“Trick or Treat!”

I looked down at the tiny Harley Quinn with flowing blond ponytails and an almost garish amount of makeup. She wasn’t more than a few years older than my Laurie.

Tomorrow, I would begin constructing the vault in my basement where my child would live until she was safely through her teen years. Ah, hell, who was I kidding? I’d call the contractor I had on speed dial. I might wear a tool belt now and then on request during roleplaying with Ally, but I knew where my skills resided. That was not wielding power tools.

Other than the one I carried on my person at all times anyway.

“Well, hello there. I think only treats for you.” But before I dispensed candy from my big round orange bowl, I peered beyond the child at the front steps and walkway. “Where are your parents? Older siblings?”

Crescent Cove was an astonishingly safe small town, but she was a young girl and it was just after dark on Halloween. Maybe she was from that new family that had moved in down the street.

“Daddy’s in the car parked down there.” She pointed into the darkness. When I craned my neck, I did see a hazy pair of headlights at the end of the lane. “Now gimme.”

I raised a brow. “What do you say?”

“Gimme, please.”

Not exactly what I’d had in mind, but close enough, I supposed. I doled out two stingy pieces of candy—the generic kind, because there would be no treasured Reece’s peanut butter cups for rude young ladies. She sneered before flouncing away, blond pigtails bouncing. No thank you from that one.

“Vault,” I muttered, backing into the foyer and shutting the door. I turned around to find my wife smirking at me. She was dressed up as Little Bo Peep, complete with staff. Except her version was erotically enhanced by the swollen breasts pushing against the bodice of her top and the hot as fuck baby bump poking against the silky material.

My dick lurched. My Ally was always the most arousing woman on the planet, but Ally pregnant with my kid was practically illegal.

As were the things I’d be doing to her in approximately—I consulted my watch—three hours, nineteen minutes, and thirteen seconds after I put our little girl to bed.

Then I would put us to bed.

“You worrying about little girls in the neighborhood again, Daddy?” Ally asked, correctly reading the direction of my thoughts if her teasing grin was any indication.

“Why don’t you come over here and call me that, you filthy—”

“Daddy!”

Halfway to Ally—and Ally’s smirky, sexy mouth—I stopped and glanced down at our four-year-old, Laurie. She was dressed as Wonder Woman, as she had been every day for the last month. Possibly two. I’d wanted her to save her costume for the big night so it would be special, but Ally had said it would be special regardless. And Laurie was awfully persuasive, as was Ally.

In the end, they’d both been right. Sure, Wonder Woman’s cape had a hole in it now and the tip of her sword-thingy was missing, but all in all, the costume was in decent shape. And Laurie was so freaking excited to go trick or treating that she was about to bust out of her skin.

“Daddy, how do I look?” Laurie demanded.

“Beautiful.” I’d learned my lesson with not answering right away. Plus, I should get bonus points for not getting distracted by Ally’s sumptuous mouth.

Laurie screwed up her mouth. “No.”

I tried not to glance at Ally out of the corner of my eye. “No?”

“He means you look strong and brave and kickass, sweetie.” Ally gave me a meaningful look as she stepped toward Laurie and brushed her hand over our daughter’s long blond ringlets.

“Kickass is a bad word,” I muttered. “Swear jar.”

“No, it’s not,” Laurie informed me, jabbing her plastic sword at my thigh. “It means good things, not bad.”

I cocked a brow at Ally. “Wonder who taught it to you.”

Ally lifted her shoulders and glanced at the ceiling.

“You are strong and brave and beautiful.” I crouched in front of Laurie and tweaked her nose. “You ready to hit the road, munchkin? We have to hurry if we want to be back for your show.”

“Great Pumpkin!” She leaned against Ally’s leg and gazed up at her adoringly. “With camel corn?”

“Caramel corn?” Ally corrected, setting aside her staff to haul up Laurie on her hip. She had to huff and puff a bit more than she normally did due to her growing belly, but Laurie settled right into the notch of her hip as if she’d always sat right there.

Because she had. Ally had been in my baby’s life since she was an infant, and now she was ours.

She was really, truly ours, just like the little boy on the way.

“Yes.” Laurie clapped her hands, then lightly poked Ally’s belly. “Sleeping?”

“Right now, yes. Don’t wake him up.” Ally laughed and glanced at me over Laurie’s head. Seeing them together warmed me in ways I didn’t have words to explain.

“I bet he wants camel corn too. Just like I do.”

