I clung to it.
Because I never wanted this moment to be over.
Ever.
9
Kandi
Holy crap, that was good, I thought as the pulsing of his cock inside of me eventually slowed. I stretched my arms overhead and wiggled beneath him, feeling satiated and heavy, like all my limbs were filled with lead.
I reached up and pulled his face down to mine to kiss him. “I told you I didn’t mind getting a little dirty.”
His grin sent something warm spinning like a top out of control to my belly. He kissed my nose. “I like you dirty.”
I gave a thoughtful hmm and scrunched my nose. “But I have to cook for you soon… a promise that I dare not break. Dirty cooking doesn’t sound as appealing.”
Ford barked a laugh. “Actually, dirty cooking sounds sexy as fuck.” He pushed off the flannel blanket and offered me a hand to help me up. He tugged his jeans on, saying, “Why don’t we take a shower, then we can start dinner?”
I pulled my flannel shirt on as well, not bothering to put my bra and underwear on if we were just going to shower.
Forty minutes and two more orgasms later, Ford and I exited the bathroom, and I piled my wet hair on top of my head, grabbed the yoga pants and sweatshirt I had packed in my overnight bag, and slipped them on.
I reached up and ran my fingers through Ford’s dark, wet hair, the ends of which were curling into dark tendrils at the nape of his neck. He gave me a shy smile, raking his own fingers through his strands after mine, clearly not used to having so much attention on him. He grabbed my hips, tugging me back into his body. “You know what would make dinner even better?”
“Hm?”
“If you cooked… naked.”
I laughed, throwing back my head. “Don’t you have all kinds of families wandering around your property right now picking pumpkins?”
He glanced at the clock. “It closes at sundown, and soon, it’ll just be us.”
I pointed at his windows. “There are literally no curtains anywhere in this house, Ford.” Pushing onto my toes, I nipped at his bottom lip. “Get me some curtains, and next time, I’ll cook naked.”
“I’m going to hold you to that.” His hands squeezed my hips. “And I’ve got Amazon Prime, so I can get them delivered in forty-eight hours or less.”
The dinner I made wasn’t fancy. Chicken parmesan with prosciutto wrapped asparagus… but watching Ford eat his entire plate and then go for seconds made me feel more appreciated than I ever had with Ben. He then outdid himself when he bent to kiss me, thanked me for dinner, and proceeded to do all the dishes. When I tried to help, he shooed me out of the kitchen and told me to go relax for a while.
The next morning, I woke up and rolled over in Ford’s bed, realizing he wasn’t beside me. The sheets were rumpled, and when I inhaled deeply, I could smell remnants of his scent. Clean and woodsy, like sandalwood and soap.
I glanced at my phone and groaned when I saw that the time was only 7:02 a.m. On a Sunday. Granted, it was Halloween and my busiest day of the year. Luckily, my candy store didn’t open until eleven, so I had plenty of time to relax before I had to get over there.
I rolled over and closed my eyes, but the smell of coffee quickly roused me back awake. I sat up quickly, finding a freshly showered Ford leaning in the doorframe. He wore a green crewneck sweater and khaki pants… not his typical attire. It almost looked formal. For him.
In his hands, he held two cups of coffee, and he bent down to hand me one. I inhaled, and mine smelled heavenly—spiced. Not quite like a pumpkin spice latte, but similar. “What is this?”
He quirked a brow. “Uh… coffee.” His tone suggested that he wanted to add a duh.
I rolled my eyes. “No, I know that. But it smells like it’s flavored.”
His lips quirked. “I added a little cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove to yours. It’s not pumpkin spice, but it’s the best I could do on the fly.”
I closed my eyes and took a sip, moaning in pleasure. It was perfect.
“Hey, now,” Ford said. “I was hoping that sort of moan was only reserved for me.”
“You… and coffee.”
“Well, as long as I know where I stand.” Then, after a sip from his own coffee mug, he jerked his head toward the door. “Come on, sleepy head. Get dressed. I want to show you something before I have to get you back to the store by eleven.”
