“It has a name?” Mia asked, delighted.
“Yes. Make sure you take advantage of that deck as the sun goes down. You’ll see why it’s called Sunset Cottage.”
“We will. Please sit down. Excuse our lack of manners. Mia was born in a barn, and I was raised by wolves,” Ted said.
Mia went into the kitchen and pulled out four mugs. She looked over at Mark. “Are you a coffee drinkin’ man or would you rather have a Dr. Pepper?”
“Gran?” Mark looked for permission from Edie.
“You can have one Dr. Pepper,” she said.
Mia reached in the cooler and pulled out an icy can. She looked around and spotted a tea towel and wiped the can free of water before handing it to the kid.
Mark’s and her fingertips touched again. This time an image of an old house briefly clouded her vision.
“You’re full of surprises,” Mia said, shaking her head. “Polite and full of mysteries.”
Mark’s eyes darted to Mia’s husband and back.
“He doesn’t bite, but he does tease,” she warned.
“Edie, how do you drink your coffee?” Mia asked.
“Milk and two sugars, if you have it.”
“I better or Ted would have me drawn and quartered,” Mia said, fixing the mugs. She handed one mug to Mark to take to his grandmother. She walked to Ted, surprised she didn’t trip over her own feet on the way, she was so nervous.
She sat down next to her husband. Ted handed her Brian, and she bounced him on her knee.
“I’m supposed to tell you that the landline is active for local calls. We are in a cell phone dead zone here, according to my grandson. If it’s quiet you’re looking for, you’ll find it here in droves. The television’s crap, but on Wednesday night, my husband digs out his old movie collection and projects them on the garage wall. You’re welcome to come, bring a snack to pass,” she said. “Otherwise, there’s the lake. Mary’s rowboat’s life vests are in the boathouse.” She counted silently on her fingers. “I think that’s all.”
“No computer games,” Mark said quietly.
“Well, that’s a disappointment,” Ted said, more to connect with the boy than to express his feelings.
“You youngsters, wasting your lives in front of a computer.”
Mia squeezed Ted’s thigh as a warning. She said pleasantly, “My husband is a computer genius, so we may have a difference of opinion.”
“Oh my, I put my foot in my mouth,” she said, embarrassed.
“No, it’s okay. I agree that you can lose quality time in the games. I use my abilities to find better ways of communicating,” Ted explained.
Edie was mollified. “That’s nice.”
“We’re here to reconnect with each other,” Mia told them. “Our lives have taken different paths. It was time to regroup.”
Edie nodded. “Very smart, young woman.” She went on to acquaint Ted and Mia with the functions of the temperamental furnace and explained how to get the most out of the old hot water heater. “My husband Sam will be over to show you the boat. He’s up at St. Mathews fixing a leak in the roof right now.”
“We’ll look out for him,” Mia promised and walked the two to the door.
Ted walked them as far as the road. He came back smiling. “Nice folks.”
Mia nodded, yawning.
“You put Brian down, and I’ll finish up here,” he promised.
Mia left him to finish bringing in the gear.
She laid Brian down and smiled down at him. “I think we may want to take advantage of the peace. There’s something brewing down the street that Mommy and Daddy may have to look into.”
“Ooh ooh,” Brian said, and yawned.
“Yes,” she said, tucking him in.
Mia wandered out into the cottage and mentally planned how to secure the place if the dead came a calling.
“Uh oh, you’ve got that gotta-pour-some-salt look on your face. Did the kid scare you?” Ted asked, shutting the outside door.
“No, but it doesn’t hurt to be prepared,” Mia said.
“I’m here, Mia. Let me calm your fears,” Ted offered.
“I’m sorry. I don’t know how to do this. I see and feel so much,” she said, letting him take her into his arms.
“We can’t save everyone, and not everyone wants to be saved. But after a few days’ rest, we’ll be up to any challenge. Let those shoulders ease,” he said, rubbing them.
Mia listened to his words while feeling his hands on her. She closed her eyes and sighed. The rubbing stopped. Her eyes popped open. She turned around, and Ted was gone.
“What?”
“Sorry, I wanted to give this to you. Rubbing your shoulders reminded me.” He handed her a tissue-wrapped package. “Cid and I were up late last night working on it.”
“So this is from you, or you and Cid?”
“Me, Cid, and Murphy.”
“Now I’m intrigued,” she said and unrolled the paper to find a new scabbard.
“Murphy pointed out to us that you wouldn’t be fighting ghosts up there, so you now have little use for the shotgun,” Ted explained. “I worried that the scabbard that you have would interfere with your wings, so we came up with this.”
Mia pulled off her shirt. She slid the scabbard on and touched her wrists. She glanced at the front windows, and when she saw no one on the deck, she tapped her wrists together and let the wings out.
“Whoa, I’ll never grow tired of that move. Mia, it’s so damn sexy,” he said.
Mia flapped her wings, being careful to not knock over any of the furniture. She brought them in tight behind her and turned around and wiggled her finger.
Ted walked over. Mia rose up off the ground until she was eye level with Ted.
“How are you doing that?”
“I’m not sure, but let’s go with it. Come here,” she said, reaching for him. She kissed him long and hard on the lips before lowering herself to the floor.
Ted ran his hands first along the straps of the scabbard
