Page 103 of Trick or Tease

“Have you seen Garrett today? I wanted to ask him about the vendor setup for tonight.” That was a lie but I figured it was worth not upsetting her.

“No, I haven’t seen him since this morning. Why?”

“Nothing.” I shook my head.

“I think he and Billy went into town to pick up more hot chocolate and cups. We’re running low already, which is a good problem to have.” She tilted her head, her expression growing concerned. “Hey, are you okay? You seem a little off. You haven’t been hitting the cider already, have you?”

I forced what I hoped was a convincing smile. “I’m fine. Just tired from all the work. I think I’m going to head home and get changed for tonight.”

“Good idea. What are you thinking? Something spooky to match the theme?”

Despite everything swirling in my head, I found myself genuinely smiling for the first time since seeing that appraiser. “Actually, I was thinking of going full goth tonight. Extra makeup, maybe some dramatic eyeliner. Really lean into the haunted farm aesthetic.”

Lucy burst into laughter. “I love it! You’re going to look amazing. The contrast with your blonde hair will be perfect.”

“That’s what I’m hoping for.” I started backing toward my truck. “I’ll see you in a few hours, okay?”

“See you soon!” she called out, already turning back toward whatever task she’d been working on.

I climbed into my truck and sat there for a moment. At least I had a few hours to pull myself together before I had to face Garrett again. Maybe by then I’d figure out what I was going to say to him.

38

GARRETT

Ispent the entire night running from one end of the farm to the other, putting out small fires. Actual fires. Someone put an actual candle in one of the pumpkins. I was still not sure who did it. All of the other pumpkins had LED candles in them.

Thankfully, the pumpkin wasn’t near the dried cornstalks or hay.

And then there was a little kid that vomited all over the maze. The little dude had eaten too many sour candies and he left a scary surprise for the family behind his.

Every time I thought I might steal a moment with Sabrina, another crisis popped up. There was a lost child in the corn maze, a group of teenagers trying to sneak into the old house, and someone smashed several pumpkins.

Dicks.

By the time the last hayride of the night rolled in, my nerves were frayed. I needed to see her, to touch her, to reassure myself that whatever weird tension had sprung up between us today was all in my head.

I caught Sabrina as she was climbing down from the tractor, her face flushed from the cold night air, her blonde hair tousled from the wind. The dramatic goth makeup was hot. I never thought I was into the heavy makeup, but damn, on her, it was jaw dropping. I just stared like an idiot.

“You look incredible,” I said, stepping into her space before she could walk away.

She stiffened slightly but didn’t pull back. “Thanks. It was fun playing dress-up.”

I brushed my thumb along her jaw, tilting her face up to mine. “I’ve been trying to get to you all night.”

I didn’t wait for a response. I kissed her. She moaned into my mouth. Her body practically melted into mine.

“There you are,” I whispered. “I missed you.”

“I saw Janet again today. Taking pictures.”

My stomach knotted. “Just finalizing the appraisal numbers.”

“For the insurance?”

“Yeah.” The lie tasted bitter, but I couldn’t tell her the truth. Not yet. There was nothing to tell. No decisions had been made.

She studied me for a long moment, then nodded, stepping out of my arms. “I should go help clean up.”