Free Secret Hollows by Terri Reid

I’ve made some new friends. People I really care about. There’s this girl…”
    He shook his head. “I always got things ass-backward, didn’t I? You’re not supposed to meet the girl and fall in love after you’re dead. Living happily ever after requires, you know, living.”
    Sighing, he stood up and glided closer to the tombstone. “I’ll point her out to you one day,” he said. “As soon as I figure out why I’m still here and what I have to do to move on. But, really, I’m in no hurry to move on. And if you met her, you’d understand.”
    He heard Mary’s voice in the wind, calling for him.
    “Hey, she’s calling,” he said. “ Gotta go. Rest in peace, Timmy, and I’ll talk to you soon.”

Chapter Twelve
    Mary’s door burst open and Maggie rushed in. “Rosie, did you make cookies?” she asked, tugging off her stocking cap and mittens.
    Rosie hurried from the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron. “Well, of course I did,” she said. “What’s a snow day without cookies?”
    “That’s exactly what I always say,” Ian said, following Maggie through the door, as he sniffed the air. “Do I smell oatmeal cookies?”
    “Why, yes, you do,” Rosie replied, “and chocolate chip cookies too.”
    “Run away with me, Rosie,” Ian sai ,. “ before Stanley shows up and ruins everything.”
    Maggie giggled. “You can’t run away with Rosie, you’re s’posed to marry me.”
    Ian slapped his forehead. “Oh, that’s right,” he said. “How could I forget?”
    “Because your stomach is bigger than your brain,” Stanley growled, as he came in from the kitchen. “Sides, ain’t no one running away with my Rosie, ‘ cepting me.”
    Andy ran into the house, nearly sliding into Ian. “We put the sleds away,” he said. “Did you make cookies, Rosie?”
    “Yes, yes, I did,” Rosie chuckled. “Now you all get out of your snow things and come into the kitchen. I’ll pour the hot chocolate into mugs.”
    Bradley and Mary came through the door next. Rosie looked up and could see that Mary had been crying. “Are you…?” she began to ask, but stopped when Mary shook her head and looked pointedly at the children.
    “Why don’t I bring Maggie and Andy into the kitchen and have them pick out the kind of cookies they’d like,” she suggested, putting her arms around the children and guiding them into the kitchen.
    Mary smiled at her. “Thank you, Rosie,” Mary said. “We just need a few minutes.”
    “Can Timmy have a cookie?” Maggie asked, looking over her shoulder at a spot next to Mary.
    Timmy had attached himself to Maggie as soon as they had made it back up the hill and Maggie had been delighted to meet a ghost who was close to her own age.
    Andy rolled his eyes. “She’s always doing that, making up imaginary friends, just so she can get extra cookies.”
    “Am not,” Maggie stated, with a little stomp of her foot.
    “Are too,” Andy replied.
    “Am not,” Maggie repeated.
    “Well, why don’t you two pick out some cookies and Timmy can choose his later,” Mary said. “Rosie, we need to go upstairs for a few minutes.”
    “Why?” Andy asked.
    “They gotta talk to Timmy,” Maggie said. “Duh.”
    “Come on, you two,” Stanley said. “Do you want marshmallows or whipped cream on your hot chocolate?”
    “Both!” Maggie said.
    “Can we?” Andy asked.
    Stanley chuckled. “Sure you can.”
    Mary, Bradley and Ian went upstairs.
    “It’s freezing in here,” Bradley said, as they walked into Mary’s room. “Why are your windows open?”
    Mary hurried over to close one window, while Ian rushed to the other side of the room to close the other. “It’s a long story,” Mary said. “I’ll explain it to you later.”
    “In the meantime, would you be willing to introduce me to your new friend?” Ian asked. “I have to assume this is Maggie’s Timmy.”
    Bradley put his arm around Mary’s shoulders so he could see the little boy sitting on the edge of