I blinked, surprised. “You know my schedule?”
“Rule number four,” he said. “Be there for me, even when I don’t ask you to.”
Huh. Okay, then. I kicked the covers off my body, and for a moment, I had almost forgotten that we had both slept nude… because he was already dressed… but I was as naked as the day I was born.
His gaze raked my bare flesh, need and desire flooding his dark eyes as I slowly stood and stretched my arms overhead. I teased him by bending over slowly to grab my panties from my bag.
I heard his low growl behind me, and when I dared to peek over my shoulder, I caught him setting his coffee down on the night stand and stalking toward me. He grabbed me by the waist and tugged me against his body, grasping my jaw as he kissed me hard, claiming my mouth. “You play dirty,” he whispered, peppering kisses down my jaw.
“Didn’t we already establish this last night?”
I shrieked a laugh as he dug his fingers into my ribs, tickling me and playfully, and he pushed me back down onto the bed.
Thirty minutes later, we were both dressed and had checked in on Momma and her kittens, giving poor little Boots his medicine that Steve had prescribed. He seemed to be feeling better, though, and his runny eyes were dryer than they were yesterday.
With my hand in his, Ford led me down to the pumpkin patch where kids were already running around in the field and playing amongst the pumpkins. There was a station where Mike was giving a demonstration on safe pumpkin carving, and Liz was serving cider and donuts while also manning the register for the pumpkins that families were picking.
I waved to her, and she smiled broadly, surprise washing over her features for only a moment before she waved back. “So, people pay by the weight of the pumpkins?” I asked.
Ford nodded. “If they only want a couple, yes. Otherwise, they can buy a crate and fill it for one set price. Most families choose to do that so they can all have one to decorate and also put some out on their porch.”
“Wow,” I said with a gush of breath and looked around. “This farm is incredible.” Not that I expected anything less from Ford. I couldn’t believe it had taken me so long to come down and see it for myself. Then again… there was the whole Ben thing. “It’s kind of far from your house, though.”
Ford nodded and looked through the apple trees to where we could see his house. “This was my last and probably final acquisition. Mr. Wilson was looking to sell after last pumpkin season. He had hesitated for a while because his house is here on the land, but we put a clause in the contract—he and his family can live there and maintain ownership of the house and the one acre surrounding it.”
“That was nice of you.”
Ford gave me a look. “It was common decency. He’d lived in that house his whole life. Raised his children there. I didn’t want to take his home from him. And what the hell did I need with a second house?”
There were a lot of things he could have done with a second house. He could have had assistants who lived on the property and rented it from him. He could have Airbnb’d it. In our town? He could have made a killing. But I said nothing, because in the end, his kindness meant more than any dollar sign ever would.
“Besides, once Mr. Wilson decides to move or passes, the house reverts to being mine anyway. So eventually, I’ll get it.” He shrugged. “Not that I’m in a hurry. It’s kind of nice having a neighbor so close. And Mrs. Wilson bakes pies.” He patted his stomach. “Good pies.”
I smiled and nuzzled his shoulder. “You know… I make a pretty good sweet potato pecan pie, myself.”
We spent the rest of the morning eating donuts, drinking cider, and going on a hayride as Ford told me all about the different picking seasons and explained how the revenue from the pumpkin patch helps him get by in the winter season when crops aren’t as abundant.
By ten o’clock, we were back at the house, and I was packing up my little overnight bag, wishing I could stay another night, but not quite sure if it was too soon to be spending two nights in a row together. Before leaving, we went up into the guest room where Momma and her kittens were. They all perked up when we entered, meowing and greeting Ford and me at the door. I lowered to the floor, crossing my legs as a few of them explored, crawling up over my knees. But not Sabrina… nope. She went right to Ford, meowing and purring as he scratched her chin.
He shrugged, looking at me with a wink. “What can I say? I have a way with—”
“Pussies?” I offered, interrupting him.
