A Most Excellent Midlife Crisis - Robyn Peterman Page 0,11
he snapped.
“I am well aware of that,” Heather replied coldly. “I don’t want any more surprises tonight. You seem to be full of those, Michael.”
“Enough,” Tim said. “We are spectators here. There will be no bickering.”
“When did you grow balls?” Candy asked him.
“Same time you did,” Tim replied rudely.
“Touché,” she said with a laugh, and then added. “Mine are bigger.”
“Doubtful,” Tim muttered.
“I’m ready,” I said.
The room went silent. Steve’s deteriorating body trembled in my arms. My father’s hand was magically secured to my back. The two men I loved the most were with me. Gideon’s eyes met mine and a small smile pulled at his beautiful lips.
“You’ve got this,” he said softly. “The truth is on Steve’s side.”
Nodding, I took a deep breath and let myself fall.
The fall wasn’t without pain. I just hoped the pain to come wouldn’t end me.
Chapter Four
The cold. The cold went all the way to my bones and tore through my body like sharp, frozen daggers made of ice. Trying to catch my breath, I gasped for air but stayed calm.
My head pounded violently and every single cell in my body screamed for oxygen. I knew it was momentary, but it still sucked.
My mind went numb and my limbs felt like jelly.
Closing my eyes, I welcomed the icy chill that permeated my skin and seeped into my blood. It was proof that I was exactly where I wanted to be. I would never enjoy the sensation, but I’d become accustomed to it.
I’d become accustomed to a lot as of late.
I had no choice.
Or I was insane. It was a toss-up.
There was no rationalizing what I was doing. Gram had never taken a mind dive into the dead, nor had any other Death Counselor before her as far as anyone knew. While I did not subscribe to predestiny, I did believe that sometimes things happened for a reason. The simple fact that I could save Steve’s afterlife with my gift was more than a good enough reason to be saddled with the strange talent.
“My Daisy,” Steve said with such warmth in his voice. I felt tears prick behind my closed lids.
“That’s my name. Don’t wear it out,” I said, counting to three and slowly opening my eyes.
My gasp was audible. My tears were unstoppable. Steve was no longer a shell of a person. He was whole and beautiful—inside and out.
We stood opposite each other in a cavernous room of emptiness. There was no floor. No walls to speak of—more of a vast landscape of nothing. Steve and I floated in a silvery mist. It wasn’t frightening, but it would never be a place I would want to stay.
“Don’t cry,” he said, tilting his head to the side in concern.
“Happy tears,” I promised. “You look so…”
Glancing down at himself, he chuckled. “Damn fine,” Steve finished my sentence.
“Very damn fine,” I agreed, grinning. “I wish we could just stay like this for a while.”
“Why can’t we?” he asked.
Shaking my head, I felt guilty for the words I was about to speak, but they were the truth. “The longer I stay in your mind, the harder it is for me to recover.”
Steve pressed his lips together and ran his hands through his hair. “Let’s do this then.”
I nodded, feeling panic settle in my chest. “You’re sure it was an accident?”
“I’m sure, Daisy. I can’t remember exactly what happened, but it was not by choice.”
“Good,” I replied, and then hesitated. “I…”
“You what?”
“I want to hold your hand,” I said.
“Like the Beatles?” Steve asked with a raised brow and a twinkle in his eyes.
“Umm, yes, dorko. Just like the Beatles. I’ll be Paul and you can be Ringo.”
“That sounds kind of gay,” he pointed out with a silly grin.
I shrugged. “If the ruby slipper fits…”
Steve’s laugh went all through me, and I felt true joy. “We can really hold hands here?”
I nodded and reached for him. Steve placed his hand in mine and grasped it firmly. His hand lacked the warmth of a living person with blood running through their veins, but it was so familiar and felt so good.
“I know that you’re dying to ask me something,” Steve teased, tucking my wild hair behind my ear and giving me a lopsided grin.
“No, I’m not,” I lied with a giggle.
“You want to know what Gideon whispered to me.”
Rolling my eyes, I sighed dramatically. “Yesssss, I do,” I admitted. “However, don’t forget that we have an audience. If it’s private, don’t say it. I’ll pry it out of him later.”