Bonds of Earth

“Take off your shirt.”
Seward looked up at him as he entered from the garden, startled. “What, no courtship first?”

“I did bring my sketchbook, but I believe I have better things to do,” Seward murmured.
“And what would those be?” Michael teased, nipping at the soft flesh under Seward’s mouth. “Hike to the summit of the mountain? Tame the bears? Get fat on Mary’s fine cooking?”

“I’ll see you in hell first,” Seward shouted.
“Why not?” Michael fired back over his shoulder. “I hear it’s only a short walk from this bloody place.”

For God’s sake,” Seward wheezed, “I believe that you and I were the worst therapist and patient in the history of medicine. Do you imagine I fell in love with you for your soothing bedside manner?”

Well? What fresh hell do you have planned for me today?

There are many truths, Aunt Rebecca. We cannot possibly hope to know them all.

She looked only a little worse for wear, which meant that either Abbott’s driving had seen a miraculous improvement or she had too much ice water running through her veins to worry about dying in a road accident.