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Everly
By Sunday morning, the shock of what happened at Thursday night’s knitting club had worn off, and I woke up feeling hopeful. While I still wasn’t sure the dating pact would work, it was a gorgeous fall morning, and today, I planned to put up Halloween decorations outside.
Last year, I’d set out a couple of pumpkins on my front porch, but this year, I was going ten steps further and adding gravestones, covering my bushes in lights, hanging up witches’ hats, and putting up inflatables. Nothing too scary, as I didn’t want to frighten away young children, but enough razzle-dazzle to turn my home into a trick-or-treating destination.
Really? Don’t you think that’s tacky?
I pushed aside Lukas’s disapproving comments. At my old place, I’d never dreamed of being this ambitious since he never understood my infatuation with the holidays. However, now that I was single, I was determined to cover my bushes with so many purple and green lights that they could see my home from outer space. This was my life and my house. IlovedHalloween and Christmas, and I chose to surround myself with people who supported my obsession with the holidays, such as my family. And that’s why I was currently heading north to my parents’ ranch. They’d offered to donate a few pumpkins and inflatables to the cause.
While driving along the dirt road leading to the main house, I passed their rental unit and noticed a blue SUV parked outside. Were they taking in more renters? As I made a mental note to ask them, my phone buzzed. I pulled up next to my brother Aiden’s car and checked my messages.
Quinn:You free this Friday night?
Me:Sure. Why?
Quinn:I got you a date
Wow.That was fast.
Indie:See? My genius idea’s working already!
Me:Great
Indie:Is that sarcasm I detect?
Quinn:Don’t worry. I’ve known the guy since we were kids. Twenty-eight, never been married, MBA degree, good teeth, smells nice
Indie:Score one for personal hygiene!
Quinn:Can I give him your number?
Me:Um… sure?
Joy:This is a great start!
Joy:Also, someone please send help. My toilet’s clogged… again
I suppressed a giggle.
Somebody tapped on my window. “You doing okay in there, Everkins?”
I slid my phone back into my purse and got out of my car. “Sure am.”
Dad wrapped me in a tight hug. “It’s good to see you. Your mother’s been shopping up a storm. We’ve got about ten pumpkins and a few larger lawn decorations.”
“Thanks, Dad.” I eyed my tiny Prius. “I’ll probably need to make another trip.”
“Don’t worry. Your brothers are here. One of them should be able to help bring some stuff back.”
With us kids all living nearby, more often than not, we found ourselves at the ranch on Sunday mornings. It was like an unspoken arrangement. Even Aiden, with his busy job as a police officer, always did his best to be there for Sunday brunch.
“By the way, we’re hosting a new guest.”
“I planned to ask you about that.” I eyed the tiny house on the hill. “Is this an actual renter? Or another B&B guest?”
Ben, Aiden, and I hadn’t grown up on the ranch, but in my senior year of high school, Dad and Mom sold our childhood home and moved here to help our grandmother run Knight Ranch. Sadly, Nana died during my freshman year in college, but my parents stayed put. It was a beautiful place, with a small lake, fields for the cows to roam, blueberry and raspberry bushes, and several small buildings, one of them being the rental unit.
“It’s a B&B guest,” Dad said.
