Crime and Periodicals: Green Valley Library Book #2

by Romance, Smartypants

  “Are you ready?” Harry shouted from the half-bath under the stairs at the ranch.

  “I’m ready, Harry! I am, I am!” Mel shrieked from the entryway. Wyatt’s mother had created Mel’s dream costume—she was a ballerina ninja princess, complete with a tutu and tiara.

  “I’m ready too, Harry.” Mak laughed. She was dressed as Hermione Granger even though Harry had insisted that with her red hair she looked more like Ginny Weasley. Harry, the girls, and I had been reading Harry Potter together after dinner most nights, either here or at Wyatt’s place.

  “Look at me,” Harry said. “I’m a deputy sheriff, just like Wyatt Earp and Wyatt Monroe. ‘Fast is fine, but accuracy is everything. In a gun fight…you need to take your time in a hurry.’ Wyatt Earp said that.” He pulled his squirt gun from the holster and shot at the front door just as Willa walked through it, splashing her in the stomach.

  “Good shot.” She laughed.

  “Oh, no. I’m sorry, Willa.”

  “Don’t worry, Harry.” She stood up straight and got into character. “I’m from the remote desert planet of Jakku, I’m probably dehydrated.” Willa was Rey from The Force Awakens.

  Ruby laughed as she entered from the kitchen carrying the pumpkin trick-or-treat buckets. She was Princess Leia, which was pretty much the best Halloween costume of all time—aside from my own. As soon as she had been old enough to let Cora know, Ruby had wanted to be a different Leia every Halloween. I encouraged her to keep up the tradition after Cora died. This year she was the white robe, doughnut-buns Leia from A New Hope.

  This year I was Smash-Girl. I felt like a badass and it was time to dress like one.

  We all turned as my father’s footsteps sounded down the stairs. “I’m headed to the senior center. I’ll see y’all there.”

  “Pop, you’re a vampire. But you aren’t scary at all,” Harry said.

  “Yeah, I don’t want to scream or run away,” Mel said, sounding disappointed.

  He laughed. “That’s right, I’m a friendly vampire. We don’t want anyone getting too scared to have fun.”

  “I heard Big Ben is going to play dulcimer for y’all. It’s quite the scandal around town.” Becky Lee laughed.

  “You betcha,” Dad said. “It wasn’t easy, but we booked him before the community center could get him for their Halloween party. First time in ten years he won’t play there.” His gleeful laugh made me smile. “His rendition of ‘The Monster Mash’ is top-notch.” He waved goodbye as he headed outside.

  We planned to start the evening at the senior center and then head up and down Main Street to experience Green Valley’s Trick-or-Treat Trail. All the shops handed out candy and most of the owners decorated and dressed up. The Trick-or-Treat trail started and ended early so people could have time to attend the community center Halloween party. But we were skipping the community center party this year. It would be too crowded for Harry, and if I’m being honest, me too.

  “Let’s go, let’s go, go, go.” Mel hopped up and down. “I need candy!” she shrieked and waved her hands in the air.

  “Come on, sweeties.” Becky Lee laughed, directing us all to her minivan.

  “You don’t need any more sugar, Mel. Your head might explode,” Mak said as they headed out the front door.

  Mel stuck her tongue out. “It will not. Be quiet, Mak.”

  “Ready?” I said to Harry. “And remember, we can come back home whenever you want, just say the word.”

  “I’m ready.” He smiled.

  “And I’m ready to eat all the candy you don’t like.” Willa grinned at him.

  “I only like Hershey Bars and plain Kisses. That’s it,” he informed her.

  “It’s my lucky night then. I heard Big Ben’s Dulcimer Shop gives out full sized Kit Kat bars.”

  “Um, no way,” I protested. “I have dibs on all Kit Kats in all their various forms—white, milk, and dark chocolate.”

  She laughed at me. “How could I forget about your obsession? Fine. I get the rest.” She patted her light saber. “Don’t make me use this on you.”

  “Willa, you don’t need that. You can use the force on her,” Everett teased.

  “Pretty sure she can only use it for good. Though we won’t know for certain until the next movie comes out,” Ruby argued.

  “Let’s go. I have a hankering for a Snickers bar, among other things.” Everett grinned at Willa and headed for the door.

