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“Oh, look, it looks like Onyx,” I said, plucking a tiny black cat off of the table. It was one of the few that he had painted, and her bright-yellow eyes and fluffy tail looked exactly like my sweet cat.
“We’ll take this one,” I said to the old man sitting in the booth. He was wearing denim overalls and a puffy jacket. The sock hat on his head barely contained his wild, white hair.
He gave me a wide grin, showcasing the half of his teeth that were missing.
“That’s one of my favorites. I knew I’d find a good home for it.”
“She looks just like my cat. I can’t wait to put it up on my mantle at home.”
“Well, if you like cat things, make sure you keep an eye out for Miss Betty down the road here. She’s got a whole pet table. You’ll have plenty to spoil your little cat with.”
“Thanks for the tip,” I said, giving him a few extra dollars and a wink before tucking the small bag under my arm and heading for the next table.
It was so nice to see people coming together like this to share their art with the world. I never felt any judgment or competition among them, even though several tables were selling similar things. Here, there was enough space for everyone. They all talked to each other from table to table, and it just added to the atmosphere.
“Handcrafted chocolates!” Ethan sang out, letting go of me for the first time to join the line that was forming. I didn’t follow him yet because I was heading down one side, then the other.
Lincoln quickly took his place and grinned down at me, his bright-blue eyes flashing in the afternoon sun. He was gorgeous and it still took my breath away sometimes.
“I was waiting for the perfect moment to cut in,” he said. “Having a good time, sunshine?”
“I am,” I agreed. “I really like this town. Sure, I love Shadow Ridge and being close to your parents, but there’s just something about this place that I love.”
“Is it the dark energy that hovers in the halls of the castle?” he teased. At least he was cracking jokes about it.
I nudged him with my elbow and rolled my eyes. “You know that’s not what I meant.”
“You’re right,” he relented. “I just feel like this is more of a family town.”
“And we’re not a family? Just because we don’t have children doesn’t make us any less of a family. And who better to run some sort of hotel or museum that has ghosts than people who know ghosts?”
I dropped my voice so nobody overheard us. Lincoln thought it over, but his words had a spark of doubt, failing me.
“Are you second-guessing not having kids?” I asked quietly. My chest constricted at the thought of him having doubts. There was nothing that wrecked a relationship faster than being on different paths.
Lincoln shook his head quickly. “Absolutely not. I’m not saying that we couldn’t consider adopting or something in the future, but as of now, I like this. I like us.”
“Me, too,” I agreed as he pulled me in close. I snuggled into his side, breathing in the scent of his cologne and letting out a contented sigh.
“Sorry, sunshine. I didn’t mean to freak you out. I was just wondering if we would fit in here.”
“We could. I don’t think they demand you have a dog and a kid before becoming a Bellmore citizen,” I said as I looked through the rings on display at the next booth.
“Wouldn’t that be something,” the old lady chuckled. “Me and my wife didn’t have kids or a dog. If you want to move here, do it. I haven’t regretted it.”
“See,” I told Lincoln, giving her a wink. “We’re definitely considering it.”
“The more the merrier,” she agreed, beaming at us.
“Liv would love this,” I said, picking up a pretty, steampunk-style ring. “I’ll take this.”
“Do you think Olivia would come out here to visit you here?” he teased.
My poor best friend might have been even more traumatized by the situation with Mack than I was. He posed as her boyfriend, got close to her, built an entire fake relationship with her that she didn’t know was fake. When it all came to a head she was horrified.
During that time, she was also introduced to ghosts for the first time, realizing that maybe this wasn’t just a hobby after all but a reality.
“Maybe. Imagine if we invited her and our family up here for Christmas. We could even invite the witches, have a real celebration. I always wanted to have big family gatherings.”
