Chapter 3
CHAPTER THREE
A unt Amelia had her hands on her hips and an expression Demetrius liked to think of as her patient teacher face. She’d been an elementary school teacher for almost forty years before retiring, and she had honed a number of classic teacher expressions in that time. This one clearly showed disappointment while also being encouraging.
“What’s wrong with them?” Demetrius was squatting by the flowerbeds, wiping beads of sweat from his brow. It was warm for a Saturday almost at the end of October. He was happy to be able to help Amelia, but he’d been out in the sun for almost two hours now. “This is how you usually arrange them for fall and winter, right?”
‘Them’ was her beloved garden gnomes. She’d selectively collected them nearly all her life. Only certain gnomes were fine enough to grace her ceramic menagerie. These had been purchased at different points based on some features or colors or pose that struck her at that time. People had, of course, given them as gifts over the years, but unless you really, truly knew what to look for, the gnome was either returned, if a receipt had been provided, or passed off to another gardener with less stringent gnome standards.
Demetrius was proud to be one of the few who had managed to give her a gnome that still prowled Amelia’s flowerbeds. His was a brightly painted gnome depicted in mid-step, lips pursed in a whistle and a sack over his shoulder with different colored mushrooms peeking out of the top. Amelia had named him Martin.
Now she huffed out a quiet breath and shrugged. “I’m not sure what it is. Maybe this warm weather is throwing me off, but it feels like they need to be arranged differently this year.”
“Okay then.” Demetrius got to his feet and stood next to her. They looked at the arrangement together in silence. “Is it Renaldo, the fisherman? Do you think he’s too hidden behind that mum?”
“That might be. Would you mind moving him over beneath the forsythia?”
Demetrius lifted Renaldo with a quiet grunt—was it possible they got heavier each year?—and carried it a short distance away. He plunked it down beneath the forsythia bush and turned it back and forth to get it level. Sitting back, he looked at her.
“Well, sugar maples, now he’s crowding Colin,” Amelia said, falling back on her use of tree names instead of curses.
Demetrius looked, and, sure enough, he had dropped his line not far from a gnome happily raking up some ceramic leaves, which was apparently Colin. He blew out a breath, got to his knees, and lifted Colin with a bit louder grunt.
“Okay, where should he go?”
It took another thirty minutes of shuffling the gnomes to new positions and trimming away leaves or branches that might obscure one of them from view. Finally, however, Amelia looked pleased, and Demetrius was sweaty, dirty, very tired, but happy he’d been able to help. He cleaned up in the hall bathroom, and found Amelia in the kitchen, packing up leftovers to go.
“I made a roast in the crock pot last night.”
“It was delicious!” Otis called from the den on the other side of the kitchen.
Demetrius leaned around the doorway. “Hi, Otis.”
Otis looked away from the golf game on TV and lifted a hand. “Hiya, Demetrius. Get those gnomes all sorted out?”
“I think so.”
“Thanks for the help,” Otis said, shaking his bald head and grinning. “Seems like those things get heavier every year, and my back just can’t take it anymore.”
“I’ve noticed that, too,” Demetrius said.
The crowd on the TV said, “Oooooo,” and Otis snapped his head around to see what had happened. “Oh, he chipped it!”
“Oh no,” Demetrius said. “Maybe he can cover it with some touch up paint.”
“What? No, that’s not…” Otis grinned over his shoulder. “Okay, you’re mocking me. I get it. Go on with you.” Otis shook his head and waved him off. “Go chase something spooky.”
“Haven’t you heard? We don’t do that anymore.”
“Finally wised up, eh?” But Otis’s attention was fixed firmly on the TV.
Demetrius turned back to the kitchen and found Amelia looking at him with a small, sad smile.
“He didn’t mean anything by that,” she said quietly. “He’s only talking.”
“Oh, I know.” Demetrius shrugged. “Things are just different now. This summer was pretty scary. And the whole town had a terrible time a few years ago.”
