the only couple going on the trip. Liv had made arrangements with her employee to help with the bakery so that she could join the rest of the team that would be headed to Florida.

  Well. Emily thought, the plan was set. She hadn’t had another vision since the one that had led her to the Estmonds to begin with, so she had no idea if the future and Jack’s death were still set in motion. She wished that something they had done, or will do, would change his destiny, but there would be no way to tell without a vision. So, for now, they would just keep trying their best to change the course of action, and save Jack’s life.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  GREG

  It was almost time to go. The house was busy with the bustle of people, packing and loading the motorhome. There was also a somber tone that fell over the usually happy home. Instead of laughing and taunting each other, everyone was silent, stuck in their own thoughts. They were separating, leaving each other to go on a dangerous mission and one of them might not come back. The last time Greg had seen his family like this was after their father passed away.

  With his dad in mind, he realized that they needed to go tell him that they were leaving and what they were going to do. He may be dead, a soul stuck in a cemetery, but he deserved to know before they headed out on their mission. Besides, he wanted his dad and the souls to be on alert just in case anything happened at the house.

  “Hey,” he called out to those who were in the yard. “Come on into the kitchen. We need to have a meeting.” He turned and quietly entered the house. Dan and Reese were sitting on the couch, cuddled up and whispering in each other’s ears. “Meeting in the kitchen, you guys,” Greg told them as he passed through.

  “Seriously,” Dan muttered and pulled Reese closer.

  She shoved at him. “Stop that. You know it has to be important if he’s calling a meeting now.”

  “I guess.” Dan’s irritated voice followed him into the kitchen, where he found the rest of the family. Emily was there, too, and Greg couldn’t help but notice that she was sitting at the table chatting with James. It wasn’t long before everyone from outside had joined them and the entire group was present.

  He glanced around the kitchen. Every set of eyes was on him, since he had called the meeting. For one moment, he let himself realize that if this mission went sideways, this was the last time they would all be in a room together.

  Nope, dammit. Enough of that shit. They were all going to make it home and they would all be together again … no matter what. He had to think positive and expect the best outcome. Manifest destiny and all that jazz.

  He cleared his throat, but there was no need, he already had everyone’s attention. “Okay guys,” he began. “We need to go out and talk with Dad, you know, tell him what’s going on. Plus, I want to say goodbye, and I am pretty sure everyone going with will want to do that as well.”

  There were nods of agreement and muttered confirmations. He turned to Emily, who wore a confused expression. “Can you see the souls?”

  “I am sensitive to spirits,” she said, loud enough for everyone to hear. “So, sometimes I can see them, but not always. It appears to be a random thing. I don’t know if I am more aware with some or if something is different with the spirit in question.” Emily paused, then realized that everyone in the room was staring at her as she spoke. Her eyes went to her lap where she fiddled with a napkin. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to ramble.”

  “It’s okay,” James told her, clapping her on the shoulder. “You weren’t rambling at all. So, you want to meet our dad if you can see him?”

  Her eyes widened in surprise. “Your dad is a soul? In your cemetery?” She glanced up at Greg, expecting the answer from him.

  “Yeah. He didn’t move on when he passed. He’s stubborn, and protective of us, so the Chosen One prophecy and Lucy kept him from crossing over when the time came. Now, he’s stuck here with us.”

  “Well, I … I’d love to meet your father, but it seems like this is more of a private moment for the family. I’m not…”

  “Stop that shit.” Lucy held up a hand. “What did we talk about. You are one of us, we have family by blood and we have family by choice. We chose you.”

  Emily shook her head. “I told you already, you can’t do that when you barely know me.”

  “I do whatever I want,” Lucy told her, a smug grin on her face.

  “Well, he’s your dad, you guys should just go. I can wait here,” Emily continued to protest.

  “It’s okay,” Greg insisted. “We’re all going. Not everyone here is an Estmond. It’s not a big deal, but if you want to wait here, that’s fine too. But we’re going now.” He didn’t want to waste any more time arguing about if she should come out or not, either she would or she wouldn’t, that was up to her. “Let’s go.”

  He led the way and the entire family, including Ethan, Jack, Aiden, David and Emily, trudged their way across the grassy expanse of lawn and over into the cemetery. Their father must have seen them all exit the house and head in this direction, because he stood on the top of the hill, fully formed, waiting for them. His body was formed of the glowing blue mist that are souls, so he appeared as a beacon, showing them the way. The leftover mist that wasn’t formed into his body, swirled and ebbed around him as if it were a moving shield.

