DEAD SURE

  by

  Pandora Pine

  Dead Sure

  Copyright © Pandora Pine 2026

  All Rights Reserved

  This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the copyright owner except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, places, events, business establishments or locales is entirely coincidental.

  First Digital Edition: April 2026

  PROLOGUE

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  EPILOGUE

  PROLOGUE

  Tennyson

  Salem, Massachusetts, April 2024…

  Tennyson Grimm sat in his office at West Side Magick finishing his lunch and going over his schedule for the afternoon. He had two readings scheduled, with the last ending at half past two, which meant he’d be able to pick the kids up from the bus stop. Everly loved every second of kindergarten and he couldn’t wait to hear all about her day.

  Of the two clients, Ten’s 2:00 P.M. appointment had been with him for three years. Mabel had lost her father when she was in her early teens and wanted to make sure he was by her side for the most important moments of her life; meeting the man of her dreams, getting engaged, and then married. Now, Mabel was expecting her first child, but she didn’t know it yet. Mabel’s father was going to break the news.

  Ten’s first afternoon client was a young woman named Autumn Miller, who was a first time visitor to West Side Magick. She’d been referred to Tennyson by one of his former clients, Matilda Brighthouse, a nursing student who’d wanted to know if the man she was dating was “the one.” He wasn’t and Matilda had been grateful for Ten’s assistance not only in learning the truth about her soon-to-be ex-boyfriend and for sending her in a direction that led to her meeting the actual man of her dreams. Ten had received an invitation to their wedding two weeks ago.

  Shutting his eyes, Ten opened his gift wide, hoping to learn something about his new client. Nothing came through. There were no spirits who were excitedly waiting to speak to Autumn and he wasn’t getting anything about why she’d booked the visit. No matter, Ten loved surprises.

  As Ten took a sip from his water bottle, there was a knock on the door. “Come in, Carson!”

  “Hey,” Carson grinned, as he popped his head into the room. I’ve got Autumn Miller for you.”

  “Great!” Ten stood up, as a young woman swooped into the room. She was about five and a half feet tall, with gorgeous dark curly hair and emerald green eyes. Autumn was dressed in pink scrubs and a matching pair of crocs. “Hello, Autumn. I’m Tennyson Grimm.”

  “Nice to meet you.” She held her hand out to shake.

  When Ten took her hand, he got a bit of a jolt. Autumn was an open book. He could see her entire life played out in heartbreaks and slights, which started when she was in kindergarten when her mother left the family. The woman had more heartbreaks than he’d ever seen in a client before with lost friendships, missed opportunities, and a very poor dating history. The men Autumn chose were the kind of people who used and abused her in the worst ways possible, financially, sexually, and mentally. To put it simply, this girl was a mess. Ten hoped there was something he could do to help turn her life around. “What brings you to see me?”

  “I’m in love with my boss.” Autumn sighed dreamily, as if she were a teenager panting over a pop star.

  Ten wasn’t surprised by Autumn’s confession. She had a track record of chasing taboo men. “Tell me about Eli.”

  Autumn’s eyes widened, then quickly darkened. “Oh, Matilda told you all about him, I suppose.”

  “Not at all.” Ten offered Autumn a smile. “Eli likes to wear pink scrubs when he does patient rounds in the NICU. He says it makes him more approachable to scared parents.” Ten opened his gift wider, wanting to give this woman something to hold on to. “You’re his favorite nurse to work with.”

  “I am?” Autumn asked, looking bewildered. “I mean, Eli always asks for me to be on duty during his shifts. He says I have steady hands and a calming manner with our patients. Not every nurse can place an IV in a premature baby.”

  Ten could feel Autumn’s pride shine through loud and clear. If only she could be this confident in her love life. “You’re here to find out if you and Eli have a future?”

  Autumn nodded, her eyes tearing up. “I’ve watched all my friends find the men of their dreams. They got engaged and married. A few even had kids. Matilda was my last unmarried friend. I assumed it would be she and I against the world, until she met Greg. Right place. Right time. She bumped into him at a coffee shop in Boston and spilled her drink all over him. Love at first sight.” Autumn shrugged as if to say Matilda finding true love was a fluke.