“Yes, but…” Amelia reached to take his hand and give it a gentle squeeze. “You and Cody most of all. It seems you two always get the poopy end of the stick when spooky stuff starts happening.”
“Well, not any more. Not after the ruling in the civil case.”
“Yes, the civil case.” She dropped his hand, and her expression shifted to something angry and protective. When she spoke again, the word ‘bristled’ was front and center in Demetrius’s mind. “Crabapple trees, that family had no right to take it that far. I will be happy when they sell that house and leave town.”
“They’re moving?”
“Oh, yes. And from what I’ve heard, they’ll be far away from here.”
“Nice of them to make us close our business before they left town.” Demetrius drew in a breath and shook his head. “Oh, well. Can’t change the past, right?”
“If only.” Amelia scooped some leftovers into plastic storage containers. “You know, if I remember correctly, the ruling for that civil case stated you can’t do business as Critter Catchers for a year. Is that right?”
Demetrius furrowed his brow. “That’s right.”
She didn’t look at him, focusing on the leftover prep. “But the judge never said you couldn’t get involved in spooky situations.”
A sizzle went through Demetrius. It was like a wire had come loose inside him, flailing around, sparking every time it touched an organ or muscle or bone.
“You could start a paranormal investigations company. Call yourselves Spooky Sleuths or something like that.” Amelia smiled at him. “I’ve seen how you two boys work a spooky case. You’re better than anyone at realizing there’s something not quite right going on, and then figuring out what’s behind it.”
Demetrius mentally doused the sparks of excitement. When he spoke, he thought he’d done a good job of keeping any interest at all from his voice. “That’s a unique idea. But I don’t think we’d get a lot of business. Not enough to sustain a company at any rate.”
“You might be surprised.”
“Oh? Well, that scares me a bit, too,” Demetrius said. “Anyway, unless I want my husband to divorce me, I think we should stick with our jobs at the DPW, you know, where we can enjoy health benefits and steady paychecks.”
“Yes, I see your point. Why do something that lights you up like just happened when you can scrape up roadkill and fix water main breaks? What was I thinking?”
Demetrius gave her a stern look. “You’re a bad influence.”
“Am I? Must be that little bit of werewolf left inside me.” She smiled wickedly. “You understand what I mean. You’ve got some inside you, too.” She pulled him into a strong hug, which he gratefully returned. “I love you, Demetrius.”
“I love you, too.”
She stepped back, smiling and wiping away a tear. “I just want you to be happy.”
“I know. And I am. It’s just… different happy now.”
“I’m sure you know best. But it could just be a side business, for now.” She handed him the leftovers. “Anyway, there’s also chocolate cake. Make sure Cody lets you have a piece.”
Demetrius laughed. “I’ll try to keep him away from it.”
He called a goodbye to Otis, kissed Amelia on the cheek, and left. He stopped at the front of his truck parked at the curb, pausing to appreciate the front flowerbeds and all that he and Amelia had completed that day. It was late afternoon and shadows were long across the yards as he drove through the independent living section of Parson’s Pines. Since he was in the area, he thought he might stop in and check on Felicia, but wanted to touch base with Cody and see if anything specific needed to be done for her. He was sure she wouldn’t remember him, but he could just say he was visiting with seniors in the facility and stopped in to say hello. It might be good for Cody to get some insight from another set of eyes.
At the nursing home facility, he, like Cody, parked far from the door to allow other, older visitors the closer spaces. Once he’d pulled in, he placed the call.
“Hey.” Cody’s voice was a little scratchy and more than a lot sexy.
“You fell asleep on the couch.”
Cody cleared his throat. “You don’t know me.”
“Baby, if anyone knows you better, I’d like to meet them.”
“Good point.”
“You sound incredibly sexy right now,” Demetrius said.
“Yeah? You should see how I’m dressed. No shirt, gray sweat shorts, woke up hard.”
Demetrius thumped his forehead against the steering wheel. “You’re killing me.”
“Might still be hard by the time you get home.”
