by Sam Crescent
Eli had on his walking boots, jeans, and a shirt. The last of summer was ebbing away, and soon he was going to have to start thinking about Halloween, Thanksgiving, and even Christmas.
“I’m coming with.”
He wasn’t going to let Ann go out on her own. He wanted to make sure she was safe and protected.
“What are you doing at Halloween?” he asked, changing the subject. He didn’t want to think about why it was so important for him to keep her safe.
Ann had lived without him and would be able to take care of herself, but he didn’t like the very thought of her being alone.
After they had walked the dogs, he was going to pick up Katie and had every intention of spending the day with Ann as well. They could go to the town fair that was being set up for the last summer weekend.
It had started last week, and Katie had wanted to go. He hadn’t been able to take her because of work commitments. Even though he worked from home, he still needed to take some time to actually get work done.
“Isn’t it a bit early to be thinking about Halloween?”
“Katie’s already making me order stuff to decorate the house. We never did anything back at my old place. I didn’t do Halloween.” In fact, Thanksgiving, he worked through, and Christmas, he was on his cell phone while she unwrapped presents. This would be the first year where he actually gave a shit about what happened, and he intended to make it as memorable as possible.
“That’s so cute. I don’t know. I’ve not really thought about anything.”
“We’re going to be decorating our house,” he said. “I want you to come along. Also, you’re invited for Thanksgiving and Christmas.”
“Really?” Ann asked, stopping outside of the gates of a house. “Doesn’t that go against all of your rules?”
“Nope. I don’t have any rules and I want you to make plans with me.” He reached out, tucking her hair behind her ear.
“I thought we had to keep this secret.”
“I just moved your hair.”
“Then why is your other arm around my back, holding me in place?” she asked.
He chuckled. “I don’t mind the world knowing, Ann.” In fact, he wanted to keep the world away from her so all men knew who she belonged to.
Tilting her head back, he kissed her hard, wanting to consume her.
She melted against him until someone cleared their throat, and he finally heard a bunch of dogs yapping.
“So, you’re the neighbor.”
“You’ve talked about me?” he asked, turning to the woman with the crisp white hair.
“We don’t need to talk about you. You’re living at those houses.”
“The cursed ones?”
“They’re not cursed, believe me. I’m Elizabeth, dear,” she said, holding out her hand.
He took it and laid a kiss to her knuckles.
“Oh, I see you’re a charmer, aren’t you? You’re used to getting all the ladies.”
He raised a brow at her but didn’t dispute it.
“Where are the leads, Beth?” Ann asked.
“Inside, honey, if you’d like to go and get them.”
He watched Ann disappear into the house and turned his gaze once again to Elizabeth.
“You be careful with that girl,” Elizabeth said.
“I will be. You barely know her and yet you’re protective of her.”
“She’s young and has never known what love is. From looking at you, I can see you’re the same. You don’t know what real love is. You’ve never experienced it.”
“I’m a grown man, I don’t need to know what love feels like. I’ll take care of Ann. You don’t need to worry about her.”
Elizabeth looked at him. “You don’t believe in the pull of the houses, do you?”
“Again, I’m a full-grown man. I make my own way in life and no house is going to tell me what to do, or who to love.”
She smiled. “Like all young men, you’re a fool. Tell me, Eli, when you saw her, that first time, when you looked over and gazed at her red hair, beautiful sparkling eyes, and that smile, tell me what you thought.”
Eli didn’t say a single word. “You were watching?”
“I always watch. I like to see exactly who will fall next. You have already fallen for her, Eli. Right now, you’re too afraid to admit it.” Elizabeth patted him on the arm. “Don’t worry, there will come a moment when you realize it. The houses don’t fail.”
The conversation came to an end as Ann came out with all the leads. The dogs rushed to her side, and he watched her.
The instant he had seen her, he’d found her striking, no doubt about that. Even now as she bent down, and helped the dogs, she was … everything.
Pushing those thoughts aside, he looked at the other woman who merely smiled at him as if she knew the trouble his thoughts were giving him. This wasn’t what he wanted, far from it.
Fuck.
Why did she have to look at him like that?
“Is everything okay?” Ann asked, coming to his side.
“Perfect.” He took three of the leads and smiled at the women.
“Eli, a little advice,” Elizabeth said. “Don’t fight it.”
He walked down the street with Ann. No one else was awake yet, and the dogs were well trained.
“Is everything okay?” she asked.
“Yeah, of course. Why?”
“You’re glaring.”
“Oh, it’s nothing.”
“What did Elizabeth say? She believes in the houses thing. Don’t worry about her. She told me she’s seen the houses bring a lot of couples together.”
She might not be wrong.
Walking beside Ann, he found himself glancing her way, watching her.
No, he couldn’t fall for her.
This move wasn’t about him finding love. It was about offering Katie some stability. He didn’t get the opportunity to find love. It wasn’t in his makeup. Love was for people who didn’t run companies or didn’t want to settle down. His parents had the perfect marriage, and he knew he wasn’t going to find that.
