Page 130 of Possession

“Awalk on a winter beach just after sunrise. Who are you?”

With our hands loosely linked, I helped her over the outcropping of rocks. Perhaps this hadn’t been the best idea. She was still a little worse for wear after the previous week and limped when she didn’t think I was paying attention.

By now, she should’ve known when it came to her, Ialwayswas.

And now we were rebuilding in so many ways. Danny’s death had rocked more than one foundation in our worlds. Violet had disappeared after the cops had gotten their statements. I knew she needed time to adjust, I just hoped she’d come back to us. Jack had thrown himself into work, leaving behind his cheerful attitude with the blood that had stained my floor.

Well, the floor wouldn’t be mine for much longer. Marblehead and Grace would be my home now. I hoped.

“You told me once that dates and romance mattered to you. So, the sunrise near our house should qualify.”

“Cheap date,” she teased, curling her fingers more tightly around mine. “But I am too, since I still have a special clock to fix. Materials nowadays are expensive. Plus, it’s an intricate job to get it just right.”

“That you do.” I squeezed her hand. “I have faith in you.”

“Apparently, you always have, even when I haven’t.”

I turned back to grip her waist and lifted her over one of the biggest rocks. She growled at me, but since her newly reinjured ankle was acting up again, she’d just have to deal.

I pulled her down to the sand in front of me. It had to be this particular spot, wet sand and all. I was damned lucky we were having a warm stretch, because snow and any colder temperatures than this would’ve seriously fucked up my plans.

Good thing I had no intention of setting up this kind of scenario more than once in my life, because I sucked at it.

Damn romance.

Once she’d settled between my sprawled legs, I looped my arms around her shoulders and kissed the side of her neck. “My mother said you’d make pretty babies.”

“What?” It pleased me immeasurably that she shot half out of my arms. She wrenched around to stare at me. “Did you just ask me to have a baby with you?” Before I could answer, she slapped a hand against my forehead. “You need medical attention.”

I had to laugh as I grasped her hand and kissed the center of her palm. “I need Grace attention. That’s all, I swear.”

“But you mentioned babies.”

“No, my mother mentioned babies. Trust me, I had no plans of bringing them up. Probably ever.”

“Oh. Thank God. Because I’m really not sure if I’ll ever want to go down that road.” She shivered and turned back around to face the water. “Actually, pretty sure I won’t.”

“Another thing we’re in agreement on. Just testing the waters,” I said, resting my chin on her shoulder. The water was wild this morning, the waves crashing onto the sand with an abandon I bet Grace would try to capture in her glass later on. The bite of the winter wind just made the scent of the water more intense. Crisper. The pink and gold of sunrise tipped everything in a soft glow, and even a jaded sort like me had to admit that as far as perfect backdrops went, we couldn’t get much better than this.

Our gorgeous house loomed behind us, standing sentinel to the ocean and beyond. The woman I loved was safe and nestled in my arms.

This was my heaven, and I wasn’t letting go no matter what.

Never again.

“Water testing, huh? Does that have to do with oh, a certain near-death experience we had recently?”

“It’s not a joke. I could’ve lost you.”

“You could have. Just like I could’ve lost you.” She twisted around to face me and cupped my cold cheeks in her warm hands. I didn’t know how they could be warm right now, but somehow, they were. “Gotta think someone upstairs is watching out for us after all we’ve been through to get to this place. All we’ve lost.”

“I know.” I tipped my forehead against hers and covered her hands with mine. Giving her my warmth was the least of what I planned on giving her for the rest of my life.

“I miss her,” she whispered. “I wish she’d made another choice.”

We were both reeling from the note we’d found. Annabelle hadn’t just kept the contract I’d signed in my clock. She’d also kept her suicide note there. Her money debts had mounted to the point she didn’t think she could find her way out, and she’d refused to risk Grace. Even though in the end, the choices she’d made had risked Grace even more.

“Me too,” I murmured. “She loved you to the end, but that doesn’t mean she didn’t make mistakes.”

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