Home. It’d been a figure of speech, he was sure, easier to say in conversation than the Sabrina Raven estate, but the word lingered, reverberating through his mind. Aloud, as he examined his plate, he rebutted, “I only doubled the chicken, not the sides. A breast, thigh, wing, and drummy didn’t sound like enough.” He pointed to his two untouched pieces. “And the second wing and drummy are still ripe for devouring, if you’re hungry.”
Kelsey shook her head, laughing, sending her thick, blond hair tumbling over her shoulders. “No, I feel like I won’t be able to eat for a week as it is.”
“Nice place,” Kurt said. “You chose well.” He looked around, once again taking in the impressive collection of chicken and rooster decorations covering every wall. Vegans, beware. He finished his beer and pulled his credit card from his wallet. When she popped off the back of her phone case to pull out a credit card, he added, “No, I’ve got this. You bought the pretzels earlier.”
She looked about to protest, then shrugged it off. “Thanks. I’ll get coffees on the walk home. My weight-lifting brothers would be curious to know how you stay so fit and eat like you do.”
“If you want the truth, I don’t pay much attention to it. I’ll admit I worked out a lot in the service. It was a good way to release tension. Lately, I haven’t had time to do anything aside from a couple dozen push-ups and a few rounds of pull-ups in the attic using the support beams. I feel better when I’m not lazing around.”
“Of course,” Kelsey said, giggling. “The man who never stops moving ‘lazing around.’ Now I have this image of the ceiling rafters giving way and you being trapped under a pile of rubble. When I have time, I’ll swing by my parents’ and see what weights I can find deserted in their basement. My brothers moved out over a decade ago, and my parents have long since claimed the right to donate whatever they didn’t take to Goodwill. My mom just hasn’t gotten around to it. You’re welcome to come along and have a look. I’m sure my dad would love another chance to talk to you. He served in the National Guard to help pay for college. If my mom hadn’t gotten pregnant with my brother Brian and they got married, I think he’d have ended up joining the marines when he finished.”
“That’s a nice offer. Thanks. Your parents are cool, by the way. And very supportive of you.”
“I think they finally gave up hope I’d find a better job with benefits and whatnot. It took a few years, but they seem to get it now.”
“I think it’d be impossible not to. It’s easy to see how much you love your job. Which reminds me… I talked to Rob earlier, new cell phone and all,” he added, winking at her. “Were you serious about that pit you saw when you toured the warehouse? The one with those facial injuries?”
Kelsey sat straighter, her face revealing her sudden rapt attention. “Please tell me he’s doing okay.”
“He’s fine. He’s healing well and has no sign of infection. Most of his wounds were superficial, though he’s probably not going to be a pretty boy. Rob’s happy to bring him over when he finds a spare minute. That is, if you haven’t changed your mind. You’re going to have your hands more than full in a few weeks when those Rott pups are born. Keep Devil in the mix, and things will start to look like a zoo, not a rehab.”
“Are you kidding? Of course I want him.” She closed her hand over Kurt’s wrist automatically. “I keep dreaming about him. We’re going to find him the best home in St. Louis. The absolute best, I tell you.”
Experiencing her touch, hearing her words, Kurt remembered a snippet of a new dream. Unlike his typical dreams that took place in random homes or buildings that were quite different from anywhere he’d ever been, his dreams with Kelsey were in the house, the Sabrina Raven estate. The only differences were that there were far fewer dogs and the house and yard looked beautiful once again. Sabrina’s old garden was overflowing and surrounded by flowers and buzzing bees. Ida was next door, but in the dream, she was blended into his memories of Nana.
These dreams were light and happy and created a fullness in his chest he wasn’t sure he’d ever experienced in life. He’d never had dreams as powerful as these. This brought to mind Kelsey’s comment about lingering spirits. He toyed with the thought half a minute, wondering if it could have anything to do with why he’d been so comfortable there from the start. If there were any spirits hanging around in the Sabrina Raven estate, he had no fear of them. He could almost swear the house had its own energy, and it was one he enjoyed.
“You okay?” Kelsey asked, pulling her hand away.
Kurt was struggling to find the right thing to say when the server walked up and took his card, promising to be back in a cluck.
“I think I’ll take you up on that coffee” was all he said when they were alone again. After that, the conversation lost its easy, natural flow. He had a feeling Kelsey was wondering if she’d said something wrong.
As promised, the server was back in no time. Kurt tipped and signed, and they headed outside into the dark night. A few stars shone between patchy, rolling clouds.
“Holy crap, the temperature keeps dropping,” Kelsey said, closing her arms over her chest. “Poor Pepper’s going to be cold.”
“When we get back, we can move her to one of the upstairs bedrooms.”
“That would be good.” She shuddered and drew closer to
