by Sable Hunter
Canyon smiled at the sight of Seren. “Hey, what’s wrong? Is your shift finished already?”
Before his question could be answered, Canyon was bumped from behind, causing him to be pushed against the wall. “Hey! What’s up, dude?”
Seren moved out of the way as the menacing figure of Pennywise the clown came rushing out. Whatever he’d held in his hand was no longer in sight. He said nothing, but the look in the eyes of the disguised individual held nothing but venom and malice. The hate she saw there made Seren tremble.
“Are you all right?” Canyon asked as he came even with her.
“Yea. Are you?” Her voice shook a bit. She couldn’t prove it, but Seren had the distinct impression that Pennywise would have attacked Canyon if she hadn’t shown up when she did.
“Sure. Why wouldn’t I be?”
Realizing she couldn’t explain, Seren was about to shrug the encounter off – when it hit her. “Canyon, I think Pennywise is Diego.”
“Christ!” Canyon didn’t question her, he just rushed by. “Hurry up, go stand at the bar until I check this out.”
“Be careful!”
Seren did as he asked, thankful to see Isaac at the register. “Isaac, I think I saw Diego dressed as an evil clown. Canyon is looking for him.”
“Gotcha!” He motioned for Avery to take over for him, then rushed out.
“What’s going on?” Avery asked, concerned.
“I think Diego has been here the whole time dressed as Pennywise. I’m almost sure he followed Canyon to the back. I think I surprised him before he could do something.”
“Oh, my God!” She immediately called 9-1-1. “What a night!”
“I’ll get back to work,” Seren said, knowing it had to be done. As she started across the crowded bar, she couldn’t help but look for Pennywise one more time. Since the costume was quite distinctive and whoever wore it was large, the evil clown couldn’t hide from sight. To her relief, he was nowhere to be seen.
Next, she set out to her section to make sure someone had waited on Cady McCoy and her husband, Joseph. Seren was more than curious how Cady seemed to know Canyon might be in danger. She also wanted to ask the woman about her odd reference to a party. Chill bumps popped out on her arms at the memory of that first party they’d planned. Surely, she must have misunderstood.
To Seren’s chagrin, the table where Cady had been sitting was now occupied by someone else. With a resigned frown, she returned to work, keeping an eye on the door to see when Canyon would safely return. As she served drinks, her mind was full of questions and riddles. Did Cady sense something was different about her? Did Cady, like John Callan, retain some recollection of her even though the memories of everyone else had been wiped clean? Seren was certainly no stranger to mysteries and the miraculous, but she knew those things were in short supply in this realm.
“Anything else?” she asked a table full of giggling Spice Girls.
“We’re good!” Ginger Spice answered as she almost fell out of her chair. “O. M. G. I want him for Christmas!”
Seren didn’t have to be told who was near. Whirling around, she was relieved to see Canyon safe and sound. “Did you find him?”
“No.” Canyon shook his head. “No sign of him anywhere. He just disappeared. Kane is going to spread out the search, just in case.”
“Okay.” Walking toward the bar with him, Seren sought small talk to calm her nerves. “Other than our run-in with the villain from IT, the night’s gone well. A lot of money has been raised.”
“Yea, I guess we’ve had enough Halloween scares for one night.” He reached out to straighten one of her crooked ears. “I really like this costume. It suits you.”
“Good. I have enjoyed tonight, with that one exception.” She gave a wry laugh as they moved back toward the dance floor. “I’ve never been to a Halloween party or trick-or-treated before.”
“You haven’t?” Canyon was surprised. “Well, don’t worry. When we leave here, we’re going to do some trick-or-treating of our own.”
He gave her a wicked wink, which made Seren wonder what the night held in store. “I look forward to it.”
Once the evening was done, Avery chased them all away, saying she and Isaac would tend to the cleaning up. Several of the others had another party to go to and Seren was more than glad to take her boss up on the generous offer. “Thank you. I had a good time. How much money did we raise?”
