Where The Heart Is: A Bay City Paranormal Investigations story by Ally Blue Page B

“Why?”
“Maybe this is its way of communicating with you,” Dean explained as he flung the door open and raced across the porch, dragging Sommer with him. “Maybe it’s trying to show you something.”
Sommer didn’t say anything, but Dean felt his interest in the way his fingers clenched around Dean’s.
Looking over his shoulder, Dean saw Kerry and Ron gaping at them from the kitchen door. “Stay there,” he called. “If anything else happens, write it down.”
Ron gave him a salute, then pulled a protesting Kerry back inside. Satisfied, Dean turned his attention back to the thing he and Sommer were chasing.
The nebulous shape was out in the yard now, drifting across the grass toward the woods behind the house. It was barely visible in the bright sunlight. Dean and Sommer took off after it, jogging to keep up.
The morning was already warm for January, and promised to be warmer still later on. Sweat dewed Dean’s forehead by the time they reached the forest. Sommer didn’t even slow down, but trailed the apparition between the trees. Dean’s sneakers pounded the dry leaf mold with a dull thud as he and Sommer ran. The bare branches rasped and sighed in the light breeze.
They’d run almost a hundred yards, near as Dean could figure, when the shape stopped moving, hovered for a second, then suddenly vanished. Sommer skidded to a halt, staring around with a wild look in his eyes. “Where’d it go?”
“Disappeared.” Dean walked over to the spot where the apparition had stopped, in a small clearing floored with grass and weeds. “Huh. Well, it was worth a shot.”
Sommer’s face fell. “Damn. I was really hoping we might find something.”
“You still might. Just because this time didn’t pan out, doesn’t mean you can’t keep trying.”
“I guess.” Disappointment filled Sommer’s voice. He stuck his hands in his back pockets and stared morosely at the spot where the apparition had disappeared.
Tilting his head, Dean took a good, long look at the man he’d spent a night and most of a morning with. Sommer’s hair gleamed a hundred shades of red in the dappled sunshine. Perspiration made his golden-brown skin glow. The sun shone through his long lashes to cast soft shadows on his cheeks. His well-worn jeans did nothing to hide the sleek contours of hip, leg and ass.
Dean wondered what it would feel like to fuck on a forest floor.
Stop it, he ordered himself, forcibly tearing his gaze from the hard little peaks of Sommer’s nipples where his T-shirt stretched tight across his chest. You can fuck later, hopefully. Talk to him.
It wasn’t something Dean was used to thinking in relation to his sexual conquests. But Sommer was different. Damned if he knew why, and damned if he cared. The need to take the sadness out of Sommer’s eyes superseded everything else.
“I could investigate your place,” Dean offered, trying not to think of the scolding he was going to get from Kerry later. “If you want, I mean.”
Sommer blinked at him. “You’d do that?”
“Sure.”
“But you’re only here for…” Sommer trailed off, his brows drawing together. “How much longer are you going to be here?”
“Eleven more days. That’s plenty of time to chase your ghost for a while without neglecting Ron and Kerry.” Stepping closer, Dean took Sommer’s hand and flashed his most seductive smile. “Besides, that gives me an excuse to spend lots of time with you without looking desperate.”
Sommer laughed. “All right, I’ll take you up on it. I have to admit, it makes me feel better to know you’ll be looking into my case.” He leaned in and pressed a light kiss to Dean’s lips. “Thank you, Dean.”
“My pleasure.” Dean flicked his tongue over Sommer’s lips, enjoying the soft moan it drew from Sommer’s throat. “Hey, Kerry, Ron and I were thinking we’d go play some Frisbee golf this afternoon. You want to come along?”
Sommer’s expression clouded. “I’d love to, but I can’t. I