They made it to the park, one he didn’t even realize was around. Ann bent down once again and let the dogs loose. They ran off, each of them chasing a ball he hadn’t realized she had.
He took her hand, wanting to hold her. Pulling her close, he grabbed the ball, and tossed it across the ground, watching as it landed on the ground. The dogs barked excitedly and came back.
“Do you like dogs?” she asked.
“Love them.”
“Have you ever owned one?”
“No. I’ve always been too busy to get one.”
“Oh,” she said. “I’m thinking about getting a dog.”
“You are?”
“Katie did tell you, remember?”
He vaguely had a recollection of it. With the ball back in his hand, he threw it again.
“I don’t want you seeing other men,” he said.
“I’m not.”
“I want to make this exclusive.” He felt her tense at his side.
“I’m not sure I know what that means. I’m not with anyone else but you. Have you been with other women?”
“No. What I’m saying is, I don’t want to hide that we’re a couple from Katie anymore. I want you to come with me to pick her up.” He didn’t know why the fuck he was saying this. It went against the rules he’d put in place.
“Oh, okay, sure.”
He threw the ball and turned to her. “Look, I don’t know what this is. I’m not promising you forever. I don’t believe the bullshit people keep saying about the houses, and I’m not acting on this because of that.”
“You’re acting strange.”
“I know that, but I don’t want to lose you, Ann.” He cupped her cheek.
“You’re not going to lose me. I’m right here.” She turned her face and kissed his inner palm.
He needed to talk to his dad, or someone. He didn’t understand what was going on with him.
Love wasn’t something he wanted or believed in. Love was for fools who felt they needed a reason to marry or to stay together. For a long time, he’d settled for the pleasures of the flesh, but this was more than that. This was his life and he had come to find nighttimes were the worst. He would reach out and she wouldn’t be there.
Sleeping alone was his style, but after waking up with her in his arms, he had found it overrated. No, it couldn’t be love. He refused to fall for her, or even the notion of being in love. It was stupid. But what if he already had fallen? What if his feelings for her couldn’t be switched off? Was he too far gone? Had he already fallen in love with her?
“I don’t believe in the houses either, Eli.” She went on her tiptoes and kissed him. “I will follow your lead. Katie’s your daughter, and I will do what you ask of me, always.”
He kissed her back, harder.
He couldn’t promise her forever, but he could offer her a good time now. Closing his eyes, he let himself go, only for the dogs to come around his feet and start yapping at him to throw the ball.
Chapter Nine
One month later
With the graveyard in place, the bones protruding from the ground, and Halloween cookies on the kitchen counter setting, Ann stepped back and saw the display as Eli finished hanging the lights. Halloween was three days away, and they’d decided to decorate both of their houses.
Katie loved it and she’d been the one in charge of organizing all the decorations.
“Perfect,” Katie said, clapping her hands. “It looks awesome.”
Ann gasped as Katie threw her arms around her, cutting off her air.
“I get it, you love it. I love it too,” she said, laughing.
Eli had been true to his word. They didn’t keep their relationship a secret, and the first time they kissed in front of her, Katie had squealed.
After entering the house, she went to the fridge to pour out some blood punch for all three of them.
“Ann, are you busy tomorrow after school?” Katie asked.
“Friday, I’ve got half a day as Mr. Graves wants to close shop and check for bugs. He thinks aliens have come down and are tracking him.” She loved working with Mr. Graves.
“Can you come to the school for a pre-Halloween lunch?” Katie asked. “All of the other girls are talking about taking their mothers and well, I don’t want to be the only girl without a mommy.”
Ann’s heart pulled. “Katie, it’s up to your dad. I don’t know if he’d like it.”
They hadn’t exactly talked about her taking the role of mom or any kind of parental role. She never interfered when he had to punish Katie, not that he ever did. She’d refused to do homework one night, and he banned her from the pool.
“Dad doesn’t mind. I’ve asked him and he said I had to ask you. If you would go. Please, please, Louisa is already laughing at me, saying I have no mommy.”
“I’m happy for you to go,” Eli said.
“Erm, sure, I’ll go.”
Katie ran off screaming in excitement.
Ann looked back at her before turning to Eli. “Are you sure?”
“She wants to take you, and to be honest, I think it’s time for Louisa’s mom to get the message. She texted me, you know, offered to sit with Katie at lunch.”
“Oh,” Ann said.
Louisa’s mom had looked at her with such hatred when she’d turned up with Eli to pick up Katie. The other woman clearly had designs on him, and she’d screwed with the other woman’s plans.
“Yeah, oh.”
“But, I don’t want you to think I’m crossing a line.”
“Ann, I told her to ask you.” He wrapped his arms around her waist. “You’re not crossing any line. Unless of course you don’t want to?”
“I do. I adore her, you know that. I’m just worried.”
“What are you worried about?”
“In case this doesn’t work out with us. I don’t want her to get too attached.” The truth was, she didn’t want to get too attached. They shared their houses. The spare bedroom had even been made up for Katie. They spent a weekend decorating it exactly how she’d like it. Pale-pink walls, blue curtains, and she’d stuck dog and puppy posters on the walls. Her laundry consisted of her own clothes, mixed in with Eli’s and Katie’s.
