MAGGIE

Halloween

“When are you going to tell her?” Emily asks, straightening a pair of devil horns in the mirror. “You and Tyler have been dating what, a month now?”

“A few weeks.” I zip up my orange jumpsuit and turn to face Emily. “Also, thanks a lot for ditching me for Luca tonight. After I agreed to be your date.”

She makes a face. “Lucky for you, Luca volunteered. Otherwise, you would’ve never asked Tyler to the party. And anyway, don’t think you’re distracting me.”

“Distracting you from what?”

“Mila and Jess! They’re bound to figure out what’s happening between the two of you.”

I survey myself in the mirror, costume and all. I’m dressed in an orange jumpsuit going as a prisoner, while Tyler Daniels has agreed to be my partner in crime at Claire’s Halloween party. He’s the cop. I’m the criminal. We drew straws.

“I don’t know, I guess when we decide to make things official.”

“How much more official do you need to make them?” Emily asks. “You’re all but living with each other.”

“That’s not true.”

“Fine. You’re right. You sleep apart every now and again, but everything else, you do together.”

It’s hard to argue with Emily because she’s got a point. Ever since that first Cinderella sleepover, the four of us—me, Mila, Jess, and Tyler—have been spending nearly every free moment we have together.

It started with Mila and Jess collaborating on homework in the evenings. Once they finished their work, we’d usually sneak a few board games into the nightly schedule. Then a snack. Then story time, and finally, once the girls got too drowsy to walk, we’d carry them to their separate beds. First thing in the morning, they’d meet for breakfast.

More often than not, Tyler would sneak in a kiss goodnight while the girls brushed their teeth that’d set my body on fire. Nightly, I had to drag myself away from him, crawling back into my own, cold bed—wishing he’d crawl in next to me. Except for those rare nights when the girls would sleepover at a friend’s, or at grandma’s, and we’d blissfully have the time to ourselves.

“It’s for the best,” I tell Emily. “The girls are getting along better than ever before, and I get the feeling that it’s the first time either of them have had a real best friend. I don’t want to upset them with something like this before the time is right.”

“Are you sure this is about the girls?” Emily raises her eyebrows. “Because they seem to love spending every second they can together. I get the feeling that if you asked Mila whether she’s interested in gaining Jess as a sister, she’d fly over the moon with excitement.”

“A sister?” I swallow. “I don’t know. Getting married is so...big.”

“Tyler is head over heels for you. Where do you think this is going?” Emily clamps the curling iron to her hair. “He’s not keeping his feelings for you a secret—he wants to get married.”

“I know.”

“Have you said I love you?”

“No.” I stick a hand on my hip, playing defensive. “He hasn’t asked me how I feel in a while.”

“He shouldn’t have to ask. Does he keep telling you that he loves you?”

“Yes.” It’s a grudging admission. “I know, I know. I should tell him it back. I think I love him, it’s just—”

“You either do, or you don’t. Look, I’m all for taking things slow.” Emily gently unwinds the ringlet from the iron and surveys it critically, then she turns her eyes to mine. “I just want to make sure that you’re not being extra gun shy.”

“I’m being cautious.”

“Tyler might wait for a long time, honey, but you’re going to have to give him some sign that he’s got a place in your heart.” Emily glances at me in the mirror. “I know you’ve been hurt before, but then again, we all have. If you are going to throw yourself into this relationship, you can’t do it halfway. It’s not only unfair to Tyler, but it’s unfair to yourself.”

“I owe it to Mila to take things slowly.”

“You’ve never taken anything this slowly,” Emily says with a chagrined smile. “Plus, you two are practically living married, minus the separate finances and the separate beds. You think Mila won’t be affected if things flop now? Guess again.”

I consider this, conceding with a nod that Emily has a point. “Fine, I’ll think about it. Maybe tonight...”

“Don’t say anything if you don’t mean it.” Emily sets down the curling iron and moves closer to me, hooking my costume closed in the back. “Just don’t ignore the way you’re feeling. Yes, it’s a good lesson for Mila to learn that she should be careful with her heart...but it’s also important for her to see that chances can pay off, and that real love is worth pursuing.”

