Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 71843 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 359(@200wpm)___ 287(@250wpm)___ 239(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71843 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 359(@200wpm)___ 287(@250wpm)___ 239(@300wpm)
“I see.”
“I’m gonna throw up,” Kola assured me.
“I have to tell you that the Daddy T-shirt isn’t helping anything,” Harper deadpanned. “I think it needs to go.”
“I’ll take it under advisement,” I promised.
Sam was in and out of the house, far too busy for me to tease, so I let it go and called Dane instead, making sure that he and his wife and kids were still coming over the next night for dinner. We were starting a new thing, Sunday dinner, and were trading off who cooked.
Hannah got back just a bit after ten, coming into the kitchen after shedding her costume, shoes, and mask, and washing her hands in the laundry room. I was surprised to see how upset she seemed, the furrowed brows when she reached the table a dead giveaway.
“Something wrong?” I asked her.
She just clutched the back of one of the chairs.
“Don’t you need to change?” I tried another tactic. “Aren’t all the coven robes in the laundry room?”
“Jake is dancing,” was all she said.
Ah. “Is he?”
“With a whole group of girls.”
“I see.”
Her head lifted, and she met my eyes. “What…uhm…do I just—I mean, he’s not my property, he doesn’t belong to me, but what…it feels weird.”
“In the pit of your stomach.”
“Yes,” she breathed out, “how do you know?”
“I know,” I soothed her. “Do this. Go outside, stand on the porch, and wave at him.”
“Wave at him?”
“Mmm-hmm.”
“That’s it? Just wave?”
I nodded.
“And what will—what should happen?”
“He should see you and get to you as fast as he can.”
“And if he doesn’t?”
“If he doesn’t, then you know something.”
She took a breath. “Okay.”
I watched her go, waited, and then minutes later she came back inside with Jake right behind her. She collected the robes and stood in the doorway a moment, beaming at me before she directed Jake to grab the first tray of candles.
“Everything all right?” I asked.
“Yes,” she answered as he leaned in and kissed her cheek. It was quick, but her eyes fluttered anyway. “Jake’s helping me with the candles, and then we’re going to get ready to call the corners.”
“We need to shut the party down, anyway,” he informed me. “And besides, Kola’s gonna puke pretty soon.”
“Why?” Hannah asked, turning to him.
“’Cause people are checking out your dad.”
It took a second for that to sink in. “I’m sorry?”
“You didn’t see all of them?” he teased her.
“What?” she squeaked. “No.”
He waggled his eyebrows at her and walked out the back door.
“No,” she repeated, following.
Sam was inside moments later, carrying empty bowls, all the kids behind him.
“I had to nearly wrestle this bowl out of that girl’s hands!” Hannah yelled at Kola.
“I know!”
“Who even are those girls?” Harper asked. “They didn’t go to school with us. They must be friends of friends or––”
Sam turned to walk back outside.
“No!” they all yelled at the same time.
He turned to look at them.
“Just stay in here with Pa,” Kola snapped, “we’ll get it.”
“Eww,” Hannah choked out. “That’s just…eww.”
“Go get the rest of the stuff,” Sam directed them as he began rinsing bowls and platters before putting them in the dishwasher.
“It’s the T-shirt,” Jake chimed in.
“It’s certainly not helping,” Harper agreed, turning to look at me over his shoulder. “I told you about that.”
“I was advised, yes,” I assured him as the four of them went out the door. “I understand you’re causing quite a stir outside,” I called over to my husband.
“What?” He was laser focused on cleaning the kitchen.
“Never mind.”
Kola shut down his party so the coven could take over the backyard, lighting candles, casting herbs in the firepit, and standing in a circle to chant. Kola, Jake, and Harper took over kitchen duty from Sam, who came and picked me up and carried me to the couch. He was going to leave me, but I took hold of his hand.
“Sit down. They’ve got it.”
“Let me prop up your––”
“It’s fine,” I said, stretching out, leaning back into the corner of the couch and putting both feet in his lap.
His grin was instant. “There’s things to do outside.”
“This is what you have children for.”
He grunted.
“Just stay here. I’m hurt.”
“This actually looks much better, but you need to stay off of it.”
“And I will as long as you stay here.”
“You’re very cute when you’re possessive,” he stated, rubbing my calves.
“I’m so glad you think so,” I said, sitting back up and gesturing for him. “Come here.”
He was chuckling as he kissed me.
“Thank you for taking care of me,” I whispered between kisses.
“Always,” he murmured.
Later, after the coven left, there was the yearly watching of Sleepy Hollow, and it was, as it had been for years, the six of us in the living room, drinking hot chocolate. I hoped it would stay this way at least for a few more.
And that’s it. I hope you all have a safe and sane Thanksgiving, and a wonderful rest of November. I’ll see you next month!