  The family arrived at the spot where Gregory Sr. waited for them and they encircled his ghostly figure. His father smiled and met his eyes. “Well, to what do I owe this pleasure. It’s rare I get to see all of you at once.”

  “It’s time to go, Dad. We’re leaving for Florida in just a little bit.”

  Their father nodded, understanding. “I wish that I could hug you right now. When do you think you will return?”

  “We don’t know,” Greg told him, “But we will definitely be in touch with those who stay back here. Lucy, Steph, Hannah, Ethan, and David will be staying back.”

  “Good. I’ll do my best to help. I’ve been training the other souls to get solid and stay solid, like when they helped with the fight against the Reapers. They like helping you, so we’ll be here if anything happens.”

  Greg wasn’t really sure what a bunch of souls would be able to do if someone tried to kidnap Lucy, or attacked the house, since they were stuck on the property of the cemetery. Though, it wasn’t a lie that they would have lost that fight against the Reapers if their dad hadn’t brought the souls and saved the day. They had solidified, and were able to fight the Reapers the same as if they were living.

  It had actually been pretty awesome.

  “Thanks, Dad. That makes me feel a lot better.” Greg wished he could hug his father. More than anything, he missed those strong arms around him, squeezing him and pounding him on the back. At first, when he found out his father hadn’t moved on, he was angry. His father knew he was dying and he still let this unfinished business and his stubbornness to help his family keep him stuck in their family graveyard. Now, he was resigned to it, and also appreciated that he could still talk to his father. Especially with everything that the Estmond family had been going through. But, man, did he miss those hugs.

  He took a second to look away from his dad to check on Emily. She stared in the direction of his father, but he couldn’t tell if she could actually see his father or not.

  “Okay,” their father called out, and Greg knew that if he had the ability, he would have clapped his hands together to get their attention. “Listen up gang. This might seem scarier than the other fights. More intimidating than any other encounter you’ve had. But, it’s not, its just like the others.

  The only difference is that you won’t be together this time. You all draw power from the love of each other. You are always stronger together than you are apart. This time, you won’t be together and that makes it scary. You still have each other though, they just won’t be with you physically. You need to remember that.” His father paused and scanned the group, his eyes meeting each set of eyes with a loving, yet stern expression. “Don’t let the absence gain control. You will be together in spirit.”

  A groan erupted from all of his children at that last part.

  “Yeah, I know it’s corny, but you will. The love of this family is why you are fighting and it is the reason you will win. So remember that while you are apart. Remember that you still have each other and that you will be back together soon. This is just another battle in the war that will lead us to victory.”

  Wow, Greg thought. His dad always had been good at motivational speeches. You’d have to be to raise seven kids by yourself and keep the bond between them tight. He heard a sob and when he looked in that direction, he found Lucy with tears in her eyes. Steph also appeared to be close to weeping, but the moisture in her eyes hadn’t spilled over yet.

  Their dad also saw Lucy struggling to keep it together. “My sweet girl. I know this is hard. Letting everyone go without you. I know you want to go and you want to help, but your number one job is keeping my grandchild safe.”

  “I know,” she whispered. “I know.”

  “And that is exactly the same reason Jack has to go.” His eyes now moved to the Reaper who had fallen in love with his daughter. “The two of you, this is all about you and the baby. When you met, it set the prophecy into motion. The baby is the one who will change it all.”

  “I know,” Lucy said again. “I’m trying. It’s just … this is so hard.”

  Their dad looked around the whole group once again. Letting his eyes rest on each of his children and their loved ones. “I know in my heart that everyone will come back home. No matter what the Seer says will happen.” He gave Emily an apologetic look and Emily smiled in return, showing Greg that she could, at the very least, hear their father. “It’s okay kids … everything is going to be okay.”

  Greg realized that his father was fresh out of motivational speech, so he turned to his dad and said. “Just in case I don’t come back, I wanted to tell you goodbye, and that I love you. At first, I was angry that you stuck yourself here when you could have crossed over. But, through all of this, I truly appreciate that you have been here for us. For me,” he finished.

  He wasn’t embarrassed to express his feelings for his father in front of the others. In fact, they all heartily agreed with confirmations and telling Gregory Sr. that they felt the same way.

 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17