  “When I first met Matilda, her personal life was a bit of a mess, kind of like yours is now. You both have a ton of friends and jobs that you love, but there was that one missing piece.” Ten paused, wanting Autumn to answer.

  “A husband,” Autumn filled in.

  “Exactly,” Ten agreed. He focused his gift on Autumn’s future. A glorious picture was painted before his eyes. “I see you with a tall, dark, and handsome man.”

  “Ohhh! Eli is all of those things!” Autumn enthused.

  “Your wedding dress is made of ivory lace with a long train, your dream since you were a little girl. You and your new husband will dance the night away before leaving for a Greek cruise.” Ten paused, waiting for his vision to sharpen. He could see basics, but not specifics. “There’s a brick house at the end of a cul-de-sac with twin girls playing in the front yard, while you plant flowers. Marigolds and Asters, for your girls, who you named after the blooms.”

  “What do my girls look like?” Autumn asked, her voice filled with wonder.

  “Brunette with curly hair, and dark eyes. They’ll be short like you and serious like their father.”

  “Eli is very serious. He has to be with tiny babies’ lives in his hands.”

  “That’s all I can see at the moment.” Ten pushed as hard as he could, but couldn’t see beyond the brick house and the girls playing.

  “When do you see my wedding?”

  “Within the next eighteen months.”

  “You can’t be any more specific than that? I’ll need to ask for time off for our honeymoon.”

  Ten laughed, thinking Autumn was joking. One look at her face told him she was not. “There’s something you need to keep in mind. The future is fluid.”

  Autumn’s green eyes darkened with a flash of anger. “What does that mean?”

  “What I’ve told you is what I see in your future at this moment in time. Decisions you make, accidents or mishaps in your or your husband’s lives can change the course of your future.” Ten paused, waiting to see if what he was saying to Autumn was sinking in. Yes, his predictions were usually on the money, but there were no absolutes in life. “Do you understand what I’m saying?”

  Autumn nodded, her earlier angry look gone. “I’m getting married to the man of my dreams. My future starts today. How can I ever thank you, Tennyson?”

  Ten grinned at the young woman. “Be happy. Enjoy your life. Pass your happiness along to others.”

  “I will.” Autumn popped out of her seat and pulled Ten in for a quick hug. She threw open the door and laughed. “Time to go dress shopping! Byeeee!” With that, Autumn was gone.

  Ten shook his head. It was obvious Autumn hadn’t paid much attention to his warning about the future being subject to change. His client seemed to be the type who grabbed life by the horns and wrangled every situation to her liking. That kind of attitude might work in the office or with girlfriends, but didn’t usually translate so well in matters of the heart.

  Ten wished Autumn all the best and hoped life would turn out the way she wanted.

  1

  Ronan

  April, present day…

  “Hoppy Easter!” Ronan bellowed as Everly and Ezra bounced into the master bedroom. “Are you ready to go on an egg hunt?”

  “Me get candy!” Ezra shouted, as Ronan pulled on his slippers.

  “Wait, what’s this?” An empty, purple Easter basket sat beside Ronan’s bed. “I get a basket?”

  “You must have been really good for the Easter bunny to have left eggs for an old man!” Everly shrieked when Ronan reached out and grabbed her.

  “Old! Old! Old!” Ezra chanted.

  “What’s happening out here?” Ten asked, coming out of the bathroom.

  “Daddy old man!” Ezra proclaimed.

  Ten snorted. “I know, honey, but what is Daddy so excited about?”

  Ronan raised an eyebrow at his husband. The man who was supposed to love him unconditionally until his dying breath. The man who’d just agreed that he was an old man. “The Easter Bunny left me a basket. I guess since I’m gonna die soon, I get to go on one last egg hunt.” Ronan pouted, feeling lower than an earthworm with a tax bill.

  Ten burst out laughing. He slapped his hands over his mouth. “You’re not going to die soon. I promise.” Ten giggled along with Everly.

