Amber almost felt guilty for the lack of work they’d done on Josie’s house. On one hand, they had made progress with some things and it was fair to say that they’d definitely helped Josie out on her flip. But there was no doubt that if Cole had been visiting his sister on his own, at least double the amount of work would have been done.

On the other hand, Amber was enjoying her time with Cole so much that she really couldn’t feel guilty about it. Besides, it was coming to an end, soon. Josie would be home in less than twenty-four hours, and their little—whatever it was—would come to an end.

She snuck a glance in Cole’s direction. Freshly showered, he smelled amazing, and Amber needed to sit on her hands in the truck to keep from grabbing him and kissing him. Then they’d never get to the fall festival activities. And despite the attraction of staying in with Cole, she’d really enjoyed the first night of the festival and was excited for more fun.

“What did you say was happening at the Come Again?” Cole asked when he saw her looking at him.

“I think it’s some sort of spooky drink tasting,” she answered. “Whatever that is. I think there’s a few other things going on in the main square, too. Besides, it will just be fun to walk around and take it all in.”

“You like the small-town stuff.”

It wasn’t a question and she didn’t bother denying it anyway. It was true. She’d grown up in a suburb of Vancouver and although it definitely wasn’t the big city, it was far from a small town. Amber never thought of herself as a small-town girl. Maybe it wasn’t something she could sustain for a long time, but there was no doubt that seeing a town with such a close sense of family was appealing. Maybe moving is an option after all?

There were still so many questions about her future. And now that she’d opened her mind to the possibilities of actually having a choice instead of taking the job at the firm, there suddenly seemed like even more options than she’d ever considered.

“I really do,” she finally agreed with Cole. “I’ve just never experienced this type of thing before. It’s kind of cool.”

“It is. But you know, you don’t have to live in a small town to experience that.”

“I think you do.”

“No. You don’t.” He pulled the truck into a space against the curb, turned off the ignition and looked at her. “Working at the ranch over in Australia is just like that. I mean, it’s definitely not a small town, but it’s bigger than a family. The best way to describe it is like a community. There are things going on, and everyone cares about one another. It’s actually pretty fantastic.” Cole hopped out of the truck and ran around to help her down from her side.

“It sounds pretty good,” she said truthfully. “So I assume you’ll go back.”

“To Australia, yes. To the ranch, no.”

“Why not?” She stared at him, but he only shrugged in response. “I mean, if it’s as great as you say it is, why wouldn’t you want to go back?”

“There are lots of places in the world,” Cole answered easily. He took her hand in his and they walked toward the main square, where people were gathered. Children ran around between bales of hay and piles of pumpkins. The whole scene was incredibly small town, and it made her happy just to watch it. “Why settle for one?”

Cole made it sound so simple. Amber envied his easygoing attitude. He was right. There were a lot of nice places in the world, and she’d love to see some of them. She’d never been the type of person who had wanderlust in their veins, but then again, maybe she was. Maybe she’d just done a really good job of burying it beneath all the responsibility she thought she had. It was something to think about, for sure.

“That’s a good point,” she mused, but she didn’t have long to dwell on it because they’d arrived in front of the Come Again bar. “The drink tasting is in here.”

Cole laughed. “Was it the sign Supernatural Spirits and Ghastly Gulps that gave it away? Come on, let’s go check it out. I think I could definitely use a ghastly gulp. What about you?”

“I think I’m more of a supernatural spirit kinda gal.”

They walked in and found seats at the bar. Cole was served something that was green and smelled faintly like black licorice, while Amber’s drink had some sort of smoke coming out of the pink liquid.

“Cheers.” They toasted their spooky concoctions and drank them down. They were better than they expected and for the next round, they switched and ordered what the other was having. Amber drank her second drink much slower, fully aware that in the last few days she’d had more alcohol than she’d probably had in the last six months. She wanted to talk about what would happen when Josie got home, but she wasn’t sure how to bring it up. In the end, she just said what she was thinking.

“So, Josie will be home tomorrow, won’t she?”

Cole nodded. “That’s what her text said. Oh, and she asked me to get some costumes for tomorrow night’s party.”

“Costumes?” Amber groaned. “I hate costumes.”

“No way. They’re fun. But I totally forgot about them. Where do you think I’m going to be able to find something on such short notice?”

“I couldn’t help but overhear.” The bartender interrupted them. “If you’re looking for costumes, I know just the place.” He handed Cole a piece of paper with a phone number on it. “Katie will hook you up. She brought in a truck full of options so the people who weren’t able to leave Sapphire Falls to get something would have a few choices. I’m sure she’ll have something left. Give her a call.”

“Thanks, man.” Cole smiled mischievously and slid the paper toward him on the bar.

“Well, aren’t you going to call?” Amber wasn’t sure whether she should trust the look in his eye.

“I am.”

“But?”

“Do you trust me?”

Amber laughed in response.

“Wait here.” Cole stood. “I’m just going to make a call. Stay right here.”

* * *

She did as he asked, and watched him leave the bar to make the call. She kind of wanted to know what the costumes would be, but at the same time, she didn’t much care. Amber had never been huge into Halloween, and if it had been up to her, she wouldn’t have dressed up at all. If Cole was excited enough to find them costumes, she’d be happy enough to go along with it.

