That Magic Moment, page 9
“We’re heading upstairs,” Sully said, changing course quickly. “Don’t expect to see us for the rest of the night.”
“I’m watching you.” Oscar extended the index and middle fingers on his right hand and alternated waving them in front of his eyes and pointing them at Sully.
“Awesome.” Sully linked his fingers with Ofelia’s and walked with her toward the stairs. “Have fun with that.” He could feel Ofelia’s eyes on his profile as they climbed to the second floor. “What?” he asked when they reached their front door.
“I didn’t say anything.” Ofelia offered up a tight smile. “Do you want me to say something?”
“No. I just want you to be happy.” He gave her a quick kiss.
“That’s what I want for you too.” Ofelia threw open the door with a flourish. “That’s why I did this.”
Bemused, Sully slid into the penthouse. It took him a moment to realize that she’d gotten a lot more done than he’d anticipated. He knew the things they’d brought over this morning would be put away. There were things in the apartment that he recognized as being left behind, however, and as he twirled to take in the penthouse, he realized all his things had been moved.
“How?” he asked, dumbfounded.
“I don’t know if I want to answer that. I have to ask if you’re mad first.”
Slowly, he slid his confused eyes to her. “Why would I be mad?”
“Well, I didn’t ask. I just did it.” She gripped her hands together in front of her. “I wanted to start our life together tonight. The more I thought about it as I was putting stuff away though, the more I realized it was a control freak move. I thought about taking everything back, but I already bribed the regulars with free drinks for a week, so I didn’t want to add to the insanity.”
Sully dragged a hand through his dark hair as he shook his head. “I…wow. That’s a very busy brain you’ve got there, baby.” He planted a kiss on her forehead. “I’m not mad.”
“Hold that thought.” Ofelia held up a finger to silence him and darted across the living room. She bent over behind the couch, and he couldn’t see her for a moment, but when she straightened, she had a crate full of vinyl records clutched in her hands. “There’s one more thing.”
He waited, uncertain.
“I combined all our records. Now, I know what you’re thinking,” she continued, chattering a mile a minute. “What happens if you decide you can’t stand my control-freak ways? What happens if you get so mad that I moved all your stuff without asking you want to move back to your condo? Then we’re going to have to sort the records. I took a leap of faith though.”
He touched his tongue to his top lip, waiting another beat just in case she wasn’t done rambling. “Is that it?” he asked finally.
“Yeah.” Ofelia was sheepish and lowered the crate to the ground. “Give it to me.”
Her phrasing had him grinning. “I plan to give it to you later. I think we should talk about a few things first though, huh?”
Ofelia’s heart sank. “This is going to be bad, isn’t it?”
“Nope.” Sully vehemently shook his head. “It’s not going to be bad. It’s going to be good.”
Ofelia was dubious. “Just tell me.”
“Sit down.” He gestured toward the couch. When she didn’t immediately acquiesce, he pinned her with the sternest look in his repertoire. “Sit down, Ofelia.”
Reluctantly, she rounded the corner and plopped down on the couch. He was calm as he settled next to her, taking her hand in his and flipping it over to trace her lifelines.
“You seem to be having a rough day,” he noted. “I’m not sure where to start.”
“I’m a freak,” Ofelia offered. “You can start with that.”
“You are a freak. I happen to like getting freaky with you though. That’s not a problem for me.”
“What is a problem for you?”
“This…insecure streak you’ve got going right now. It wasn’t there before we moved to the condo for a few weeks. I want to know why it’s rearing its ugly head right now.”
“I honestly don’t know.” Since he was being calm, trying to solve a problem, and not flying off the handle, Ofelia felt she should be open and honest. “I feel unsettled, and I don’t know how to explain it.”
“Does it have something to do with what happened to me? The curse I mean.”
Ofelia’s initial instinct was to brush the question off, but then she thought better of it. “Yeah.”
“It frightened you. The thought of losing me.”
“It crushed me. I was okay in the moment because I had something to focus on, but I’ve been plagued with ‘what-ifs’ ever since. I don’t like it. I’m mad at myself. I can’t seem to chase the fear away though.”
“Come here.” Sully slipped his arm around her shoulders and tugged until she was pressed tight against his side. “I’m sorry that what happened to me freaked you out.”
“What happened to you because of me,” she clarified. “I was the one who triggered that curse. You were the one who suffered from it.”
“That’s neither here nor there.” Sully was matter-of-fact. “We deal with paranormal threats on a regular basis. There’s always going to be a threat that bypasses one of us in favor of the other. We can’t live with constant guilt, so we need to let that go.”
“I know. You just…don’t understand. You almost died on me.”
“I do understand. I know exactly how I would feel if the roles were reversed. It’s okay. I don’t blame you for having a shaky few weeks.”
“What do you blame me for?”
“Nothing. Well, I guess that’s not true. I’m upset that you’re upset. I don’t want you being afraid. Just for the record though, I’m never going to be upset that you hired your regulars to move a bunch of stuff so I don’t have to do it. My back thanks you.”