If Eli had a conference or an important phone call, she took Katie to school and picked her up. She even dealt with lunch as well.
Eli came to the law office or the DIY store to eat with her. He’d even allowed Mr. Graves to scan him with a device to check for an antenna or something.
They walked Elizabeth’s dogs every single day. The older woman had really grown on her. She had even gotten a phone call from Eli to say that he was eating dinner at her house, and to bring Katie along. She’d had dinner with his parents and she adored them.
From his mother, she did get the motherly warning, again, another surprise to her.
Everything seemed to be moving fast but rather than panic, she felt at peace, until now. She was happy going at a steady pace. They didn’t talk about previous couples or the house curse. Elizabeth tried to talk about it, but Eli always changed the topic. Neither of them had said the I love you. Nothing.
Eli kissed her. It wasn’t a soft kiss. Another of his deep, possessive kisses that threatened to make her go weak at the knees. She was totally gone on him.
Just because she hadn’t told him with words that she loved him, Ann knew without a doubt her feelings for him were strong. In fact, she truly believed she loved him, only it scared her.
What if he laughed at her?
“I need you to stop worrying,” he said. “We’re good together, aren’t we?”
“Yes, I know we’re good together.”
“I don’t mind Katie getting attached to you. I’m very much attached to you.” He cupped her ass, squeezing the cheeks.
She also didn’t have it in her heart to tell him she’d skipped a period. She was due another one next week. She had counted her cycle and hidden away her notes when she should have started.
Her last cycle may not have happened because of stress. She’d checked out all possible signs for no menstruals. Stress was a big one. Of course, pregnancy was the number one cause, but they had been careful, and she was on the pill.
She hadn’t lied to him. What might have been a tiny problem, with her stress and worry about money, she’d forgotten to take it a couple of times, but that surely wouldn’t have been a reason for her to catch.
She wasn’t pregnant. No way.
“Then I’ll go to the mommy Halloween lunch,” she said. She had already seen all the advertisements for it on the billboards outside of the school. He kissed her again and they pulled apart as Katie laughed.
Whenever they kissed, Katie always giggled. There was no reason to worry him, not when she didn’t know what it meant. For all she knew, this was just a little hiccup.
“Are you okay?” Eli asked when Katie ran off into the sitting room to set up a movie.
“Yeah, of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”
“I don’t know, you seem distracted.”
Ann wanted to tell him but why worry what they had? If he was still only looking for a good time, then this conversation wouldn’t matter.
“I’m fine. Honestly. Nothing to worry about.” She kissed him hard. “I’ve got it all taken care of.”
****
The mommy Halloween lunch went really well, so did Halloween. They all went trick or treating and Katie got sick on way too much chocolate. After that, everyone was planning for Thanksgiving.
The DIY store wasn’t overly busy but Mr. Graves used it as the time to make sure no aliens were watching his shop.
She’d grown rather attached to her boss’s ways. There were times she even helped him with these devices he’d made. He was sure he heard a lot of people talking, but for her, it was always static.
Still, she helped as much as she could.
Her hours were reduced even mor
e at the law firm, and she picked more up at the DIY store. Then, of course, she kept on walking Elizabeth’s dogs. She’d yet to go and adopt one for herself, but in time. Her life was doing wonders. She seemed more in control now than ever before.
She didn’t see a reason to cause any kind of upheaval until one morning, with Eli’s arms wrapped around her, she woke up with the overwhelming need to vomit.
Without being quiet about it, she shoved Eli back, rushed to the toilet, and threw everything up she ate the previous day. She didn’t hold back or keep anything down.
Eli came to her rescue, holding her hair back as she did this. Tears filled her eyes and she knew without a doubt she had to find out the truth.
“It’s a nasty bug going around. Don’t worry about it. I’ll call Mr. Graves and let him know you’re not coming in today.”
“I’ve got to work. I’ll be fine.”
“No, you’re going to brush your teeth, rest, and I’ll take care of everything.”
“You’ve got to head into the city,” she said. “You’ve got that meeting.” She didn’t know what it was about, but he’d asked her to take care of Katie while he was away for a couple of days.
“I’m not going to leave you while you’re throwing up everywhere.”
She brushed her teeth. Staring at her reflection in the mirror, she saw how pale she looked. “I’m fine. Really.”
“Not happening.” Eli was already on his cell. “I’ll arrange the meeting for me to be in my office. You don’t need to worry yourself about anything.” He stood in the doorway, arranging with his assistant to organize communication via video. It didn’t take long for him to get the job done. Not after he barked orders at everyone, and so like him, all of them obeyed. Not a single person disputed him.
She was put back to bed, and Eli left the house thirty minutes later with Katie to drop her off at school.
She had to know the answer now. She’d been putting it off for too long now, and she was scared.
What if he didn’t want to have anything to do with her?
Seeing no end in sight to her worries, she threw the covers off, grabbed some clothes, and quickly pulled them on. In a matter of minutes, she was out of the house.