“Another drink?” The bartender held up her empty glass. “I can make you a spooky sipper or a bloody pumpkin if you want to try something new?”

She laughed because he managed to say the names with a straight face. “I’m not sure I want to know what a bloody pumpkin is.”

“It’s really good, I promise. I’ll get you one of those.”

She shrugged, but didn’t bother protesting. It’s not as though she had anything else to do. Besides, she was having fun and Amber definitely couldn’t remember the last time she’d had such a good time.

As if the universe had some kind of limitation on how much fun she should be having, her cell phone rang. When she glanced at the number on the screen, her heart leapt into her throat. Joshua Magnus, her internship supervisor from the accounting firm in San Francisco.

She should let it go to voicemail. She was, after all, sitting in a bar drinking Halloween-themed drinks on a Saturday afternoon. She wasn’t drunk by any stretch of the imagination, but was she in any state to talk to Joshua?

“Ugh.” Before she could change her mind, Amber pressed the button and put the phone to her ear.

“Mr. Magnus, hi.” She put her business voice on and hoped she sounded more professional than she felt.

“Oh, I’m glad I got you, Amber. I was half expecting to get your voicemail. It is Saturday, after all, and sometimes I forget that not everyone works as much as I do. Some people actually have a life outside of work.” He chuckled. “But what am I thinking? I’m talking to you.”

Amber flinched. She couldn’t be sure, but she was pretty sure he’d just implied that she didn’t have a life outside of work either. She would have protested, but what was the point? He was right. With the exception of the last few days, she’d pretty much done nothing unless it involved school or the internship. “Right,” she said after a moment. “And why are you working today, Mr. Magnus?” She knew why he was calling. It could only be for one reason. The job. She was either going to be offered the position, or be told she wasn’t the right fit. She wasn’t nearly as nervous as she should have been, but then again, things had changed a lot in the last few days. Maybe there were other options after all? The full-time position at the firm might not be the only thing on the table anymore.

“As you know, Amber, we’ve been considering all the interns for the full-time position as junior analyst.” She nodded despite the fact that he couldn’t see her. “And your resume, along with your work experience with us, is very strong.”

“Thank you.”

“Right, well, besides your impressive credentials, I must tell you, Amber, that I have been particularly impressed with your work ethic while you were with us. You remind me of a younger version of myself. You work hard, you make the right sacrifices to get ahead in the company, and get the job done. I can always count on the quality of your work and I know that if I need anything, you’re not just a clock puncher. No matter what it takes, I know you’ll make the firm a priority.”

She was conflicted by his words. On one hand, it was the highest praise she could have received from him; yet on the other, listening to him depressed her a bit. Would she really sacrifice anything for the firm? Would she truly make it her life?

Her stomach churned because deep down, she knew it was true. She would. It’s who she was. It’s how she was built. Maybe she was destined to be boring and predictable. Was that really such a bad thing?

“And because of all of those qualities, Ms. McCormick,” he continued. “It’s my pleasure to offer you the position as the newest junior analyst here at McKwade and Wallace Financial Services.”

She’d half expected it, despite trying to talk herself out of it, but hearing him say the words sent a thrill through her. “Really?”

“Absolutely,” he said. “You deserve it. Now, you don’t have to give me an answer right now. In fact, I would—”

“Oh no,” she said before she realized what she was doing. “I’m happy to accept the position right now.”

“Decisive. I like it and I’m very happy to hear it, Amber.”

“Thank you so much, Mr. Magnus.”

“Call me Joshua.” He chuckled. “You’re one of us now. You start on the seventh. I trust that gives you enough time to prepare yourself.”

“Absolutely. I’ll see you then Mr.—I mean, Joshua.” She hung up the phone and reached for the new drink that the bartender had placed in front of her while she was on the phone.

She’d just been offered the job she’d been wanting. It was a great job. It was a huge opportunity at one of the West Coast’s biggest accounting firms. With McKwade and Wallace Financial Services on her resume, she’d be set. It was huge. Amber was still smiling a few minutes later when Cole rejoined her.

He squeezed her shoulders and brushed his lips next to her ear in a way that made her stomach flip with the familiarity of the action. He sat next to her and put his hand on hers. “You look happy. Don’t tell me that had something to do with my leaving you alone?”

She laughed. “Or maybe the fact that you’re back?”

“Of course.” He signaled the bartender for a new drink and turned back to her. “Seriously, what’s up? You look like you just won the lottery.”

“Hardly, but I did—” Amber cut herself off. She wasn’t sure why, but for some reason, she wasn’t excited about telling Cole about her new job. It just didn’t feel right.

“You what?”

She swallowed and beamed at him. “I’m honestly just excited to be here.” It wasn’t a lie. It just wasn’t the whole truth. There wasn’t anything wrong with that. Besides, it’s not as if she had to tell him about her job. In a few days, he’d be gone, she’d return to San Francisco to start her new job, and they’d never see each other again. “And of course I’m looking forward to the nookie later.”

Cole leaned forward and kissed her on the lips. The openness of their relationship, or whatever it was that they were doing, took her off guard a little bit, but she liked it. A lot.

“I’m looking forward to it, too.” He kissed her again. “Really looking forward to it.”