Page 70 of A Love Like Candle Light

I got the call today. There is no more light in my life. I couldn’t even be there to hold her hand.

The words settle heavy on my heart. Such few words, but the pain in them is palpable and downright suffocating. I read the following pages with more attention.

“He was in the middle of nowhere for work when he learned of his wife’s passing,” I explain, voice heavy. “Oh god, this is heartbreaking. He couldn’t go home for her funeral or he wouldn’t have been paid for his entire time there. The poor guy, it sounds like modern day slavery. He had to stay there for what looks like another three weeks so he could even afford her funeral. And she was already buried when he arrived, he couldn’t even say goodbye.”

Hot tears threaten to overflow.

“It doesn’t say where, though.” I hand the journal to Erik. As he wraps his fingers around it, an envelope falls out of the thick notebook. Erik picks it up, opens it, and reads it silently. I watch him in the flickering candlelight sending shadows over his stern expression.

He’s adorable when he focuses. All jaw clenched, and little wrinkles appear between his eyebrows. Suddenly his eyes turn glassy.

“Oh no, this is going to be sad, isn’t it?”

He shoots me a glance and holds up the paper, backside facing me. “It’s the final letter he wrote to his wife. He never got to send it before she died.”

“Oh no.” I bury my face in my hands. “Yeah, no, I can’t take that today.”

“I get it.” He folds it back together neatly and returns it to the envelope, then slides it back into the journal.

“I hope they find each other again in another life,” I mumble and lay my chin on his shoulder, just like Abby did not too long ago. Erik lifts his hand, running his fingers through my hair. “Then again, probably not if she’s still haunting my house.”

“Right,” Erik mumbles, barely masking his amusement. “Get Lauren and Nic to take you to Amanda’s sometime. Maybe she can find out what’s going on with your ghost.”

“I’ll do that.”

Boom.

Chapter 24

Kylie

Erik’s fingertip brushing my hair behind my ear wakes me from just behind the curtain of sleep. It’s nice here. Warm. Cozy.

“‘m awake,” I mumble, earning a low chuckle that makes my lips curl into a sleepy grin. I like his laugh. It’s surrounds me like a warm blanket.

“Sure you were.”

I blink my eyes open. It’s silent. The laptop he played a comedy murder mystery on is dark now. Most of the candles have gone out, however the little red light under his TV tells me the power has returned. I’m not sure whether to be happy about it or pout. There was something magical about now having power.

“I was so awake.” I smush my cheek against his shoulder. Hmm. He makes a good pillow. He’s the perfect amount of comfy and firm and he smells divine, a deep woodsy vanilla with what I could swear is a hint of maple syrup. “I totally caught you staring at me for the past ten minutes.”

He goes rigid under my cheek. Ha, got him.

“Oh yeah?”

“Mhm.” I nod, still not lifting my cheek from his shoulder and letting my eyes flutter closed again. Did I mention he’s comfortable? I yawn. “And I think to make up for creeping on me, you should totally carry me to bed.”

“I would carry you to bed without having anything to make up for,” he mumbles and I forget how to breathe for a moment. There was so much sincerity in his words they make my throat tighten.

He gets up and I blindly reach for a pillow. I’m too lazy to open my eyes, but I hear him walk around the room and blow out the remaining candles. Before I know it, his arms nudge under my knees and back and I’m in the air.

“Oh wow.” I open my eyes and giggle, snaking my arms around his neck. “I was joking but I’ll take it.” This is a whole new angle, the first time I see that muscle in his neck strain. I pull my lip between my teeth. “That’s sexy.”

“Is it now?” He arches an eyebrow, the corners of his mouth twitching as he carries me into the hallway.

“Oh yeah.” I nod solemnly and let my fingertip wander down the side of his throat, noting the way he pulls the inside of his cheek between his teeth as we reach his bedroom. “You should totally carry me everywhere from now on so I can admire you instead of having to do boring things like watch where I’m going.”

“Well, as much as that tickles my ego…” He kicks the door to his bedroom closed behind us. “I’m not quite sure my arms would cooperate.”