Spooks & Specters: A San DeLain Short Story Collection

Chapter One

“HEY, KIT!”

Beckett knocked loudly on Kit’s office door. “You’re needed up front.”

“What in the world?”

Kit mumbled under his breath as he put the finishing touches on an email.

It was Valentine’s Day. And being the good businessman he was, of course Kit had capitalized on the holiday. His bookstore was decorated with red and pink heart-shaped decorations, and brightly colored balloons floated in every corner.

Streamers of the same colors hung from the ceiling, creating a festive atmosphere. Kitschy cupids with their bows and arrows were scattered throughout the store, their chubby faces and rosy cheeks adding to the Valentine’s Day theme.

The seating areas were cozy and inviting, adorned with plush red and pink throw pillows that added a pop of color to the room. The store was bustling with customers browsing through the shelves, and there were sale signs scattered throughout.

The sweet aroma of freshly baked goods filled the air, tempting customers to indulge in a treat while they shopped. The counter was stacked with heart-shaped cookies, cupcakes with pink frosting, and other festive treats.

Kit had gone all out for Valentine’s Day, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere for anyone who walked through the door.

“Can’t you handle it, Beckett? I’m kinda in the middle of—”

“Nope, this requires your presence. Trust me. Now, come on. You don’t want to miss this.”

Kit glanced up from his computer. Beckett was standing in the doorway, grinning from ear to ear. That was Kit’s first clue something was up. “Oh boy. What did they do?”

“I’m not saying a word. Come on.”

Hudson and Connie had been dropping hints about Valentine’s Day ever since the calendar flipped over to February first. It was a human holiday, but his two dragons were definitely into it.

Kit wasn’t quite sure what to make of that. Last Valentine’s Day had definitely been a ten on the disappointment scale, thanks to Kit’s ex-boyfriend. But that was then. Kit had real boyfriends now.

Well, mates actually, but that was a whole different storyline. Truth was, Kit had never been in a relationship where the other person showered him with such attention. But he was eating it up, though.

As Kit entered the main area of the bookstore, he couldn’t help but notice the number of people milling about. It was a good sign for business. As he made his way towards the front, he wove through the crowd that seemed to grow thicker with each step.

Kit ducked around a couple of bodies and then stumbled to a halt, Beckett nearly slamming into the back of him.

“Good heavens.”

Kit fought not to let his mouth fall open at the vision before him.

Standing right inside the door was a tall, well-built guy with blond hair who was dressed in what appeared to be a short white skirt, white feathery wings, and lace-up sandals… and nothing else. His abs glistened in the sunlight. In one hand he held a pretty red envelope, in the other was a toy bow, and a duffel sat at his feet.

Next to Kit, Beckett whistled softly. “Nice.”

Kit couldn’t help but agree. He might be in a relationship, but he wasn’t blind. The guy was sexy, but Kit had a thing for redheads. And his two men? Well, sexy Cupid had nothing on Kit’s studly dragons.

The blond beefcake flashed a smile when he spotted Kit. “Are you Kit Meadows?”

“I am.”

Cupid handed Kit the envelope. “Happy Valentine’s Day. The duffel is yours also.”

Then Cupid shot him with a plastic arrow and threw some heart-shaped confetti over Kit.

Bemused, Kit watched the guy leave the bookstore. Did he just get shot by Cupid?

“Um, I’ll be right back,”

Beckett said and hurried after Cupid.

“Is he really going to…? Yes. Yes, he is.”

Kit watched Beckett stop the guy. They spoke for a minute, then Beckett took out his cell phone. A second later he nodded and grinned at Cupid.

Cupid waved goodbye, and a smiling Beckett walked inside.

“Did you really just hit on Cupid?”

“I did, yes, and got his phone number.”

Beckett hip-checked Kit. “You haven’t opened the envelope yet?”

“No, I got distracted watching you make a play for Cupid.”

Kit giggled. “And good grief, I never thought those words would come out of my mouth.”

“You just never know.”

“No. No, you really don’t.”

Kit stared at the envelope. His name was written across the front, and he recognized Hudson’s handwriting.

“I’m dying here, open it.”

