“Thanks, you didn’t have to do that, though.”
“Eh, it’s easy. And it saves you time so you can come party with us sooner.”
“Now that I can get on board with.” I hug her back. “I’ll see you later. Don’t drink too much without me.”
“I’ll be drinking for you,” she says quietly.
“Not fair,” I say with a pout. “But you will be. I have to live vicariously through someone.”
She gives me a wink. “I got you covered.” Kristy, unlike me, is a social drinker. She’ll have a glass of wine with dinner and might indulge on a second glass when we’re out together, but she doesn’t drink her worries away. She copes with them the way mentally sound people do, and doesn’t repress and bottle them up.
Psshh, what an overachiever, right?
“Trick or treat!” A group of kids all dressed like Toy Story characters comes up to our table.
“Awww, look how cute you all are!” I reach into the candy bowl and drop a few pieces into their plastic pumpkins. More kids follow right behind, and in only a matter of a few minutes, lines start to form all the way around Main Street. Thorne Hill is a small town, but we’re known for our holiday celebrations and people come from all over to attend the Halloween Fest and then again for the town Christmas party. The town has been featured in magazines and various websites before, which is kind of funny when I think about it.
Thorne Hill was settled by witches who swore to protect the Ley line. Spells were cast over the land to keep nons away…but eventually the town needed revenue, and allowing nons to move in worked as good cover. It’s pretty obvious to demons and hunters alike when a town if full of no one but witches and warlocks.
The sunlight is fading fast, most of the storefronts are decorated with orange and purple lights. We have a big blow-up black cat and Kristy really went all out on our window display this year. Abby texts me that she’s finally here, and asks if she should come to the store first or get in line and go with the flow of trick-or-treaters.
I tell her to get in line and I’ll be here, since it’s easier to start down the road and follow the lines. It’ll take her a good fifteen minutes at least to get here. I try to pick her out from the gobs of trick-or-treaters, but can’t find Abby.
Though I do spot my very sexy husband walking down the street. He’s still wearing the suit he had on earlier, and I think it’s even better than the Superman costume.
“Hello, my love.” Lucas takes me in his arms and leans in for a quick kiss. “It’s busy down here.”
He hair is windswept from moving at vampire speed. I rake my fingers through it, pushing it back into place.
“It always is,” I say and step back to the table to hand out more candy.
“Hey, Lucas.” Betty’s cheeks flush a bit when she greets him. “I’m Betty, in case you didn’t remember or the red hair threw you,” she laughs.
“I remember. We've met a few times before, and Callie speaks very highly of you.”
“She does?” Betty’s cheeks grow more red.
“I do.” I turn, giving her a smile. “Because you’re the best.”
“Well, thanks.”
I take Lucas’s hand and guide him around the table with me. “So Nancy and Scott are here with Abby,” I say, smiling as I give another cute kid a few pieces of candy. “And I want to completely ignore them.” I look up at Lucas. “Like, literally act like I can’t see them. With everything else going on…I don’t even care about them anymore. Plus, it will piss Scott off to try and annoy me and get no reaction.”
“Can you curse a piece of candy really fast to give to him?”
I press my lips together in a thin line and shake my head. “Don’t tempt me.”
“You’re no fun,” he grumbles.
“Hey, I’m lots of fun. And I would let the curses fly, but I don’t want to raise any eyebrows.”
Lucas looks out at the busy street and inhales. “There are a lot of witches here,” he says softly so only I can hear him.
“There are. And a lot of people from the neighboring towns. Pretty much all of Paradise Valley comes here. Newport and Eastwood too.”
“It’s…it’s nice,” Lucas says slowly. “Very family-friendly.”
I know what he’s thinking, and I have to work to keep the tears at bay. It's nothing to cry over and I’m getting more and more annoyed with my stupid emotions. Another surge of kids come up to our table, and a little girl dressed like Wonder Woman wants to take a picture with me. I do my best Gal Gadot impression and pose for a photo with the girl.