  “That doesn’t exactly boost my confidence.” Ronan rolled his eyes. “Let’s get this egg hunt underway. I’ve got to start pe eling potatoes and carrots for dinner.” Why was Jude always sticking him with bullshit food prep chores? He’d proven over the years he was a damn good cook. What the hell was so hard about making a ham? It was already cooked! All you had to do was stick it in the oven and warm it up. Any idiot could do that. Ronan chuckled to himself. Jude seemed to fit that bill perfectly.

  “Are you ready to go, Ronan? Or are you gonna sit here and bemoan your lowly status as potato peeler?”

  “I hate you reading me when I’m in my feelings.” Grabbing his basket, Ronan stood up and pressed a kiss to Ten’s lips. “How do I know which eggs are mine?”

  “Go by the color of your baskets. Everly’s are pink. Ezra’s blue and yours are purple.”

  “What happens if a pink egg accidentally ends up in my basket?” Ronan asked, feeling a bit better about the day already.

  “Don’t make me hurt you, Daddy.” Everly pointed to her eyes and then to Ronan’s.

  “Really, that’s what I get for all those smelly diapers I changed and the nights I stayed up with you when you were sick?”

  “That’s life in the fast lane!” Everly turned to Ezra. “Ready? Set? Go!” She and Ezra dashed out of the room.

  “Why are they running when we each have our own eggs?” Ronan asked.

  “Just because you can’t take their eggs, doesn’t mean they can’t take yours!” Ten offered an innocent grin.

  “So that’s how it’s gonna be, huh?” Ronan shook his head and pushed past Ten. He was going to have to be smarter than the kids so he ended up with every single one of his treats.

  “I found an egg!” Everly shouted from downstairs.

  “Wait for me!” Ronan shouted, bounding down the stairs. When he reached the kitchen, both kids stood at the sliding glass door. Three plastic eggs sat in an empty flower pot.

  “Coats, hats, and boots!” Ten called, walking into the kitchen carrying the winter gear. “You too, Ronan.” He knelt in front of Ezra, helping the little boy into his boots.

  When everyone had their gear on, Ten opened the sliding glass door. “Be careful on the stairs, please. We won’t be able to eat Uncle Jude’s delicious ham if we’re in the emergency room with a cracked skull, Ronan.”

  “Why are you always coming for me?” Ronan asked, shooting Ten a dirty look.

  “Ronan, you’ve been to the hospital so many times that they named a room after you!” Ten rolled his eyes. “Better get in on the hunt!” Ten pointed to Everly and Ezra running around the backyard.

  “This is really cool, babe.” Ronan kissed Ten and grabbed the purple egg in the flowerpot and headed down the stairs after the kids.

  “Daddy! Look! Seeds!!” Everly waved a zip baggie with her name printed on it in black ink. “I got basil, rosemary, sage, lavender, and chamomile. We can make that tea I loved last summer.”

  “I didn’t know the Easter Bunny brought seed packets to good little girls and boys.” Ronan looked behind Everly and found a similar bag next to the tilled garden soil with his name on it. He could see packets for cherry tomatoes, eggplant, corn, and zucchini.

  “The Easter Bunny is part of the circle of life. He knows we’re the ones who have to take care of the planet.”

  Ronan hugged his daughter. “You’re right. We’re also gonna help feed our neighbors.” He showed her his bag.

  “That was so much fun last summer, having our own neighborhood farmer’s market on Sundays. You always have the best ideas, Daddy.”

  “Oh, really? Good ideas even though I’m an old man?” Ronan poked Everly’s arm.

  “It doesn’t matter how old you are, Daddy. I’ll always love you.” Everly wrapped her arms around Ronan’s neck. “Besides, it’s fun when you pretend to be offended.”

  Ronan wasn’t about to tell Everly he wasn’t pretending at all. “We should go find the rest of our eggs before Ezzie scoops them all up.” He pointed behind Everly to where her brother was grabbing every egg he could find and shouting the word “mine,” like the sea gulls from Finding Nemo.