“Silly girl, you’re about to get a bunch of candy. You can’t want caramel corn too?”

“I’ll only eat two pieces of candy.” Laurie sneaked a glance at me then held up three fingers. “Maybe three.”

“Three max if you want caramel corn too. Gotta get to sleep tonight because you have school tomorrow.”

The doorbell rang and I inwardly sighed, moving back to do my duty. I’d hoped we’d make it out for trick or treating without having to hand out more goodies to ungrateful little kids. No such luck.

Laurie babbled on about some story they were going to read while I pulled open the door. And reeled back at the sight of Ally’s best friend Sage—her other best friend, because hello, I was there first—and my twin standing about a foot apart on the porch. Oliver was not dressed up. This was unsurprising information, since forgoing a tie was his idea of casual attire. I couldn’t begin to guess what he’d think of donning a costume.

But Sage made up for Oliver’s lack of one. And how.

She was wearing something short, sparkly, and yellow. With feathers. And a headdress that flared up from her crown of blond curls with plumage that would make even a peacock jealous. Her heels were precariously high, and her legs were bare despite the late October chill.

Did I mention the feathers?

“Tricks or treats!” Sage laughed and swung her head around, nearly taking out my brother with her feathers and curls. He reeled back as if she’d sucker-punched him.

“Sage. You’re here.” Ally nudged me out of the way and rushed into the doorway, still holding an excitedly clapping Laurie. She loved her aunt Sage.

“Hi, Sage. Hi, Unca Ollie,” Laurie said excitedly.

“Hiya, pipsqueak. Miss me?”

Laurie giggled, then both Ally and Laurie fell silent as they viewed Sage’s attire.

“Bird?” Laurie wondered, glancing at Ally for confirmation.

“Um, I’m not sure, honey.” Ally cleared her throat. “I didn’t realize bird costumes were made from so little fabric.”

“That’s what this one said.” Sage jabbed a thumb in the direction of Oliver, who stepped another foot away as if her feathered condition was contagious. If he moved back any more, he’d land ass up in the bushes.

Which I would pay good money to see.

“What about you?” Sage jerked her chin at me. “What do you think I am?”

Being the parent of a precocious four-year-old daughter had taught me well. “Lovely,” I proclaimed.

Ally snorted out a laugh. “His standard safe answer. He doesn’t know any more than the rest of us.”

“Big Bird.” Laurie cocked her head. “Sesame Street!”

“No birds here, squirt, real or fictional.” As Sage reached out to ruffle Laurie’s hair, I spotted a cluster of kids and parents coming up the walk and smothered a sigh.

We’d officially dilly-dallied too long.

“What are you even doing here?” Ally raised her brows at Oliver. “Sage was supposed to come over and hand out candy while we took out Laurie, but you’re a surprise.”

“Handing out candy is normally my job while Seth takes Wonder Woman around the neighborhood. So I’d say she’s the surprise.” Oliver’s haughty tone had me sliding a sidelong glance at my wife, who was trying not to laugh.

“That’s perfect then. You both can hand out candy while we head out.” Ally set Laurie down and she immediately ran to her Uncle, wrapping her arms around his legs. He crouched to return her hug, but she’d already moved on to Sage, offering her the same treatment.

Oliver frowned. “I hardly think it takes two.”

“Oh, everything is better with two.” I patted Ally’s ass while my daughter was distracted with Sage’s feathers, and Ally elbowed me none too gently.

“Trick or treat!” A bunch of kids called out from behind Sage and Oliver.

Oliver dusted off his knees and rose, dipping back his head. “I didn’t have time to prepare.”

Sage spun around to face the cluster of children and clapped her hands. “Look at all of you! Well, let me see who we have here. I see a witch, a baseball player, another Wonder Woman—”

“Uh oh,” I said under my breath as Ally and I exchanged a look.

Laurie charged toward the little brunette who’d dared to wear the same costume. “I’m Wonder Woman,” Laurie announced.

The brunette wasn’t backing down. “No, I am.”

“I had mine first.”

“No, you didn’t.”

Laurie crossed her arms. “You can’t have candy.”

“Hey, hey, hey,” I said, moving forward at the same time Ally did, causing us to briefly become wedged in the doorway. I let my wife go first then hung back as she went to mediate the dispute between the two girls.

The official mommy role was new to her, and I wanted her to feel comfortable disciplining Laurie or whatever the situation needed. So I deliberately motioned to Oliver and Sage and led them inside. Right before I shut the door softly behind us, Ally’s light laughter rang out.