That made her giggle, and she briefly pressed her eyes shut as she snuggled in tighter at his side. “I’m on edge,” she admitted.
“I know you are. I don’t think it’s just the move though. I think the move makes a convenient scapegoat, but that’s not what’s really bugging you.”
“What’s really bugging me?”
“Your father. He hasn’t had a meltdown in weeks now, months really. That means he’s due…and since we agreed on a tough-love approach, when it happens, you’re going to have to turn your back on him until he agrees to get treatment. The longer he goes without melting down, the bigger the anticipation grows. It’s driving you insane.”
“It really is,” Ofelia acknowledged. “I’m so afraid it’s going to be ugly.”
“And rather than deal with the fear you’re feeling over your father, you’ve decided to focus on me instead. It’s sort of flattering…and a little frightening.”
“Because I’m turning into my father,” Ofelia surmised.
“Is that what you think?” Sully was both horrified and amused by the revelation. “You’re not turning into your father, Ofelia. How can you even think that?”
“I’m a freak. You said it yourself.”
“Your freakiness is nothing compared to his freakiness. You’re just neurotic. He’s something more.” Sully pressed his lips to the crown of her head. “It’s okay to be afraid. Just tell me what you’re feeling. I want to be the one to help you through it, and I would really like it if your neurosis didn’t take the form of doubting me.
“I’m not your mother,” he continued. “There is never going to be a moment when I say your crazy family is too much for me. I’m never going to walk away. Loving you is the best thing that has ever happened to me. Even when your father inevitability falls apart, I’m going to be there. It’s not going to be too much.”
The words were like a warm salve cascading over an open wound and Ofelia let out a pent-up breath. “How did you know that I was wondering about that?”
“Because I know you. You hate it when people say you’re like your mother, but your true fear is being too much like your father, which makes me your mother in this scenario. I get it. You went through something rough when I was cursed. I’m better though. You fixed me. We’re going to be together forever because of that.”
Ofelia rested her chin on his chest and looked up into his fervent eyes. “So, you’re saying it’s okay I mixed the records. Felix said it was going to be okay. I just started doubting myself for no reason.”
“I would’ve mixed the records myself if you didn’t. In fact, I probably would’ve put them in that crate and not alphabetized them and everything.”
“Crazy man.” Ofelia held tight, and when she exhaled, all the tension she’d been carrying around with her was gone. “I don’t want to end up like my father,” she said out of the blue. “If you see me going in that direction, I need you to say something. I don’t ever want to ruin your life.”
“Baby, you couldn’t possibly ruin my life. You’ve made it so much better. If it will make you feel better though, I promise to say something if I ever see you acting like your father.”
“Good.”
He stroked his hands over her back and held her for a long time. When he broke the silence, it was to say the one thing Ofelia wanted to hear. “So, I’m thinking we should get delivery and eat it in bed. That way we can come up with a plan of how we’re going to christen every single room in the new penthouse.”
Ofelia laughed so hard she couldn’t catch her breath. “How did you know that I was thinking that?” she asked finally.
“Because I know you.”
“You really do, better than almost anyone.”
“One day I will know you even better than Felix. Until then, how do gumbo and cheesecake sound?”
“Like Heaven.”
“Somehow I knew you were going to say that.” He swept her into his arms and started toward the bedroom. “I’m thinking this is the perfect way to say hello to our new home.”
“I’m thinking you’re right.”
“Oh, Fe, there is one thing you need to wrap your head around. I’m always right.”
“Yeah, let’s not fight for no reason tonight, huh? I’m not falling for that.”
“It’s true.”
“If you say so.”
“I know so.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.”
OFELIA PASSED OUT HARD, RIDING on a gumbo and cheesecake high. Her head was on Sully’s chest, the sound of his heart lulling her, and she didn’t think she would wake until morning. When his heart skipped three beats and he stiffened beneath her, however, she was jerked out of her restful slumber.
“What is it?” she demanded, her hands automatically rising to throw up a magical shield to protect them.
“We have visitors,” Sully replied in a low voice.
“Visitors?” It took Ofelia’s gaze a moment to clear—she was still half asleep—and when she looked in the direction his finger was pointing, her breath caught in her throat. “Ghosts.” The one word was a strangled cry as she sat up in the bed.
Sully sat with her, making sure to angle his body so he was between her and the two ethereal figures floating on the other side of their sliding glass doors.
“She’s the one,” the male voice rasped. “She’s the one they told us about.”
Ofelia’s eyes went wide as she took in his dated clothing. He looked like something out of an old movie. A very, very old movie.
“Who told you about me?” she asked automatically.
“She’s just a woman,” the female voice insisted, her full attention on the male ghost. “We don’t know who she is, or what she’s supposed to do. We should just leave her alone.”
“We know,” the man insisted, snapping loudly enough his voice reverberated off the glass-paned French doors. “That’s why she was with the first group. They told us of her coming.”
“She’s just a girl.” The female ghost’s voice was plaintive. “She hasn’t done anything. We should leave her alone.”