Isaac did some quick calculations. “Almost ten thousand dollars!” He waved a check in the air. “My brother Aron won best costume for the Brawny Man. True, his costume was basically jeans and a flannel shirt, but…” Isaac laughed, “seeing him posing with a roll of paper towels all night was hilarious. Anyway, he was so excited, he gave us a check for a thousand dollars!”
“How nice.” Seren felt her skin grow warm when she thought of Canyon doling out about that much to buy her kisses. “I’m glad it was a success.”
“Yea, we are too.” Isaac nodded, looking behind Seren. “I just wish we could have found the man who scared you. If it wasn’t Diego, I would’ve like to have known that, for all of our peace of mind.”
“I agree,” Seren muttered. “I’m tired of looking over my shoulder.”
Isaac grinned. “If you were to look over your shoulder now, I think your ride is here.”
Her ride. Suddenly, an image of her on top of Canyon in bed, riding him to bliss, bombarded her mind. Feeling her nipples peak, Seren wrapped her cape more fully around her. Only when she was covered did she turn to greet him. “All finished.” Seeing he’d changed clothes, she frowned. “Where did Thor go?”
“Oh, he’ll be back.” Canyon held out his arm to guide her from the room. “Ready to continue our adventure?”
“I am.” Yes, that’s exactly how she felt about what they shared. An adventure. Not a once-in-a-lifetime adventure, but she had been given a second chance to spend some time with him. And she would be forever grateful for the opportunity.
“All right. Let’s go.” Canyon steered her outside, keeping a watchful eye for anything suspicious. He guessed that would be the norm until Diego was found and put behind bars. “So, you’ve never been trick-or-treating? Not even when you were a kid?”
“No. My…family didn’t go in for that stuff.” She held her breath as he fastened her seat belt. Was he taking a little more time than usual? Closing her eyes, she enjoyed his solid warmth and strength, loving how her whole body came alive at his nearness. “I don’t think I was ever a child.”
Canyon waited to respond until he was behind the wheel, locked in, with the motor running. “I guess you had to take on adult responsibility early on, huh?”
“You could say that.” Even though she was perfectly decent, Seren tugged up the front of her bunny suit. “My responsibilities meant the world to me, though. I didn’t mind.” Needing to change the subject, she returned to a safe topic. “So, are you taking me door to door in the neighborhood or what?”
Canyon laughed at the image of him escorting the sexy bunny to his neighbor’s homes. “No, I…thought we’d play a game.”
His suggestion made Seren tingle. “What kind of game?”
“Hmmm.” He’d given this some thought. Canyon wanted it to be fun for her, a little silly. He also wanted her to have the joy of collecting candy in a plastic pumpkin. When he’d been a kid, Halloween had been his favorite holiday. That thought led to another, more painful and poignant one – taking Matty trick-or-treating was one of his dearest memories. He still remembered his first Halloween costume, a full body tiger suit, complete with ears and a long tail. Another time, they dressed him like the Sheik of Araby, with a purple robe and a long sword. As he reminisced, Canyon visualized Matty as a pirate, Robin Hood, and the last year he’d felt like going, his little boy had dressed like Superman.
“Where did you go?” Seren asked, aware Canyon was deep in thought.
“Halloweens past,” Canyon said softly, then shook his head. “Now, about that
game. I guess you could call it hide-and-seek.”
“Oh, really?” Now, she was intrigued. “What will I be seeking?”
He shrugged his big, massive shoulders, looking sexier than any man had a right to be. “Me.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
Seren was entranced. She and Canyon were playing as if they were children. “Come out, come out, wherever you are!” A giggle escaped her lips as she crept through the rooms looking for candy bars hidden around the house like Easter eggs. With her plastic pumpkin hanging over her arm, her cape flowing behind her, she felt a bit like Little Red Riding Hood tracking down the Big Bad Wolf.
“Oh, there’s one!” Seren skipped over to pick up a bright orange package containing two Reese’s peanut butter cups from behind a silk potted plant. “Oh, and another!” A Butterfinger peeked out from under a sofa pillow. “This is so much fun!”