“Well, I hate to put a damper on Little Cody’s fun…”
“Little?”
“But I just left Amelia’s and am parked outside the nursing home. Do you want me to stop in and check on Felicia?”
“Oh, look at you, being the world’s best husband.” Cody cleared his throat again. “Yeah, that would be nice, actually. Would be good to hear what you think of her condition.”
“That’s what I was thinking, too. Okay, I’ll stop in for a quick visit. I have leftovers from Amelia for dinner.”
“That woman is a saint.” Cody yawned loudly. “Does that mean I can return to my nap?”
“It absolutely does. I’ll be quiet when I get home.”
“Oh, no, I think my shorts accidentally slid off.”
“You are a very bad man.”
“And you’re stuck with me.”
“For life,” Demetrius said.
“Forever.”
“I love you.”
“Love you, too.” Another yawn. “I hope Felicia is in a good place today.”
“I’ll give you an update when I get home. Go back to sleep.”
“Halfway there,” Cody said. “Dreaming of you.”
“Such sweet talk.”
Cody made quiet snoring noises, and Demetrius laughed.
“Goodbye,” Demetrius said. “See you soon.”
“Bye.”
After he’d ended the call, Demetrius sat for a moment and looked at the shadows gathering in the small copse of pine trees that ran along the edge of the parking lot. It was early evening now, and the smell of the pine and quiet birdsong drifted in through the slightly open window. If he didn’t know better, he’d say he might be feeling… peaceful?
But then he heard Amelia say Spooky Sleuths as clearly as if she sat in the truck with him, and that sizzle of excitement sparked inside him again. He dampened it quickly before it could strengthen into something that burned brighter. There was not enough spooky business to sustain that kind of business model, not even as a side hustle. And Cody’s anger would be absolutely epic.
Pushing the thought from his mind, he stepped out of the truck and approached the doors. The nurse on duty smiled at him in recognition but he couldn’t recall her name.
“You’re Cody’s husband, right?” she said.
“Hi, yeah. I’m Demetrius. My aunt lives in the independent living section, and I thought I’d stop in to see Felicia while I was out here.”
“That’s nice of you. Cody is here so often. He’s a devoted grandson.”
“That he is. How’s Felicia been?”
“I haven’t really interacted with her today, but she’s been pretty good, I think. She’s been popular this week. The visits are always good for dementia patients.”
“Yeah, Cody’s dedicated.”
Demetrius wished the nurse a good day before heading for Felicia’s room. A few residents were in the hall, some ambling slowly along supported by walkers, others sitting on benches placed at intervals between rooms. He smiled and greeted them, even stopping to crouch and pick up a paperback dropped by a man in a wheelchair.
“Thank you,” the man said, his hand shaking as he accepted the book.
“You’re welcome. Enjoy the book.”
“Oh, I can’t see well enough to read anymore,” he said with a sad smile. “But when I could, it was my favorite book. I just like having it with me now.”
Tears prickled the corners of Demetrius’s eyes and he managed a smile. “I’m glad it makes you feel good. Have you tried audiobooks?”
The man pointed to his ear where a hearing aid rested. “Can’t hear without these.”
“I see. Well I’m glad you still have that book.”
“Are you a nurse?”
“Oh, no. I’m here to visit someone.”
He looked a little sad. “That’s nice of you.”
Demetrius was about to ask him if he had family in the area when he noticed movement from the corner of his eye. Surprise went through him at the sight of Zenona Baldwin stepping out of a room not much farther down the hall. His surprise intensified when he realized it was Felicia’s room.
“Hey, Zenona.”
She started and turned. Guilt flashed across her face a moment, then she smiled. “Demetrius. Hi!”
Demetrius looked back at the man in the wheelchair. “It was nice talking with you. I hope you have a good day.”
“Thank you.” He looked at Zenona approaching them, and he smiled at Demetrius. “She’s a real looker. Good for you, son.”
“She’s just a friend, but I can put in a good word for you, if you like.”