  There was a cool breeze and leaves were blowing every which way, covering the lawn and gravel drive.

  Becky Lee pulled into the senior center lot and we headed inside. Becky Lee started snapping pictures of the girls in the front of the hay bales that were decorated with happy jack-o'-lanterns and smiling scarecrows in the corner of the spacious lobby.

  “Get in our picture, Harry,” Mak called.

  He sat next to them and they all smiled at Becky Lee.

  “Hey, ladybugs,” Wyatt called from the doorway.

  “Daddy!” Mak and Mel yelled and ran to him.

  I held myself back from yelling and running to him too. But just barely.

  “Look at me, Wyatt. I’m you,” Harry informed him and waved his hand in front of himself.

  “You sure are. We should get a picture together.” Wyatt held his hand out and Harry dashed over to take it.

  “Okay, Wyatt.” Harry beamed up at him. Both my heart and my panties melted at the sight. I sighed and reconsidered running to him.

  “Let’s take a picture of all of you together. Sabrina, Wyatt, kids—sit on the hay,” Becky Lee ordered.

  Wyatt took my hand and tugged me over to the hay bales. He pulled me down to sit at his side while the kids surrounded us.

  “This is perfect. Y’all look like one big happy family.” Becky Lee grinned and snapped pictures.

  It felt perfect. It felt like a dream come true, like everything I’d ever wanted.

  “Okay, get up, y’all. Willa and Everett, sit. I want to take a picture of you two.”

  Everett’s eyes got huge as he looked at Willa, whose jaw had dropped.

  “Go on now. Sit on the hay. Scoot,” Becky Lee ordered.

  They took our place on the hay bale and Becky Lee snapped away with her camera.

  “Good. Done. Kids! Let’s trick-or-treat.” She held out her hand and the girls quickly took hold. “Chop, chop.”

  Becky Lee looked expectantly at Harry. “Come on, Harry. You too, Willa and Everett,” she bossed.

  Harry looked at me, eyebrows raised. “Can I?”

  “Yes,” I said with a laugh.

  He got up and took Mak’s outstretched hand.

  Willa smiled at me and shook her head before following them into the dining room. Everett followed behind all with an eye roll.

  “My mother is not subtle,” Wyatt said wryly.

  “She sure isn’t,” I said with a laugh. “She’s sweet.”

  “My girls adore her. Harry will too.”

  “I think he already does. He took to her right away, like he didn’t have a choice.”

  “He will fit right in with my family. You will too. They’ll love you just like I do,” he whispered before wrapping me in his arms and kissing me.

  Did he just tell me he loved me?

  He’d said he was falling for me the other night. Was that the same thing? Should I say, ‘I love you too?’ Because I did—I loved him. Or should I wait for him to say the words exactly and then say it back to him? I stood there and stared at him.

  Nod and smile while you think.

  I smiled at him. Then I nodded even though he hadn’t asked me a question.

  What would Sienna Diaz do?

  I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him.

  She’d probably do that, right?

  My kisses would have to do the talking for me because I couldn’t bring myself to say the words aloud if I was unsure if he felt the same.

  “I wish I didn’t have to get back to work. I’d rather trick-or-treat with y�
�all, then take you home later and see what kinds of treats you’ll give me.” He teased and smacked another kiss onto my lips.

  “Wyatt!” I gasped.

  He laughed. “I’d better get going. I’ll call you later.”

  “Be careful out there,” I said.

  “Always, darlin’.”

  As I watched Wyatt walk away my heart gave a little lurch. I loved him so much. I should have told him.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Sabrina

  The sun had just started to go down, but Main Street continued to glow with festive Halloween spirit. Strands of orange and purple lights twinkled in the trees and jack-o'-lanterns flickered ominously from behind their carved-out grins and eyes while white ghost luminaries strung from pole to pole above us lent their soft glow to the Green Valley Trick-or-Treat Trail.

  People were in awesome costumes. I saw a lot of Avengers, a few Power Rangers, and Disney Princesses. And some Winstons—Ashley and Drew Runous had dressed up their baby girl like Belle from Beauty and the Beast. The sight of that sweet baby girl made me want one of my own. Gah! I think I just caught baby fever. What would a baby of mine and Wyatt’s look like? I melted inside when I pictured a tiny baby with chocolate brown eyes just like Wyatt’s.