When they’d first arrived, Canyon sent her to the guest room to rest while he set everything up. Once he’d completed whatever tasks he deemed necessary, he’d called her out and sent her on a scavenger hunt. This was so new to her. She’d always love to play, that’s why she’d been wearing this same type of costume the day she became visible to Canyon. Before today, however, she’d always played alone. Not anymore. While she rushed through the house following his carefully worded clues, Seren collected Halloween candy and small toys, making her laugh with joy. Her enthusiasm seemed to be contagious, for Canyon laughed as much as she did.
Now, they were playing Hide-n-Seek.
Hide-n-Seek seemed to be such a childish game, she would’ve never guessed it could be so much fun. While Seren hid, Canyon had laid trails of candy throughout the house. One of those trails led to more than just a prize. Somewhere in this house, Canyon hid just waiting for her to find him. “Say something! Give me a hint!”
There was no answer, of course. He wouldn’t fall for her ploy. Suddenly, a pang of remorse hit her when she remembered what a wonderful father he’d been to Matty. Her footsteps slowed as she considered her own circumstances. She still hadn’t been to a doctor, but everything within her told Seren she was carrying Canyon’s child. If things were different, he’d be an amazing father to their baby. The way things stood, he’d never know. She simply couldn’t afford for him to find out. Without telling him the truth of their past, he’d never believe he was the father. Since she couldn’t be honest with him about the baby, the time she could stay near him was sadly limited.
Whistle…
Seren froze, unsure of the direction from which the noise came. “Do it again!” she smiled, happy despite her sad thoughts. Regrets were for later. Right now, this moment was for storing up as many memories of the man she loved as she could. “I’m gonna get you, Brady!”
There were no further noises, so she continued to look for his trail of sugar clues. The house was dark as she moved through it. Shadows loomed larger than life. So far, she’d checked behind the couch, the hall closet, the broom closet, the appliance room, and the funny little room under the stairs. Next, she headed to the bedrooms. “I’ll share my candy with you…” The offer was made with a teasing, hopeful tone.
Moving slowly, the stairs creaked beneath her feet. The dim light from the hallway gave enough illumination for her to safely maneuver, catching sight of an Almond Joy wedged between two of the banisters. “Gotcha,” Seren whispered as she snagged the coconut candy bar. After stuffing it in the pumpkin, she paused to listen. There was no noise, only the sound of her breathing. Standing in the darkness, she shivered, her mind returning to earlier in the evening when the creepy clown had loomed behind Canyon with what looked like a knife in his hand. Seren knew she was safe, there was no threat here – still, she felt her breathing escalate. “Canyon!”
Inside the bedroom closet, it was hard for Canyon to remain silent. He smiled, anxious for her to throw open the door to expose his hiding place. Why he was getting such a big kick out of this, he didn’t know. He just wanted her to be happy. Holding his breath, he waited to hear her footsteps as she came even closer.
“Which way, which way…” she mused as she eased down the hall. “Which room should I look in first?” Just as she was about to turn into the room where she’d been staying, Seren caught sight of a rock candy bracelet hanging from the doorknob of Canyon’s room. “Aha!” she whispered triumphantly. “Won’t be long now, I’ll have you in my clutches.” The thought made her giggle.
Canyon heard that giggle. The sweet sound made his chest clench. “Just a little closer, hot stuff. Just a little closer.” He placed his hand on the door knob, ready to jump out and scare her when she neared his hiding place.
After collecting the bracelet, she plopped it in her pumpkin and took hold of the knob, turning it slowly. Wincing when the hinges creaked, she eased through the door and into his room. Would he be under the bed? Nah, he was too thick. She giggled again. Behind the curtains? Nah, there’d be a big lump in the material. Canyon wasn’t a small man by any means. “Which…leaves only the closet.” As she turned, Seren noticed a trail of hard candies leading right up to the closed door. “This might be a trick to throw me off.” She bent to pick up the treats one by one. “I feel like Hansel and Gretel in reverse.”