The man laughed and, shaking his head, wheeled away, his well-worn paperback securely tucked between his legs.
“What brings you here?” Zenona asked as she stopped in front of him.
“I was over at Amelia’s and thought I’d check on Felicia. What about you?”
“Oh, I saw a couple of people from here at the hospital recently and came by to check on them.”
“On a Saturday?”
“Well, you know, so busy during the week.” She waved a hand in vague reference to being busy, Demetrius guessed.
“Is that Felicia’s room I saw you coming out of?”
“Yes, it was. It is. I like to stop in and check on her, too, when I come out here.”
“That’s really nice of you. Cody will be happy to hear that.” He took a moment to look at her. Her long, dark brown hair was full and fell around her shoulders, and her brown eyes had more life in them than he’d seen in a while. She looked a lot more rested than she had over the summer.
Zenona was one of Cody’s ex-girlfriends from high school. She and Cody had dated a few times after graduation, but it just never worked out. Now she was a doctor at the hospital, and Demetrius sometimes thought Cody had definitely traded down when he’d chosen him over Zenona. Demetrius had always liked and respected her, and felt she returned his affection, which was nice. Over the years, she and Cody had developed a comfortable friendship as well, which helped a bit since the crazy stuff they kept getting involved in usually meant at least one trip to Parson’s Hollow Memorial.
“How are things at the hospital? You getting more time off?”
“Yeah, yes. It’s better there, yes.” She glanced at her smartwatch and made a face. “I’m sorry. I really need to head out, though. It was good to see you. Tell Cody I said hello.”
“I will.”
She walked purposefully toward the entrance. He had to admit she had the brisk, efficient doctor’s walk down pat. Turning away, he walked much less briskly, to Felicia’s room and paused in the doorway. She sat in a chair by the window, a heavy quilt across her lap, looking at the bird feeder on a hook outside. Her white hair was cut short and combed straight back from her forehead, such a contrast to the soft, upswept hairdo Demetrius remembered from when he was growing up. He knew it was most likely the easiest style the visiting beautician could manage for her, but to Demetrius it gave Felicia a more severe look that made her appear to be some kind of senior CEO.
It was the magic hour time of day, when the sun was low enough to flood the room with orange light. The light sparked off something on the wall at Demetrius’s eye level, and he stepped into the room to look at it more closely.
A small loop of beads hung from one of those adhesive backed plastic hooks. At the bottom of the beads dangled a silver cross about three inches long. Had that always been there?
“Everly?”
Demetrius smiled and stepped fully into the room. “Hi, Felicia. I’m Demetrius. Your grandson Cody is a good friend of mine.”
She frowned. “Cody?”
He pulled up a chair and sat in front of her. “Yeah, he’s your grandson. He’s…” His mind blanked on Cody’s parents’ names for a moment, the cross hanging just inside the doorway flashing into his mind once again. “He’s your son’s middle boy.”
“Greg?”
“Yes, Greg is your son, and Cody is his boy.”
“You’re Cody?” She looked at him from the corner of her eye. “You don’t look like Cody.”
Demetrius took a breath. This was going to be a short visit, and hopefully he didn’t just upset her.
Demetrius pulled in the driveway and parked behind Cody’s truck. He shut off the engine and gathered up the leftovers from Amelia. The floor lamp in the corner was turned to low, and a college football game was on with the sound muted. Cody sat on the couch, attention on the television. He wore only the gray sweat shorts he’d mentioned on the phone, his chest broad and pale, the patch of brown hair between his pecs looking soft and kissable, and his big bare feet stretched out in front of him, toes digging into the carpet as he watched the play.
“How’s Grandma?” Cody asked, glancing over at him.
“She’s good. I confused her trying to explain who I was.” Demetrius walked through the dining room to the kitchen and placed the bags of food on the counter.
Cody came up behind him. The smell of him washed over Demetrius, and he took a deep breath, pulling it into his lungs. Musk and spice and earth. Whatever pheromones Cody put out, Demetrius was extremely susceptible to them.