Chuckling, Kit did just that.

X to the O! Please join us to celebrate Valentine’s Day in a very special way!

Skating by the Sea

February 14th at The Rink in Downtown San DeLain

A limo will arrive for you at 6:00.

Everything you need is in the duffel.

Love, Hudson and Connie

“What in the world is Skating by the Sea?”

“I have no idea. But it sounds interesting.”

Beckett pulled out his cell phone. “Give me a second to google The Rink.”

Kit opened the duffel bag while Beckett was researching. “Huh. These are some of my winter clothes.”

“The Rink is a man-made ice-skating rink that’s located near the ocean. That’s cool. I didn’t know we had something like that.”

“Ice-skating? Good grief. It’s been years since I’ve gone ice-skating.”

Kit dug around in the duffel. There were jeans, a long sleeve shirt, sweater, a jacket, gloves, shoes, and a beanie. “Looks like there’s everything I’d need here.”

“Good. It says to dress warm. What a lovely way to spend Valentine’s Day. I wonder which one of them thought of it.”

“I don’t know, but whichever one of them did, they did a good job.”

Kit zipped the duffel and picked it up. “I’m taking this back to my office. It looks as if I’m going ice-skating for Valentine’s Day.”

RIGHT BEFORE lunch, Kit received a text message from Hudson saying Kit’s lunch was being catered and would arrive in ten minutes. Exactly ten minutes on the dot, Beckett was back in Kit’s doorway.

“Lunch is here.”

“Oh good. What did he send?”

Standing, Kit walked around his desk and joined Beckett in the doorway.

“Nope. You’re going to have to come see.”

“Please tell me it’s not another nearly naked Cupid.”

“Sorry to disappoint, but no. The delivery guy was completely dressed. It’s set up in the break room.”

Kit smelled it before they reached the eating area. His mates had sent pizza, which was perfect. Opening the door, Beckett let Kit go first. The delivery guy had already left, and there were several pizza boxes arranged on a small table set up in the back, along with a nice assortment of two-liter sodas, red plastic cups, and a cooler of ice. The plates and napkins were Valentine themed.

And, of course, there was a big pink envelope and a big red envelope sitting right in the middle of the table with Kit’s name written on both of them.

A sense of warmth filled his chest as he rushed to the table. He reached for the pink envelope and eagerly tore it open, revealing a Valentine’s card adorned with glittery pink hearts.

On the inside it said: Happy Valentine’s Day! I can bear-ly wait to see you! Love, Connie.

Kit’s eyes stung. Wasn’t that the sweetest thing? “Well, damn.”

Beckett wandered over to where Kit was standing. Instead of looking at the card, he opened one of the pizza boxes. “Oh my, Kit. Look at this.”

Kit discreetly wiped his eyes, then glanced inside the pizza box. The pizza was shaped like a heart.

“Oh my God, isn’t that the cutest thing ever?”

“This one’s pepperoni. I wonder if they all are…. Nope.”

Beckett opened another box. “This one is only cheese. Looks like we got a good variety here.”

“Of course we do. My mates would take into consideration that not everyone likes the same pizza. Aren’t they just perfect?”

“My King and his Right Hand adore you,”

Beckett said, closing the pizza box.

Kit reached for the red envelope. It, too, was a greeting card and was from Hudson.

On the inside it said: Chocolates can’t compete with the sweetness of your smile. Love, Hudson.

Kit’s eyes were not only watering, now his nose was burning too. “Good grief, they’re going to make me cry and ruin my makeup.”

“Tears of joy?”

Beckett asked.

“Yes. Tears of joy.”

Kit picked up the other greeting card and held both to his chest. “Would you let everybody know there is pizza in here and to help themselves? I’m gonna run these to my office right quick.”

“Hurry back before it gets cold.”

“I will.”

Kit dashed to his office and arranged both cards in a prominent spot on his desk. Unfortunately, Hudson and Connie were in meetings all day. Valentine’s Day had no bearing on the business world. That was the main reason why his mates were not here with him on this very special day.

But even though they couldn’t be there, they were definitely letting Kit know that he was on their minds. This was by no means a spur of the moment type thing, and that meant the world to him.

