Page 6 of Forever Found

“At that estate?”

“Well, actually, the house intrigued me. I wanted to take a few pictures.”

Justin grimaced. “You didn’t…”

She hesitated, wondering at his reaction. But then she shot him a smile, lifting her chin. “I did. But my timing wasn’t the best. He came marching out and made me stop.”

“I’m not surprised. The ang—” He stopped abruptly as if catching himself. “I’m not sure how to explain this. Terror isn’t like other towns. It is…old-world. It has its own hierarchy and ruling councils. The family of Thurston kind of used to run the town—like a boss family in the Mafia, I guess,” he started. “Plus, the residents here are pretty fussy about their privacy. They don’t take kindly to interference, and they tend to keep to themselves unless they’re hanging out in town.”

She raised a brow. “Sounds a bit archaic to me.”

“I like the way everyone keeps to themselves.” He shrugged. “Don’t worry about it. You won’t be here long enough to need to know any of that anyway.”

“Is that why you’ve hidden away up here?”

He shrugged. “I haven’t given it much thought.” When he strolled into the kitchen, she followed. He opened the freezer. “Pizza okay for dinner?”

“Whatever is fine by me, thanks.” She let the subject of David Snyder go. Something seemed off about the man. Whatever it was, her cousin knew more than he was saying. Lyndsey smiled. She loved a good mystery.

Justin fired up the gas oven, unboxed the frozen pizza, and slid the pie inside. He opened the refrigerator, then peered around the door. “Beer or soda?”

“Beer, please.”

He grabbed two bottles, then popped the tops. “It’s a local craft brew. Quite decent.”

The kitchen filled with the aroma of the cooking pizza, and the air warmed from the heat of the oven. It felt wonderful. He set the bottles on the table.

“Can I get the plates or something?” she asked.

“Nah. Just relax. The drive can be pretty grueling when it snows.”

“It wasn’t bad. The roads were decent.” Snagging the bottle closest to her, she took a drink. “Mmm. This is good. Smooth.”

He nodded with a half-smile. “You won’t find much road-clearing in town. Just the roads around town and the main street of Omen Ave.” He slid plates, silverware, and a paper towel to use as a napkin in front of her.

She squinted at her cousin. He seemed different, somehow. More confident and relaxed. She hadn’t seen him in a long time, so she guessed that could do it. He was an adult now, not a teen leaving home to make his mark on the world. But he seemed to carry a secretiveness that hadn’t been there before.

Leaning against the stove, he returned her stare. “What made you decide to visit Terror?” he asked. “Don’t get me wrong. I’m glad to see you. It’s just…your call was unexpected.”

Her cheeks grew warm. When he’d gone to college, they’d lost touch. “I was combing through pictures when I came across one of us at the Winter Carnival beside the enormous ice sculptures.” She shrugged. “I miss those days.”

He smiled, his furrowed brow smoothing. “I haven’t thought about that in ages. Those were good times.”

Lyndsey grinned. “When I found it, I decided there was no time like the present to get back in touch. And here I am.”

Now that she thought about it, she wasn’t sure what had drawn her to make this trip. The picture, sure, and the feeling that came with it had nudged her. And she usually listened to the unusual sensations she got. Had it been loneliness? Did she want to recapture the friendship they’d once shared? Or was it that he’d been the one person who had accepted her just the way she was, even with her psychic quirks?

“So where’s Uncle Steve now?” he asked.

“In New York City. Dad moved there when I was in college.”

He nodded. “Mine remarried. My stepmother has kids of her own. I pretty much stay in Terror.” He leaned a shoulder against the doorframe. “It’s not that I blame him. After our moms died and I was an adult, I just didn’t have anything in common, and no history, with his new family.”

“That makes sense to me.” Lyndsey gave a small smile. He was still the loner he’d always been, even when they were kids. They’d grown up living a block from each other. Their mothers were sisters, and they had been close. On Sundays, they used to have cookouts in the backyard, all gathered around a picnic table.

Justin and Lyndsey had been together when they’d gotten the news their mothers had died. A church in downtown Chicago had been hosting a charity event then it had collapsed with their mothers inside. He’d been twelve and she thirteen when they came home from the movies to discover a sheriff’s car in the driveway. They’d ridden their bikes because the theater was nearby. Her father had met her on the lawn, his eyes red. He’d been crying. She couldn’t recall ever seeing her father like that before.

She had shared a worried look with Justin. Then his dad had come from around the sheriff’s car. Charles Smith’s big hand had clasped her father’s shoulder as they approached the kids. She had jumped off her bike, letting it fall on its side. The Blue Moon Wisteria had been in full bloom, and the sweet, floral scent had filled her nostrils as she took a breath. “What’s wrong?” she’d asked.