“You doing okay?” Cody put his chin on Demetrius’s shoulder and placed a gentle kiss on his neck.
“Yeah, I’m fine. I should know better than try to explain who I am. I wasn’t thinking, you know? Should have just visited with her.”
Cody moved back and put his hands on Demetrius’s shoulders, squeezing gently. “It was nice of you to stop in and see her. Thank you for doing that.”
“I’m happy to.” He tucked his chin to his chest and Cody dug his fingers in with a bit more strength. “That feels good.”
“Got a few knots in there.”
“What a shock.”
Cody chuckled. “Are you saying the life you’re living with me isn’t all rainbows and sunshine?”
Demetrius reached back to squeeze Cody’s cock through his shorts. “It’s not all bad. You find ways to make it up to me.”
“Yeah?” Cody kissed the top knob of Demetrius’s spine just above the collar of his t-shirt. “I can think of a few ways I could make it up to you right now.”
Demetrius slid his hand a little lower and snaked his fingers up the leg of Cody’s shorts. His balls were warm and heavy as Demetrius cupped them in his palm. Cody groaned, and Demetrius moved his hand higher to grip Cody’s cock and squeeze.
“Is that a yes?” Cody’s voice was hoarse with lust.
Demetrius tipped his head back and turned it. Cody leaned in for a firm, tongue-heavy kiss.
“So fucking sexy,” Cody said between kisses. He pressed his erection against Demetrius’s ass and wrapping his strong arms around his torso. The kisses intensified, and Demetrius turned into him, feeling Cody’s dick against his hip. He widened his stance and Cody stepped in closer, grinding against him as he plunged his tongue into his mouth.
“Bedroom?” Demetrius whispered between kisses.
In response, Cody stepped back, breaking their kiss. But then he leaned in for one more, tongue sweeping through Demetrius’s mouth. When he pulled back, Cody’s pupils were wide, his lips red and swollen from the force of their kisses.
“Right fucking now,” Cody said.
Demetrius’s cock jumped at the sound of his voice, and he eagerly followed Cody through the house to their bedroom. Once through the doorway, Cody shoved his shorts down and kicked them off, turning to show he was already at full mast.
“So hot,” Demetrius said, starting to kneel. But Cody stepped close and stopped him.
“Not so fast.” Cody tugged Demetrius’s t-shirt over his head, quickly loosening his shorts and stripping off his underwear, all the while kissing him hard and deep. Once Demetrius was naked except for his socks, Cody knelt and took him deep into his throat.
“Oh, God,” Demetrius said with a moan.
Cody rolled his socks down and had Demetrius lift first one foot then the other so he could peel them off. He moved his big hands up Demetrius’s legs and grabbed his ass, kneading each cheek with his strong fingers.
“I want to suck you, too,” Demetrius said. “Let’s get on the bed.”
Cody slowly pulled off his cock with a loud pop of suction, then grinned as he got to his feet. They kissed and moved together toward the bed, falling across it and kissing some more. Demetrius moved down Cody’s body, kissing his chin, his throat, that soft patch of hair in the center of his chest. Cody put his hands behind his head and Demetrius pressed his nose into the furry hollow of his armpit, breathing in the smell of him, his cock twitching impatiently.
After inhaling Cody’s scent, Demetrius continued down his body, delivering soft kisses and gentle swipes of his tongue until he reached his long, hard length. Laying his head on Cody’s belly, Demetrius took him in hand and looked at it. Lamplight glistened in the slick precum smeared across the broad head, and Cody made it jump in his grip.
They both laughed, and Demetrius moved up for a quick kiss.
“Best puppet performance ever,” Demetrius said, swiveling position on the bed to place his head by Cody’s hips and his cock pointing in Cody’s face.