“No.” Hatred flashed hot in the male ghost’s eyes as he regarded Ofelia. “The game has begun. It’s because of her this happened at all. This is just the beginning.”
Ofelia had no idea what to say. “Um…” She looked to Sully for help, but he was focused on the ghosts.
“You can’t stop us,” the male ghost intoned. “You cannot win. We were promised eventual victory, and you will not get in the way.” With those words, he began to disappear. Within three seconds, he was gone.
The female ghost remained, however, and she didn’t look happy. “They won’t stop coming for you now,” she said in a low voice. “You’ve been marked. There’s no way out of this for you.”
“Marked?” Ofelia’s forehead creased. “How have I been marked?”
“We were told you would be coming. That’s how they placated us as long as they did. The anger has been growing. You’ll be the target now. There’s no way to fight it.”
Ofelia dragged her hand through her hair as she tried to organize her thoughts. “I don’t know what you want me to do,” she said finally. “I’m at a loss.”
“You’ll find out.” The ghost almost looked apologetic. “And when you do, there will be no going back.” With that, she followed the first ghost and disappeared.
“Well, that was fun, huh?” she said finally, shaking her head. She almost couldn’t believe it had actually happened. If Sully hadn’t been with her, she would’ve assumed she’d been dreaming.
Speaking of Sully, his annoyance was evident. “We’re being haunted? Why? I don’t want to be haunted again. Last time was enough for ten lifetimes.”
Ofelia took pity on him and traced her fingers across his cheek. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t.” He caught her fingers and pressed a kiss to the tips. “I’m fine. Don’t start worrying about me again.”
“I’m not worried about you. I’m worried about us.” She hesitated a beat and then continued. “Something happened this afternoon, something I didn’t tell you about. I didn’t know what it was until just now.”
“What?”
Ofelia told him about the message on the mirror. “I thought it could’ve been the workers,” she explained. “It was too vague to be pointed at me. Except…”
“Except now it’s obviously pointed at you.” He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her back to the mattress. “I guess that means we’re in the middle of another one.”
“What do you think she meant when she said I was marked?”
“I have no idea. I guarantee it isn’t good though.”
Before she realized what was going to happen, Ofelia started laughing. It sounded hoarse and surreal in the quiet bedroom. “Aren’t you glad that you’re stuck with me forever?”
“Yes. I could do without the ghosts though.”
“Yeah, it’s a little soon after the last haunting.”
“It has to be the steamboat, right? It’s the only thing that makes sense.”
“Yeah. It’s the steamboat.” She had no doubt about that. “I don’t know what’s going on, but it’s definitely the Adelaide.”
“Then we have to figure out how to deal with it.”
“I’m open to suggestions.”
“I’ve got nothing.”
“Let’s go back to sleep.” Ofelia stifled a yawn. “We’ll figure it out in the morning.”
“I hope so. I don’t want this one to drag out.”
That made both of them.
Nine
The first thing Ofelia did the next morning—well, after a vigorous cuddling session with Sully that included christening the shower—was to take him to the bathroom to see the message. He was impassive as he regarded it, the only hint that he was taking it in coming in the form of a muscle working in his jaw—and then he linked his fingers with hers and went back to their place. He checked the door to make sure it was locked and then led her downstairs.
“I ordered breakfast delivered,” he announced as he was breezing through Krewe. “Jack is joining us.”
Confusion had Ofelia knitting her eyebrows as she watched him unlock the door. “When did you call Jack?”
“When you were drying your hair.”
“Huh. I guess I missed that.”
“It’s fine.” He flashed a smile for her benefit, but it didn’t touch his eyes. “I just thought we should talk about things.”
Ofelia didn’t know how to respond. “Are you mad about something?”
“Yes.”
“You are?” She was surprised by his succinct response. “What are you mad about?”
“You being a target. Ghosts invading our private space. The fact that I just wanted a few weeks to settle into the penthouse and have a good time without having to be terrified.”
“That’s a lot to be mad about.”
For some reason, that made him grin. “It is a lot to be mad about. I’m not angry with you though.”
“No, you’re angry at the circumstances. I get it. That’s how I was when you were in trouble.”
He pursed his lips as he regarded her, his focus turned away from the door as Jack pushed through it. “I guess it’s good we can both acknowledge that it’s okay to be angry with the circumstances even when we’re addicted to one another, huh?”
“Oh, geez.” Jack pulled up short as he glanced between them. “Did I interrupt a private moment?”
“Nope.” Sully shot his boss a welcoming grin. “We’re actually doing pretty well given the circumstances.”
“Do I even want to know what that means?”
“Ghosts,” Ofelia replied as she moved behind the bar to start a pot of coffee and grab some juice. It was only then that something occurred to her. “Where is my father? He should be here.”
“He’s out on the sidewalk,” Jack replied.
Ofelia froze. “Is he…ranting and raving?” she asked finally.
“Not last time I checked.” Jack was legitimately puzzled. “Why? Is he supposed to be ranting and raving?”