I swallow harder than I’d like because her words ring true.

“These damn horns won’t stay put,” she says, bringing me back to reality as she adjusts her devil costume. “Do you have any spare bobby pins?”

There’s a knock on my door, and I point out the bobby pins with one hand while rushing to open the door with my other hand. “Hi, mom,” I say. “You’re early.”

“And you’re...a prisoner.”

Her frown says everything she doesn’t about my costume.

“It’s a joke,” I tell her. “Tyler’s going as a cop, and—”

“Where are the girls?” she asks. “I hope they don’t get any ideas seeing you dressed like this.”

I roll my eyes. “They’re playing over in Jess’s room. Thank you for coming to pick them up.”

“I’ll return them at noon tomorrow. Shall I come to your room?” she asks pointedly. “Or his?”

“Mom.”

“Where will you be spending the night?” she presses. “Together, I assume?”

“I’m going to pick up Mila at your house in the morning, and Tyler will pick up Jess. It’s just a work party. Tyler’s been staying at the inn—he’s coming with me and Emily and Luca. It’s fun.”

“So the rumors aren’t true?”

“What rumors?”

My mother steps into my room and closes the door behind her. I notice Emily goes stone cold silent in my bedroom, probably hiding from the wrath that is my mother.

“The rumors that you’re spending time together. Day...and night.” Her implication is clear, and there’s no real question to her words, so I don’t bother to deny it. “Do you really think you’re setting the best example for Mila?”

I take in a breath of fresh air. “I asked if you’d be interested in watching the girls for a night, mom. Not lecturing me on how to spend mine.”

“I am not lecturing you. I’m merely bringing things to your attention.”

“What are you bringing to my attention? Mila and Jess are happy. Tyler and I are happy. We’re spending time together—is that what you want me to tell you?”

“It’s not right, you gallivanting around town with him. He’s left you once before, and I watched you try to pick up the pieces for years. You’re my daughter, of course I care for you—and if you don’t want to heed my warnings, then fine. What about Mila?”

I stay still, silent and stony.

“She’s my granddaughter,” my mother continues. “She’s too young to know better. You should know better, Margaret—fool you once, shame on Tyler. Fool you twice, well, shame on you.”

“It’s different. He loves me, mom, and I love him,” I blurt out, surprising myself with the admission. But once it’s out there, I know it’s true. I love him, and I don’t care who knows. “Things are different—we’re exploring how things go. We’re being careful for the girls.”

“I can see I’m not getting through to you. I’ll pick up my granddaughter now, and her friend. Have fun tonight.” My mother moves toward the door and rests a dainty hand on the knob. “But just remember, he loved you then, too, and you loved him. That’s what made everything so hard.”

Her words are like a stake through my chest, and I freeze—my heart pounding erratically—as she pulls the door open.

“I’ll be back at noon. Have fun tonight,” she says. Then louder, she calls, “You too, Emily.”

Emily pokes her head out of the room, her voice squeaky as she gives a sheepish wave. “Goodbye, Mrs. Marshall. Nice seeing you.”

My mother waits outside for me to join her, and I do, once I catch my breath. We march down the hall silently.

“I hope you know I tell you this because I love you.” My mother clears her throat as we come to a stop outside Tyler’s door. “I am only watching out for your best interest.”

I barely manage a nod before the door is flung open and two giggling girls greet us with masks over their faces. Halloween was yesterday, and Tyler and Emily and I took the girls trick or treating first through the inn, then around town, as we always do. After, we settled in for popcorn and snacks, and a slumber party that included an extra special treat for me.

The girls have clearly hopped themselves up on sugar, and I turn to apologize to my mother, but she’s got a genuine smile on her face. As if the only time she’s truly happy is with her granddaughter. Mila snakes her arms around her grandmother’s leg and does a happy little dance, and even Jess offers a polite handshake and a smile.

They’ll be sleeping over at my mother’s tonight, so the adults can enjoy the party. Even if the enjoyment has been slashed in half for me, and a heavy weight has fallen over my shoulders instead.

“You look great,” Tyler says above the roar of the girls. He winks when he’s sure nobody’s looking, and I can sense the meaning behind it.