“You’re just letting her handle it?” Oliver’s brow rose. “When did you get so Zen?”

“She’s her mother.” It didn’t matter that Ally wasn’t Laurie’s parent biologically. She was her mom in every way that mattered.

“Aww, that’s so sweet.” Sage gave me a smile. “You guys are so cute together now that you’re not a dick anymore.”

“That’s called damning with faint praise.” Oliver undid the button on his jacket and moved into the living room. “And if I’m going to be stuck handing out sugar to squabbling toddlers, then I do believe I’m going to have a whiskey.”

“Ally should’ve warned me he would be here.”

“Considering she just said she didn’t know—”

“Yes, but she should have. She has to know that where you are, your nefarious twin is sure to follow.”

Unable to resist a grin, I glanced down at the bowl of candy I still held. Whoops. Ally would need that.

I held up a finger. “One sec.”

As soon as I turned toward the door, it opened and Ally’s long, slim arm extended inside. From the porch, children’s laughter and excited talking offset the deeper tones of the adults in the group. Laurie’s giggles rose over the voices.

“Good job, Hamilton.” I passed her the bowl and she leaned inside long enough to stick out her tongue at me just as she’d done when we were kids.

So I responded in kind, just as I might have when we were teens.

“Don’t stick that out at me unless you intend to use it.”

“Ugh, so adorably gross.” Sage clutched her fluffy belly. “I can’t stand it.”

Ally shut the door behind her again, trapping me with Sage and her dislike of my brother.

“What are you anyway?” I asked.

“Seriously, no one can guess? I’m Lola. Like the song.”

Oliver strolled back in, drink in hand. “Her name was Lola? L-o-l-a, Lola.”

“Not that Lola, jackass.”

“Good, because I was going to ask when you intended to sit on my lap.”

I choked on a laugh, but Sage merely slitted her eyes. “Lola from the song by the one and only Barry Manilow, thank you very much. You know, she was a showgirl with yellow feathers in her hair.”

Oliver plucked at her halo of curls. “Not too many feathers, but there’s a couple of leaves. Have you been crawling around in the bushes?”

Sage smacked him away, nearly upending his drink. “Wouldn’t you like to know.”

“No, actually, I don’t care.”

Sage sniffed. “Sounds like you do to me.”

“Do I dare leave you two alone in my house for an hour? Possibly less. Laurie usually has to pee, which cuts things short. Though now that’s a factor with Ally too.”

“I heard that,” she said, opening the door with Laurie right behind her. “I’ll visit the bathroom before we go.”

“Maybe I should go with you.” Sage peered at Laurie. “Wouldn’t you like that, Peanut?”

“Scaredy cat.” Oliver sipped his drink and smiled when Sage nailed him with a look.

“Unca Ollie needs help. There’s a lot of kids.” Laurie spread her arms wide.

I shuddered. “That settles it. Bathroom time, ladies, because this bus is about to leave.” I took the bowl of candy from Ally and pushed it into my brother’s gut. “You two can fight over doling out the candy as you see fit.”

“C’mon, sweetie. Daddy is being impatient again.”

“Again?” I called after Ally as she and Laurie trooped down the hall to the bathroom. “When have I ever been impatient?”

“Since birth.” Oliver flashed me a beatific smile. “Actually, no, since before then. Pretty sure I remember you kicking me in the womb.”

Sage wrinkled her nose. “It’s creepy thinking of you two in the same pocket.”

I had to laugh. “Nice dainty way to describe childbirth. Wait until you get to help coach Ally. You’ll see it’s not all wine and roses and cute little pockets.”

“Yeah, I almost would’ve missed it. I won this thing from a radio station, can you believe it? I was listening to Flashback to the Eighties on satellite radio and there was this contest. All expenses paid trip to Vegas, but it was for Valentine’s Day and that’s when the baby’s coming. Well, around there. And that just wouldn’t do, because it’s for two and I can’t go party like a rockstar without my best friend, and she can’t travel then, and oh my God, Vegas.”

“Take a breath,” Oliver advised. “You’re going to pop a seam.”

Sage ignored him and stared hard at me. “So I switched the date to right before Christmas. That was my only other choice. My parents are traveling for the holiday, and I’m flying solo. Besides, we really need one last hurrah before the baby comes. Tell me you won’t cock-block her. It’s just for, like, a weekend.”

“Like a weekend?” I echoed.

“Yes, two nights, three days. A weekend.”