He threw back his head, laughing. “I was going to say ladies. But that works, too.”
I sighed, feeling suddenly sad that I couldn’t keep these sweet cats, despite how much I wanted to. Emotion clogged my throat, and I tried to subtly wipe at one of the tears that slipped out of my eye and down my cheek.
“Hey,” Ford whispered, brushing the back of his knuckle over the damp trail on my jaw. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s stupid,” I sniffled, shaking my head. “I just wish I could keep them all. Even Momma.” I put my hand out to the momma cat and she butted her head against my fingers chirping against my knuckles with a happy purr.
Ford was quiet, and I could have kicked myself. We’d only had one official date. Two nights together and I was already showing my crazy. My kryptonite was animals. I loved them all. I wanted to save them all. I had no doubts that in sixty years, I would be that crazy old lady who hoarded animals and thought that the opossum I’d taken in was actually a cat.
“Well,” Ford said carefully, “It’s a bit soon, I know… but I could keep them here. God knows, there’s plenty of land and once they’re old enough, they could come and go as they please.”
I blinked back my tears and jerked my eyes to Ford. “You would do that?”
He grinned and snuggled Sabrina closer. “Well… yeah. There’s a handful of cats that roam the property, and I have an old barn cat that lives outside. He never comes in, though. Hell, for all we know, he could be their daddy.”
“But…” I shook my head, clearing out the haziness. “You would let them inside, right? Feed them? Care for them?”
He kissed my temple. “Sure. They’re sweet, and the house is certainly big enough. I’ll just install a little cat door for when they’re all big enough to go outside.”
I paused, and the silence edged between us before I finally asked, “Why?”
He seemed taken aback by my question. “Why what?”
“Why would you do that? Keep six cats for… for me?”
Understanding passed along his features and he gave a quiet chuckle. “Rule number three. Take an interest in things I like. But, it just so happens, I like cats, too.” He licked his lips. “And I like you. Seems like a win-win.”
“Wow,” I said. “You are really taking those rules seriously. Makes me think I should’ve added some more in there.”
He grinned. “Like what?”
“Like… rule number five: you must give me a foot massage every night. And six: bring me coffee in bed every morning.”
He shrugged. “Done and done. What else you got, Cornne? Keep ‘em coming.”
I shook my head and smiled so hard that my cheeks were actually hurting. I couldn’t think of a time I had laughed as much, smiled as much, and just felt this damn happy in my life.
“Well, what about your list? What rules do you have for me?”
“Is it too barbaric to ask for that sweet potato pecan pie for my birthday?”
My eyes widened. “When is your birthday?”
He grinned. “I’m a Halloween baby.”
My jaw dropped. “Your birthday is today? Why didn’t you tell me? I didn’t get you anything!” I gently set the kittens on the ground and stood up to pace the room. “Okay, we need to head out now and grab some ingredients so I can bake your pie today. I can probably get the crust prepped and then pop it in the oven when my shop closes, just before trick-or-treating starts. Oh!” I snapped my finger, spinning to face him. “Come over for trick-or-treating tonight! It’s the most adorable thing in the world. Kids come by, and I give out candy, and they’re in their little costumes…”
“Do you think I don’t know what trick-or-treating is?” He laughed. “I’d love to come tonight. And I was kidding about the pie today. How about we have it next weekend?”
My eyes widened. “Absolutely not! It’s your birthday, and you are getting birthday pie! It’s the least I can do since I didn’t get you anything.”
He set Sabrina down with her brothers and stood as well, taking my hand and kissing my knuckles. “Oh, you’ve given me plenty. This has been the best birthday weekend of my life so far. And… you gave me six cats.”
I laughed, my shoulders shaking. “You mean I dumped six cats on you.”
“Hardly. Those cats are my insurance that you’ll be coming back here.”
He gave my hand a little tug and I leaned in, wrapping my hands around his neck. “You don’t need that insurance. I promise I’ll be back. And remember? I never break a promise.”
