Page 83 of Come A Little Closer

I laughed through the tears that were still clinging to my eyes, and I bent over to lay a big, fat kiss on him. Despite my biological family being such assholes, I’d found a new family right here, in him, and between him, Jake, Sayra, my old roommate Cathy, and all of our elderly neighbors, I couldn’t think of a better family to have.

This was my home now. These were my people. Right here, with Niall, was exactly where I belonged, and I refused to let my past stand in the way of even a single moment of our happiness any longer.

That conversation with my mother had freed me of the last of the hold they’d had on me. I was officially turning the page to start a whole new chapter of my life, and I already knew it was going to be by far the best one yet.

EPILOGUE

NIALL

Two Years Later

After a year of marriage, I knew better than to trust my wife in dark, creepy places. We were touring an old house in the French Quarter and it was everything we both loved, but I’d lost her halfway through the viewing with our realtor, and it was freaking me out not knowing when she was going to jump out at me.

Which I knew was going to happen.

She had to be hiding somewhere, biding her time to pop out and scare me—or worse, the poor realtor. Linda Longfellow had been in the real estate business for close to six decades, many of them spent selling properties as historic and unique as this. It would be a real pity if she met her demise being scared to death in one of those houses she’d dedicated her life to selling.

“As you can see, it’s been completely renovated,” she said as she and I walked through the living areas on the first floor. “The current owners redid it top to bottom just five years ago.”

Which means I’m going to have to gut it to bring it back to its former glory, I thought as I nodded at her.

Thankfully, Tallulah had been using that degree of hers to bring my properties back to life and she was incredible at it. Even if this place currently looked like a shrine to glass and chrome, I knew my wife would be able to restore some of its original character.

“I know you usually prefer to do your own revival of more neglected properties, but this place is a steal at the price,” Linda continued. “It’s been impeccably maintained and all of the antique furniture and fittings are in the attic. The owners didn’t want to part with it, but they also didn’t want to live in a haunted-looking mansion.”

I chuckled. “Pity, but I’ll take it anyway. Put in an all-cash offer for me, would you? I’d like to close the deal as soon as possible.”

Linda’s face lit up with her smile as she nodded. “You always make my day, Mr. Morrison. I’ll do that and send over the paperwork.”

I shook her hand when she extended it to me. “Thanks, Linda. I’d better go find my wife, but we’ll lock up.”

“Of course. The keys are in the door. You can return them to my office when you’re done.” She grinned before she took off, giddy about our deal.

As I looked around, trying to decide where to even start searching for Tallulah, I winced. Stark white tiles and walls, with glass partitions on the stairs and massive glass chandeliers and downlights did not belong in a place like this.

I shook my head as I strode down the hall to find my wife, surprised when I heard her in one of the bathrooms. Water was running from the faucet, and I grinned. This would be the perfect opportunity for me to scare the hell out of her this time, so I hung back, waiting until she opened the door before I rushed it, clearly startling her.

“Niall!” she yelled, smacking me on the chest as she blinked away the shock. “That wasn’t funny.”

I opened my mouth to argue that it had, in fact, been funny, but as I looked at her face, I realized her eyes were teary and her cheeks were pale. The playfulness evaporated from me and worry wound itself around my heart.

“What’s wrong, baby?” I asked, taking her hands and frowning as I tugged her closer to me. “Why do you look a little sick?”

As I wrapped my arms around her, I led her gently to a bench in the passage and she sniffled as she sat down, collapsing in what appeared to be a miserable heap. She looked around the place. “These people ruined the house by modernizing it. Don’t you think? It’s awful. None of this stuff belongs.”

“I agree, but if that’s what’s wrong with you, then you better tell me quick because I just put an offer in. An offer I’m going to have to withdraw if working on this place is going to make you physically ill.”

“No, it’s not that.” She sniffled a few more times, looking genuinely sad as her gaze bounced from the chandeliers, to the floors, to the mostly hidden speakers on the walls. “I wanted it to be a surprise.”

“That this place makes you sick?” I frowned deeply, so confused that I was starting to feel a little nauseated myself.

“No.” She sighed, turning to face me as I sat down beside her. “I had this whole thing planned with Jake and Sayra’s help. We were going to make it so special.”

“Make what so special?” I asked. “You didn’t bring those giant spiders in here to scare me, did you? You know how I feel about those eight-legged demons.”

She smiled and shook her head. “I wasn’t going to scare you.”

“Then you’ve lost me completely, babe. What does any of that have to do with you being sick? Or with the house?”