Page 39 of The Kiss at Midnight
“I’ll be damned,” Greyson said again, lowering himself to the floor beside his wife and thrusting his own arm into Priddy’s hiding place. “There must be hundreds of paintings inhere.”
“I think you are right,” Ophelia agreed. “A vast fortune, I’dimagine.”
Greyson laughed. “You may be right. Indeed, I’m sure youare.”
Pushing to her feet, she beamed down at him. “Just imagine, you can sell this crumbling old house and build a mansion on UnionStreet.”
“I could, aye.” Greyson stood and pulled her into his arms. “But I’ll no’ be doingthat.”
“I know,” she said, her eyes shining. “You might sell one or two to cover repairs to our home. Otherwise, you’ll see all these framed and hung about the house in Arbuckle’s honor. And maybe you’ll donate some tomuseums.”
Greyson nodded. “That will be the way of it,aye.”
“Oh, it is much more than that.” She grabbed his face and kissed him. “It is exactly why I loveyou.”
Actually, they loved eachother.
And they loved Gannet House and even their resident ghost who did eventually treat them to an appearance, or two. Jericho also returned, making his presence known with a howl or bark, the clicking of canine claws on the stairs. One could even say that the old house became a place of great happiness and that would remain so for many years and thensome.
A blessing secured because unbeknownst to Greyson and Ophelia at the time, life had one more secret toshare…
The many children who would soon grace their days with so much delight andlaughter.
Even now, those who see the world through their hearts can feel that joy. And each time such a soul walks by Gannet House, everyone who ever lived and loved there,smiles.
Even a certain small redsquirrel.
For true love in all its beautiful forms is forever, and can never bedimmed.
