AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He probably just ran out to get donuts or something.
“I’d rather not finish that sentence,” I mumble, finally replying to my yellow Care Bear mother seated at my kitchen table as I hastily finish buttoning the flannel the rest of the way… all the way up to the top button, since there are beard scratches all over my chest as well. Ford discovered my boobs when we took a shower as soon as we got back here last night, after he took me on a full tour of the house. “Good grief, you guys know better than to try to cook breakfast. Why are you in my home this early anyway?”
Quickly making my way through the kitchen without making eye-contact with my family members, I turn off the burner and put the pan with smoking ash stuck to the bottom in the sink, while Penny in her blue bear costume shuffles away from the stove to flop down at the table. Leaning over, I open up the window and start waving some of the smoke out.
“Uh, it’s ten o’clock.” My mother snorts.
Glancing up at my candy corn clock, I realize she’s right. I don’t even remember the last time I was able to sleep past 7:30 a.m.
Geeze, sex with Ford is exhausting, isn’t it?
“You’re a hot mess.” Laugh-A-Lot Bear Ginger shakes her orange, furry head at me.
“I can’t even take you seriously right now.”
My cousin just glares at me while she scratches her face with one fur-covered hand.
“The children’s haunted hay ride is this afternoon, and we’ve been assigned the third turn on the trail to jump out at them. Don’t be such a costume snob,” she complains with a frown, pointing her furry hand at me.
“Sorry about the bacon. We were trying to do something nice so you wouldn’t kick our asses,” Penny informs me, looking around the table at everyone seated there nervously.
Which is odd. No one at this table ever apologizes for anything, let alone gets nervous about something.
“I already know about all the shit you told Ford about me.” I sigh, pouring myself a cup of much-needed coffee—the one thing they can manage to get right. “I’m in too good of a mood to kick your asses, so no need to fear. I cannotbelieveyou told him about Whistle Winston.”
I guess now is a good time to rip this band-aid off and tell them I broke all the rules.
Turning around to face them, I take a couple of sips of caffeine and let it work its way through my bloodstream for a few seconds before I keep going.
“I’m sorry to tell you this, but I’ve broken a few Tanner rules.” Everyone is completely still and silent at my table, when I expected them to immediately start screaming. It’s not like they haven’t heard this around town by now, but I’m sure it’s a shock hearing me confirm it. “Ford and I are together. We’re a thing. A more-than-friends thing, and definitely not a fling. And I don’t want to hear one word about how he’s going to hurt me, or break me, or any of the other reasons you’re going to try to give me about why this is a bad idea. It is done.”
Jesus,I sound like a war general who just signed the treaty to go to battle.“It is done. And now, we fight.”
My body actually braces itself for the onslaught of yelling that’s about to come at me, and possibly a few weapons, but nothing happens. All that can be heard in my kitchen is the ticking of my clock for a few minutes, until someone finally breaks the silence.
“Well, this Halloween just got a lot more fucked up than usual.” Aunt Dawn takes a casual sip of her coffee and smiles at me before pushing back the hood of her green Good Luck Bear costume when it falls into her eyes.
“It’s not that big of a deal. It’s not going to fuck up Halloween.” I sigh, as worried looks from the bears are exchanged around my table again, probably because they know this is ahugedeal.
“I have to say I’m shocked. I really thought you’d keep pushing that man away for six more years. It was starting to get boring.” My mother sighs, making me whip my head in her direction with a wide-open mouth.
“How are you so calm about this right now? You’ve been reminding me every year, just as recently as our last trip to the cemetery, not to make bad choices or I’ll wind up like you.”
She just smiles at me. “Right. Don’t make bad choices by continuing to ignore what was right in front of you and wind up sad, alone, and bitter like me. That man has been stupidly in love with you since the minute he came to town.”
Murmurs and nods of agreement go around the table, and I wouldn’t be more shocked right now if the Headless Horseman came charging through here with a flaming jack-o-lantern in his hand.
“It’s a fine time to elaborate on thatnow!” I complain with a toss of my hands in the air.
“Well, it all worked out in the end, didn’t it?” Aunt Dawn nods happily, her bear hood falling down into her eyes again.
“Hello?” Penny screeches, waving her blue furry hands in the air. “Is everyone forgetting it did not all work out in the end, and that’s why we’re here? The end is nigh, and it’s about to go down! We’re not here about the fact that you’re being a wussy girl who suddenly has hearts and flowers and rainbows shooting out of your ass every time you look at a man.”
“We’re here because we were nice to him,” Ginger picks up where Penny left off. “We let him keep all his body parts intact, and he did what every other man does. He got what he wanted, and then he fucked off this morning, because you’re not good enough to be a part of his life outside of Harvest Grove.”
My heart starts beating faster and my hands clamped around my coffee mug get sweaty, but I just shake my head at them. That’s in the past. We’re together now. He’s going to include me in everything now… right? I’m pretty sure that’s how relationships work.
“What are you even talking about? Ford didn’tfuck off.”
