Closer: Bay City Paranormal Investigation, Book 4

sitting on the counter between the kitchen and breakfast area. “What’s the name of the pizza place, Dean?”
“Mimzi’s.” Tucking a leg beneath him in the chair, Dean restarted his video. “Get a veggie one.”
“And one sausage and onion,” David said, sitting up to start the thermal video again. “No black olives.”
“I like black olives,” Cecile protested.
“Maybe they’ll do half with and half without,” Andre suggested, already watching his own video once more.
Bo leaned over to grab a notepad and pen off the coffee table and held it out toward Sam. “Here, you might need to write all this down, Sam.” He smiled, brown eyes sparkling with amusement.
“No kidding.” Shaking his head, Sam skirted the dining table, took the notepad and pen from Bo along with a brief kiss, and went back to the phone. “Okay. Let’s see if we can work out what to get.”
It took several minutes of argument, negotiation and frantic note-taking, but eventually they agreed on three medium pizzas with a bewildering variety of toppings. It took several repetitions on Sam’s part for the girl on the other end of the phone to get their order right when he called it in. He was pleasantly surprised when the pizzas arrived twenty minutes later perfect to the last detail.
Cecile and Sam were cleaning up the plates, napkins and leftover slices when someone tapped on the back door. Sam glanced up from loading the dishwasher in time to see Dean fling open the door and melt into the arms of the tall, sunburned young man from next door.
“Kyle?” Sam asked, exchanging an amused look with Cecile.
She grinned. “Yes.”
“Kyle, this is Sam and Bo,” Dean said, pointing to Sam and Bo in turn. “You met David, Andre and Cecile yesterday.”
Everyone greeted Kyle, who gave them a grin and a wave. “Hey. Um, Dean? Wanna go for a walk on the beach?”
Dean bit his lip. “I don’t know if I have time or not. We still have videos and stuff to review, then we have to load up and be at Fort Medina by eight thirty.”
Kyle’s face fell. “Oh. Okay.” The boy looked so forlorn, Sam had to fight back the urge to offer him a hug and a cookie.
“Oh, babe, don’t look like that.” Dean stood on tiptoe to kiss Kyle’s lips, then turned to Andre. “Andre? Please?”
Andre’s glare fizzled when he saw Kyle’s “poor me” expression and Dean’s big, pleading eyes. “Okay,” he assented. “But be back here by seven thirty.”
Dean beamed. “I will. Thanks.” Turning back to Kyle, he grabbed the boy’s wrist in one hand and the door handle in the other. “Let’s go.”
David snickered as the two hurried off into the gathering dusk. “Andre, man, you’re a big softie.”
“Shut up while you’re ahead,” Andre advised without looking away from his video.
At the kitchen window, Sam watched Dean and Kyle descend the steps. Kyle’s arm was around Dean’s shoulders, and Dean’s hand was firmly lodged in the back pocket of Kyle’s shorts. The sight made Sam smile. Maybe he and Bo could take a walk later. There was no more romantic a setting than a moonlit beach.
Feeling the pull of Bo watching him, Sam turned away from the window. His gaze locked with Bo’s across the room.
I love you, Bo mouthed, eyes shining.
Love you too, Sam silently replied.
They smiled at each other, and Sam thought maybe everything would be all right after all.
Chapter Ten
    Dean came running into the house at seven twentyfive with two new bruises on his throat and sand caked on his knees. “I’m gonna shower,” he called on his way down the hall. “I’ll be done in two minutes.”
    Andre shook his head. “I swear to God, one of these days his sex drive is going to get us all in trouble.”
Laughing, Bo got up from the sofa and headed for the broom closet. “For someone with Dean’s experience and ability, we can put up with a little extra horniness.” He opened the closet, took out a battered yellow plastic broom and started sweeping up the sand Dean had left in his wake. “Besides, he’s never been late yet.”
“True.” Andre yawned and stretched, falling back against the couch cushions. “You know what, unless we find something tonight that warrants further investigation, I think I might call this the last night.”
Surprised and hopeful, Sam closed the book he’d been halfway reading for the past half hour and looked at Andre. “Really? How come?”
“Well, Joanne’s stuck in Mobile, for one thing, so we might not