“No, I won’t cock-block her, but um, she’ll be under two months from giving birth then. Her doctor might object. Maybe not, but he’s been wanting her to take it easy.”

“What?” Sage wailed. “No way.”

“The miracle of childbirth lamented once again.” Oliver finished off his drink in one long swallow.

“What are you screeching about?” Ally asked, tugging Laurie down the hall. “We could hear you in the bathroom.”

“Later,” Sage muttered, wiggling her brows at Laurie.

I knew I’d probably regret it, but I had to ask. “Why can’t you discuss a Vegas trip now?”

“Because it’s meant to be hedonism squared. And, you know, little ears.” She looked pointedly at Laurie.

“And you figured that’s the perfect trip to share with your hugely pregnant best friend?” I asked dubiously.

“Watch your mouth. I’m not hugely anything. Yet.” Ally frowned. “When?”

Sage briefly filled her in while Laurie practiced her Wonder Woman moves with her sword. When she nearly jabbed Oliver near his unmentionables, he set down his empty glass and swept her up, holding her upside down until she shrieked with laughter.

Yet I could still hear Ally and Sage arguing. Unfortunately.

“Even if I can fly then, I won’t. No way am I traveling right before our first family Christmas.”

“I knew he’d cock-block me,” Sage muttered. “No one ever wants me to get la—lay down,” she amended with a quick glance at Laurie, who was currently suffering from one heck of a head rush.

“Why, I can’t imagine why she wouldn’t want you to lay down. Maybe she’s concerned about feather strangulation.” Oliver offered Sage a bland smile before righting my flailing daughter. “What do you say, baby girl? Time to hit the road for candy?”

“Candy!” Laurie cried out just as the doorbell rang.

I sighed and accepted the bowl of treats from my brother, then glanced between the women. “Hopefully, you two will have figured this out by the time I’ve passed out the candy.”

After five minutes of pleasant small talk with Dare Kramer and his adorable son, Weston—one of Laurie’s classmates, who she called “her boyfriend” when she saw him, grr—I finally slipped back inside. Oliver had another drink in his hand, and the women were still arguing.

“I can’t go. I’m sorry. If you could reschedule it to, I don’t know, maybe June—”

“June? You expect me to wait eight months for se…sexual congress,” she corrected at the sight of Laurie, who was chewing on the end of her sword since candy was coming approximately never at this rate.

“Why not?” Oliver asked. “You’ve waited, what, thirty years so far?”

“I am not thirty, thank you. I’m only twenty-six.”

Oliver shrugged and sipped. “Close enough.”

Sage flung herself at Ally, gripping the ruffled front of her costume. “Take me with you. I implore you. Or take him. Just separate us. Now.”

Ally laughed and untangled herself from Sage’s grabby hands. “You’ll be fine. We won’t be gone long. Just take turns manning the door and adjourn to opposite corners of the house in between.”

“Easy for you to say. You got the good brother.”

“Since when? As I recall, you used to not like me either.” I shrugged at Sage’s flinty gaze. “Just saying.”

“You manned up. I am woman enough to adjust my opinion when warranted.” She pointed at Oliver. “Except when it comes to that one. That will happen never.”

The doorbell rang again and I threw back my head. “We are never leaving.”

“Go already.” Oliver stepped forward and took the bowl of candy, then held out an arm toward Ally. “Come on, ladies. Time to go be witchy.”

“I’m Wonder Woman,” Laurie said, snagging her pumpkin treat container off the side table.

Oliver opened the door. “I know, kiddo. And a very fine one at that. Out the door. Excuse me, everyone,” Oliver said, nudging Ally and Laurie out first.

I followed behind them and we escaped down the walk as Oliver boomed out “Happy Howl-a-ween” to a burst of giggles from the kids.

“He really is good with them,” Ally said, shepherding Laurie down the steps.

“Better with kids than women. At least Sage.”

“Aw, crap, I forgot my staff.” Ally glanced back at the crowded porch, full of kids and parents.

“Swear jar,” Laurie said.

“Crap is not a swear word. Me thinks you’re trying to get that change for yourself, Miss Woman.” I ruffled Laurie’s hair and gripped Ally’s hand as we strode down the walk.

Laurie was not deterred. “Miss Jenkins says ‘crap’ is a swear.”

“Can’t deny Miss Jenkins.” I tugged Laurie and Ally closer as we dodged the Grim Reaper and a princess coming up the walk. “C’mon, my beautiful ladies. Let’s go get ourselves some candy.”