Chapter 9

“Trick or treat?” I asked, closing the door to hide the treasure.

“Treat.”

I grabbed a small pack of buttery crackers and held them out for him. “The Cracker Line is open! Full rations, boys.”

“Yum.”

With those and apple juice, we got comfortable, as comfortable as we could sopping wet, while the wind whipped outside, and debris smacked and scraped across the small casement windows.

When Goose snuggled into me, I wrapped my arms around him, and we fed each other crackers. Once the tiny bag was empty, far too quickly as far as I was concerned, I wondered how many we could polish off between us.

“Let’s open the gift.” Goose had other things on his mind.

“Will Shelby be upset?”

“I don’t think so.” He was already working the ribbon down over one end. “She said it was a little something extra.” Like a six-year-old on a different kiddie holiday, Goose made quick work of the paper, and then handed the box to me. “We share everything, now. You open it.”