The salty taste of precum and sweat made him groan. He was eager for more, for Cody to empty his balls down his throat, and he sucked him hard and fast. Gripping Cody’s shaft, Demetrius worked the full length, lips tight around it, the head rubbing against the roof of his mouth and into his cheek. Cody was just as eager, it seemed, as he followed Demetrius’s example and sucked him with equal greed. They were both too turned on for gentle foreplay and light stroking. They needed to get off, and quickly.
Demetrius finished first. He puffed through his nostrils and groaned around his mouthful of dick, encouraging Cody to stroke faster and suck harder, and then Demetrius was shooting inside Cody’s mouth. Seconds later, Cody bucked against his tongue and cum filled his mouth. He gulped it down, twisting his hand up the shaft to milk every drop.
Demetrius rolled onto his back and closed his eyes. He savored the lingering taste of Cody’s spunk on his tongue and the smell of their sex hanging heavy in the room. Cody ran his fingers up and down Demetrius’s thigh.
“Why didn’t I ask you out in high school?” Cody said.
“Because you were an idiot.”
Cody lifted his head. “Hey.”
Demetrius sat up and kissed him softly, lovingly. Pulling back a bit, he rested a hand along Cody’s jaw and looked into his brown eyes. “But I won’t hold that against you.”
Cody put a hand on the back of Demetrius’s neck and pulled him in for another, longer, deeper kiss. When they parted, Demetrius could see his pupils had widened considerably.
“I’m trying to make up for lost time,” Cody said.
“We have the rest of our lives together.” Demetrius held up his left hand to display his silver wedding band. “You’re stuck with me.”
Cody held up his own hand, his gold wedding band catching the light. “Right back at you.”
“Good.” Demetrius kissed him soundly, then got off the bed and pulled on a pair of pajama pants. “Come on, let’s break into those leftovers.”
Over dinner, Demetrius told Cody about his afternoon with Amelia. He left out her suggestion of them becoming Spooky Sleuths because he didn’t want to wreck the peaceful afterglow.
“And Felicia was in a good place?” Cody asked.
“Yeah, other than being confused about who I was in relation to her. Oh, that reminds me. I saw Zenona there.”
“Oh?” Cody frowned. “She making house calls out there now?”
“Kind of, I guess? She said she was out there checking in on someone she’d seen, and had stopped in to see Felicia.”
Cody looked surprised. “That was nice of her.”
“It was, which shouldn’t surprise you.”
“Yeah, okay. That wasn’t a slight against Zee. I just don’t think about people stopping in to check on my grandmother.”
He looked a little emotional, and Demetrius wondered if he shouldn’t have said anything. Then he remembered the cross inside the door. “Was your grandmother very religious?”
Cody frowned. “Religious? I don’t know. She went to church, but she also swore a lot. Why?”
“There’s a cross hanging just inside her door. I’d never noticed it before, so thought I would ask.”
“Cross?”
“Yeah. A small one hanging from a string of beads.”
“A rosary?”
“Oh, maybe?” Demetrius made a face. “I should have taken a picture of it.”
“It’s no big deal. I’ll pay her a visit tomorrow and check it out myself. I don’t remember a cross hanging there either. I wonder if one of the nurses put it up or something.”
“Could be. Do they have a pastor or priest who visits out there?”
“They do, but I’ve never heard of him going to see Felicia. We were raised Lutheran.”
“That’s right. I remember going to Christmas Eve services with your family a few times.”
Cody grinned. “You got the full Bower family experience those nights, didn’t you?”
“Oh, yes. A very thorough Bower family experience.”
They both laughed. It felt good and natural, and Demetrius was glad he hadn’t mentioned Amelia’s suggestion. He didn’t like to keep secrets from Cody, but it had just been something mentioned in passing. It wasn’t like he was going to go by City Hall and ask for a small business application. He’d be laughed back out onto the street. Wouldn’t he?
And besides, he didn’t miss risking his life going up against creatures straight out of a nightmare. He was enjoying the peace and quiet of a steady paycheck and a calm and happy home life. They were in their thirties now, and it was time to start acting like adults.