  “Ezzie can grab all the eggs he wants. We’re working smarter not harder.” Everly started to giggle, but stopped short, her eyes glassing over. “Oh, no. Oh, no. Oh. No,” she whispered.

  “What is it?” Ronan felt his heart rate spike. “Is it Ezra?”

  Everly shook her head. “No, not Ezzie. It’s Dad.”

  “What about Dad?” Ronan asked, using all of his self-control to keep from panicking.

  “Something’s coming. Something bad.” Everly’s blue eyes were wide with fear.

  “Is Dad going to get hurt?” Ronan wasn’t about to ask if Ten was going to die. His heart couldn’t handle the thought.

  “No, he’s fine but far away from us. I don’t know where or why.” Tears dripped from Everly’s eyes. “I can’t see anything else, Daddy. Why can’t I see more?”

  Ronan wrapped Everly in his arms. “I don’t know, honey.” He gasped for breath as all the worst-case scenarios played through his head. “We’ll talk to Uncle Cope at dinner. See what he thinks, okay?”

  Everly nodded. “Okay.”

  “Sissy!” Ezra shouted. “Chocolate! Come see!” His lips were smeared with chocolate and grass clippings.

  “Go help your brother. Make sure he’s not eating the grass along with the chocolate. Leave this thing about your father with me.” Ronan felt like he was going to throw up as he watched Everly run to her brother’s side. Looking around the yard, he saw several other purple eggs, but didn’t have the heart to collect them, not with something coming for Tennyson.

  Ronan would do everything in his power to protect his husband and family from whatever horror had them in its sights.

  2

  Tennyson

  Tennyson had seen the strange conversation between Everly and Ronan while they’d been hunting for Easter eggs. He’d also noticed how much of his daughter’s joy had vanished afterward. He’d wanted to ask Ronan what was going on, but between keeping Ezra from eating five pounds of chocolate along with grass clippings and helping Ronan prepare side dishes for Easter dinner, there hadn’t been time.

  Now, Ten and Cope were moving at light speed, trying to get the meal on the table. Ronan and Jude were wrestling with the kids in the living room, while Fitz and Jace set the table. They’d all had so much sugar that morning and needed to burn some off.

  “How did things go giving Ronan his own Easter basket?” Cope asked, pulling the ham out of the oven.

  Ten snorted. “He lost his mind. Ronan was so excited to run around the yard with the kids finding his eggs, that was until Ezra decided every egg he found was his.”

  “That must have been hilarious.”

  “It was, especially when Ronan started chasing Ezzie around the yard. Let’s just say the old man isn’t as fast or as agile as he used to be.” Ten laughed.

  “Your time is coming,” Ronan said, walking into the kitchen. “Pretty soon you’ll be the one with a hip that tells the weather and whose knees snap, crackle, and pop.”

  Ten bussed a kiss to Ronan’s cheek. “I already have all those things, and a few others besides. That’s why I was the one filming the kids, instead of running around after them. I know my limits.”

  “Ronan, get everyone, dinner’s ready,” Cope said.

  Five minutes later, everyone was settled around the table, their plates filled with ham, bread rolls, potatoes, and broccoli, which Ten noticed Ezra was dropping onto the kitchen floor when he thought no one was looking.

  “What’s going on at school this week?” Fitz asked, his eyes on Aurora.

  “Spelling test tomorrow.” Aurora half-growled.

  “I thought you liked spelling?” Fitz wore a concerned look.

  “I used to before Miss Stanton was a jerk to Everly.” Aurora rolled her eyes and stabbed a piece of ham so hard that the tines clinked on the plate.

  “Wait! What?” Ronan asked. “When I spoke to Max Preston last week he said he’d spoken with Miss Stanton and there were no hard feelings.”

  “Yeah, well, spoiler alert, Daddy,” Everly began, “there are a lot of hard feelings. She hates me and Aurora and Woofie because they’re my friends.”

  “Wolf, have you noticed Miss Stanton treating you differently?” Jude asked, looking as alarmed as Ronan and Fitz.

  “A little, but I don’t let her bother me.” Wolf turned to Everly and Aurora. “My Daddy gave me the best advice ever.”

 

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