Page 9 of Kestrel & Kee

“I don’t know.” He raised a gold brow. “I sort of left them in the care of their security guys to run off after you. I hope Reg doesn’t drop an encyclopedia on his head,” I said with a shrug. He snorted. A loud, adorable snort.

“I kind of hope he does.” Phil sat back a little, just enough to slide his arm from under my hands. He flipped his large hands over. I slid my palms over his. “They’re such shitty people, Arch. I mean, what kind of dick throws his kid out and then shows up like two years later asking for help? Did he really think I’d just fall at his feet? I hate that about him. He’s so smug, so sure of the power of his prestige and money.” He exhaled deeply. “You should take the money.”

The speed of that one-eighty nearly gave me whiplash. “I…no. No, I’m not taking his money. Yeah, I thought about it for like a minute, but then I came to my senses.”

“Arch, you should take it. We should take the case.”

My eyes widened. If this were a cartoon, they would have BOINGED out on their stalks.

“Can we…” I pressed my lips together as he watched me with those big, beautiful blue eyes. “Can we just roll time back a bit so I can see how you came to that decision when a half hour ago you kind of left the shop in a lather?”

His cheeks, still flushed from his run, grew pinker. “Sure, I mean, I get why you’re confused by my thoughts. Here’s the thing though. One reason I think we should do the job is because of the money.” I opened my mouth to speak. “Just hear me out, okay?” Lips tight, I nodded. “Okay, so the money could pay off the taxes on the shop for years, right?” I bobbed my head. “Right, and maybe Yeye and you could fix things up in the bookstore. Maybe he could get new dentures, or him and Monique could take a cruise. Shit, maybe we could take a cruise. Oh, or we could go to China. You and Yeye talk about that all the time. It would make life easier for him, and I love him like he’s my own grandfather, so I want him to not have to worry. I want you to not have to worry and stress all the time.”

Well shit. How did anyone argue against giving money to his grandpa to enjoy his golden years with new teeth?

“Okay, that’s legit,” I said and got a knowing nod. “What’s the other reason?”

“Because people are getting hurt. Or eaten or something bad. Something bad is happening to people, and it’s your calling as the only living Kee with spirit sight to help those being harmed by otherworldly things. You’d take this job for free, I know you, right? Because it’s what your family of ghost hunters does and has done for centuries.”

“You are so smart,” I whispered, and he blushed.

“Not really. You’re the smart one. I’m the dumb jock.”

“Phil, you are not a dumb jock. You’re one of the most perceptive, caring, intelligent men that I have ever met, and I love you for your big parts. All of them. Thighs, brain, dick.”

He snickered. “I knew my dick would be mentioned.”

“How could it not be?” We sat there staring at each other with affection as a new song full of pops and crackles was piped into the tearoom. Soft tune with gentle bass and sax. “It’s a marvelous dick.”

“Yours is too.”

Our sight held for a long, long moment.

“I love you. So much.” I just had to say it aloud. “And I’m impressed with your insight into me and my family, but I have to make sure that you’re okay with taking this job. Put aside others for a change and focus on you. This is going to be tough on you, having to deal with your parents while we sort out what the hell is happening at Camp Minnow Mingle. Sure, we may not speak to them a lot, but we will be giving them updates. Are you positive that won’t be too upsetting?”

“Yeye says that great power demands great responsibility.”

“Yeah, he totally stole that from Spider-Man, but the point is valid. Still, this gift that the Kee’s have is our burden to bear, not yours. I love that we’re a team doing what my family has done for generations. I love having you with me out there when the shit hits the fan. But—”

“No, no buts. We’re partners. A couple. Kestrel and Kee, Paranormal Investigators. Our names are right there together. We face the shit that life, and sometimes the afterlife, heaves at us as one.”

I couldn’t help the smile that lit up my face. We should so get that on some merch. When we had merch. If we ever had merch. “Have I told you how much I love you, Phil Kestrel?”

“Like a minute ago, but you can tell me again. After I tell you how much I love you, Archimedes Kee.”

Our lips met in a brief but blistering kiss over the middle of the table. The smooch would have been much longer if not for the “Awwwwwwww” from Candy peeking through the beads. Probably for the best that it was cut short.

It looked like I had some research to do on apparitions and folklore of the Adirondacks while Phil took a hot shower. Maybe I could wash his back and do the research after.

Nothing said teamwork like sudsing each other up.

Chapter Four

After saying goodbye to Candy and paying our check, we strolled—no running since I was still cramping and Phil’s cleats were not made for long distance so his feet ached—back to the shop hand-in-hand. We passed Eloise, the ghost teen who had been hit and killed by a drunk driver in the late ’70s. She gave us a shy smile, her Farrah Fawcett hair obscuring most of her face due to the odd angle of her head. Broken necks do not hold up a skull well. She phased into the laundromat as we neared. She was quite shy even after being around us for several months.

Phil came to an abrupt stop, pulling me from watching Eloise glide past unsuspecting folks stuffing wet clothes into industrial dryers. My sight flicked from my boyfriend to the front of the bookstore. Outside the shop stood one of Senator Kestrel’s security men. None of the dark sedans were here, so one lone muscleman seemed odd.

“Fuck me,” Phil grumbled, his hold on my hand tightening slightly as he resumed walking. “Hey, what are you doing here still?”