Holding his breath, Canyon carefully turned the knob. He could see Seren picking up the candies like a chicken picking up corn. Those bunny rabbit ears did something to him. Made him happy in a…nostalgic kind of way. He tried to think if he’d owned a toy rabbit when he was a boy. No, he didn’t think so. “Just a little closer, cottontail,” Canyon mouthed the words under his breath as Seren came a few steps nearer. As he waited for the perfect moment, he wondered how she could’ve reached her present age and seemingly missed out on so much. He also marveled at the idiot she’d given her heart to, the idiot who let her walk away from him. Well, his loss was Canyon’s gain.
“Boo!”
Seren squealed in a combination of delight and fright as a pair of strong arms caught her up, tugging her into the dark closet. “Canyon!”
“About time. What did you do? Stop to eat all the candy on your way to find me?”
“No.” She jiggled her nearly full pumpkin, sitting on his lap where he was sprawled on the floor next to his work boots, his shirts and jackets hanging overhead. “I was more interested in finding you than eating the candy.”
Her answer did something to him. “Well, you found me. What are you going to do with me?”
With her breath coming in shallow pants, Seren cupped his cheek with her palm. The day’s growth of beard felt so good, so sexy. She stroked him sensually. “I don’t know.” She giggled softly. “What can we do in a closet? Any ideas?”
“Actually, I do.” His voice was husky and teasing. “Want to play another game?”
“Yea.” Her fingers were still playing on his skin, feathering down his neck to the top button of the flannel shirt he wore so well. “What kind of game. A kissing game?”
“Can be.” He framed her face. “It’s called Seven Minutes in Heaven. Ever play?”
“Uh, I’m not sure.” She’d certainly spent more than seven minutes in heaven. Licking her lips in anticipation, she whispered, “Show me and I’ll let you know.”
“You like that ‘show me’ stuff, don’t you?” He leaned in for a soft kiss. “You wouldn’t happen to be from Missouri, would you?”
“Huh? No.” He was busy kissing her neck and she was finding it hard to think straight. “I think I’m going to like this game.”
“I guarantee you will.” Easing her around to straddle his thighs, Canyon pulled on the strings of her cape. “The rules are…that for seven minutes we can do whatever we want to do.”
“Anything?” Seren picked up his hand to press her mouth to the inside of his palm.
Canyon shivered, the innocent kiss taking him by surprise. The simple gesture was sexier than any he could imagine. “Yea, anything our heart’s desire.” Bending his head, Canyon was about to smother her lips with his when she wr
apped her arms around his neck and gave him a kiss so hot and sweet it blew his mind. For a few moments, he was too taken aback to react. The next, he settled his palms on her hips to yank her closer, notching his aching cock into the juncture of her thighs. When Seren gasped, her mouth slipping from his, Canyon gave her fair warning. “This is the treat in trick-or-treating, baby. Happy Halloween,” he muttered before claiming her mouth and kissing her with pure raw hunger.
Seren kissed him back with equal desperation. Wanting this man more than breath, more than life. Clinging to the breadth of his wide shoulders, she dragged her fingertips down his strong arms and across the hard slabs of his chest. She loved his beautiful body, forged from hours of physical labor. Touching him again like this was incredible. As his mouth savaged hers with hot, wet kisses, she caressed his abs, loving it when the washboard muscles rippled at her touch.
After what seemed like an endless flow of powerful kisses, he pulled his mouth from hers, and she whimpered when he stopped. “What’s wrong?”
“Not a damn thing,” he growled. “Want to go to second base?”
Wanting anything he had to offer, Seren twined her arms around his neck, raking her fingers through his hair. “I don’t know what that means, but I’ll go anywhere you want me to go as long as we don’t stop.”
“No stopping, honey bunny.” Even in the dark, he found her lips easily, honing in for an erotic tease. She whimpered when he stroked the roof of her mouth with the tip of his tongue, the delicate touch bringing tingles to her entire body. Next, he used his talented tongue to trace the inside of her bottom lip causing the butterflies in her middle to take wing.
Again, Canyon eased away until their lips were barely touching, his breath coming in choppy pants much like her own. “I’m going to touch you now.”
Finally, she wanted to say aloud. “I’ll help.” She pulled the stretchy fabric of the body suit over her shoulders, shivering as he nibbled from her mouth to the soft place beneath her ear. “Bra too?”