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The way she said it made him want to ask why.

Before Gabe could ask, Isaac came across from the farm to meet them. “Glad you made it,” he said. “You must be Mara.”

Gabe introduced them, and Isaac shook her hand before pointing toward the barn. “I left carving knives, bowls, and a couple of lanterns you can keep on the big table. Take whatever pumpkins you want. I’ll leave you the gate key, and you can lock up when you’re done.”

“Are you sure?” Mara asked.

“Absolutely. The patch is much nicer when nobody else is in it.” Isaac handed the key to Gabe. “Enjoy yourselves.” Then, with a nod to them both, he headed toward the farmhouse.

Mara watched him go. “That was kind of him.”

“He knows he can trust me with the key.”

“I meant letting us have an entire pumpkin patch to ourselves.”

Gabe looked across the field. “He’s one of my oldest friends. So when I asked if I could bring someone over, he said yes.”

Her gaze came back to him. “Someone?”

Our mate, his bear supplied.

Gabe ignored him. “Someone I wanted to spend the evening with.”

Mara’s expression softened. “Well,” she said, slipping her hand into his, “you’d better help me find a pumpkin, then.”

They started down the nearest row together. Mara rejected the first few without much explanation before stopping beside one that was broad, round, and considerably larger than Gabe would have chosen. “This one.”

He looked from the pumpkin to her. “You know we have to carry it back.”

“I know.”

“And carve it.”

“I know that too.” She glanced down at the pumpkin. “Of course, if it’s too heavy for you to carry.”

She was smiling at him now, and Gabe realized she had chosen the biggest one she could reasonably make him carry. He laughed and bent to pick it up.

His bear was delighted. She is having fun.

She is. And so are we. Gabe settled the pumpkin against his hip and looked at Mara.

Once Gabe had chosen his pumpkin, a much smaller one, they carried them back to the table by the barn. Mara took the smaller one before Gabe could reach for it.

“Don’t worry, I can carry it for you,” she said.

“Thanks,” he said with a chuckle as he adjusted the weight of her monster-sized pumpkin in his arms.

“You’re welcome.”

I like this side of Mara, Gabe’s bear said.

I do too, Gabe said. I like it a lot.

Isaac had left newspaper, bowls, carving knives, and a battered tin of markers on the table. Mara spread everything out while Gabe set the larger pumpkin down with a thump. She ran one hand over its side, considering it. “Okay. What have we got to work with?”

Gabe looked at her. “You’re taking this very seriously?”

“Of course. When I was a kid, we used to have a competition every fall. Me, my brother, and my sister. My dad judged, which was completely unfair because he could always be bribed.”