I’d normally blush under his stare, or ogle the way his cop uniform molds around his biceps. I might even eye his handcuffs, suggesting subtly that they may come in useful later this evening—but I’m too distracted by my mother’s warning, by the confession I made to her not five minutes before.

I love Tyler Daniels.

I love him with so much of me that if he leaves this time, I’ll break. It will destroy me, and I’ll shatter.

I tried not to fall in love with him, and now, it’s too late.

Tyler must sense the heaviness in my gaze because he wraps up the goodbyes with the girls and guides me through a series of kisses to Mila and Jess, along with the standard warnings to behave and go to bed on time.

It’s with a bright smile that my mother ushers them away, completely oblivious to the way she’s turned my night upside down.

“Hey,” Tyler says, once they’re gone. He pulls me into his room and shuts the door behind me. “What’s wrong? You’re looking far too sad on an evening where it’s just the two of us. I’ve been waiting forever to have you alone for this long.”

“I know, it’s just—”

“What?”

“I love you.” I bite my lip, looking up to him. Tears pool in my eyes, giving away the frustration I feel. I can’t mask my feelings—I’ve never been able to, and now that I’ve fully realized them, I need to explain to Tyler. “I didn’t mean to tell you now; I thought I would wait, but—”

“Why would you ever wait?!” Tyler pulls me to his chest, holding my head against him. “Sweetheart, I love you, too.”

“What does it mean for us?” I beg. “We haven’t talked about work, or life, or—or where you’ll live. Are you going to rent a hotel room for the rest of your life?”

“I’ll do whatever it takes to be with you,” he says, his voice soothing. “I love you, Margaret. I love you more than you can imagine.”

And then my worries are carried away, something he does so well. He kisses them gone, draws the blackness from my mind. In the back of my head, somewhere, I know we have a party to attend, a friend waiting in my room, a boss who’s expecting us—but it vanishes.

Before I know it, we’re in Tyler’s bedroom and he’s unhooked my costume and unzipped the front of my orange jumpsuit. His mouth is hot on my skin as we tumble together into a pile on the sheets.

“The party,” I gasp. “Tyler, we’re going to be late.”

“It can wait.”

“But—”

He sits on the bed and pulls me onto his lap, silencing me this time with a look. An expression that I’ve never seen before, something so tender my argument falls mute to the wayside.

“The woman I love,” he begins. “Told me she loves me back. The party...can wait.”

My hands, trembling, reach for his shirt. I unbutton the uniform slowly, my fingers savoring the feel of his warm chest underneath. “For a minute there,” I whisper, easing closer to him, straddling him on the edge of the bed. “I thought you were going to use your handcuffs on me.”

He groans. “That’s for later. Like you said, we have a party to get to.”

“And later?”

“Later, I’m going to take my time.”

For now, we’re in a frenzy. Moments later my uniform is gone and Tyler’s shirt is undone, his pants lost. I stand before him as he sits on the edge of the bed. He reaches for me, but I gently guide his hands to my back, urging him to pull me close.

“You can touch,” I tell him. “But this time, I’m in charge.”

I back away just as quickly, lowering to my knees before him. I take him in my mouth, and as my lips close around his length, he throws his head back, his hand coming to nestle in my hair. There’s nothing like the control I feel, watching Tyler driven mad with desire, knowing that it’s me who’s responsible for his nonsensical groans and murmurs of pleasure.

Only when he curses, begging for me to join him, do I agree.

I climb onto him, feeling his delicious weight between my thighs as I sink down. I latch my arms around his neck and begin to move, driving the two of us until he can’t hold back.

“Dammit,” he murmurs, gripping me tight. “What are you doing to me?”

I don’t stop, riding him harder, faster, until he bites my name against my neck, digging his fingers into my back as we climax together. I slow, purposefully drawing out every last wave, grinding my hips against him until he shudders and pulls me onto his chest, crumbling onto the bed.

We’re both spent, panting, curled together.

Finally, I laugh.

“Cops and robbers,” I murmur. “That game has a whole new meaning now.”

“Just wait until I break out the handcuffs.” He squeezes my hips, pulling me closer. “This is just me getting started.”