  I waved, smiled, and said hi to various tiny costumed humans and their parents as we walked down the street and the kids got their candy from the shops.

  Ruby tugged on my arm and pulled me aside. “Look at you,” she whispered with a huge smile on her face.

  “What?” I laughed.

  “Saying hi, waving. You’re in the world, Sabrina. Not hiding inside your head or a book, or wherever you used to go inside your brain.”

  “It’s no big deal,” I lied. It was a big deal. On the outside I was smiling and waving but inside I was still nervous and a little bit afraid. The difference from before was I was willing to try—I wanted more and was working hard to get it. My dad always told me, “The more you do, the easier it will be to do more.” And he was right; it was getting easier to come out of my shell a little bit. I would never fully leave it, but I could poke my head out from time to time if I could hide out and recharge when I got home.

  “It used to be,” she argued. “Before, if I could even get you to go anywhere with me in the first place, you would have had your head in the clouds, like you weren’t even present, like mentally or something. You wouldn’t have noticed at all if someone tried to speak to you.”

  “Ruby, I think I got through the last nine years by pretending that they weren’t happening. I was always shy, but when your mom died, I let the shyness combine with my grief and lost myself in it. Plus, I’m not exactly having deep conversations with anyone right now. I’m just smiling and saying hello.” I decided to be honest with her. I had come a long way and she had always been there to encourage me.

  She hugged me. “I understand that. But, Sabrina, I feel like you’re here, with me. And I’m so glad.”

  I hugged her back. I was here with her and not hiding in fearful thoughts. And I would still have to go home and do my usual—ponder, ruminate—but instead of freaking out and throwing up, I would write my feelings down in my journal and try to leave them there.

  “Hey, Smash-Girl! Over here!” I spun around after Ruby poked me in the side and pointed across the street.

  A family of masked Incredibles were waving at me from in front of the Dulcimer Shop. I needed to go over there anyway, for the Kit Kats, of course. Not curiosity. You know what they said about curiosity—it killed the cat.

  I caught Becky Lee’s attention. “I’m going to cross the street with Ruby for a second, we’ll be right back. Come on, Harry.” I took his hand and we made our way to the other side of the street.

  Elastigirl beamed at me as we approached, her dimples practically blinding me. I slowed my pace and glanced over at Ruby who was deliberately looking elsewhere. My Spidey senses were tingling, could it be?

  “Hey, the baby is Jack-Jack!” Harry yelled. “Hey, Jack-Jack! Hey, Mr. Incredible! Oh, and two Dashes. Hi, two Dashes!”

  Mr. Incredible said, “Hey, little man,” to Harry and I recognized him from the library and Genie’s Bar. Mr. Incredible was Jethro Winston.

  “Knock Knock, Miss Sabrina.” I heard that tiny little voice from the library say once we’d reached them—Benjamin. I gulped. Holy crap, I was about to fangirl so hard. There would be squee-ing. I may even go down.

  “Who’s there?” I asked as I gazed at Elastigirl with what I hoped was a neutral, friendly expression. Hide it, Sabrina. You hide all that fangirl crazy right now.

  “Boo.” He giggled.

  “Boo who?” Harry shouted. I giggled at Benjamin while at the same time trying to prevent myself from hyperventilating. Ruby grabbed my hand—did she sense I was about to bolt?

  “Don’t cry, it’s just me—and my mom.” Harry burst into laughter and Benjamin high-fived him before turning to look up at me. I had finally managed to wrench my eyes away from Elastigirl to pay proper attention to him. “Miss Ruby said my mom is your favorite when we saw her at the Piggly Wiggly yesterday,” he informed me.

  “I think you might just be my favorite, Benjamin. You have the best jokes.” I held my hand out for a high-five of my own and he smacked it. He looked up at his mother with an adorable, smug expression.

  “Oh, now you’re my favorite,” Elastigirl said.

  Sienna Diaz just called me her favorite. I was literally going to die. Tears formed behind my eyes and I blinked rapidly to keep them from falling. I sucked in a huge gulp of air and tried to smile.

  What would Sienna Diaz do?