10
Ford
Several hours later, the sun had just about dipped below the horizon line. Streaks of orange and red smeared against the inky blue beginnings of night, and without the sun high in the sky, the air had chilled considerably.
I parked downtown in Maple Grove just as the costumed children and parents were coming out for trick-or-treating. I smiled, and for the first time in years, I felt myself thaw. In a matter of days, Kandi had broken down my walls in a way that my closest friends had never managed to do. I always thought of myself as impenetrable. But I guess it just took a little Halloween Kandi to slip through those cracks and find the soft spots in my foundation.
I opened the back of my truck and lifted the large pot of cider that was left over from the pumpkin patch. Technically, I should plug the crock pot in somewhere… but it might stay warm enough for the time being for us to drink outside.
Across the street, Kandi waved to me. She had a table set up outside her shop with some of my pumpkins from the event yesterday, bowls of candy, and even a fortune telling wheel. And tonight, she was dressed like a … holy hell.
I froze dead in my tracks, a bit of cider sloshing over the side of the crockpot.
She was dressed like Jeannie. From I Dream of Jeannie. My eyes widened, and still standing motionless in the center of the street I’d been crossing, I nearly got hit by a car.
I approached her, my jaw dropped. “You… you just had that laying around?”
She laughed, crossing her arms and doing that heavy blink thing that Jeannie always did. “You like?”
“Fuck yeah, I like.”
“Ford,” she hissed, glancing around. “There are kids.”
“Sorry.” I leaned in and whispered, “I’m going to need you to leave that costume on tonight.” It was my teenage wet dream come to life. “But I thought that was going to be our costume next year?”
“I can wear it again.” She winked, then looked me up and down with a frown. “You didn’t wear a costume.”
“Sure, I did.” I gestured up and down at my red flannel shirt, jeans, and work boots. Her nose scrunched and it was fucking adorable. I grabbed the roll of paper towels from beneath my arm and put them on my shoulder. “I’m the Brawny Towel guy.”
Kandi laughed and rolled her eyes. “You better enjoy that half-assed costume. In the future, you’re not getting off so easy.”
; “Kandi,” I teased. “Language. There are kids around.”
Two hours later, the crowds of kids had thinned out, and there were only a few stragglers left—mostly, the older middle school kids who were maybe a year or two too old to be trick-or-treating. Then again, as Kandi pointed out, it was better that they were out having harmless fun than sneaking around, being up to no good.
Couldn’t argue with that, now could I?
At some point throughout the trick-or-treating, I had started pouring little nips of bourbon into our hot cider mugs, and I had to admit, it helped keep us warm. Especially since poor Kandi was in a midriff-baring harem outfit. At about seven, she finally gave in and ran inside to put a coat on over her costume. She came back with two slices of the best damn sweet potato pecan pie I’d ever had in my life.
Okay, admittedly, that wasn’t a hard feat since I’d never had it before. But it was damn good. And despite my objections, she sang “Happy Birthday.” Loudly. In the middle of downtown Maple Grove.
Normally, it was the kind of thing I’d hate. And I did… sort of. But Kandi made it bearable. No… she made it enjoyable.
I gave a jaw-cracking yawn at around eight, trying my best to cover it with the back of my hand, but it was getting late for me. And birthday or not, I had to be up at four-thirty tomorrow, as usual.
Kandi ran her hand along my knee and gave it a squeeze. “Getting tired?” she asked.
I nodded and stretched. “I’ll be okay a little longer, though.”
“It’s okay if you want to go home early.” She gave me a small smile, and I felt that growing guilt I always felt with friends and loved ones. She wanted to stay out. Of course, she did… it was her favorite night of the year and also my birthday. Most people our age were only just heading out to their Halloween parties; their nights were just beginning when ours would be ending. With a heavy sigh, I took another sip of cider.
Bewitching You: A Maple Grove Halloween Novella Page 7