Even though he knew they probably wouldn’t see a text message immediately, he still sent one to both of them letting them know how pleased he was with their gifts.

Sighing happily, he went to get some pizza.

ONCE LUNCH was over, Kit decided to take a stroll around the bookstore and greet some of his regular customers. He stopped and chatted with various people, most of whom had a book in their hand.

It looked like business was good.

Satisfied with what he was seeing, he returned to his office in the hopes that he could get caught up on emails.

He wasn’t sure how much time had passed when a noise at his door caught his attention, and he looked up.

Once again Beckett was standing there. “I hate to interrupt, but could you come up front?”

Excitement raced through Kit’s body. “What have they done now?”

“Well, it is Valentine’s Day. Come on. You’re going to love this.”

Kit practically sprinted out of his office. He couldn’t wait to see the surprise that his mates had cooked up next. With eager steps, he made his way to the front. So what if he ran to the front like a little kid. This was the best damn Valentine’s Day he’d ever had, and so far, he hadn’t even laid eyes on his mates.

Kit stumbled to a stop, his hands flying to his mouth. “Mother of all.”

There were vases of pink and red roses on every conceivable surface. He did a quick count—there were eight vases stuffed full of roses.

“The delivery man said the pink and red ones are for the bookstore. But that one is very special,”

one of Kit’s employees said, pointing.

Kit slowly made his way toward the flower arrangement the employee had singled out. There was something undeniably unique about this one. The vase, unlike the others that were simple and transparent, was a vibrant red glass that caught the light in a mesmerizing way.

And the roses in this vase—they were some of the most spectacular flowers he’d ever seen. Their petals were like crushed velvet, soft and richly hued in a vibrant shade of crimson.

There were fewer blooms, but each one was a stunning display of nature’s beauty. There were no delicate pink roses among this arrangement. Just pure red. The color of love.

With each step, the sweet fragrance of the flowers grew stronger. It was a rare occurrence nowadays to find flowers with such a potent scent.

He couldn’t resist stopping to inhale deeply, savoring the delicate combination of floral and earthy notes that filled his senses.

“That’s a St. Ives vase, I think,”

Beckett said.

“Wow, those smell good.”

Kit glanced at the vase. “A what now?”

“St. Ives vase. They’re handmade in France and take about eight to ten months to create. They’re considered art and stupid expensive.”

Beckett lowered his voice. “Hudson collects jewels, gold, and silver. But it’s Connie who collects artwork. I’m guessing that vase came from his, ah, personal collection.”

Beckett did the air quotes with his fingers when he said the word personal.

Hoard. Beckett was talking about Hudson’s and Connie’s hoards. “Holy shit.”

Shortly after Kit came to stay with Hudson, Connie officially moved in. Not long after that, Hudson built a room for Connie’s hoard. Even though the two dragons loved each other, they wanted their own separate places for their treasures.

Kit wasn’t a dragon, so he didn’t completely understand it, but it didn’t matter if he did or not. This was what made his mates happy. He’d visited both hoards and blushed in remembrance. Ever made love on a pile of gold coins? Kit had. While it might sound cool, it wasn’t all it was cracked up to be.

He’d also made love surrounded by artwork from the greatest masters ever. Connie’s hoard had a bed, and Kit had dropped some pretty strong hints to Hudson that his hoard needed one too. Hudson had agreed.

“Oh damn, if it’s that expensive, I’m taking that straight back to my office.”

Kit found the card attached to the flowers and opened it. Roses are a reminder that even in the midst of thorns and challenges, love can still bloom. With love, Hudson and Connie.

“Oh my God, they’re killing me.”

Kit sniffed as he showed the card to Beckett.

“That’s beautiful.”

“This has been the best Valentine’s Day ever.”

Kit slipped the card back into the cardholder and picked up the vase. “I’m leaving the other flowers out here for the public to enjoy.”

Beckett nodded. “That’s probably what they intended. That way you’ll have roses in your office and when you come out.”

“Wow, that was incredibly thoughtful of—what in the world?”

Kit gaped at the man who just walked inside the bookstore carrying a huge teddy bear.