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“Zach!” Alex waved to him from the beach. “We’re set up over here!”
He made his way down the stairs from the boardwalk. After almost a month, he was still recovering from his ordeal with Elias. Soul exhaustion, Marcus called it. The energy he’d used to protect himself from Elias had come from the deepest part of himself, so it would take longer to heal.
Once he hit the sand, he slipped off his tennis shoes—and froze when Misty stepped out of the crowd at the edge of the water.
She stalked across the sand, all that blonde hair flying around her, caught by the cold spring wind coming off the water. Zach forced himself to stay where he was, not sure what she planned—until she locked lips with him.
Relief left him lightheaded. He wrapped his arms around her and let himself feel.
They were both breathless by the time she finally eased back.
“Hi,” she whispered.
“Hi.”
“Don’t you ever scare me like that again, angel boy. Are we clear?”
“Yeah. I thought—when you didn’t come to see me I thought—”
Misty cut him off with her lips.
Applause pulled them apart, and Misty blushed. How did he end up with someone so beautiful? Inside and out, she was everything he’d ever wanted, and figured he’d never have, because of his history.
But she knew, and better, she didn’t care. Zach couldn’t stop himself; he kissed her again, even with the audience. She smiled against his lips, and leaned back enough to meet his eyes.
“I like your family.”
He stilled. “You met my mom?” His voice squeaked out of his throat.
“I came to see you, Zach, but you were still unconscious. Your mom talked me down from my hysterical moment, let me stay a while, in case you woke up. She’s a sweetheart, Zach. I don’t know why you were hiding her from me.”
“He’s a teenage boy.” Mom appeared behind Misty, a smile softening her words. “That would be enough, without our unique situation.”
He must have heard wrong. Mom never talked about how she became—Mom. Did she—
“You told Misty?”
“You love her, sweetheart.” Heat spread across his face. He did, but he’d never said the words, Not out loud, anyway. “And she is in a position to understand, with her friends, and the haven. I like her, Zach.” Mom stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. “I couldn’t be happier for both of you.”
She squeezed Misty’s hand and walked back to the water. His mom, the woman who gave up everything she was to save him.
He was one lucky mortal.
“So.” Misty looked at him, mischief in those beautiful blue eyes. “You love me.”
He swallowed. “Yeah.”
“Good.” She leaned in and whispered. “I love you back, angel boy.”
His heart skipped, her words like a light inside him. He pulled her into his arms and held on to her, grateful for—pretty much everything right now.
Misty finally eased back, smiling at him.
“We should join everyone else.” She took his hand and tugged him toward the water. “That party is for you. Let’s go join it.”
He followed her across the sand. Alex spotted him and let go of Sam’s hand, running toward them. Everyone was here. Everyone except Simon.
They still hadn’t figured out how to explain his reappearance, since the entire town had attended his funeral. Until they did, he was stashed at Zach’s, with a cell phone and takeout menus. He seemed to be happy reacquainting himself with living, enjoying all the things he couldn’t do as a ghost.
Simon also needed the time alone to adjust to the new abilities Elias brought when they were bound together. He had lost control more than once; thank heavens only Zach was there to see the lightning appear out of nowhere, and hear the disembodied voice as Simon accidentally contacted a guardian on assignment.
Whatever happened, Zach needed him here. Their connection was like a buffer against the worst of the pain from his seeker talent. He had to talk to Alex, learn what else she knew, since she first told them that Simon was Watcher to his seeker.
Life was about to get interesting.