4 The Ghost of Christmas by K.J. Emrick

Chapter One
     
    Darcy Sweet shivered as the cool air in the room penetrated the thick blankets that covered her bed. She snuggled up closer to her cop boyfriend, Jon Tinker, snoring softly beside her. She was wide awake watching the shadows flitting across her bedroom wall as the moonlight played between clouds. Jon mumbled in his sleep as he threw his arm around her pulling her even closer to him. Darcy grinned. She loved the feel of his body against hers.
    She couldn’t blame him, it was freezing in her room. She wriggled her feet and could feel Smudge, her black and white cat, lying at the bottom of the bed. After a few months of her and Jon being together, the big tomcat was starting to like Jon more.  Enough to be in the same room as him anyway.
    She sighed, not sure what was causing her sleeplessness. Perhaps it was the fact that Jon had brought up the subject of them living together again. Not just spending their nights together, but actually living together. He’d been quiet about it for several weeks but he had slipped it into the conversation once again last night at dinner. Darcy wasn’t sure why she couldn’t just say yes. They spent most of their free time together these days anyway. It seemed the logical thing to do. But still she couldn’t give him that commitment.
    Outside her window, the clouds gathered. The moon all but disappeared and there was a different feel to the air. Instinctively, she knew what it meant.
    She reached over and shook Jon. He stirred and mumbled something that sounded like, “Leave me alone.” She couldn’t be sure. She shook him again, more forcefully.
    He snapped awake and sat up quickly, looking all around. “What? What is it?” he demanded in a sleepy voice. 
    She smirked and dragged him back down with her, wrapping her arms around him. Jon rubbed a hand over his face and checked the time. He groaned and turned to look at her. “What is it?”
    She realized she must have alarmed him.  Who could blame him, she thought, after the last few months full of murder and mystery. “Everything is fine.” She put a hand on his arm. “In fact, something wonderful is about to happen. We have to get out of bed right now though, or we’ll miss it.” She jumped up and dragged on her winter coat and boots. “Come on, get all bundled up so we can go.”
    Jon hadn’t moved. He sat there shaking his head and staring at her like she was mad. “Go? Go where? It’s the middle of the night for goodness sake.”
    Darcy just smiled at him. “Come on. You’ll like it, I promise.”
    He shook his head again but reluctantly got out of bed. “Why do I need to bundle up, exactly?” He shivered, his naked chest exposed to the air in the room. “It’s chilly enough in here as it is.”
    “We’re just going to the front yard. Now come on.” She raced out of the room ahead of him, her pajamas thin comfort against the cold air until she pulled on her heavy red winter jacket.
    A few minutes later they were standing in her front yard. “Yup, I was right,” Jon mumbled behind her as he rubbed his hands together. “Colder out here. You’re a goofball.  You know that, right?”
    Darcy just smiled at him. Jon grumbled but didn’t turn to go back in. That was true love right there, she said to herself.
    “So what are we…?” Jon trailed off when the first flakes of snow fell to the ground.
    Darcy was grinning like a fool. “Oh, I love this time of year don’t you?” Winter was her favorite season. She was so happy that it was snowing. Only a few more days until Christmas and the whole town of Misty Hollow had been talking about how it was going to be a green Christmas this year. Now there was a chance there would be thick, fluffy layers of snow after all.
    “Yeah, well it is kind of pretty I guess,” Jon said with a little frown. “But it’s still damn cold. Can we please go back inside to the nice warm bed?”
    Darcy’s smile widened even more. She leaned up to kiss him.