  Holy effing crap. This was unprecedented. And slightly meta.

  “I love you,” I blurted. You’re so cool, Sabrina…and totally normal. NOT.

  There was no way to express what she meant to me without sounding like a total nut job, it was best that no one ever know.

  Sienna Diaz laughed. She reached over and hugged me.

  I hugged her back. “Thank you for hugging me. I’m sorry for interrupting your trick-or-treat trail experience,” I said when we pulled apart.

  “You didn’t interrupt us. I interrupted you, remember?” She laughed again. Sienna Diaz had a glorious laugh. And a glorious smile. And she was super nice too. Oh. My. God.

  “It was great to meet you. I’m sorry if I got weird,” I said with an internal cringe.

  “Everyone gets weird around me at first. You’ll get over it. I’m just a normal human like everyone else.” Her nod was sage as she smiled at me.

  “No, you’re not,” Jethro told her with a grin.

  “Let’s trick-or-treat some more, Mommy,” Andy, the second Dash said.

  “We better hit the trail. I’ll see you around town, Smash-Girl.” Sienna Diaz took her son’s hand and they all took off up the trail.

  “Bye,” I said then turned to Ruby when they were out of hearing distance. “I can’t believe this. I just can’t believe it. I will never believe it because this is impossible to believe.”

  “You will. You’ll probably see her around town too now that you’ve joined the world.” She grinned at me.

  “Oh my God.” I was going to have to go home and lie down. I was going to need at least a week to recover from this.

  I let Harry trick-or-treat at the Dulcimer Shop—because, full-sized Kit Kats—before rejoining the others. I snatched it out of his bucket and unwrapped it. I took a big bite right out of the middle just to watch Ruby flinch. It made me feel a little bit better.

  “Gah! I hate it when you do that, Sabrina,” she said and stomped ahead. I chuckled.

  “My candy bucket is full. And my feet hurt,” Harry complained once we caught up to Wyatt’s mom and the others.

  “I can’t walk anymore,” Mel said from her perch on Willa’s back.

  “Sugar pie, I’ve been walking for the both of us for the last ten minutes.” Willa laughed. “I’m like your own personal candy pack mule. I’m even carrying your
bucket. My piggy back tax is a bag of M&M’s and a Snickers bar, by the way.”

  “I’ll pay the tax, and you can have the Butterfingers too. They hurt my teeth,” Mel offered.

  “Mel, I thought I got the Butterfingers,” Everett teased.

  “No way, Everett,” Willa retorted. “Mel and I have just struck a deal. No takesies-backsies, Mel. We’ll shake on it when I put you down.”

  “I’ll share with you, Uncle Everett,” Mak offered. “And Grandma is going to chop some candy up tomorrow and make Halloween candy cookies.”

  “That sounds intriguing,” I said.

  “It’s just a chocolate chip cookie recipe.” Becky Lee laughed. “It impresses the kids though, especially if you add sprinkles to it. Then you don’t have candy cluttering your house and making your kids into hyper little sugar monsters for the week after Halloween.”

  “Genius,” Willa said. “If I ever have kids, I’m coming to you for a list of your sneaky tricks.”

  Becky Lee’s phone rang. “Hello.” She listened for a second. She stopped walking and glanced at me. “Yes, she’s right here with me.”

  We stopped too. I froze at the expression that crossed her face. She had lost all color and her hand shook as she held the phone. “We’re coming. We’ll be right there,” she finally said.

  “What is it? What’s wrong?” I asked, but she was already busy texting someone.

  Everett’s phone pinged with a text message. He pulled it out and froze just like Becky Lee had.

  “Wyatt,” she mouthed to me. “We have to go. Right now. Take everyone to the house, Everett.”

  “Willa, Ruby, can you help?” Becky Lee asked.

  “Yes, I’ll help watch them,” Willa agreed, confusion on her face.

  “Thank you, honey,” Becky Lee said and rummaged in her purse. She separated her keys, “Here is my house key.” Everett took it.

  “We’ll have fun. Won’t we, kids?” Everett said.

  The girls looked like they were wondering what was going on.

  “Everything is fine. Sabrina and I have to—just—we’ll be right back. Later. Don’t worry about a thing. Everything is fine,” she told them.