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She sighed. “I can’t focus on my class.”
“Looks like you’ve taken a lot of notes.” He nodded toward her spiral notebook filled with things she’d written down.
“Those are ideas for the Halloween party. That’s all I can think about. At least until you came into the room.” She pressed her lips on his, pushing aside thoughts of both her class and the upcoming party.
He pulled back. “As much as I’d love to continue with this, I promised Charles I’d be over” — he checked the wall clock — “in three minutes to help him pack.”
Ariana’s heart sank. It was just as well that he was busy. She needed to get back to her private investigator class. If there was an award for taking the longest to get through it, she would get the gold medal.
He gave her a quick kiss. “We can pick this up when I get back.”
“I’d like that. Is Lia back in town with him?”
“No, she’s still in LA at their new house. Apparently the previous owners last updated the house in the eighties, so she’s tearing up carpet and picking out hardwoods. Things like that.”
“Right. I remember her telling me about taking down curtains and installing blinds. Will she be back before they move everything out? I’d love to throw them a going away party. After everything they did for us earlier this year, it’s the least I could do.”
Damon squeezed her hand. “I’ll mention it to Charles. I’m not sure what their plans are, but you could send her a text.”
“Good idea.ThenI’ll get back to my class.”
He handed her the notes for the Halloween bash. “Or you could gather your friends and work on this instead. Obviously that’s what’s on your mind.”
She could hardly deny that.
“Rita’s car is in her driveway. I bet she’d love to get in on the action.”
That went without saying. Their friend loved planning events. Between her and Ariana, they could probably put together the biggest Halloween party Rosy Hills had ever seen. After everything their gated community had been through this year, the whole neighborhood would appreciate the lighthearted fun. That was one thing Ari had always loved about the holiday — it was a night of unlimited imagination and creativity. A time to temporarily pretend to be someone else.
Of course there was also a darker side to the night. When she was a kid, she’d been abducted that time of year. It took a lot of work, but she’d mostly moved on from the horrific experience, other than the occasional flashback or nightmare. She was beginning to accept she’d never fully put it behind her. Some things were too traumatic for complete healing, and this was one of them.
At least it hadn’t squashed the love of her favorite holiday. As soon as summer ended, she began counting down the days in the same way some people counted down to Christmas.
“Babe?” Damon’s voice brought her back to her home office.
“Sorry. My mind keeps wandering.”
“All the more reason to head across the street.” He kissed her cheek. “If you need me, I’ll be helping Charles.”
“Sounds good. Thanks for the cheese and crackers.” She popped some into her mouth, realizing just how hungry she was. Had she even taken a lunch break?
“My pleasure.” He gave her a lingering gaze before heading out of the room.
Ariana ate half of her snack before sending a text. Rita was at the end of her second trimester and could be resting, so she didn’t want to go over unannounced.
Her friend responded right away, inviting her over.
Smiling, Ariana closed her laptop. It would be much more fun to plan the neighborhood party with Rita. Maybe after a good brainstorming session, Ari would get everything out of her mind and onto paper. Then she could finally focus on her class, which was only supposed to take a few months. But given everything that had happened since she enrolled, nobody could blame her for taking such a long time to get through the material.
It also wasn’t like she and Damon were hurting for money. Between the money his father had left him and what they made with their books, speaking engagements, and revenue from their joint podcast, becoming a private investigator was more of an ambition than a need.
Thankfully their bills didn’t depend on her ability to concentrate.
She scarfed down the rest of the cheese and crackers, grabbed her notes, then made her way downstairs. With Rita’s expertise in event planning, this party was sure to be the event of the year.
ChapterThree
Bella glanced behind her as the bus’s brakes squealed to a stop. This was it. She’d made it this far. It didn’t seem like anyone was following her, but how would she know? She’d never done anything like this before.
