Wait Until Dawn by Bailey Bradford (book club suggestions .txt) 📕

Rich groaned as he rolled onto his back. “Shit. Maybe you can get me an ice pack. For my whole body.”

“How about we aim for a shower instead?” Chris asked.

“That’d be amazing.” Rich got himself into a sitting position by the time Chris had reached the doorway.

Chris made sure he wasn’t going to fall over, watching Rich for a moment or two. When Rich cocked an eyebrow at him, Chris shrugged and went to fetch their drinks.

When he returned and gave Rich his drink, Rich murmured his thanks.

Rich drank the juice down in a few gulps. He wiped his mouth off with the back of his hand and leaned to set the glass on the nightstand.

“Feel any better now?” Chris asked. Rich’s aura wasn’t quite as bruised in appearance.

“Like I’m not going to pass back out, yeah.” Rich winced when he moved to get up. “My bladder isn’t happy with me.”

“Let me help you.” Chris slid an arm around Rich’s waist. “Okay, here we go.”

“I’m not broken,” Rich groused. “Just feel like I am.”

“Yeah, I know. You’re going to be fine, Rich.” Chris helped him into the bathroom then left him once Rich had assured him he wasn’t going to fall over.

Chris heard the toilet flush followed by water being run in the sink. When Rich came out of the bathroom, he still had dark circles under his eyes, but he seemed to be in a better mood, smiling sweetly at Chris.

“Thanks. You know, I…” Rich huffed as he shuffled over to the bed, Chris right there to help him. Rich sat and continued. “I have some messages for a few people. When I was, um, when I was on the spiritual plane, you know. I talked with some of the spirits.” His cheeks pinked as if he were embarrassed.

Chris thought it was awesome. “Really? What did they say? Who was it?”

Rich eased onto his back on the bed. “Well, there was Mrs. Hawkins, wearing her scanty lingerie—”

“You had a spirit come onto you?” And why did that piss Chris off?

Rich laughed, more like a snort actually. “Not even. Mrs. Hawkins is Carlin’s aunt. She’s proud of Carlin and Matt. I could feel her love for them. Then there was, hmmm, Mrs. Matthers. She wants me to deliver a couple of messages.”

“When you feel up to it, but if you need to rest—” Chris began, but Rich waved a hand at him.

“I’m good for whenever. I mean, as soon as Zeke Matthers and his husband Brendon feel like coming over. I don’t think they’re legally wed, but Mrs. Matthers says they are to her, so, you know. Matt and Carlin, Laine and Sev.” Rich groaned. “Aw, gods. And you. Conner, that perv, really likes your piercings, especially that one.”

Chris couldn’t help it, he cackled like a hyena, he laughed so hard. It’d figure they’d have a Peeping Tom in the spirit world, though honestly, who knew how many were around at any given time. “Well, Conner can admire all he wants, but you’re the only one who gets to play with any of my piercings, and especially the one in my dick.”

“Pretty sure Conner won’t be doing anything too inappropriate now,” Rich said. “You know, a shower would be great. Or a bath. I’d like to get cleaned up and give out the messages I’m supposed to pass along. I think they’ll help the people who hear them.”

“I’ll run you some water, then once you’re in the tub, I’ll call the people I have numbers for, and ask them for the ones I don’t have.” Chris trotted into the bathroom and got the bathwater started. He checked the temperature once the water had time to warm up. Once he was satisfied, he poured some shampoo into the tub on a whim. Since he didn’t see any bubbles right away, he poured in more shampoo directly under the running tap. The scent of coconut filled the bathroom as bubbles began to appear.

It was a makeshift bubble bath, but Chris thought Rich would enjoy it.

“All ready for you,” he said as he walked over to the bed. “May I?” He put on his best manners and held out his arm to Rich.

Rich’s amused expression was a sight to see. “Yeah, you may.”

When they reached the bathroom, Rich’s mouth dropped open.

Chris frowned. “Are you anti-bubble?”

Rich closed his mouth and shook his head. “How can anyone be anti-bubble? That’s like…like hating cake or pie or donuts or steak or—”

“So bubbles are good then,” Chris cut in with. “Awesome, because I think I overdid it with the shampoo.”

Bubbles were beginning to spill over the side of the tub.

“Not at all,” Rich declared. “Let me get in.”

He sounded so enthusiastic, it warmed Chris through and through.

“This is perfect,” Rich said once he was lying back, his head and neck propped on a rolled-up towel. “Thank you. I can’t remember the last time I had a bubble bath. Must have been a kid.”

Chris bent and kissed Rich’s forehead. “I’ll go make those calls.”

* * * *

Rich still ached all over. He was tired, too, but he felt better than he had in months now that McAlister was gone from him.

He sat on the couch and waited for their guests to join them. Once everyone was seated, Rich experienced a moment of awkwardness. How did he tell everyone that he’d conversed with spirits while he was dead—again?

Sev saved him the trouble. “So, you have messages from the great beyond?”

The way he stressed the last two words made Rich think Sev was messing with him.

But when he cut a glance Sev’s way, Sev shrugged. “Well, I don’t know what else to call it.”

Rich decided to stop being such a sensitive twit. “I’m not sure how great it is, or how far beyond, but yeah. I do.” He looked at Carlin and Matt. “Carlin, your aunt is still running around in her lingerie, and she’s happy as can be. She’s proud of you and Matt, and loves you